What you are about to hear will contain violence, disturbing imagery, adult themes,
and may leave you hungry for power and blood. Proceed at your own
risk. Wait, so we don't go into the actual pub. Let's just
hang out here. We can't. We could, but my gesture to wake
it's not holloween anymore. It's a like a normy pub. Yeah. Yeah,
mh, I'm feeling. Will make myself comfortable. If you're expecting pillows,
I don't think we have any in here. This is fine lake.
How you doing? It'd stay alive? But that's fine. Still hungry I
could eat? I look at the rapinous stuff. Okay, I guess I
should maybe consider opening up a blood business. Mhm, the amount that we
need it. You got a careful there, kidding. That's your sire's line
of work. Wow, even more fitting than I guess. Yeah, maybe
you could always eat her? H Wait, so you did eat her your
sire? I mean I know what you mean. Well, did you work
it hard or did you see something? Belcanda tuck? Yeah, I worked
it out. Yah. I don't mean to pry when you say you ate
her? Did you eat her? Or did you eat her? E?
Part that mattered. Okay, And how do you feel empty and strong?
I'm okay powerful. Yeah, that can happen. Just keep an eye on
it. Yeah yeah, yeah, it can make you not care when certain
things happen that you may have used to care about. I don't care about
much now. Yeah. But really, you you could eat you want to
start your own blood business? I mean you could, and that's absolutely your
choice, but I I don't reckon will Yeah h it was really more like
a joke, but also kind of something I've been thinking about. You know,
I kind of feel bad eating her. No sorry, oh blood business.
Oh I don't necessarily want like a full business, but you know it's
definitely Uh. I can't keep asking the people that I work for me to
come and beat everybody, you know, it's kind of not fair. Yeah.
Well, there's a lot that goes into that, roots being the main
thing, which I think you have covered. Yeah, we can look into
it if you want. I can help. Okay. Yeah sounds good,
Yeah, sounds good. M hm. So what is your I next?
Well, uh, I gotta get this little one to recover and then well
well bye, h grimshaw. I can show you to your room if you
want. Right, Lake, do you want to Yeah, come with you?
Join you? Okay's hold on, Lake, Darius. I want Darius
to take a good look at you before you leave. Ye, then you
can go? Sure, all right, Love, come on? Yeah,
it's that good enough? Yeah? Thanks, Wittie. Sure she did it?
Then? And where were you? M busy? Hmm? Doing what?
I woke over and in the TV on with a remote to the news
there is a picture of a column of smoke and fire coming out of the
top. I fucking saw that with my own eyes, Darius, I don't.
I don't need the theatrics. Why do you ask? Then? Why
was that more important than helping link? She didn't need help? Yes she
did, and you offered you, cunt. You said, I will hand
her to you on a silver platter, and then you fucked off. She
nearly died, she didn't. Since when are you somebody that doesn't follow through
on their word? I thought that was who you were. I told her
if she needed me, she could shout, but she didn't. Okay,
And what is she telepathic? Now? Are you telepathic? She might be
fucking telepathic. I don't know where a fucking SiO was right? Okay,
did you help her. Yeah I did. She fucking needed Yeah she did.
I didn't help her or First of all, you don't know if she
needed it or not. You just got lucky. Second of all, it
doesn't fucking matter. You said you would be there, and if she needed
me, I would have been there. You're fucking full of shit. You're
a fucking baby, and you just wanted to what burn down a building?
You saw it? Eh? Yeah I did? Next fireworks show? Okay,
who cares. It's not like Lionel gives the ship about a fucking building.
Fucking kids. No, they don't, No, they fucking don't.
No, they won't. All you did is just light a beacon. You
lit a beacon of your weakness. Fuck off weakness. That's what that fucking
tower means. Yeah, jack ship to the people who were trying to get
at, which is Lionel and the Camarilla. They don't care for everyone who
follows the fucking came rules. I say, a fucking beacon and it's on
the fire. Why the fuck am I here, Connie? Yeah? Why
are you here to do that? No, you're here to make a difference.
You're to help me pack down the camilla and to actually make a change,
And that's not what that does. That's a tantrum, is what you
did. You fucking threw a tantrum like a child, just like Lionel A.
Fuck you say you fucking heard me? Fucking nothing like that prick.
I think you're more like that prick than you realize. Oh fuck off,
I guess you'd fucking know though, didn't you? Yeah? I would?
So what's the fucking deal about what you to have that fucking meeting? Yeah?
We have history. Who doesn't, so a fucking gives what do fucking
you? Yea, I fucking shot his granddad. I didn't expect him to
hold a grudge about it though. Look I'm not a fucking leader. I
don't have a fucking army. I just do ship so people pay attention.
Mm hmm. Blake did not fucking need me, Yes she did. She
probably didn't even need you, Yes she did, did you andrew sire to
her on a fucking plate? No, but I carried her out of the
fucking building. Meeting people isn't always about if you can punch something or not,
Darius. Sometimes you just need to be there, and you said you
would, and you weren't fucking get your head in the game. My head
is nothing, No, it isn't. You went to burn down a building
so you could feel something, so you could feel in control, so you
could get back at them for what they did to you, for raising your
sire. Fuck do you know about control? I know what it looks like
when someone's grasping for it and they don't have it. Now you can listen
to me or not, which your head is not in the fucking game,
and it needs to be. How well you did? How does that change
the city? Do you know how strong Lake is now any how strong she
was before? Yeah, and now her sire's out of the picture. We
had a plan, Darius, a plan that you agreed on bullet points.
First things, First, deal with lake sire. Second thing, we deal
with your sire. Third thing, we maybe try to get hunters to help
us, or maybe we get the hunter's helfus with the first thing. But
we had a fucking plan. Yeah, Well, I had a fucking opportunity.
You need gonna make a symbol. You fucking saw it when you saw
that. You knew he did that. Everyone in the city saw that.
Everyone in the city knows. Yeah, they are untouchable. Yeah, yeah.
Yeah, And you know what else? They know? All that fucking
propaganda that the Venturu spew, the Camilla spew about how we want chaos in
the streets, you just fucking handed that to them on a silver platter.
Now everyone in the Camarilla is going to be thinking, that's exactly what we
want. We were supposed to come at this from a different fucking angle,
Darius. What fucking angle am I gonna bring? What do I fucking do?
Why am I fucking here? I'm here to put the power in people's
hands. You promised this time would be different. I can see you're in
a bad way. To get the fuck out before I get angry. I'm
not fucking around, Daris. Get out. If he doesn't leave, I
will lunge at him very well. Oh no, Darius, do you leave?
No, I'm standing it down. Oh no, oh no, a
brew ha, it's broken. Lunge at him? Hell oh no, I
think I am going to Instead of doing like a brawl attack, I want
to do like either I knock him off of his feet or I kick something
towards him, something a little bit more dexterous, so I can get away
with doing that. Instead of strength and brawl. That's fair enough. I
think at this point frenzy check is in order. I think Connie, for
me, for you, my hunger's one. Oh, frenzy can come from
other things. Okay, okay, especially if someone's trying to piss you off.
I trust you right at this moment. Oh well, the bad thing
is but I'll give you an option. You can stick with that or you
can do the same thing again. But minus three? What is sticking with
that? Mean? Educate what I'm looking at that you are about to enter
friends control? Oh yeah, I don't want to control. You just want
to kick the shit out of him, and your beast is going to help
you do that. You can't stand here. Sorry, I need to think
for a second, because I phebe wouldn't want to lose control. But I
don't know if Connie wants him to see what it looks like. No,
he looks it in a really bad way, right, he looks super fucked.
Yeah, okay, no, I won't do that. I will try
to reroll minus three. So just another friendzy check, and then when I
get to modifiers, I do the minus three minus three because that's how many
Connie has to keep herself in check one. Well that's good, Like you
say, you're not hungry. The beast has its way, but not to
the same extent. Definitely not when it's someone you know. So one is
enough. Just you're just on the edge, Like if you let go of
the reins, you know, you could become a pure blur of terror.
Just get it, get this ship done, make him understand exactly what he
put Lake and you and the rest of the Annus through. But you hold
on until you decide. Yeah, roll your dex athletics to kick like,
I don't know if there's tools. There's all sorts of ship around here,
Darius. You dodging this m No, She's pushing his off some steam and
I'm probably the only person that can deal with that. Okay, there you
are. Well I'm just gonna take that makes sense. You take one superficial
damage as a spanner and some Yeah, just throw a spanner at you,
kick it across. What do you fucking waked in for? What's that power?
I know you? Where the funk is it out? No? Go
through me? Where are you do it? What do you mean? Where
am I? I'm right? Where's the feel? Where's the spark? Is
it fucking gone. It's right here. Show me you don't deserve it.
