Dark_RP

October 31st, 1992

Gideon morosely hunkered down in his lair. After the Garbage Party, there was some fallout. Annabelle had thrown her political weight around and Anthonio had been called in. The drugs used to spike Annabelle's party's drinks were analyzed, the batch identified and the dealer was Anthonio. It was enough to have him essentially exiled to the Asylum. Fredegar had been targetted too, it was unclear on the excuses used but Khalid had become responsible for him. Any crime Fredegar comitted, Khalid would be held responsible for. With the recent calamity it was felt best that Fredegar go into partial hiding, aiding as information broker as needed. Trilobyte had run away with Houdini to explore his options.

The Garbage gang had broken up. Only Thomas remained.

When Tyrus and Khalid turned up, it was welcome company though the subject matter was hard. Khalid had brought two more neonates. A Gangrel, presumably Tyrus' idea, and a Nosferatu from Milwaukee.

Khalid told them the Prince of Milwaukee was an old ally and had contacted him saying there was a lead about the Sewer Tsunami and for some unspoken reason the information had to be transferred by agents. Since Khalid was as paranoid as an acid freak clutching a box kleenex, he hoped the newly replenished coterie could find out what the score was...as a favour.

So they got on a plane and off they went. Thomas was unable to attend. His sire's retainer claimed Thomas experiencing a performance of utmost importance and could not be disturbed for anything less than the coming of Gehenna.

They arrived in Milwaukee: what Gary might be like with an industry. Filled with the destitute who can survive off the handouts of the wealthy who spend the rest on drugs and whores.

As they travelled by car (driven by the Prince's retainer, Mr Venturi) from the airport, they found themselves in a serious car 'accident', the gunfire that followed confirmed the scare quotes. While Reg was trapped and x, the City Gangrel fled the growing flames, Gideon attempted to put down the gunmen. He took out one, Mr Venturi took out another, but the other two simultaneously shot themselves. A rapid investigation of the suspects and their car followed as Reg managed to squeeze his way out of the burning car, burned, bruised, graised and hungry. Mr Venturi followed the path that Reg took and x returned as if nothing had happened and together they fled in a stolen car.

The Prince, Merik lived in a nice old house on the lakeside which had consumed the surrounding out-buildings. He seemed cordial enough, offering small talk, suitable alarm and anger at the news of their journey, and allowed them access to his personal herd. Merik explained that it was the co-Prince, his wife Erica, that they would want to speak with. She was planning to meet a contact with the Lupines, but had not been seen since. Merik seemed sure she had not met a sticky end at the Lupine's hands...even they wouldn't be so savage as to kill a diplomat with a white flag and an appointment..indeed he believed Erica was kidnapped as leverage relating to a sequence of Masquerade breaches, the attack on the coterie being the most recent example. The worst cases though, were the so-called 'vampire killer' murders. Exsanguinated bodies have had the whole media talking about vampires.

Merik said that Tyrus had just got off the phone with him, and had authorized them to claim the position of Servire (an Archon's Archon, vampires temporarily deputized as Archons commonly in the context of a specific emergency) and that a Justicar named Ulisyan Thracs was on his way. If they could find his wife, she would be able to give them whatever information they need and would be doing the Prince a significant boon. To this end, Merik said they should start with the anarchs - even if they weren't responsible (which they probably were), they might have heard something. Failing that, they might try their luck with some of the elders to see if any leads turn up. Merik had two principle rivals, Gracis and Hrothulf so they might be good places to start on that front.

So they marched on to Blood Brother territory and soon encountered the notorious motorcycle gang. 'Wrecker' eventually got of a bike and began to engage in a primal hunter's staredown with Gideon which ended with both ultimately looking away so 'Wrecker' picked x and challenged him to a game of chicken. Which x lost badly and in a fit of overcompensation attempted to run over the celebrating Wrecker, but continuing the abject failure he RPMshafted Reg, injuring him. Just as they began to talk of their purpose the police turned up and a high speed escape scene ensued. As they performed death defying stunts through an old factory Reg lost control of his loaned bike and injured himself.

Once again they began talking, the Blood Brothers couldn't really say much about the plot but before a full pumping could occur more motorbikes converged and a motorbike fight between the Union and the Blood Brother vampire anarch gangs began. The coterie chose not to involve themselves any further and watched the two gangs depart as the fight erratically moved away from them.

The evening pressed on, and so they went to Reg's old garbage related sewer haven to sleep for th day.

1st November 1992

The next evening Mr Venturi was waiting for Reg (preventing him, unfortunately, from feeding), an urgent situation had arisen: another "Vampire Killing" had taken place, the scene was still intact and the Prince wanted an immediate investigation.

There they found five dead bodies in a diner otherwise filled with police. Three of the bodies were sat facing out of the diner in a 'See no evil, Hear no evil, Speak no evil' kind of display, a network of black cord arranged to pin body parts and suspend others. Two of the other bodies were of a couple, fixed in the ritual of eating, a fork tentative placed near the girls mouth and a solitary tear streak belying the otherwise romantic scene. Gideon clumsily bumped into the lead investigator as the others obfuscated around the scene. Posing as a coroner he chatted to Detective Wilks for a while about the scene. Wilks said that the Chef was ready to go but the others were still waiting. The Chef had been griddled to death, and his cooked body now lay on the kitchen floor. Defying reason, Gideon took a secret couple of sips.

Then x saw a Union Anarch and a tall gentleman in the gathered crowds the Anarch nodded to the other and they departed. A chase into the foggy night ensued. Gideon extracted himself from the scene but was intercepted by the press. At first he kept the masquerade of the coroner before revealing that was a lie and silently striding away ignoring the reporter's questions and the cameraman that pursued her.

Eventually they all convened on the unnecessary lake flood wall near a perma-beach. On the beach was an old derelict boat. On the boat where Union anarchs preparing for battle. They made their way down and using the fog and obfuscate began to sneak towards the boat as the anarchs took up positions. X went to fetch accelerant as Gideon crouched at the aft and unlucky Reg stayed well out of sight waiting for the inevitable injury.