Always.
It is a loaded word for someone like me. Always. Forever. Without exception. Uninterruptedly.
This is our final hour. Always may no longer apply. Tonight will see us try to ensnare a foe that has spent the past year ravaging the earth. Are we ready?
So many conversations I have yet to have, avenues I have yet to explore. My mind is a whirling muddle and I need to impose order upon it.
I am told that a vampire that is confronted with his own mortality, his Final Death, can be a brooding, broken monster, who, in his final moments, frenzies his way into oblivion. I have been taught better. I have lived better. My Beast and I have come to grips, and it is I who am in control.
I am rambling.
Much like events thirteen and a half years ago, the end of our city, of our world, has brought together the wary elements of the supernatural. Tonight will see vampire, werewolf, hunter, mage, shapeshifter, and so many others working in concert to defend this city, these people, from utter annihilation.
Strange bedfellows indeed.
I have no doubt we will prevail. Putting aside our decidedly hometown advantage, this ritual will seal them away for a long time. A very long time.
And if it does so above ground, the Field Museum gets a new exhibit.
The only question is who, and what, we will lose. Those lost will spur their companions on, but who will it be? Who can I afford to lose? I wonder if even Marcus can tell who will fall tonight. Fate seems...cloudy when one involves the Titans.
Regardless, once the dust settles, we will be thrust into a new world, where the Veil is torn away and the Masquerade dissolves to ash. Will the fact that we, that supernaturals and hunters, came together in humanity's defense stave off the mob mentality I fear will form? Or will we be faced with a modern day torch and pitchfork scenario, fear overcoming rational thought?
It is of no consequence.
I have been urged to set up a far away place for shelter, after tonight's events. I have also refused. I have spent too long, become too invested, in Chicago, defending her people, and mine.
And that will be the hardest part. For so long I have fought supernaturals in defense of humanity. (To be fair, it started out in hatred, but I would like to think my goals became far nobler as time marched on.) Now I feel I may need to act in reverse - protecting the supernatural from humanity. Once mortals realize the power they wield, when they embrace that numbers are their biggest strength, we may be in trouble. It will take some very public explanation. I will likely take part.
My beast cringes at the thought, urges me to stay hidden...but hiding is no longer an option.
Besides, I am Gavin Abrams, CEO of Ultor Corporation, Angelslayer, former Ace, and Geralt Dessalines, Ventrue childe of Viviana, Carthian, and Restorer of Relics. Hiding is not in my blood. Not anymore. And I will always act in the defense of others, be they mortal or supernatural.
With time stretched before me, it both interrupted tonight and simultaneously stretching to the horizon, always seems so very far away. "I will always..." Pretentious, perhaps, with the nature of what I am working against me. Yet there is a single idea I must cling to.
We are who we choose to be.
Without that, I am truly lost. I will only become a monster if I allow myself to become a monster. Do not misunderstand me, I am no fanciful vampiric hero, fighting my nature in some noble quest. I have done some small share of despicable things that I had, at the time, a rational explanation for doing. No, I am simply a man doing what he can to prevent lasting harm to others.
Is "always" possible? Does "always" take into account immortality? Or is the word made even more powerful to those who have the chance to live forever? We shall see.
Perhaps "always" is unattainable.
But I shall always be trying.
Between the idea
And the reality
Between the motion
And the act
Falls the Shadow
For Thine is the Kingdom
Between the conception
And the creation
Between the emotion
And the response
Falls the Shadow
Life is very long
Between the desire
And the spasm
Between the potency
And the existence
Between the essence
And the descent
Falls the Shadow
For Thine is the Kingdom
((Musical inspiration: The Hollow Men, for trumpet & string orchestra - Persichetti))
Friday, September 19, 2014
Thursday, September 4, 2014
April 1st (Late Morning)
How fitting that my nearly two month hiatus should be broken on April Fool's Day. I feel as if I should make some sort of joke, but I fear any joke would fall flat on its face.
In the intervening months, Ultor has made leaps and bounds in further establishing its presence in Chicago. Nox Team has neutralized several potent threats to Chicago's safety, while Selene Team has not only brought down corrupt executives and recovered some of their ill-gotten goods, they have also provided a somewhat steady source of income for the company. Which will stand us quite well in the coming conflict.
