Tag: Tzimisce

#Lore24 – Entry #305 – Sentinel City by Night #31 – The New Jyhad

From the Journal of Sheba O’Rourke, Private Investigator

“Sometimes I just hate it when I’m right.

Knew it had been way too damn quiet.  After I’d spoken to Sokolova and Grim about my suspicions, it was all tense for a couple weeks, each side just waiting for the other to drop the hammer.  The drug operation had packed up and moved somewhere else; guess they’d gotten wind that I’d sniffed them out and cleared out before the Hound pack and Conway’s SWAT team had swept in on them.  Sokolova’s people had reached out to the Kuei-jin, but diplomacy there was sketchy at best, and there had been little more than informal talks at this point. 

My search for more on the mastermind had come up with nothing but headaches.  I had more vague hints, but that was it.  Couldn’t get even a single solid lead, like whoever it was knew our methods and had already taken them into account.  I couldn’t even track down the new site of the drug operation, even though Vamp Out was flowing through the streets more and more now.  Almost seemed like the stuff appeared out of nowhere for the dealers to hand out, they said.

Then, after all the nights of silence, it all came down at once in an absolute catasterfuck of a night.  Never did care for snow, and it was already piling up by the time I awoke that night.  Should have taken that as a sign to stay in bed.

I’d gotten called in by the PD to consult on a heist at the museum…the same museum I’d spotted the mysterious Kitsune-masked kindred at multiple nights.  Someone had managed to bypass their security and slip past the guards, stolen some ancient relics that had just come into town for a big winter showcase, some dagger and staff and some jewelry from somewhere in the Middle East. 

Just as I was getting my bearings on the scene and starting to take in the nature of the magical auras lingering about the place, the police got the call that a riot had broken out at a Christmas party uptown…then they’d started getting a few more, all over the city.  People going crazy, attacking like wild animals.  I knew what it was immediately and started making calls and sending texts.  All that Vamp Out Grim’s people hadn’t managed to confiscate had just been activated.

I’d just gotten in touch with Sokolova when the line went dead.  It was about that same moment that I saw the explosion in her office building across town, followed by a few more in different parts of the city.  It seemed that my suspicions had been correct.  I couldn’t get a call through, nor could any of the PD, even their radio network was down.  Didn’t sit well at all with me that I hadn’t gotten a single reply to my texts before the network went down. 

Think I actually felt some honest to goodness fear in those moments when everything went pear-shaped. 

Then the cold realization hit.  I had just found myself in the middle of another war, and the Sabbat had just struck with one hell of an opening salvo.

With no clue who amongst the Kindred were still standing after that first strike, with the police trying to organize in the midst of a communications outage and city-wide drug-induced violence, and me counting the seconds until the inevitable appearance of the Fiends’ war ghouls, I could only speculate on just how bad things were going to get going forward. 

This new Jyhad had just gone from cold to hot, and here I was with just my .45 and my wits. 

It was going to be a long night.”

#Lore24 – Entry #304 – Sentinel City by Night #30 – A Mastermind in Hiding

From the Journal of Sheba O’Rourke, Private Investigator

“Well, after taking my licks for the past week, I’ve learned that I’m just going to have to resolve myself to not get caught.  Fighting is not an option.  I’m a much better shot than I am a brawler, but as was pointed out numerous times by the likes of Ramos and Winters, a gun is going to be worthless in a fight with a Fiend.  Duly noted. 

I’ve been pondering my corkboard since I’ve finished up my impromptu training with the Hounds, for now; got me scheduled for another round in a few nights.  Unfortunately, nothing particularly helpful was jarred loose while I was getting tossed around, but I’m still working on it.  I’m absolutely convinced there’s a mastermind controlling the Sabbat’s actions here.  They’re being far too careful.  Getting some echoes of San Diego going here, and I’m not liking that.

