PrP TRoS The Longship

[Scourge]

The Freeport Bridge cross the Sacramento River, a blocky 650 foot span of riveted green metal and concrete pylons with a large counter weight suspended above the traffic that allows the bridge to raise on a hinge if needed. The east bank has a gentle slope leading up to some railway tracks, a boulevard, and eventually a golf course. It also has covered structure on its banks where a dozen boats are anchored. The western shore (the direction of the Crone Farm) is steep and covered in thick underbrush up to the road on that side, along with a couple houses interspersed here and there on the far side of the road.

Continued from PrP TRoS The Mother of Grendel...

The group will be coming from the north. Let me know which side of the river you are parking on.

[Milton]

Milton, with Jennifer Hazelton and her ghoul, Liam, as his passengers, approaches the location provided by Edward.

On their drive over, they'd decided to start their search on the side of the river nearest the Crone Farm as it is now clear that the raiders have, in fact, decided to hold their sacrifice at that location. It only makes sense, then, that they would anchor their boat close to their destination.

Milton is driving right at the speed limit, trying to divide his attention between the road and the river, looking (with heightened vision) for any sign of the vessel before he parks.

"Do either of you see the boat?" He asks, clearly focused on the task before them.

Spot that boat, 2 successes

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-09-12 15:46:03	Milton rolls 3 to Wits + Composure (10 Again)	8, 1, 9	2 successes

Note: I added a -2 modifier to the perception role given the conditions. Please feel free to subtract more if necessary.
Equipment: Generic .40 S&W Autoloader Handgun (supplied by Connor O'Brien, Full-sized car, smart phone, wallet with cash.

[Jennifer Hazelton]

Jennifer leaned out to study the area, her dark brown eyes scanning for a ship. Or anything that could be linked to the Rotgraften at all. The Nosferatu is quiet as she focuses. If she does spot something, she shall be prompt in sharing it with Milton. Milton can see that Jennifer shrugs her black leather backpack into her lap and pulls out a high end camera. She aims the digital camera over the water, scanning where she would imagine a boat to be. The wonders of the Embrace and the twisted tangle of ghouled servitude meant that the group could theoretically attempt to disembark away from mortal eyes. Or perhaps they anticipated the Kindred of the Domaint to look for them?
"I'll let you know." She assures in her Cursed voice.

3 successes

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-09-12 17:57:09	Jennifer Hazelton rolls 6 to Wits + Composure (10 Again)	9, 6, 4, 9, 3, 9	3 successes

Equipment

On Jennifer's person
A ‘go bag’ of a small leather backpack consisting of flash light, mace canister, emergency escape tool (seat belt cutter and window breaker), Surveillance equipment: binoculars and digital camera that records with long range lens
The fixed blade black combat knife & belt sheath
Bowie Knives 2L 1J Cost **
Reinforced Leather trench coat tailored for Jennifer (reinforced sections over forearms, biceps, obliques)
Burner phone
Wallet with 100$ in small bills, $200 hidden in side slot
Liam's person: Bowie Knife Cost **
Beretta Model 92 (9mm Luger), holster for Liam
Reinforced Suit for Ghoul, Liam (reinforced sections over forearms, biceps, obliques)
Comb, wallet with $, phone, hancherchief, zip ties

[Scourge]

They both see it. Sense it.

The Beast knows another if it isn't hidden. Even at a glance. A sound even.

You can both see it from across the river. A shadow on the boat. Barely even a human figure, but it doesn't matter. It reeks of the taint. And from the sudden movement of its head, it has sensed you as well. Moored near the bridge.

Jennifer

And behind it, as you work to force you beast down, is another humanoid shadow. Ghoul? Obfuscation? You are not sure. Just that someone else is on the boat with the Kindred.

3 successes

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-09-12 22:02:12	PrP ST rolls 5 to Wits+Comp (10 Again)	6, 10, 9, 8, 7, 4	3 successes

[Milton]

It hits Milton like a ton of bricks. And he can't help it: a sharp intake of air between clench teeth. A hiss. As if he's touched something hot without expecting it.

"There," Milton says, nodding in the direction of the boat. Knowing full well that Jennifer can feel it too. "I'm going to keep driving for now. They've surely seen us, but perhaps we can pretend not to've spotted them and then circle back." This would also give them time to formulate a plan.

At that moment, his phone buzzes. A text from Edward. Milton glances down at the screen, back at the road. Clearly thinking. "Mr Heinrich," he announces. "They've located our visitors at the Farm. He requests immediate assistance." A glance at Jennifer, questioning. She's the ranking member in the domain. What would she prefer? Boat or farm?

