Townsend Acknowledgement

Sarah had never been one for nightclubs in life. She still found them distasteful now that she was dead - they were usually packed spaces, full of sweaty, oversexed twenty-somethings (and people pretending to be twenty-somethings) that somehow had nothing better to do with their lives than party and dance and drink and put God knew what other substances into their bodies. Sarah's idea of a fun night had been - and was, in many ways - was curling up with a good book.

Or, spending time with Mark, back when that was a thing. Sarah closed her eyes and did her best to force thoughts of her sire/ex-boyfriend to the back of her mind. He was absolutely the last person she wanted to think about.

Of course, she had another reason to hate nightclubs, now that she was dead - all those active, sweaty, blood-filled people set her Beast off, raging in hunger at their presence, wanting to feed. To glut on all available blood until there was no more room for more in her body, until she had overstuffed herself.

Sarah didn't have to fight too hard to keep her Beast in check right now, thankfully, but she could hear it -well, feel it, more like - seething at the edges of her concsious mind.

Of all the many things she hated about being a vampire, the Beast was the worst. Sarah had always prided herself on being rational, controlled and moderate. The Beast was none of these things. It was all furious instict, and the way it raged - or more often, cowered in blind terror -when she encountered other vampires for the first time was only worse. Thankfully she'd inspire no anger in the Priscus' beast, but she had to brace herself for her Beast's reaction when she saw David Regan for the first time. Once she was directed to the door into the back, Sarah paused just outside, took a physically unnessesary but mentally helpful deep breath and stepped inside, looking for the Priscus.

Sarah was wearing a red plaid button-shirt over a white t-shirt, khaki pants and black sneakers. Not really a clubbing outfit, but she hadn't brought a whole lot of clothes with her when she'd fled L.A. When she found Priscus Regan - she had a general idea of his appearance - she greeted him with a small smile and a slight bow - she didn't know if he wanted one of those, but with Courts and Princes and all that going on, Sarah figured she couldn't go too wrong with a bow.

"Priscus Regan. Are there any formalities in greeting you I should be aware of? I would prefer to avoid causing offense."

Beasts are nothing than sound and fury that signify nothing. It has that in common with the club above, where the steps to the totentanz are dictated to by the sounds of Woodkid who's marching drums propel heartbeats towards, what they would say, an ecstatic experience. Above, the Nightclub is a temple bathed in swirling garish light, in a world that's forgotten God. However, in the deep below, where David stands, there is only silence. Like a mirror to that heavy silence, David's beast cannot be heard. What began as a cruel mockery to a man who is overlooked by nearly everyone, became a preference. What is overlooked, can be underestimated.

Hands at his sides, David Regan is a tall, thin gangly man. Stone colored pants are matched with a sky-blue button-up and overlaid by an ink-blue blazer. The color itself is important ,given the man's ties with the Order. Dull-brown eyes and bushy-brows are trained up towards the ceiling, where the words Per Ardua ad Astra are enshrined.

Sarah's voice, cuts through the silence.

Turning towards her, eyes sliding towards the comely woman, David inclines his head in greeting. “Miss Townsend, I presume?” A warbling tenor that carries the hallmarks of the upper-Midwest carry the words. “Good evening, welcome. Priscus Regan is fine.” A gesture, that could be gallant but due to David's spectral nature loses something, extends the invitation, “Please, take a seat. I hope you found your way here, to Elysium, alright.”

Taking his own invitation in, David settles into a seat and unconsciously takes as little room as he can. The Shadow's posture is circumspect, thoughtful. Certainly, they cannot all be Jacob Maddox.

Sarah shouldn't have been surprised that her own Beast had no reaction to a fellow Mekhet. From what Mark had taught her about the abilities he'd shown her how to use, the one she used to mask her Beast was a common enough talent among her fellow 'Shadows;. She couldn't help but be thankful for that, she had to admit. Fighting her Beast was a mentally and emotionally exhausting affair at times, and fleeing from her Priscus wouldn't set a good example either.

Seeing the Latin, she translated it in her mind almost instinctively: Through Adversity to the Stars. Sarah wasn't sure, but she thought that was the motto of some military branch somewhere out there - which one she wasn't sure, but that detail wasn't especially relevant. She looked the Priscus over as she sat as indicated. He was a plain, unassuming man. Not ugly, but she wouldn't even call him average in appearance. There was... something. He almost looked as if he was barely there, perhaps. Sarah knew that the color blue signified the Sworn of the Dying Light in the Ordo, and she knew that the Priscus was also the Ordo's leader here in Sacremento, but she didn't know if his choice of blazer color meant he was Sworn of the Dying Light, since this wasn't a specific Ordo function, and he was acting here as Priscus, not Grand Wyrm - or if she was even remembering the color arrangement correctly.