Maybe it’s something to do with Grim’s presence here keeping them at bay, but my gut is telling me otherwise.  They’re setting up something much larger than we expect, I’m certain of it, but I don’t know what that is.  It’s more than just striking fast and hard and taking over the city.  Something sorcerous, maybe?  That warning the Tremere gave me when I visited their chantry is nagging at me.  Where does the Lasombra, Delgado, fit into this, and how much of her clan is involved?  Aside from that altercation between the Hounds and the Lasombra ghouls a few weeks back, they’ve been almost a non-entity in town aside from when Delgado and the war ghouls attacked me.  Couldn’t get much out of Ramos about Delgado but doesn’t seem like she’s the type to think things through this thoroughly.    

Who is this mastermind running things?  I’ve not been able to track down anything on them, but all the signs are pointing to someone or something pushing the pieces around the board.  Someone was cluing Emmerson in on Kindred society to try and destabilize the Kindred power base in the city.  Likely that same someone managed to find out I had a backdoor and got it cleared off.  Whoever it is has also managed to deal with the Kuei-jin; they had a big presence on the west coast when I was in San Diego, and though I couldn’t prove it, I had plenty of suspicions they were involved in some of what went down there.  Same groups in town now, maybe?  Maybe they’ve worked with this mastermind before, saw a way to profit, to further their own agenda while staying out of the way of the Sabbat…

I’ve spoken to Becky about this too; she was getting knocked around alongside me this week.  Apparently, she’s not much for hand-to-hand combat either, total keyboard jockey.  Said she’d look over what I could give her, but so far, even she’s not come back with anything probative on the matter.

After thinking on the problem nearly all night, I’m now wondering if maybe they’ll repeat what they did in San Diego.  Sentinel City doesn’t have a primogen to bomb, though, at least, not a formal one like most Camarilla cities, but there is a meeting place where plenty of Kindred meet up… I’d better call Grim and Sokolova on this one…”

#Lore24 – Entry #303 – Sentinel City by Night #29 – The Sheriff

From the Journal of Sheba O’Rourke, Private Investigator

“Hadn’t expected a full gathering of the local Kindred community last night, but that’s what I got when I showed up at Sokolova’s office.  Knew something was odd when she ushered me into the meeting room.  Never was one for public speaking, always feel awkward up there in front of everyone, all those eyes on me.  Always been a bit of a lurker. 

Still, turns out there’s some Kindred I hadn’t met yet, most specifically the Brujah clan.  Not sure where they hung out, assumed the Red-Light District given how they were dressed, looked like a bunch of whores to put it bluntly.  Didn’t get all their names, just the head of the clan, Tara Lynn Harper, and she didn’t look so happy to be there.  Or maybe she’s just always pissed off like that.  Don’t know her well enough to say.  Few other faces of other clans showed up that I didn’t recognize, too.  Even the Tremere sent Abigail and Liz tonight, hell, even Misha Kyle was here, sitting with Ankara. 

Hush came over the crowd when Sokolova came in at last, but I knew it wasn’t because of her.  Grim Fucking Jacobs was with her tonight, as were his Hounds, but all eyes were on him.  Looked like some of the locals hadn’t seen him in person till then, if I’d read their reactions right.  Can’t say I knew him that well, we’d done some work together back in San Diego, but I’d done some research into that reputation he wore so proudly.  Reckon he dated back to the American Civil War, had been fighting one battle or another, in some form or another, ever since.  Still had the same cocky grin, still wore the gray calvary hat, and still proudly wore that big silver knife on his belt, the one he’d taken off a werewolf some time in the past when he’d been sheriff elsewhere; knew that thing was magical, didn’t need to read his aura to see it.  Not just anyone could come into an Elysium packing something like that, but nobody was speaking up to tell him to take it off, either.  He made sure to meet the eye of anyone who eyed him, and never once was he the one to turn away.

Couldn’t say I knew exactly what he was all about, but I knew he was a dangerous enemy to have.  Woe be to whoever got on his bad side.

Managed to pull myself back to the moment once he’d taken his seat and kicked his boots up on the corner of the big table, and with Sokolova’s introductions done and the meeting called to order, I got to work presenting what I’d been digging into for the last few weeks, and my latest set of photos from the old distillery.  The sight of that thing I’d nicknamed Sasquatch caused quite the stir in the crowd, and the way the Tremere’s faces darkened when they looked at the woman with the fancy tattoos pretty much confirmed my theory that she was one of the Fiends’ sorcerers.  Saw some suspicious eyes turn toward Misha, too, but they didn’t linger long, maybe because of Ankara’s proximity to her.

