CbN024: As the Seers gather
General Summary
The Confessional, Oct 9th, 2017, same night
THE MALKAVIAN CONVENTION
The scene unfolds within the transformed interior of the Church of St.Boniface, The Confessional. The grand entrance of the church, once adorned with intricate religious motifs, now welcomes the three figures by the door with bright neon lights and graffiti. Evan knocks on the door frame and steps in, followed closely by Bronwyn who does not enter but rather stays standing by the threshold. Being caught completely off guard by this turn of events, the Lost Boys stare in silence as Evan exclaims, “So, who’s gonna be the new president?” before walking up to them. He’s dressed casually in tight black ripped jeans and a shirt that reads “Defund the Police” and looks a bit unhinged and frantic as he adjusts the red beret on his head. “You know, who’s going to lead the charge?” He continues in lieu of the silence. The Coterie exchange looks until Maude points at Mary slowly. “Ah! You! And what’s your name…?” Mary gives her name and Evan starts to go off about revolution and toppling “the big boss upstairs”, all while looking and walking around the place. "Anyway, let's get this bitch started! So, Comrade Mary Lovelace for president of the Seers then? A bold choice, nano-size chance of success, casualties through the roof." Then he pauses and thinks for a moment, “I’m in.” From behind Bronwyn, a black woman Maude and Mary had met before during their last meeting with the Malkavian steps in and says, “Master Bronwyn says that next time, maybe give her more time.” They all turn their attention back to Bronwyn who’s still standing by the door. Her eyes are on Mary and her expression shows deep curiosity, a hint of fear and maybe some hope. Clementine welcomes them and tells them to please come in, to which Bronwyn finally does. The Lasombra then exchanges a few more pleasantries before excusing herself smoothly and heading back towards the crypt. Liliana stops her on the way and asks if she wants her to come with, her face conveying deep uncertainty with the situation at hand but also curiosity on why she’s leaving. “I’m freaking out, and not because of this.” Clem says sincerely and then asks Liliana to stay and watch over the Malkavians, but she has to go right now. Quickly inputting the code to the secured crypt, Clementine makes her way downstairs and joins Celia, who seems a bit out of it and confused by what’s going on. She takes her back out through the tunnels with the intention to show her how to feed properly and get just a little bit more information without prying eyes before the night is over.GETTING THE PARTY STARTED
Liliana asks Brad, the security chief, to dismiss all the staff and for the guards to stand outside for the night. She makes sure all the humans are gone before closing the doors. Meanwhile, Kim goes to stand near the crypt’s door in case anyone tries anything funny in the guard’s absence and sure enough, using her own supernatural ability, she sees Evan near the security door, seemingly debating if he should try to break in or not. He spots Kim looking at him and chooses to give up, disappearing behind a pillar while murmuring about them not being any fun. By the door, Maude stands waiting for more people to arrive; hoping desperately that if all Malkavians were signaled, that Elodie must also show up. They are pulled from their focus as they hear someone clearing their throat - Bronwyn’s assistant asks if they could please be shown where to sit. Maude leads the two women upstairs, to a VIP booth where they sit gracefully. Evan appears out of nowhere and sits nearby, boots on the table and trying to play cool, but Maude can tell it’s all an act. They see him trying to obfuscate continuously for some reason, little tendrils of shadow coming off of him. They offer their e-cigarette to both Malkavians and while Bronwyn looks at them as if they’ve lost their mind, Evan accepts and they engage in casual conversation.OUTSIDE
Moments later an old but very well taken care of black sedan parks in front of the church. Mary eyes the car curiously as two figures step out. From the passenger seat, a pale woman with medium length black hair opens the car’s door, then closes it, then opens it again. She repeats this a few more times before nodding, seeming satisfied and makes her way towards the entrance. From the driver’s seat, a man wearing old fashioned clothes that include a top hat heads to the entrance as well. He opens a book in his hand and starts murmuring to himself. Maude watches from behind the stained windows on the second floor and can tell that the man they recognize from the vote as Damon is narrating everything that’s happening since the moment he walked out the car. “They stood on the wet pavement staring at the deliciously desecrated house of the Lord wondering why had they been summoned to some insurrectionist act against the direct orders of the Praxis, perhaps they were better served by asking to what Lord this house really belonged and to what extent would risking whisking close to the rise of the sun be in their own benefit." As the two newcomers step inside, Mary is about to greet them but something or rather someone catches her attention. Alexa is standing near the cobweb phone in the backyard, staring at it intently. Mary leaves the newcomers with Liliana and goes outside. She asks if Alexa could please come inside, very protective of what is now her unlife’s work. Alexa ignores Mary’s request and instead explains that the phone seems dead, like a cadaver. “Huh... weird, that feels like it should be dead. You're picking at some old bones here." she murmurs. Mary seems intrigued by this but insists that Alexa should follow her back inside, that if she doesn’t want to then she can just leave. Alexa reluctantly agrees to follow.THE SPEECH
