Tonight the Nox was alive! Some of the best DJ's of the coast strutted their stuff to the young things that moved in time. Electronica thrummed and pulsed through the building, a basal noise that beat like a great heart loud enough to be heard, muffled, in the Elysian Field below. The energy provided a backdrop to the meeting that took place beneath the kine's feet, where the Beautiful (and not so beautiful) Dead gathered to plot and plan.
A time of reckoning had come.
It had begun with
Peter Baldwin
and a few other kindred, stumbling on a beating in a neglected part of the city. The victim had been a reporter - a photographer - who with his partner had uncovered the corrupt practices of a businessman with new interests in the city. Baldwin had seen off the thugs and placed the reporter under his protection. In return, the Haunt had laid claim to the full story, which escalated to involve land deals, development contracts and the emergence of a new merchant bank, Ptah and Cole.
The new bank was to be housed in a complex that used the old site of the famous local landmark, the Four Seasons Hotel, which had been laid low in a terrible accident. The complex was almost complete now - an artfully curved building framing a plaza whose centre piece was an impressive fountain incorporating a pyramid. A group of kindred investigators, including Baldwin, had discovered that there was much more to the complex than met the eye: the pyramid was not a water feature, but the capstone of a larger complex underground. To what purpose, they did not know.
The businessman, called Khan, had associates. They too, were deeply involved in the business of the rising bank. They included silent partners such as Jed Carson, a dandy and media owner from L.A and Nicodemous Georgiou, the ravaged remains of a Greek playboy; the CEO - Elizabeth Cole; and her "consultant" Nefertiti Khan, allegedly a cousin to Khan the businessman. Having met Nefertiti, some kindred highly doubt that connection.
Another group had "discovered" Nefertiti Khan and her associates by chance. Capitalising on the opportunity,
Chris Wooding
Vivian York
and
Michael Travis
had gone to treat with the enigmatic woman and discovered that she was much more than a simple consultant. That she was, in fact, a night creature of some age, who apparently knew of the existence of Vampires. That Nefertiti was moving openly did not appear to phase her; that she saw fit to bring Kindred into a closer alliance also appeared possible, given the path the meeting had taken. Nefertiti Khan clearly saw no problem with "acquiring" Vampire retainers through "tribute". Chris had worked an angle and now Nefertiti was to come to the Crone Temple for a follow up meeting. Soon.
While the Hierophant had parlayed, another group had sought to describe the extent of the enigmatic being's influence. Khan's associates had had suites in all the major hotels of the city until a series of events had caused them to cluster at the Citizen hotel. Nefertiti also had holdings out in Florin (a guarded storage facility) and Mather (a rural property).
Peter Baldwin
Josephine
Sterling
Max Heinz
and Velma Star had raided the Mather property and through a series of fortuitous events, had completely cleaned it out: guards, information and precious objects. Discussing their finds later at a safe house, the little clique had uncovered enough information to suggest that Nefertiti was old but not one of their own kind, and that she could do things that were... beyond the pale... in pursuit of her goals.
And so the revelations tumbled forth, ever quicker as layer upon layer of conspiracy was peeled back. The throbbing tempo oozing through the building quickened the Blood as implications became clearer to see. Nefertiti Khan and her associates were making a move to the city; a move centred on the new Bank of Ptah and Cole. Nefertiti had a near cult like following (although of what size no one knew) and had material ready at her disposal for whatever plans she had in motion.
What to do?
Cross
Selena
Cayce
Dark Passenger
Travisc06489
Mykel
OK. Over to you. Rather than spend a month running an info dump, I've dropped an abridged version here so you can jump right into plotting and scheming. You'll note that not everything is included >:-) So if you wish to add some information or observations of your own, do so in your posts. :P
For reference, I've written this scene assuming the characters have gathered in a meeting room at the Nox Elysian Field. It would make a perfect neutral venue to such discussions in my opinion, especially with the roles some of the interest parties now have in the Domain.