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Post by Strigus on Sept 2, 2018 2:33:39 GMT
Intelligence 3 (temporary -1 from the alcohol) + Streetwise 0 at difficulty 4 to follow his mental map liJFRk0Gp_p_p_
Clyde walked proudly down the dock. Indeed, he was so triumphant that all the homeless gathered around the fire gave him a strange look, save one who gave him a wink. Rather than wonder what that might have meant, though, his mind was focused on the yellow door. He knew exactly where it was, too, almost as though he had been there a thousand times.
Even so, it was a labyrinthine walk there. This Sarah White, whoever she was, had chosen a good hiding spot, in the midst of the old shoreline which had been built over time and time again. As Clyde turned right, right, left, right, down increasingly narrow streets, he couldn't help but feel pity for her situation, being driven into hiding. This was a downside of his mental map being so complete- he didn't think at all as he walked, on autopilot, to the abandoned warehouse. He wondered if he'd be able to find his way back as easily, but just as that concern was raised he stood before the warehouse, matching how it had looked in his mind exactly. And there, just in front of him, was the yellow door, the paint still oddly bright in contrast to the general disrepair of the area. ··
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Post by Clyde Maddick on Sept 4, 2018 6:34:54 GMT
Clyde stood in front of the door with apprehension. He had no idea how many people lived with this Sarah White. Had she formed a coterie of fellow fledglings to hide with? Did she seek defense and solace in numbers? Clyde had no answers to these questions--but the door might--yeah the door might--ask mellow yellow over there--it knows who goes--it sure does--a door does do what a door does do who passes through is what a door does know for that is what a door does do--what--why did you say that--I thought I was poetic--no you sound like a maniac--I don't sound like clyde--
The voices continued to chatter as Clyde approached the door and placed his hand upon it, reaching out with the spirit's touch. Tell me who has used you, passed here. Who makes this place home?
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Post by Strigus on Sept 4, 2018 9:00:49 GMT
Rolling Spirit's Touch, the Auspex 3 power: Perception (4) + Empathy (3) AbP41o9cp_p_p_p_p_p_p_Damn, that's some tough luck. Not a botch, at least! Putting his hand on the door, Clyde closed his eyes and concentrated. At first, it was unclear what to concentrate on, so he simply emptied his mind- as best he could with it's guests talking- and tried to sense around him. Then he felt a vague rhythm, and honing in on it, it was almost as though the door had a heartbeat. His mind sank deeper and deeper into a trancelike state as he focused more and more, until he began seeing images in his mind's eyes. At first, there was a woman. And then a man. And then another woman. Then a group of several people. Man. Men. Woman. Man. Three women. Man. Four women and two men. Two women and two men.
The pattern stretched on and on, until Clyde realized he was seeing the impressions of everyone who had ever touched the door. Based on the wear of the building, and indeed the street in general, that was a great many people stretching through a long period of time. Daphne had taught him the power, and he had used it only once before under her tutelage. Then, he had been able to focus on the strength and intensity of the image. Stronger images were more recent, and more intense images belonged to those who had interacted with the object more. Perhaps he was forgetting some crucial step, or perhaps the age of the door and number of images was simply drowning out his focus, but he couldn't make out any difference in the images. He had no way of knowing who had spent their whole lives in the warehouse and who had simply entered once on a visit. Perhaps more relevantly, he couldn't tell if a face was from one day ago or from a hundred years. [/p] ······
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Post by Clyde Maddick on Sept 4, 2018 17:21:02 GMT
If Clyde couldn't get information from the door itself, he might be able to get it from his own senses. Sarah would probably be awake right now. If so, she would either be out hunting, or she would be inside. Clyde honed in on his sense of hearing, listening at the door, trying to hear people inside the building. The wind became loud, and the voices in his head seemed to quiet as he focused on his aural perception. using auspex 1 to focus on sense of sound.
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Post by Strigus on Sept 5, 2018 8:19:54 GMT
Run of the mill listening. I'm going to say difficulty 8, as Clyde is listening for presumably normal living sounds (walking around, private conversation) that won't stick out, and is doing so through a wall into a spacious, empty warehouse. So Auspex brings that down to 5, and you roll Perception 4 + Alertness 0: xXoBvY0Gp_p_p_p_ And you succeed! [/spoiler][/p]
Putting his head to the yellow door, Clyde closed his eyes and focused on his hearing. The building had at least two inhabitants, one voice feminine and one masculine, and they were discussing something. Initially, it was too quiet to pick up on, but as he focused more his Auspex grew stronger, until he could make out the voices.
"...too many orphans," the masculine voice concluded.
