Mayday Plays - Vegas by Night, Ep. 12 - "The Dog and the Door"
Episode Date: January 23, 2023The Coterie descends deeper into Lake Mead and fights the valuable secrets that lay there. What they find will change Las Vegas for ever....
Transcript
Discussion (0)
Hello everyone. Good morning. We just had the most intellectual discussion of our lives in the pre-show chat here about a meme that was like a year old, so it just really tells you where our heads are at this morning.
Hello and welcome, Kindred. To Vegas by night, Mayday role plays Vampire the Masquerade Chronicle. Welcome to our first stream of 2023.
Listen, we have so much planned for you here as a community and it's beyond exciting to be able to bring those to you this year.
I'm really excited for you all to see what we've got cooking this year and I think Mayday fans will be well fed, so keep an eye out.
Things will continue to progress, but starting us off is finishing out this arc of Vegas by night.
If you haven't missed out on any chapters of Vegas by night, don't fear. You can still check it out on Spotify, Twitch, VOD and our YouTube channel as of right now.
And if you're wondering how you can get more Mayday in your life, you can catch our stream here every other Saturday for our main show.
You can follow us on all major platforms as well as Spotify and SoundCloud for podcast friendly recordings of all our major shows and streams.
And finally, you can donate to us on Patreon and join our Patreon Discord.
The Discord is really where we've had this chance to build a great little family around the content we put out.
We have patrons who have joined each other's games and played in some host by ourselves.
We've decided which Pokemon best reflect ourselves. We made a picture of myself into a coy, extremely sexy emoji that you'll see in the chat soon.
We have no clue how that happened, but it's beautiful. Thank you, Eli.
And most recently, we've been discussing the changes involved for Mayday in a Patreon slash Discord state of the Mayday Union address,
where we have sort of outlined some of our plans for the rest of the year that you can have access to if you join our Patreon and our Discord.
In addition to all that craziness, you get an opportunity to listen to exclusive Patreon content behind the scenes information.
We'd like to give a shout out as well to our handler level Patreon contributors.
It's because of their involvement in our content that we can begin thinking of all of the big picture ideas we have for Mayday.
It is because of you that as of right now, I think maybe we have a few shirts left from our perennial airlines doomed to repeat a drop there.
They're still available in our shop, and we'd love to see more of you kitted out in them.
And that was purely attainable because of the support you all have shown us, especially our handler level.
So thank you to Ankh, to OGPan, to BimbleWart, to Cameron S, to Eric A, and Jonathan M, Ren, WTF, and Alex Johnson.
Thank you so much for your support.
Other than that, please check out our Delta Green campaign doomed to repeat.
That is GM'd by the winner of Minnesota's best GM ever in Minnesota's 2022 web fest.
Oh my God, Sergio is amazing. You have to check it out.
And we are coming back this year with more doomed to repeat.
We are recording at the end of the month.
Oh my God, I'm so excited to cry.
Our fantasy campaign, no other system attributed to it, because we would never say that word out loud.
Our fantasy campaign centered in the island world of Ashoka, where Eli crafts a world so brimming with love it leaks into every recording.
And our old World of Darkness campaign using the Orpheus system with the one and only Vince from Black Project Gaming fame.
All of which are available on all major podcasting platforms, YouTube and our Twitch.
Finally, we just want to give love to our last member, Vince, who is on a little Mayday vacation and has been using this time to brainstorm and prep some of the best TTRPG content that's going to hit the space.
This is absolutely going to be the year of Vince and we can't wait to see him around with our gang in the coming year.
So we miss you, buddy.
We want to warn you ahead of time that it's raining in California today and now for you and your state that very well may mean nothing.
But to us Californians, it's the closest we get to a biblical plague.
There is a possibility that our stream may be treated to technical difficulties as a result.
But if the stream happens to go down, bear with us and we'll be back within a moment.
Before we get started today, I just want to remind everyone that Vampire the Masquerade can be a dark setting and as such there are content warnings for any watching.
Please be advised that there may be violent themes, plenty of adult language and the exploration of much darker subjects.
Please take care of yourself and be aware.
You guys always come first to us before the content does, so make sure you're taking care of yourself.
Things to watch out for in this particular episode are still drowning, depictions of demons, possible speaking in tongues.
The newest you have to worry about is emulation.
So if you have the fear of fire, please check that out.
Body horror and minor trypophobia.
Here, we're underwater, friend.
We can't.
Gordian doesn't happen underwater, my guy.
I don't know what to tell you.
With that, we're going to get started here.
Humanity was cursed.
And for that curse to thrive, enforcement of the cabal's unholy will became necessary.
In the name of the all invoking power of the founders and their future justicars, a new Lord was made known only as the Archons.
The original four Archons, Federico of Nosferatu, Father Jean-Marc of Torridor, Gilbert of Ventrue, and Lilica of Bruja,
served the founders with an unwavering support and stood uniquely as the arms of the Camarilla on the ground floor.
These four were of the first to take the blood bond as a form of sacrament.
But unlike the Archons of these modern knights, they were not bonded with the council of justicars that oversee the Camarilla,
but instead with each other in an unending circle of protection.
It was through this power that they formed an unbreakable will with which to house the intentions of the Camarilla.
Now, in these modern knights, the title has become synonymous with a higher echelon of dutiful servant to the Ivory Tower,
an individual that holds the very weight of a justicars wrath behind unfettered decision.
They have been given specific instruction and even more specific designation.
Some given temporary tasks in a crisis and named Praetor. Others bid in to hunt the red list with impunity named Allistor's.
Others so highly embedded that their position exists without name or description to protect their unholy purpose.
But finally, there are the Josians, the gatekeepers, those promoted out of a fear of the days yet to come,
put to task to prevent the end times and beat back Gehenna and its cults behind the door.
They are few in number, but important in craft.
Above all, they are called in when the smell of brimstone has permeated the domain of a prince so fully that it is only a matter of time before the world moves to swallow their city hall.
We will elect a uniform to those who might guard the bobbles of our own creation.
We will play at an understanding of our impact on the scorched soil of this place.
We will inherit a new ending each day and still continue to ramble before it.
We will think that we can save a world with the power given freely to us by those who would orchestrate its end.
I will see it end.
We will kill our darlings.
Welcome to Vegas by night.
Beautiful.
Wonderful work.
You are just in time for them to threaten me with slugs.
I just want you all to know that slugs are disgusting.
Snails are rude, evil creatures, and they are clogged with our downfall.
Everyone has a snail that is coming for you today.
Does this look evil to you?
That is disgusting.
This is a good friend.
None.
I'm with Caleb.
Listen, I would like to introduce all of you to the cast of Vegas by Night here at Mayday Roleplay.
My name is Caleb James Miller.
I'll be your storyteller today, and I'm sorry for what I'm about to do to you.
I'm Aaron, and I'm Enoch, and I'm calm.
Calm?
Yes.
Great.
Okay, I didn't hear calm for a second.
I didn't hear it either.
I heard something much different.
Yup.
I see.
I'll show that.
I'm Allegra.
I'm playing Mal, and I am a snail and slug sympathizer.
I'm Amanda.
I play Allyson, and I hate slugs.
That's it.
I'm Eli, and I'm playing Niles.
I'm Sergio, and I'm playing Burroughs.
I'm Zacchia, and the slugs will rise again.
Oh my God, they're Confederate slugs.
Oh my God, no.
Today, we have a recap performed by Sybil.
Completely opposite vibe, my bad.
I get sad really quick.
I am original and unique.
I can overcome any obstacles in my way.
I am a powerful kindred.
I am worth what I charge.
I don't charge anything.
I haven't gotten paid yet.
But I will seize any opportunity I'm given.
This is my tough fuck.
My socks are still wet.
Once again.
Okay.
You know, I was right.
Not about me being safe or that we could lay low for a few days,
but about Niles.
Niles isn't just a gangrel.
They diabolized a whole Smitsi named Casimir,
the one behind the flesh mansion that Niles wanted to keep
for presumably no reason until a couple of hours ago.
Well, Casimir was seizing any opportunity he was given
well enough to be telepathically summoned under Lake Mead
by his girlfriend post-second death.
Lada of the Mire is her name,
and her castle of Soppy Freaks hunt kindred in Boulder
to escape the beckoning,
which I also still don't understand.
But I'm getting distracted.
The next affirmation.
I will not succumb to distractions.
Okay.
It's guardians all the way down.
Lada attacks us with getting rid
of the guardian Lamblider who's been protecting something
even further down than she was,
something called Sentinel.
Above princes, kindred, and the world, she said.
Lamblider is half metal, half human,
half dog, and completely out of her control.
She asks us to put him down with mercy.
I don't think that's feasible right now.
I can take breaks on my way to success.
She needs one body per day,
and yesterday she took Felix.
We should have given him more bullets,
and he shouldn't have been anywhere near there,
but she apologized for it like it was nothing,
like he wasn't anything.
And I wasn't great to him,
but somehow this still feels like the better outcome.
All I wanted was for him to not end up as some blood doll.
So the only time I tasted your blood was after your death.
To take you with me,
and to show you what we both thought this would be like
from a safer distance.
Felix, I will outperform this mistake.
And at least Emreck is down one spy, so that's good.
I love what I do.
And I was right, which is all that matters.
Any progress is a win worth celebrating.
And Sentinel is something big,
something that has to do with why we were even brought together in the first place.
If we can pull this off,
if we can figure this out without getting caught or killed,
and maybe the new generation can get off the first few floors safely.
I soar over all forms of doubt.
I release the need to grieve.
I am above falling apart,
and I know I'm on the right path.
I'm a little tired of people on thrones, though.
Absolutely gorgeous.
Those words of affirmation, the power of words behind it.
Let's go straight into our session.
Let's discuss just up front,
so we know exactly where we all are before this begins.
Hunger and experience.
And if you'd like, you can throw in your HP,
if you'd like to make the rest of your coterie aware before uncertain deaths.
Let's start with you, Aaron.
I got one hunger,
and I have six superficial damage.
Very good.
Anyone else want to share?
Which is technically one aggravated damage, right?
I got one more point before I start to spill it over into aggravated.
Before we double slash.
I see.
I have no hunger for the first time in forever,
and I'm at full health.
Very good.
I am at three hunger and full health.
Well, that's something.
Yeah, I'm at six out of seven health, four willpower.
I don't know how I got there, but then humanity,
oh, never mind the humanity, hunger at one.
Okay.
I am at full health.
I have one hunger, and we're doing skills and disciplines too, yeah?
Yeah.
So I've just got quelled a beast,
which means I can help with frenzies a little bit.
Maybe.
Maybe.
Ooh.
Very cool.
Okay, to paint the picture,
you all have stepped into the chamber of Lamplight,
of Lamplighter itself, the beast that guards the door.
You have moved through these sort of carved natural caverns
that exist underneath Lake Mead,
and a lot of the mire's mire to be specific.
Moving through those natural caverns,
you were brought out to this huge,
rimming balcony that extends around the dome
that sits right up against the door itself.
The door sits incredibly high into this room
and is probably the largest feature visible.
Into where the door sits at its lowest point
is this pit at which Lamplight sits in the center.
It is this sort of red dirt,
clay trot and natural rock
that resembles a lot of Vegas' surface-level architecture
or terrain.
And he is centered in the middle of this pit
and has brought himself into this frenzied, grunting rage
that throws him against each of the walls of this circular dome.
The door itself sits behind him.
As I've described it before,
I will give you a quick little description of what you see there.
The door is a depiction of...
Let's see, let's see, let me find it.
The door depicts a horse standing on two legs
with a person's body to a certain degree.
Its skull is bared free from its skin
with a long human hair that covers much of its features.
There's a snaking tail behind him
that extends out to a point
and in a corona of floating orbs about his visage
are human faces free from their bodies
crying tears that flow into the center of his chest
where a gaping hole sits.
Written in similar text to the disc
in the suitcase we found so long ago
easy enough for Enoch and for some of you to read
is the phrase, I am sentinel.
Lamplight itself in the center is this massive hulking beast
where this sort of lantern's cage sits in the center of his being
where a midriff used to be.
It is this bulbous hammered in tin cage
where inside this ever-burning almost like gas flame
expounds out of his body from inside where organs used to exist.
He is a huge amount of gluttonous flesh
that overloads across where the metal is implanted
in these rivets that extend probably into the ivory of his bone.
He is disgusting to look at
with the texture of cellulite and cottage cheese
he is maybe close to 400 pounds, six foot five
completely bald with these indentations of those same tin plates
connected into his skull itself.
His face has been marred, scarred and broken through so much
that his eyes are halfway closed over
his nose is nothing but a Voldemort facsimile
of what any normal appendage might be
and his mouth is all but sewn together
saved for where he is broken at the sutures to scream
and he is charging against the walls as hard as he can
with each new crack you can feel some of his bones breaking
or some of the metal shifting below his skin
just howling like a sick dying animal
like a beast cornered
running across each of these circumference of this dome
colliding with each of the walls
and it causes this massive shake along the caverns
so that rocks begin to fall about your heads
and connect to the floor
at any moment you feel that that's sort of tinge of anxiety
that maybe this creature is going to bring all of Lake Mead
down on you and the Sentinel
but for now whatever is in this beast's mind
it has not noticed you
Lada has left you along the path
noting to Niles that they cannot get any closer
for fear of lamp light discovering their presence here
but for now you all have this vantage point
over the balcony looking down into the pit
where this beast is howling and repose
I believe Enoch might have a question
Might I scry the soul?
Absolutely you can
you are as every week
going to have to remind me what the hell that does
it's a rouse check, intelligence plus aspects
by focusing on a person
the vampire can perceive the state of that person's psyche
shifting aura of colors
auras reveal little precise information
but do provide clues regarding many subjects
dot dot dot dot dot
emotional state, resonance, supernatural traits
give me a roll
I'll tell ya
two rolls
I'll read his aura, his co-star
one rouse check
which I succeed
I don't get hungrier
and then I do intelligence
plus aspects
which I know is a crazy pool for you
which is
two, three, four
it's eight to dice
God bless America
meanwhile Allison is like
leaning over to anyone that it whispers
okay does he remind you of that thing in 13 ghosts?
the fuck is that?