Gave the lowdown on the Vamp Out drug, and its component sources in the Chinatown smuggling operation, as well as the Kuei-jin I’d photographed while I was there.  Think I might’ve gotten a few people nervous when they finally realized exactly where I’d managed to sneak in and out of.  Told them about my run-in with the ghouls and the mystery Lasombra that night, too.  That got Ramos’s fur ruffled.

Becky had been typing furiously on her laptop from the moment I’d started my presentation, and jumped in to continue with some information her people had managed to find that went beyond what I had on offer. 

I was good, but the Nosferatu were something else.

She had the name of the Tzimisce sorcerer, AJ Tibideaux, confirmed Sabbat shit-stirrer going back decades, was likely involved in the blitz that took the east coast back in ’99, helping to work on all the war ghouls and create new shovelheads for the assault.  Apparently, the big monstrosity was her brother, or at least that’s what word had been about it; the name she had on it was Gugwe, apparently another type of Sasquatch, a much more bloodthirsty variant.  Guess my call had been a good one on that nickname.  She even had the name of the Lasombra (no photos, obviously):  Selena Esperanza Delgado.  Ramos didn’t hide her growl well.

As for the Kuei-jin, Becky had much less information, given the usual wall of silence and close familial bonds of the east Asian culture they sprang from, but she was fairly sure she had at least the names to go with the faces I’d managed to capture.  Emiko Koike was the Japanese schoolgirl, and the twins were Chao Feng and Qaio Lihun Teng, suspected to be heading some of the Triad groups operating all over the world.  Unfortunately, that was pretty much all she had on that front; Mr. Wong and his family were known smugglers working for the Triads, running anything illegal, up to and including human smuggling operations, but his ties to the Kuei-jin had only been suspected until now.

Grim took the floor after our info-dump, speaking every bit like the military commander he was.  A lot of faces didn’t like the idea of taking a militant stance on matters, but he was adamant, and quite right, that when it came to the Sabbat, a no-tolerance policy and dropping the biggest hammer with as much force as possible was absolutely required.  He related that he’d seen what they can do to a city firsthand, had to retreat from DC in the ’99 blitz in fact, not to mention the mess in San Diego.  He was right to call the Sabbat terrorists.  He didn’t go into all the details, but confirmed he was already working with his people and Sokolova’s security force, led by Laura Conway, to build their own forces in town. 

The way Grim suggested everyone get very good at defending themselves very fast left no room for argument, however many people wanted to.  He’d be working up a rotation for even the likes of Kyou to spend time with his Hounds training.  Once some voices finally spoke up against it, Sokolova stomped them right down.

On the one hand, I was glad to see such decisive action being taken.  On the other, I could only hope it would be enough.  The Sabbat sure seemed awfully damned organized already; couldn’t help but feel like we were trying to catch up.  For a wonder, the Tremere were eager to help.  Suspected some bad blood between them and this particular line of Fiends, but Abigail and Liz related that their chantry was already working on countermeasures to known Tzimisce methods, and trying to come up with some for those they didn’t know. 

Once all the complaints had been addressed and the meeting adjourned, Grim pulled me aside out in the hall and told me I was first in line to get some hand-to-hand training from Ramos and Winters; if I was going to be skulking around as a scout in this war, I’d damn well better be able to defend myself.  He asked me if I was still carrying my “peashooter”, and then handed me a pistol case when I confirmed it.  Inside was a new 1911 pistol and a quartet of magazines, already loaded; he told me to get started practicing with it too.  Wasn’t much against a vampire, but would do well enough against some ghouls, and packed more of a punch than my .38. 

My next few nights were booked up, it seemed.  Couldn’t exactly say ‘no’ to Grim Fucking Jacobs, could I?”

#Lore24 – Entry #302 – Sentinel City by Night #28 – Watchers in the Dark

From the Journal of Sheba O’Rourke, Private Investigator

“Off to one side of my board were three unknown entities that may or may not be related to the larger conspiracy I had set myself to unravel.  They’d shown up in Sentinel City during the last couple weeks, so the timing seemed far too suspicious to outright ignore, but whether or not they were related to the Sabbat and their drugs, I didn’t know, not yet anyway.  Shit like this is why I detested the Kindred intrigues; how could they have survived hundreds or thousands of years of this insanity?

