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Post by Cassian on Nov 9, 2022 17:20:20 GMT -6
Sessions 1a, 1b, 1c - The Sirings CassianCassian meets Brother Solomon after an evening mass at St. Jude’s Cathedral. Solomon wears antiquated Catholic church robes and speaks using unusual phrasing and lexicon. Cassian is seduced by Solomon’s empathy, spirituality and intellect; they speak long into the night until Solomon feeds on Cassian, expressing deep remorse as he does so. Cassian awakens alone some time later in the nearly empty cathedral. Solomon has disappeared. Wracked with hunger, Cassian feeds for the first time on an elderly female parishioner by luring her into a confessional booth. He kills her inadvertently, but succeeds in covering the deed by convincing the head priest, Fr. Sabatino, that she has passed away from natural causes. - Cassian discovers a violent revulsion for Church holy symbols. He no longer tolerates the crucifix around his neck and tosses it out his apartment window.
- Desirée invites Cassian to The Night Bean to talk. She tells him he needs to attend group therapy to deal with his PTSD.
- Desirée leaves and Cassian is confronted in the coffee shop by Sheriff Fakkir, who is curt and impatient with Cassian. He orders Cassian to leave with him.
- Clumsily using his newfound vampire Insight, Cassian reads Fakkir’s motives and senses that the Sheriff poses a terrible threat to him.
- The inept use of his vampire power results in a breach of the Masquerade and the two vampires square off in the coffee shop in full view of several Kine!
- Fakkir, in a rage, is forced to use his own powers to cover for Cassian and forces him outside of public view into his car.
- In the car, Fakkir provides brief, cryptic answers to Cassian’s many questions. He derides Brother Solomon and the “Vampire Church”.
- The Sheriff drives Cassian to a secret, sparsely furnished room where he is able to sleep through the day safely. He is locked in.
- The following evening, a car and driver arrive and take Cassian to Elysium.
Jack- Encounter with Masuko Ryokai (need additional detail)
- Jack awakens in an alley next to a dead body with a bullet hole in its head. Jack holds a smoking pistol in his hand.
- He is taunted by Masuko who says that Jack killed this man; she threatens to turn him in to the police… unless he stops her.
- Cornered and realizing his predicament, Jack fires two bullets into Masuko, which rip through her, but leave her unfazed.
- Masuko seems surprised and pleased with Jack’s resolve, but dismisses him brusquely saying, “Never ask me anything.”
- Jack detects disdain and resentment from his sire.
- Jack ends up at Elysium where he meets Cassian.
Harri- Harri is summoned to a seedy hotel where he encounters Angel Eyes, The Child, and D’Angelo. There are several strung out junkies in the room who are there for the vampires’ amusement.
- Angel Eyes attacks Harri. When he wakes, D’Angelo offers the junkies to Harri and he feeds for the first time.
- D’Angelo sends Harri to Cassian’s lair (Cassian is not amused that everyone apparently knows where he sleeps).
- Upon waking, Cassian discovers a letter on his desk that reads: Uh, oh… Seems like they’re coming after Papagenno tonight… He’s been a bad boy. I wonder what our newest fledgling will do… (The letter is signed “A”.)
- Cassian sees the church janitor, Phil, mopping the floors of the crypt below the cathedral. Then, Phil vanishes.
- Harri’s first hunt is at the park across from St. Jude’s Cathedral. Harri uses his vampire powers to compel an innocent couple into the alley next to the church where Cassian is watching. Both vampires feed and leave the humans unresponsive in the alley.
- Cassian receives a phone call from Alanna summoning him to her club, The Purple Rose. Harri tags along.
- Harri and Cassian meet Alanna in private. She provides insight into various Kindred groups and the power structure of Newcastle’s vampire hierarchy, including:
- Order Dracul
- The “Seven” - Vampire hunters
- Lancea Sanctum - The vampire Church
- Invictus - Believe they are the true leaders of the Kindred.
- Carthians - Hate Invictus and Lancea Sanctum. (Alanna is a powerful Carthian.)
- Phantom Prince of Astrego - Head vampire in Newcastle. No one knows who he is. He speaks only through his Herald and Seneschal.
- Nosferatu - She encourages the fledglings to band together for protection and offers to be a resource.
- Harri drives Cassian to Papagenno’s house where they discover two mobster goons about to enter the house.
- Impulsively, Harri drives his Peugeot directly into the two goons, killing one outright!
- Cassian exits the car and tries to take down the remaining goon, but he gets shot instead. The goon escapes on foot.
- Harri puts the dead goon into his car.