Mr. Tesla has done wonders in revitalizing our Research and Development. He has spearheaded several new projects, all of them ambitious (i.e. power armor). I hope they are finished in time.
Quite recently, Ultor was attacked by both Titan spawn and a Titan itself. We temporarily lost two members of our fireteam (brought back by supernatural means, even beyond me) to take down an invading force of those hoplites and a rather large Titan, the latter of whom we could barely hit.
The Titan retreated, leaving us to recover, and me to ponder what the hell to do next.
The answer came in the form of a former Elytech employee. This particular employee had been head of Lab E, where Cortana had been created. He told me that he had rescued a particular project before the fireteams could dismantle it and had decided to go ahead and offer it to me now. Codenamed Project Valkyrie, this should give us some small edge in our fight.
The biggest danger, however, is not the Titans, nor their spawn. It is what comes after. No matter who lives after the Titans are defeated, that will be, I believe, the end of the Masquerade, and of the Veil. The explanation for the simultaneous attacks on all supernatural and hunter organizations was thin enough. We are not going to be able to explain away the sort of climactic battle toward which we seem to be hurtling.
Our best chance, then, is to continue being the defenders of humanity we set out to be. We need offer no lies nor cover ups in the wake of this battle.
Perhaps I think too far ahead by automatically discounting this battle as won. I will leave most of it to others, while I plan for what comes next. Naturally, Ultor will need to open field offices, even if they are just points of contact to start. I also plan to utilize Seraphina's specialties to their fullest extent and offer either technologically based protection from the mind influencing effects of supernaturals, or the natural training to resist them. This may make even my existence harder, but if there is ever to be any peace after the Veil breaks, humanity will need to be able to tell vampires, mages, and other supernaturals "no".
This planning and project-focus is useful, and helpful, for distracting me from other facets of my life. Not long ago, I lost a bit of control on one of Selene Team's marks. I removed him from prison, "entertained" him for a few days, drained him, and then fed him to my dogs - all because of the sins of the father.
I do not necessarily regret my actions. I regret the recklessness with which I enacted them. Taking that sort of risk was foolish, and ill-befitting of a Ventrue and Viviana's childe. I maintain that I am not half as clever as I think I am, and that is going to get me in trouble some night soon.
I have acquired a new revolver, the same model as Thunder, if you can believe it. It will not replace Lightning (nor should it), but it may serve me well in the future when dealing with ghosts and possessions.
I know there are more topics I can cover, however, I am not clear-headed enough to even touch on them.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
In the intervening months, Ultor has made leaps and bounds in further establishing its presence in Chicago. Nox Team has neutralized several potent threats to Chicago's safety, while Selene Team has not only brought down corrupt executives and recovered some of their ill-gotten goods, they have also provided a somewhat steady source of income for the company. Which will stand us quite well in the coming conflict.
Mr. Tesla has done wonders in revitalizing our Research and Development. He has spearheaded several new projects, all of them ambitious (i.e. power armor). I hope they are finished in time.
Quite recently, Ultor was attacked by both Titan spawn and a Titan itself. We temporarily lost two members of our fireteam (brought back by supernatural means, even beyond me) to take down an invading force of those hoplites and a rather large Titan, the latter of whom we could barely hit.
The Titan retreated, leaving us to recover, and me to ponder what the hell to do next.
The answer came in the form of a former Elytech employee. This particular employee had been head of Lab E, where Cortana had been created. He told me that he had rescued a particular project before the fireteams could dismantle it and had decided to go ahead and offer it to me now. Codenamed Project Valkyrie, this should give us some small edge in our fight.
The biggest danger, however, is not the Titans, nor their spawn. It is what comes after. No matter who lives after the Titans are defeated, that will be, I believe, the end of the Masquerade, and of the Veil. The explanation for the simultaneous attacks on all supernatural and hunter organizations was thin enough. We are not going to be able to explain away the sort of climactic battle toward which we seem to be hurtling.
Our best chance, then, is to continue being the defenders of humanity we set out to be. We need offer no lies nor cover ups in the wake of this battle.
Perhaps I think too far ahead by automatically discounting this battle as won. I will leave most of it to others, while I plan for what comes next. Naturally, Ultor will need to open field offices, even if they are just points of contact to start. I also plan to utilize Seraphina's specialties to their fullest extent and offer either technologically based protection from the mind influencing effects of supernaturals, or the natural training to resist them. This may make even my existence harder, but if there is ever to be any peace after the Veil breaks, humanity will need to be able to tell vampires, mages, and other supernaturals "no".