Anyway, first on my list of known unknowns was an as-yet-unnamed Kindred I’d spotted several times around the Museum of Antiquities up near in the university campus during my attempts to source a dealer for the Vamp-Out.  Hadn’t thought of her as suspicious at first glance, just another of our kind looking for a meal perhaps.  She wore a mask at the time, one of those Asian fox-spirit masks, a kitsune; considering it was Halloween night when I’d first spotted her, that wasn’t out of the norm, though maybe it was a bit odd after the whole Dollface incident.  She rose on the list of suspicious persons when I’d spotted her at least three more times, each time lingering around outside the museum, still wearing that mask, but there weren’t any more slayings, and she seemed to be intent on just lingering outside the place, so for now, I’m classifying her as just another mental case, maybe another Malkavian.

Second, higher up the threat list, is a federal agent that showed up just after Blumenthal’s people ID’ed the Johnson clan members.  Don’t know what she looks like yet, only that her ID said her name was Momoko Chan; seemed an odd name for a government agent but given that she was still hanging around the city, not getting involved more as of yet, had me on alert.  What was she after?  Did she suspect Kindred involvement?  Did she have other reasons for getting close to this case?  Hadn’t even laid eyes on her yet, but something about her had me on alert.

Highest threat just arrived a couple nights ago; Sokolova had actually clued me in on this one, a tip from Becky’s people.  Bonnie O’Hara was in town, and that couldn’t be a good thing.  Nobody had spotted her yet, couldn’t figure on who this Assamite’s target was, but it had all the Kindred community on edge, especially the Prince.  Hadn’t heard that name since San Diego, after the entirety of the Primogen got wiped out in that bombing.  No proof she’d been in on it, had been a lot of deaths back then, any number of them could have been on her tab, but no proof of it. 

As dawn came on, I could only say with certainty that a right proper shitstorm was brewing, and it was only growing stronger by the minute.  Sentinel City was about to have some very interesting nights.  Suppose I’d better get up with Sokolova tomorrow, get her up to speed on what’s been going down, what else I’ve found out since my last briefing.  My gut told me that whatever was building up here would be popping off soon.”

#Lore24 – Entry #301 – Sentinel City by Night #27 – The Flesh Witch and the Sasquatch

From the Journal of Sheba O’Rourke, Private Investigator

“The driver of the truck got out first, and for a wonder, she looked pretty much normal from what I could tell, aside from those nasty black streaks in her pale aura.  She had a darker complexion, dark brown hair in a loose ponytail, dressed kind of like a trucker with that coat and ball cap, on the muscular side, kind of looked like she could handle herself in a brawl.  Had some scars on her face; thought they might’ve been natural, but they were too symmetrical, likely more ritualistic.  One of those Tzimisce sorcerers, maybe?  She spoke tersely to the Pillbilly as she went around to the back of the truck, but I couldn’t get anything out of it since I didn’t comprehend the language.  Didn’t even get any names out of it.

The whole truck shifted as she pulled the rear hatch open, the suspension creaking as something huge moved around inside.  Then I saw the massive hand grab the door frame, claws maybe a foot long on each finger, covered in bony plates and spikes, and the arm that followed was as thick as something you’d see on a gorilla, maybe thicker.  What pulled itself out of the truck was hideous, all muscle and bony exoskeleton, glowing red eyes over a wicked fanged maw.  I knew the Fiends could take on a battle form, but why was this one just riding around with it active?  Or…was this NOT its battle form?  Was this just its normal state?

Even the two war ghouls seemed on edge around this thing, whatever it was, to say nothing of how the more normal-looking ghouls backed away from it.  Don’t know why, but the word “Sasquatch” suddenly popped into my head, one of those mythical things you always heard stories about but never saw.  Whatever it was, its aura was just as stained as the other Fiend.  Well, I got this one on camera at least.  I silently thanked my foresight in adopting a mirrorless setup as soon as I could a few years back; the silent photo mode was a real blessing in this profession. 