- Papagenno is with Allison Shaw. He tells Cassian not to get involved and that he has everything under control. Cassian tells Papagenno to get out of town and lay low, but he says he can’t.
- Cassian convinces Papagenno to check into a hotel. Harri and Cassian use Compel to convince Allison to go to the hotel as well.
- Harri takes the body to his apartment and puts it in a large container with muriatic acid and lime.
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Post by Cassian on Nov 14, 2022 10:23:20 GMT -6
Session 2 - Elysium
- Jack and Cassian are driven to a large, lavish manor where they find dozens of cars of all makes and models with their drivers parked outside.
- The manor is decorated with a strange assortment of portraits of personages representing centuries of history.
- Even stranger are the guests — some wearing period clothing from Renaissance, Medieval and Old World colonial times.
- Wait staff ferries trays with glasses of Vitae to the guests.
- A flamboyant and loud vampire known only as “The Host” mingles openly with the guests and offers flattery and adulation.
- After a time, on the balcony of the main foyer appear “The Herald” and “The Seneschal” for the Prince, who formally convey the Prince’s greetings to the guests. They reaffirm the need to maintain the Masquerade above all things, and to abide by the will of the Prince so that all Newscastle’s Kindred may coexist in relative peace.
- Cassian is approached by Bishop Antrobus, who finally answers questions about Elysium and Brother Solomon. He informs Cassian of his future: serving as a powerful member of the Lancae Sanctum, the vampire Church. Loyalty to the Bishop and to “The Faith” is strongly implied.
- Bishop Antrobus points out Jack among the guests and instructs Cass to “keep an eye on this one”.
- Jack is summoned by Balthazar to meet with Duke Almengore, a Ventrue and Invictus Primogen.
- The Duke appraises Jack and callously says he may be of some use to him soon.
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Post by Cassian on Nov 14, 2022 14:15:26 GMT -6
Session 3 - Coffin Up Blood - Jack is brought before Duke Almengore who tasks him with silencing Papagenno in return for the Duke’s blessing and a path to ascend within the Invictus.
- Cassian receives a message from Bishop Antrobus saying that he is expected at midnight mass tonight.
- Jack, Cassian and Harri officially get together for the first time and commiserate about their new unlife.
- They receive a mysterious summons and are picked up by a driver (“Roger”) who takes them to “The Alley” in University District.
- They meet the eclectic Ivan Doherty, Ordo Dracul proprietor of a curio and antique shop called “Odds & Ends”.
- Ivan enlists the three fledglings for a reconnaissance mission to investigate the contents of a shipping container owned by Royce McVaigh Enterprises. In exchange for their report, Ivan promises to answer any three questions about Kindred that the fledglings ask of him.
- At the Newcastle dockyard, the three jump the fence and Jack easily finds the correct shipping container. It is the topmost container of a stack of several containers. Two armed guards are atop it, and a third man is on ground level.
- Harri climbs to the top of the container and surprises the armed guards. He compels them to drop their weapons and count to 6,000!
- Jack attempts to manipulate the boss on ground level, but fails. Cassian steps out of the shadows and compels the boss to take a nap.
- The trio opens the shipping container and finds a heavily chained coffin marked with symbols that Cassian recognizes as Roman Catholic and Lancae Sanctum.
- Cassian’s Auspex leaves him with the feeling of a terrible and powerful presence within the coffin.
- The group closes the shipping container and leaves the dockyard without incident.
- Harri, of course, quickly feeds on one of the guards.
- Ivan is grateful for the intel about the shipping container. He answers the three questions as promised and tells the fledglings if they want more answers, they should seek “The Beast”, a vampire who “knows things, but is hard to find”.
- Jack, Cassian and Harri attend midnight mass at St. Jude’s, but the mass is a private Lancae Sanctum ceremony presided over by the Bishop Antrobus.
- The trio witness a ceremony where ghouls and vampires feed on the blood of a human woman in a dark communion. The Bishop dramatically eulogizes the virtues of the Lancae Sanctum mission where Kindred and Kine alike share in the salvation of Christ.
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Post by Cassian on Nov 14, 2022 15:12:25 GMT -6
Session 4 - A Bridge Too Far October 28, 2004 7:03 p.m.
- Cassian wakes and sees Phil the janitor again mopping near his haven in the crypt under St. Jude’s. He confronts Phil, and the janitor suddenly screams and vanishes into thin air.
- Cassian calls Desirée and sets up a meeting at The Night Bean coffee shop. She is strangely hesitant, but ultimately agrees to the meeting.