This planning and project-focus is useful, and helpful, for distracting me from other facets of my life. Not long ago, I lost a bit of control on one of Selene Team's marks. I removed him from prison, "entertained" him for a few days, drained him, and then fed him to my dogs - all because of the sins of the father.
I do not necessarily regret my actions. I regret the recklessness with which I enacted them. Taking that sort of risk was foolish, and ill-befitting of a Ventrue and Viviana's childe. I maintain that I am not half as clever as I think I am, and that is going to get me in trouble some night soon.
I have acquired a new revolver, the same model as Thunder, if you can believe it. It will not replace Lightning (nor should it), but it may serve me well in the future when dealing with ghosts and possessions.
I know there are more topics I can cover, however, I am not clear-headed enough to even touch on them.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
Thursday, June 12, 2014
February 3 (Early Evening)
I hereby reaffirm that I utterly despise the first three months of the year, my birthday(s) notwithstanding.
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
February 2nd (Evening)
Much has happened over the last couple of weeks.
Selene Team successfully ended a threat by those who would see the God Machine return to power in Chicago (and picked up some interesting technology in the process). Nox Team took on a large amount of Pandorans alongside Alpha Team and prevailed. The replacement for Mr. Belmont managed to get himself so mangled up on his first mission that it took a couple of weeks to get him back into something like fighting trim again.
Over the course of those weeks, I was approached by a woman named Rosina, who claimed to be like Bishop, but a daughter of Loki. She said she had something that belonged to him, but she couldn't get it to him without alerting another group, the Aegis Kai Doru - a hunter group hellbent on collecting any and all relics that might be useful in their fight against supernaturals. We hastily scrambled Selene to take it back during an -auction-.
I attended the auction with Agnes that night. Several others I knew were there as well. A few members of the audience were very poorly hidden agents of something. So Rosina's boyfriend, a mage named Figaro, went through his items and invited those of us who wished to to come view them at our leisure. Miss Rowen and Mr. Larravie were there, and Rowen made a point of oohing and aahing over things...which brought her into contact with another member of the audience, Marcus Purcell. The same Marcus Purcell who enjoys redheads.
Whoops.
Thankfully, after a bit of excitement with one of the agents making his way out of the building, the power to the building went out. I was able to watch Rowen simply pick up the gun and leave. I was also able to watch Marcus kill the other agent and make the chandelier fall on him. And then everyone left, save for Agnes and myself, as she stayed behind to clean up...and to give me a gift.
Fitting, since both of my birthdays had just passed, though I doubt that was the intention.
Earlier tonight, Rosina arrived and we left to meet Bishop, to give him what she called his Birthright and so that the two of them could meet. I was grateful to Rosina for taking the lead in the whole affair, as I did not trust myself to speak and possibly wreak havoc on what they have now. If something is to happen there, it will not be by my hand.
Bishop seemed receptive to Rosina's words, even going so far as to offer her protection if it comes to it. We spoke a bit, and he thanked me for bringing Rosina to see him. I simply nodded and took her home.
It has been a long night, already.
Selene Team successfully ended a threat by those who would see the God Machine return to power in Chicago (and picked up some interesting technology in the process). Nox Team took on a large amount of Pandorans alongside Alpha Team and prevailed. The replacement for Mr. Belmont managed to get himself so mangled up on his first mission that it took a couple of weeks to get him back into something like fighting trim again.
Over the course of those weeks, I was approached by a woman named Rosina, who claimed to be like Bishop, but a daughter of Loki. She said she had something that belonged to him, but she couldn't get it to him without alerting another group, the Aegis Kai Doru - a hunter group hellbent on collecting any and all relics that might be useful in their fight against supernaturals. We hastily scrambled Selene to take it back during an -auction-.
I attended the auction with Agnes that night. Several others I knew were there as well. A few members of the audience were very poorly hidden agents of something. So Rosina's boyfriend, a mage named Figaro, went through his items and invited those of us who wished to to come view them at our leisure. Miss Rowen and Mr. Larravie were there, and Rowen made a point of oohing and aahing over things...which brought her into contact with another member of the audience, Marcus Purcell. The same Marcus Purcell who enjoys redheads.