"Thank you, Priscus." Sarah replied as she finished sitting - she wasn't quite perched on the edge of her chair, but she wasn't sitting all the way back either. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't nervous, just a little. "I did. A very well situated Elysium, and easy to find. I also appreciate you being willing to meet with me on such short notice." Sarah had her hands clasped together in her lap, resisting the urge to play with her hair or fiddle with her glasses. "I'm not entirely sure what I should do next - after my Embrace in Los Angeles, my Sire handled most of this for me, and I doubt things are exactly the same here, regardless." She imagined she was going to have to answer questions, but she didn't know what questions he would ask, or what answers he wanted. Honesty was probably the best policy when he asked them though.

Every choice Sarah made before coming to the Nox is examined. From the color of her shirt. Angry? To the very fact the woman wears sneakers. Is she prepared to run? There's a method and a reason someone makes the choices they do, even for something as simple as apparel. How they choose to present themselves, shows their particular mindset. Patterns are everywhere and people are the most fascinating of puzzles.

“I'm glad to be here to welcome you,” David replies, almost automatically, to Sarah's voiced appreciation.

“You've taken the first step: you've darkened that,” a head nod towards the stairs, “stairwell. When I first arrived here, I was in your shoes: hesitant, unsure, and away from my Sire for the first time. We can talk about what comes after that, after your vetting.”

A tiny slice of time wedges its way in-between David's statements as he subtly moves to the routine he's established. “So, tell me about yourself. What brings you to Sacramento?”

"I became a vampire after my sire accidentally killed me while feeding on me." Sarah answered honestly. "For whatever reason, he decided to 'save' me, and so Embraced me." Not that she really wanted to use the term 'Embrace' to descibe being turned into an undead monster, but she had no idea how the Priscus felt about being what he was. He was probably fairly content - too many of the few vampires she met were. And she knew why Mark had wanted to save her - he'd loved her. But he'd killed her and turned her into a monster. She couldn't forgive that.

"I don't entirely agree with that interpretation of his actions." Sarah continued. "After a few months, I grew tired of continuing to indulge that belief of his, and so I left. It was only after leaving Los Angeles did I realy realize how... difficult travel is for us, without proper preperation. I knew a few details about Sacremento, such as how to contact you, and so here seemed a reasonable place to start over." It was far enouh away that Mark was unlikey - she hoped - to follow, if he even realized she'd come here. Staying away from Mark and staying... unalive. Those were her priorities, since she'd discovered she didn't have the guts to face the sun.

Beyond that... well, being Damned had robbed her of much, so much that she missed, but at least it hadn't taken from her her thirst for knowledge, her desire to learn. She wasn't 'excited' at the prospect of being able to learn more about this new, supernatural world she'd been forcibly dragged into, unlike Mark still was even a year after being turned, but she did want to know more - and she wanted to learn more of the Coils. They could help her overcome the limits of this... condition she'd been forced into, get back even a little bit of what she'd lost.

Sarah's story of her provenance strikes a chord with David. A small yawning pit of horror opens in the middle of his stomach as he realizes that Sarah Townsend's story can become Ava Campbell's story fairly easily. It can be her who explains to some other Priscus in some other far away Domain that her Sire 'killed her' because of an 'accident.' It can be Ava who speaks of David with an ill-hidden disdain bordering on loathing.

David builds a thin wall between this alarming thought and the here and now. He uses the moments that Sarah takes to tell him about herself as a Vampire to attempts to peer past the veil, to try to sneak a peek at the crown of color that surrounds everyone.

  Aura Perception

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2016-01-26 18:53:53		David Regan rolls 7 to Aura Percept v Sarah (Int + Emp + Aus -2 (Patterns)) (10 Again)		7, 8, 9, 8, 10, 6, 4, 8		5 successes

“I see,” David says finally, breaking his silence. “So, who are you? What do you want to achieve?” She can't simply be a vampire who formed like Pallas Athena from the fangs of her Sire.

“You won't find a lot of jarring differences here. The Laws of the Domain are posted in this Elysium and if you need time to read them and ask questions; please do so while I'm here. You'll find them simple and straightforward. For instance, we regard the Traditions as sacrosanct as all sane Domains do.” Shifting on his seat he furrows his brow, watching Sarah. “By the way, are you a member of a Covenant?”

For Sarah

See this page to work out your resistance versus Aura Perception.

For David

From what I can tell, its automatic resistance of Composure (2) + Blood Potency (1), no? So in my case it would be -3 to the dice pool then?

Surviving is my primary goal, at the moment, but beyond that... learning." Sarah explained. "A few months ago, I was under the impression humans were at the top of the food chain. And now I'm a vampire and my sire told me that the Kindred weren't alone in being one of the many beings of supposed myth and stories that existed." Of course, now Sarah wondered just what was above the vampires on the food chain - she wasn't going to assume they were the top like she'd asumed humans were. "He didn't get around to giving me details on just what else went 'bump' in the night, as it were. If I'm to be a vampire, I want to be a well-informed one. I want to know all I can about what I am, and this world I now find myself in."

Sarah read the laws when directed. About the only thing peculiar to this city was the choice of from whom feeding was prohibited.