Any indication as to whether the Beast in question inspires fear or aggression in Milton (1 BP)? Also, to be clear, is the boat on the Crone side of the river (where they are), or the opposite side?

[Jennifer Hazelton]

Jennifer aimed her camera at the boat moored near the bridge and quickly took pictures. The distortion from the Embrace would likely hold true, yet it was concrete evidence of the boat and the markings on it. Jennifer notices the second figure and frowns. What was that? An elder cloaking themselves? Some new Rotgraften nightmare?
Jennifer knew that she did not have to wonder long. The Nosferatu strummed her Discipline, looking with the gift of aura perception towards this strange creature and the Kindred. What would she see?
"There is some sort of second figure. Perhaps an obscurred figure?"

"The fight could be over by the time we get there." Jennifer replied. It could be over in minutes. "Did he give an indication on numbers?"
She expected that Mable would be in attendance on the Farm. That would place Mable, Dirt Nap, Connor and Edward at the farm. Thinking back at the confrontation at the church, those were fair odds versus the raiders. Milton and Jennifer could do good work here at the boat, preventing the raiders from continuing a swath of wanton violence along the coast line. Yet even as Jennifer was mounting a logical reason for Milton and Jennifer staying and striking at this mystery figure, she found that she did not want to. She had allies fighting at the Farm.

"I recommend that we join the group at the Farm. We are a team." A team and Edward, yet she was no fairweather friend.
"I will alert the Seneschal to the boats location. Perhaps he has someone to dispatch. I will alert Connor as well." Freeing Milton to focus on driving, if he agreed.

3 successes

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-09-13 14:18:56	Jennifer Hazelton rolls 8 to Auspex 2 (Aura perception) (10 Again)	4, 4, 7, 8, 10, 3, 5, 8, 7	3 successes

[Milton]

A second figure? "I only saw the one," but that means nothing. The Kindred are creatures of the night with myriad ways to hide in the darkness.

Milton shakes his head, "No indication. Just a message for immediate assistance," Milton replies, continuing to drive.

"As you wish, Lady Notary," Milton replies, acquiescing to Jennifer's will. He is no warrior in either event, so her assessment of their situation holds more weight than his.

He punches the Farm's location into his GPS and takes the first available turn to head in the new direction. As Jennifer makes her call to Jacque, he quickly fires off a text to Edward.

I will hold off on making a post into the Crone Farm thread until the call with Jacque is concluded. Sound good?

[Scourge]

The camera flashed in the night’s light. Still, distance, poor lighting, movement from the car she was in, and the boat they were on… it was tough to say what was curse and what was natural blurring.

BP 2 from the tainted figure.

You are on the side of the river closest to the Crone farm. The west side. The boat and figure is on the east bank among the anchorage building.

The Crone Farm is almost directly west of you, though the GPS requires taking a rather large loop since otherwise you would be going through fields and woods to get there.

And time is a bit wonky right now. Feel free to post in the Crone Farm while getting ahold and talking with Jack.

Jennifer

Through the eyes of auspex, she can see the tainted one’s aura is a pale orange, the other figure’s a weak and muted light blue.

Wits+Occult or Expression to determine photo blurring.

[Jennifer Hazelton]

Jennifer stared across the river at the ship, studying that weak and muted color. Weak and muted tigged at the memories at the recesses of her mind. In a moment, the associated color arose.
"The first one is afraid," She speaks to Milton. The phone is near her face so Jack can hear what she says, yet she does not want to make Mr. Northbridge feel excluded. It was intriquing to Jennifer. She was a scholar, slight of frame. Yet the Kindred raider could possibly believe her to be like her Grace, lethal packaged in a lithe package. That could be the reason for fear.

The calm. That damnable calm was frightening. Was the one dominating so severe that the victim was abused with no sense of self preservation? No fear? Or were they so old or capable that they were not afraid while some of their number were out slaughtering for their gods.
"Currently, it is only Mr. N and myself here. We were about to support Edward. I don't have a name. Simply someone around my age. He has someone with him who was shy, yet I pierced his shell. That one is the most worrisome of all. Due to their calm nature and the fact that I believe them to be Dominated."

The scholar looked down at the screen of the camera, trying to decipher if the lens had deteched anything of use. After it was determined, Jennifer slipped the camera into its case and back into the leather pack.

2 successes

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-09-13 20:47:10	Jennifer Hazelton rolls 6 to TRoS Occult (10 Again)	2, 8, 2, 4, 1, 8	2 successes

[Scourge]

Jennifer

Hazelton knows enough... had seen enough... the second figure IS human. Both are blurred but she can tell where the curse ends and normal camera difficulties begin. For as she had recommended... who better to hold fire while calm than a Kine servant?