Whoops.
Thankfully, after a bit of excitement with one of the agents making his way out of the building, the power to the building went out. I was able to watch Rowen simply pick up the gun and leave. I was also able to watch Marcus kill the other agent and make the chandelier fall on him. And then everyone left, save for Agnes and myself, as she stayed behind to clean up...and to give me a gift.
Fitting, since both of my birthdays had just passed, though I doubt that was the intention.
Earlier tonight, Rosina arrived and we left to meet Bishop, to give him what she called his Birthright and so that the two of them could meet. I was grateful to Rosina for taking the lead in the whole affair, as I did not trust myself to speak and possibly wreak havoc on what they have now. If something is to happen there, it will not be by my hand.
Bishop seemed receptive to Rosina's words, even going so far as to offer her protection if it comes to it. We spoke a bit, and he thanked me for bringing Rosina to see him. I simply nodded and took her home.
It has been a long night, already.
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
January 16th (Late Evening)
And thus did I simultaneously coordinate the end of a Masquerade violation and plant the seeds of a political revolution. And learned a ridiculous amount of information in the process.
Nox Team lost young Mr. Belmont yesterday. I saw the remains - utterly savaged and unrecognizable.
Like Max.
It has been almost a year since Max died. It has been barely over a year since I lost the Aces and my family to Taraton. I seem to be losing people at an astounding rate. Birthday month or not, I believe I despise the first quarter of the year.
I have Belmont's whip. Supposedly one of the weapons that caused Dracula much trouble down the years. I will do what I can to make sure it ends up in the proper hands.
I delivered Sangiovanni's staked corpse to Gabriella last night, thinking that she could use it to win back some political capital for the Carthians. Imagine my surprise when, barely an hour later, I am summoned to speak with the Prince. Apparently, she was going to negotiate with Sangiovanni for the defense of the docks with the Titans coming. Instead, she has been given an army and the man to lead it.
I learned three very important things last night.
First, the Prince appears to be more interested in hobbling the Carthians than in having a strong front to protect Chicago. She said she had no plans of replacing Vincent, though Gabriella had filed with intent to replace him. Instead, when Vincent asked to step down, she appointed him to a cabinet of advisors, again, for the coming troubles.
Second, the Prince is not as interested in eliminating Masquerade violations as she is in utilizing them. Ultor eliminated all arrived zombies at the docks after the fireteams arrived...but apparently she wants to make more. This is...unbelievable. I am certain the Titans will strain the Masquerade, if they adhere to it at all, but that does not give her cause to strain it as well.
Do not reveal your true nature to those not of the Blood. Doing so forfeits you your claim to the Blood.
We are all guilty of this, though individually. The Masquerade is cracked, it is fractured, but it is not broken. It is not our place to break it...
....unless we intend to utterly annihilate it and take our chances with the mortals knowing.
Third, I will not be nearly as eager to assist in things the Camarilla needs completed from this point forward. In exchange for a useful, money-generating territory, I was offered a large sum of money, as well as weapons, ammunition, and armor...all finite things that will last for a short while. And, being in a room with four Kindred capable of destroying me in a short amount of time (three physically, and one reputationally), I had no choice but to accept. From this point forward, news on any Masquerade-breaking "vampire" gets passed on to the Camarilla and then left alone by me and my people. I have no desire to have my time wasted in another such "conversation", because the Prince is more likely to want to use them than ash them.
At the end of it all, Vincent smells like roses and becomes closer to the Prince, I ended up with credit for something I desired the Carthians to win prestige for, and Gabriella, who was incredibly reluctant, winds up looking the part of the greedy, power-hungry bitch. Who is most likely to wind of Primogen...of the covenant to which I belong.
It...gets better.
Earlier tonight, the Camarilla's payment arrived. Knowing full well how this was going to be received, I contacted Nadya in an attempt to explain things to her.
It went as well as I expected.
In a condensed form, Ultor works for the Camarilla. Mr. Belmont died for the Camarilla's cause. Ultor can always be bought. All I need Nadya for is "to sign fucking checks." I make decisions that affect the whole company "without the respect it takes to ask a fucking opinion." And Nadya appears to have resigned.
Part of this is true. Part of this is speculation on circumstantial evidence.