No, you just don't have it. You can't taunt me, Darius,
Well, I ain't going nowhere for no reason. Can I knock him out
at this stage? Probably? Yeah? Yeah, you're gonna throw more share
yeah yeah yeah, same same role again. Okay, Darius, this one
hurts. I'd like to dodge this one. Yeah, okay, dex athletics.
In that case, whoa oh that is a messy critical m hm.
And you can't even reroll to stop that happening. Are we fucking fighting fighting?
Did you just Frenzy again? No, Josh asked me. I'm wondering,
do you Frenzy? I would actively trying not to because she's not even
fucking trying right now. Yeah, so I'm thinking the other option is uh
ah. The other option is that you get just a little whisper in your
ear from the beasts that that makes you feel like she's taking control away from
you, and it does not want that. You need to assert that you
are in charge, you are top dog, or you can Frenzy. That's
up to you. Uh oh ah. I do need to show her within
charge because she hates people being in charge of her. So I I'm going
to try and punch her as hard as possible, but I'd like to try
and stop an inch before her face so she knows I could fucking destroy her.
I'm going to use my new ability. Please, Oh you've you've spent
XP I do? Oh, yes, I was saving. Tell me it
is I will. I will read this out out because it's fucking awesome and
the audience should know it is split second. I can supersede the storyteller's narration
of events. For example, with one rouse check, I can when Darius
starts to move, I can be behind him. I can be so fucking
fast that I can fuck him up, make him look like an idiot.
Well do a rouse check and unfortunately Darius, I think Connie probably sees the
change in your eyes. The beast rises. What is the next series of
events, Connie, I want to remain in control. I'm getting angry.
My accent is slipping out. I don't like to get to this point and
I want to show him what control really looks like. And I would like
this argument to be over. So I am going to come up behind him.
I am going to pull out my handgun, my rifle and I'm going
to hit him on the back of the head and knock him out. I
just want to put him down, Darius. You twitch your elbow to pull
back for a punch full strength. The next thing you know, you're on
the floor. Okay, fuck's sake, pick myself up, throw off the
fucking shackles. Show me the truth. This is that fucking running around.
Let'll try and punch her again. Okay, I will try to dodge.
Nothing funny, I don't think actually, you know what, fuck it,
I will. I'll do the same fucking ability again. Oh my god.
Okay, oh no, I'm very sorry, Darius, but she is too
fast. If you made a connection, you blow her away. But right
now you're throwing your fury at air. Stop fucking around. Don't fucking tell
me what to do. I'm doing. One needs to be fucking done.
Don't dodge it. The tooth on my fist. I am no longer engaging
in this argument. I would like to kick a car or a bike at
him now, Okay, now I know exactly. I think it would be
awesome. Yeah, you can absolutely attempt to catch this Connie. Yeah,
I know how strong you are. Making a dent in a car is hard
for you. Are you going to use an ability? Uh? Yes,
maybe do I do fleetness to do that? Maybe you would? You would
have to use potents, Yeah, like prowess. I don't put I don't
have a description for prowess in there, so I don't know what that us.
Oh, prowess just means you do a rouse check and you add your
potents two feats of strength like fun damage for example, kicking a motorcycle into
days example beautiful things. Kay, exactly, I will do that. Then,
yes, one rouse check. Connie is in peak condition control right now,
roll your strength athletics plus two and Darius, you're going to have to
catch a flying bike, probably with strength athletics, I imagine, please catch
it. Fuck this, I like shiny, just refurbished, beautiful chopper like
racing. Red just gets kicked and starts flipping through the air. It catches
on chains and on, like all the different equipment you used to raise up
all these beautiful bikes and arcs towards Darius. So I kind of basically pluck
it out of the air and use the momentum. I spin around and I
just blast it into the fucking wall. Oh, you don't throw it back
at me. No, oh wow, okay, No, we can't suck
up the fucking horse, dude, all right in the garage, Yeah we're
not. We're in the garage. Yeah you are in the garage. But
still I like it's tangentially related to her place. I don't know. I
think everyone is the sound of metal. I don't grit. I'm not.
I'm not gonna fucking lie here. You everyone hears this fucking better, let's
go if you wear the fucking fire. I am trying to antagonize it.
I know it's not working. Uh. I've lived a very long time.
That shit ain't gonna work on me. Uh. I will do however can
I do? Can you combo things together? Depends on what you want combo
as inabilities, yes, as in I really want to do this, just
because I only took this ability from Trinity, from the matrix. Everything I've
built here is just living out my matrix fantasies. I would like to do
traversal where I can just like run up the wall, and then I would
like to do the split second where he can I let him see me run
up the wall, and then I'm just gone and he doesn't see where I
am, and then again I'm like sweeping his feet out from under him,
trying to keep him down on the rink. Is the third time she's appeared
behind me? Can I just try and elbow her? Uh? Yeah,
I think Connie, what what would work really well? Here is if you
just did one rouse check and then you can add your dexter your your celerity
to a dex athletics role to see how impressive this is. I am just
ask you what my celerity is, but I don't want you to say that
out loud, so just give me a second. The law nerds know,
yeah, yeah, Darius. For your attack, you're trying to you're trying
to, like I guess where she's going to be behind me. It's still
too fast for you to be able to do anything. That's the point,
right, Well, that was the point of just because we're doing two things.
I'm like, I'm watching her run out the wall. She's gonna it's
the third time. Well it's the fourth time. Strength brawl, Darius.
Is there a minus to this? Uh? There is not. She just
got the bonus unless you would like to add extra diise somehow. That's up
to you. I mean I've got I've got strength brawl versus kindred. Oh
yeah, you can add plus one. That makes sense. But she just
did really well. I feel like that's unfair. Well, it doesn't like
I trust I trust you to kind of like be fair on it. Anyway,
I don't care narratively who comes out on top. It's me, baby
as usual. Once again, it's Connie like you probably get close this time.
She skirts around behind you. You arch your shoulder and your elbow back
like you feel the wind. She puts me on my ass again. Yeah,
yeah, I stand up again. Okay, you're going fucking faster,
Josh. If I use my gun, am I able to call superficial damage
rather than aggravated damage? Well, let's look at my sheet before you answer
that. Technically, yes, in reality, you might end him. He's
looking rough. You'd put him down temporarily, not permanently. Just so ac
clear. Yeah, all Various wants right now is to be put down.
So I'm not giving it to him. M Yeah, I fucking know you
absolutely not. Yeah, I uh yeah, I'll try to put him down
on the ground on his ass one more time. Uh, and I will
do that with the split second which is just insane because I've done how many
fucking rouse checks. Here we go, youah finally start to slip, get
hungrier, but I still succeed, right, Uh, I think in this
instance, do I need to poll? I'll have that like right front center,
so I know how to use it. Sorry, sorry, okay,
So I'll put you down on your butt again. I kind of just like
sweep your feet out from underneath you, I think, and you land on
your back. I immediately sit up, but I don't stand up, and
I sit down next to him a landa not today. No, I mean,
if that's what you want, I'll do it. Have I heard this
accent before, Bunny, that's a very good question. I thought you knew
me. So yes, I think you have, and in fact you probably
I've heard easing it like all the time, a long time ago. I
mean, you're fucking right, I know, but I had to fucking do
it. I know that too. Your actions have consequences. Yeah, and
you're lake a nomology not that sort of care anymore. What was she doing?
She lost something came back weird, so she did it. I don't
actually know, I think, So thanks? Does it feel good? Yeah?
All right, but you get to your head in the game. Yeah,
I stand up and hold my hand to see if she wants Yeah,
I'll get up. I'll take his hand and get up. Now go see
her at some point and she's rested. And that is where time progresses.
We watch the day, the night, the fire at the top of the
Beastern Tower subsides, smoke disappears, and the city lives on as if nothing
ever happened. A few days later, like you are at your lab and
as you are, what are you doing here now? Mm hm, So
I think than three days hm there. Probably all I have done so far
is have the mask leaned up for me. I'll have fully explored my sires,
rooms and projects, and you know, any secrets that I may not
have been aware of. But probably still in a regrouping as rather than a
progressing, you know, still in the wound, looking and probably adjusting to
my new way of being. I do not feel the same. I still
have my minions, I guess is probably more how I would especially see them
now, but I don't think they see much in the way of kindness from
me, and it's likely I'm trying to select one of them to manage for
me manage through so that I don't have a lot of face time with individuals.
So yeah, you probably come in on me, maybe going through my
sire's things. M Darius. Still kind of a mess in here, all
right? You asking, I'm asking. I don't know, and that's it.
