Sterling Anointed, Created Anew

[Thomas Galilei]

The Moore House: bouquets of antique roses hang drying, upside-down, on either side of the fireplace, wherein waits a fiery brand, its emblem: the image of the Sacred Spear.

Frankincense fills the empty halls with smoke and fragrance.

Thomas turns a vial of oil, myrrh, between his clasped hands as he presses his forehead to the floor.

"Abba, I kneel as a man unworthy of what wonderful things await. Bishop Connery should be doing this. Alas, there is such a void of 'should' in this world, the void left by your physical absence in it. And though we can never fill that space entire, tonight we endeavor to fill it some, to mark one 'should' off that long list--Josephine's Anointing, her Creation Rite. As we arrived, this house was as vacated as the Covenant itself. No longer--let our return to this hallowed place signify the return of the Lancea Sanctum to Sacramento. You have not abandoned us; we will not abandon the City. Purify us, that we should not offend your presence, for surely you are with us now--to celebrate the rebirth of your beloved daughter; to commemorate her dedication to you; to elevate her to new spiritual heights, new depths of usefulness and relation. We are blessed by you; grant that we may be a blessing to you. Amen."

Thomas rises to his feet, cool determination the sum of his placid face and steady hand, a man at peace with his purpose.

[Cayce]

As his voice faded into silence, the supplicant stepped into the room, clad in a robe of crimson silk, and watched the Priest rise from his genuflection. Eyes, normally as algid as the surface of the moon, seemed to shimmer in the firelight, the illumination glazing them with an ardor of faith, with a lacquer of emotion, and fervent hope which the other aspects of her countenance did not betray.

On light feet, pale as snow, she paced over to the Priest, each step measured and slow, careful yet not hesitation, nor expressing eagerness. For, long ago, in a time she could barely remember, she had done this before. But, tonight would not be the same. The ritual on this night would be like the first splash of blood across the lips of one bound by torpor, the first glimpse of light for one not blessed with the sight of the Damned. It would not be a rebirth, but rather a remaking.

When she had come abreast of him, she turned so that her black eyes fell upon his, and with a motion smooth as oil on marble she let the robe fall away, leaving her bare and humble. Not before him, but before their Lord on High.

"Amen," she echoed, voice soft as moth wings. A hand rose, a fist of moving wax, and grasped the manacles upon the table beside them. She fitted one of the clasps to her wrist and pressed it closed, hard enough so that the steel made like a band of teeth against her flesh, and passed the other cuff to the Priest.

"When you brand me, do so over my heart, that cathedral of Blood which causes the manifestation of his Holy Damnation to seep so slowly beneath our skin, just as the bones of the earth shift so slowly beneath our feet now."

[Thomas Galilei]

Thomas takes in the beauty of her naked form; she is as Eve in the garden: woman, bared and beheld--the manifestation of God's beauty, as man is the manifestation of His strength--herself forbidden fruit to him, a Priest, reminding him of what sweet carnal pleasure he has lain on the altar . . . as dearly missed as the warm light of the sun.

"Hope not ever to see Heaven. I have come to lead you to the other shore; into eternal darkness; into fire and into ice," Thomas begins by quoting Dante's Inferno. There are no Kine or Kindred of other Covenants present to deceive or impress; it is them alone before God. And so, as she has bared herself, he bares himself of pretense, of the petty jeweled contrivances he wears where there are others--here, they are one; he relishes the glory of the Monster that is them.

Thomas checks the tightness of her wrist-cuff, tightens it further still, and, grasping the other end, leads her lightly toward the fireplace. There's a railing there, strong and stable--it will steady her body as she binds herself to God and the Covenant . . . yet Thomas hesitates at the moment of shutting the clasp. It is the Spirit of God, leading him. He shuts the clasp instead upon his own wrist, an intimate act; he would be for her, strength and stability, not some railing. If fear should seize her, she would have to flee with his arm attached. If rage, she would not need to venture far to relieve it. He lets his unspoken statement settle in her mind.

What words? He grips the handle of the brand in his free hand. She knows the holy texts, the significance of the act before them, the burden and the charge that follows. The Spirit guides him further, whispers that the ceremony is hers--so too should be what words were spoken. A vow. An oath. Not for him to decide. He wields the brand; she makes the offering. "What say you, sister, to mark this night of nights?"

Whatever the words, the touch of fire would follow. He pulls the brand from the coals, the symbol of the Lance glowing red beneath snaking smoke.

