VtM Part Three - City in Motion

Fourier

Necro wrote: »

'Indeed.'

Lysander mounts his donkey and follows.

'Anything bothering you my brother? You seem... how do I say this without causing offence... ah, there's no way really.
You seem gloomier than usual.'

"I am concerned for you brother, they say terrible things about the king of Uruk. That he has sorcererous powers. That he drinks blood. That some sort of dark god advises him at night.

No doubt commoner myth, but still he is unstable and a sadist, this much I know. And the level of sadist he must be to support these myths frightens me"

Necro

Fourier wrote:

No doubt commoner myth, but still he is unstable and a sadist, this much I know. And the level of sadist he must be to support these myths frightens me"

'I understand your trepidation, but father's word is law. Who are we to question it? Perhaps one day, when you or I sit upon the throne we can cast down this filthy Uruk King from his Hai towers. But until then, we sit, and we pay homage.... and we wait.'

Fourier

"Oh it'll be you who sits upon it brother, of that I am pleased. Here we are"

His brother steps off the horse and looks down over the hill.

"Ur is a beautiful city, our people are happy we cannot let that maniac come here"

They head into their father's meeting chamber.

The old man sat slumped in his chair with a beautiful woman beside him.

"This is an emissary from Uruk. Apparently there will be war unless I send one of you as hostage.

For the city this is a simple trade off, but..."

He looks at the woman.

"...they are my sons"

He looks as though he will cry.

Necro

Fourier wrote: »

"Oh it'll be you who sits upon it brother, of that I am pleased. Here we are"

His brother steps off the horse and looks down over the hill.

"Ur is a beautiful city, our people are happy we cannot let that maniac come here"

They head into their father's meeting chamber.

The old man sat slumped in his chair with a beautiful woman beside him.

"This is an emissary from Uruk. Apparently there will be war unless I send one of you as hostage.

For the city this is a simple trade off, but..."

He looks at the woman.

"...they are my sons"

He looks as though he will cry.

Lysander looks to his brother, and then to his father.

He thinks of the conversation he just had.

'Dearest Father, I will go. I know you had your plans for me, but truth be told it is brother here who the throne truly deserves in the future. He may be younger, and it would be mine by right - but I see how heavy the crown weighs.

It is not for me, all the pomp and royal declarations. Brother is much better equipped to rule, he will be kind and wise and patient - the latter two I do not possess.

Send me, and do not grieve for I go for you, for the kingdom and with pride.'

He turns to his brother.

'Do look after father, and do not argue. You know why I do this, and in time you will become what I could never be - a true king.'

The last part he whispers:

'And this is perfect. I will do my best to weaken them from within. I shall send a raven when the time is right. And if not... I trust you will know when the time is right.'

Fourier

Ten years pass for the prince whose life Lysander experiences or perhaps directs in some sense he does not understand. He is educated in the ways of those of Uruk, mastering their Akkadian language and in turn teaching their scribes his native Sumerian. His people had been the natives of this region and so the Akkadians of Uruk respected him, he was treated far better than the hostages of those barbarian kingdoms to the North.

Then one day he is brought to meet the king of Uruk.

The king was a strange one, only holding small courts at night with audiences of no more than five or six. Tonight he was the only one.

"Hello boy" the voice is strong, deep and growling. Like no man could possible make.

A woman steps out from the curtain behind the throne, followed by a man eight foot tall.

The woman is the adviser who came to see his father a decade ago, no older it seems. The man is the king, muscular, handsome and with fierce eyes.

Necro

Lysander kneels.

'My king. What would you wish of me on this night? You do me great honour with me being the sole guest.'

Fourier

Another man steps out from the curtain, though Lysander cannot see him exactly. Somehow, no matter where he goes he is shadowed and obscured.

"This woman is Arikel, the man is Lau-Som-Bheu. Arikel was born near here in Babylon, a small village to the North. Lau-Som-Bheu is from far to the North, born among the nomads of the step. Arikel is here for every 'rising'..." he says that final word in a much deeper tone "...but Lau-Som-Bheu asked to be present. He felt something in his dreams.

We would make you a god boy. A minor one truth told, but immortal, perfect. Do you agree with this?"

Necro

Fourier wrote: »

Another man steps out from the curtain, though Lysander cannot see him exactly. Somehow, no matter where he goes he is shadowed and obscured.

"This woman is Arikel, the man is Lau-Som-Bheu. Arikel was born near here in Babylon, a small village to the North. Lau-Som-Bheu is from far to the North, born among the nomads of the step. Arikel is here for every 'rising'..." he says that final word in a much deeper tone "...but Lau-Som-Bheu asked to be present. He felt something in his dreams.