Yeah. I pull over a chair, I'll probably write a maneuver over
it because I'm a biker. That's what I used to say. I'll sit
down and it'll be kind of a velvety antique chair. If we're in like
the uh for front room looks like it was odd. Yeah, it was
that. I think you came out the other side. So something came out
the other side. I don't know what or who it is. He's still
you do you know what happens when you do that? When you people can
say it doesn't matter. When you need someone's soul, you change. I
don't think you change. Oh I think I changed. I think I mean
nobody fucking knows or I think you the person I was before? Yes,
the course of the God God King you must know, well, Kane,
course I know about King. I don't give a fuck about King. Yeah,
same problem is he gives a fuck about everything, So what exactly is
the problem a problem so much? It's more like you've been given things and
it's up to you that you take, but you leave which you use,
now you use it, it's still you. I don't feel it. You
say I've been given things, and you're right that some things have been taken.
I feel cold. Do you miss her? No? No, I
don't. Do you miss how you were afforded? If it was possible,
I think I would look. Nobody knows what happens when you need someone's soul
something You become that person. M. Some say you just tap into their
power. Some say nothing happens, you just become more. U guess we'll
see. I'm sorry, it doesn't matter. It does maybe to you.
Maybe I still don't think you needed us. I guess she had to be
there. See this book, I know this is kind of like a Bible,
a chronicle of I show the coup and it says the Book of Nod
on the front. Does that mean anything to me? Josh, hmm,
It's probably come up in legend. M. Would you like to try and
remember some deeper information? I would. I would like to see what comes
up for me when I see this cover. Just what rises to the surface
in terms of what I know of it, because he seems to mean if
you brought it with him, there is significance here. So yeah, that
sounds like an intelligence plus a cult. Okay, who does that start with
a call? And then I add in yes, okay three, it bubbles
up like a memory that isn't yours. The Book of Nod He is,
in fact correct a vampire bible of sorts Amethus about the journey the first vampire
took to you. Specifically, the most important part is that you recall somehow
a mention of the Abyss that Kane rose from the darkness, and that is
in part where he found his power mm hmm from a witch. Do I
know anything about the witch or the legend the witch? Yes, her name
was Lilith. So when you read the book to me, you show me
the cover and the title, stare at you and I just say, what
now. I mean, it's just a book, but I read it recently.
There might just be words, might just be myths, yes, is,
but I found truth, truth about myself, wrongs about myself. I
continue to stare, Do you want to hear my favorite passage? Why not
throw off the elders shackles of the mind. Reach into thyself and see the
truth. Reveal the truth as seen will illuminate your soul, heal your wounds.
You will know who you are first, and be true to yourself.
That don't really mean much to me until I got my ass kicked. Why
did that change anything? I don't often get my ass kicked. Cal of
punctuates things, m lock, it's just a book. Hey baby, I'll
help you, maybe you won't. And I hand the girl's book, I
reach for it and uh, I think I said it on my lap and
kind of place my hands one over the other on top of it and say,
so, when do we deal with your sire? Oh, she ain't
my sire, they're long dead. Oh, I mean your problem? Then
when do we deal with that? You don't have to do anything. I
know I don't, but I said I would and I will keep my word
on That kind of stings a little bit. I have no freaking idea throw
intents and purposes. She is, oh God, And even now, even
though she doesn't control me, she does. Well. We can't have that,
now, can we? Eventually? It's my problem and something I'll have
to deal with myself. Oh, I think you might want my help.
I've been done in power. I would assume and soul and you'd be right.
Just try and remember now with that's your p someone else is intrusive,
getting used to the first thing that flicks into your mind is a whisper that
says no one's belongs to them. It was always the elders that gave it
to us. I think you just see me WinCE a little bit and then
resettle. Anyway, I always thinking of hanging around if you want, can
I ask you to? Yeah, you don't have to. She kind of
told me to. Then you do have to. Yeah, but I kind
of want to suit yourself. It's just a book, all right. I
don't know if i'd that hopeful, maybe you will. I tapped the book
and look down at it. Oh uh, I'll give it a look through.
I'm gonna go get a snack of fucking starving. I need to eat
around here. Ah specific mm hmm right, thanks, so yeah, it's
also but if you actually need me, just shut hm. I'll remember that.
Wonder if anything's open that's not idiot mm hmm. Now that you have
a moment, do you look in the book I do. I think I
am trying to feel something. It's sort of like a reflex. Something's missing.
I can't care about it much, but I am still willing to move
forward. There's still drive in me to move forward. So yeah, once
he leaves this room, i'll uh, I'll open the book and start looking
about Do you just open to a random page or are you looking for something
specific? Good question, I think given the way I feel right now,
I am just thumbing through it, and the kind of way where you pause
for a sentence or two to see if something grabs your attention or your interest.
So that's the manner in which I'd be going through the book. Feels
like your hand is in part guided and you see the chapter ahead and it
says a chronicle of secrets, so you start reading. Mm hmm, so
too. Our grand sires will rise from the ground. They will break their
fast on the first part of us. They will consume us whole. And
on the second day Cain will return and call his children to the meeting place.
On the sight of the first city, he will beckon them, sitting
on his basehalt throat. There are, in fact vampires much older and much
more powerful. If this book is to be believed than even fee days m
hm. And does the first city mean anything to me in terms of a
location that maybe historic or still system It doesn't seem to be any direct references
as you look back and forth. You could do some research. I would
like to do that. I mean, that's I think why I remain here
is at least I have some tether to that part of myself which is so
curious, still likely to research things that catch my interest. So yeah,
I think I would look into that and see what I could learn. M
Okay, a quick occult less intelligence for all. Okay, Oh holy fuck,
that's seven successes and the critical right or no? Yeah, yeah,
for those listening, that is a critical seven successes. You learn the first
city's name looking through the tones of your sire of creat big books. They
creak, they're dusty, and they're full of dead people and their secrets.
Yeah. No, I have long wanted to produce this private library and have
not been able to. So this is this is something. This is definitely
can I hold my interest? You hear and read all of these different sources,
and you begin to realize that the first city is called Enoch. Well,
that's what people refer to it as most often. But I think from
your perspective, it becomes clear that Enoch is not necessarily a place m hmm.
It is a metaphor from where the blood throws mm hmm, from Pain's
lineage and the lineage of the vampires that betrayed him, and then, though
long in some cases, depending on the generation of vampire, direct connections all
the way to the progenitors of each clan. I think what this looks like
is there are these tomes that you've described, and I've probably lit a few
candles, and I'm pacing. At first, I'm grabbing tomes, reading,
putting one down, picking another up. And then at one point, when
the candles are, you know, halfway burned down, I push a chair
back that's in front of a desk and I grab a book that's smaller and
a bit newer looking and pop it open and it's it's kind of a diary
of sorts, but it's more note taking. It belonged to my sire,
and I take up her pen and open to a blank page and start noting
down the things that are most important to me. Here are the things that
grab my attention the most or seem meaningful, and I'll start noting some of
these things down. I think a conclusion that you may easily make is that,
depending on where you look and what strings you pull, m it may
be possible if not to wake whatever it is Cain might be something close to
that. It's possible. And you bring all the way round back to that
first verse that you read. They will break their first on the first part
of us. They will consume us whole. But Cain will return and call
his children to the meeting place. If you are successful, Cain's children might
be able to be summoned, beckoned by something. I take that passage down.
Probably you just see this one page distillation of what I've learned here in
that passage at the bottom, and as I come to that conclusion, just
a crooked smile creeping over my face. And I might be plotting something now.
It looks like I might need to talk to my friends about this.
I think so too well. Your friends are busy, as we will see.
M hm. Connie, have you told any of your friends where you're
going? Yes, I would have invited them along. Actually, assuming that's
not going to piss off who I'm going to go see like I'm assuming that
that would be okay, And if it's okay, then yeah, I would
bring them along. I think it would be very good for them to see
that it's not just me. In fact, I have others that are interested
as well. That makes sense, Please invite them. The place you are
headed is a neutral ground agreed by the two of you, yes, broken
by Jack, your friend, friend friend, and it's a It is a
library, a public library, just outside of the city center, near to
a big, fancy, old Victorian looking university. This is where you have
planned to meet a mage. Are we there first or are we walking there?