- Cassian arms himself and climbs the stairs to the cathedral. He waits until the 7 p.m. mass congregation clears. Then, he singles out another lone elderly parishioner, lures him outside and feeds on him in the alley.
- At The Night Bean, Cassian tries to assess Desirée’s mood. She is distracted and barely listening to him. She explains that she has a date with Henry Coleville, an Army captain that she met at group therapy. She tells Cassian that he’d like Henry, and she encourages him to return to the group therapy sessions. Cassian feels conflicted and not a little jealous.
- Harri receives a phone call from D’Angelo telling him that Mama has a mission for him, and to meet him at 10 p.m.
- Harri, Jack and Cassian decide to check in on Papagenno and Allison Shaw at The Obsidian Hotel.
October 28, 2004 The Obsidian Hotel, Butcher’s Row, Three Corners District 9:18 p.m.
- Papagenno will only speak with Cassian in his room. Jack and Harri stay out in the hallway as lookouts, though Cass notices that Jack is being “shifty”.
- Harri senses a strange presence watching him in the hotel. Elevator doors open and close with no one in them.
- Cassian finally convinces Papagenno to open up… He has gotten in over his head with the Ardelino crime syndicate. The assistant D.A., Phillip Blakely, has convinced Papagenno to turn state’s evidence against the Ardelinos in exchange for protection and immunity. This is why Papagenno can’t skip town.
- Cassian convinces Papagenno to at least let them get Allison out of town so she isn’t hurt or targeted. Cass tells Papagenno that he will return in a few hours to pick her up. Cass suggests they lay low, get dinner near the hotel, and stay in the room. Papagenno agrees to let Cassian help them.
- When the fledglings exit the hotel, they find Harri’s Peugeot completely trashed, as if some creature had ripped the engine apart with brute force.
October 28, 2004Assyrian Corporation HQ, Six Hundred Guilford District 10:08 p.m. - Jack drives the fledglings to meet with D’Angelo. They get in D’Angelo’s van and head to Assyrian Corp. headquarters in the downtown district of Six Hundred Guilford.
- D’Angelo says Mama wants them to find Sarah Powers, an employee of Assyrian, and escort her to a parking lot in the alley behind the corporation headquarters building. Sarah is not to be harmed in any way; and the fledglings must not be discovered by anyone.
- The trio infiltrate the building, Cassian and Harri disguised as catering staff, and Jack posing as a security guard. They take the elevator up and make their way through the kitchen to a large-scale company party.
- Edgar Phillips, Regional Manager and corporate asshole, is busy working the room and roasting employees.
- Jack stands guard by the kitchen door and scans the room.
- Cassian locates Sarah and signals to Harri to bring her. Harri compels Sarah to exit to the kitchen with him.
- She, Harri and Cassian are nearly stopped by a snoopy manager who doesn’t recognize either of them.
- Jack manages to convince the manager that the oysters are bad and buys enough time for Harri, Cass and Sarah to make it to the elevator.
- A security guard stops Jack in the hallway and the two men brawl. Jack nearly kills him, but manages to finally immobilize him.
- The group is finally all together again in D’Angelo’s creeper van. In the back of the van are four gagged women, crying and pleading for their lives. Sarah, still under the vampires’ power, joins them without protest in a blind daze.
October 28, 2004
Bridge to Graves Island Waste Disposal Plant
10:46 p.m.- D’Angelo drives the van to the bridge to Graves Island.
- While crossing the bridge, D’Angelo opens a metal storage box loaded with weapons. He tells the fledglings to arm themselves.
- Cassian has a vision of a wall of flames at each end of the bridge.
- Two pickup trucks emerge from the shadows of the bridge and block the van. Armed mercenaries attack the van with Molotov cocktails, rifles and small arms.
- The van is set aflame by a Molotov. Jack is panicked by the fire, loses control to the Beast, and leaps off the bridge.
- Cassian, Harri and D’Angelo dispatch their attackers with prejudice. Fight recap is here.
- After the firefight (and Jack regaining his composure), D’Angelo drives the van to a culvert on a slope with a grate. He tells them this is where the vampire known only as “The Beast” is.
- D’Angelo takes Sarah and the gagged girls to the grate and tells the fledglings “Do not make a sound.” The women plead for their lives. Sarah remains in a daze.
- As they drive away, through the mist the fledglings barely make out a long, gnarled hand and arm reaching for the women through the grate.
- D’Angelo congratulates the fledglings for a job well done and tells them that Mama will be pleased.
- Cassian receives a panicked phone call from Papagenno: “They took her!”
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