"As you say, straightforward laws." Sarah agreed. "As for my covenant - I am a member of the Ordo Dracul. Though I was introduced to the Order by my Sire, there is much within it that resonates with me. If my information is correct, you are the leader of the Ordo here in Sacremento - I am a Supplicant of the Dedicated Hunger." A clunky title system, but one that worked well enough, she supposed. "Which relates to my other interest - I hope to learn more of the Coils, over time." Mark had taught her the first Coil of Blood, but she frankly wanted to learn the Coils of the Beast next. Anything that could control that raging monster inside her even a little would be extremely appealing.

The Ordo was the only appealing covenant, to be honest. Vampiric Politics - and thus the Invictus and the Carthian Movement - were of no interest, and she'd cut her own hands off before joining a vampiric church - mortal religion was bad enough, and from what she knew about the Circle and the Sanctum, they were both actively worse and even nuttier.

“Human exceptionalism is a strange beast, isn't it?” Obviously, given the way David delivers that, there is no pun meant. “It makes sense. Humanity accomplishes so much, it almost seems a manifest destiny that humanity reigns supreme. And yet,” the Priscus almost allows that to trail off, “and yet, there are Sharks in the ocean and Murders of Crows create culture and language.”

A pointed, pregnant pause follows, “And here we are. Creatures that all prove that Human Exceptionalism is a myth. It's always interesting to see what people do with that knowledge.”

David's commentary finished, a birdlike tilt of his head follows the mention of her title. Eyes slide off of her again, searching for the tell-tale signs of the Coil they have in-common. The song of his blood fueling his own desire to know and to make sure. In these nights, you never can tell.

  Eyes of the Dragon 1 success, -1V

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2016-01-27 23:42:59		David Regan rolls 8 to Eyes of the Dragon ( Int + Occ + Aus - (Sarah Comp + BP)) (10 Again)		2, 4, 10, 1, 4, 3, 6, 2, 7		1 success

“Congratulations on taking that step on your transformative path so quickly. If you don't mind, in the next few days we'll meet again and I'll show you to the Chapter House of the local Academy and talk more there about where your studies should expand. Please excuse the dust you will see,” apology in his voice, “it is a work in progress, much like we are.” David closes his eyes for a brief moment before confirming, “But, yes, I am the Grand Wyrm of the Order in the City. At court, if you see me first I can point out others of importance. Do you have any other questions for me, right now?”

Sarah

Subtracting from the right, should give me three successes then with the Patterns in your Aura, which should include Diablerie Streaks if present.

For David

There's no black streaks in her Aura, since she's never committed Diablerie. Her Aura is pale as for Vampires in general, and since there isn't a nervous option on the Aura colors, I'd guess it would be orange and violet for Afraid/Excited, a rough equivalent to nervous, which is her emotional state at the moment. And she does have that Coil that you'd see.

Sarah nodded. "I'm more than willing to meet again in the next few days. Thank you for your assistance." She didn't expect that any help with her studies, regarding the Coils or otherwise, would come free. Mark may have taught her the First Coil of Blood freely, but everything to do with him had come with its own strings. Sharing knowledge for its own sake wasn't something vampires did, from what Sarah could tell. Even for her, the idea of just giving away information unsettled her in a way it never would have before her Embrace.

"I suppose my only question would be regarding the Prince. I'm aware that he's Invictus and of his name, and obviously his laws make his general pattern of rule clear. But I also have heard that the Invictus have a reputation for being... overbearing, shall we say?" She'd never actually met an Invictus in any meaningful sense - she'd interacted with a few Carthians and an Acolyte, but she primarily knew of the Invictus from what Mark and others in the Ordo had told her. None had been fans of the so-called 'First Estate'. "Does the Prince conform to that stereotype, or not? I would prefer to avoid running afoul of him in any manner." What she really wanted to do was avoid him and politics alltogether, but she knew that was an impractical desire. Knowing a few details about him would help her avoid problems. Hopefully.

Even before Sarah has finished her question, David is already shaking his head. “He doesn't conform to that stereotype. He's actually quite the opposite. His Grace expects you to know what you are doing, and to have already have done it. Otherwise, he is rather hands-off. Thus, he allows the clans and the covenants quite a bit of autonomy. Autonomy that benefits us all.” Silence cuts in but only briefly before sound returns, “I, too, expect you to know what you are doing and I will be disappointed if I have to discipline family.”

Somehow, disappointment is worse than anger.

Weight shifts and David glances down to his fingers, feeling flat-footed as he mulls over this as a potential, horrible future for Ava. He wonders if Sarah's Sire aches, is heart-broken, or feels so very guilty for it. Returning his attention to the young Mekhet, David concludes, “If you have no other questions, then you are Acknowledged and may reside and feed in Sacramento. Seek me out for advice or guidance and we'll meet again soon so I can show you to the Chapter House. Anything else?”

Please add City Status 1 to your wiki/sigs.