I do make decisions that affect the company. That is, in essence, my job. She fails to understand a fundamental fact of the C-Level officers. Agnes is busy with Bishop and Marcus. Nadya is busy with Oliver and her club. Celeste is busy with Cillian.
I have Ultor, books, and my piano.
A significant portion of my waking moments are focused on Ultor - its status, the well-being of its employees, its perception among others. Where do we need to go from here, what is next, what should our focus be now? All of these are questions I have constantly running through my head.
Perhaps I am being overly dramatic. I do not know for certain that the Prince would have had me killed if I had not acquiesced to her offer...however I do not know that she would not have, either. I am of no use to anyone, least of all myself, as ash. Not to mention that we were going to lose the docks anyway. It is far too high profile a target. This way, we were able to get something substantial for it, and the Camarilla has to focus part of its attention on defending and holding that particular piece of real estate.
Overall, a victory. A very small victory, but a victory.
Vincent said something last night that I cannot help but agree with: "I am tired." Perhaps I am just not used to choice-after-hardship-after-implosion, and it makes me weary. Not as draining and pulling as that of an elder like Vincent of my Sire...but tired all the same.
Does the revolving door turn again? I guess I will have to wait and see.
Nox Team lost young Mr. Belmont yesterday. I saw the remains - utterly savaged and unrecognizable.
Like Max.
It has been almost a year since Max died. It has been barely over a year since I lost the Aces and my family to Taraton. I seem to be losing people at an astounding rate. Birthday month or not, I believe I despise the first quarter of the year.
I have Belmont's whip. Supposedly one of the weapons that caused Dracula much trouble down the years. I will do what I can to make sure it ends up in the proper hands.
I delivered Sangiovanni's staked corpse to Gabriella last night, thinking that she could use it to win back some political capital for the Carthians. Imagine my surprise when, barely an hour later, I am summoned to speak with the Prince. Apparently, she was going to negotiate with Sangiovanni for the defense of the docks with the Titans coming. Instead, she has been given an army and the man to lead it.
I learned three very important things last night.
First, the Prince appears to be more interested in hobbling the Carthians than in having a strong front to protect Chicago. She said she had no plans of replacing Vincent, though Gabriella had filed with intent to replace him. Instead, when Vincent asked to step down, she appointed him to a cabinet of advisors, again, for the coming troubles.
Second, the Prince is not as interested in eliminating Masquerade violations as she is in utilizing them. Ultor eliminated all arrived zombies at the docks after the fireteams arrived...but apparently she wants to make more. This is...unbelievable. I am certain the Titans will strain the Masquerade, if they adhere to it at all, but that does not give her cause to strain it as well.
Do not reveal your true nature to those not of the Blood. Doing so forfeits you your claim to the Blood.
We are all guilty of this, though individually. The Masquerade is cracked, it is fractured, but it is not broken. It is not our place to break it...
....unless we intend to utterly annihilate it and take our chances with the mortals knowing.
Third, I will not be nearly as eager to assist in things the Camarilla needs completed from this point forward. In exchange for a useful, money-generating territory, I was offered a large sum of money, as well as weapons, ammunition, and armor...all finite things that will last for a short while. And, being in a room with four Kindred capable of destroying me in a short amount of time (three physically, and one reputationally), I had no choice but to accept. From this point forward, news on any Masquerade-breaking "vampire" gets passed on to the Camarilla and then left alone by me and my people. I have no desire to have my time wasted in another such "conversation", because the Prince is more likely to want to use them than ash them.
At the end of it all, Vincent smells like roses and becomes closer to the Prince, I ended up with credit for something I desired the Carthians to win prestige for, and Gabriella, who was incredibly reluctant, winds up looking the part of the greedy, power-hungry bitch. Who is most likely to wind of Primogen...of the covenant to which I belong.
It...gets better.
Earlier tonight, the Camarilla's payment arrived. Knowing full well how this was going to be received, I contacted Nadya in an attempt to explain things to her.
It went as well as I expected.
In a condensed form, Ultor works for the Camarilla. Mr. Belmont died for the Camarilla's cause. Ultor can always be bought. All I need Nadya for is "to sign fucking checks." I make decisions that affect the whole company "without the respect it takes to ask a fucking opinion." And Nadya appears to have resigned.
Part of this is true. Part of this is speculation on circumstantial evidence.
