(Invisible Hands) Plans and Schemes

[Yumyumcrow]

Pieces of a puzzle that invaded the Chapter House without warning, sit on the table in the first floor library. Four jars of curious provenance sit idly on the rich wood. However, 'jar' may not be a word descriptive enough. It is more right to call, at least two of them, 'pithoi' or 'amphora.' The ancient pair are rendered in slate-green ceramic and finished with a copper rim and a chunky top. The other two, made of glass, have more in common with ampoules; delicate cross-hatching and a white substance hold fast to their bottom.

Besides the two men who have become the guests of the Chapter and an antique box, these are the only remnants of the chaos of a night from a few months prior. Chaos created by an invasion perpetrated by a clandestine group named the Society of Penelope, led by a man who uses old, disaffected soldiers and strange women to do his bidding.

The balmy summer night is getting on, but darkness still presses against the windows. Nothing has moved or changed in the library. The silence is loud and ominous, stained by the presence of so many Beast's under one roof.

The Kindred have inspected the artefact at the centre of their problems: the stone capital, crudely redressed as a Roman Eagle with a wreath in its claws and with a mysterious copper disc within that.

Continues from here

Casitive Wolven Pryde Chrisie Matamune Mykel LittleFox

[Max Heinz]

Max led the way up from the basement to the second story of the Chapter House. At least this was still the way he had left it; a comforting familiarity given all that had happened while he was away.

He waited patiently for the others to file in, leaving the door open so that those inside the Private Library might hear the trio of Gangrel when they came back to the Chapter House. There was a lot for the Dragons of Sacramento to go over, and a many questions still unanswered...

[Martha Villiers]

Martha had fallen into a silence to give matters careful thought.

There were so many threats. She was trying to decide which, if any, were linked. The missing Koagion. This attempted robbery. The Society of Penelope. The possible threat from some lady named Neferrtiti.

She shook her head in bewilderment as she followed Max.

"All I can think of is doing three things. Firstly, we are honest with whomever controls this Society of Penelope."

Tiny Martha offered a shy glance to those remaining present, adding;

"This group appear well resourced. Highly motivated and equally highly informed. Perhaps we can speak with them and learn what their intentions are. We have something they want; perhaps they have something we want? Perhaps, if they are controlled by someone sensible enough to employ former military personnel and plan something as audacious as this incident, then they might be reasoned with. The perhaps attacked us out of fear we'd behave irrationally. At the very least, by contacting them openly, we might begin to learn something more about the aims and the composition of this group."

Martha shrugged as if this was her best improvised suggestion for the moment.

"Secondly, I suggest we hide the relic away to another location, somewhere hidden from here and in our communication with the Society we make this action clear to deter them from further attempts."

"Please don't mistake my spirit of negotiation to be animated by a craven attitude! We cannot risk another attack. Both sides risk unnecessary loss of life and we also risk bringing local law enforcement upon us if a larger, more determined, struggle breaks out. We also cannot continue to rely on good fortune and our isolation to prevent law enforcement from taking a legitimate interest in further violence."

"Thirdly, we see if we can locate whatever it was Black Bart was searching for. Perhaps if we do that, we perhaps also locate something else of value. The fact that this relic..." Martha's hands flutter to mime the dimensions of the eagle, "acts with unusual supernatural properties to obscure things leads me to believe that it may well have once helped conceal whatever it was Black Bart was looking for. Something that no longer enjoys its mystical protection."

Taking a break from thinking and speaking, Martha looks around to test the reactions of those present to her threefold idea.

[Max Heinz]

Max listens to the exchange in silence, thinking over the situation before slowly nodding his head in agreement with David. "I am afraid I must agree with Scribe Regan, Initiate Villiers. If these people were interested in a peaceful resolution, they would have sent lawyers with fat checkbooks to buy the Eagle instead of soldiers and... whatever the hell it was that accompanied them that night.

I think we must also consider the possibility of destroying the artifact. I know the destruction of knowledge it pretty much the closest thing the Order has to blasphemy, but I'd rather see that thing reduced to rubble than let it fall into the hands of people like them..."