You walking there? Okay? So I haven't been successful at getting into
meet with me so far, although I've required it or requested it a couple
of times. For some reason, he's okay with it. Now do you
know why? No, not a clue. When I was looking for him
before Jack told me, they asked for me to stop looking, so I
did, And this is the first I've heard from him them. Okay,
So I don't really know what to expect except that they hate us, generally
speaking, So just be on your guard. Okay, good to know,
but hopefully, hopefully they'll be willing to help. What are we going to
ask them about again specifically? Oh, well, we're going to tell them
about you know, theresen God not God fwat, and then we're going to
ask for their help, yeah, getting rid of her, and maybe some
other things, but that's the main thing. I'm assuming that we're going to
be in some kind of debt with them for this. I don't know.
We'll see how the negotiation goes. Hopefully not Okay, hopefully getting rid of
a vampire is just something we both want fair but nothing comes for free,
so we'll see. You're right Grimshaw. Yeah, I a little out of
me element, not knowing everything going on, and I usually don't like to
show up to maintenance just out of them. That's you. Sure it's not
a trap? Pretty sure? Yeah? But even if it was, I
think we can get out of it. Okay, all right, How did
your conversation with Darius go? Oh? You know, we argued through things.
I told him he was being a fucking baby, and I don't know,
I think he heard me in the end. Okay, that's good.
Yeah, you know I'm better than anyone, So do you think he got
it? Then he got it? Yeah. Well, I mean, on
the one hand, I'm fucking furious. On the other hand, I understand
I I would want to burn down a building. If my abuser came back
after a thousand years and stood in front of me, I'd want to do
so much more than burn down a building. So I get it, yeah,
when you put it like that, But he still dropped the ball as
far as I'm concerned. It's just complicated, right, it's not black and
white. It's not easy. But I think he heard me anyway. Now,
I will discreetly ask about Harry unless you don't want me to grimshaw ah.
I mean, if he's dead, he's dead. I didn't know.
I just wanted to, you know, sit with a few people like me
for a little while. It's nice, rare. Yeah, But if it's
not necessary, that's no skin off my nose. I think it's probably still
a good idea. I mean, you're not I don't mean it to sound
the way I'm about to say it, but you're not the only person interested
in Harry, so yeah, right, I just don't want it getting you
in further debt or getting us in more trouble. I'm not worried about that.
I'm not worried about that either. You let me worry about my own
debt. Surprised willing to pay you stay at my bar for free? O
me? Right? All right for you? Yeah, there's your money and
you said no, that's right, which I still don't trust. By the
way, that's also right. Okay. Anything else I need to know before
we go in game? Game plan? Yeah I should. I shouldn't say.
I'm probably gonna get laughed at. Just remain calm. Not many people,
so you don't want me to laugh with Oh you can if you want.
Yeah, you can if you want. I might not be able to
help it. Yeah, that's that's that's fine too. Just stay calm,
stay alert, be polite, you know, standard, and keep your eyes
open. If you see something I don't see, let me know. Okay,
well that I can definitely help with as well. Okay, I mean
I can. I can go in quiet unseen if that's more helpful. I
bit of a double edged sword, you see, could be bad for dealing
if they find you. Yeah, okay, well let me let me.
I'm sure they have somebody hiding as well, so let me talk through this.
Then you go in lurking in the shadows. I know you can do
it. You literally did it to me. Not a big deal. But
then they don't see that we have a sliberty standing beside my crackpot idea.
If you are standing there, they see that you're behind my crackpot idea.
Maybe, but also you could be very much in danger. What do I
gm? What do I know about mages and salubrity blood? Like? Is
he in danger walking into a group of mages as well? No, majores
don't drink blood. So oh well, it wasn't sure if they were going
to get you. Yeah. Oh, they probably find a use for any
blood you give them, but it is no more or less interesting to them
than any other so called magical objects. Okay, we might get hidden information
downside. Is I'm not being forthcoming? Uh? No? I think you
should be there, Grimshaw. I want them to know how serious I I'm
about a partnership. Right. Also, me just can sometimes do all sorts
of tricks, so I'm not sure if I'm quite as unseen. Okay,
best be forthcoming. All right, Okay, let's go. Okay, are
you both feeling okay? Yeah? Also, Josh, can I ask it's
been like three days did I eat ooh hungers at your hunger should be two?
I think, yeah it was. I'm just wondering if I don't.
Unless you feed from one of your friends or from some vampire that you know
you can feed from, I think you should be it too. Okay,
depends how do we measure will power from within character? Well, you see,
you start at the base and then you add. Right, we've got
willpower as in willpower to resist frenzy, as in eating your your blood.
If I have five HP and I lose four hit points or I take four
superficial damage, then I have wounds on me. If I have five willpower
and I've used four of it, is it just like energy or is there
something more to it? Is it just like an exhaustion almost because that also
takes damage, right, and it can be. Yes, yeah, it
is a track to see how mentally socially exhausted you are. I guess in
some sense. Yes. So, yeah, the less willpower you have,
then the less willpower you have to deal with extra stuff. But it only
really comes into effect when you have no willpower left. And that's okay.
So when you mark off willpower, you lose one in the sense that it's
a dash all the way down to zero, and that's when it starts to
cause you problems. And right's when it will you know, affect you know,
your your motivation, how people see you, that sort of thing.
Because you can take superficial willpower damage and also I assume aggravated then yes,
it works in the same way as health and when. But when we consume
willpower for like a rouse check or something, is that you agree with proficial?
Yeah, that's that's essentially what's happening. You put in extra effort into
whatever you're doing, and you go above and beyond, because that is what
I'm asking you. Two. Oh, I see, I have a good
question. Then it's been a few days, right, how what is the
status of our ability to regain willpower over time or anything like that? Well,
where I've been doing it so far is if you achieve something that you
are ambitious, okay, or if you keep to a chronicle tenant or a
conviction, then you can regain some So if you can think an example,
helping Lake defeat her sire be one for me, it can be. I'm
looking at your set. You don't have any willpower damage, so I mean,
yeah, should we come on back? How have we no willpower over
all of the things you've been doing. I've done rouse checks, I feel
like I've done. But that's different that I feel like you have today,
as far as I'm aware, you getting them back in the same way,
right, because I'm thinking all the way back to since the line or fight
and stuff, you've regained them with drinking as well. No, you regain
them by achieving things that you are ambitious to do or to like do things
in in line with your chronical tenets and convictions. Do you so? I
think, just quickly, Faith you can have one back? Oh okay,
thank you? M hmm. But just so we're clear, Faith still has
too, and Grimshaw's offer can probably help you with that. Okay, okay,
can you can you say again exactly how you worded that, Grimshaw?
I literally asked how you feel right first? But that's where I'm angling towards.
Okay, I'm a little throwne to be honest. I reach out and
I touch your arm, just like give it a little squeeze. What does
that mean? Huh? That stuff with lake or sire kind of shaken some
ground beneath my feet, I guess we've got time. We should talk about
it, just to go in there with a clear head, you know.
Yeah, I'll try not to talk too long about it, but that's fine.
We got time more way early. I'm sure you can definitely tell by
the way she's telling this story that you could telp her, Oh I am
doing my thing where I colombo more emotional levity out of her. Okay.
Sophia said something to me when I met her about how what's the shriff?
Yeah, okay, she has a bit of a relationship with my sire,
and she said essentially that my sire wasn't to be trusted, that she would
betray me if given the opportunity. And I guess, seeing like I thought
I could trust my sire, I guess I don't know. Stupid, I
just don't really know what's real. I guess it's not stupid. No,
it's hard when you learn things like that. Two understand it from your perspective
first, and then from theirs. It takes time. I don't know the
specific spot, eh, Connie, could you go and stand over there for
a moment, do me that little kindness? Okay, yeah, I will
perhaps a little further back. You're quick right, I just hold up my
hand as I'm walking away, like yep, okay, I know, do
you mind hold out my hand? Not? No, I take his hand,
Okay, I hold out my other hand. I put both of your
hands into one hand of mine, and then I put my other hand to
the side of your face with one thumb towards the center of your forehead where
my eye would be. And I say, okay, right, something's gonna
smell delicious in a minute. But if you wouldn't mind, that's trying to
stay composed. Okay, okay, closure eyes, faith, you are the
sky right now, you're the thunder and the rain that you're also the still
they're the blue skies of summer. Here the silence of the night. My
third eye in the center of my forehead bleeds a little runs down my face,
and I'm cast or I'm using the skill of bea, which is that
I can soothe the mental or emotional turmoil of my subject, restore modicums of
steadfastness, and m I think, do I roll this check? Yes?