I never saw that movie
man, no, it's just reminding me of my childhood
that was like
watch that like
I don't know
that's the guy though, that's the guy
so that's four successes
one of which was on my lone hunger diet
okay four successes
with four successes you can see
that this creature's aura
is extremely dim
anything that it's giving off
is giving off that of a corpse
right?
it is barely
alive if you can even call this that state
but the aura itself
is a brimming black orb
it is unfamiliar to you
you never quite seen something like this come back
from Sky the Soul
it is a
terribly melancholy
a feeling
the second that you extend out
and you bring that energy back to you
you are filled with a deep intense sadness
and that feeling of blackness
of obsidian
of loss, of shadow
and it is just barely brimming about the heart of this beast
supernaturally
this registers almost like
Niles' bird
like spoons
but in a much more complex establishment
and it also seems as though
this thing is going through some sort of
of pain
there's something going on here
that it is being afflicted with
well
we're bound
would you carry the elaborate?
carry the elaborate
I mean look at it
there's
would you just look at that thing
what the fuck are we going to do about that?
now I know you guys think we're crazy
and I don't blame you but that's a bad decision
that's fucked
how far away are we from
we're just going to leave it here
how far are you from so at an angle
you're probably about 60 feet
that's you know as the crow flies
from the top of the balcony down to the pit
to where he is
but that changes periodically
because sometimes he will run out of you
as he collides with the wall
that's directly underneath
your portion of the balcony
and then he'll run out to the furthest point
he's running in these really weird
serpentine collisions with the wall
where you can see he has suffered
the consequences of this
whatever you're looking at now
it's a lot less than it used to be
it is bleeding
it hurts
there are opened
festering wounds
that have been broken by this action
it's taken
it's definitely weakened itself over time
could you
I'm sorry I hate to do this to you
but could you describe the room
one more time
so almost perfect circle
imagine a natural cavern that in circumference
I'm sorry in diameter is probably
say like 180 feet
is there any like kind of
debris
or loose material
there are plenty of like boulders
that have broken free from some of the natural caverns
and then populated where he is below
and occasionally he'll run and leap off of them
with a surprising amount of agility
that is casting the rocks back
and as he collides more of that debris
does come free from the walls
do any of them look sharp
so it is
it is that sort of sea level
craggy rock that will come about
that pock marked rock
so it definitely
just take on like the shape of coral
it could be sharpened
most of them that break free from the wall
are from sheer blunt force
of this huge body connecting
so as of right now
none of them are like sharpened to a point
that you imagine you probably could
or given enough force
that could be made to be very sharp
on entry
question
are
sorry
we have any like
is there any like
we were led here
is there any like torches
or anything fiery
so there is a sort of uneasy
supernatural light similar to what Lada
was giving off in the main chambers
it is this ethereal dancing
um
almost like a sprinkle of lights
that cast off almost like
if you've ever been underwater
and you've seen a major light source come through
and it cast those sort of shimmering rays
it is not unlike that
that is casting most of the light through here
there is no fire
although you all are feeling that
primordial fear of fire
because every time that lamp light
connects with that wall
a big gout of flame
expounds out from the center of his midriff
and you can see this big inferno
that sits in the center of him
there is a layer of fear there
do you think
I know that thing is
shooting outwards
but do you think there's something we can do
like throw some gas or something
and we could just burn the bitch up and not get close
and I'm just saying this to everybody
did you carry gas down here
I have a lighter because I
that's it
cool
lighter against the big old monster
that's going to be so useful
oh my god Allison you cracked it
I know right
it's almost like I'm actually coming up with some kind of solution
instead of just standing there
and just you know
I have a solution
Caleb
does it seem to be using its eyes
it seems to be in a state
where its eyes have lost its use
largely so if it is
it's at a reduced vision
does there seem to be any sort of pattern
you say it's moving in like a serpentine pattern
is it somewhat regular
like I predict
it's trajectory
so Enoch for you it probably
does seem very regular
but given that both of you are insane
this is really not something
that he's doing on purpose
and it's not as though he's following a route
he's not forming the pentagon
he is slamming against
one wall and picking the next
and picking the next and picking the next
does it not look orchestrated
does he seem to be hitting more or less
the same spots
or is it just completely
if he does it's not
by design
how many legs is it using to
move
burrows has been
very quiet taking this all in
and he just kind of turns
to the group and says
y'all ever see that movie frankenstein
yes
which one
I didn't know there was more than one
anyway frankenstein
that old frankenstein he hated everything
everyone the only thing he loved
was music
I'm thinking maybe
if I sing in a little tune
it'll soothe the savage beast long enough
for you all to get into an advantageous
position
fuck it
that's actually not the worst idea
I was just going to trek it
into impaling itself
we can well
is there
I have a way to cut one of its legs
I wanted that way
try to quell the beast but is there a way
that I can like
like give
burrows like
advantage or something
well maybe when I activate
my presence you can do your quell
the beast at the same time
okay yeah
what we'll do is we'll take
both roles and we'll consider
it to be a higher DC but more power
because both of you obviously have
better rolling power do we think that's fair
both of you working together
will the song
working in tandem with that quell
I think so
alright everybody have something to
poke it or stab it with or
slash it with
we have our harpoons
steer clear of the fire if you can
that's right we have our harpoons
don't do this shit to me again
wait
what do we have on us
that might help us too
you got some harpoons
burrows as oxygen tanks
I've got a samurai sword
we have an oxygen tank
we have an oxygen tank
that's more slavable than a lighter
give me the oxygen tank
at the harpoon in five minutes
oh god
before going down into lake mead
I would have said no but I feel like
we're on a biblical journey and I'm going to give it to you
it's a political journey
alright
let him do his thingy
we can calm it and then strike the bitch
okay
but we want to strike it from a distance
because
I'm getting closer
okay so here's a thought
burrows and
said chill it out
I take out one of its legs
so it can't go anywhere
Enoch blows it all to hell
that does require
getting down there though you're going to chuck that thing
from all the way up here
you know
it's about 60 feet to the center of the pit below
oh well I can't throw it that far
but that's the thing we get it calm enough
and it's distracted you can get down there
and shove it in closer
I can get down there without it even being distracted
oh
you can move
everybody give me your harpoons
I'll give him one of my tails
okay
I'll go with him
because I have the sign with steps too
okay
give me your wetsuit
oh come on now
I already gave you my breathing tank
I need an airtight
vessel
wetsuit
drop me down
you might as well be too
I'll take it off
I'm not naked
where did naked come from
where did naked come from
we also
remember when we were on the boat
everyone was like alright take off
because Allison said we were getting naked
I took a jacket off and that's all I took off
I didn't think you were getting
my head
my head is naked
if no one else was naked
now I wasn't naked I just thought
let's play a really cool version
of this game
let's picture in this way different
that conversation with Lana
is way different
I understand now
I mixed up when Allison
was like we're all going skinny dipping for it
we are actually
I killed that guy way too quickly
I wanted to check
no one presently
is buck-ass naked right
not anymore
so far as you
give me my wetsuit
peel off this wetsuit and hand it over to Ina
as far as I'm
tracking the timeline
we're going to start a song with the accompaniment
of Burroughs and Sybil
then
the kingsters are going down with the tank
the wetsuit and the harpoons
Mal
and Niles
Mal I believe you're going for the legs
Niles do you have a plan here?
I think I'll go and help
Mal
because Mal can get one leg I can get the other leg
I can do mine from a distance too
there are shadows down there
because I can shadow cast
and then I can use oblivion abilities
through the shadows that I put out
I can't but I can run fast
let me just put you guys in a loose order
here based on that turn of events
we'll go from there
I need five minutes of breath time
all right that man
I mean it's not going to go anywhere
if we want to wait
for Enoch to do what the fuck he's going to do
okay you're taking five minutes
to do what?
I'm going to break the heads off
all the harpoons
so that I'm just left with the sharp points
I'm going to
take the oxygen tank
I'm going to attempt to
disable the safety mechanism
that's going to regulate the outflow of air
weakening the valve enough
so that it can be broken off
and
so like if I throw it
the air is going to break and all the air is going to flood out
beautiful
and then I'm going to put the stuff
the oxygen tank
into the wetsuit
put the harpoon heads
between the oxygen tank
and the outside of the wetsuit
so they're all kind of poking out like this
you're making a trapped little bomb
and then I'm going to seal the wetsuit up
roll the top off and tie it out
so it's all airtight
and I made myself a nice little bomb
okay
it's always shocking how quick
you can do that
Enoch
do me a favor and give me
let's call this
wits plus
science
just to see how well this all goes
for you
if I'm there too and I have a science
in wits can I throw in like support
or anything?
we'll give Enoch an extra die pool
so add one extra die there
alright well that'll be eight dice
holy moly
and that will be five
successes
you believe that everything is rigged to go
and all of you five minutes later
are greeted with this
bizarre
burrows wetsuit built
IED
essentially
that is ready to be rigged
I hate how easy that was for you to make
a bomb
you know if this works
we are best friends
yes
that's all I had to do was
build a bomb
see this
I'm very happy you're making friends
fuck yeah
alright if I survive this this is going to be great
alright I'm ready to go when you are
alright well let me get into position
I'll kind of make my way
it's tough because he keeps moving
but I'll position myself
kind of on the opposite side
of where everyone is
so that when I see that he's going to
when land blighters going to kind of
start aiming itself in the direction that I'm coming
I'll probably jump down
okay
burrows you note that as you get
closer and closer to that door
that bizarre feeling
that comes about you every so often
that reminds you of your
blood begins
as that fire starts
to creep through your veins
you're starting to feel antsy really itchy
just with
every step that you become closer
to that massive door
you just want to
start going but you get yourself
into position and you're
ready to start when the rest of them are
ready
Lord is what you designed me to do
here we go
um yeah I'm gonna
activate presence
maybe give some kind of signal
to Sibyl that it's happening
if she can't already tell I'm suddenly
way more attractive and
noticeable
and I will
probably try to find a
small boulder or something that I can kind of like
jump down to that just gives me a tiny
bit of stage a tiny bit of presence
okay
and just trying to get the creatures
attention I'm gonna sing
a song that I've been thinking about
since we found this place
since we got here and
burrows sings
oh fear not
the darkness
when my flame
shall live
I know
not what
the future
holds
but I know
who holds
the future
it's a secret
known only
by
only
by
and I'm like reaching
my hand out towards the creature
beautiful
beautiful burrows I
need you to make
one of the most important
roles I think you've ever made
I need you to make a
charisma
plus presence
right yes
charisma plus
performance with your presence at
charisma
plus performance oh I see
okay got you so that's even better
yes
four
okay
performance
rest
so I've got four successes but I want
to just burn a willpower
to re-roll three of them
okay just to get as much
success as humanly possible
that is five successes
total
and do I roll another
one because Sybil is at the same
time Sybil is going to roll
their own okay I'm going to roll the beast
right now and that will assist you
however I may
yeah before we resolve
what happens with burrows which burrows
could you just specify for me
do you intend to be
uninterrupted in your song
regardless of what happens
not necessarily
I feel like if logic
dictates that you're about to get attacked or something
I would probably
jump out of the way or something okay so
survival over the song
survival over the song yes
good to know Sybil
we're going to have to go through
the beast which I believe is a contested
role you gotta be nervous now I want
to roll another three die
burn another willpower
burn another three die
okay that's one success
okay so
you're at five
so seven successes total
that's it I'm done here okay okay
and your answer still spans
survival over song
okay
so Sybil I believe it's
your charisma
I take that back too it's going to be song over
survival this is
God has meant me to be here
I was going to sing this fucking song
I love it
God has put you here to die
let me get a charisma plus animalism
from Sybil
yeah buddy
okay charisma and animalism
versus stamina resolve
while that role is happening
I'm going to flip silence of death
maybe just a willpower
come on Syb
I'm also going to make sure
silence of death okay that's three successes
three
successes
ten total
did we kill it Caleb
um okay
with music yeah
power of love I stared at it really hard
Sybil what does it look like
when you quelled the beast what does this feel like
for lamp light for you for everyone
involved
I think it's it does just
look like she's staring at it
super hard but it
feels like
honestly I think the scariest thing I could
think of is when you're having a really good
time being an asshole as a kid and you
catch your mom looking at you
that's what quelled the beast
feels like immediate like
chilling fear you feel your whole
life is now like something
that has a start and an end and the end
is now that
is what quelled the beast feels like
so the song begins
Sybil engages in this
beautiful stare this commanding
stare and as the word
of god is spoken through
the vocal chords of burrows
burrows you see this thing
turn on its heels
and begin running
full force
completely
undeniably fast
against you you have never seen
this amount of flesh move as
quick as it is there is this
heaving lift to every part
of its being as the fire begins
to burn brighter
as you can tell immediately the
bull's charge is coming exclusively
for you there is this
flash across all of you
in that feeling that itch in your
blood the call of
the Ravnos moving through all of you
becomes at its highest level
you are about to die the glorious
death you are about to feed
every compulsion as it
begins to pick at its
brain pulling at itself
as it stops completely and halts
into the dirt sliding
right up against you
as both the quelled the beast
and the song itself stops
the creature just for a moment
as it skids off the
side of you only barely
colliding with you
I need you to make me a
dexterity plus athletics
to dive out of the way before this
thing can connect with your body
okay here we go
come on don't fuck me dice one
success one success
is all you need
you are only going to take
one superficial damage
as the shoulder
of that beast connects into you
and you can feel the tin
scrape against your shoulder
toss you and move you
what must be 12 feet off to the left
as it collides through as though
you didn't need to exist
and slides into the dirt
it's face pressed in it has fallen
completely prone for just a moment
at that moment we have
Burroughs and Sybil who has acted
Enoch what's the move
did Mal have something they wanted to do first
I have in order I have Burroughs
Sybil Enoch, Alice and Mal, Niles
super big
you can forego
your turns if we'd like to
I believe we were going to have Mal go first
because they were going to do something
Mal and I were going to disable its legs
Mal, Niles what's the move
wait Syb had something to say though
I was going to say that came with a rouse check and I failed so I'm at hunger too
beautiful
I'm going to
use shadow cast
to make a shadow around it
and then through that use touch of oblivion
to give it aggravated damage
and also take out one of its legs
okay absolutely
let's make a roll for that attack then
cool so it's
oblivion and what else
I'm not
sure for that little
it doesn't really say
what's the name of the discipline again
touch of oblivion
I think it's
your
your brawl
if I remember correctly
let me
vampire touches their victim
and channels the raw and trafficked power
of oblivion through them
the victim
suffers aggravated damage and a crippling
injury thanks
no stats here
that's what I was looking at too
and before I have shadow cast
I can push other oblivion abilities
through that
got it
let me see if I can find it here
and the cards real quick
just so we know exactly what it does
for the meantime
could you just give me a brawl
plus
strength here
and then go ahead and add
your oblivion
we'll call that done
