CbN017: Elysium Not Disco
General Summary
September 3rd, 2017
As tensions rise at the Elysium, the Prince commands the Ventrue clan to calm the crowd. A nod from the Seneschal signals to many unfamiliar Ventrue members to step forward and use their powers to pacify the chaos. Meanwhile, the Brujah anarchs abruptly leave the scene, creating a sense of unease among the remaining Kindred. Sensing the urgency of the situation, the Prince whispers to his confidant, Damien, about the need to locate the second delegate immediately. As she is dragged away, they notice Sierra asking something of her captor, but being ignored. Clem uses her powers to see through shadows and make note of where they take Sierra. She then persuades the Seneschal to let them talk to the Prince, who allows them to descend to the lower levels. The Prince informs them that the password is "Lodin"."Our clan wishes to join the Camarilla.”
The words shake the foundation of the city. The music dies; the world gasps. Shaved head Gengis throws a glass of blood against the wall, staining an invaluable painting and making Annabelle screech. Gengis yells about decades of Sabbat supporters infiltrating this city and destroying Chicago from within. "That's the Anarch's job..." Annabelle says, violent eyes staring directly at the Anarch group, the crowd rumbles about to turn violent. Jackson recovers, signals to the Sheriff. Damien, Wauneka and Alexa spring to action, grabbing the Lasombra and taking her away as Jackson turns to the crowd. We see her being dragged into the dark corridors of the Elysium, the lasombra remains stoic yet staring straight at Clementine. Her eyes are hard, unyielding, yet they communicate one clear message "I am in danger".
Bloody Bargain
The corridors are in dim contrast to the colorful and extravagant façade of the club. Concrete walls and flooring with darkened marks from spilled drinks and years of humid, unchanged air cover the pathway, while uncovered lightbulbs illuminate the darkness with a dim, orange hue. Half-naked dancers run back and forth in high heels as floor managers issue commands into earpieces. Bartenders rush by, balancing elaborate cocktails on darkblue trays, barely noticing anything but the task at hand. The service corridors are at a constant buzz to make the Succubus Club the perfect place to spend a night out The staircase to the sub-basement is at the end of one of these corridors, but three heavyset bouncers block the door. They’re in conversation with each other. If they see the group approach "Password or fuck off." Clem responds, “Lodin, and fuck off.”
Wherefore art thou Juliette?
As they arrive at the door to the Maze they realize Maude is missing. Mary tries to find them through the cobweb, but the only thing she can see is something like a void. As she approaches it, she feels a sudden pull, as if being sucked into a black hole. She feels herself falling down the recesses of her find and struggles, in a desperate attempt she holds out her fingers which scratch the sides of the inside of her mind. The sensation is terrifying, and she struggles to regain her bearings. With a surge of effort, she manages to pull herself up and out of the cobweb, mental damage the only reward for her efforts. Clementine stays back with Mary while she recovers and Liliana walks back to keep looking for Maude. She’s about to give up and head back when she hears a faint thumping sound coming from a nearby corridor. Following the noise, she finds Maude, who’s hitting their head against the wall repeatedly. Liliana approaches Maude carefully, letting them know that she’s there, but Maude seems unresponsive. It’s not until she touches Maude’s arm that the Malkavian snaps out of whatever had hold on them. They tell Liliana they’re fine, as blood pours down their face. They both head back and meet with the rest to venture further into the maze. The group can't shake the feeling that something ominous awaits them. Nonetheless, they take a deep breath and steel themselves for whatever challenges may lie ahead.Maze
The staircase to the sub-basement leads to a large cellar of stored-away art pieces, most of which are water damaged, along with old tables, chairs, and a bar. A small supply of liquor bottles, stacked bar chairs, staff t-shirts, and an odd number of freezers and coolers buzz in the darkness. Light sources are scarce, as most individuals roaming the lower parts of the club have no need for them, and the floor looks like it has not been swept since the opening of club. The PCs’ shoes stick to the floor where many unknown substances have been spilled. Tucked away behind the central storage room are winding and confusing corridors of chicken wire, half-molded wooden planks, debris, and building material.Maude resists the urge to explore
"Good little toy" -JTalking to Sierra
Sierra is in no distress or surprise that she’s been captured. The coterie decides that before they do anything else, they should ask her some questions.Where is Malenkov?