Yes, you roll composure plus auspects and do a rouse check. Okay,
that's a lot, and it is difficulty to composure and aspects oh, and
then a rouse check. Mm hmm. So this is where your own willpower
might be useful, because you can only heal her if you put more effort
into it and reroll to dice. Mm hmm. I will base that entirely
on now that I've taken your hand, and how what am I feeling from
you at this moment? I know what you said, I'm curious about how
I understand that on an emotional level. Are you asking me how I feel
like right in this moment or how like a deeper version of what I was
previously telling you. I don't know both, neither one, whichever is the
probably the first thing that comes to your mind. Now, I'm feeling weak,
like of spirit a little bit. But if you, if you are
feeling what I was feeling as you held my hand, you might feel that
there's like a lightness or like a quiet piece, like it kind of calms
down a little bit, and maybe you would feel that she was sort of
following every word that you were saying, so like my emotions were kind of
lifting and cascading along with what you were describing. Just enraptured really m hmm,
I will roll another round check for me to be able toroll, you
spend a point of willpaer and you reroll two dice in this instance, Okay,
I will do that. Then these are tense to de tent. Yeah
you need six is an over So tell me what is it that stops you
from being able to heal this hurt? She's not tethered enough to a place.
Because she's so I can This is much harder to do to other kindred,
first of all. Second of all, I'm okay at it, but
not the best at it. The third of all, I think for her,
she's not tethered, and it's really hard to to be a free spirit
if you don't know who you are or what that spirit is. Even trying
to achieves it's too much turmoil. She doesn't even know who she is.
I don't think I can connect with her because there is no her yet.
I think I'm aware of it. And I let go of your hand and
say that place the horse you're a pub? Is it? Yeah? It's
a good place. Thanks. Good people make good places. Thank you.
Read that in a book. Ah tried to help with a little trick.
Layer learned it a long time ago from my sire. But I'm not that
good at it. So I don't know if you feel better or not,
but I mean I feel a little bit better. I guess some pretty words
he said. There, Hey, a good old placebo effect. Hey,
Connie, you're done. Yeah, I'm just looking between away. By the
way, I'm moving away from you quickly because i'm blood and I think you
can both smell it. I'll give him a handkerchief out of my pocket actually,
and just hold it way out for him. I'm not trying to get
near him. I have those like pocket tissues already, okay, always at
hand, and I just I've already got one of them, wiping it away,
and I take the tissue and I throw it into like a drain and
I turn around and say, oh, i'd have to throw that away.
I wouldn't want That's fine, I don't mind. But you already have something.
That's fine. H I'm prepared for. That happens quite a lot,
by the way, if I try and do anything too difficult. So that
concludes the hiding and things, so I'll rely on the gun most of the
time around, y'all. Yeah, Okay, that's okay, that's fine.
Yeah, so you know perfectly fine, Okay, Connie, I guess it's
all you. Well, did you did you still want to talk about a
thing? Or did you did you talk about it already? Yeah? I
mean I guess I feel a little bit better, so yeah, okay,
okay. Public library is a pretty simple building. Lots of prefab concrete double
door out front, and it seems to be well inside. Lots of well
used tones, all of the most popular novels out front, and once you're
inside, you don't hear see anyone until a man with just like a very
far back widow's peak receding hairline and piercing eyes and a little a little charm
dangling off of his pocket is very deep blue suit pokes his head around the
corner. Its biggest smile you have ever seen on a guy late at night
in a public library. He pokes his head around and he goes, constance,
Hi, you finally found me. Well, I mean you extended the
invitation there, thank you. Not not a problem. And I see you
have friends I have and I will gesture to both of them because I realized
I forgot to ask them if they want to use a different name or anything
like that, So I just thrust my hand up Grimshaw. Nice to Major.
He heartily takes it and shakes it vigorously. You may call me from
my own protection the lunar mate. Oh Faith, Hi also shake his hand.
He love Faith. It's very nice to meet you. I am.
Well, it certainly didn't expect two be pursued by uh uh, what do
you what do you prefer to be called night? Night folk? No,
what do you call us when we're not around leeches? I'm afraid? Well,
that's that's fine, very well. I have uh heard from the Haunt
that you are interested in making some sort of alliance. Yeah, I am,
and I hear that you're the one to talk to you about that from
the from the major side here. Yes, yes, I I run.
I am the head of coven here. It was very very small. We
don't have a grand deal of influence, but I am aware of some disturbing
things going on in the city. So please please. He brings you to
like one of those off gray tables with the four bendy prone feet in the
corner in those horrible plastic chairs with the little hole square hole in the back,
and kind of drags it along and sits sits down and like arranges you
I will opposite him, Okay, yeah, I will before I don't sit
down first, though, I want to make sure that Grimshaw can sit a
little bit farther away from us, like with a view of the exit.
So I just kind of like open that seat and I gestured to him,
and then I put the waitress kind of on my other side or next to
me, faith, and then I will sit down. I just want to
make sure they're sorted first before I sit down. M right, that that
should do it? What should do it? I am very particular for the
correct outcome, and what is the correct outcome according to you? If you
don't mind me asking, I leave with my life, you leave with yours,
and we have a productive conversation. Oh that will be very easy.
I know you're probably not used to hearing that from us, but I have
every intention of keeping my word and making this work. This has been a
very long time coming a dream of mine. Yes, I hurt, and
I am certainly intrigued. How do you see it working? I see at
least a council of three leeches as you like to call them, have an
equal seat, as do mages, as do well. I was hoping wear
wolves, but that's proving particularly difficult, maybe even ghouls. I just think
I think times are changing and very quickly, and we are all in this
together, and if we don't work together, then time is short for all
of us. Time becomes a problem for the first time for some of us.
And I look at the other vampires at the table, achieving that will
be difficult seconds arrange tonight. No, no, no, I know that,
and I've been working on it actively for the last two hundred and seventy
five years, so I understand it'll take some time, but I'm committed to
it. I will be honest, I don't have quite that long but the
opportunity we must take it. Of course, are you willing to put in
groundwork that you might not see in your lifetime. Many of the things that
I am attempting to do have taken the lifetimes of multiple natures to achieve.
Okay, I'm glad we're talking. Then forgive me, and this is just
personal curiosity. You were part of a lodge once, weren't you. Yeah,
yes, I was, so you must understand the principles of what I
work with. In the very least most of them are good. Forgive me
such a shame you won't awakened? Is that really important to what we're talking
about now? Potentially? Okay, if you understand the hermetic way from what
we attempt to achieve, then it may be the first step to us working
together instead of attempting to eradicate each other. Oh okay, sorry, gim
am. I clear and understanding. He wants me to still go through with
the awakening process even though I'm a leech now I'm a vampire now? Is
that what he's implying? And what do what do I know, as Connie
about the awakening and the tenants? Because I know I imagine something that explained
it to you, okay, as something that comes somewhat naturally to a mortal
okay, and it's impossible once you're dead. Okay, yeah, So what
are you what exactly are you proposing? Because I I was just interested in
you. Which which group did you come from? Which group did I come
from? Josh Am, I allowed to make it up? Or is it
a specific one? You can make it up? That's that is up to
you. Oh okay, what hang on? I have one if if you
don't, but I'd rather because mine's just like fucking made up but if it's
Laura, yeah, you can make you can make it up. I straight
up would say Morgan because I'm from Ireland, so yeah, that would be
my group. H mm hmm. It was a long time ago, though,
I heard that Yates was part of that group. Sorry who uh yes,
yeah that's what I thought you said, Oh yeah, oh yeah,
enamored with a friend of mine, couldn't stop talking about her. M Then
you will understand that's no matter what we offer each other today, the path
I tread is one towards the ultimate goal of alchemy, and I would not
promise you anything that would amper my chances. So please, let's put everything
on the table. Explain your problems and perhaps I can help. Surely you
know about the Twat that came up from the ground, And I say that
with a little bit of a smile because I hesitate about to drop the name,
but I know names are very important, So then I refer to her
as Tweat instead, and I think of Darius for half a second, youth,
there was a reason I avoided the city center that night. Yeah,
your intuition was right as usual. I have a feeling, yes, that
it's going to get a lot of people killed this arrangement or what happened already?
Who can say you can it's your feeling this arrangement. In fact,
I shall say this arrangement might get people killed, and it might be you.
But I was specifically referring to whatever came out of the ground that night.
Yes, well you should know I am willing to work for something I
don't see in my lifetime. Good. What would you like to achieve tonight?
Will you help us take her down? Stop her, put her back
in the ground, give her true death, any of these options? Because
my plan is to ask you for help and also ask hunters for help,
because my gut, my feeling is that I need everyone's help to be able
to do it, or I won't succeed and all those people will die.