at least for now until I find out what this thing actually does
I'm going to use
a roll power
2
roll 3
do it
goodbye
who's that one
I have
2, 10 so that's
4, 5, 6, 7 successes
7 successes
absolutely
tell me what this looks like as you
take advantage of the lamp light here
I think the walls
of the shadows cast
by the walls
of a pit
come to life and snake along
the ground like tendrils
and wrap around its legs
up to its hip
and as you watch
life starts to drain out
of the leg
and as a final insult
to injury it snaps the hip
in the wrong direction
you see as this leg
completely
torts out of
existence as it breaks
snaps in half as the
oblivion has made that bone
brittle
and the lamp light
as it
scrambles and clambers across the floor
there it's leg pulled out and free
it's only moving on one
at this point
it's picking itself up from prone
it's come to about half as it's crouching
and it's big fat
clawed hands
have moved down to where that broken leg is
and he has begun
manically pulling at it
as if he's trying to remove his own leg
from the sheer amount of pain you
put him through
he's howling like a herd animal
we're gonna go to Niles
this is terrible
fuck
you think he'd make it easy for us
to kill this thing
maybe I don't know
well I have to go up
to him because anything I can do
I have to touch him
just get away quick
so first I'm gonna try to
get stealthily
up next to him
oh beautiful okay
give me a stealth plus dexterity
he is
distracted
he's going through a lot
is my specialty
play into this
he's not kindred no
stealth plus
he's much worse
awful terrible
this is with two bestial failure
two ones on my beast failure guys
fuck
so that counts as one bestial failure right
yeah yeah that's the bestial failure
I'll just let everybody know
I've added a bestial failure counter
to our display
so I'll just increase that by one
there we go
okay okay okay
always eat before you go
into battle
that's the one
boy oh boy
this was gonna be
yeah hi
you pull yourself through
Niles and desperately
try to take advantage
of the situation moving yourself up
trying to get as close as you can
knowing that's the only circumstance
that you are actually
viable against this thing
but it's just as you're pulling
yourself forward
that he makes this big
sweeping gesture across the floor
to fully pick himself up
and stand up on one leg
and it sends some of the
debrised rocks around you
cascading a bit you trip
forward onto the
the craggy rocks
sliding into the dirt below
just basically in front
of him towards the ground there
and there is this primordial fear
that enters both of you
as for just a brief second
you get the familiar
feeling that you do with
spoons off of him
for a moment you can hear him
you can hear what's going on in his
mind and there is
this multi-layered
voice this one that
echoes into everything that
he is it is layered
on top of itself so much
so that it's
not
over and over and over again
cascading across
everything that he is and for a moment
you know what it is to hurt
like he does and he
gives you just a little more hurt
he looks at you extends up
moves his big fat
claws down to that lamp lighters
midriff and extends out
the tin pulling the metal free
and there is this huge
out of fire that shoots out in your
direction Niles
I need you to make an athletics plus dexterity
just the dexterity
we are going for margin
here so however many
successes against his
I feel the need to remind
you lies
role will power
well I can't they are all hunger
that's all the dice I have are hunger
so I cannot
so I will two successes
but one fail
two successes but one fail
let's see what one of the lights up to
just
I mean we already know right
just want to make sure
we are new
you said two successes
two successes
this time you only take
three aggravated damage
as fire
extends across your left half
and you can
feel from the left pectoral
down fully the entire
arm and about halfway
down your side is
emulated entirely and
your beast is given
the first fresh
frenzy of its life as it's
fighting against the huge
amount of flame that you just had
pushed across your body
like an inferno you can
smell you
cooking the smell
of dead burning
flesh as your left arm
crimples and moves in
as you are collided against all of
that fresh hot fire
now I need to remind myself
what it is to frenzy to fire
remember there is a surgery bay
in my special place
I got you
if you lived through this I'm sure
you could get it fixed
do we need another air canister for Niles now
no that'll
that's the exact round thing
for
I think it's a great idea
did it also
take the damage I dealt to it
when I pulled this apart
that's why it was losing its leg
well okay I had to try
I had to try
I think I have a rescue plan idea
so I just need to know
what the damage is
terror frenzy here we are
you're at
inside a burning building
being burned is a terror frenzy
so it is
a difficulty of two
and you need to make a frenzy
test which
let's remember what a frenzy
test is
this is our first frenzy test
we've done them before
we've done them before
none from fire
this is our first one from fire
willpower plus a third of your
humanity rounded down
and that is against difficulty two
thank god
that's four successes
four successes means
that you are unfrenzied
you are just badly burned
just everything that you are
the charred feeling runs up against you
but you manage to keep the beast at bay
maybe it's being here in a lot of space
with an understanding that it's
not just you who occupies this space
not just you that occupies this body
whatever it is
maybe it's the sounds
the familiar voices of Hugh
in your mind the last conversation
you had, who knows
but you're still here
you're cognizant
you're hurting more than you have ever felt
in your second life
okay we're moving on from Niles now
yes
because I know that Enoch and I
are about to go
I just want to activate
really quickly presence
and I'm going to tell Enoch
I'm going to get her and I'm going to activate
unseen passage
I failed that rouse check
got it
so
unseen passage by the way
allows me to practically go invisible
and I've already activated silence of death
so my intention is to go quickly down there
and grab Niles
to get them out of there
okay
just so you know
unseen presence keeps you
invisible so long as you do not attract
attention
you will be invisible
up until you grab
right I'm going to basically kind of wait
for the opportunity moment
hopefully Enoch will get it
or just some kind of moment and I'm going to snatch
I love that so you're holding yourself
off the side for Enoch
to grab its attention and for you to swoop
in and get Niles while you can
yep rock and I love that
Allison go ahead and let's just
make a stealth check just to reaffirm
oh my god I get its attention
go ahead and make me
a dexterity plus
stealth and you can add your
obfuscate role to this
well now you know at least Erin there's a cute little door
you can shove the thing in
I want to say to Enoch because
because you got my attention
that's it
yes
hold on
might not have to slug the dog house to my bud
see what happens when you do
I spilled all the dice
I just
I just hope everybody gets
clear soon because
this thing's going
I have
I have okay
I have three successes
okay three successes
is more than enough to get yourself in position
you're holding that action
you're hoping to god that nothing goes against you
Enoch that means that we're up to
you and the IED what are you thinking
so
how close are
Allison and
Niles to the thing
to lamp light
yes
pretty much well on it
consider that Niles is maybe
8 feet from where it is now
and that would put Allison somewhere
like 10 or 12 feet
and I'm like
are you you fell down right
you went down from the balcony let's say yes
okay let's consider
you about 30 feet okay
this thing is gonna
yeah I don't want them that close to it
when this thing goes off so
I mean
it was just Niles then sure
but when Allison's in range
forget it so what I'm
gonna do is I'm just I have
silence of death on
I'm gonna try to
whichever direction it looks like Allison
and Niles are going to run I'm gonna flank
in the opposite direction
and I'm gonna hold
can I hold my action is that the thing I could do in this game
yeah yeah I just let Allison do it
it's probably not something you can do in this game
but I do that shit all the time so
okay so I'm just gonna say that
when they
are clear of the creature
of lamp light I am going to
twist the nozzle
of the oxygen tank
just a little bit to get the air going
okay and then I'm gonna
throw it slash slide it
just kind of right underneath
the thing and try
to get it to go off underneath its chest
got it so the second it's
clear from the others you're tossing
that bomb understood
that means that we're gonna go to lamp light
lamp light is
going to use its turn
to
turn on Niles
once more
and make its first little attempt
at Niles' life not understanding
that Allison is there
masqueraded the singing
is still continuing
so it is very
confused it's called out
by that haunting song
which all of you have noticed is take on
an echoing quality that
while most natural caverns will cause
an echo this is
different there is this
sonorous quality this
layered quality
not unlike what Niles was experiencing
in lamp light's head
where the sound
is almost amplified
like in concert like in amphitheater
and it's so
powerful in this space that it's almost
louder than lamp light's cries
but confused
manic
threatened
lost of leg
no sight for Mal only for Niles
there's just one thing left to do
and he goes
to grip Niles by the leg
with one fat clawed hand
so we're going to make
something of like a grapple contest
he's gonna roll strength
and brawl against you Niles
I'd love for you to write
to roll whatever you think
is appropriate are you
trying to wrestle back or are you trying to
break free and run what's the point
I would like to use dexterity
and survival
dexterity and survival
so how does survival play into this do you think
I mean I'm trying to run
and I'm just trying to find the most logical
path to flee
the most logical path to flee
okay go ahead
and make a dexterity plus survival
there's no way I can do
like a mini distraction
to help at all
you could but you'd be breaking yourself
and could become visible to this creature instead
if you'd like
I'm a very benevolent human being
you could take Niles as place
just push right away
it's
would you like to give me some aggravated damage
we could have raised this
Samantha
I'm going to hold because I think I might need to be
full strength to get you in and out
whatever you have to tell yourself
go ahead Niles
say that but you always need an escape route
three successes
he has an overwhelming amount of success
he has a crit
and three successes
you are
picked up effortlessly
oh shit
and then shook like
a gorilla in a repose
he takes you and smacks you against the ground
and then again
across the other side
and you all are watching as this massive
creature treats Niles
like a rag doll
Niles who has been the muscle before
who has collided
their form into something massive
has always been the one on the front line
is right now being absolutely
grated against the floor
smacked around like an animal
you are going to take
five superficial damage
that's not one point
yeah you hear the
bones cracking in Niles's face
as the skull begins
to crack on one side
and the mandible breaks loose from the jaw
you can see the teeth that
spray out in one sort of
cascading spit
as the next arc is brought over
and the land plate collides them into the floor
Niles is just being taken advantage of
we are going to move on Burrows
do you have an action
yeah Burrows is going to whip out that samurai sword
and
scream Niles no
and run over and
I think he will probably
aim to cut off things head if he can
okay let's get more people in range
good don't pull Thanos
go for the head
give me
do you think that
Burrows is particularly dexterous with this weapon
or do you think he is a hack and slash
he is a hack and slash for sure
give me strength plus melee
okay
I think also I am going to change it
to where
I am actually aiming for the arm
he is probably smarter to just cut the arm
off of this thing
are you going for the arm holding Niles
exactly holding Niles
so they have a moment to escape
strength plus melee
also Caleb
if this goes through
and Niles has dropped
I am going
got it
I am going to re... oh I can't
re-roll my hunger die it is only one success
okay let's see
how he does in
mitigating this damage
he rolls two successes meaning
that the samurai sword
comes down you do connect
with his arm and you see
for a moment as it
clears like pig flesh
like any sort of fleshy target
actually
catches halfway through into its body
so as it is rearing up another
toss of Niles' body
the samurai sword is embedded
if it is done next to nothing
to this thing it hasn't even
really moved to regard you yet
it is so taken with
absolutely pummeling Niles
but you are able to grab it before it notices
and pull back that samurai sword
with unfortunately no effect
to its body
we will move to Sibyl
Sibyl do you have an action here
okay
so it looks like the people
that are still close to it are
Allison and Burroughs right
Allison Burroughs Niles
okay
would you like to join that party
no
got a great little trick
with the lighter I think you all need to see
no I want the bomb to
happen now but
okay
I'm going to do what I think she would do
which is
immediately get closer to the lamp light
but
I want
I don't have any range attacks
I don't have a bow
I want to
try to
I don't even fucking know man
I think okay I want to activate pharaoh weapons
which is a raps check
that I failed
oh that's what
300 now
that's fine
don't even worry about that
I want to thank you
I want to go to
the arm that Niles is in
and the sword is still there right
Burroughs's sense pulled it back out
I did not want that
I'm okay with leaning it stuck in
I'm okay with that
okay cool
and where exactly is the sword
in the arm
it's sticking out on the back end right
probably closer to its forearm
okay closer to its forearm
okay
if I think I know enough about bones
Sib's going to
try to
put the samurai sword
into
a park
whoo
and maybe make a really big slit
for Niles to leave
love it okay
go ahead and make a strength
plus melee
plus your pharaoh weapons
you got this Sib will come up
strength
and melee
okay
and pharaoh weapons
okay
that's five successes
five successes
massive okay
Sib will
get the fuck back
mitigates one of those successes
but the rest manage to
work
exclusively in your favor
tell me what this looks like
tell me what the effect is
basically the way that
she's anchoring herself to move the
samurai sword is
I think she is barefoot
so her
her nails on her feet are like
planted in this guy
as she puts the sword
in park and just finishes all the way
through and stops like
short of Niles and then
like pushes back
make sure to make eye contact with both of them
like obviously get the fuck out
there is this beautiful
circular arc as it fully
goes through the forearm
and disconnects that arm entirely
as this big gout of
black bile
blood begins to leak through from
the wound itself as she
screams
and drops Niles
immediately Niles collides
with the floor and
Allison is brought out of stealth
Allison give me an athletics plus
to get Niles out of there
well do
okay so I have
one I have two successes
but one's a ten
okay two successes one's a ten
cool but there's no two tens
right now
okay so two successes
that's really all you need he's in a
state of panic there is a distraction
here he's just lost his arm
he's screaming he's one-legged
civil is creating this brand
new issue that gives Allison
enough time to grab
Niles where are you taking Niles what's
the plan here so I'm gonna
and I'm gonna make sure like I am
gonna be very gentle with Niles
because I'm yeah
no so I'm gonna kind of scoop them up
I don't know like what is that
fried style like a puppy I don't know
gonna pick them up and I'm just gonna
get us back up to that balcony
and honestly
I may uh if I
I'll hold for a beat to see how it goes
but if I feel like Niles is going
bad bad I may have to take off
but I'm just going up to that balcony
okay give me an athletics plus dexterity
to get yourself up that little 60 foot
clearing okay
that little 60 foot gap
for you guys it's it's barely a thought
okay
okay only
one success with a 10 so
only one okay that's all you need
as long as there's no
bestial failures to get with we're fine
you get Niles up to the top there you're
on the balcony you're looking over as that thing
continues to scream
burrows and civil are the closest
in order
we go to
buh buh buh buh buh
now
do you have any actions
is it within like striking range
of both of them or are they a little bit further
out
I think civil and burrows are right up there because
they're both last actions were to use
a melee weapon meaning they're probably within
five feet here
okay so it and it only
has one functional arm right now
yeah great
I'm gonna shadow cast
touch of oblivion again
and try and rip its arm
off or
the other arm yeah the other arm that's
not fucked up already
okay to live in
do we say brawl
yeah that would be brawl
plus your
strength
I'm gonna use another will power to
reroll go at it
okay
okay four successes
four successes
exceptional let's see
yeah you absolutely
pulled through this things
arm there
and tell me what that looks like as you
remove it
all the tendrils that were hanging onto
its hips still kind of curve
up its body and wrap
around
the shoulder
and where it was like pulling different
directions the other time this time
it's just crunching it down towards the hip
like it's trying to pull hip
and opposite hip and opposite shoulder together
beautiful
there is this disgusting crunch
as the bone basically disintegrates
pulls and then breaks
rendering it absolutely
incapacitated in this moment
as Mal strikes out again
from the shadows
we go to Niles
get the fuck out of their assholes
well is Niles knocked out
Niles I think you're muted
what can I do
I don't know
flesh craft yourself
yeah build a new arm
build a new arm
no just real quick
I can just heal from that