The way the monstrous thing sniffed the air and peered around the drug lab told me it was time to clear out.  For all I knew it had sharper senses than a damn lupine, might’ve already had my scent tickling what passed for a nose.  I eased out the way I’d come, moving extra carefully to make sure I didn’t make any sounds that shouldn’t have been there.  Once I was clear of the building and beyond the outer fence, I took off at a run, and didn’t stop till I was safely in my car.  Then I narrowly avoided a speed trap on the way back into the city proper in my haste to get back to the apartment, the lingering scent of the cooked meth still all over me. 

Had some work to do when I got back; new faces to add to the wall, but not a whole lot of progress on the mysterious web I had been weaving.  There were even some mysterious players that may or may not be related that I’d picked up on around town that seemed just a bit too suspicious for their own good.  Course, that could just be me being paranoid.  I’d been experiencing a lot of that lately.”

#Lore24 – Entry #300 – Sentinel City by Night #26 – The Threat from the South

From the Journal of Sheba O’Rourke, Private Investigator

“I’d been on the case for another couple of weeks when I finally caught a break; Sentinel City had its first big snowfall of the season as the year wound down.  In that time, I’d seen the rollout of the Vamp-Out drug in full, but so far there had been no further incidents like the first one.  Think maybe that was a case of an overdose, or a batch that was way too potent.  Still, what was the bigger play here?  Why spread this stuff around the city if it wasn’t going to spark up like it had that first time? 

I’d asked that very question to the Tremere, but so far hadn’t gotten a response.  The apprentice, Elizabeth Powell, had been made my official contact, but so far she and her clan had been of little value in my investigation.  Figure they needed to get out more, but who am I to try and convince the Warlocks of anything?  Even after all the shit that had happened over the last twenty years, you still couldn’t trust them.  Some things never change.

Anyway, I’d not sensed my Lasombra shadow for some time now.  Wondering if they thought I was dead, or if they thought I’d just gotten the warning to stay away.  I had been more careful in my stalking since my beatdown.  Think that’s what allowed me to finally get close to the old brewery tonight, see their operation up close.  Could smell the meth cooking from a block away.  Took plenty of pictures on the way.

Once I got inside, saw the two war ghouls acting like forklifts, spotted the other Johnson clan members directing the workers.  Finally spotted the mysterious Pillbilly, grabbed some photos of him, too.  Couldn’t tell he’d been modified, but my aura sight picked up some hints that he wasn’t entirely stock anymore.  He came in with a fervor, though.  Snapped everyone to attention.  Not sure what he told them, guess Cajun is another language I need to brush up on.

Didn’t have to wait too long to find out, though.  Heard a big V8 rumble up outside a few minutes later.  An old late 70s model Ford pickup pulled in once the garage door was opened up, had a big camper in the bed; no, not a camper, more like a modified refrigeration setup, patched together with extra sheets of metal.  First thought was that it was loaded with more gear or supplies for the drug operation, given how the back end squatted down.  That thought didn’t last long, though.  I was about to get my first look at some full-blooded Tzimisce.”

#Lore24 – Entry #299 – Sentinel City by Night #25 – A Growing Conspiracy

From the Journal of Sheba O’Rourke, Private Investigator

“Blumenthal’s people came through on some IDs on the mysterious Johnson family, even if it took a little help from the FBI; reckon they’re big-time drug smugglers down south, known for their use of the Louisiana bayous in their distribution operations.  Five brothers, with some rather…thematic…names:  Harry, Richard, Willy, John Thomas, and Peter.  The “Pillbilly” remained anonymous, though the alias was a known element.  Which meant the FBI probably knew who it was but wasn’t saying.  Still, apparently, they’d gone quiet over the last few months, assumed to have been laying low, though now it seems they were shifting operations a few states north.

Not sure if they were part of the Tzimisce’s operations before now or not, though.  I’d only seen three of the brothers so far, and those two war ghouls that had torn me up looked awfully similar once you peeled back the layers of thickened bone and exoskeleton.  They had a Lasombra with them lurking in the shadows too, apparently with ghouls of their own if Ramos was to be believed. 