"It's the right thing to do, Bruce. Where would we be if someone hadn't offered a little help?" the feminine responded.
"I'm not arguing that. But you need to look after yourself before you can help others. You don't want to spread yourself too thin. And you certainly don't want to attract unwanted attention, especially after Boston."
"It's sweet that you worry, but I'm fine. We're safe here. No one knows about this place except us." ···
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Post by Clyde Maddick on Sept 5, 2018 22:02:10 GMT
After Boston, Clyde thought. So this probably was Sarah, and she certainly wasn't making this easy on Clyde. She sounded like she was helping people, orphans at that. Perhaps she referred to other stray Kindred, Childer of the unknown and clanless. Perhaps human orphans, the victims of vampiric slaughter. Either way she seemed to be helping the disenfranchised. Killing a caring spirit would not be easy.
Besides, he had no in. He had found her, yes, but they assumed themselves hidden. If he were to barge in right now he would most certainly be treated with suspicion, or perhaps downright aggression. They must be worried that the Camarilla had sent a hitman after them. They wouldn't have hidden in this utterly labyrinthine mess had they not wanted to stay away from the prying eyes of the tower.
--feign ignorance--you're a hobo--you just need a place to stay the night--go for it--just kill em--you can take them--scream songs of madness--use us--hey maybe you should hear them out--they don't sound too bad--she must be lonely--
Clyde had so many options, but he couldn't reasonably act without knowing more. Being the haven of a vampire, the likelihood that there would be windows to spy through was slim. But then again they didn't have many options, and might have chosen a hideout in haste. Clyde decided to move around the building, searching for another entrance, or perhaps a hastily boarded up window, to spy through. If he could see their auras and find a better place to listen from, he would be able to act.
--coward--just kill her--quit stalling--
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Post by Strigus on Sept 6, 2018 9:08:58 GMT
Clyde rolls Perception and Alertness to find an entrance: BNEn2Ve_p_p_p_p_Clyde also rolls Dexterity and Stealth to avoid detection: p_p_p_p_p_ Opposed by the two inside: Woman: p_p_p_
Man:p_p_p_p_p_
Clyde succeeds all rolls. Well done!
Clyde's intuitions were correct, and he could quickly tell that all the windows had been boarded over, though it was difficult to say whether this was from the new nocturnal inhabitants or if it had occurred when the warehouse was abandoned. There were many entrances, however. Some were large garage doors that now were to close to other buildings for their intended use. Others were smaller employee entrances, in various states of disrepair. As he crept toward the riverside, he even managed to find one such door that had a large portion completely missing, providing him with a view inside. Further, even if the door was locked, he could no doubt reach inside and manually unlock it himself, so he had found a potential entry point as well. [/p] ················
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Post by Clyde Maddick on Sept 7, 2018 5:18:59 GMT
Clyde rushed blood through his body, color filling his checks, breath entering his lungs. He felt cold again in the night air, an echo of the mortal he used to be. If he were accidentally caught, he would masquerade as a homeless man who found his way inside, simply by mistake. As long as they didn't suspect him as kindred he would have the upper hand, able to use his powers upon them. The art of Dementation could be subtle if employed correctly, and so Clyde planned to worm into Sarah's mind before striking at her body. It would be best to first gain as much intelligence as possible while unseen, however. Clyde honed in on his hearing, trying to catch any sudden stops in discussion as he reached in to unlock the door and make his way inside. He needed to see the inside of the building for himself. There could be mortals sleeping within, or perhaps many more silent kindred. He hoped to catch a glimpse, unnoticed, of the two people talking inside. A chance to read their aura's, or even catch more of their conversation, would be welcome insight into the sticky situation, if he could manage to pull it off. Clyde spends blood to look more human
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Post by Strigus on Sept 7, 2018 8:49:39 GMT
Down to 12 BP. Rolling stealth again to get into the building proper, this time at difficulty 5 for you since the door is so easy to open and you've moved behind them. V8Afq7I_p_p_p_p_p_ Well done! Won't bother rolling for the female, but the male might be able to tie: p_p_p_p_p_ Nope. I'm gonna go ahead and say you can just hear them chat. But aura reading is Perception (4) + Empathy (3) at Difficulty 8, and I assume you want to check out both subjects: Female: p_p_p_p_p_p_p_p_ Well done! 4 successes. Her aura is Pink and White, which are dulled. Beyond the colors, you fully understand that she's both generally and right now Compassionate, Innocent, and, most importantly, a Vampire. Male:p_p_p_p_p_p_p_ Also a pass, with 2 successes. Orange and light green, with dulled patches throughout. A ghoul, who is afraid and distrustful. You can't be certain if those are general qualities, like in the woman, or just how he's currently feeling. [/p]
Clyde lurked into the building, feeling a bit of warmth as his blood was forced to his skin, giving a lively appearance. Not healthy, exactly, but that wouldn't be too surprising for a homeless man. At least he wouldn't look corpselike, especially to those who might know what that meant.