eventually
if we remember it's one aggravated
damage every time you sleep and it costs
you three rouse checks so
it's gonna take a while but damn
yep yep
um
I'm not sure
I'm not sure what to do
I can't really attack anybody
I can't really I'm super bad
do you wanna hold your action then
sure
okay
we would go back to
uh
Enoch then Enoch do you have an action for me
well there's still people in range yes
like Rose and Sybil
alright
so
I'm going to silently sigh
because I have silence of death on
I'm gonna lean against the bomb
casually I'm gonna take out my phone
and just start looking through it
alright
you are
scrolling through twitter
as the rest of them are losing their lives
just waiting for this opportunity
to throw this IED of yours
that's right we'll go back up to
Burroughs and Sybil
get the hell out of the way
absolutely
Sybil probably the same thing yeah
alright Burroughs and Sybil
give me
an athletics plus
dexterity
and then Lamplight will take his turn
and then Enoch will throw
their bomb
I failed
what
a one on the hunger die only
is that a bestial failure
only if you get two once yeah so then no
okay zero successes
zero successes
zero successes you know what
power
I think that's a very smart decision
that's one success
okay
is it smart maybe
maybe
yeah
that's great that's two successes
okay
um
two successes and one success
for Burroughs
yes Lamplight
feeling even more
disconnected from the situation
whatsoever
has no idea what's going on singing has
stopped and it's beginning to return to
that madness and it's now lost
all capability of its body
so not only is it trapped in the mind
it's now trapped in whatever you all
have left for its existence
it is a dying
feral animal that really
only has one option
and that is to bite and scratch
and kill before it is killed
and it again
runches down and pulls out
its stomach and exposes
that red
hot lamp from the center
and shoots a massive
out of flame around
the two of you yet again
it is a margin fight
so whatever he rolls on successes
goes up against your successes
and the rest are aggravated damage
you fuckers got very lucky
three successes
meaning that
Sybil takes one aggravated damage
Burroughs takes two
two okay
as the flames begin to lick
across your bodies
burning across that dead flesh
I need both of you to make a frenzy check
that is willpower
your full willpower not what
you've spent plus a third
of your humanity roll rounded down
if you beat it to
you do not frenzy
okay
I got it too
okay you're good
sweet
that's three for me
good neither of you frenzy
you're just hurt desperately by the flames
Enoch we're doing it
we're doing it
we're doing it baby
okay
Enoch to throw this bomb
correctly get it under
in just the right position
go ahead and give me
a
let me pull up the sheet here
dexterity plus
what do we call this
you know what
let's call this
um
firearms
firearms yeah
no you know what this is a feat of strength
dexterity plus athletics
dexterity
oh we might be in trouble
okay can I
rouse the blood
to increase by dexterity
yes I believe it gives
you an extra die
in exchange for
oh shit
what
I'm going with my dice died
you don't have any die
no
Aaron
you can type into google role
yeah
you dork
I'm sorry
what happens
is rouse the blood something only he can do
or is that something we can all do
I should mention that
to all of you more often
but it costs you one
check but if you do it
it gives you a plus one to your major attribute
you're using in the pool
I'm definitely going to use that next time
sorry guys there's a bunch of shit I forget
it's in the reference guys
that's true
yeah
where is that reference
sorry
I believe it's pinned
in our little mayday discord
oh I already had it safe I'm ready to go
good shit I'm like bringing it out
there's a bunch of little free action
you guys can take at any given point
and
that is one of them
is that in the rules reference or no
I believe so let me see if I can find it
okay so I passed my rouse
check which means I don't
get hungrier
and then it's three dice
for
dexterity
yeah it's under vampiric
actions on page three
of the rule reference
it's called blood surge
so that is
of three dice that's
two successes
two successes
well lamp light is not doing well here
he's hurting he's broken
he's nearly blind
and he's hopping on one leg
so he's not in a great dice pool either
I guess this will be the deciding factor
on whether he's smart enough
to sense the impending doom
that is his IED
you can hardly move
that's very true
and with one success
you can't hardly fight back
nice
Aaron for us
for everyone here could you describe
how lamp light is ended
before all of us
yeah so it's gonna be pretty spectacular
because what happens is
so I twist the nozzle just to get the air flowing
I throw it kind of like
underhanded so that nozzle
goes straight in for it
impacts its torso
breaking the nozzle off of the oxygen tank
it all floods out into the wetsuit
and you just kind of see it go
and the harpoon
tips shoot everywhere
maybe some of them hit maybe some of them don't
but I think the most
glorious part of what's gonna happen
is all of this flood of oxygen
plus the fire
means that the thing is just gonna
fucking emulate itself
you
lamp light becomes exactly
what it was designed for
as that fat cellulite
flesh begins to catch
flame as the expulsion
of that oxygen causes
a literal bonfire
across this thing's form
it is still screaming in its last moments
flailing
it's broken arms
it's one leg it's dying form
as it finally comes
to rest in the center
and fights no longer
screaming out its last breath
and falls still
in the center of the room
as the rest of you are dodging the flames
that extend out
across the entire room your beast
is yelling at you
screaming at you for you to take cover
but you all managed
to be away from the flames
away from the emulation
and it comes to a close
just as you're sure
he stopped moving
congratulations everyone
yeah
wait wait I just want to make sure
Caleb is it dead dead or are you pulling
some weird Jason Borges shit
it looks dead huh
it's not moving
it is just a flaming corpse
oh it's flaming
everybody who got hit
how bad is it and I'm kind of like
checking my own burn shoulder
go check my aisles
burn
don't talk
how do we fix this
how do we take away this
this pain
I say we have to give back
to the club where we have some blood
and we have some rest
and we recover
that's just my two cents
she's ready
I'm going to look back at the door though
and be like what about the door
well obviously I want to look at the door
yeah I mean
okay
on the door itself
like I said it's
maybe 85 feet tall
incredibly large
it's made of the same sort of
clayed rock
that the natural caverns themselves are
it is massively
inscribed with these
different iconographies
of that horse man
and the crying tears of those faces
that orbit him
again it reads I am
sentinel in some sort of
Sumerian
or ancient language
and
at the base
about
three and a half feet up
are these
like 16 inch in diameter
disked
indentations
that resemble almost
missing pieces
this is where those pieces we got
the print would go
and I use
a new thing
okay what's your new thing
my new thing is
spirits touch
by touching an inanimate
object
I can sense
the emotional
residue left by those who have handled the object
or visited the location in the past
the user gains insight into not only
that person but also
what was done and under what
circumstances
okay
beautiful
absolutely terrible
that you would do this to me
let's do it
I'll also point out that the ability says
while rarely clear the information often
provides leads impossible to gain
from regular gains
okay do you have to make a roll
for this to Garner how much you receive
rouse check and then intelligence
plus aspects and under system
it says
the difficulty
well basically I guess you get to set the difficulty
okay based on
the knowledge and the higher
the more successes I get the more information
right
that's how I'm going to do this there's no set
success or failure
but the more successes you have the more
information I'll give you go in go with the
rouse check and that information check
first
I
succeed on my rouse check
good
and then it is
intelligence plus
aspects which is eight
okay nice
nice
and that is one two three four
five successes
five successes
you are visited
with upon touching
your hand to the door itself
you are visited with
a vision of Lada
of the Myers
who is sitting here with
lamp light
it is clear that this was a
time before lamp light had turned into
what he is now it's very
cordial it's almost
it has the air that Lada is almost
engaging in something of a picnic
or a resting period with lamp light
lamp light
where she is cradled in lamp light's
lap
and she is watching over the door
with
a stone tablet
of her own where she is
almost replicating
some of the details off the side
and making notes for herself
you are also visited by
a vision
of a
frail older man
obviously not a part of Lada's vision
something else entirely it's almost like
a skip in time
whether forwards or backwards you don't know
but a very frail old man
with this thin
tapered mustache that sits across
his face these weathered lines
and the smooth
pomade gelled down
haircut
this very slick suit
with a long coat
and he is pressing his own hand
on the door just as you are
and he is speaking
in a layer of tongues that feels
foreign
in a language you can't parse
it may be that when he was here
he was speaking English but the cobweb
that is your mind has changed this
or
it very well may be a language that even Enoch
doesn't parse
there is a separate vision
one of
a man in robes
robes much different
than anything you've seen before
even Lada dresses
to a more modern standard than what you are
looking at currently
it is almost that
of like a farm hands
outfit these long
patrician
very traditional brown
robes that extend over his body
he is tall
a gaunt individual
he is angular
and feature with this very
bushy brown beard
and this
graying at the roots long
hair that sits about his shoulders
and he has these
beautiful
beautiful golden eyes
and he
is standing in front of
an open door
this open door
this open door
can I see
what's through the open door
there is a level of
shadow that permeates the other
side of this door that makes it near
impossible you don't know whether
that is the constraints of the vision
you've been treated with or the actual
effects of the other side of this
door it is not unlike
what you had to come through to get to this
section of Lake Mead but it is
even darker
even emptier
you are staring into a void
so is he
I kind of want to open it
you do notice in that last
vision with the robed individual
as boros reminds you that you can't
that there are two
discs imprinted into
the door itself
one of which you recognize
as the faced moon
that is one that you delivered
to Prince Aloysius yourself
I see
the other
sense you can see it in this vision
depicts rather than
a male moon face
it is a
female son
who is weeping
if only we knew
where the missing piece was
one of them is with the Prince
and I'm wondering
we have
a truce of the anarchs right
for now
for now
it would make sense
that the barons have one
we have the other that way neither of them
neither side can like fuck around
and find out what's behind the door
that would make sense
when she told us
no
they don't know where the door is exactly
too right
no the anarchs
oh no I don't think so
I don't even know what exists
Shelly didn't seem
quite sure what was down here
hmm
I suspect we should keep it that way
I suspect we should
I'm going to take pictures of the door
I suspect we should keep it to ourselves
unless there is a good reason not to
I mean guys we have
this is one of the most important things I think
anyone's found in Vegas in a long time
that means we have leverage in a good way
so
I mean think about it
we went from running for our lives
from the hospital to here
this was all meant to be
this was all meant to be
our stupidity
led us to the biggest secret we've ever had
that's meant to be
well whatever way it makes it work
the Lord has definitely taken us here for a reason
question
what time is it
God it's
difficult to know
did anyone bring their cell phone down
into the
that's true
you absolutely did
and I allowed you to do it
it's a time
I can't remember when we came down here
I believe it was like 10
I think we established when we were talking
when we were talking with Lada it was like midnight
it's probably close
to 1 in the morning
okay
do we have everything
or do we need anything
oh
I want to try to feed
is light still on fire
lamp light is starting to die down
but he is absolutely still a bonfire
a great sorts of fear
for the beasts in all of you right now
never mind
oh the part
the arm that I broke off is that on fire
no it's free from the body
I'm going to try to feed off of that
you're going to eat
lamp light
sure that's a good move
but I'm even hungry
and I don't want to feed on someone that can tell us
you have iron gullet right
I do
save me the bone
thank you
make a
make a resolve
if you save the bone
I can make little trinkets for everybody
I want that
yeah just make a resolve roll
oh
yeah that's what I was thinking we needed
it's a good souvenir for this trip
it's going to bond us together
okay that's two successes
it's some of the most
vile things that you have ever
put in your body
and even your gullet
almost refuses to
take in the black
icker that leaks from this body
this body that has been forced
to live for probably
hundreds of years
and has now been completely disconnected
from the thing keeping it going
it is a sludge
a tar that you are feeding into your
throat here
and it is very difficult to get down
in fact it takes you three actual
attempts just to force it down
your body
but eventually it sits
and it brings you no joy
and no feed
that look fucking disgusting
you know what
it's delicious
not even your face
different
dumbass
different now listen
dumbass
have you ever ate something and you were
acutely aware of where it sits in your body
that's the feeling here
as you know
where he is right now
oh
super worth it and I feel great
you know what if you have your finger
for dessert none of us will judge you
you got it finger for dessert
no one will judge you
if it doesn't sit with you you will end up
puking it up anyway it's all good
and I won't because it's delicious
let's go
quick query
yep
does this door
look anything like Mal's door
in the church? yes
no
the door in the church is truly
just like a cellar door
and barred up completely
this door looks
mythic in nature
this is the sort of door that makes the bible
feel real
well had to ask
are we going to tell a lot
that we killed her dog
we should
well that's what we're here for
we should
I'll
I'll go over and I'll loop
Niles's arm
over my shoulder
I still actually have them in my arm
oh yeah no I'm carrying them like a baby
the whole time
you're out stay quiet
Niles is
burnt
flesh is starting to flake
with each push and the smell
of burnt
probably leather and fabric from
Niles's outfit is permeating
this space
is waiting for control with lamp light's
own burnt corpse
but occasionally there's the
singeing quality Niles
that is undeniable as you can feel
parts of your arm
sloughing off in the cradle
of Alice's hold
moving back through the natural caverns
you eventually return to the throne room
of Lada of the Meyer
and she is where she was
before but
no longer in her throne
that beautiful almost aquarium like
space behind her throne that
features that rush of
water across natural caverns
and some of the eclectic
fish if you can call it that
she is created
she is standing in front of that
shaded gelled
window into that area
and she is staring off
with a determination that is
almost
haunting like she is trapped
by something like she is
communicating with something
sees something the rest of you don't
I'm gonna whisper to the group and say
I think she's feeding
she's got one of her minions out there
I think
gross
weird
do we leave a note or do we interrupt
70
take a video
take a video
cause this is fucking weird
okay
just staring intently
and then she cants her head just a little
still caught in that stare
I'm gonna do a cough like a
she breaks out of it
immediately and her neck
snaps
in an inordinate
inhumane way
and then corrects itself as she
moves back and suddenly
there's much more life to her eyes
she's back here
wherever here is
and she glides across
in that ethereal beautiful
see-through gown that is
as much a part of her body as it is
fabric and there's no real telling
where one ends and the other begins
and that beautiful naked form
that is double helix
then opened out to the other side
begins to glide across on those
human bone to high heels
as she connects over to all of you
she says
I must apologize
at times the calling can be
so very
deep in my being that
I can't deny but listen
of course
we understand that
the door you mean
no
I think of Cain
of the Middle East
of the beckoning
of castles
yet to be taken
of an old old
blood that demands my attendance
at times it floods my memory
and it is all I can think of
you should listen to it
take a little trip
we'll take care of things down here for you
while you're away
it could not be trusted to anyone else
anyone else would have done it wrong
how do you know
because it has only existed this long
because of me
everyone before me has allowed it open
and I will not see it done
in my lifetime
I sense that I have lost something
you've taken him from me
as you requested
I remember
there is no need to worry over my
my speech
I only care for him
I loved him
as a child
as a mother might
I am sad to see him gone
did he suffer
no
no not at all
Enoch material was quick
it was quick
very good
while I say that
I'm just thinking about the burning
and the screaming
it was still on fire
Lada does move up to Allison
where Niles is sort of cradled
in that hole
and with Niles's
permission
they do go to move out with two fingers
almost
like with the gentle
movement that you might
in a touch tank at an aquarium
and moves to
move across your arm
for a moment
and she connects with you
