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(Folsom) Brain Matter(s)

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  1. #1
    T
    Thomas Boyle

    The first word that comes to mind when visiting the Temple is 'raw'. When arriving through the main entrance, one directly enters the ritual room, as is usual with churches. There are several wooden benches around, and an altar at the far end. The walls are decorated (or 'decorated') by what remains of the graffiti crafted by previous occupants. There are hundreds of etchings on the altar, and upon closer inspection they are revealed to be the names of gods revered across the world.

    But perhaps the most distinct element of the decor is the inscription painted in red, above the altar:

    "THAT IS NOT DEAD WHICH CAN ETERNAL LIE/AND WITH STRANGE AEONS, EVEN DEATH MAY DIE"

    A simple wooden table and three chairs occupy the center of the room, one of which is taken by Thomas, clothed in a plain dark shirt and slacks. Nearby, another table is set, with a brass bowl of water and an unsheathed knife on it. The books are gathered on a wooden bookcase. Most appear old or at least slightly used. The majority is perfectly mundane - religious texts, zines dealing with various kinds of magic... some, however, are actual occult tomes, and not just in English. The Acolyte flips the pages of one such tome.

    If one wishes to breathe, they'd detect a faint smell of incense and sage. There's little light in the Temple, provided by several candles placed at just the right distance from one another to make the Beast aware, but not stir it to any... violent action.

    A Shadow and another Lord are to be his guests today, and they are tasked with being the brains behind this operation, so that the musce doesn't get itself killed. Very well. Someone's gotta do the hard work.

    He awaits Jacque and Derek Menzies .

  2. #2
    Jacque's Avatar
    Jack
    Striking Looks
    (Handsome)
    Presence
    (Credence)
    Mask of Tranquility
    New Identity
    (Alexander Krait)
    Resources
    Jacque
    Behavior

    Goes by Jack.

    Educated, scholarly, lawyer, scientist.
    Jack's outward demeanor and tone are a baseline of respectful and calculated.

    He actively debates, persuades, negotiates and even at time tries to intimidate, as core skills of any lawyer worth his salt.

    +1
    SL
    4
    PRE

    Jacque knocks on the temple door, waits for acknowledgement and enters with the map capsule in tow.

    "Good evening Mister Boyle."


    Blood Hunt:

  3. #3
    Derek Menzies's Avatar

    Known as "Derek Mitnick"
    Presence
    (Insecure)
    Derek Menzies

    Known as "Derek Mitnick"

    1
    PRE

    Equipment: Athletic Shoes, Smart Phone, Knife, Laptop


    The Crone Temple. Derek had seen the farm, but not this place. The graffiti and lackluster structure does not inspire much faith. But then it is rumored that the Crone does not require such decadence to commune. Derek enters and looks about and sees the tables, chairs, artifacts and tomes. His eyes then fall to Jack and Thomas.

    Derek wears his standard black hoodie and grey jeans and sneakers. His laptop back is carried with him and a smart phone in his pocket. Somehow Derek doubts there will be an internet connection. He may have to rely on his phone. A knife of his own is in his hoodie pocket, a standard protection to soothe his paranoia.

    "Herald. Mr. Boyle," Derek acknowledges the superior predator and the masked Lord.

  4. #4
    T
    Thomas Boyle

    And finally, they come, but not whole - they lack their Beasts on display, which is expected but no less disconcerting because of that.

    "Jack, Derek" He motions the two men inside like a proper host and points to the free chairs "Please, take a seat if you want. You'll forgive me if I omit your titles - if going by first names was good enough for Seneschal York, it is good enough for you" The Lord says, in a tone suggesting he seeks neither their assent nor forgiveness.

    "So" He continues "I hear you have a spider problem, because some brain-dead fellow who I assume goes by the name Uther decided a Malocusian can be imprisoned by metal and concrete" How is it that people can be so immensely stupid? Thomas shakes his head in apparent bewilderment. Then, as in for the first time, he notices the capsule Jack brought with him.

