(Sacramento Noir) Spoils of War

[Max Heinz]

Max is the first of the three missing Kindred to arrive. Much like the first night the two met, the Dragon is driving his black BMW unaccompanied. His attire was much the same; jeans, sneakers, and a pull over hoodie. It wasn't that the cold Autumn nights bothered him, but it was always best to try and fit in among the Kine whenever possible.

He comes likewise armed with the same type of baton as Baldwin. He wasn't expecting trouble to track them down here, but it was always best to be prepared. Stepping inside the house, it doesn't take Max long to find Peter and the stash of loot from the raid. Thankfully the man gave off no Beast, just like Max; but the Mekhet's hand can't resist moving a few millimeters towards the holster that set on his belt at the Knight's presence.

"Good to see you again. Looks like we have a long night ahead of us..."

[Josephine Sterling]

Josephine, for her part, had taken a moment to browse some of the documents they had found. There was not enough time to truly absorb anything of use, but it was diverting, for a time. Alas, there was not time to waste. Not when there were two potential breeches sitting before them.

"Sit down, answer all that we ask you truthfully, and otherwise remain silent," she ordered each guard, taking the time to stare deep into the glassy domes which lead to their minds before she moved on to the next meat puppet.

   1 success to dom guard 1, three to dom guard 2

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2014-11-12 01:39:32		Josephine rolls 7 to crush their minds, guard 2 (dom2+intel3+exp 2) (10 Again)		9, 3, 8, 6, 2, 1, 10, 6		3 successes
2014-11-12 01:39:08		Josephine rolls 7 to crush their minds (dom2+intel3+exp 2) (10 Again)		6, 1, 6, 1, 2, 10, 7, 7		1 success

[Yumyumcrow]

Quiet suburbia is what the group needs right now. Hidden in the sea of homes that spread eastward from Sacramento's downtown core, they were anonymous and undisturbed, in a house fit for the Girl Next Door.

There was a lot of material to sift through. The tins and photographs; the computers; the folders; the lute, statues and the veil. The computer equipment was password protected. The projector needed to be set up before the film could be reviewed. The lute and the veil occupied their own space (one because it was a fine instrument; the other because... it left a mess...) The statues were a bit problematic, of course - human sized and sculpted with a skill to rival, if not surpass, the ancient greeks; the twist to the body and the look on the face were... disturbing.

Josephine glances through the manilla folders. Its a mixed bag lacking the context needed to visualise the greater picture. Here, a few typed notes and photographs pulled from a cellphone, depicting an impressive man of colour. ...I've sighted him. I can confirm he is one of your people... Principle associate is this woman who has a signature of waring a hoodie. My associates have looked into her past and we believe that she is a revenant of some kind (see Annex 1B). Other associates are all members of the Society of Penelope (see Annex 1C). Here, a series of shots showing an impressive old building in Florin, set eloquently in the landscape next to a small lake. ...They have been watching this place for a long while now. We confirm that the rumours are true, that David Hudson, Thomas O'Shea and Abraham Ransom, accompanied by Hooded Associate, broke into this building earlier this year. Apart from HA, none of the others have been seen since. We believe they were attempting to acquire object (Artefact #1). The building continues to attract a nightly presence and is well guarded. And here, something seemingly unrelated ...We followed the group into their base, as instructed. The area was linked to wider sewer system of the city, which the group was using to move material into position. As per instructions we used extreme force and gathered up the remains, which we have burnt and dispersed to avoid alerting the authorities. Photographs attached (Photo was found in the folder - a tanning rack. Hopefully that is not human skin...)

Turning her attentions to the captives, the Lord bought her Will to bear. For the most part, it appeared to have worked. The captives remained silent and watchful.

  

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2014-11-12 20:38:22		Guards rolls 5 to Resistance (10 Again)		1, 6, 5, 9, 3		1 success

[Max Heinz]

As the group settles in for the evening, Max joins Josephine as she studies the dossiers they had taken from the building. The information was small in volume, but it helped clear up a few things in the Mekhet's head.

"Well, looks like I was wrong. I had a assumed that Khan and the Penelope Society were working together; but if these reports are to be believed, it seems they're at odds with one another; or at least part of two separate factions. That might be useful, play one against the other to buy us some time. The enemy of my enemy sort of thing..."

He was mostly talking to himself, wondering what the two groups were after if it wasn't the statue. It looked like the planned attack on Folsom wouldn't draw Khan out of the shadows, but it was still a matter that the Domain had to deal with. The mention of the sewers was an unknown element; apparently someone had been up to no good under the streets of Sacramento.

Again...

As Max ponders the possibility of having to take yet another bleach shower, Peter's words draw him out of his mental cocoon and back to the larger world around him. He glances over to the old reel-to-reel projector, giving a slight shrug. "Well, I've never worked at a movie theater, but it shouldn't be too hard to set up. Let me see if I can get it going..."

YYC, did you want a roll from Max, or is the fact he's old enough to remember when these were relevant pieces of technology handwave it?

[Yumyumcrow]

Lets hand wave it. Please continue

[Cayce]

Penelope. Penelope. Penelope...Was it a familiar name?

   failure on occult :C

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2014-11-16 01:27:21		Josephine rolls 7 to penelople? (intel3+occult4) (10 Again)		1, 4, 4, 6, 3, 3, 7		failure

  2 successes on academics

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2014-11-16 01:27:49		Josephine rolls 6 to academic penelope? (intel3+aca3) (10 Again)		9, 4, 7, 7, 8, 3		2 successes

[Yumyumcrow]

Baldwin is unable to crack the password himself. Fortunately, he has (un)willing assistants on hand who compliantly open the entire network to him. Its a closed loop, of course - but he has access to the properties security footage. Right from the moment the network was established months ago.

Max easily sets up the projector. He has been around enough to recall the old technology. The hard part is scrounging something to act as a tripod and a projector. His luck holds! He finds enough to set the projector up and get it going. Who is up for home movies tonight?

While the two men plug away at technology, Josephine curls up with the documents. Lacking context, they are but fragments and provide scant illumination as to who or what Nefertiti Khan might be. At best, it could be said she pays well and has a dedicated, strong, team of investigators at her beck and call. The Society of Penelope, however... that tugs at the edges of her memory: wife of Odysseus; matron of Greek myth; a shadow in her early studies into the ancient texts of her Covenant; an organisation that swam in deep strange waters, even then...