Post by Cassian on Dec 9, 2022 11:26:34 GMT -6
October 30, 2004
St. Jude’s Cathedral, Newcastle Nissan, and Newcastle Methodist Hospital
October 30, 2004
Ryokai (Masuko’s Art Gallery), Gallery District
1:26 a.m.
October 31, 2004
Elysium, Unspecified Mansion in Drover’s Park
8:58 p.m.
** This marks the end of Moonrise and an astonishing one week of game time in Newcastle! **
St. Jude’s Cathedral, Newcastle Nissan, and Newcastle Methodist Hospital
7:16 p.m.
- Cassian awakens ravenous. He hears a boy’s voice and Phil. He approaches the voices but there is no one there. He hears ropes creaking in the rafters of the crypt.
- Cassian exits the cathedral and finds a prostitute in the park across the street. He takes her to the parking lot behind the cathedral and feeds on her, killing her!
- Realizing he has snapped her neck while feeding, Cass stashes the body in a parked car (Stain!). All his hunger is slaked.
- Jack heads to The Purple Rose where he feeds on an upper-class waif and slakes a bit of hunger. Then, he’s off to see his dad.
- Harri goes car shopping. He hops into a new Nissan with a salesman, drives around a bit, pulls over and then feeds on him.
- Harri uses his powers to make the salesman forget the incident, leaving him bewildered in the new car. Time to get the driver’s license back from the dealership...
- Harri meets up with Cassian and they discuss what to do about Jenner.
- In the hospital, Jack visits with his father. Their hands squeeze and Jack’s memory of his childhood tonsil operation is triggered. He decides to visit Papagenno again.
- Allison Shaw is with Papagenno and she looks great! Jack convinces her to leave the room.
- After much effort, Jack succeeds in waking Papagenno briefly. Jack leans in close and tells him, “If you cooperate with the A.D.A., you will die.”
- Papagenno registers a slight acknowledgement (pulse quickens) before losing consciousness again.
- Balthazar arrives around 11 p.m. Jack asks for an extension and succeeds in convincing Balthazar to bring the extension request to the Duke.
- Balthazar states that doing this for Jack is a boon. (Fr. Rhegga grumbles somewhere.)
- Jack, Harri and Cassian decide to seek The Beast to get answers about the Duel. They drive to Graves Island.
- Despite the fog and maze of structures on the island, Cassian somehow finds the culvert!
- Fog is heavy. Smell of sewage and something sweet and cloying. The silence is deafening and profound.
- Suddenly… Rats! Chittering, squeaking, red eyes everywhere.
- Harri approaches the grate in the culvert and says, “I am Harrison Maddocks and I request an audience with an Elder!”
- Cassian adds, “We come prepared to offer our services to The Beast.”
- The Beast appears behind the grate as a thick mass of rats with glowing red eyes. Cass and Harri explain their predicament with Jenner, the Bishop, and the impending Duel at Elysium. They ask for information in exchange for their loyalty.
- The Beast tells them it’s a trap and they should resolve this via the Prince’s court. Duels are outlawed and the fledglings are being played. They should seek the support of the Sheriff.
- As he dissolves back into the shadows, The Beast tells all the fledglings, “Now, you are MINE.” (Fr. Rhegga scribbles away.)
October 30, 2004
Ryokai (Masuko’s Art Gallery), Gallery District
1:26 a.m.
- Jack, Harri and Cass find Sheriff Fakkir admiring the art in a chic art gallery after hours.
- Cassian blunders by addressing the Sheriff by his first name and finds himself pinned to the wall with Fakkir’s hand around his throat.
- The fledglings apologize and meet with the Sheriff in an office, ultimately succeeding in making a case that The Masquerade has been breached by Jenner Lanius (Harri grossly exaggerates certain details).
- The Sheriff explains that if the sub-Regent has indeed broken The Masquerade, he will take his head. He confirms what The Beast said was true: Duels at Elysium have been outlawed for centuries, and the fledglings will lose if they battle Jenner.
- The Sheriff tells the fledglings to plead their case to the court, and if what they say is true, to count on his personal support.
- As they leave the gallery, Cassian slaps the ever-loving shit out of Harri for his brazen manipulation of the facts to curry Fakkir’s favor.
October 31, 2004
Elysium, Unspecified Mansion in Drover’s Park
8:58 p.m.
- The fledglings arrive at a mansion in Drover’s Park. The scene is familiar to Cassian and Jack: Drivers standing next to their cars; the grand staircase in the foyer; lavish anachronistic decor; portraiture of people from centuries long past; Kindred dressed in the finery of their time; trays of warm Vitae presented to the guests.
- A familiar cast of characters is present, among them: Armand Ostadar, Alanna Belko, Ivan Doherty, Bishop Antrobus, Sheriff Fakkir
- New vampire: striking red-haired woman oozing charisma
- Cassian and Harri mingle awkwardly with the Bishop and Alanna.
- Balthazar formally presents Jack to the Duke, who grants Jack’s request for an extension.
- The Seneschal appears on the foyer balcony, greets the guests and makes customary announcements.
- The Host appears and flits among the guests.
- The Herald joins the Seneschal and announces that a breach of The Masquerade has been alleged.
- The Seneschal asks the fledglings to vouch for the claim, and Jack confirms the claim.
- Jenner Lanius enters the mansion dramatically, accompanied by Vixaen, a redheaded vampire with a white wolf.
- The Bishop takes the floor and formally calls for a Duel. He decries the actions of the sub-Regent and accuses “The Mouth” (The Herald) of speaking for no one. The Bishop claims that he knows the true wishes of the Prince. He demands that the court vote on a return to the Old Ways and to allow the Duel to proceed.
- The vote fails, Cassian clocks who voted and who didn’t, and the Bishop leaves enraged and disgraced.
- The Seneschal asks Jenner and the fledglings to plead their cases to the court.
- Jenner denies all wrongdoing and states that the fledglings have been repeatedly feeding in his territory without his explicit permission.
- In turn, Harri, Cassian and Jack publicly plead their cases. The Sheriff confronts Jenner openly, in support of the fledglings and… they overwhelmingly win the decision of the court!
- Furious, Jenner annuls his boons and declares, “Stay out of Butcher’s Row!” before storming out with Vixaen.
- The mood of Elysium lightens again. Vampires approach the fledglings to offer congratulations and celebratory Vitae.
- Ivan Doherty offers another job opportunity.
- The Sheriff reaffirms his support of the new coterie and names the fledglings “Neonates”.
** This marks the end of Moonrise and an astonishing one week of game time in Newcastle! **