The Resurrectionists: Arkwright Cemetery

[Quinn Durant]

Quinn was listening, and picked up what Jack was thinking about. The fact that he knew that bit of information was interesting. Quinn only told one person that specific piece of information. She filed that information away for later.

"I don't think they are fake Invictus, but I think they are leaving out a whole lot about the purpose of all of this, and want us to be the scapegoats if it all blows up in their faces." Quinn supplied mentally.

She kept their connection going while he chattered on the radio, and when he handed it back she had her orders. She clipped the radio back to her belt to make sure she had it with her if Jack needed her once Jack got to Vincenzo. Quinn didn't like how easily everyone was backed down and willing to chat. Was it because of all the other groups? Would he work with them under the premise of 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend?' Quinn wasn't sure but it seemed like the only bet they could play right now without attracting anymore unwanted attention.

"I don't like us, splitting up, but I hear you on needing to get everyone together. I'm heading there now. Be careful..." Despite waves of anxiety of leaving him with the goons, she broke off the connection between them and headed in the direction of the Urn garden, slowing only to crouch between a tree and a headstone to call on her family's gift of Obfuscate to pull the cloak around her. She disappeared from sight.

2 successes

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-10-02 10:26:33	Quinn Durant rolls 9 to Intelligence 3 + Stealth 3 + Obfuscate 3 (Cloak of Night) (10 Again)	8, 1, 3, 2, 7, 1, 7, 1, 8	2 successes

Continued in The Resurrectionists Urn Garden...

[Jacque]

He lowered his hands as he drifted in the proximity of conversation with the two men and the radio. However they wished to relay it was fine by him. "We've only noticed your men so far this evening, I'm sending one of mine to check on the source of the noise." He stirred with annoyance once more as he considered that it might have been one of his group.

"Yes, the main risks were observed by the one and only Mister Wells, so I ordered him to leave before the problem became too broad. I'm sure you appreciate we can't clean up those kinds of messes all night." Jack's eyes wandered, waiting for a decision to be made on the parley. Truth be told, the opportunity to send Mister Wells home had another benefit. It kept him in the good decent graces of the Domain and the Lancea without having to choose between the two if they reached a crossroads.

"None taken at all," he murmured to whichever of Edgar or Marv spoke.

[Seryna]

The short man looks to Jack as he nears, a nod of respect. In addition to the bow earlier. Now he looks past Jack, turning do that his back was to his partner, and not Jack. The man keeps watch, his eyes continually moving. His body disciplined and still.

"I am Edgar, sir." The man who is not keeping watch addresses to Jack, and he was the man on the radio.
" Mr. Jack says," All of Jack's words were told to Vincenzo.
" Appraise Mr. Jack of what was relayed to us.
If he wishes to meet, bring him to the millionaires row."

" We have heard from others that there's someone else here.
Maxwell, who drove Mr. Wells this evening, is currently watching some sort of disaster unfolding. The kind who live here seem without culture.

There's a cluster of homeless living in the area besides the Urn Garden. Campfires going.

There are Holden and someone in millionaires row of the cemetery."

[Jacque]

So Holden was here, but odd that they didn't mention the whole of the coterie. And why would he be at the millonaires row? That location was well off the trail the clues provided. Jacque's lips pursed- he despised not knowing all the details and worse- being purposely left in the dark.

"A pleasure, Mister Edgar," he nodded at the introduction. "If you wouldn't mind relaying that information to my associate, Ms. Durant, it will do her more good where she's headed." And hopefully, the information won't be too late for her.

"Let's get going," he murmured as he gestured to the items on the ground, signaling they were welcome to pick them back up.

It was time for a meeting of the minds.

[Seryna]

Edgar relays the same information over the radio: others said that there's someone else here, that Maxwell is watching a disaster unfold...

The one standing guard stoops and dons his weaponry- the dagger the size of a spearhead first. He takes point a hand on his large dagger as he looks around.
"If I may walk besides you, sir. The Soldier of the Invictus is with a kindred I don't know. A scarred one.
We were watching you to see if you found Pope, you see. Shall I alert the ones there that you wish to speak with Mr. Holden?

Mr. Vincenzo is a bit from there, you can speak with him without seeing the others."

[Jacque]

The offer to escort him to the Coterie struck Jacque as strange, so he posed a question and scrutinized the response. "Unless you've already made some kind of arrangement with Mr. Holden, I would prefer to speak with Mr. Vincenzo as directly as possible," Time was in short supply for the evening and as soon as he could map out all the players, the better he could use the rest of the moonlight they had.

2 successes

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-10-03 18:22:23	Jacque rolls 12 to detect lies/deception (WIT+SUB+Dev) (10 Again)	8, 1, 5, 5, 7, 4, 8, 6, 2, 4, 7, 5	2 successes

[Seryna]

“You are not working with your fellow Invictus, then.” The ghoul seems to decide something. The walk takes about ten minutes, as the ghouls lead Jack through as the crow flies, over hills and through crumbling gardens. They avoid the roads, and walk-through valleys to avoid topping the hills where they would be seen by others. The ghoul beside Jack lifts a warning hand as warm, yellow lights become apparent.
“There’s great visibility ahead.” He warns Jack. The ghoul that has been acting as guard strikes ahead, walking alongside a street into the black. After a few minutes, he returns and states.
“No security driving past.” The two then walk towards a low row of monuments, where some of the lights have been tampered with to afford darkness.

