Session Timeline |
CbN003: Party Animals
January 2nd 2017
It’s the start of the year and the people of Chicago resume their daily activities after New Years celebrations. A storm gathers, making those who dare to traverse outside have a hard time at it. The Kindred however, slept through the day, in mostly dreamless torpor, for that is their curse.
As the sun starts to set low against the horizon, humans rush home, to the warmth of the fire, a good meal with family and a cup of tea or cocoa, while the Kindred of Chicago stir. The night brings in a palpable energy, and it’s as if The City knows... something is coming.
Liliana Fernholdz wakes up before most Kindred, on the second floor of a tailor shop called The Outfit. It’s Chad’s home and he had convinced her to stay with him for the night the day before, for her safety and the group’s peace of mind.
About an hour later, Chad Smith comes out of torpor and greets Liliana. He goes downstairs and pesters the old quiet man that runs the tailor shop, as usual. Chad calls him “The Irish”.
Back in Bear Creek, at the Church of St. Boniface, Clementine Guerrero stands up quickly. She had stayed in a crypt beneath the church to guard the place. As she goes up the beat up set of stairs, she finds The Boys have been working on cleaning up the church for what seems to be hours. A terrible hunger assails the Lasombra, not used to being around so many humans, but she manages to keep her composure.
In the South Side of Chicago, above a butcher shop, Maude Lansbury wakes in their cluttered apartment to the smell of rotting meat from below. The floors creak as if any moment they’re about to snap, dropping Maude through the fragile wooden slats. The Malkavian gazes at what covers the whole of the apartment wall - sharpie markings, pictures, paper cutouts, notes and red strings that seem to connect things at random. But it’s not random, of course, not to Maude. It all means… something.
Near downtown Chicago, Mary Lovelace stirs and goes about her business as usual, gluing herself to her computer. Her Haven is a back room of “Crone Attorney at Law ''. She goes to a mini fridge and realizes in frustration that she had run out of blood bags.
Kim The Ghoul has been awake for a long time, and instead of waking up, she’s ending her regular day. She’s in the safe room of her apartment in a nice part of the city, admiring a collection made out of samples taken from bodies she has helped clean up. The idea of what awaits her in the next couple of days fills her with excitement.
The group gathers back at the church as The Boys finish up work for the day and leave. The group discuss at length what to do with the place and decide to keep the main structure of the Church as is and just fix it up and make it more secure, ultimately unsure what to turn it into yet. They talk excitedly about gathering information about the neighborhood’s kine and the prospect of tax evasion and big majestic chandeliers.
As the conversion turns towards the party, Chad wants to understand the proper etiquette and decides to call the organizer of the party’s assistant, Laura. As he talks to Bronwyn’s assistant, she tells him that the party’s theme is Innocence; everyone but the Master of Elysium will have to wear white with gold accents to show the kindred are pure and don’t need to feed where they gather. Bronwyn will wear black, to represent that she carries the burden of everyone else’s impurity.
With this new information, Chad gets to work on everyone’s outfits. He puts his heart and soul into making everyone look fantastic for the party, taking in consideration everyone’s individual taste. The end result? Few people would be able to take their eyes off of them.
Preparing for Tomorrow
The night before the event, with tension running high and knowing there’s a lot at stake, the majority of the party goes to feed before the night closes. There’s a snow storm hitting all of Chicago, most humans are staying inside their homes where it’s warm, but some still choose to indulge in some good old vices.
Clementine and Chad go together to a casino in The Racks. While Clementine lures a man to a darker corner and feeds without detection, Chad is a bit more overt, having fallen into Toreador compulsion. He focuses intensely on a man across his way, beelining for him and about to cause a scene but Clementine intercedes, grappling Chad and leading him out.
Chad ends up going back home and feeding from a member of his herd.
In a small clinic far from the casino, Mary sneaks in and steals a small amount of blood bags for herself, digging into a few as soon as she’s back in her Haven.