We would make you a god boy. A minor one truth told, but immortal, perfect. Do you agree with this?"

'A....God? An honour I could never refuse...'

He pauses.

'But the truth is that the choice is not mine to make - not anymore at least. I have a feeling I made that choice 10 years ago.'

He looks up at the king warily.

Fourier

Necro wrote: »

'A....God? An honour I could never refuse...'

He pauses.

'But the truth is that the choice is not mine to make - not anymore at least. I have a feeling I made that choice 10 years ago.'

He looks up at the king warily.

"Indeed, Lau-Som-Bheu you wished to do something first..."

Lau-Som-Bheu approaches the prince and looks into his eyes.

"...Lysander. How does the clan fare in your distant age?"

OOC: Lau-Som-Bheu himself was consumed by his Childe Gratiano de Veronese in 1405. This split the clan, those who went with Gratiano de Veronese going on to form the Sabbat and the rest fleeing to the newly formed Camarilla some of whom being the ones that would form the Lasombra in Milan.

The whole cause of these events were vampire hunts killing lower generation vampires.

The Camarilla was formed based around the idea of using secrecy to hide from mortals and working vampires into governments etc.

The Sabbat refused to bow to mortals in any way and felt that the young deserved some of the power the older vampires, especially the clan founders, possessed. Some of the founding Sabbat had also found evidence that the Clan Founders simply waited until there were enough low generation ones and every few hundred years consumed them. And so they set out to consume them and distribute that power

Necro

Fourier wrote: »

"Indeed, Lau-Som-Bheu you wished to do something first..."

Lau-Som-Bheu approaches the prince and looks into his eyes.

"...Lysander. How does the clan fare in your distant age?"

OOC: Lau-Som-Bheu himself was consumed by his Childe Gratiano de Veronese in 1405. This split the clan, those who went with Gratiano de Veronese going on to form the Sabbat and the rest fleeing to the newly formed Camarilla some of whom being the ones that would form the Lasombra in Milan.

The whole cause of these events were vampire hunts killing lower generation vampires.

The Camarilla was formed based around the idea of using secrecy to hide from mortals and working vampires into governments etc.

The Sabbat refused to bow to mortals in any way and felt that the young deserved some of the power the older vampires, especially the clan founders, possessed. Some of the founding Sabbat had also found evidence that the Clan Founders simply waited until there were enough low generation ones and every few hundred years consumed them. And so they set out to consume them and distribute that power

Lysander bows with reverence.

'Split, m'lord. Though I have hope yet that one day we may reunite under one banner. It will take time though. It is a long... LONG story I suspect I do not have time to tell... perhaps it need not happen though.

Beware of Gratiano is all I can impart.'

Fourier

"Thank you Lysander. Before you leave us..."

Lysander hears that the Prince and himself have disconnected, the prince begins to ask who is 'Lysander' shocked when the response is "The one who brought you hear" he drops to his knees as they explain the gift to him. Lysander can sense he desires it though and he learns his name: Mekhet.

"...my eighteen siblings, soon to be nineteen, how many of us remain? Of those above us?"

OOC: So the standard Book of Nod myth is that there were only thirteen Clan Founders, grandchilder of Caine, of which seven remain alive hidden somewhere in the Middle East is commonly believed. This vision shows this was wrong and that there were nineteen clans, something Lysander would know was suspected to the true by scholars. The theory is that six clans went completely extinct and their founders went with them. Then another six clans, like the Lasombra, had the founders killed by their own childer.

Mekhet is the supposed founder of one of the extinct clans, named the Mekhet directly after him.

Of those above them, the second generation, Caine's direct childer, the Book of Nod says there were three, but there were probably seven. None remain. They all had a unique discipline, none of which have survived

Necro

Fourier wrote: »

"Thank you Lysander. Before you leave us..."

Lysander hears that the Prince and himself have disconnected, the prince begins to ask who is 'Lysander' shocked when the response is "The one who brought you hear" he drops to his knees as they explain the gift to him. Lysander can sense he desires it though and he learns his name: Mekhet.

"...my eighteen siblings, soon to be nineteen, how many of us remain? Of those above us?"

OOC: So the standard Book of Nod myth is that there were only thirteen Clan Founders, grandchilder of Caine, of which seven remain alive hidden somewhere in the Middle East is commonly believed. This vision shows this was wrong and that there were nineteen clans, something Lysander would know was suspected to the true by scholars. The theory is that six clans went completely extinct and their founders went with them. Then another six clans, like the Lasombra, had the founders killed by their own childer.

Mekhet is the supposed founder of one of the extinct clans, named the Mekhet directly after him.