and they speak for a moment
oh
Casimir my love you've hurt yourself
yeah
I'm going to kind of pull Niles
his body
away from
I feel like they're just touching it to hurt
there is a huge shoot
immediately to your eyes Allison
and you're familiar with that look
that is the look that you might give to someone touching
Enoch without your permission
okay
and she centers immediately back to Niles
I'm still, I'm like
it's
it's fine
I trust you'll recover
okay
I think so
I've never
sustained this much damage before
but yeah I think so
you should stay here in the mire
I could look after you, I could tend to you
kind of like shift my eyes
to the rest of the group
we have, we got that taken care of
thank you
well
do you always speak for Casimir
right now Casimir is still hurt
because of
Casimir are you unable
to speak for yourself does this woman act
as your ward
no no
they're just concerned
for my well-being
there is none such concern as my own
no one
could care for you as much as I do
Niles you've got unfinished business on the surface
level don't you
a reason you need to go back
yeah I do
I don't want to walk away though
from your lot of thinking this is just a
one-on-one transaction
we want to establish a relationship with you
especially we know that you know Niles
Casimir as you like to call him
I was wondering maybe
you mentioned
your ability to transform flesh
if I allowed you to do it to me
you think that would maybe
maybe further cement our relationship
the coterie in you
oh dear
you would like to be transformed
I'd like to remove
my belly if you could do that
the extra fat
that makes me feel old and slow
Rose be specific
be very specific
these huge long
slated fingernails come together
I'm going to kind of
you know we have
if you need a little quick
touch up for us you know
what we can do
I know that we can do that kind of stuff
but look
like I said down there this is
this is bigger than us
this means something
and I don't want to lose our connection
to this place
so liposuction is the logical
next step
I could
take it away
I could make you better
just use something
great
just make it so that
I look normal on the outside
with my shirt on
but if you could remove
you know some of the
excess I'd appreciate it
we can absolutely do this
yes
yes
of course
oh
you guys don't mind waiting do you
delightful
are you sure
his mind also
has to stay the same
his mind and his silhouette
like shit
it is entirely up to
the subject
well then what she said
I'd like to look as normal as possible
with no extra
let's just say disadvantages
installed into him
why would I disadvantage you
that would
shirk my remark is
a creator a builder
I am only here to create
the most beautiful
of specimen the greatest
I kind of stand in
you know Allison's way
trying to maintain her attention
on me and say
I trust you
okay
I'm backing off
it will only take but a moment
if all of you can
wait
start to take off my printed shirt
pull my pants down
Allison's going to look into the phone
and just do like that
off the stair like he's a fucking idiot
and then kind of leave out
she escorts you into this sort of
outside
embassy area this sort of
cordon off surgery
makeshift surgery room
where you can see there are much more
of those sort of butler
types almost where their hands
have been sawed completely at the wrists
and instead there are these
silver platters that have been
extended out into the bone itself
and then it looks as though welded
into these existences
they are without mouths
only eyes and they click
as they move about you
with these little metal
appendages that
crack along the natural rock
below and it seems as though they're playing
attendant to the surgery
and standing about
but as a lot of escorts
you down onto this
sort of stone tablet
where she has you lay
she extends out and pulls
these semi-translucent
curtains these beautiful
cloth curtains that
you can see the forms through the
shadows of burrows on the table
of Lada on the other side
but the rest of you are closed off from
this transformation
and there is a moment
where Lada sort of
looms over you burrows
and makes
contact with your eyes
and it is bizarre because at any
one moment you don't know which of the
eight to make connection with
and then being those black Scalera
it's very hard to tell when she's really
intently looking on you
but she speaks in this low
sullen very pleased
with her self voice
she's definitely
enjoying the experience
she comes here for this
she looks to you and she says
do you trust me enough
to sleep
I do, I just want
one last thing from you
could you put a little crucifix here
on my right chest
I guess it's on my left
just a little one there
little bit of raised skin so I always remember
do you wear a crucifix at all
no I have like these kind of
you know beads that I wear
but they're not no real crucifix
a crucifix
just a little cross
for you a cross
in the name of your
little hero
all your head and close my eyes
as you close your eyes
there is this overwhelming
feeling and you're familiar with it
it is not unlike
the allicens power of
domination
and you can feel yourself becoming
enthralled by her
so as soon as those eyes close
you begin that power pushing out
against you
I'd like to ask you
are you fighting against this feeling
at all or are you
allowing it to happen
you also just resist to see
the level of Lada
to begin with but it's up to you
he's he's feeling real zealous
right now I think
he's just going with it
you are snapped
asleep it happens
immediately as soon as the thought
pervades oh she might be
doing something gone
immediately
the rest of you observe
these fingernails
and beautiful shadowed
form against
those curtains that extend
across the
the surgery room
and you can see them as they begin to work
then cascading into
burrows' form and then
periodically you can see as
pieces of burrows lifted up
across that black shadowed curtain
indistinct, indecipherable
without moving into the room
itself but she is definitely
removing
and you can see strings of intestines
that then are weaved together
like tinsel almost
and then replaced
back into the body and those little
attendants move past
with those trays and you can see as she
removes something from the
trays itself and replaces them
into the stomach of burrows
and then there is more suturing and then
finally another movement
with those attendants that extend
out to the process and eventually
about 45 minutes later
burrows you are released
from this spontaneous sleep
this sort of haze
this unremarkable moment
you do not believe you actually
went into torpor or fell
into a stupor
but you believe you were just
out of your mind for a moment as if
walking through dreamscapes
but when you awake
not only
is your gut remarkably
thinner
it is not
by any uncertain terms
it is not comparable to lamp light
it looks like human flesh
in fact it almost looks like
well done surgery
there is a suture scar that might run
as like a
lipo section scar
or something of that like where you can see
that there is this long
horizontal movement across your lower stomach
but for the first time ever
you are not
greeted with the slope of your
fat old stomach
and instead are greeted with the
curve of your hips and the movement
down to your lower half
you can see yourself in a way
you haven't in years
but there is
an attachment
above your heart
and
what you imagine might be tin
might be silver might be something
is a crucifix
manufactured out of metal
that has been riveted
into your pectoral
and is
what looks like pretty permanently a part
of who you are now
do you attempt to move it at all
is there any interaction with the crucifix
no
no there is not much I can do about it
I think I probably
stand up
look at myself and
although that wasn't what I was expecting
when I thought of the crucifix
it's meant to be
and I'll say
can I get on one knee
and kiss the hand of the artist
that helped me
I would be honored
to know you are pleased by my work
she extends down
her fingertips and you can see
that there is gore dripping
from them all the way up to her elbows
I knew know acutely
that that must be your own
but she extends them out perfectly
for you to kiss her fingertips
I'll kiss and maybe
even fight back a lick of the gore
and then
just kind of stand up and turn back to the crew
and kind of show myself off
perfect
upon walking you do feel
noticeably different
it almost feels like
burrows maybe you have an old
running injury or maybe
aware of people who have had screws
put into their knees before
or additional plates in their heads
or you know old sports injuries
that require actual attunement
to the bone
your stomach feels that way
with each new movement
you can feel
foreign across your body
as if there are parts
of you inside that are not
you
yeah I think he
it makes him feel uneasy
but he can't
come to the group being like I completely regret this
so he's going to appear
as if he is satisfied
a lot of skirts
back to curtains and
sort of flourishes over at burrows
to extend out this new form
are you
approaching the group shirtless to show off
that new
transformation or do you get dressed before they see you
no no I'll
show them what the work that was done
and start dressing
in front of them
wow
dressing in what though because I took his suit
well I have
my shirt
when you wore that under the white suit
yeah that makes sense
a lot of
does this connect me to you somehow
does this kind of tap at the
crucifix
to down some way
my
creations consider it a maker's
mark I did try to get
the details of your
little man as correctly as I
could and there is
a depiction of Jesus Christ
across the crucifix itself
bid into the wrist
of course
it looks a little
inhuman in fact he's probably as tall
as Lada is in the crucifix
itself and the fingertips come out
to a point
but it is this very tragic melancholy
depiction of your Christ
she speaks to you again says
this makes for no
bidden
you are not bidden to me in any way
this is truly just
a mark of our friendship
consider it
a badge
you
you are one of our family that is all
I know all about badges
and that was entirely my intention
so I'm happy to know that
you will in all
intensive purposes of course take
instruction from Casimir
if it should ever come to that we are
desiring of a favor but
we are connected
anyone else got any business
no I'm good
I don't think so
I just want to get this one
let's go home
yeah we got spoons in a
pupper
well you all are welcome
in this my mire
anytime
and from now on the waters of
Lake Mead will treat
as safe to all of you
but I must warn you the information
that you hold it is not to be taken lightly
your knowledge of the door
could easily mean your death
if you share that information
with the wrong person
my advice is to best keep
keep quiet
in all things
I do not believe anyone should know about the door
and should you make a mistake
I will not hesitate to kill all of you
there
it's reasonable
tell him
well it's fantastic
meeting you and you have
you have a great
day
night day
I mean
thank you
can I be the last one
out
sure
I'd like to at least say goodbye
and acknowledge Lada before I leave
I'll walk over
Lada will bend
and with Niles's
permission and consent
move to kiss at your forehead
and brush
some of the hair
then sort of matted with blood
and ash
hair out of the way
of your face
and speak very plainly
I understand from your friends
that you have business up on the surface
and I am regrettably unable to
assist you up there
but I do think that there is a place for you
again in this new life
Casimir down here with myself
I believe that you and I
have unfinished business
and even in this new form
I find you just
as ravishing as the day
you bid yourself in my service
this is not the end
not if you
not if you still desire me
I would give you everything
just as I always have
I kind of
reach out to her a little bit
I don't want to touch her
but
I understand your feelings
and I
I promise that
I will come back as soon as I finish
what I need to do
I understand
and should you ever need anything
should you need something to accomplish
your goals
to build your castle
I am here
unequivocally
as I always have been
I just not
I'm going to
take that as a cue to start kind of walking away
before
I'll suddenly she's just going to be like
uncapsimida
and just like smile
and then walk away
is there anything else before Mal gets
their
last little scene
okay we'll go to Mal
Mal you're the last one as the rest
begin to feed out into that anti chamber
before the swim back
to the shore
Mal
Mal's been like fussing with a couple things
in the background
and as the others
walk out Mal will walk forward
and they have
the C1 vertebra of the skeleton
from the mansion
and through
the two foramen that are on either side of it
they've stuck
two locus wings from out of their book
I'm not sure if this was
Kazmir
but it was close to where he
changed form
thought you might want a
bit of him to have with you when
Niles is away
you made this
yeah
and its purpose
a reminder
of
love loss
what can be
gained
through
trade
this is a gift this isn't
this is nothing more
grab one side
grab one end of it
a lot will connect to the other
side of that vertebra
just off their side of the wing
and then there is a quick
healthy snap down the middle
like a wishbone as it separates
completely down the center
and you are left with one side
with the wing
and she is left with the other
you honor me
love
is the greatest thing to create from
continue to make your little sculptures
the world is brighter with
things we have made
you certainly made a lot
but
can I ask you something
please
you are a minister are you not
you are of
the sombra
I don't know what a minister is
aside from the religious connotation
but I am the sombra yeah
did you feel it
when you tread through my waters
what is it
his heartbeat
his
no
his
thank you for your gift
and she begins to escort you
through to the exit
who is he who him
a lot of hims
yes you do
and she extends
out to the exit
I go
okay you meet up with the others
I assume we are making a mad dash
for the boat or are we swimming
immediately to shore
fleeing the scene of the crime
yeah we should probably avoid that boat
yeah
you did leave a dog on it
we left the dog
to be fair it has only been
2 or 3 hours
so you can grab the dog
and make for shore
we can also set the boat
if we want to make sure we can
wipe down any prints and set it off
back into the you know what I mean
so it can like it was just
an accident
moving it out into a cove
wiping it down
and then heading for the shore
probably like pushing it back into the water
one of you go ahead
and make a
we will call this
street wise
plus wits
to effectively clean the crime scene
whoever wants to do it
I have 4
okay
you haven't rolled very much
oh there you go give it to Sybil
if you said wits and street wise
yep
okay
okay that's
3 success
okay
you do your best to clean the crime scene
and leave it off in the water
and a cove on lake mead
at about 2 o'clock in the morning
3 o'clock in the morning
and you all make for the shore
with Rufus on somebody's back
we will leave you all
on the shore without consequence
without feeling
I will say the only thing that I really need to note
is that Mal when you return to the water
you do indeed
feel and hear
the heartbeat of something
thrumming in your mind and in your body
but the rest of you
without consequence
return to shore itself
on the same night
that you entered like me
exiting it's 115
I think this is a good place to take our break
before we come back and decide what's next
for the new gen
alright we'll be right back
okay well
that was an experience
it's now like they've
moved away from just saying
the worst words and now it's like a little
teleplay 5 seconds before
we get started
we're like trapped in a skit
and never wanted to be a part of
welcome back
we are on the shores
of Lake Mead
at about 2 o'clock in the morning
and all of you
have just survived
Lada of the Myers
and the underground caverns
below Lake Mead
and the sentinels door
um
now there are so many questions
for the new gen
so many things we'll have to
rectify and come to terms with
so
what's the play y'all
I mean I do think
that while we're driving at some point
burrows probably will bring up like
we should not leave this car until
we've decided what our next play is
I can agree with that
sure
so how are we
well before we split up
how and where
I'm gonna put Niles in the back
seat of baby blue
because it's
unless
I'm able to move myself around
right I'm just burned from the arm
on the arms right
Niles how many
how much aggravated damage could you take
so you have 4 more before you die
I have 4 more before I die
yeah I said it was my school health
you listen this is the most pain you've
ever been in but you're a vampire
you absolutely could go
you know 12 rounds with Tyson
yeah I'm in pain
but I'm not incapacitated so eventually
this is old and I
I'm gonna be like Niles okay I hear you
but there's a thing called the ego
so my question
is this your ego talking
or is this you talking
it's the I don't trust
any of you with the bike that I like
and I'd like to make sure that it
gets back in one piece
okay that's fair because if it was
anything else I would have been like bitch
but no that's cool fun I call the other bike
where are we going
let me back up at the club or something
yeah we're gonna make it back to
Vegas in time before the sun rises
it's not 3 hours away
I think it's about
45 minutes for Boulder to Vegas
let's see
Google
spoons by the way
spoons
it's about 36 minutes from like me to
Las Vegas so you guys will be fine
spoons is back with you
he would have realized that we were leaving
the boat and come back so he is probably
tucked under your jacket
doing just fine
no recon alerts
or anything that he reports back
to you during his time
watching over like me it seems as though
you guys might have gotten away with this one
well let's not look a gift horse in the mouth
yeah I'll drive us to
the back of the town and to the
the club
okay so you guys
stop at the motel first to get onto the bikes
you do notice that there is
a police
force
we brought the bikes to me
did we?