“I know just as much as you do about where he is. Sadly, he decided to bail on our assignment. If I know him, which I do, he is probably at some strip club showing off his fangs. He is not really accustomed to the rules of the Camarilla, you see.”How do you want to join the Camarilla?
“Our clan has resolved to take whatever steps the Camarilla deem necessary, or that is what I’m supposed to say when the Prince asks me. You see, I’m sure as soon as he collects himself, he will come to his senses and hear out our proposition. We do not enjoy the same benefits as the respectable house of Montano, but we will pay whatever cost."Why do you want to join the Camarilla?
“Oh, many reasons. Most are above your pay grade, I suspect. Most are above mine. At its simplest, our current sect has devolved and we have ever been a clan of survivors. We always survive and we always strive to win. Do we not sister? Today, the Sabbat offers neither of these things. We have pride and history, but it’s not as important surviving. Besides, I truly believe we can acclimate to our new friends if we are given the chance — and perhaps we can actually be of use to the Camarilla and even strengthen it.”Talking Shop
Once the conversation dies down, Sierra reaches into her pocket and pulls out an envelope sealed with the Lasombra crown in purple wax and asks the coterie to hand it to the Prince. They decide to leave Sierra where she is and go find the Prince, but before that Liliana finds a crafty way of opening the envelope without damaging the content or leaving any trace of tempering and starts reading:Dearest Prince Jackson, of our ancient enemy the Camarilla, I write with full authority from the inner council of my clan, and hereby extend the offer of peace and friendship between Clan Lasombra and the Camarilla. It is our wish to call an armistice and join your flock, to best survive the nights to come. I am aware this letter will come as a surprise, and you may ask why we did not approach your Justicars. It is the belief of our clan council that the Camarilla is governed by its respected Princes, such as yourself, and ultimately it is to you and your peers to decide whether you wish for us at your side or as opposition. This is a sincere offer. My delegates have authority to make deals on behalf of the clan, though please defer to Ms. Van Burrace for matters of politics and Mr. Malenkov for matters of war. I hope to be a formally admitted guest to your domain in years to come, without fear of reprisals from your mighty Sheriff, and without you having to be concerned that we act against you. With great respect, Sir Talley, Legate and Templar for Clan Lasombra Childe of Lord Leopold Valdemar Grandchilde of Tercio Bravo Great-grandchilde of Boukephos
The Coterie knows that Boukephos, also known as Francisco Diego del Belmonte, is/was a Lasombra Methuselah, legends say he was the childe of Lasombra itself and was rumored to have been powerful enough to blot out the sun with his powers.
The Prince Office
After putting the letter back and taking a moment to gather themselves, the coterie heads to the Prince’s office.They find Jackson sitting behind a desk and hand him the letter immediately. He takes a moment to go through its contents and then without hesitation, dispatches the Coterie to fetch Sierra. Though the Coterie had been granted permission to remain in the room during the conversation, they could sense the tension in the air. As Jackson and Sierra begin to speak, both vampires turn to the Coterie periodically, eager for their input and suggestions. Jackson was quick to dismiss Sierra's proposal, pointing out that the Sabbat's hands were stained with centuries of death and betrayals and he didn't see what the Magisters could offer to make up for such atrocities. Sierra remains stoic and not intimidated by the Prince's dismissive attitude. She reminds him of his favorable response to Talley's overtures on behalf of their clan. Clearly, he saw something worth gaining from the Magisters. Amused but slightly troubled, Jackson invites the Coterie to speak their minds freely, without fear of judgment. Of course, he would be the ultimate judge of whether their opinions were foolish or not. The Coterie exchanges glances, uncertain of how to proceed. They know that their words could have serious repercussions, and they don’t want to be seen as foolish in the eyes of the Prince. Nonetheless, they take a deep breath and speak their minds, knowing that the fate of the Camarilla could rest on their shoulders. Their questions to Sierra are similar to what they already had asked in the freezer, and the Prince seems pleased by their loyalty to the Camarilla. After that, the tension in the room between Prince Jackson and Van Burrace is palpable. The Prince seems to take pleasure in mocking the Lasombra delegate, while Van Burrace hisses her retorts through her teeth, trying her best to maintain her composure in front of the Ventrue. Despite their back and forth, the conversation goes nowhere. Both sides unwilling to budge, and the frustration in the room becomes increasingly apparent. Finally, Sierra spoke up. "What would it take?" she asked, desperation creeping into her voice. "Just name the price for admitting the Magisters as a recognized Camarilla clan in your city and I'll have it done." Jackson laughed at her proposition, clearly amused by the idea. "I don't know, girl," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "How about you just deliver all your Sabbat elders with stakes through their hearts?" Van Burrace paused for a moment, considering her response. She nodded to herself, and lifted her head staring right into the Prince's eyes and in a deep voice announced:"It will be done."