Once Mary heads back inside, she can tell that no one else is coming and it is time for her to say something. Most of the Malkavians can feel the shift in energy, even though everyone is doing their own thing. Mollie has been counting since the last time Mary spoke, Damon closes his book and the rest just stare as Mary stands in the middle of the club. Gathering inspiration from Elizabeth’s speeches in court and the many old movies she enjoys watching, she starts speaking in a clear and loud voice:“Ladies, gentlemen, and gentlethems, let me take you on a thrilling journey into the Malkavian realm where boundaries cease to exist and possibilities become infinite. Tonight, I stand before you to awaken your minds and spirits that reside within each of us. It's time to break free from the confines of conventional thinking and embrace the power of the web and the Malkavians. Remember, "Mess with the best, die like the rest." We are the ones to reshape Chicago and the world around us. Let us remember that "information is power." In a landscape where information reigns supreme, we possess the ability to uncover hidden truths and expose the corrupt. With every web spun, we hold the key to unlock a new era of transparency and justice. The Malkavians are about awakening our minds to the possibilities that lie beyond our perceived reality. Through the art of our connection to the cobweb, we can challenge the boundaries of what is possible and shape the future we desire. Together, we will rewrite the rules, break down the barriers, and create a future where the impossible becomes possible. Together, we shall unlock the hidden potential of technology, of the cobweb, push the boundaries of innovation, and usher in a new era of limitless possibilities. For in the realm of the Malkavians and the Web, we are the architects of our own destiny.”Loud clapping follows the speech, as Mary takes a breath. Evan exclaims loudly, “YES! ¡Viva la Revolución!” while the rest cheer and nod in approval. But this is all Liliana and Kim can see- for within the cobweb, something else entirely is happening.
INSIDE THE COBWEB
Mary’s consciousness is transported to the comfortable space that is the cobweb. Near her are many threads that lead towards seven different scenes she can feel by touch, vibrations running wild as the strands thrum with the energy of the Malkavians present.• Damon is standing very still, the book still closed. The strand of cobweb leading to him is barely moving and Mary does not feel anything from him.Mary chooses to direct her attention towards Maude, fearful for her coterie-mate. As she pulls herself along the strands closing in on them, their body seems to slowly be surrounded by the darkness that consumes and obscures the cobweb - but something else becomes clear. She can see dark strands attached to Maude, each one pushing and pulling Maude to act, to speak. Their words of affirmation for Mary now a simulacrum of independence as they are being controlled like a puppet. As Maude speaks, other voices seem to overlap theirs, a mess of vibrato in several intonations. Mary has to get closer to know more, and begins peeling at the threads obscuring the shadowy shapes beyond Maude - knowing those threads contain Maude’s very own voice. Maude can suddenly feel a presence tearing at the fabric of their soul, “LEAVE ME ALONE!” they scream, “everything is fine, just go away.” They are exploding with mantras of self-protection as they try desperately to retain their own voice. Mary feels their pleas but pushes forward, plucking and pulling at the threads of Maude’s voice until it’s cleaned away from the scene, where finally Mary can now see two sets of hands pulling at the same strings. The figures begin to clear, the echolocated radial images suddenly doused in technicolor as Mary sees Jason, his hand touching Maude's shoulder and holding onto dark threads - his demeanor calm as ever and smiling, his voice layering with theirs. On Maude’s other shoulder stands a woman Mary can’t recognize; she has dark skin and hair smoothed into spikes. Jason, however, is not looking at Maude the way the woman is. Instead, he seems to be looking past Maude, past the cobweb and through to the party. Mary understands now, to her horror, that Jason can see through Maude, that’s he’s seeing through them right now. She steps forward until she’s sure he can see her too. “I want him to know it was me.” She thinks to herself, a smile spreading across her face as she unplugs Jason’s connection to Maude’s senses.