I think it's possible. I see this as the first step towards a true
alliance. It can prove to you and your coven and the hunters that we
are willing to put in the work. M an olive branch of sorts who
would give up one of your own? She's not one of mine. That's
like saying, yeah, no, that's not how it works. Just because
we have fangs doesn't mean we consider each other brethren, and it's not that
I have a complete disregard for their life or their experience. But if she's
going to kill lots of people and try to take over everything for everyone,
then yes, absolutely I will do it. My vision will probably get people
killed, but in the long run, it's better for all of us mortals
included. Good sorry, not good, not good that they die. Uh,
your vision, however, admirable. Admirable is just a fancy word for
foolish. Tell me how you really feel about it. Well, it is,
yes, foolish and ultimately might not work. However, I see a
path. I see a path for death. Tell me it's been a while
since I looked up the rules as it were. How do you survive the
ages? Specifically? Or well, I'm for me specifically? Yes? Oh
well, how essential is the first one? How essential is blood? No?
The sex? Oh? For me? Very essential? You're joking the
specifically? Why was she in the ground in the first place or the second
place if we're being honest, because I'm assuming she was mortal alive once?
Yeah, but that was a really, really, really really long time ago.
I think I don't know too much about her eighth. Do you know
anything. The first I heard of her was less than a week ago or
so. Yeah, about the same. I mean, well, she was
raised and then I knew she existed. Yeah, but I don't know why
she was put down there in the first place, because she's a raging bitch.
Yeah, who won't kill everyone? Yeah, I feel like that's probably
enough. That's probably enough. You're probably right, someone put that in.
Yeah, we think so. She didn't seem the type who would you know,
will lay down easily. And I am correct in assuming that with age
you gain strength. Sometimes it's not a guarantee. H good to know.
Yeah, oh josh, Yes, I feel like he fucking knows all these
and he's just testing to see if I'll tell him the truth? Can I
like, is there an insight check and I can do? Come on,
he's okay, Yeah, he giggled. Both. Do insight rolls if you
want? I would like to very much. But yeah, Brad, your
fucking emotional compass on this dude is doing is protected as a guy, though
more more than rely on any Does he want to bang Connie? Sorry that's
a joke. It's not a joke. I want to know what roll insight
with insight plus insight plus composure. M oh shit. Uh. Three successes
for Grimshaw, four successes for Connie. Uh Grimshaw, this guy is a
fucking rollercoaster. Uh. He does seem genuinely interested. Specifically, what was
the question we were asking Connie, like, is he fucking with you?
I feel like I don't know if he. Yeah. I don't think he's
purposely fucking with me, but I do feel like he's testing me. He's
asking me questions he already knows the answer to to see if I'm gonna lie
to him as like a basis of whether or not he's going to work with
me. I just want to know if you because this is like, I
feel like, this is basic shit that he for sure knows. I think,
Connie, you're somewhere in between. Okay. He is definitely testing you.
Ye, he definitely wants to make sure you're on the level. But
simultaneously he is working through something in his head, and he looks at you
and says, my apologies. If I have it's set you off somehow.
I you are cursed in some sense, and we have our quirks as well.
The first thing that comes to my mind If you want me to cast
a spell on this thing, I will need to know as much about it
as possible. Through knowledge, we can find truth. That is how I
work. And if you really want it to hurt, I will need a
sample of her blood. Can you get that through? Can you get that
through someone else? If it has traces of it? Or does it need
to be direct from her? There's a lineage, h it will be harder
if you cannot find the blood directly. Then spawn sport no create create a
child? We call them child really yeah, I know with any Athian very
fancy like fancy fox. Yeah yeah, okay, okay, I can work
through the lineage. That will very depending on how closely related they are.
But yes, yes, that that might just work. Okay. I I
fear to cause more problems. If you are unsuccessful, then we will have
to go to war. And the last time that happened, we we we
caused problems all over Europe. So okay, but are those problems going to
be less than what she's going to cause if we don't at least attempt to
do this? Oh? Possibly? Yes, Okay, let me think about
this. You can get me the blood, I can cast a spell.
Depending on the effect you require. I will need a varying amount of time
to prepare the And you can see him fiddling with this charm on his lapel.
Okay, is it them? It is, in fact a circle with
two half crescents either side. You're right, your concept of reality starts to
feel a little bit sticky. I foresee two outcomes, and I am very
sorry to say that unless you can find a third path, they will not
be pleasant. Will they work potentially? Yes? Do you see a third
path? I'm working with what I've got here, right, that's on you.
Yeah, But the two paths I see before us I affect the lineage
of your blood and cause a catastrophic results on a presumably old member. Or
you break your rules. You do have rules, don't you? Unwritten and
not talking about the way your blood works and talking about the way your society
works. Okay, what kind of rules do you need me to break here?
You said hunters? Yes, that is breaking the rules asking them for
help if I don't get killed first. Yes, yes, these these hunters,
they won't just break the rules for themselves. You have to restructure.
Yes, I agree completely. Everyone will know that it was me that your
kind hides in the shadows, there will be no hiding your existence. The
hunters would work no matter how much I read, whether it's fiction or fact,
I do know daylight works on all of you. That wasn't a threat.
No, it's fine. I the way the world is going, I
don't see us hiding much longer. Anyway, it's probably better if we are
the ones to step out first. Hm. Of course, Well, let
me do some research. I will go away. I will consider what kind
of spell would be most effective. And I am so sorry I have forgotten
your name. Any points at Grimshaw and then he point points of faith.
There's something you want to ask me? First of all, it's Grimshaw.
Yes, of course it is h There's nothing that I want to talk to
you about. Came out. I'm sorry that might be me that you're feeling.
Maybe, yes, difficult to tell sometimes. Name is faith? Yes?
What does it mean to be a part of the Silver Moon? What
does it mean? Well, you're in luck. I know what about them?
They are a cult of rabid believers in the fact that the earth needs
to be wiped clean of the demons that plague us. I'm sorry, what,
well, it's not too much of a stretch to imagine that you go
around sucking blood and someone thinks you're a demon. There used to be a
well connected and highly regarded a covenant. I suppose order of their own amethic
order with high ideals. Means were more alike than I realized. Kid,
Oh, thank you, sorry, of course, And I should warn you
they are here in the city and they are trying to cleanse the demons.
So they say, yeah, do you know who's in there? Like are
you aware of who's a part of it? Who runs it? Like what
the yes, of course I've met them, you've met them? Yes?
Do you recognized by a man called William Stagg? Williams Stag? Yeah,
you recognize me this face? He leans forward. I recognize something about it.
Can you do anything to help her? Remember? Help her remember?
I yes, yes I can. And he steps up and begins thumbing through
the various books on the library shelves, and about ten minutes go by before
he trips over a box filled with books and he just ah, my toe,
and he takes his shoe off and takes his sock off, and he
checks it's like good, no blood, I should be safe. I uh
and he starts to look in this box. I'm not going to eat him
just because he fucking pricks his finger. Well, I might now just what
he's worried about. We're gonna just pounce on him like docs. Demons was
the word he said. Well, I think he's just letting us know how
some people feel. Doesn't mean he doesn't feel that way. He comes and
he puts a book down next to you, Faith, and steps back cautiously
and sits back in his chair. That, ah, I think should help
you remember? Should just read it or touch it? Or what? It's
a book? What do you do with it? Jesus Christ? I don't
know. You do all random sorts of weird stuff with other things, you
know? Oh right, I have not got the skills to delve into her
mind or whatever you want me to do. In my own way, this
is the book that This is the book that I believe will help you.
I found it after all. Okay, follow up question, Lunar if you
don't mind, of course, if I don't go with the if we don't
ask the hunters for help, do you think the race will help us?
I think you might be better asking the haunt about that? All right,
but you could ask them. From what I hear, they've been tortured these
last couple of centuries. Yeah, I think I have someone they could talk
to about that. Good luck. Thanks, so I might understand that you
will help us regardless of if I ask the hunters or not, Like if
we decide not to do that and essentially out all of the kindred to the
mortals, Will you still have our back as long as you've got our backs?
Yes? What do you need me to do to agree to this?
Shake your hand? Or uh? Did? What do I need? Oh?
I don't suppose you have heard anything about an angel? What kind of
anilsist in the quite literal scent from heaven? Sense? I heard one was
summoned last year around this time. M hmm. I wasn't there myself,
so I don't know too much more. That's the rumor. Open that book
for me, would you face? Okay, I've in my hand and my
gun just in case you open the cover and outside it's bleached by sun and
use. But on the inside you are going to have to make me a
intelligence resolve roll. Oh my goodness, Well you can reroll one if you
like. Yeah, I'd like to do that. Spend a willpower. You
can spend a willpower if you'd like, for one dice. As this is
happening, I'm gonna look at Grimshot whisper you might need to steal yourself.