"I will arrange for an obligation on all Lasombra who want recognition and peaceful passage through your city. They must each deliver a Sabbat vampire older than themselves to a place of your choosing, for whatever fate you deem appropriate.” She bites into her palm and extends her hand, vitae freshly risen to the surface, in Prince Jackson’s direction.Jackson, stunned, did not take her hand. Sierra continued. “We understand in order to reform to an entire new way of existence we cannot keep some of our more egregious kin. It will jeopardize the security of the Camarilla to try. Younger Lasombra will have a better chance of getting used to the new ways. By your order I will inform our clan of the decision.” Jackson takes a moment, nods and with a stern face cuts his hand with a letter opener. He claps the Magister's hand. “You’ve got a deal, let these fellow kindred be witnesses to our deal. But, it’s only good for as long as I remain in power, you understand? And as much as I’d like to think otherwise, my influence only extends to Chicago. Maybe the Midwest. Membership in our club is determined on an individual basis. Every young vampire managing to probably restrain or kill an older one picks up a membership. First, we’ll need to persuade the whole city. For that I’ll arrange something a little uncommon for our kind. Tomorrow night I’ll lay out your proposal and let the city decide with a democratic vote. Without it, my word might as well be worth spit. Oh, and you can start by setting an example for your fellow clan members and bring Malenkov with a stake through him to the vote tomorrow. A Keeper war criminal like him would make a fine first SACRIFE." Jackson then compliments the coterie and uses them as an example to Sierra of what he expects out of an ally, he starts naming all the things they have done and as he gets to the part about not telling anyone about Talley to which Clementine deems appropriate to interrupt. “My Prince, actually, I talked to Jason about it. He made very good points and it seemed for the best that he knew” Jackson pauses, looks directly at Clementine and asks “Ask yourself this question: ARE YOU STUPID?” while using his Dominate powers. This helps Clementine start questioning why exactly she did this. Jackson seems to understand a situation that escapes Clementine at the moment and orders the coterie to not interact with Jason any more until these matters are settled.
Curtains, scorched.
The Prince orders them to go find Malenkov, so with Sierra in tow they start heading out. While they walk, Sierra asks them if they want help resisting future attempts at domination, to which they agree to. Clementine asks to be first and let the rest decide after that. Sierra agrees, walks over and commands “At a moment where danger is in front of me, you’ll get in between it and me.” After that the rest of the coterie refuses the deal and they all keep making their way up. Mary finds Bronwyn around a group of other Malkavians, all standing around in a circle. She approaches and attempts to talk to her through images in the cobweb but Bronwyn only sends warning images and stop signs back which make a resigned Mary back off for now. Maude heads to the washroom to clean their face that’s still covered in blood. As they are doing that, a new memory suddenly invades their mind. "...that's off limits to everyone, good. Things are not good here Maude, you've done your job. Go home before the hour is done, rest." It’s Jason’s voice, clear as day. Maybe too clear, as if he was standing right next to them. They snap out, shaking off the command and the memory and moving quickly to meet up with the rest of the group. As the group are on their way to a taxi, Kim gets a call from their contact; they tell her where Malenkov was last seen. Not a few moments after the car starts moving they hear shouts and screams. A chilling sensation goes up Maude's spine. "Well shit" Mary says. The Coterie turns on their seats to look back. They see people rushing out of the club, smoke billowing from behind them. A fire had started at the basement of the Succubus Club, stirring things best left alone. The coterie could only hope that the vampires in the higher third floor had plenty of room to escape. A fire is a problem, but there’s not much they can do. With a new mission to focus on and a destination to go to, they head out into the night and hope the Prince will still be there when they head back.
Report Date
08 Mar 2023
