(On The Trail) First Steps II

[Chrisie]

Chase Ankers Vassagon

This Plot thread follows directly from: http://nwod.org/forum/showthread.php...il-First-Steps and http://nwod.org/forum/showthread.php...eeting-insight The question is: will Chase investigate too, or simply let it go?

The Governor's Mansion.

The haunted and historic Governor's Mansion.



Marty was driving. Dan and Todd had shared the disappointment that Ashley had failed to show up. So they had sat in silence and gone through the bags of kit to make sure everyone had everything they might need.

Marty parked his old 2005 Malibu close to the Mansion. Keeping it ready in case they needed to make a quick getaway.

He was pleased that they'd managed to think about disguising the licence plate. They had agreed that CCTV was everywhere!

The tense car ride was over.

They all smiled to each other.

Marty turned to his friends, "Okay, guys...you ready?"

They nodded.

[Chase Ankers]

Chase parked his car at the Ubiquity lot a few blocks away. He wouldn't need it and he didn't want to look conspicuous, attracting the attention of any police patrol cars or even the so called Urban Explorers. He wore a slim hoodie that covered the sides of his face, jeans, sneakers, and carried a fully charged laptop in a carrying case, the strap crossing over his chest to hang on his shoulder. He never left home without it and he didn't know how 'Tunnel Ninja' expected to enter the building. For now he had just decided to observe the Urban Explorers, researching their methods and maybe even documenting it with his webcam attachment.

He had come up with the idea himself many months ago, to infiltrate the Governor's Historical Mansion, and had even been inside during the first city tour, that Martha Villiers and Danielle Sage hosted. Still, Chase wasn't much for taking unnecessary risks, which had stayed his hand until now, but a Dragon does value their observations and perhaps it could yield to safer methods of trespassing.

Nevertheless, the Lord appears on site, bordering the edge of the mansion at the appointed time according to the forum member, 'Tunnel Ninja'. He tried to remain hidden while observing the front of the mansion.

Rolls

  Not very stealthy, failure

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2013-03-06 13:36:32		Chase rolls 3 to approach the mansion silently and concealed [Dex-1(untrained)] (10 Again)		1, 1, 2		failure

  Somewhat Observant, 3suxx

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2013-03-06 13:37:44		Chase rolls 5 to observe the mansion from his position [Wits+Comp] (10 Again)		5, 5, 5, 9, 10, 8		3 successes

[Chrisie]

Chase's efforts at observation are soon rewarded.

As he made his study of the scene Chase can spy two figures at an upper side window on the second floor. The window appears to be open and a black clad figure can be seen helping to lift another black clad figure into the window.

The window, he realizes, would be concealed from obvious view from the main street.

It's a well chosen entry point.

There are floodlighting illuminations on the front elevation of the building to show off the elegant architecture, so this window is also thrown into sharp shadow. It was his expert eye that spotted their movement at the window.

The figure being hoisted into the window appears to be wearing a sturdy backpack.

[Chase Ankers]

Hmm, that seems a rather simplistic method, thought the watchful neonate as he placed his hand gently against his cheek. Chase hadn't had a chance to visit the building's upstairs, nor did he have an idea about the security in place on those upper windows. Certainly it was a fine entry point. Chase would have been likely to overlook the figures if he had not been looking for them. He felt strangely excited though, in witnessing these Kine and their criminal trespassing. How easy it would be to phone the police and ruin their evening. Or even more exciting if he should join them in their escapade.

After some internal debate, Chase allotted for the latter option and flushed himself with the semblance of life, feeling his cheeks come alive with rosy heat and altering his skin's pigment. The predator in him wished to stalk these explorers, to witness their deeds from the shadows. If he were discovered he could easily use the forums he discovered as an excuse for his presence.

Chase circled around the property away from the floodlights, his eyes darting between the window and his surroundings, taking a tally of everything's position in relation to himself. He would follow 'Tunnel Ninja', waiting for them to proceed further before attempting to scale the side of the mansion's wall himself.

