The Rot Beneath: Chapter One

[Seryna]

The knowledge that Final Death creeps after those Embraced lurks in the mind of every Kindred. Ancient monsters could erode into dry and splintering bones.

The insidious speed of how the rot takes to a corpse that was once a Vampire can never be forgotten. It is something that whispers chills down one's spine. It is known that the newest vampires’ wrinkle and bloat and putrefy like month-old corpses.

On the lonely streets of shadowy warehouses, a still form is found. Criminals that use this part of the city for their meetings and storage of … interesting merchandise are among the first to notice the slumped corpse of a plus – sized woman with dark hair. After minutes tick by, some concerned soul tips off Emergency Services. No doubt they will be by for the corpse soon…
Yet as your source, criminal or emergency services, share about the rot advancing in the corpse, Alessandra and Helen become aware that this means that the body was once a Kindred. Final Death has come to Sacramento.
What can you do to prevent a Breach and search for clues for who has done this?

Those with Criminals and Emergency Services have been alerted to possible Masquerade Breach on their channels. Any other Kindred can walk across the scene.

[Alicia Silvers]

How was it that old saying went, beloved child has many names? Well she had many appearances instead, and even more faces as she walks up to the area with flowing white hair. Along with a heavy bag over her shoulder right next to her purse, bike parked a bit away to not be immediately seen. False life flowing through her veins as she approaches the site, with heightened hearing and sight both for the darkness and to not wanting to act to quickly.

Carefully scanning the area as she walks towards it, fingers crossed the training she had put in, the books she had read would finally come to pay off and be able to yield some level of insight she could report back before either police or other government groups would show up and make it impossible.

Perception failure

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2025-06-14 02:24:21	Alicia Silvers rolls 4 to Perception (wit+com) (10 Again)	6, 1, 6, 2	failure

A bit surprised she seemed to be the first Kindred here, surely she couldn´t be the only one with contacts of this matter, then again that was why she was here to make sure at least one Kindred would be here in time.

Gear

Athletic shoes
Handcuffs fluffy X2 - in purse
Scent pills in case - in purse
Fum mod - in purse
Gaia assault alarm on her right wrist
Smart phone - in purse
Pepper spray - in purse
Wallet thin - in her bra
Dark clothes
Forensic kit - in bag

[Helen Kingsley]

Well shit, its not like the absence was planned, but not even Helen is jaded enough to expect the sort of welcome back gift that she got just yet. Well, sort of. In any case, as soon as keeping an ear on the channels has been an option again, some familiar voices drag her into the stuff. Sometimes, listening in on Randy and McNally being at each others' throats again does help. Getting stuck with stuff like this, though ?

Eh, karma's a bitch, sometime, but it is what it is.

In any case, it sounds like something serious enough to go take a look at. So she makes haste to the scene, only grabbing a few household items before she leaves for the warehouses. Not too much info out just yet, but it sounds like something either the police or the CDC might want to get involved with... She parks her bike half a block away and goes to see if there's already any takers, but so far, it doesn't look like it. Taking in the surroundings, she closes in on the scene, seeing there is already someone present, but it's just one person. Curious, no ? Before closing in any further, she stops and listens for anything out of the ordinary.

Boots, dark jeans and a dark blue t-shirt help a little with blending in with the darkshe doesn't recognize Alicia immkediately, but once she's close enough, it's easier.

1 success

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2025-06-14 19:01:12	Helen Kingsley rolls 6 to Perception check ! (Wits+Comp) (10 Again)	9, 7, 7, 4, 4, 3	1 success

"So, what have we got here ?"

equipment

big camping backpack, first aid kit, combat knife, can of mace, burner phone, wallet with 150 $, lighter, pack of Camels, notepad and pencil, disposable gloves, wristwatch, MagLite

[Jennifer Hazelton]

Treat this as Storyteller, please

Alicia is unable to notice anything of particular value. She would note that the body appears to be a plus size woman with dark hair. She was still wearing a bracelet on her wrist.