• Mollie finishes counting, her thread pulses softly as she says, “now is the time.”
• Evan is very riled up. The vibrational images he’s creating for Mary to see are simple and seem to exclaim bold lines in support of anarchy and revolution.
• Bronwyn sends familiar, viscerally clear images of war and fires reigning over Chicago towards Mary. Her presence in the cobweb is a stark contrast to the other Malkavians - where as Evan’s strands convey an almost child-like rendition of a scene, Bronwyn’s are a dazzling, intricate display. She seems intensely worried and fearful as Mary feels the vibrato of her voice within the web for only the second time: “You stand now as she did before, my mother, Jason’s mother, Xion’s mother. You do now as she did then. I am so afraid for you.” Outside of the web, a single trail of blood rolls down her cheek.
• Alexa’s web is vibrating with excitement, she seems very confident in knowing what needs to be done.
• Maude is seen cheering and nodding, pride for Mary shining brightly, but behind them is a massive shadow that obscures the cobweb. Mary instantly recognizes it as terrifyingly similar to what she saw at the vote, perhaps created by the same source but not an exact copy.
• And finally, there’s another thread that has steady and rapid vibrations coming from it. It leads to a tiny hole beyond the crypt.
Mary then turns to the woman who doesn’t seem to care or notice Jason’s presence beside her. She’s grabbing onto Maude and speaking soothingly, “It’s ok Maude! Just keep going. You’re doing so well. You’re my best friend. You’re my only family. Don’t let the bastards win. You only need to keep doing what you’re doing.” Then suddenly, the scene shifts - the vibrational visage of the woman pacing frantically within the void of the web, “I can’t let him find Maude. Like all the rest, he’ll eat them too. Maude is mine. Only I deserve them, nobody else.” The woman then amalgamates into Jason, who’s pacing in the same place, more calm and calculated in his steps. He’s talking to himself just the same but in a more controlled and maniacal way, “She would keep such a delicious toy from me. What a fool, I need to play this right, I need to play this right… This Maude creature will be mine.”All the while, Maude can only feel the horrific sensations of their personality being ripped apart at the literal seams - as though their very sense of self is in conflict. And then they’re all pulled back to reality, where people are still clapping and cheering. The events in the cobweb taking place in no more than a second of real time. Mary and Maude are left staring at each other, an invisible string of dread connecting them. Maude’s jaw is agape, eyes bloodshot as they brokenly mouth to Mary, “What did you do?”