[Chrisie]

By the time Chase's patrol of the building and it's narrowly confined grounds is done the Tunnel Ninja and his team are lost from sight inside the property. Though the window they've used remains open...if only very slightly. Mere inches. From a casual glance, it would appear fully closed.

There is a silence about the property.

[Chase Ankers]

Chase moves closer to the building, into the property until he reaches the exterior wall of the building. He looked up at the upper window they used to enter and then prepares a route in his mind for how to achieve the same path to access it. Chase carefully places his hands and foot on whatever grip or ledge he can find and beings to climb the wall. At first he can't seem to lift himself up, falling back down to the grassy lawn. But the neonate reevaluates and tries a different approach, taking his time with the effort.

  Climbing Extended, 6suxx, 3minutes

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2013-03-12 17:36:06		[03] Chase rolls 3 to climb the mansion wall [Str+Ath] (10 Again)		10, 9, 8, 9		4 successes
2013-03-12 17:36:06		[02] Chase rolls 3 to climb the mansion wall [Str+Ath] (10 Again)		8, 10, 7, 6		2 successes
2013-03-12 17:36:06		[01] Chase rolls 3 to climb the mansion wall [Str+Ath] (10 Again)		6, 4, 3		failure

[Chrisie]

Chase gets to the window. It's propped open with two small door wedges. It would, as he suspected, pass for closed to a casual inspection.

Once he's secure, Chase can easily get the window open. The corridor on the other side of the window is seemingly empty of guard or Explorers.

The corridor is quiet. Well furnished. It is a corridor with several small tables against the walls and a plush carpet.

[Chase Ankers]

Relieved to have made it to the second story, Chase gazes inside through the window. It was fortunate that the floor had a plush carpet as it would make his entry more silent, though actually getting through the window without making a sound would be quite a feat. Chase carefully lifts the window and grabs the wedges so they don't fall out onto the floor or outside. Then he perches himself, sitting on the window sill and bracing himself, one hand inside against the wall. One leg at a time, he enters through the portal and slips down to the floor, his bag thumping against his hip as it's pulled through after him.

Looks so much easier in the movies...

Chase returns the window to its original position, using the wedges to keep the frame suspended. Though now that he thought about it, the wedges had probably been placed there at some point before tonight. So that's how they got in, they rigged the window, thought Chase, impressed by the forethought. Of course the wedges' purpose now was wholly unnecessary and yet he felt compelled to leave them as they were. One never knew.

Now that he was inside, Chase remained still and listened, hoping to have remained undetected. If Tunnel Ninja and his companion had heard Chase then they too would likely be still and observant.

Rolls

  Be vewy vewy quiet... 1sux

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2013-03-15 01:35:25		Chase rolls 3 to enter the building without making noise [Dex-1(untrained)] (10 Again)		7, 6, 10, 5		1 success

  Perception, 1sux

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2013-03-15 01:44:16		Chase rolls 5 to listen for sounds of movement [Wits+Comp] (10 Again)		2, 7, 8, 2, 2		1 success

[Chrisie]

Chase's perceptions don't let him down. He can hear the sound of something like a small motor whirring away along the next hallway. Something like a muffled hair dryer or maybe a small powered drill.

Though he cannot see the cause of it.

He can also see the small patches of light cast on the wall and floor...probably from a flashlight of some type.

There's still no sign of a guard or sentry yet.

[Chase Ankers]

The light concerned Chase, as well as the whirring sound, though less so since it was helping to disguise his entry. If someone was holding a flashlight around the corner then they might be coming closer. Chase looks for a place to hide, at least for the moment until he was sure he wouldn't be spotted right away.

Why am I hiding though? he thought curiously to himself. I can always just introduce myself as another urban explorer who happened to see the forum post. I can probably convince them of that much. But then again I don't want to get directly involved. I don't know these people well enough to be trusting them with my identity. He would put it off for the moment.

ooc

Would you like another Dex+Stealth roll for Chase to hide?