I don't know what it is that you can do, but I've kind of
gathered you're like a sponge. Okay, okay, and then I turned back
my attention to Kitten. At this point, I don't everything that is happening
is insane to Grimshaw, I have already in that state. It's fair enough
faith take two superficial willpower damage. As you feel the same pain from before
rack through your mind, the smell of vomit, the piercing eyes, the
pain, the fear. You read the title of this book, The Hermitic
monat by John d. You can remember him killing you. Your blood boils
in your veins. M you know you've succeeded in something you cannot remember what
it is. You have stolen something from him. M H. I get
up and I walk out. I'm taking the book with me. I follow
you, and I will say to the lunar made just excuse us for a
moment, not a problem, and thank you. I'll follow her up you're
You're welcome. That went exactly as I expected it. Wonderful. Im not
a Himine followed Connie. He comes out to grab your hand, Grimshaw in
a handshake. See a little bit of patience. You didn't have to shoot
me. Hm ah. Okay, good to meet you, sir. Well,
if you ever want to ask me a question, I well, I
won't be here unless you ask for me. Okay, goodbye, good bye.
Then he turns around and walks into one of the aisles, and I
think, with your heightened senses, you are acutely aware that as soon as
he steps around the corner, the soft cushioned sound of his fancy shoes on
the carpet stops. There was me going to try and follow him, all
right, step outside. Unfortunately I did get hit by an emotion bomb,
so I'm even more frazzled. I step outside to try and look for Connie
and Faith can Yeah, what's going on you? Okay? No, okay,
I'm here talk talk me through it. I hand her the book.
I'm assuming nothing happens when I hold the book, right, I just see
the title of the book. You see the title of the book. Okay,
I will I don't I don't take my eyes away from you, faith,
and you hand me the book. I just I hold it and I
set it down, and then I'm still looking at you. And then I
reach over and I grab your hands. What happened? Uh h? I
don't know. Fucking ridiculous. I don't know. I can't decide. I
can't decide if I just don't fucking care. But it's me, it's me,
I hug her. I'm just holding you very tightly in an embrace.
I don't I know if I want to remember it's okay. I don't know
if I want to know that's all right? Fuck? Is who is she?
I don't care? It's not me. All these people, all these
people who know me, do things to me, put me here maybe like
this? Did I have a choice in any of it? Did I make
any decisions at all? I was just a What did I do? I
just allowed myself to get killed? I don't know. Is that just who
I am? No? People are far more complex than that. How am
I gonna know? Who can it be? If I don't know who I
was? The answer is the same. Even if you know who you are,
it can be anything that you want to be. It's hard to change,
it's hard to be somebody new, but it can be done. And
if you don't want to know, then I support that too. What will
give me peace? Only you can answer that, kitten, And I've learned
peace doesn't come with answers. To find peace with the unknown, and that's
that's where it really rests. Answers usually just come with confusion or more doubt.
And do it? How do I do what exist? Devote myself to
making it better for the next guy. What if the next guy doesn't care
and I did it right means they don't notice the difference means it's just good.
You can't just break the whole masquerade. Kannie, I know, So
what's your plan? I don't know yet. I have to think. And
that's the truth. I just wanted to know the options, and I wanted
to know. I wanted to know where the lunar Age and his coven stood.
No, he was testing us just as much as we were testing him.
Yeah, thank you? Are you crying? Yeah? Yeah, okay,
I'm gonna be gonna take my thumbs up and I'm gonna brush the blood
away from your face and I'll take my handkerchief out that Grimshaw didn't take,
and I'll just start wiping your tears away. You know what I know about
you? What kittens got claws. You're a fighter. You wun just let
someone use you. You wou and just let someone kill you. Whatever you
did, you had a reason saying that reason was right or wrong. I
don't even know if I really truly believe in that the way mortals do.
But it was enough for you to risk your life for, which is one
of the best qualities in kindred or mortal, or someone who cares enough and
is willing to devote their entire life. It's a powerful staff kit. I'm
not just coming out kiss her forehead's okay? Yeah? Ah, do you
know anyone named John D? I do? Well. I know of John
d right, like fucking yeah, I do. Okay, what do I
know about John de though, Josh? Because I know Sophia and Connie Lynes
are a little blurred for me at the moment. Yeah, that's fair enough.
Yeah, let's see, you've been around a while. I think I
was around when he moved around. Um in a sense, yes, so
yeah, I imagine you would know him in two contexts. Historical, he
was a member of a hermetic lodge, a hermetic order, and wanted to
talk to angels, learn the language of the heavens. You also know to
stay the fuck away from him. Yeah, okay, I think it is
fair to say, and I've been sitting on this for a while, that
this is the puzzle piece that clicks in my suspicion about you, because I
know that you were born a year ago the same night that the crazy angel
supposedly was summoned. And the moment you say John D, I'm like,
oh fuck? And so I yeah, So I think I visibly react to
this. My eyes widen and my lips part a little bit, and I
just look at you. What about John D? He killed me? I
feel like I took something from him. I don't know, I don't know
what it is. I have something of this somehow. I don't really understand
how he killed me and then I ended up in the ground. H Are
we talking John D? Or? Are we talking John D? John Dee?
Are there many John D's? Do you know what he looked like?
Do you remember what he looks like? Josh? You do? Mm hmm.
He was a uh it pulled old man the beard and uh I guess
war modern scholarly clothes like stereotypically betweed with the elbow patches. See, Okay,
I relate this back to them. Do you know I'm Grimshaw? No,
but I mean John is a pretty common name, and the pretty common.
But then there's John d the fucking warlock, witch whatever, up to
all sorts I am. I normally try to stay out of the journey,
but I have a really strong suspicion if you want to hear it. Yeah,
yeah, you're a part of my journey too. You know, I
don't mean stay out entirely. I just you died a year ago, right
as far as I know. Yeah, yeah, and a year ago supposedly
an angel was summoned, and that was famed John Dee's big goal. Right.
I think Faith summoned an angel. Now if that's true, why which
you're so unresponsive to prayer? Also, when I mentioned the signs, hey,
that kind of like nudge Faith in the shoulder with a fist. Yeah,
I guess I've lost my way. Well, we all lose our way
from time to time. Well, I know exactly where I come from,
and I know where I want to go, but I don't know how to
get there. So isn't that the same thing? We listen, we have
more important things at the moment, I think, I don't know kidding.
If you're wrapped up in all this, you might be way more connected than
we thought. Do we need to be worried about John Dee? Well?
Maybe I'm a spy for someone who wanted something. Remember who I told you?
I someone told me I was a spy. Maybe I just I come
in and I grab your face and I'm looking at you right in the eye.
No one can use you for something you don't want. Okay, You're
okay, You're not a spy, You're just you, okay. And I
don't know if I fucking believe that, but I am trying really hard to
make it seem like I believe it one hundred percent, just in case Grimshaw
is reading the room, which I'm sure he is. That's the only reason
why I say that effects between the three of us, I don't know what
if Yeah, okay, all right, I really want to make you do
a manipulation performance role because I know you've only got one dice THEEP. But
no, okay, I just yeah, I need her to have faith in
herself, and I don't. Yeah, so okay, we should we should
get back. I feel like we have some decisions to make him. I
can't make them for everybody. Yeah, all right, is he gone?
Oh yeah, I think so. Fuck. Sorry, no, no,
don't apologize, don't It's fine. He seemed very excited. So we can
talk to him another time. So we need to figure out if we can
even get blood or any of the stuff he needs. Yeah, do you
know who's I have no idea, but we at least have a lead,
right, you know, if it does, if it you know, if
we can use a child. Maybe Lake can help us with that. Okay,
I'll take my coat off and I'll put it around Faith's shoulders. Let's
go home, okay, all right, after you wattress, and after you
madam, madam fucking call me madam. I'm not a madam. I've never
been a madam. Be followers, Lord Grimshaw, okay, sir, Lord
Grahamshaw. And then we walk back to the We head back. Well,
the night proceeds, and I think this is a good place to end.
Yeah, jos felt right, fucking felt right. Yep. Wow, what
a fucking episode, dude, Jesus, I have so many questions for that
guy. It was so difficult Major's man, not even once, not even
once. I want to go first, muggles down there. It was you
know how fucking useful it is for me to play this mpath when there is
right play as good as that to reflect off of actually in my own human
Brad you know I say human my cold dead Brad heart was like, so
that was extremely useful. Yeah, I don't I'm not even going to discuss
it. I just want to put that out there straight away. It was
fucking awesome. I love how we started doing that now, like just to
tag in, I'm going, I'm going, I'm going, I'm going next
TB when she lost her ship on Darius and just like started screaming, oh
my god. And the fact that she was able to use that kids she
messed him up just in terms of like over here now, nope, over
here and gave him a dressing down and that was that was really great.