It wouldn't be the first time Max had destroyed an artifact to keep it from falling into the wrong hands. But sometimes sacrifices had to be made.

"But I do agree we need to move the item away from here; leaving it in the basement only provides incentive for another attack. Most probably during the day, when we won't be able to defend it as easily as before. I'd rather not lose another Chapter House.

I think our biggest weakness right now is lack of knowledge. We know very little about the Society, it's leaders, or it's motives. We only have a basic understanding of what the artifact actually is beyond it's powers, nor it's connection to Black Bart. Sadly, I don't think we have time to find out all the answers before we'll have to deal with the Society once and for all.

Perhaps it would be best to focus our energies on them; find a weakness would could exploit, buy ourselves some time to come up with a proper plan of dealing with all this..."

Max lets his words trail off, looking over his shoulder at the Library door. He wished the Reeve and the other Gangrel would return from their expedition in the woods; this was rapidly turning into a matter that involved the sanctity of the Masquerade...

[Tracy Burns]

As the other Dragons conversed about their findings, a red-shouldered hawk found its way into the library. Seconds later, Tracy stood in its place. "We have a problem," she said just as the transformation back into her natural form concluded. "A big, fucking problem." It was clear that she wasn't messing around, because all illusion of politeness went out the window at that moment.

"Whoever is behind all of this, they know more than they should," she said, likely stating the obvious to her fellow Dragons. "They are planning another attack. Likely at dawn, or early in the evening." The petite Gangrel paused for a moment, collecting her thoughts before continuing. "They have been watching this place for a while, mapping things out, preparing their next move." Her emerald green eyes looked around at each Dragon present, the fire in her eyes evident. She noticed that Penelope was not amongst them, which made her slightly worried about her friend.

"We need to prepare," she said to the Kindred gathered in the library. "We need to be ready for when they strike again."

[Michael Redfill]

Michael files in behind Tracy. Or, rather, flies in as a raven and then explodes in a cloud of blood, feathers and leather to reveal the Deputy standing in its place. Thankfully, the room is full of Shadows so at least he doesn't need to deal with the feeling of Beasts overcrowding him. Even without that he still looks pissed like hell:

"Yep. They have a security team watching us at all times and want to attack when we are most vulnerable. We need to think fast", - he surveys the room filled with the more powerful people in the Covenant.

He breathes in deeply and then exhales, calming himself:

"A few options come to mind. If anyone has any pull with the police, we could tip them to protect the house for a few evenings, give us some time. Frankly, I'm fed up with those Kine waltzing around like they know everything about what it's like to be us. Does anyone know someone in big business or chem? Basically, the easiest solution is to booby-trap the house. Flood it with unbreatheable gas, electrocute them, do whatever is necessary to neutralize the threat when they do come".

Another pause, another deep breath:

"And we need to cut their head here in Sacramento off".

[Max Heinz]

As the two Gangrel make their unusual entrance into the Library, Max seems strangely unphased by the transformations. Indeed, this was beginning to become a habit...

While Tracy and Michael give their report on what they found in the woods, a scowl slowly forms on the Mekhet's face. This isn't what he expected to come back to. Tonight was meant to be a simple reintroduction to the Academy. Instead he finds out that the Dragons had been attacked. By a para-military group. That had access to supernatural weapons. And were backed by a massive economic entity. Who were hellbent on procuring an artifact that the Order had in it's possession. And were at this very moment outside, getting ready to attack the Chapter House again...

When Max finally speaks, it's with a deadpan seriousness that few of the other Dragons, outside of perhaps Martha, had even heard.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are officially in over our heads. If they're willing to start waging open warfare in the middle of Sacramento, this has gone from a Order issue to a Domain issue. One we are not going to be able to counter alone.

And unless any of you are willing to own up to violating Princely Decrees, there is only one man in the city that would be able to get the police involved in the matter. Thankfully, the Order is in his good graces. Or at least it was, I'm not sure if things have changed while I was gone..."

Turning his attention away from the two Gangrel, Max fixes his stare directly on the current Grand Wyrm. "Seneschal Villiers, has Prince Clarke been apprised of what has happened over the past few months?"