we were
trying to talk to Shelly and stuff like that
so we already came down to the dam with it
never mind then
you didn't hear shit you're fine
we can assume
we can assume
there's a radio in Burroughs' car
you guys drive back
to Club Canaan
which is still unfinished largely except
for
a large dog bed
a dog house
and three corpses
I'm just kind of a sigh at the lack of
movement here
so empty
it is hauntingly empty
it's very clean now
outside of the Enoch droppings
excuse me
look nobody
sought the entire goddamn drive
what happens if we tell the Camarilla
what we found tonight
what happens if we tell the Anarchs
what happens is we lose our power
as long as we have that knowledge
we have more power than they do
what power is there in just knowing
something if we can't take advantage of it
I think
we should tell the Camarilla
at some point
but we should only
tell one person
and I feel like it should be the Prince
I don't think anyone else with this information
would it be a good idea
I agree
it depends on how in trouble we are
actually that would
we made a promise
to a lot of
to
we made a promise to a lot of
so
oh wait wait wait just so we can have everybody's
status really quick because frankly
I feel like we're getting too
espionage
where are we standing with each other
because I would like to know that I can make it another day
I need to know like
oh I'm not screwing someone here this this that
because y'all are giving me whiplash
I think what Allison is asking is
how does everybody feel about what we should do
with this information
Zach
I feel like
the safety of the group is the most
important because if any one of us
are in trouble the people that
could kill us do not care
about killing one of us
do you agree with that statement
yes okay you didn't respond that got me
concerned keep going
in terms of who we tell the truth
to I feel like we should only tell the truth
to anyone who threatens
to kill us if we don't tell the truth
if we get there and all the camera does
is slap us on the wrist I don't
think we have to tell them anything but if they
you know start saying words like blood hunt
or Cisco starts looking
like smiling at all I think
we should tell them what
we have
how likely do we think that the anarchs have
one half of the key and the camera will have
the other half
no clue
because if we want to go with miles
thinking of nobody should know it
then the only reason that would be useful is
if we could get those keys ourselves
I mean we keep it secret until we have a
way to get both keys
the problem is is we've been out
of town for a reason because we were in
hiding because we started some shit so
we kind of need to come with something
so that they
don't get
black
us
I mean do we have to see them
can we just keep on living unless we're summoned
we don't have to go like hi daddy I messed
up the anarchs have asked
for our audience
they specifically asked us to go hi daddy
we messed up
because the camera
really means the anarchs for what we did
perfect
no not perfect
if you want the other key and the anarchs
have it maybe not pissing off
the anarchs would be a good idea
or hear me out
hear me out hear me out
we kill the anarchs and take the key
there's so many fucking anarchs
there are seven of us and we barely
live through fighting one fire monster
and we're all babies
relax everybody relax
let's just we're thinking years
ahead we gotta think
just day to day survival right
there are too many anarchs
I just want my fucking club we all just want
stuff so just
go and smooth over politics
what do we do
simple ideas
we go home
we get the club up and
running because right now it is just a storage
facility that gives us
something to do and something to look
like we're doing
like that
we have our
we have our audience with the anarchs
we don't say shit
maybe
maybe
Allison and Enoch you go on a little date
or something that night because
Enoch is going to inevitably say something
that's gonna start some shit
Enoch you're my best friend
also why do we have to listen to the anarchs
they're not in charge of us
it's not a matter of listening to them it's just getting them to leave us alone long
enough so we can continue with whatever we're doing
also pop pop won't want us
talking to the anarchs right now
great so you guys go do whatever the fuck you do
probably get the club up and running because no one else
is doing the work
it's your club it's my club
oh y'all be taking my drinks
this is not good
I just
I make sure there's stuff here
for everybody
speaking of I need a shot of whiskey
let me get a bottle
and I'll try to find some alcohol
I'm going I'm like
would you like more scotch or bourbon
bourbon
oh thank god okay so I'm gonna make sure I pull out
actually a good medium bottle instead of a piece of shit
and I'll slide it over him
can I take a
shot of it does it feel the same
you can eat food right
I can eat food
I'm probing you as to whether my eat food
has been altered thanks to a lot of
no you enjoy your whiskey
oh thank Jesus
I'm glad that that's what burrows is most worried about
the entire ride home he was thinking oh my god
can I still eat
can I still eat
I would never take that from you
because then I would stop hearing about
my favorite local Vegas chains
so
alright
then we keep going as preceded
keep quiet for now
but
I just want us to think about the fact that
this is
this can make or break us honestly
and I feel like it's gonna make us
but
we need to just all be unified in this
we're together on this
I agree and we gotta make sure we have
the right plan in Blueprint so
better to play it safe
than jumping half caught
we need to
before we speak to anyone
in charge we need to pacify
Emmerich I still owe him
blood I think
Mal does too
we should make sure that he has
what he wants from us first
you want to get that done tonight or do we need to
sooner the better wait what time is it
tomorrow it's like 3
yeah it's pretty
late but
we can have grease come over and pick it up
right now I would rather die
I got about 2 hours left
yeah I think we could
wait
we can do it ourselves
or we can just go
lie down and we'll have grease
come take it from you while you're asleep
I would rather die
again I say again
because I will never let that creep fucking
touch you die again every morning
I hate you so
grease takes my blood and I end this life
yeah same
if we went to Emmerich right now he'd be on his back
heal he's not expecting visitors right before
sunrise just saying
maybe we should
maybe we should be going out right before
sunrise
I'm not
well you know me I like to ride the line
but that's fine now you feel like going
you feel like maybe one last run
tonight 2 hours
yeah alright let's look at that
alright
alright alright alright
so you guys are
heading up to the hospital
huh
I'm staying I'm not going anywhere
just
Sybil and Mal going to the hospital
I believe the same
I suppose Burroughs would go
as well
you know what
now I'm going to let you guys
have it Burroughs is
he's got one will power
and I think
he needs to go feed
okay
Sybil and Mal you arrive
at
at sunrise hospital
there's a huge police presence
three cruisers parked outside
probably could be nightingale then
yeah it looks like
cops are
stationed outside of the major
buildings almost like they've put on
like an active shooter resistance
it's just
crowded with them
so be normal I guess
okay
um
you guys are just moving through to
Emmerich's little secret door
and hoping to get in that way
activate blush of light
beautiful you're going to need that when you return
immediately to the scene of the crime
yeah
it's a
it's at least two days
it has been two days
let's hope multiple homicides
go away in two days
that's okay
we're good
it is quite the coincidence that
two of the only witnesses to the crime
died the next day too
smothered in their beds
it'd be like that sometimes
yeah I need both of you
to make composure plus
subterfuge rolls
oh boy
lovely
composure
and subterfuge
one success
one success
okay
you believe you have not been identified
by anyone or at least they don't let
you know immediately
um
you go into the hospice care
and up to that second floor
and down the hallways to the
secret entrance into Emmerich's elevator
there are
there's one
really two brand new
guards in place
that look largely identical
to the very large men that you guys
just fucking ended last time
you were here
and you're getting fond memories of
the huge amounts of blood
that pulled in the hallway here
the six police officers
the roiling gunfight
that took Enoch out of a window
and you're just trying to
roll through all of these details
as you walk past two
officers in
plain blue uniforms with bullet
profess that have been standing
out here in the hallway
and they kind of eye you up as you're moving
past but not enough to arrest you
you look to the two
guards at the end of the hallway
they look up to a security
camera in the corner there
that is poised at the entrance
and then as if
with no
weight they wave you through
into the room itself
shut the door behind you
and again that false wall opens
to that beautiful elevator
and
awaits to take you up to the second floor
or at least the third floor
Emmerich's private state
is there anything you guys want to do
on the way up or is there anything
to conclude here
you've given him blood before
I mean like
not before before but before
now before
before
but after
yes
no
this is the first time since
after
are you good in this elevator
what's he gonna do with it do you think
I
might
I think he's gonna give it to
honestly I think he's gonna give it to
the
and I don't know what they're gonna do with it but
it's usually just
surveillance
that's fun I love being watched
yeah we'll see
if I'm gonna be wrong you could just be a freak
sorry I got you into this for what it's worth
oh no you didn't
you made it more interesting but it's I don't blame
you for this
the elevator doors open
and in a surprising turn
the attendants and guards
that are usually accompanied with
are not here currently
and
rather than him being posted up
in that bed as you'd seen him before
bed ridden without control of
his legs as he depicted himself
he's instead standing
this night
with a cane to help
his movement
the bed has been moved out of the way
it is still a hoarder's paradise
in this room old
hospital food and newspapers
and
DVDs and
various points of media strewn
across the floor so much so that you have to
march over piles of trash
just to be in the room
but he is actually in one corner of the
estate
where he is watching
a 24-hour news cycle
on this very large TV
in the corner
is he looking toward us
he's not turned to regard you yet
I'm going to grab Sybil's arm
before we get too far in
and I'm going to open up my little
prayer book that has all the
locust
wings in it and I'm going to
write really quickly
no one's here
he could have an accident
uh
man
I think about that a lot
I'm just going to look at you
and tap my wrist where
a watch would be
and shake my head
I'll close the book
put it back in my
little bag
he stands and he watches
that 24-hour news cycle
you can tell by the way that he kind of
perks his head that he's at least a wearier
in the room currently
he's wearing something like a smoker's
jacket or a bathrobe
and as he turns
on that cane
a very expensive cane
you imagine it's
a very nice imported wood
that's finished off with
a sort of like pearl
tipped
accoutrement
on top of
a priceless metal
and the head of it
has this very large
lion's head
that is in
mid-roar
when he turns about
and you find that the bathrobe is really
all he's wearing
underneath he has
frilled out boxers
that he does not fill whatsoever
and then this pasty
moldy
liver-spotted chest
and legs that look so decrepit
from this point of view
and very frail
emaciated
easy to keel over
but he
gestures to all of you
with his hands
and then to his throat
and then back
down to this sort of
like
computer on a rolling cart
like a surgical cart almost
that is beeping through
and has this very large LED
display on
and he begins to
type into it for a moment
and it reads off
please excuse
my condition
I have lost my voice
that's
that's my problem
I seem to be managing
very well
he types
I appreciate
your well wishes
but I am in constant
pain
now almost
smirks and then
manages to get under control
he types
is there anything we can do
to assist
absolutely
I have a few things
in mind
what do we do
he moves over with that cane
to a table that's opposite
and he pulls out
with both hands
that he then tricks into one
and holds up out to you
and there are noticeable
alchemists flasks
very
full in volume
they're empty now but they could hold
quite a bit of
liquid
and he extends them out to you
and then goes to type with one hand
some of it getting typoed and garbled
but he says
fill both vials
I'll take the vials
is there somewhere we can
do this privately
or
he leans down
he types
I will watch
it
great
cool
yeah
I'm just going to take a seat
at the table
take the other vial
and
start from
the arm
same for Mal
yep
it's a process
he looks
hungrily over at the two of you
and in fact moves away from that typing apparatus
for just a moment so that
he can get a better look
the grossest place
they can think of
to pull the blood from
which is the bottom of their foot
okay
it seems as though that might have
worked against you rather than
for you as he seems to
enjoy this immensely
in fact
you get this horse little
I
didn't think about foot
foot stuff
we never think of foot stuff
really
I should have thought about foot stuff
god damn it
Mal likes seeing that
it's not flowing as well
and they'll go back to their hand
he routinely plays at the lapel
of his smoking jacket
the two of you continue
and sort of heaves
his small frail old face
forward he has this big
grin across his face
that is undeniable with these
big gravestone teeth
that bloom over you in these
yellow curdled little
grout lines
of his teeth
and seems just overwhelmingly
pleased with himself
once you both have filled the vials
can I hand them back over
yeah
I follow Sybil's lead
okay
it's really alarming
does not feel like anyone except
the three of you are in here
just classical music playing over
this sort of exchange between all of you
in fact it's very hard
for him to grab the flasks
them being so full and the cane
being in his other hand
at this point he almost wobbles
and falls forward and has to catch himself
before taking the flasks
and moving them out to the table
removing himself back to the table
there is this sort of basin
bowl right next to it
of which he takes the flasks
themselves and pours in
equal parts of both of you
into the basin itself
he then sets them down
corks them and replaces them
into a separate medical briefcase
where some other flasks have been noted
he shuts that
he locks that and then applies a numbered
code
he then takes the basin
absolutely
go ahead and make me a
wits plus
awareness
I really want to know if this code
has unburnable power
okay
four successes
you see that the code is
0962
good to know
okay
he then takes that basin
full of half of both of your
blood
moves back over to
the typing machine
there the machine that has been communicating
with you
he sets the basin
just gently onto his bed
spread just off the side of himself
and begins to type with both hands
that then reads out to you in that same
monotone robotic voice
something like an Alexa or Siri
and it speaks out
now you watch
and he moves to
his lapel and then back down
to his hip
and removes the sort of
tied bedspread that keeps the
jacket together and then removes it from
himself
and he is just exposed in this
singular pair of boxers
this frail, disgusting
green skin
liver-spotted man
who then takes that basin
and raises it above his head
and then dumps it slowly
over his own hair
and then slather down his body
making no attempts to drink
from the thick tar-like
syrupy vitae as it begins to drip
slowly and mat
into his old wiry gray
hair and drip down him
he the entire time
makes a lot
of importance
to an emphasis to make
eye contact with you Sybil
Sybil
Sybil doesn't say
anything until the basin
is empty
and without really acknowledging
what the fuck just happened
just says I hope
that this can
smooth things over from the last time
we were here
apologies again for the disturbance
that we've caused
he moves to the computer
still slathered in both of your
bloods
he's licking his lips routinely
but does not remove any of the
vitae from his face
he refuses to drink it almost
he is shaking
like shattering out of
reaction to this
whether it's him being cold
or some sort of sick pleasure
from the experience
but he moves to the computer
he closes over the keys
you are always
forgiven in my eyes
Sybil
I have cleared
your name with the anarchs
and moved
the chess pieces where they may start
you have made
the first move
in the next war
um
is that
what you want
another war with war anarchs
it is what we all want
and
what do we want
out of this war
death to freedom
only the tower
this is just
so the camera licking
the number one
that's all this is for
the power has shifted
and those
laying in wait