Of those above them, the second generation, Caine's direct childer, the Book of Nod says there were three, but there were probably seven. None remain. They all had a unique discipline, none of which have survived

'Truth? Seven, although their whereabouts nowadays... is not known.

Of those above you... None.'

Fourier

He looks shocked and turns to the king.

"My sire, he says only seven of us remain and that you and the other six Firsts are...gone"

Lau-Som-Bheu is thrown into the air as the king screams in rage and pins him to the wall.

"WHAT!!! FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED!"

"Lysander how did us the grandchilder of Caine fall? And the Childer themselves?"

OOC: Grandchilder of Caine, the clan founders, as above were either wiped out with their clan in inter-clan wars or wiped out later by their childer. The Childer of Caine were all destroyed in some unknown event that's told a million different ways in different myths to the point that nobody knows what it was.

Necro

Fourier wrote: »

He looks shocked and turns to the king.

"My sire, he says only seven of us remain and that you and the other six Firsts are...gone"

Lau-Som-Bheu is thrown into the air as the king screams in rage and pins him to the wall.

"WHAT!!! FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED!"

"Lysander how did us the grandchilder of Caine fall? And the Childer themselves?"

OOC: Grandchilder of Caine, the clan founders, as above were either wiped out with their clan in inter-clan wars or wiped out later by their childer. The Childer of Caine were all destroyed in some unknown event that's told a million different ways in different myths to the point that nobody knows what it was.

'War... or by your own, ruthless, ambitious kin. It is different for you all, and I suspect I do not have the time to tell you. I wonder if even telling you sets in place the wheels that may not yet have been in motion.

Fate has a funny way of working, and I suspect I am not changing the past - or future, for you here - by informing you.

Merely... causing it.'

Fourier

The king gets angrier.

"ASK HIM DIRECTLY ABOUT ME AND THE CHILDER OF CAINE"

He calms himself.

"I can see you lot being killed by each other, but my brethren and I are the direct childer of Caine. You are our childer and do not have the power to harm us and we cannot harm each other.

Oh distant childe of future ages what happens to us, the first childer of Caine?"

From out of the curtain six more eight foot tall godlike beings step out. Skin like marble.

OOC: He's just repeating this out of desperation, in their case nobody has a clue what happened to them

Necro

Fourier wrote: »

The king gets angrier.

"ASK HIM DIRECTLY ABOUT ME AND THE CHILDER OF CAINE"

He calms himself.

"I can see you lot being killed by each other, but my brethren and I are the direct childer of Caine. You are our childer and do not have the power to harm us and we cannot harm each other.

Oh distant childe of future ages what happens to us, the first childer of Caine?"

From out of the curtain six more eight foot tall godlike beings step out. Skin like marble.

OOC: He's just repeating this out of desperation, in their case nobody has a clue what happened to them

'I do not know, my King. No one does. There are none alive - or that are known of - that do. But you are all gone. Of that it is agreed.'

Fourier

The seven giants gaze at each other expressionless as Lau-Som-Bheu conveys Lysander's answer.

The king then nods at Lau-Som-Bheu.

"Lysander, thank you for this. I have agreed a pact with our lord king Enoch, favourite of Caine's childer. We feared some of the clans would not survive, but to hear the Childer of Caine do not is more than we can bear. This means many discipline's have been lost.

We can give you one via this link. The last chance it has to survive. Would you do this?"

Necro

Fourier wrote: »

The seven giants gaze at each other expressionless as Lau-Som-Bheu conveys Lysander's answer.

The king then nods at Lau-Som-Bheu.

"Lysander, thank you for this. I have agreed a pact with our lord king Enoch, favourite of Caine's childer. We feared some of the clans would not survive, but to hear the Childer of Caine do not is more than we can bear. This means many discipline's have been lost.

We can give you one via this link. The last chance it has to survive. Would you do this?"

'Of course I would, for you m'lord - for the clans - so that some day we may gain knowledge of what truly happened...happens.

I apologise. I should not speak of it much more. The future - my past - is your own to live in your own way.'

Fourier

"Then Lysander the choice is if you want to accept a gift from one of the clans which have died out in your time or the unique gifts of the Childer of Caine.

The latter are more potent of course, but pose a greater threat to you, your blood and will must be mighty to contain them"

Necro

Fourier wrote: »

"Then Lysander the choice is if you want to accept a gift from one of the clans which have died out in your time or the unique gifts of the Childer of Caine.

The latter are more potent of course, but pose a greater threat to you, your blood and will must be mighty to contain them"

Lysander does not hesitate - the thoughts of the power on offer making his Vitae almost hum.