The precaution, fortunately, proved unnecessary as he opened the door. He was worried it might creak and give away his position, but despite it's age and poor shape it silently slid open, and Clyde in turn silently slid in. Once inside, a quick glance around showed no signs of life (or unlife) beyond the two he already knew of. Taking that as a chance to creep closer, he moved to the doorway of the room they were in, and listened intently.
"Look, Sarah, I don't mean to sound heartless. But you weren't around them as long as I was. And you didn't see what I did- I was their loving slave, after all, they didn't have to hide anything from me. They have powers beyond our understanding. And if we keep sticking our necks out, even for a good cause, it'll attract notice, and they'll be able to spy on us without our ever knowing they're here."
Sarah sighed, pausing for a moment, before saying, "I'm sure you saw a lot of awful things as their slave, Bruce. But I saw plenty of awful things in my short time among them. Your slavery was one of them. Imagine if I had just left you in that state?" Bruce shuddered. "That's the state these orphans are in. Lost. Confused. Most of them don't even know what they are. And those psychos are going to kill them, one by one, because of some apocalypse cult? They almost got me for the same reason! If I leave them to die, I'm no better than they are." ························
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Post by Clyde Maddick on Sept 8, 2018 4:15:12 GMT
So this was Sarah. A compassionate soul who was trying to save orphans from a doomsday cult. What the fuck is going on... Clyde thought to himself as he spied upon the two people talking. He didn't know what to do about this. Sarah White was clearly a good person, perhaps even an altruist, who didn't believe that innocent people needed to suffer, and here Clyde was, a premeditative murderer, tasked to kill her, an innocent person. This Bruce had been enslaved, in Boston moreover, where she had earned the ire of the prince there. Perhaps they had fled for a reason. Perhaps the prince of Boston had a dark secret that they were running from, and perhaps Picot was helping him cover it up.
--maybe you've learned a little too much--yeah shouldn't you just kill her now--be honest clyde you can't do this--turn her into an art piece--she doesn't deserve that--something fishy is up with picot--you wanna know what's up don'cha--you wan--
Maybe they're right. Will killing her be easier if I just do it now? I don't have the power to, though. I need to talk with her.
Clyde was not a fighter. And with two of them, there was no way he could take them on alone. His assassination would have to be subtle if it was to work. Or perhaps his curiosity simply stayed his blade.
"Um, excuse me? Who's there? Is this an... uh, an alright place to stay? It's fuckin cold out there and I don't wanna be outside till morning comes and... Oh. I'm interrupting something aren't I?" Clyde put on a timid façade, trying to ease the suspicions of the people he was spying on. He would have to get close eventually, and now was as good a time as any. Playing the helpless vagrant might subtly manipulate her compassion into letting him stay with them. If the opportunity felt right, he would reveal himself as Caitiff Kindred too, in order to invoke even more pity. And, maybe, just maybe, he would find out what the fuck was going on.
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Post by Strigus on Sept 8, 2018 4:33:27 GMT
Manipulation + Subterfuge bFqhgU3sp_p_p_p_p_ Crushed it
Even so, Sarah rolls Auspex. Can't be too careful in her position: p_p_p_p_p_p_p_p_ [/p]
"The cold is bothering you, you say?" Sarah asked, with a smirk. As she spoke, Bruce moved himself between her the Clyde.
"Yes, you are. Now get out!" he barked, crossing his arms.
"Oh, Bruce, relax. He's one of us."
"And that makes you feel better about this? Are you insane? How'd you find us?" Bruce moved toward Clyde, towering over him.
"Come on, look at him. He's fresh meat. He might not even know what 'one of us' means." Stepping forward herself, and putting a hand on Bruce's shoulder, she addressed Clyde directly, "Well, do you? My name's Sarah, and this is Bruce." ············
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Post by Clyde Maddick on Sept 8, 2018 4:54:30 GMT
Well there goes my homeless mortal bit, Clyde thought as he tried to remain composed in light of her ability to see through his attempt to appear mortal.
"Wait... you... you know what I am? Are you, are you like me with the... um the..." Clyde motioned with his middle and index finger in front of his mouth, indicating teeth, making exaggerated chomping motions with his jaws. "Am I that bad at hiding it? I tried to do it... better you know? No one taught me how I... I just... I just kinda figured out, you know? The um, usual people don't freak out as much when I do the... I don't really know how to describe it..."