Maude heads to their usual stomping grounds, the bar called “The Fat Lion”. They mingle with the usual regulars, joking and calling everyone by name. They feed from one of their herd members in the smoker’s alley behind the bar.
Blue Velvet
January 4th, 2017
In the heart of Downtown stands an opulent, historical business building, where kine have no hint as to the secret kindred club hidden within: The Blue Velvet. The facade is an ornate masterpiece, with carefully detailed embellishments and handcrafted stonework that gives it a sense of majesty. The exterior is complemented by a landscaped plaza that welcomes visitors and provides a peaceful respite from the bustling city.
Tonight, figures all dressed in white gather and enter the building - all while humans go about their business, blind to the vampiric event taking place just above them. The group enter the building and are led to an elevator where a special key allows them to ascend to one of the highest floors. Once the doors of the elevator open, many Kindred turn their heads and stare at the beautifully dressed and styled party.
People whisper and nudge each other as they walk past. Waiters offer them deep red drinks served in thin wine glasses, but they refuse, Liliana advising them that taking them might make them look weak in front of the other vampires.
Wasting no time at all, Chad leads Liliana into an open area where others are dancing elegantly and they join the fun, while the others look around the tastefully decorated interior of the Velvet.
Once the shock of their entrance dies down, the rest of the group notice the lingering gaze of a stunningly beautiful woman, who stares at them with a smile. She’s dressed in black, even though she shouldn’t. Across the room, Bronwyn, the Master of Elysium, stares daggers at the woman, while Jason “Son” Newberry speaks to her with a relaxed smile.
Marcel greets them soon after and congratulates them for cleaning the Church and making their way to Elysium in perfect attire. Next to him is another man who he introduces as Abraham DuSable, a Tremere in charge of Chicago’s Chantry. The warlock makes quick introductions and leaves soon after, not one for small talk.
After DuSable leaves, Marcel asks Liliana for a moment of her time and pulls her aside. The group can tell his intentions don’t seem to carry any ill intent, so Liliana follows. He reassures her that he’s here to help her and if she ever needs anything, to come to him. Internally, Liliana is not very convinced and is distrustful of his true intentions, even though he seems genuine.
He leads her back to the group and informs them all that the Prince would call on them soon.
A brief moment later they are led by a ghoul to a private booth where a black young man is finishing a conversation with a punk woman and a hooded up Nosferatu. Their demeanors seem intense and focused as the man, Prince Jackson, nods and they start to leave.
As they pass the group, the woman looks at Maude and Mary and they hear “Hi” in their heads.
Prince Kevin Jackson
The Prince greets them cordially. He’s flanked by two nordic looking tall muscular women who remain standing and look rigid and in attention, like soldiers. They make sure not to speak before he does, as advised by Liliana.
He presents himself as a straight to the point man with a very astute disposition. There are implied threats in the way he speaks, ensuring they remain respectful and in line.
While he speaks, Maude sizes him up and can tell by the way he speaks and the clothes he wears that Prince Jackson was not born to power and money, rather earned his way up the ladder.
Once the Prince asks Liliana about how she came to be at the pit, she tells him she doesn’t know and can’t remember how she ended up there. He seems to believe her and then proceeds to ask the rest of the group what their plans are with Liliana to which they answer that she’s one of them now. The Prince seems very pleased by this.
They are all surprised to find out that it seems like Marcel never mentioned Liliana’s situation to the Prince. But the conversation immediately moves on and the Prince tells them the Camarilla had wanted to take control of Bear Creek for a while, and that he has high hopes that their group can keep the place under control.
Finally, he tells them they’ll be introduced to the rest of kindred society later and are dismissed.
As they return to the party, they all let out a sigh of relief. So far, they have been able to keep things in order, but the party has only just started. They will soon be formally presented, and it seems that the main announcement of the night is also yet to come.
Looking around all guests gathered tonight, they keep in mind that the beautiful white and gold attires are only a cover for the fact that they’re now joining and sharing the night with monsters.
