Getting in the Know

[Verity Carmen]

Verity's Minivan pulls up the address she had been given. Painted black and with band logos painted all over with the dates of tours and shows she had attended under each. She dressed in the archetype of her social group. Stylishly ripped trousers, leather boots and jacket over a black band shirt. Hair and make up the same as they are each night down to the smallest detail.

She parks up a street or so away and walks her way down following the map on her phone. Reaching the door of what she hopes is Priscus Baker She raps out a tune on the door waits.

[Albert Baker]

The address turned out to be a detached plain gablefront house in yellow brick with red roof tiles and the windows, doors, fence and porch painted in white. A path of white cobblestones led further through short cropped lawn. Shortly after knocking the door opened and she was invited in.

"Good evening, Miss Carmen."

Having habitually relaxed his clothing standard to ash grey trousers, a white dress shirt with a purple tie, red slippers with floral silverwork embroidery and a red cardigan with the words of the four Purusuthas repeatedly embroidered in white, Al led her into his home.

The first room was a small room with an iron wardrobe and wallpaper with white roses on blue. The next room was bigger, though it had the same wallpaper, there stood an oval table with two chairs and notepads and writing implements on the tablecloth. On the walls were paintings of landscapes.

[Verity Carmen]

On the door step Verity not for the first time ponders just how different where she has come from is compared to this. The image of the house soured in her eyes. It was the very picture of the sedentary lifestyle she holds in contempt.

When the door opens a moment of relief show on her face. Yep, right place. She steps inside when invited, seeming to fill even an empty room just by being in it, and waits for the door to close again. ‘Priscus Baker, how are you this evening? Thanks for having me.’ Looking around at the sparse furnishings for somewhere to sit. There only seems to be two options. She points to the table and chairs. ‘Through here?’

[Albert Baker]

​Al closed the door with a faint smile.

"Quite well. Thank you."

Walking into the living room he waited for her to follow.

"You're welcome. Use the wardrobe, if you like and then have a seat. You have questions, after all."

[Verity Carmen]

Looking to the iron wardrobe some kind of stand in for a coat hook?

‘Thank you I will.’ Removing the jacket shows a short-sleeved Def Leppard shirt today, the cracks in the imprint suggest frequent washes.

Moving over to the wardrobe she will stash the jacket, if that is indeed its intended use.

Before joining the Priscus and sitting down. Looking the older Kindred over. To business.

Cutting past small talk she jumps into the reason for her visit. ‘I’ve been told you’re a good one to speak to get details on the ongoing blood hunt.’ Content to let him speak without direct questions first, see what if anything he offers up.

[Albert Baker]

Al nodded. He had details indeed.

"That might depend on the details you seek, Miss Carmen, but indeed I am. I'll keep the story short in the beginning to stick to the facts, as few wish to hear it with all the embellishments it entails."

Adjusting his position to be a bit more comfortable, he began.

"There are the subjects of the hunt, three sisters to be exact, who had a plan to submit the existance of some people to some quite severe complications after said people escaped a domain torn by war and attempts to kill them. The plan entailed finding the two people who didn't obtain new identities, framing them for hurting a valuable assistant of someone important and following their lines of communication to find the third man again after two decades. Though their mistake is operating here while neglecting to formally introduce themselves."

He paused and thought about what he knew about the current situation.

"I think the three are under lock and key though I don't know how many minions are still around."

[Verity Carmen]

Verity starts to, back into the moment as the Priscus finds his voice. She had had been this close to walking out given the long silence.

Leaning forward now. 'Oh please don't spare details on my account. I'll hang on every word.' A story lived in its details.

Detect if the Priscus is lying 2 successes

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2023-11-20 13:04:14	Verity Carmen rolls 5 to Detect if the Priscus is lying (Wits+Empathy) (10 Again)	8, 2, 6, 9, 1	2 successes

Tapping a black polished finger nail against a cheek bone. 'I hadn't taken you for a war Veteran Priscus Baker.' Yes I know these sisters seek you. 'Two? you and who else?' Another avenue perhaps?