OUTSIDE THE CONFESSIONAL
Near The Confessional, still within the limits of the Lost Boys domain, Clementine is attempting to show Celia how to feed properly. She’s not very insightful but can tell that Celia seems to just be going through the motions and not really retaining much of what Clem is saying. After feeding and feeling more patient and calm, Clementine pulls the new kindred aside and whispers that she knows it’s hard to understand and accept but she’s dead, that’s a fact. She’s dead, but she’s not alone and Clem will be here to help. Celia nods, but doesn’t say anything. Clementine changes the subject by asking where she has been staying and Celia describes an abandoned building by the Northwest side of the city. After thinking about it for a bit, Clem decides that they should go stay there before the sun comes up. She’s not sure if what was going on at The Confessional is over and is not willing to risk this secret coming out yet. Celia doesn’t seem very reassured by this, she thinks anywhere is better than there, but Clem explains there’s no time for anything else. The abandoned building is very risky, the whole thing is falling apart and it’s very easy for someone to come across and find them, or even worse, for sunlight to slip through. But it would have to do and so with plans for the next day brewing in her head, Clem curls close to Celia and goes to sleep.BACK IN THE CONFESSIONAL
As the aftermath of the speech and the crazy new revelations ended, the Malkavians plus Liliana and Kim have a moment to chat before everyone has to head back to their own havens for the night.MAUDE
Maude heads outside with Evan to keep smoking. He explains in a very confusing way that he needs someone to rile him up about communism and left values to better fit his character. Maude goes on a long monologue about leftist ideals which gets Evan more and more excited. Once they’re done, Evan takes over and does his own monologue before finally calming down. He seems like a very different person, more controlled. He introduces himself as Tommy Holm and is very grateful for the help, now more willing to earnestly engage with Maude’s questioning. Maude addresses first that they are both Jason’s childer, but Evan seems confused at the question and it becomes clear that the personalities of Evan and Tommy are completely separate in their understandings. To this, Maude presses Tommy on what they could do to speak to Evan, but he insists that Evan is locked away and won’t be coming out. Maude shifts the conversation to the topic of the vote; asking Tommy why Evan voted yes to letting the Lasombra join the Camarilla. Tommy replies that “it was all rigged by the big man upstairs.” They then ask if he or Evan know anything about Elodie but Tommy doesn’t seem to have a clue to who she is. Wrapping up the conversation for the night, Maude makes it clear that they would like to talk to Tommy, Evan, or whatever personality manifests itself in the future. They hand him a note with the address of the Fat Lion, signed “your friend, Maude.”MARY
Mary goes to Bronwyn, she’s curious about what she said within the cobweb. She asks about the person Bronwyn compared her to. Bronwyn looks at her ghoul, Gwen, who seems to realize what’s about to happen with wide eyes and a quick, “No, wait…!” but it’s too late, Bronwyn’s eyes roll back and she seems to control Gwen’s body. Now talking through Gwen, Bronwyn speaks about her sire Maureen O’Leary fondly at first, but it soon turns melancholic as she recounts how Maureen was also trying to use the cobweb just like Mary, but she became unstable. She was the sire of Bronwyn, Jason and Xion (Mary’s sire, known to her only as X until now), and would tell them often about the seven fires that would burn Chicago. She used to say that the cobweb was needed to stop it. Maureen was very troubled and unstable even for other Malkavians - she saw enemies in everybody, even her loved ones and she killed many Malkavians including some of Bronwyn’s blood siblings. She would kill, feed and diablerize many of them. The previous Prince, Lodin, seemed fine with it despite the grave sins she was commiting and even delighted in seeing her cause such chaos. The day she died was a day of peace for all of them, but Bronwyn doesn’t think Xion ever recovered from it. Mary reassures Bronwyn that the cobweb does not belong to one single Malkavian, and if she ever becomes troubled for whatever reason, she hopes someone else can persist so that it can help Malkavians. Bronwyn looks at Mary intently and says.“The last time somebody spoke similar words, seers in the dozens lost their souls. What little violence and destruction you have seen in the years that you’ve been undead, is nothing compared to those things. I fear I cannot stop you or the cobweb, I can just see it happening. There’s nothing I can do. I can’t tell if you will be the cause or the victim. I can only start weeping for those who are about to die.”Mary smiles, “Good thing I’m already dead.” She then sobers up and continues, “I’ll share this with you even if you already know - Jason is following in his mother’s footsteps. Controlling, feeding, diablerizing, killing. I can’t say much more right now, other than I saw it.” Bronwyn seems surprised, she admits that she knows he’s controlling people but diablerie is a bold accusation and if Mary ever gets any proof, that’d be very helpful. She seems to be willing to help from afar. She reaches out and grabs Mary’s hands; taking a long moment to just stare at her, as if trying to memorize everything about her while she still can. “Any other day I probably would have stopped you. But I saw what happened to Maureen, and I know it’ll only make matters worse. I’ll assist in any way I can, but know I am mourning you already.”
WRAP UP
After conversations come to a close and everyone leaves, the Coterie is convinced that Mollie, Alexa and Evan (Tommy) are in and that Bronwyn will be supportive from a distance, but Damon remains a closed book.
Report Date
18 May 2023