'I will....humbly... accept the gifts of the Childer. While all are important, our past must be preserved and brought into the modern day. Plus... as a Lasombra...'

Lysander chuckles lightly. He expects Lau-Som-Bheu will understand.

Fourier

"I expected no less my Childe..." he speaks the next part mentally purely to Lysander so none can hear "...I am glad somethings survive as pure as they are now. I will heed your advice"

"He will take the gift my Lord"

"Then I impose my right as the First among the Childer, he shall take my gift. Grow strong Lysander childe of Lau-Som-Bheu"

Lysander finds himself once more in the Nosferatu cave. The finger shrivels and decays. It was the last part of the young prince, Mekhet, he knows this now. The last piece of the Mekhet clan.

The new gift quickly takes effect. Lysander can simply read the Vitae of everybody in this room, he knows all their powers explicitly and at what rank and their unique developments. There will be more as he grows.

"Hey man, you alright?" Ernesto asks.

Necro

Fourier wrote: »

"I expected no less my Childe..." he speaks the next part mentally purely to Lysander so none can hear "...I am glad somethings survive as pure as they are now. I will heed your advice"

"He will take the gift my Lord"

"Then I impose my right as the First among the Childer, he shall take my gift. Grow strong Lysander childe of Lau-Som-Bheu"

Lysander finds himself once more in the Nosferatu cave. The finger shrivels and decays. It was the last part of the young prince, Mekhet, he knows this now. The last piece of the Mekhet clan.

The new gift quickly takes effect. Lysander can simply read the Vitae of everybody in this room, he knows all their powers explicitly and at what rank and their unique developments. There will be more as he grows.

"Hey man, you alright?" Ernesto asks.

Lysander looks at Ernesto, studying him, pretending to snap out of his daze.

'Yes. A little.... trip down memory lane is all. I apologise about your finding - it appears useless now though. However it may be a good thing, I feel the power you all used to keep it hidden was sapping your strength.

A shame, but also good in a way. You will be compensated for the finger however.'

Fourier

Necro wrote: »

Lysander looks at Ernesto, studying him, pretending to snap out of his daze.

'Yes. A little.... trip down memory lane is all. I apologise about your finding - it appears useless now though. However it may be a good thing, I feel the power you all used to keep it hidden was sapping your strength.

A shame, but also good in a way. You will be compensated for the finger however.'

Ernesto possesses Obfuscate and Potence at reasonable levels, he can go invisible and hit like a truck. He's never diablorised and he needs to feed on a mix of rat and human blood. Lysander reads it all in a second.

"Thanks for getting rid of it. Just being exposed to it made some of my guys frenzy out into the Sun"

The rest of the Nosferatu seem very relieved.

Necro

'Consider it a down payment then. Is there a quicker way to leave here than the way I came? Should there be a need for any assistance, I'm sure you can arrange contact. And if I have need for you fine folk...'

Lysander shrugs.

'I will also find some way.'

Fourier

"Yeah go up the ladder to there..." he points to ladder leading up into the ceiling "...the ceiling section there is an illusion, really there's a manhole leading out into a storage closet in the university's science wing. The ladder is obfuscated at that point so humans can't notice it"

Necro

Fourier wrote:

"Yeah go up the ladder to there..." he points to ladder leading up into the ceiling "...the ceiling section there is an illusion, really there's a manhole leading out into a storage closet in the university's science wing. The ladder is obfuscated at that point so humans can't notice it"

Lysander nods.

'Thank you for your hospitality. It has been an interesting night to say the least. Until we meet again then...'

Lysander climbs the ladder and exits the sewers.

Fourier

Nostro is contacted to let him know that Imelda's agent can meet them in about a week.

The following Wednesday Lysander and Nostro stand outside Nostro's hotel on the Marina.



"What do you think sire?"

Necro

Lysander smiles.

'It's perfect! Now, before this meeting - you are fed correct? Hunger can be a trigger. If not then... we will have to find someone for you.'

Fourier

Necro wrote: »

Lysander smiles.

'It's perfect! Now, before this meeting - you are fed correct? Hunger can be a trigger. If not then... we will have to find someone for you.'

"To tell the truth master I am a bit hungry. I will feed from one of the kitchen staff now then? I am the owner, I can just order them to follow me into a room"

Necro

Fourier wrote: »

"To tell the truth master I am a bit hungry. I will feed from one of the kitchen staff now then? I am the owner, I can just order them to follow me into a room"

Hesitating for a moment, Lysander thinks. He studies Nostro for any sign of abilities yet.

'Perhaps. We must be careful with not being too up front. I will do the ordering, you the feeding.'

OOC: Dominate ON