This seems like a lot of effort without some kind of motive. 'What happened that led them to pursue you with such resolve? why the false accusations? why did you need to flee? why were kindred trying to kill you in a previous domain?' While she normally tires for an air of subtly, to mixed results, the long wait had not left Verity in a patient mood, and she had questions.

A third? 'This third man is it yourself or are you covering for someone?' Either two underlings that lead to him or he has some he's protecting.

If the three are in custody then why does the hunt go on. She is watching the Prsicus closely now trying to read him.

[Albert Baker]

Al nodded. It might be a long night then.

"It is a rather long story of a family feud and most people don't like to hear a long story when they could do with a short one."

He then adjusted his position to be more comfortable.

"Very well then."

Shuffling a bit with the paper he decided to warn her it might be confusing.

"It also is a bit complex as there are aspects that are necessary to the tale, though perhaps not important to you."

Then he drew a diagram of the opposing blocks while speaking for visual reference.

"For the beginning I should explain the situation in the domain back then. At the time we had a cold war so to speak between the old alliance of Invictus and Lancea and an uneasy coalition of the Circle, the Ordo and the Carthians with the Unbound torn between the sides. Then the three sisters arrived and turned the cold war into a hot one. As I'm not very skilled in martial things and we were actually losing we left before the Temple would be besieged. They found us about twenty years later and after getting out of Torpor we decided to part ways, I acquired new documents and came here. And the trouble has followed me."

He paused and thought for a while on the origin of the problem.

"Why, you ask ? As far as I recall they have two main reasons. One is easy: they are Lancea, I'm a heathen in their eyes and their 'prophet' seems to not like those. At least their Bishop used to preach that."

Taking a moment to get to the next point he continued.

"The other is personal. Their great-grandfather and my grandfather had some problem with each other, which Father said was trivial enough not to be remembered, as a dick doesn't need much to blow things out of proportion. His son escalated things further, though rather one-sided, as we took it mostly not seriously, until the day when Bill Hamleigh confined my brother to hospital for months and then his family had the gall to be offended when the police and judicial system were involved."

He paused, recollecting the details before going on.

"As you might imagine he had no future in the village after prison and left for the colonies on a remittance while his family was shunned. He passed the grudge on to his daughters and that is mostly the reason."

He smiled faintly when it came to the questions.

"So yes, I am the third man, the primary source on this matter here at this time. The other two are my best friend (and about the only one I've left) and his Childe."

The truth or is it?

What he says is the truth.

[Verity Carmen]

Verity listens paying close attention. 'So in your prior domain three bitches show up and spark active conflict. You, your best friend and their Childe find yourselves on the losing side so leave and enter torpor. On waking you separate from your friend and his Childe. You get new documents and set up here. Only the afor mentioned bitches get wind and have followed you to town bringing trouble with them for you and yours.' Verity steeples her fingers in clear mockery of the Christian priesthood.
'And all of this because they are religious fanatics with a generations old grudge.' Now spreading her hands. 'I follow along well enough?'

A finger stretches out and makes a wind it back motion. 'Finally you think all three sisters are in custody and its just the dregs of their entourage running around now?' Dangerous in and of itself.

And all of that if I'm reading him right is the truth, missing a few details but a general brush stokes truth certainly it seems.

'Well then it would appear that brings us to current events, what have they been up to in the city that you know of?' Locations, objectives anything could be a hint.

[Albert Baker]

Al nodded with a hint of a smile.

"Mostly, yes. There are some minor details not specified enough."

Unconciously raising a finger as in a lecture he corrected her, though it wasn't important.

"I didn't enter torpor voluntarily, the harpies and their friend Bonnie found us in Portland. We managed to incapacitate Bonnie and I think the box he was put in still is in the foundation of some house there. Though that should be irrelevant for the time being."

On the question of following the story he nodded.

"I do think so, yes."

Then the question came: What have they been up to. The one he couldn't answer. Al sighed.

"Apart from the mess with the Ghoul of an important someone to find me and trying to catch me? They have been keeping off the radar, as they didn't deem it important to present themselves to the Prince. As I'm no good in a fight and not suicidal enough to go looking for them in the Barrens on my own, unfortunately I can't be of assistance regarding that."