Helen noticed all of this. Helen was able to see something new as Helen notes that there is something unexpected underneath the woman's body. It appears to be a flat card. One would have to look at it closer to get much information.

Alicia and Helen sense something familiar as they look at the body of the Kindred.

As you look at the body, both of you hear a slight footstep noise. Looking to the left, two young looking men in trendy, loose dark clothing and specific colored red ball caps are looking over. The men remain about thirty feet away and do not approach you.
What do you do?

[Alicia Silvers]

The sensation of a stronger beast calling out to her, sending that all to familiar creep alongside her spine as her own beast stirs inside before hearing the voice of the Reeve, already about to turn and see who it was to join her with a calmed look upon seeing Helen.

A shake of the head.
"Got some intel worth checking out, thought I could put the studies you asked me to pursue to use. See now that it might have been presumptuous of me." Grabbing her tweezers from the forensic kit to gently lift the bracelet up without damaging it, looking to see if it is just standard one or if it was concealing a wristband of where she might have been on her final night. A sloppy mistake to do then again leaving a body like this was sloppy to begin with. "Want me to stay or leave?" A look towards the Reeve then over towards the sound of the footsteps with a sigh, lowering her voice into a light whisper. "Forensic kit in the bag, I will go distract them."

Taking a step back, clenching her eyes and dropping the bag with the forensic kit gently down with a ragged breath, shaking her head and hurrying her steps over towards the two men, aiming her body away from Helen as she attempts to steal their glances. Speaking in a slightly hurried tone but making sure to let the melody of her voice come through.
"Excuse me, we got into some troubles with some coked up maniac and seem to have lost our way, would you mind giving me directions back to the main street?" Flashing a half panicked smile at them both. "Before the maniac finds us again."

Deceit failure

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2025-06-15 03:38:28	Alicia Silvers rolls 10 to Deceit (man+sub+SL+DV) (10 Again)	2, 2, 2, 4, 4, 6, 3, 2, 3, 3	failure

[Alessandra]

Ale had her finger on every criminal pulse in the city of Sacramento. So, when something happened, when something was off, she knew. Her soldiers called her; texts came in and boots hit the pavement. Not usually hers.

But tonight? Tonight was different. This required her direct handling, none of her men involved, unless information was needed to be gathered.

So she had Gabriel break out an older vehicle she had in storage. One she had used since upgrading to the Torino and then the Aston. Tonight, she went old school to blend in and to better transport the body. Well, whatever was left.

Her guns were checked on the way over, then secured in each holster. Not knowing what she was dealing with, bringing her guns felt like a safe bet. And if not? She had other means to handle things.

The trunk area of the vehicle had been lined with a tarp and trash bags, best suited to hold any Kindred remains.

Gabriel drove her in the Jeep to the location relayed by her men and steps out, going around to back and opening the door.

The Prince of the Domain slowly steps out, her skin, what you could see, flush with stolen life. Her jacket black with the collar up, gloves on her hands, her hair was styled in a way to hang down over her face tattoos. Her lips, a deep red, her dark eyes, looking over the scene and the two Kindred already there.

Nothing is said as her Beast snarls and rages in anger, wrestling with wanting to end the weakness that was before her. But its chain was quickly snapped taut and it placed back in its corner; there was no time for that right now.

To Helen, “Is there a reason this hasn’t been dealt with?” time was not on their side in this matter.

Equipment

Burner flip phone, $1k in cash(small bills), 2 .44 Mag in duel holster with extra clips

[Seryna]

The bracelet was literally a bracelet. Jewelry that was worn for adornment that hid absolutely nothing.
The closer inspection brings a memory of light sparking on this exact bracelet in Elysium. It was on the wrist of the Mekhet who matched the physical description of this rotting corpse.

The dark haired and plus size Kindred who visited court.

Alicia's words were met by a blank stare. A minute later, the men looked at each other and laughed.
"Look at Granny." One smirks. "What's with the weave?" The other jokes back to his friend.
That man looks at Alicia's hair with a smile. He looks over her body appreciatively. This was not a good look, a friendly look. It's meant to make women uncomfortable.