Good job. Thanks. Can I give my expat to something that word technically
wasn't on screen but was implied on because it's kind of the same thing.
Like that fight was really cool because you can see from hair up doesn't mean
it's not have legs. Oh is that what the point is for his joke?
Wow? And ruined us. She didn't even catch it either. They
were like jokes, and I'm like, he literally said it. We do
a lot of the time type things another. Yeah, if you ever see
me go hmm or or then that's not me thinking as a GM, that's
me trying to keep my ship together anyway. Sorry, yeah, sorry Tuesday,
Tuesday, No, no conversation there Tuesday. Sorry yeah, yeah,
sorry, yea related to the scene where Cannie kicks the ship out of me,
But she she fucking told me what to do. She basically made Darius
go to therapy with someone else who is being controlled by an abuser, And
it didn't happen on screen, but it was fully implied by this conversation we
had where we beat in the show. I don't admit it like that,
But he DMed me in the middle of the fucking show and was like,
did Connie just like try to put the two people together that had experienced a
similar thing? And I was like, yes, yes she did. So
I'm I'm like dming Tuesday, going, oh, okay, so we're hanging
out for three days? Is this and that, and my am slowly my
brain's going grinding the gears and I was like, I fucking bitch did this
and I thought it was very good. Yeah, it worked well. One
of it could have happened without my abuse. That's right. So you're welcome.
Good. So my actually goes to peeps. Wonderful. I have.
I have two I'm gonna be greedy today. The first is I was just
so excited to learn more about Connie and like her goals and that conversation with
with the Mage and how open she was and just like, sorry is happening.
Brad figured out who I am and he sent me a DM and I
was like, yes, that is who I am. And then he just
showed me your death day is my date of birth, my character's date of
birth. And I was like, holy fuck, that's what my reaction.
Yeah, oh my god, Yeah it's fucking weird. Yeah, okay,
I'm so sorry. Haunted. Yeah, just like seeing seeing Connie in that
discussion with the Mage and then hearing actually like really getting to hear how she
felt about about her goals and also the scene like right after with me where
that conversation happened, and hearing her like some of the lines that you dropped
were just unbelievable, and that was really incredible to see Connie and like what
she stands for and how like legitimately she stands for that, like truly and
honestly, and yeah, it was just super beautiful. I think I had
a really hard time with that because I, you know, personally, don't
know how I feel about you know, how can this is the thought that
I had. How can somebody who's lived that long still be fighting? I
just I genuinely I have no idea why, how how on earth you couldn't
give up? But then I thought, like, oh, she doesn't experience
aging the way we do. She doesn't experience time the way that I do.
And part of the reason why I think we give up is because we
get old and we go well, I tried, I only have what ten
twenty years left. I'm going to live them for myself. And when you
have a creature that doesn't really experience time in that way, then I think
it's actually kind of the opposite. Today, you know, it's like I
have all the time in the world. It will happen in my lifetime,
So yeah, time is not an issue. I don't care how long it
takes, Like, what is the point if you're not you know, working
towards it. I don't know. It's just it's just a weird concept that
it can happen in our lifetime and even if it doesn't happen in her lifetime,
like it's still worth it. Oh yeah, yeah crazy, she really
rang through. Yeah. And then also it's another selfish thing because it was
like an interaction with me, but Grimshaw with trying to June all my sow
goer that fucking speech, bro, I literally meditated while you were doing that.
I was like, okay, cool, like I'm literally at peace now.
By is at peace now? Yeah, like Miranda's chill. So yeah,
it was just like beautifully said and beautifully done. It was very poetic
and lovely. Anyway, that's it for me. Yeah, that was what
he was trying to do. Also, that's why when he was first introduced
to I think he was introduced as a doctor. I think because I guess
Jack has seen him do that, you know, yeah, Jack, Jack
has if not seen you do it, intuited what you do. Yeah,
yeah, that's what he does. It's probably pretty rough him though today mm
hmm. Yeah, I'll be honest, fucking love playing majors. I would
just like to shout out here age because he was very enjoyable and very like
up you know, upbeat kind of character, a little quirky, like,
oh, I'm so excited to be sitting here, and you know what do
you prefer to be called? Yeah? Exactly. This is fun at child
the reflection vibe off of him, because he was inturiting me while I was
trying to chout him, and it was like, and there was something particular
about where we sat by the way, and I'm freaking out about it as
Connie and I almost I almost was going to do something, but then and
then he was like, I just want to make sure that I can see
all the exits and stuff. And then so this is how I did it
Ingram Show. He went, oh, yeah, man, totally, yeah,
I know how you feel. And then I didn't. I was going
to do my heightened senses ability, which is like a true heightened senses thing
where I can kind of go hear everything really clearly and stuff. It was
literally about to do that to just see if there was anyone in the room
or if this did feel like a trap and then he just went He literally
said like the like the magic words for Grimshaw that was like, I just
want to make sure that you know there's an exit there and I can get
over here. And Grimshaw was like, yeah, cool, dudelet's chill brouh.
I pat it off of him kind of, but I don't know what
his deal is, but it felt like he was like reading us cold,
reading us in the way that No accidentally does a little bit. Yeah he
is. I want to keep it mysterious, so I will what he can
do. I can tell you what he does once the campaign is over,
but for the moment, I want to keep it mysterious because majors are so
weird that they can literally transform reality to whatever they want depending on what their
abilities are. Yeah. Does that mean Peep's point goes to the Madge keep
giving me xp its going to get stronger? Well, yeah, no.
I I just wanted to Crops that I would like to give my experience point
to Mars because the breakdown, I had to avoid looking at your cam.
I had to make eye contact here because you would have made me cry in
real life. Gave that Pine you got to pick another one before then because
she had one before I had to Yeah, it seemed right before she started
crying, and then right after yep, marks it was very good. It
was so good. I was distraught. I'm so glad my cam was off
because I didn't have to pretend. Yeah, also so rough never mind what
I'm just wondering if we Nope, never mind. I don't know, and
I don't want to say it because it might make you realize something. So
I'm just going to shut the fuck up. Is there a recovery room?
Maybe it's something for the recovery room? Yeah? Maybe, speaking of where
is that? Unless Josh is doing it, Unless Josh wants to do you
want to do it, I will be around to join. But you can
do it. You can. It's fine, are you sure? Okay,
Brad's gonna be there tomorrow too. What yep? Really? Okay, come
on down to doesn't come on down to myrgles? What's dot slash myrgles?
That's what? And I even though it sounded like she said its yep,
We're put my after care question forward now and you lot can discuss it.
Okay, how would you role play Grimshaw in that moment? Because I went,
oh, I don't know what I'm supposed to do here, because he
does get bombed by like how she feels, but he also wants to make
her feel better. So Connie was like, oh no, it's okay doing
the thing like this is out of the other Grimshaw wants to do, but
also feels how she feels. So he's also like, yeah, you know
what, life fucking sucks. Who even am I? What am I doing?
But he's also like, man, I feel so I want to help.
I want to help, So he doesn't, you know, it's rough,
And also also he has to stand there and be like, don't cry,
don't cry, don't cry for real, they're going to eat you.
Yeah, I imagine he's imagine he's gotten quite good at the don't cry,
don't cry, or they're going to eat you. That's your question for you.
Yeah, I was just curious how you can do it. I know
how I interpreted it. I didn't obviously do anything like so over on the
in the scene that you might know, but I know in my head what
was going through side from fucking tell Connie you know who she is? Like
yeah, wait, hold on, I just need to double check grim Sean
knows. Yeah, Brad knows and knows that's what he's. When he said
madam, he was like, I know who you are. That's what that
was. Yeah, And that's why she was like I've never Yeah. She
was like I've never met and he went really and she was like superhero names.
Yeah, but you know we're we're hey, yeah, you know what
we are. Leech that title drop was so good, Okay, I didn't
know the answer to it until you asked me that question. Oh my god.
Like funny as well because it reveals so much weirdly about them sitting around
in their cover and being like the leeches. Tonight they dug up a body
and then it killed lots of people. Leech Dash, where can we find
you? Yeah, on the internet, YouTube dot com, slash Strange Adventures,
and Twitch on TV slash. That's that's one, thank you, Thank
you TV. Yes, big big episode of stitch Fate just dropped. Not
emotionally devastating for me at all. Oh, we're gonna go listen to I'm
glad. I'm glad it wasn't emotion I can't wait to hear you week.
Well, that's why he's like, oh, it was emotionally destroyed me and
we're all like, let's go watch it immediately like what else? Then someone
else role players are look at this fucked up video. I first, oh
no, all right, bye U