Then there was the eastern connection, the Kuei-jin and the triads or yakuza or whatever is running out of that district.  They seemed to have quite a bit of information on the Sabbat, and were working with them to some extent, though how far that would go, who could say?  Despite her appearance, my gut told me this Koike girl was dangerous, and whatever plans the Kuei-jin had for Sentinel City couldn’t be good.  They’d apparently kept to themselves for a good long while though, and I don’t think Sokolova is ready to try and push them out of town on my suspicions, especially with them having that massive underground operation going.

My corkboard was filled with names, photos, and a web of red string, and I couldn’t make it all make sense, not yet.  Too many question marks, too many unknowns, too many uncertainties, a big one being that “Sabbat leader” hinted at by the Kuei-jin.  Who was it?  One of the big names that had been involved in the taking of the east coast back in ’99?  Had they survived whatever it was that happened twenty years ago, or were they just as scattered and disorganized as the Camarilla had been after the reckoning?  Gehenna?  Whatever it was we were calling it; had we even come to a decision on that?  Had anyone even cared?

Only thing I could say for sure was that this stank of a Sabbat destabilization operation.  They usually tended toward as much violence as possible, just overwhelming brute force and surprise attacks.  Here though…maybe whoever it was in charge now was using a different kind of cunning, was being subtle, elusive, careful.  Didn’t seem in character for them, but maybe even the Sabbat could evolve.  The Camarilla had evolved, or whatever it was that Sokolova was calling her experiment, at least here in Sentinel City. 

I could only be sure of one thing with any certainty:  I was in for some very long nights as I worked on this puzzle.”

#Lore24 – Entry #298 – Sentinel City by Night #24 – The Kuei-jin Element

From the Journal of Sheba O’Rourke, Private Investigator

“Knew the three that got out of the limo were Kuei-jin the moment I saw them.  Was hard to hear what was being said from my hiding spot over the din of activity in the place but picked up a few words here and there.  Even though the trio looked young, the old man referred to them as something like “most esteemed elders” or something like that.  I ain’t so good at the language, especially this far away.

The first one looked like a teenager; could easily see her in a school uniform instead of that business suit she wore.  Thinking she was Japanese, shorter than the others, dark hair cut straight and neat to her shoulders, the glasses she wore giving her a scholarly look.  Couldn’t quite get what the old man was saying to her, but think her name was Koike.  The other two were twins, man and a woman, not quite identical, but close enough that they might pass for one another had she not been a fair bit curvier than him.  Think they were Chinese, got the name Teng, but that was about all I got, damn truck drove by loaded with scrap metal.

I thought awfully hard about getting closer, but the way the guy kept looking around as if he were on high alert told me to stay put.  I had no clue what kind of extra-sensory abilities these three might’ve possessed, and I didn’t want to find out if I could help it.  The old man, Mr. Wong I gathered, began relating details of the operation I think, escorting the three atop a catwalk, swept his arm over all that could be seen.  Might consider getting a parabolic microphone after this, not that it would be easy to sneak in when I pulled these stunts. 

Still, managed to get some more bits of the conversation here and there, heard some very familiar words being spoken by the Japanese girl:  Cainite, Tzimisce, Sabbat.  Heard her say something about continuing the shipments, about letting them have their fun while it lasted I think, that whatever was going on wouldn’t affect their goals.  Think she might’ve mentioned something else about a Sabbat leader, but I couldn’t get any more cause they’d moved out of range.  The fact that the male twin’s gaze lingered in my direction a few seconds longer before he followed the others gave me plenty of reasons to not try and get closer.

Waited until they were out of sight before I made my exit.  Wasn’t real sure exactly where I needed to go, but going up seemed the best choice.  Wound up coming into the basement of a fancy Korean restaurant.  No Kuei-jin in sight, I slipped out unnoticed by the staff; saw a couple of familiar faces, two of the guys Mr. Wong had spoken to before the elders had showed up, yelling out orders in their native language. Figured this must have been his place. 

Got my bearings once I was outside, got on the first bus I found, left a trail as hard to follow as I could manage.  Don’t think I was followed but couldn’t be too sure.  Was nearly dawn by the time I got back to my apartment, so I’d have to leave my analysis of what I might’ve learned till tomorrow night.”