have done so for too long
you are on the
cusp of a revolution
and the seat changes
power
there will be justice
for arthur cost
do we know who arthur cost is
the former prince
the cat
okay
I think she goes to
she goes to shake his hand
and repeats justice
for arthur cost
then he goes to shake his hand
covered in their blood
he shakes it
holds it and then grips it
harder than you'd imagine
and brings it close to his
lips
and he kisses deeply at your knuckles
enough that you can feel some
of mal dripped from his
geriatric nose onto
your knuckles
I'll nudge my way between them
and do the same thing just to put some space
there is less
interest in this
motion with you
but he does pay the same kindness
he does not kiss your hand
but does shake it
may we take our leave
of course
have a good night then
mal
let's go
as the two of you
begin to leave
he continues to slather
and move it across his body
as you enter the elevator
and go back down
we fucked up
we fucked up
we had so much trouble
I mean
we had so much trouble
in one way a big problem
may have disappeared
but then there is a whole bigger problem
called a war
you know what
let's just sleep on it
we should sleep on it
cool yeah
we'll tell the others tomorrow
yeah in the morning
definitely
can you drop me in my church
oh yeah
yeah
she drops mal off
okay
just for a time
we're going to go to Burroughs
and his feeding
to gain some willpower there
yeah so he's at willpower one
I kind of interpret that as just like
he's just not himself
he's beside himself
he's not even that hungry
but I just think that he's looking for
some kind of connection
he's going to actually find
Pastor Dudley
out on the street somewhere
yeah it is really
it's getting there
it's probably around 3.30 in the morning
so Dudley usually
packs it in
by about 2
at its latest on the weekends there for
3 month street but you do know that
you can find him at that chapel you
hid in the attic
of
and you do have the keys to that place now
it's sort of your run as much as it is
his
and getting in there
you absolutely have an awareness that he's
in his bed sleeping
you could easily wake him up
yeah I'm going to wake him up
and say
hey Pastor I got something I want to show you
no
oh shit
remember me at Burroughs
yeah I remember you
I've been working real hard
since last I saw you and I think I got
myself a venue I wanted to show it to you
no kidding you got something better
than this dump
come on we got to go because I don't got a lot of time
before I got to get back to work
back to work it's 3.30 in the morning
Burroughs
alright I'm saying I'll wake up early
what do you do again
I thought you were a lounge singer
I'm a handyman I do all kinds of things around town
come on come on
alright and he jumps into baby blue with you
I'll drive him to
um
Mal's church
okay and
Mal and Sybil I assume
and this time are currently speaking with
Emmerich
unless you like it to be otherwise
no what I'd like is for her to arrive
for them to arrive towards the end which is
I will bring
Pastor Dudley
in sneak him into the church
kind of show him around
see what he thinks of it
oh
I gotta say
Burroughs this is quite the
quite the ordeal right here this could
be a very good space for us
I mean the iconography is a little
well the beheaded
saints they were never quite
as much fun as the ones with their heads on but
I don't think we could work
with this
well
I wanted to show it to you because
well I'm
I'm having a little bit of doubts these days
we haven't interacted a lot
but I've been thinking about it and I just
I don't know what
I don't know do you have you thought about it much about it
do you think you're the right man for this job
well for serving
the Lord you mean
for serving
this
point at the church and what I want
to build here
yeah
I think I was made for this
I think anyone who acts in God's
message is worthy enough
to sit at the table
I've been getting to a lot of shit
pastor and
I gotta say that my
trajectory is changing
I thought I was going one way but
I think I'm going another and
I don't need a yeah I need
a hell yeah
so I'm sorry but I'm gonna have to
I'm not gonna allow you
to run this church I just wanted
you to see it so
to know for sure whether you are part of it
you're cutting me out
I'm gonna just pull
his neck and start feeding on him
oh okay
and I'm at one hunger and I'd like to remove it
to zero so I'm gonna feed him until
he dies
okay
he's gonna
he's gonna try and fight
you so this will be
considered a bite attack
he's a little spooked by it
of course but could you give me a strength
plus brawl and
remove one dice that you typically
have
strength plus brawl
minus one to the pool
minus one
because it's a bite attack
yeah okay
one success
well he has no
successes so
it comes down to a razor's edge
he fights you back and for a moment
your scaredy's gonna get away in fact
he scrambles away and falls over a pew
and that's when you kind of fall on him
and you can see
very mortal fear in his
eyes as he realizes what you are
and he looks at you
oh please don't do this
oh god our father
who art in heaven hallowed be thy name
and that's when you straight into his neck
and he can barely get through his prayer
as you begin to feast on him
in the painted light
of the stained glass of this place
and you can feel
the strength enter you
yeah Sergio the player
understands that feeding
isn't going to heal me
it isn't going to bring up my willpower
but I don't think burrows understands that
I think he feels a deficit
and all he's ever understood is feeding
fixes the problem
and so I think that's why he's doing it more than anything
even though his hunger was only at one
but I'm able to
remove that hunger right
you are too zero hunger but I would like you to also
remove one humanity
as you step further from god
yeah yeah to burrows
I'm not stepping further
it's a better entourage
I need a stronger entourage
and I will
I'd like to time it burrows wouldn't
but Sergio would like to time it to where Mal
is probably walking in towards the end of
my feeding
Sybil would you have gone in with Mal
or Sybil are you off for your day
I think
I will, I think I'll just like stop the car
I'm used to just stopping the shuttle
I'm waiting for you to go
Mal, you're out
you're back into the church
as you say goodbye to Sybil
you open the
the double doors that lead into it
after scaling the caution fence
and you find
draped in the center of these pews
as one is cracked over
is a young man you don't recognize
pinned under the
huge massive strong arms
of burrows
dripping through his beard with
blood and has just killed
this man
what the fuck John
sorry I didn't want you to see that
why did you do in my house then
well it's
I don't see it so much as
well
I don't know why to be honest with you
I mean I just
felt compelled to come here
I've asked
you before that I'd like to use this place
and
for worship not murder
I don't think this is some
I need an upgrade
that's all Mal this guy
I found him on the street but
thinking about it thinking about everything we've gone through
it wasn't he wasn't enough and
I
don't know why just I'm attracted
to this place it's
don't worry no one's gonna come
on you anyway you don't need to worry about it
if
if people find out that someone was dead here and then
cops come I can't
come home and then they're gonna find the monster
in the basement and that's a
masquerade violation if I've ever fucking heard
one
what were you thinking
I guess I wasn't
to be honest
I just
I don't know why
you're out of the blood
we'll see if you can still fucking
do church here
this makes me really fucking
hesitant to let you do anything in here now
I just didn't
think you thought it was such a big deal that
we all feed
we do all feed not in other people's
homes though
I don't have a good excuse
alright I'll make sure it's clean
you won't even know he was over here
there's blood stained on the
pastor's white collar
you can see that the light
of his eyes has left
rolled back to the whites
there's a huge gout of blood
that is still spurting through
as you've drained him
and his neck is almost exclusively
open from the messy
chomp
the removal of his flesh
just to
get at your quarry
and Mal you notice that in this sort of
renaissance painting that some of the light
is cascading through the stained glass
on the boroughs
he stares over his kill
and his printed shirt
and a haggard
skinnier demeanor
that the shadows that consume this
place have all formed
a sort of circle
about this exchange
and you notice that they become
bigger
scared
fearful in that response
as you can almost feel them
observing this act
they feel like
my shadows that are in the
place feel afraid
there is fear here
I don't know if this is going to work out
I don't know if you talking about God
in here is going to work out
well I need
to upgrade anyway so I'll just find
a better place
there's a big crash
as it starts again just below the two of you
as whatever that is
threatens to open the door
probably for the best
I'll take his body
and very haphazardly
wipe the blood
on his back
and just
I don't even care if there's any left over
I'll just leave
it continues
to crash against the door
even as boroughs is making his exit
with his human rag
do the shadows change
once he leaves
there are still
huge amounts of fear
that circle remains unbroken
you can feel that their interest is returned
instead
lower
okay
I don't
I don't know if you were scared of him or what he did
he's not coming back here for a while
maybe we can
discuss
what he wanted I guess
I shouldn't have
said he could do without talking to you I guess
so
whatever way you want to
tell me your feelings on it I guess
in a snap that circle
rematerializes
at the foot of those stairs
very top all of them sitting
like a crowd
watching down the steps
we'll open it soon
crash
crash crash
does it sound any different
never has
does it feel spurred on
when boroughs originally came in
with
Pastor Dudley when he was still with us
he was not making any noise then
I'm going to go down the stairs
with the locust prayer book
in my hands
and I'll flip it open to a random
prayer
and on a whim
I'll just start reading
a prayer
I don't know any but
there are some written in the book
it doesn't seem to
stir or change what is happening here
but maybe it brings you some comfort
it does all sound like boroughs though
I'll leave it be
and I'll go up to my room
is there anyone else
that would like to accomplish something this night
Enoch I see you down there
yes
at some point
if there's other people around
I'll make an excuse to get out of the room
like I have to hit the can
and then I'll go into the bathroom
because that makes sense
of course
you're the only vampire that still pisses
lock the door
and
query
would I have any idea
how to reach
the prince
or someone who works for the prince
um
oh god
wind it up
okay
you
would have the
contact information for Santos
the man who originally helped you all
coordinating
the original mission
and who acts as sort of the hand
of the prince or at least the
front man for those visiting
exiting and touring Vegas
this was also the man that introduced you
to the echelon
where they hold Elysia
I will send him a text
message that says
have
important information
his majesty's ears
you know
this is Enoch
goddammit Enoch
you get a text back
that comes pretty quick that reads
is this on watchmen business
I'm gonna say yes
okay
you are given
the address
that becomes very clear
it's called the arcade
and you know that it is Prince Aloysius
um
Aloysius's casino
and hotel in Las Vegas
that is a little further south on the strip
um
and is the newest sort of
mega casino in the strip
uh atmosphere
as soon as Aloysius was
named prince the development started
just a few years before it was made official
and just recently it's been
opened semi open soft
opened to the public
but it's called the arcade hotel and casino
and it's toward the south
side of the strip I assume you're going there now
yes I'm gonna slip
out the window so no one sees me go
okay
slip out the window you
move out into the night
completely silent
you probably catch an uber
or maybe walk the whole way because you're Enoch
um and you arrive
at the arcade
hotel and casino
3 30
3 45 4 o'clock in the morning
um it is absolutely
gorgeous it is built like an
arcade not in the
the pinball machine
status but more so in the
like shopping center
and bus depot
sense of the word it is this huge
vaulted beautiful
windowed
house shake that runs
the entire extension of the building
it is massive about the size
of Caesars
it is beautifully
beautifully made in the architecture
of art deco
it's very like fresh out of the
1920s it's designed that way
specifically it is
gilded in so much
gold and so much pure white
that it feels absolutely
decadent from every level
in the lobby it stretches
out onto these gold
hallways that extend out to the casino floor
and then again off into the first
level hotels and then
a level of
elevator banks that go to the
further
the second that you check in with the
receptionist you're pointed out
to the very end of the arcade
which stretches the whole casino
where there is a blue
velvet
extension
carpet with some like VIP
railings
that denote to a private elevator
there
and
you're basically told that
that is where you can report
to go and see the prints
is there anything you'd like to do before
you head over there
no straight in
okay
let me tell you just a little bit more
you're right off of Dean Martin Way
uh
the inside lobby
is immaculate and gold lace
the same art deco trim that graces its windows
as far as the eye can see
the lighting is kept really dim
to a VIP clubs or jazz clubs
atmosphere
its crowd is catered to decadence
and the taste is antiquated and classy
without dipping into gauche
every piece of it feels perfectly articulated
in the way a Vegas casino can only
accomplish
it feels specifically for you to stand
here in this moment
after speaking with the receptionists
you notice that everyone is wearing
these same royal blue ushers uniforms
that
they all wear these very beautiful
matching white fur
caracal caps
which are these sort of banded
almost like cadet hats
off the top of themselves
and they are immaculately dressed
more so than most would spend
ushers uniform
but you're taken down to that velvet
crushed rug
that leads up to the elevator itself
two extremely burly guards
stand opposite
each of the elevators
and one actually escorts you into the elevator
and stays with you
you're taken to the very last floor
on the arcade at the penthouse level
but when you arrive
the gentleman hits
the stop elevator button
turns around
takes a key ring from his
key ring off the side of himself
and then
extends the key into a
small circular
slot that extends out on the
the flat wall of the elevator itself
and then opens up into an
auxiliary lift
this one is much more antiquated
it's almost like a cargo
or storage lift and
extends to a lot more space
you move into that and there are
six more guards
all wielding assault rifles
and some machine guns
that stand in a big rim around you
as that lift begins to go up
further and you arrive
at the top of the arcade
Prince Aloysius's
private quarters
the doors open
and there is
a huge extension
into this main ballroom
there is a private bar off to the left
there is a grand piano
there is a fireplace
all of this is made in white blue
and gold accents
it's beautiful, it's decadent, it feels like
you've stepped into a private club
and there seems to be space
for performers itself as though
Prince Aloysius lives
in his own little private event space
but at the very far end
with this beautiful
windowed view of all of Vegas
and the strip itself to the north
is Prince Aloysius behind his desk
and he seems to be entertaining
a group of socialites who are well
dressed and beautiful
with martini glasses in their hands
fresh martinis poured for them
he's laughing, they're laughing
he's escorting
he's speaking with some of the guards
and as one of them just connects from your group
and steps up to him
the guest escorts them out
and gestures for a private room
off the side and then calls for you
to approach the desk itself
Prince Grant
again is this beautiful
beautiful black man
short, tight hair
with this very well cropped
beard with these piercing
gold eyes
today he is wearing a level of makeup
that enhances the gold in his eyes
there's some gold fleck
along his
eyelids themselves
he's wearing this immaculate
white fur overcoat
that sits over a three-piece suit
that is very well tailored for his form
in this perfect gray
with these enameled buttons
that are carefully handpicked
they look to be made of some sort of
very intricate metal
and on them
are little embossed
bass clefs
that extend down to him
he looks
very in high spirits
and in fact he doesn't look very surprised
to see you as if he's been expecting you
and he stands up from his
seat and he moves across
around and he
puts out his ring
on his little forefinger
extended out to you
I'll be a good boy and kiss the ring
very good
you kiss the ring and he steps back
and claps his hands together
and he looks
Enoch, right?
