A meeting of the Lords

[Aiden Whitney]

Thomas wasted no time renewing his attacks, this time on Lenora. At his smile, Aiden raised a hand gently indicating to reign in the aggression. There was no feud between Lenora and Thomas to his knowledge, and venting anger on her simply wouldn't do.

Even as Thomas was winding back up, Jacque showed no sign of slowing down. There was no response from Aiden whatsoever. What would be the point?

"Ms. Black, I wasn't suggesting that I wanted the position. That chair," A sharp hand to the seat of the Priscus. "Is not something I am after." Right now.

"Your assessment of them," Aiden's head nodded at Thomas and Jacque. "Matches my own. Until they resolve their conflict I don't think either of them could hold position in the clan, and it be respected by the other." If they weren't good enough for Priscus would she keep one as Whip? "I was willing to stomach that since you weren't an option. If you desire to be Priscus, though, then my calculations certainly change. Your relative newness to the Domain is a concern, but you have the best temperament in the room."

There was no reason to delay this decision any further. "I can accept your leadership with the three month probationary period. If after three months you still deserve the position I see no reason to deny you the right to pursue it."

Aiden offered a shrug to Thomas. It wasn't personal. "You are barely controlling your rage Hierophant, and it has not been limited to the it's source. I shudder to think about the ramifications for our family if it were to spill out during Court."

His eyes then rolled to the Herald. "This feud reflects extremely poorly on you both, and you should absolutely seek resolution or mediation." No doubt Jacque would gloat about this, and Thomas would pout. In reality they should both be ashamed that this was the most appealing option. How did a Herald and a Hierophant lose an election when the next senior person had only been in town a month?

"Now, let's see if I have this vote count right..."

Aiden pointed to Jacque and held up a finger. "One."

Then to himself and held up another. "Two."

And to Lenora. "You would be three, which makes that chair yours if you want it." He offered a smile and a nod towards the seat.

[Jacque]

Jacque shook his head to Aiden, "No, his particular tactics reflect poorly on the clan. Do not despair, Mister Whitney, for lies are expensive and time reveals truth. Time you now have. I am astonished that you cannot see how one sided this is." He flicks his hand, gesturing towards Thomas, "I came prepared to consider him for Priscus. His one major hurdle for me was whether or not he could stifle his arrogance and acknowledge that arguing the Prince's will in open Court or elsewhere is both inappropriate and unacceptable. A fact he still does not appear willing to accept."

Looking between Aiden and Lenora, "As far as I'm concerned, this 'feud' will be resolved in three months when it has been revealed that Mister Boyle sought to take advantage of your limited time in Sacramento and that he undermines anyone who he thinks stands between him and what he wants. Then he can pay the piper for his transgressions and put this matter to rest."

Then came Thomas' laugh, to which Jack replied nothing with silence. No greater argument could be made for his flippant behavior than what Thomas provides himself.

"The seat is yours, Priscus Black. Congratulations." It was now her meeting, her floor.

[Lenora]

Lenora was silent for a moment. Thomas' laugh was met with a peculiar look, followed by a smirk and an amused huff. Then Priscus Black rose, moving to seat herself at the head of the table and, once seated, collected her thoughts, her fingers folding together as before.

"Thank you, gentlemen," she offers, maintaining the pose, "Before we continue, there are a few matters I would like to address."

Eyes flit to the Herald.

"Herald Jack, regardless of your view on the feud, the effect on the clan is apparent," she said, "While I am appreciative of your nomination and the gesture of your concern, I believe that retaining you as Whip could cause some tension in the future until the feud is resolved. For this reason, I am removing you from the position as Whip. Consider this an opportunity to resolve matters while also focusing on your duty to Her Majesty. However, it is within my preference that you do not discuss our family's politics with the Prince more than necessary. She has a Domain to run and cannot do so if she becomes overly involved."

The eyes then move to Thomas.

"Heirophant Boyle, you are a peculiar. However, in the spirit of repairing the wounds the family clearly bears, I see no reason to reprimand you or the Herald, despite my clear dislike of both of your conduct this evening," she said, "That said, I'd like both you and the Herald to bear in mind that my previous encouragement to seek resolution is no longer a request. I'd like you both to make time to meet one another and discuss your issues privately, away from the Clan and our internal politics. In this way it presents a scenario where both of you can discuss matters without the distraction of potential advancement. Should you both be unable to settle your dispute alone, I am of course available as a mediator. Should I not be employed in that capacity, I expect you both to report to me about the meeting so that I know it has either been resolved or that we need to settle the issue with the Prince herself. As I've said, I'd prefer her not to be involved, as such an event would stain the Clan. Are these conditions agreeable to you both?"

Finally, the gaze shifted to Mr. Whitney.

"Mr. Whitney, while you favored one candidate for most of the meeting you showed appropriate tact and recognized when you were getting overzealous," she compliments, "I am impressed and, in the spirit of maintaining neutrality in our clan's upper echelons, I am naming you as our Clan's Whip. As with any Kindred in such a position, I expect you to maintain morale within our family. We will meet privately in order to discuss present concerns, but until then I encourage you to meet with Herald Jack and Heirophant Boyle individually as a means to familiarize yourself with them. Bear in mind that I understand the gamble that I am undertaking in establishing a new Kindred to this position. I am also certain the Domain will judge both of us harshly for it. I expect you to show them that my decision was the right one."

The fingers unlocked and Lenora's hand settled on the floor.

"Finally, I'd like you all to remember that my current policy is familiarization. In honor of this, I will be meeting with each of you privately to discuss your goals, your place in the clan, and any concerns you feel you cannot discuss here," she said, "As such, please ensure you each have space available in your schedules."