Clyde knew he appeared mortal at this point. It was clear to him that she had similar powers to him, the ability to perceive and detect aura's and states of being. If so she could probably tell he was lying at the moment, despite his act. No reason to drop it though. It would be best to come off as a Sireless Caitiff, for no vampiric discipline could directly discern the truth.
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Post by Strigus on Sept 8, 2018 5:09:52 GMT
"You look very mortal, don't worry. I can just sense people. I can tell that you're like me, a Kindred, and I can tell you're worried, but you needn't be. You came to the right place."
"Jesus, Sarah. It's one thing teaching the others to hide, but a Vamp walks right into our hiding spot and you take it at face value?" Bruce stepped forward again, brushing off her hand.
"You'll have to forgive Bruce. He's a ghoul, not a vampire, so he has a distrust of us. But we all have our gifts, Bruce. I can see auras. Perhaps he can find his way to safety."
"There's no such Discipline, Sarah."
"Are you certain? They didn't tell me anything, that's for sure. Did they tell you everything?"
Bruce paused for a moment, then seemed to relax, if only a little. "Maybe. Well, kid, you can't blame me for being careful. And you shouldn't trust others of your kind either. The older vamps don't trust the younger, think that the existence of so called 'thin-bloods' means the apocalypse is coming, so they'll try to kill you just for existing."
Sarah nodded. "I had hoped to ease you into it, but it's true. You're welcome to stay with us tonight, while we get you up to speed. Tomorrow morning, Bruce can scout out a good hiding spot for you while we sleep, then we can bring you there tomorrow night?" She pulled out a cellphone, and said, "Let's exchange numbers too, before I forget. You'll still want to text in code, nothing overt about vampires, but the Elders are behind the times, so they don't watch over texts quite like they do everything else."
"Getting buddy-buddy real quick there, Sarah," Bruce scoffed, resuming his mistrust. "He might be Caitiff, but keeping him under this roof isn't a good idea. No offense," he offered casually to Clyde. "We should find a new place once he's gone."
"Oh relax, Bruce. So, what do you know, Mr..." Sarah asked.
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Post by Clyde Maddick on Sept 10, 2018 19:35:01 GMT
"Maddick. Um, about the killing for no reason, the older ones do that? How do you know if you have... 'Thin Blood?'" This was news to Clyde. He knew that he was of a lower generation than most vampires, but by no means did he consider that a sign of any status. Some paranoid elders thought it was ok to axe off vampires of low generation because of some apocalyptic dogma? This didn't make any sense at all. These elders didn't gain any wisdom with age but instead went crazy! And for a crazy person to think that simply indicated just how stupid this apocalyptic idea was.
Did Picot ascribe to this apocalyptic notion? Was the death of Sarah White part of a fanatical crusade instigated by a man who's mind was lost to time? Was the Camarilla a tower built on the backs of the lowest, only for the weakest to be destroyed for the whims of madmen posing as royalty?
"And, H-How many of the 'Older Ones' are there? Are they gonna try and kill me? Have they tried to kill you?"
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Post by Strigus on Sept 13, 2018 12:24:43 GMT
Sarah's went blank for a moment, before exchanging a glance with Bruce. Looking back at Clyde, she replied, "Well, it's all kind of relative, I'm afraid. As best I can tell, Thin Blood is a political term as much as a physical one. But usually they can't embrace, are of high generation, have trouble learning the disciplines, things like that. Of course, most young vampires won't know how hard learning a discipline is, or what generation they are, and certainly won't have tried to embrace, so it's a bit hard to tell. Most are also abandoned by their sires, which is the political part, so they won't know any of it.
"As for the other questions, I have no idea, sorry. I got the impression there weren't many old ones, certainly not as many as younger ones, but I couldn't even guess at a number. And they may try to kill you, they may not. Do you know your sire? If you were abandoned immediately, that's actually a good sign- your sire probably doesn't want anyone to know he made you, so if you lay low then no one will know you're around. I've helped quite a few vampires in your shoes, Maddick, and the ones that keep to themselves and don't already have a target on their backs can usually hide out pretty well.
"The ones with a target, not so much. If they know you're around and want to get rid of you, they'll come for you. They've been trying to kill me- my sire decided I was a thin blood after I failed to progress fast enough and abandoned me. If Bruce here hadn't told me he overheard plans to kill me, I'd probably be dead. We jumped cities, and even then I'm not sure how long until they figure out where we are."
"Hell, maybe they know already," Bruce interjected.
"Maybe. But until they find us, we're going to keep helping the other thin bloods we find, then keep jumping south. We'll be leaving Providence before too long, actually, so you came at just the right."
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