I do make decisions that affect the company. That is, in essence, my job. She fails to understand a fundamental fact of the C-Level officers. Agnes is busy with Bishop and Marcus. Nadya is busy with Oliver and her club. Celeste is busy with Cillian.
I have Ultor, books, and my piano.
A significant portion of my waking moments are focused on Ultor - its status, the well-being of its employees, its perception among others. Where do we need to go from here, what is next, what should our focus be now? All of these are questions I have constantly running through my head.
Perhaps I am being overly dramatic. I do not know for certain that the Prince would have had me killed if I had not acquiesced to her offer...however I do not know that she would not have, either. I am of no use to anyone, least of all myself, as ash. Not to mention that we were going to lose the docks anyway. It is far too high profile a target. This way, we were able to get something substantial for it, and the Camarilla has to focus part of its attention on defending and holding that particular piece of real estate.
Overall, a victory. A very small victory, but a victory.
Vincent said something last night that I cannot help but agree with: "I am tired." Perhaps I am just not used to choice-after-hardship-after-implosion, and it makes me weary. Not as draining and pulling as that of an elder like Vincent of my Sire...but tired all the same.
Does the revolving door turn again? I guess I will have to wait and see.
Saturday, May 24, 2014
January 13th (Late Evening)
Nearly a month since my last entry. While it feels like very little has happened, it simultaneously feels like there has been far too much to take in.
Nox was highly successful in capturing two of the three Cloud Infinite Reapers. According to what I read, Yvonne was nearly killed and Mr. Bonaparte fell under the mental control of one of the mages. I say "from what I read," but really it was Mr. Birch storming into my office in a rage that informed me all about it. I sympathize, I do. But at no time did we ever downplay how dangerous this profession would be for them.
Heike uncovered quite a bit of information on the children of the gods. Basically, the old gods of myth are real and, during times of great trouble, they spawn demigods with mortals. It looks like these Titans are times of great trouble. And it looks like Bishop is one of these demigods. I guess that makes sense.
After the New Year, I took a brief vacation. I spent a few days returning to the ranch - the ranch where it all started, where I met Viviana, where I had my first encounter. It remains abandoned, as I suppose the only people who would desire to live in a place like that would be those interested in rumor.
The rest of the time I spent in the junkyard, at the safe house that is still maintained there. The amount of privacy one can command by owning your own junkyard is somewhat astounding. I recreated the firing range I had set there at one time, as well as my little fencing course. It was relaxing, just being able to disappear for ten or so days. It gave me time to decompress, to think, and, at times, to completely divorce myself from everything going on and lose myself to Thunder and the pistol, as well as my swordcane.
Tonight, Jameson begins his recruiting of Selene Team, whose purpose will be different than that of Nox, though no less important. I also found a letter on my desk from Cressida, thanking me for letting her work there for the three weeks she did and that she would owe me a favor for it. I am still unsure what to make of all that.
Nox was highly successful in capturing two of the three Cloud Infinite Reapers. According to what I read, Yvonne was nearly killed and Mr. Bonaparte fell under the mental control of one of the mages. I say "from what I read," but really it was Mr. Birch storming into my office in a rage that informed me all about it. I sympathize, I do. But at no time did we ever downplay how dangerous this profession would be for them.
Heike uncovered quite a bit of information on the children of the gods. Basically, the old gods of myth are real and, during times of great trouble, they spawn demigods with mortals. It looks like these Titans are times of great trouble. And it looks like Bishop is one of these demigods. I guess that makes sense.
After the New Year, I took a brief vacation. I spent a few days returning to the ranch - the ranch where it all started, where I met Viviana, where I had my first encounter. It remains abandoned, as I suppose the only people who would desire to live in a place like that would be those interested in rumor.
The rest of the time I spent in the junkyard, at the safe house that is still maintained there. The amount of privacy one can command by owning your own junkyard is somewhat astounding. I recreated the firing range I had set there at one time, as well as my little fencing course. It was relaxing, just being able to disappear for ten or so days. It gave me time to decompress, to think, and, at times, to completely divorce myself from everything going on and lose myself to Thunder and the pistol, as well as my swordcane.
Tonight, Jameson begins his recruiting of Selene Team, whose purpose will be different than that of Nox, though no less important. I also found a letter on my desk from Cressida, thanking me for letting her work there for the three weeks she did and that she would owe me a favor for it. I am still unsure what to make of all that.