that's right
I remember you're one of Amrecks
yeah
you got that blood
coursing through you
that web, huh?
there's something like it
I'm so very sorry
to disturb you so close to the morning hours
but I came across some information
that I just simply
don't wait to pass along to you
listen, you don't have to apologize
for stepping into my office
any time day or night
day is at your own risk though
Santos told me that you've got some information
and I was under the inclination
that I'd like to see
where all of you are at
everything I've heard up until this point
is well
all of you causing some trouble for us
and playing outside of the lines
but I'd like to see
whatever this information is
I have this policy
Enoch where
I have this belief that either you're going to give me
something lovely that's really going to
change my life
or you're going to die
and I think you have an understanding of that too
don't you?
well I think that
I'm certainly confident
that this is going to paper over
any
transitory and discretions
on the part of
my coterie
Emric told me
that you were smart
that you had a way with words
that you
knew how to write a paper
and that tells me that you know how
to write a paper
Enoch why don't you tell me what it is
that's going to
well, apologize for all
these transgressions
I know where
it is
make a
charisma plus
persuasion
oh
see this is why
I had those
you don't do that stuff without
remember how we build the characters
I had all the charisma points
well I didn't think you'd like this
alright so that is
just three days
that is two successes
he stops, he looks at you
now I can only imagine
that by having this information
by insinuating
what I believe you're trying to
insinuate my room here
is that you made some
missteps to get to this right step
right?
I don't know
if I would call initiative
a misstep
were you instructed
to open the case
well no
but in my defense we didn't
know what we were going to find
until I saw it
curiosity is no defense
but
you're speaking as though you know
something
and I'm inclined to listen so long as
it might lead to
something maybe
by some stroke of luck you fell
into something that I can use
so
speak to me what is this
we recently delivered
you a kind of
key
I'm sure you'll remember
sure
I found the hole that that
key fits in
and I'm assuming
that whatever is on
the other side of that door
you would be very interested
and if not
having at least
controlling the access point
you
you're much smarter than anybody
gives you credit
you gotta way about
and you know how I know you're smart
how's that
you came to me with this
of course who else
how'd you find
it was quite
by accident if I'm being perfectly
honest we didn't even know to look for it
but
we were
doing a bit of sightseeing around the lake
and
well we came across
some
vampires that were mysteriously
disappearing and in our
duties as watch people
we took it upon ourselves
to
eliminate that threat
and
we just kind of happened to
stumble into the door at the bottom
of Lake Mead
excuse me a moment
and he calls over a guard
and the guard comes down to his level
and
Aloysius grabs the guard by the jaw
hard enough that you can feel and hear
the crack of his mandible
pulls him in close so that he's speaking
directly into his ear
there's some light conversation there
and the guard continues to nod
as the blood starts to drip
from his lips there
and then Aloysius kind of throws him
and he stumbles
a few feet there and immediately
begins to move out of the room
with four other individuals
that they grab
and you can see that they're already
making a phone call
and as soon as they answer the phone they say
Cisco and by then
they've already reached the elevator
itself getting into the main room
but
Aloysius comes back to you and says
you know Lake Mead has always been
a source of contention for my new
administration
some of the old heads they like to think
they run things in town and you can't
fault them you've sat in a chair long enough
everyone assumes that eventually
we're going to buy you a better chair
but it just doesn't happen that way
because we award
what was that word you used
initiative, right?
and you'll find plenty of that
here
will I?
well you know what you found it on dumb luck
but I can't fault you for that
you found it nonetheless
or at least you're telling me that
so if I
I must warn you however
that it is not
unguarded
I'll speak your peace
there was
I believe the word
that she used was
dragon
who claims to be
the guardian of the door
of course I
told her that this was nonsense
that the tower has
exclusive
rights to any such thing
found in the city
but they didn't seem to agree
with that line of reasoning
well it's good you did not
poke the dragon
it's good you came back here
and allowed me some time to mobilize
my forces if this is true
I'll tell you what Enoch
this is what I have planned
I'm going to confirm this theory of yours
I'm going to send
a group of my people past the wards
at the bottom of Lake Mead
I'm going to ignore prior warnings
and
overlook some things the cost
administration wanted me to believe
about that place
and if what you're telling me is true
then I am going to open
any door you would see open
Enoch
and you will be invited to have a seat
at the table
always happy to serve
Enoch
I know this is not a situation
where
you are doing this out of the kindness of your heart
in fact I know that many people
when finding something of this level
whether they know they're
in over their head or not would assume
that maybe they should be the ones to open
maybe they should be the ones to hold all that
knowledge keep it tight
so I know you came here
with an understanding that
you gain as much as you give
hmm
would you like to ask me now
or later
oh it's nothing major
really
I would like
a blood hunt
called
to track down my
beautiful wife's
sire
and I would like to
employ the services
of
a handful of
ghouls
so that I can better serve the tower
that's all
that's it
well fuck
I can do that
a blood hunt he wants
and they all sort of erupt in laughter
across the room
a blood hunt and some ghouls
well shit
well I'll write it into action
immediately you will have your blood hunt
in fact this whole city
will be moving out in force
to find whoever the fuck it is
that's scorned your lover
and we will see
that they are dead before
tomorrow night huh
fantastic
and I give you full right
in my city
in any city I have control under
to sire both ghouls
you go hog wild
my love
most gracious
of you your majesty
well you've given me
quite the present
it's the least I can do it almost feels
like I'm getting away with something
and I hope that
this will lead you
to believe that I can
be trusted on
any future
matters that need attending
boy you have bought yourself into something
that I don't think you fully understand yet
there is trust here you have built
something monumental you have brought me
exactly what I've been looking for since I
stepped foot in this place
you know I originally was
from New Orleans
I was prince there for a time
then Miami now here
all three places
I was looking for one thing
do you know what that is
that's the door that you just
found
I'm very happy to
have fulfilled
your wish
now
I don't mean to be
in delicate to your situation because I know that
sometimes alliances can feel so very flimsy
when things like
well promotions are involved
your friends
the rest of you
my dear watchman
where do they sit
on all this
well I think that they would
be rather disappointed to find out
that I'm here with the exception of my wife
of course we are aligned
in all things
but the rest of them
I think they would have been
just as happy for you two
not no in fact they said so
explicitly
I see so Allison
is the only one to be spared
hmm
I will say
that the rest of this
rag tag little
coterie of ours
has quite a few uses
that I think they could still serve
that being said
um
it is still quite unclear where their
true alliances lie
well if the pieces
continue to fall the way they are
the anarchs being what they
are currently
and we have an access
to a certain door
Caleb yes
check your messages
I will
this game is
well starting to take shape a lot quicker
than I thought Enoch
we are going to have to make some decisions
on what we believe very soon
and
I'm glad to know where you stand
now
I think it's very important that you either
convince your friends to join us
on this side or
ask them
where they'd like their dust to be held
hmm I believe that I
can persuade them
beautiful
beautiful
well the watchmen have turned out to be
a whole lot more than I ever thought they would
I sent you all after
a white in the desert
come back with everything
I've ever wanted
well sometimes you find
everything you wanted where you least expected it
have you
intercepted with the Hikata yet
we
I'm sorry
to say we haven't gotten around to it yet
but we are making plans
listen I could not be more
tickled for what
you have found so far don't let me
reprimand you for anything yet but
it's imperative that
you do
where to find that other piece of the puzzle
last piece of the
puzzle it's very important
that the clan of death shows us where it is
I see
in that case I will
move to
expedite our visit
very good you just be careful
around them they're uh
they're tricky
so I've heard
boy we are gonna have
this city before uh
before the year is out
I very much hope that we will
can I
are you much in the way of gifts
how do you mean
do you enjoy presents
well everybody
enjoys presents
alright he snaps his finger
and
two guards come up to him
he whispers into the ear of one
and they leave for a moment
they come back with this
very expensive leather briefcase
that he sets out in front of you on the desk
now go on
this is one of my originals
I made it myself on a whim
I haven't dabbled much in
its power but uh
you'll enjoy yourself
wow
I'll peek inside
you peek inside you open it up
and inside is this
very ornate
um
very old
your guess is or at least styled
in that level
um
knife that is encrusted
along the hilt in these beautiful
jewels that dance across
at these sapphire jewels
that have been sort of inlaid
across this swirling
script that dances along it
and the blade itself is very
um thick and sharpened
out to a razor's edge
at the end
beautiful knife
that is very much alowicious
in uh interpretation
wow
well it's beautiful I will put it to very good use
it has
a very particular um
it is uh
well
you're aware of torpor
I understand
it uh
expedites things
knows sleep for the wicked
only dust
now that sounds very handy indeed
sure will be
Enoch
my love
and he stands up he moves around
the table gives you a big hug
I think that this is the beginning
of something that is going to be so very
fruitful for the two of us
I could not agree more
your majesty
of course
you know what
I think I might just send
another little gift out to
club canan right
that's right
expect um
some furniture to be sent around
um
I'm going to get you in touch with one of my agents
well you just pick what looks nice
to you
so generous thank you
look of course
that's the least I could do
is there anything else
I can get you Enoch
no I will uh
let you get back to your friends
of course
and he
presses his hands to your cheeks
and gives you a kiss on the lips
and then extends himself back
into that auxiliary room
and says friends I'm so sorry business
is concluded and goes back to
being the life of the party
then I will scurry back to the club
slip back in through
the same window silence of death
and then
exit the bathroom as if I just been in there
taking care of my business
beautiful
is there
anything else we would like to accomplish
tonight I would like to accomplish
beating Enoch's ass
um
with my fists
Allison
honestly because she's
wrecked tired and just trying to get shit together
made sure the fucking dog
was fed
literally it was just like
taking care and I'm honestly
probably you know
in my PJs or what not
just downstairs
so in my body I was just
doing my fucking thing
eating I'm good and recharge
or I'm trying to recharge
got it beautiful
that was it
so anything else we'd like
to accomplish tonight or we would like
to get some sleep
okay
so once twice
three times okay
at this point
wherever you may be
you rest down
for the night
understanding that this has been one of the most
monumental moments of your entire life
and that it is
a miracle that you even came back from all of this
alive
wherever it is you may be that you
hang your head
you all can attempt sleep
so I would like you all to
make hunger rolls
to determine whether you become hungrier
in your sleep
and for those of you
who have suffered aggravated damage
at this point you could make roles
to heal one point of it
by making three additional
rouse checks so that would be
four total rouse checks if you'd like
to be aggravated
I failed my
hunger so I'm at hunger four
so I won't attempt the rouse check
okay
exact same
okay so you're still hurting
still hungry
I'm up to two
and does willpower
reset now
willpower does reset with a sleep
I
I passed my rouse check
so just
do my hunger get slated
back down
you're drinking for the night
okay
so I'm
my first rouse check is a failure
so my hunger goes up to one
I rolled a second rouse check to attempt to heal
that was a success
beautiful
so I still have to succeed two more times
two more
succeed or fail
okay
that's a failure so I'm at two hunger
but I go up one health
you remove one aggravated damage
and in the next day
my willpower will go up
if I roll composure or if I just
have a certain number of composure
your willpower returns the next night
so you're good to go
okay
the
all of you will wake up
wherever you would like in the next night
it is a fresh night
it is eight o'clock the next day
I believe that some
of you are in club Canaan
you can decide whoever that might be
and I'm sure some of you went home
burrows I'm sure you
hosted up for the night in somewhere that you know
is safe given your
sleeping parameters
but the next night
is yours and we have a little bit of time
if you guys would like to explore things
or if we feel like calling it a little short
here we can save the rest
for next session
it is a hell of a no to end on
it
I'm a fan of ending it
I feel like
that was such a powerful ending
unless we kill the prince
that's the only thing I think of
that's a higher no to end on
I'm so surprised you didn't kill
Emmerich in that moment
I'm watching
I need to know
a little bit more but it's on the fucking list
okay
call me in for it
next
session will begin
with something very interesting
and we're going to see how this changes
the perspective of things but with a blood
hunt being called meaning that
there will be a definite shift
in prerogative
the Hakata will probably
be pushed back by these demands
or you could still pursue
but nine times out of ten this means
that every kindred in the city is going
to be pursuing exactly one target
so
how far away are we from
the dinner party
the dinner party is ongoing
so they called it a dinner party
but it is actively happening
because there is like
a huge concentration of Hakata
coming to visit Vegas
from out of town
so they call it a dinner party but it's really like
a two week long extravaganza
so that is
absolutely attainable for next session
you guys would like to visit
outside of hunting for blood
we will also see the ramifications
of the deal that was just struck between Enoch
and see if the prince can make it
down to Lake Mead which will mean
some drastic conclusions for Lada
of the Myers
and for the door and for the
anarchs and for the Hakata
and for the Camarilla and basically
everyone alive
you know what this is some great
breaking bad shit
let's go ahead and just
let's see what happens next week
it's all gonna be great
maybe you all can get to Lada
before anybody else does but you'd have to know
that it happened first
I liked her too
god damn it
well these burrows got this plastic surgery
in beforehand
how can we talk about burrows as plastic surgery
and the best part of that is
if Lada is dead there is no one that can fix
whatever it does to him
well
there's actually a couple
people that can mold
flesh and
no surgery
you better hope that's all you need
well a two graze anatomy kind of scene
where we're both removing
alright well
this was a lot of fun guys
thank you for sticking it in
I had a
feeling that maybe we'd give this information
a little early but god
this is gonna change a lot for me next game
so I'm excited
good boy
alright well we'll see you next time then
yeah see you guys
thank you