The two step to the side of the area so that Alicia is no longer in front of them and blocking their view.
Their eyes are back on the area behind Alicia. They are scanning and always moving.
Alessandra is given a long look. The smiles slide from their faces as they study the Gangrel.

Some people have a certain sense about others. Others have street sense. There is something about Alessandra that spooks these men and they back away wordlessly.

They are no longer in speaking distance to Alicia, Alessandra or Helen.
They remain forty feet away. The two look over at the area that Helen and Alessandra stand by. One is texting on a new, expensive looking phone.

Tick tock.
The call has gone out. Humans will soon be on the scene.

[Alicia Silvers]

The silence of the Reeve a surprise, to not answer her question one thing but paired with inaction to boot? Was this person before her someone so meaningful it made it hard to move? That would certainly not be flattering.
A muffled grunt at the lack of anything proper, but at least it served to confirm who precisely this in all likelihood were, a report to give in later if needed, doubting this would not already be known far beyond her own station and gossip for all those who dwelled in the backgrounds, at least it had not been one of her family.

Internally screaming at herself at the failure to throw out something convincing, a skill honed and practiced over and over yet when it mattered nothing, biting down with a step backward to the side the look uncomfortable but not new, he was not first and certainly not the last to do such a thing. Glancing back with a sudden loss at the roar of her beast, sensing the stronger predator by her, had she not felt like she had stumbled into more than needed at the appearance of the Reeve so was this certainly a sign that she had.

Collecting herself and grabbing her bag with a look to the Prince, voice soft enough to make sure the Kine would not be able to hear with their long distance away.
"Forensic kit in the bag, my bike is not far away, their bracelet seen worn at the club, people likely on their way, what do you need me to do?" Brief, and impolite perhaps yet this was not a time for formalities.

[Helen Kingsley]

Helen takes some time to inspect the remains. Yeap. Kindred. Yeap, dead as a doornail. She attempts to pass the superficial inspection as checking for life signs.
Which normally wouldn't be that much of a problem, but then, when do things ever go to normal ? Noticing the card, she picks it up and looks over it.

"Still on assessing how to go about it. Carry off, hide to recover later or destroy, all on the table."

She looks around, adding another project to her list seeing how they got into and might get out of the situation at hand.

"We want to take her with us, and I think that'd be worthwhile, to see what brought her here ? Can't put her on my bike, Alicia's might work if we're smart about it... If you got a car, that might work, but already being on the clock, we could also try the sewers. I'm open to anything that doesn't involve a full check on site, but the sewers would keep license plates out of public attention, provided we got an entrance around here somewhere." She suggests.

OOC: Any rolls you'd like ?

[Alessandra]

Dark eyes find the two guys and study them for an uncomfortable minute. Letting them back up, she still watches, seeing them text. She looks to Gabriel with a nod who will in turn focus his attention on the two men, arms crossed across his chest.

Ale will then turn her back to the two men, she trusted her Ghoul to alert her to their movements and actions.

It would be easy to call in a couple men to take care of the two onlookers. But they had more pressing matters. Perhaps once orders had been given.

Eyes slowly look to the Daeva, “Forensics kit? On what exactly?” it was a dead Kindred; you weren’t getting shit off it.

Back to Helen, her voice low, “I have the Jeep set for transport. I have locations, safe ones, we can access and make plans from.” A deep sigh, “We’ve been here too long.” Which should have been obvious. “We load and go. I make some calls to keep a finger on the pulse of what’s being said and who’s moving. As well as on our friends over there. The address will be sent in a text.” If whoever left the body had eyes on it, they would then have eyes on the Jeep and its movements. The Savage was ok losing a warehouse and a Jeep; she could buy a fucking warehouse of them if she wanted. Or five.

The Jeep would be dumped and burned.

Equipment

Burner flip phone, $1k in cash(small bills), 2 .44 Mag in duel holster with extra clips