A single snaking road leads into this narrow artificial valley between two steep hills of landfill and sod. The row is lined with handsome little streetlights, as if this was some tiny macabre main street. There are no graves here, only mausoleums and monuments, because this is Millionaire's Row.
Except for the curve of his buzzed, balding scalp, Vincenzo's face is mostly horizontal lines: flat mouth, deep-set eyes beneath straight black eyebrows, straight and narrow nose. His face is pocked with scars from life. He appears to be in his mid-40s.
He is BP 4.


Vincenzo carries no pack. He wears two belts that look custom made, and expensive at that. One holds a Pistol on his right side, a hammer on his left in a special holster. His dress is an expensive button up in dark blue, over which he wears a Kevlar vest. He wears tactical grey pants.

Vincenzo is flanked by a pair of ghouls, one of which is holding a small wooden bowl with a cloth over it. These ghouls are like the pair escorting Jack – short and stocky. They dress is the same well-made boots, wool clothing and beanies. They have the same Lancea sorcery markings along the collarbones. Each has the same dagger the size of a spear head. This pair each have a pistol with a silencer that is visible on a separate gun belt, along with small leather pouches. Each ghoul has a military backpack that looks weathered, but in good repair.
Jack notes that the ghouls don’t seem to fit a pattern. Each looks different from one another, one with rough hands. One who looks to move quietly through the night naturally, something one would think to find in a hunter and not a bodyguard.
“Mr. Jack, this is Mr. Vincenzo.”
“Evening, Seneschal.” A nod of deep respect, affording Jack’s city status. “My people have walked the area. No Kine about. Although your Invictus coterie is over a hill behind us.
Seems like Mr. Wells has quit the field.” He looks to Jack.
“I’m sure you know why I’m here. I don’t go for all of the Lancea Sanctum’s deals, but in this one, they have made it worth my while.”

[Jacque]

The Lord's shoulders lifted at the ghoul's statement. He was sure that was open to interpretation by more than just a few individuals.

The Kindred's beast is alarmingly potent. His beast pulled at him, pleading to return from whence he came but the man was determined. For the Lord, his obfuscated beast was not merely a convenience for others, but a tool of survival for himself.

"Good to hear," he responded to the detail about the coterie's location. Jacque's interest in them had waned following the theme of their conduct and the blind faith they seemed to expect. Still, Alessandra had taken an interest in the matter and so he was here to see it through. "Yes," he acknowledged, "I sent him on his way until such a time when I've regained confidence he doesn't pose a further risk to the Masquerade." His eyes wandered across the guards, noting their features. If he hadn't already come this way with intentions of being diplomatic, the show of force would be rather convincing to do so.

"Your choice of words is rather interesting Mr. Vincenzo," His hands calmly flick in the moonlight along with his words, "Like most inquiries about our kind, your history and associations were not quite clear. Some avenues described you as a mercenary of sorts but others depicted you as a member of the Sanctum." His expression depicted a hidden question mark at the end of the statement. No doubt waiting for Vincenzo to confirm one way or the other.

"Our goals are the same this evening, save for the final detail of who takes custody of him," he lifted a shoulder. "I'm quite eager to understand your and the Sanctum's motivations for acquiring the asset before the coterie does. In understanding each other, perhaps we can come to a more favorable arrangement for how the rest of the evening goes for the both of us." His eyes drift to his cousin's, calm and calculated, "I'm sure you fully appreciate who's backyard you're in, after all."

[Seryna]

"Interesting fellow, that Mr. Wells. If only because he's now in authority for the Lancea in Sacramento."
Vincenzo is quiet for a beat. He is confident in his silence, studying Jack. In this moment, two of the ghouls move quietly off. One stands nearby, watching the road that snakes into the area. The other has his head on a swivel, occasioally looking towards where they have shared the coterie is. Occasionally looking back the way that they had come. The other two remain quietly in their spots, Edgar being one of these. The other being the one holding the bowl, and he carefully packs it into his pack.

"I work to keep my associations close to the vest. I am proud of the Lancea, and the work I have done for them. Yet they were not active here when I first began my visits to Sacramento. I do work as a mercenary, if I agree with the work.
I tend to agree with you, Seneschal. Our goals are the same tonight. Do you propose that we work together to locate Pope and get out of this cemetery? I would agree that we should work together to find Pope. My men have had run ins that suggest it would not be safe to linger here.

"I'm sure that your organization wouldn't want to see the Crone gain power. It's quite possible that Mr. Pope would return to his old tricks." Vincenzo shares his thoughts.

[Jacque]

Jacque shrugged at the proposal, "Given what we've seen unfold already this evening, it seems like that would be the most prudent way to find him." He turned over his hand in a continuance of thought on Pope returning to his old tricks, "That is almost assured," Kindred were, if nothing else, creatures of habit.

The Lord pondered for a moment. The conversation was going fairly smoothly, which always put Jack's guard up. He considered the details of what wasn't being said in addition to what was shared. "I appreciate your candor, Mister Vincenzo. With that in mind, what is the Sanctum's desired outcome for Pope?" He pauses a beat before adding, "I ask because since she's taken an interest in the matter, the main detail we must agree on is that the body leaves with my team."