[Thomas Galilei]

  Frenzy: 1 suxx

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2014-11-06 00:09:03		Thomas Galilei rolls 7 to Frenzy Check: 2 (Resolve) + 3 (Composure) - 1 (Hungry) + 3 (-1 Willpower) = 7 DP (10 Again)		8, 4, 7, 7, 5, 3, 5		1 success

[Cayce]

It was hard to keep her lip from curling in distaste for the pain now in her wrist. She knew that her blood would fall if she but pulled against it. Perhaps that was the Priest's intention. The binding was not truly for her safety, after all. What better way to remind her of it? She could not think of one, barring crucifixion, though she was not fond of that symbolism. She had no relation to Christ. Not any longer. No, there was only one messenger that she would look to alongside God.

"'Sufficient to have stood, though free to fall. So it is thus for all his creations,'" the supplicant spoke, voice lilting in that oft' forgotten cadence of the theater. "'Freely they stood, who stood, and fell, who fell. Not free, what proof could they have giv'n sincere.' And so it is," she continued, her words now her own. "Just as Lucifer did, before ever man beheld evil, and just as Eve did, and Adam after her: when the darkness spoke, I listened. Once there was hope for heaven, but instead I chose hell, and so I stand before you now, Damned but not condemned. Unholy in demeanor, yet Holy in Purpose. Yet, even after I learned the Truth of our purpose, there were times when I have sinned, and just as I did while breath was still in my lungs, I have turned away from the light. But no more. Tonight, in fire, my faith shall be renewed. My purpose, once again, turned to the Lord's will, and the Devil's work."

The brand gleamed in her eyes, and she waited for it to descend.

[Cayce]

  Meet the Beast

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2014-11-06 00:29:07		[01] Josephine rolls 2 to face the fire (res3+comp3-4) (10 Again)		6, 3		failure

[Thomas Galilei]

Thomas presses the brand to the flesh over her heart, tender in intent if not in action. The flesh sizzles, the brand complete. He prays against what hell may follow.

[West]

The doll shatters.

Cool resolve and composed features explode in a snarling scream of pain and fear. Eyes widen and fangs bare as the Lord bonds snap tight against her contorted attempt to flee. Denied, the animal that was Josephine Sterling can only lash out at the source of the torment.

Josephine Sterling is Frenzied (Fear)

  Josephine fails to break handcuffs or her own wrist -1 WP -1 Vitae

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2014-11-06 16:59:36		Josephine Sterling rolls 7 to RAWR Str + Brawl + PhyAug + AoA (10 Again, WillPower)		7, 9, 2, 8, 5, 6, 9		3 successes

[Thomas Galilei]

So it begins--he'd thought it might happen. His first thought is to grapple her, to pin her to the ground until she regains her composure. This, he decides, won't work for two reasons. The first is that he's holding a brand--if he puts it down, she'll brain him with it; if he tosses it, the Moore House might burn down. The second reason is, that on seeing her struggle against the restraints, he realizes she's stronger than him. Lord, please keep her safe, he prays. He can't have her hurting herself or running off into the night.

What can he do? A command, of course, but which? 'Relax' or 'sleep' certainly wouldn't work in this state. If he told her to 'stay,' she might still hurt herself. No time--he has to go with something. "Attack," he hears himself say--he's the only target there. He'd protect her by giving her frenzy a new target, hopes he can hold on until she comes to. God give me strength.

  Command

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2014-11-06 23:45:18		Thomas Galilei rolls 7 to Command: 3 (Intelligence) + 2 (Intimidate) + 1 (Specialty: Bluster) + 3 (Dominate) - 2 (Frenzy) = 7 DP (10 Again)		5, 4, 8, 8, 9, 10, 5, 10, 1		5 successes

[West]

Skill Specialties don't apply to Discipline usage, and Dominate suffers a -1 Penalty in combat (VtR, p.124) -- subtracting from the right, net Successes are 3.

Josephine continues to thrash, contorting her body as she struggles against her bonds. The Frenzied Kindred is impervious to Thomas' attempt to sway her.

  Resistance + Action

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2014-11-07 21:58:57		Josephine Sterling rolls 1 to Missing Frenzy dice on second roll (10 Again)		8		1 success
2014-11-07 21:58:35		Josephine Sterling rolls 10 to Resist Command: Res + Com + BP + 2 Frenzy (10 Again)		6, 4, 10, 7, 7, 10, 10, 3, 1, 10, 7, 3, 7, 7		4 successes
2014-11-07 21:56:28		Josephine Sterling rolls 1 to Missing Frenzy dice on original roll (10 Again)		8		1 success
2014-11-07 21:53:03		Josephine Sterling rolls 4 to RAWR Str + Brawl + PhyAug + AoA (10 Again, WillPower)		1, 4, 4, 1		failure