Then a pause.

"Are there any concerns with the matters I've addressed or any other dilemmas our family needs to discuss this evening?"

[Aiden Whitney]

Finally, Lenora gave a bit of her perspective on the night's hostilities, and in turn, Aiden gained perspective on her. Her experience with the First Estate became apparent as she spoke. Dominant. Commanding. She didn't even have to raise her voice.

When Aiden was named Whip he simply nodded in acknowledgment. "Thank you Priscus. My conduct will be above reproach. Just let me know when you would like to meet, and I will make time." Truth be told, he was so new that he didn't have much to worry about beyond feeding and long term planning. Lenora was right, of course, about how the Domain would view their positions. Two newcomers leading a clan ahead of established members of the community would no doubt draw questions, and judgment. It would take nothing short of perfection to silence those naysayers.

"We have settled our most pressing issue. I have nothing to add to our agenda."

At this point Aiden began to reflect on Jacque's and Thomas's reactions to Lenora taking the seat. Thomas had entered the room and immediately opened fire on Jacque. Now he had been denied Priscus would he make moves against Lenora and Aiden? Jacque seemed totally opposed to accepting any responsibility in the despute with Thomas. Would he simply demand arbitration with the Prince, and rely on her to settle things? The possibilities were endless.

[Lenora]

Results will be relayed in the next post. For Bookeeping this is the second WP Lenora has used

  3 successes

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2019-09-18 18:12:52		Lenora rolls 8 to Resist Intimidate (Wits+Res+WP) (10 Again, WillPower)		1, 2, 2, 10, 9, 9, 2, 4, 1		3 successes

[Youngblood]

Sorry to interject! The site historically just subtracts the rolls from the right when you roll too many dice. The primary reason for this is to save time during plots when a storyteller needs to correct a roll but keep the plot moving without having to wait for a re-roll. Even though this is not a plot or an ST trying to push the scene forward this does need to be handled consistently so there can't be picking and choosing of when someone re-rolls or when someone subtracts from the right.

Subtracting the 4 dice from the right of the original roll leaves 5 successes and that should be used for this resolution. If you have any questions or concerns open an OOC thread or tag me in discord.

  5 successes

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2019-09-18 18:08:57		Lenora rolls 12 to Resist Intimidate (Wits+Res+WP) (10 Again, WillPower)		9, 10, 5, 10, 4, 10, 1, 6, 4, 9, 6, 6, 8, 3, 9		7 successes

[Jacque]

Jacque smiled and lifted his shoulders at Lenora's declaration to him and his so called rival, "I will always make the time for Mister Boyle to atone for his deceptions but I have no reason to pursue him to try and talk him out of being... what he is." They apparently still could not see how one sided this feud was and he was done trying to show the Lords what was right in front of their faces.

Lifting the corner of his lip into a wry grin, "Plus, I will not overstep Whip Whitney in his responsibilities." By removing Jack as Whip, she inadvertently released him from the only obligation he had to give two shits about what Thomas was doing. He chuckled to himself, recalling Lenora's praise of the new Whip. 'Showed appropriate tact and recognized when you were getting overzealous'. What she really should have said was... 'you took Jack's advice'.

Then came Thomas' show. Amusement enveloped him for the first time in a very long time. He glanced to the new Whip with a look of pure intrigue that almost asked, Well? What are you going to do about it?

[Lenora]

As Thomas Boyle hovered and gave is threats, Lenora again fell into a state of analysis. Then the threats began and, when they were over, the assembled Lords. Her shoulders bobbed lightly at first and it quickly became apparent what the newest Priscus of the the Lords was doing.

Now, it seemed, it was Lenora's turn to laugh. Hers was subtler and quieter than Boyle's, but nonetheless bore a similar edge. She found herself unable to respond until her light fit was finished. It had been her habit to offer subtle glances and stoic gazes to her fellow Lords this evening, but what happened next was not a practiced mask. Instead, she turned her head fully to Thomas, eyes opened with newfound clarity as a wide smile decorated the Lord's lips.

"Your defiance is noted, Mr. Boyle," she offered, opting out of using the man's covenant title. If he would not grant her the respect of her position, neither would she respect his place within his covenant. "Admittedly, I must say there is no small amount of satisfaction in knowing that the epicenter of this feud is yourself. I am, however, surprised by the display. "

Lenora would lean back in her chair, hands resting on the table, though her gaze did not break nor lower in it's intensity.

"Given the prejudice you feel the Crone has weathered, one which you admittedly say you worked hard to repair through your service to the Domain, I would have expected more... control," she said, "Considering the Keeper's earlier attempts to recruit myself before I achieved acknowledgement, it is a mystery how closely you guard your covenant's renewed good standing. Your hostility does you no favors as well and one is left to wonder what would happen to your place in the domain should your attempt to fracture your blood following a fair assembly to accept a new Priscus be made public. The evidence that could be brought to bear is astounding. Especially considering the highest authority has also noted your disrespect for one of her officers."

"However, I am a reasonable woman," Lenora continued, "Surely this attempt at intimidation was an act brought about by passion. I can easily forgive the transgression for, say, a Minor Boon. Although, should this happen again, you will find me much less understanding."

A pause hangs in the air.

"Nod if you agree to these terms," she finalizes, "Otherwise, you are dismissed and your poor conduct will be duly noted."

  1 success

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2019-09-19 19:54:43		Lenora rolls 5 to Intimidate Mr. Boyle (10 Again)		7, 6, 2, 9, 5		1 success

The other two were ignored for the moment, but it was clear Lenora would not move to adjourn until after this little squabble with Thomas had come to an end.