#Lore24 – Entry #295 – Sentinel City by Night #21 – Ghouls of War

From the Journal of Sheba O’Rourke, Private Investigator

“What’s that old saying?  When you’re getting flak, you know you’re over the target? 

Took me a few more nights, but I got myself a lead on someone selling Vamp-Out.  Wasn’t one of the regular dealers I’d been hitting up, though, was someone new in town, just opened up shop after they took down one of the other pushers.  Don’t usually pay too much attention to gang wars and fights between dope dealers, but this one piqued my interests.  Came onto the scene out of nowhere, established himself practically overnight, and had muscle to enforce his will.  Word was starting to spread that the “Pillbilly” was in town and would soon open for business, the new hotness from down South. 

Word was that he was taking up shop in an old brewery somewhere on the southeast side of the city, run down slum area, known gang territory.  Must’ve been pretty bold to come in and casually wipe out a gang and not fear the blowback. 

Should’ve known something was up when I kept getting that feeling that I was being watched as I headed out to track down exactly where this guy was setting up shop.  Those usually didn’t start till much later in the night, after I’d snooped around the really bad parts of town for a while.  Kinda got used to them lately, was starting to think it was just me.  Mistake on my part.

I’d parked a good way off, hit the alleys and side streets to get a feel for the area.  Seemed like another gang-infested slum in the bad part of town, but there was definitely something in the air here.  Didn’t feel quite right, was too much tension, not enough people out and about; seemed almost like the gangbangers had taken the night off or had better things to do.  Should’ve trusted my gut and cleared out, but I kept pushing deeper, looking for that brewery.

I was getting close to an old industrial area when the lights went out.  Literally.  Shadows surged all around me, poured out of every nook and cranny like crude oil from burst barrels.  Before I could begin to get a grasp on what was going on, two huge forms came at me from both ends of the alley.  Must’ve been seven feet tall, muscles for days, mess of bone spikes coming out of all angles.  Tzimisce war ghouls. 

At least I knew I was onto something to rate so highly as to call the big boys in.  Of course, my little revolver seemed awfully puny all of a sudden.  Realizing that my future unlife may we be measured in seconds rather than centuries, I somehow managed not to panic.  Calling on my heightened senses, I only somewhat managed to penetrate the shadows that surrounded me, enough to give me a vague idea of the buildings that were hidden by them. 

It was enough.  I dove into the cold, thick blackness, somehow managed to push through them and dove through a window.  If anything gets a girl’s blood pumping, it’s the roar of a pair of monstrous ghouls chasing her.  The shadows continued to shift and chase me, but I managed to navigate through them in the partially burnt out and collapsed building I’d found myself in.  The ground shook as the ghouls came after me, ripping though the brick walls like they were nothing. 

Something big flew past my head, crashed into the darkness ahead of me; it was a chunk of the outer wall, damn near took my head off.  I stumbled through some rubble, tumbled down over a pile of old bricks and hit the ground running, desperate to find a manhole.  If I could get to the sewers, I might have a chance.

Next moment I was flying wild, something massive slamming into my back.  Vision went all starry, body was screaming in agony.  Came crashing through the building opposite the old warehouse.  Right and both legs weren’t supposed to bend that way; pretty sure my spine wasn’t either. 

Then the two ghouls were on me, the first one snatching me up in its huge, misshaped claws, threatening to crush the life out of me.  More bones snapped.  Feeling a growing fear inside me, through the pain, some neurons fired.  I had a chance, if only it worked.  I began to speak through the pain, calling on my clan’s blood, of the madness that ran through all of us. 

Not sure what I said.  Not real sure what happened after that if I’m being honest.  Got a vague memory of that fear inside me amplifying itself, spreading from my voice and into the ghouls.  Blind terror took over all of us then.  Think the one crushing me threw me away like it was afraid I might explode, think I might’ve crashed through another wall.