    An eyebrow is raised, curiously.

  5. #5
    Derek Menzies's Avatar

    Known as "Derek Mitnick"
    Presence
    (Insecure)
    Derek Menzies

    Known as "Derek Mitnick"

    1
    PRE

    Strange that the Seneschal would be so willingly informal. Derek glances briefly at Jack as if to gauge his reaction before addressing Thomas.

    "That is fine for our purposes here. A Malocusian? Is that what Deputy Krieg shared with you?" He had mentioned something about a Spider's lair at the meeting... "Then do you agree that the creature needs to be lured away from its prison?"

  6. #6
    Jacque's Avatar
    Jack
    Striking Looks
    (Handsome)
    Presence
    (Credence)
    Mask of Tranquility
    New Identity
    (Alexander Krait)
    Resources
    Jacque
    Behavior

    Goes by Jack.

    Educated, scholarly, lawyer, scientist.
    Jack's outward demeanor and tone are a baseline of respectful and calculated.

    He actively debates, persuades, negotiates and even at time tries to intimidate, as core skills of any lawyer worth his salt.

    +1
    SL
    4
    PRE

    Jacque smiled at Thomas' hospitality and directness while his beast pulled at his chain, wishing to leave this space. Despite the matter-of-fact delivery he responded with a nod, "No qualms here." Neither of the two had a history of sniping and posturing up to this point and were quite intelligent. It was a most welcome change of pace.

    Pulling a chair under him as he sits, "More or less. The punishment issued was meant to keep them alive by a thread, neither allowed to enter the long sleep or experience the final death. Some dim-witted hunters are the cause of the current circumstances. Krieg was able to share some high level knowledge about what a Spider can do, but the devil is in the details. What is the true scope of power within this blood Thomas?" The fellow Lord was almost overflowing with confidence on the topic. It was time to release the floodgates.

    Catching Thomas' curiosity he tapped on the capsule as he answered the unspoken question, "A floor plan of the prison's lower level. There were a few ideas on approach, but without understanding the Blood they're all effectively shots in the dark. Here, we can work out a much better range of approaches and present them as options for the next meeting."


    Blood Hunt:

  7. #7
    T
    Thomas Boyle

    "He's said that this enemy of yours controls his haven with unparalleled skill, and really - it was enough for to pieces to fall into place" He responds not-so-modestly to Derek's inquiry "I remember meeting one, back in Philadelphia. A morbid encounter that was, but enlightening" He chuckles "But this isn't story night, is it?"

    The Lord clears his throat and rises from the chair. It works wonders for one's diaphragm when one is standing!

    "The first thing you need to know is that the Malocusians have very... particular tastes when it comes to Embracing - they almost always share the Gift with individuals wealthy and educated, possessing a certain penchant for isolationism. Those are all traits that can be used to our advantage - something tells me our Spider is not particularly good at unpredictable situations, or dealing with multiple stimuli at once. But we can get to that later" They all need to get on the same level first, don't they?

    "As for their particular gift of Blood, called Domus - the prerequisite for its use is that the Malocusian performs what the bloodline members call "the investiture". Namely, he needs to smear his own Vitae on the walls of his haven - the larger the haven, the more Vitae it requires, and by my estimation covering an area as large as in this case would necessitate... three to five gallons of it? Something like that" Which is a lot. Meaning he needed top come into contact with the inmates on more than one occasion.

    "What can they do with it? Well, they will know when you enter the marked area, they will be able to instantly tell that you are vampires, they will sense everything you do and break through your Obfuscate as if it was a sheet of paper. The haven itself will hinder you, and siphon your strength to empower the owner. Of course, you will never see him - by the time you go deep in, they will merge with the structure itself, and you will find yourselves with no cover, attacked by everything from doors to cables to glass windows. Oh, and one more thing - with this vampire's likely mastery over Domus, the prison itself feeds the master. As far as the Malocusian is concerned, he can stay there forever" Which is problematic, to say the least, and robs them of several opportunities.