Can’t remember much else.  Just know that when I came back to my senses, I was crawling through sewage, somehow having pieced back enough of myself to actually move, though I still couldn’t walk, couldn’t feel my legs, in fact.  Wasn’t sure even what part of town I was even in.  Was starving, too.  Usually try not to feed on rats, but sometimes you don’t have much choice; couldn’t risk losing myself further down in the dark.  Managed to heal up enough to get feeling back into my legs, could walk.  Sort of.  Every step was agony, spine was bent at an odd angle, arms weren’t much better.  At least it got me somewhere mostly safe, old monitoring station, maybe part of the old subway system, not used for ages.  Had a door I managed to block with some old shelving, seemed secure enough for now. 

Had to rest, had to try to heal up with dawn coming fast.”

#Lore24 – Entry #290 – Sentinel City by Night #16 – Knocking on the Chantry Door

From the Journal of Sheba O’Rourke, Private Investigator

“Wound up taking three nights, but I was finally allowed a visit to the Tremere chantry.  By then, the aura in the vial had faded somewhat, but it was still visible, so maybe it wasn’t too late to glean something useful from them.  Their place was very much what I’d expected it to be, fancy gothic-style manor in the neighborhood reserved for the rich, old-money types, surrounded by a big fence and plenty of magical auras I wasn’t even about to try and decipher.  Just passing through the gates was enough to make my skin crawl.  Fun fact: after I’d announced myself on their intercom, the gates opened on their own, but not with any kind of mechanical device. 

Of course, I didn’t get a full tour of the place.  Once I was inside the front entryway, got to see the grand stairway leading to the upper levels, and several closed doors lining the entry hall; shadows were deep here, deeper than even my heightened perceptions could penetrate, even though there were plenty of candles glowing with arcane, purple flames to light the way.  A moment later, one of the side doors opened, and a teenager wearing all black, a t-shirt and jeans, combat boots, and a smattering of your typical goth girl accessories, ushered me toward her.  Sitting room was fancy, fireplace was glowing with what looked like a normal fire even if there wasn’t any heat coming off it, though the room was pleasantly warm regardless. 

Another Tremere waited for me, this one dressed like some kind of cowgirl, could have just stepped out of the old West at that moment and I probably would’ve believed it.  She introduced herself in what sounded like another Texas drawl as Abigail Dawson, and her companion as her apprentice, Elizabeth Powell.  At least they were being courteous for all their secrecy, so I introduced myself in kind.  Knowing they weren’t likely interested in chitchat, I got right down to business, gave them quick rundown of the situation and passed them the vial.

Though they hid it well, I could tell they were intrigued.  They excused themselves to the connecting room, told me to make myself comfortable but not to wander.  Could’ve at least left me a magazine or something else to read.  Took about an hour before they came back, about half the contents of the vial missing, the magical aura gone.  Both of them had a look on their faces like they’d just discovered dog shit on their shoes after they’d already tracked it through the house.

The sorcery in the vial stank of the Tzimisce, they said, likely a modification of a type of blood ritual they often used to frenzy their ghouls when they went to war.  The rest they said was a mixture of various mundane chemicals and ingredients, common in street drugs, the exact nature they’d leave to me now that the sorcery had been removed.  My first instinct was that my suspicions of Misha Kyle were correct all along, but Abigail said it was unlikely; their people were keeping a close eye on Kyle and had not noted any strange behavior out of her.

Elizabeth then told me that our time was up, and the rest of the mess was mine to sort out, but if more sorcery was discovered, to let them know.  Then a curious thing happened; the two shared a look, Abigail nodded at her childe, and then the apprentice told me that shadows loomed around Sentinel City, so the head of the chantry had divined, and trouble was coming.  Couldn’t get more specifics out of them, guess they’d loose their mysterious reputation if they made it that easy.  Either way, thanked them for their time and left the chantry on the quick, my mind working on the situation as I drove toward Blumenthal’s precinct.  Dropped off the remnants of the vial, let him know that I had a vague lead, but would need more time to track it down.  Told him it was probably some kind of new street drug from what I’d been told, and to get the word out to his people to be on the lookout for more of it, and that I’d be in touch.  Said he’d let me know what the lab techs found out about it.

Got an unwelcome surprise when I got back to my apartment.  My backdoor to Emmerson’s computer had been removed, and I was no longer getting copies of her communications.  Could’ve been an equipment failure, maybe, but my gut told me otherwise.  Someone had found me out.”