    "No, sledgehammering the structure won't work. Fire can, but the amount needed would meen you are stepping into a smoking coffin, not to mention the entire point of preserving the First is lost. So yes, I believe the only way it can be done is tying the lamb to lure a lion. Of course, we'd need to find something that'd... stick"

    As if to underscore a point, Thomas mimics sheep's bleating. He grins, widely.

  8. #8
    Derek Menzies's Avatar

    Known as "Derek Mitnick"
    Presence
    (Insecure)
    Derek Menzies

    Known as "Derek Mitnick"

    1
    PRE

    The two Kindred were still strangers to Derek. And he had only really shared one conversation with each. And now they were tasked with creating a formidable plan to face the Spider in its web.

    What disturbs Derek the most about the lore Thomas shares with them is the penetrating power against his own specialty.

    "Really? It's that potent?" he says with some concern and surprise. Any plan for stealth and subterfuge would go poorly it seems. "If that is accurate, then a frontal assault is out of the question. As is covert methods. So if it's to be bait to lure the lion, then perhaps a Trojan Horse or tainted meat?" he suggests through a slight grimace of discomfort.

  9. #9
    T
    Thomas Boyle

    Thomas makes a face at the 'if' of Derek, but says nothing. There's a thin line between confidence and buffoonery.

    "Our task would be easier if Mr.Uther supplied us with pertinent background information on the Malocusian. If he hasn't already, I guess he either doesn't know, or doesn't mind several destroyed Kindred from a neighboring Domain, whose resources he can snatch up later" The Ventrue shrugs. Silly political games, they were "The method I'd recommend is controlled extraction. You see, Spiders need to utilize great focus of will to even leave their chosen haven, and their connection to Man determines how long they can stay outside before they have to force themselves to cope with the outside world further. Eventually, spent Malocusians devolve into a mess that cannot coherently think or talk" It was a sad sight, a Lord so degraded. The chains of Blood could be cruel indeed.

    "If we could find this vampire heart's desire, and bait them with it so irresistibly that he'd have to leave... it'd give us significant advantage" The problem, however "...But what could it be? Fortunately for you, I have something that could shed some light on that subject"

    And with that, Thomas approaches the table with a bowl of water and a knife on it, grabs the weapon's hilt and in one determined slash cuts his palm, allowing Vitae to drop drop drop and mix with the water.

    Salve, O Minerva, sapientiae dea! Tibi offero donum ut daret sapientiam et prudentiam tuam et deduc me in eo quod didici judicia mea firma dolor aperientes animum scientiam. Crescere me fac et studium, ut mutent gradus fuit itineris mei.

    As he recites the prayer and stares into the blood, expectring shapes to form, Thomas focuses on images of Folsom Penitentiary and their current situation. The unspoken question is: how can this Malocusian be lured out?

      2 successes
    Date Action Roll Result
    2019-06-18 18:23:53 Thomas Boyle rolls 11 to Drops of Destiny (10 Again, WillPower) 3, 4, 2, 5, 8, 6, 1, 5, 1, 7, 9 2 successes

    -1 Vitae and WP spent for roll Steven


  10. #10
    S
    Steven

    Thomas looks deeply into the water, and the water looks back. His eyes flash for what, to Derek and Jacque is but a millisecond, but to Thomas... it is all the time, and none of it...

    Two figures stand, both are without faces. One, a man in tactical gear, he is talking, but it is muffled, no words can be made out. The mouths move and it sounds like whispers of the abyss. The second man, holds a broom, leans on it even. his head hangs low. The broom man reaches into his pocket and hands...

    And Thomas is back. How long had he been gone, hours, days, for a moment he wonders and then, ah yes, only moments had gone by...

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