Friday, May 9, 2014
December 21st (Early Evening)
A truly whirlwind couple of days.
To start with, Viola is gone. She decided she would rather leave than to stay with me knowing that there is now a time limit (albeit a vague, unknowable time limit) on our relationship. That is fair, and I regret how it ended. But I do not regret it happening.
Then I had a "guys night out" with Marcus. I think it was good for both of us to get out and just talk. He brought up an interesting point in that I shouldn't be alone for the duration, because then I'll begin a long trail of resentment. Well, I resent Bishop already, and I resent the waiting, not her making me wait.
I guess I'm on the right track?
Within hours of Viola leaving, I received an...application of sorts from Cressida, the leader of the Circle of the Crone, to be my new secretary. I don't even know what to do with that right now.
I may need a vacation.
To start with, Viola is gone. She decided she would rather leave than to stay with me knowing that there is now a time limit (albeit a vague, unknowable time limit) on our relationship. That is fair, and I regret how it ended. But I do not regret it happening.
Then I had a "guys night out" with Marcus. I think it was good for both of us to get out and just talk. He brought up an interesting point in that I shouldn't be alone for the duration, because then I'll begin a long trail of resentment. Well, I resent Bishop already, and I resent the waiting, not her making me wait.
I guess I'm on the right track?
Within hours of Viola leaving, I received an...application of sorts from Cressida, the leader of the Circle of the Crone, to be my new secretary. I don't even know what to do with that right now.
I may need a vacation.
Monday, May 5, 2014
December 19th (Early Evening)
Tonight when I awoke, I saw very brief flashes of color.
And now I know why Viviana chooses to feed the way she does.
Last night's party was, by all accounts, a great success on many levels. There was mingling and chatting. Guillermo outdid himself with the decorations. There was laughter coupled with the sounds good times. Which is something this house has desperately needed for some time.
We also seemed to have made a breakthrough with Mr. Birch. Well, I say we, but I suppose I mean Agnes. She triggered a vision in him, which, after making me leave the kitchen so he could explain, I heard anyway. In my defense, that is not something which I can simply turn off. Aside from that, I do read the entries in the dream journals Nox team turns in, so I would have heard it anyway.
Oh, what a tangled web we weave...
The reason that I consider this breakthrough a victory is that, due to something she said, he asked me to arrange an earlier meeting with Marcus. He told me that he wants to talk to him without being assaulted by dozens of memories. A meeting to which, as I found out a few minutes ago, Marcus agrees.
Finally, after speaking with Agnes, we finally reached some kind of an agreement. What happened there is for me and will not be recorded, but I find myself a curious mix of ecstatic and sober. I cannot help but wonder if there are ulterior motives, but if there are, for now, I do not think I care.
Tonight, Nox team meets their new handler and gets the details of the Reaper assignment. I am quite curious to see what they come up with as a plan.
And now I need to go make sure the venue is set for Nadya's party. Chloe has the guest list and Rough Rider's has the catering arrangements. And I have the best party planner that blood can bind to me.
That could probably have been written better.
And now I know why Viviana chooses to feed the way she does.
Last night's party was, by all accounts, a great success on many levels. There was mingling and chatting. Guillermo outdid himself with the decorations. There was laughter coupled with the sounds good times. Which is something this house has desperately needed for some time.
We also seemed to have made a breakthrough with Mr. Birch. Well, I say we, but I suppose I mean Agnes. She triggered a vision in him, which, after making me leave the kitchen so he could explain, I heard anyway. In my defense, that is not something which I can simply turn off. Aside from that, I do read the entries in the dream journals Nox team turns in, so I would have heard it anyway.
Oh, what a tangled web we weave...
The reason that I consider this breakthrough a victory is that, due to something she said, he asked me to arrange an earlier meeting with Marcus. He told me that he wants to talk to him without being assaulted by dozens of memories. A meeting to which, as I found out a few minutes ago, Marcus agrees.
Finally, after speaking with Agnes, we finally reached some kind of an agreement. What happened there is for me and will not be recorded, but I find myself a curious mix of ecstatic and sober. I cannot help but wonder if there are ulterior motives, but if there are, for now, I do not think I care.
Tonight, Nox team meets their new handler and gets the details of the Reaper assignment. I am quite curious to see what they come up with as a plan.
And now I need to go make sure the venue is set for Nadya's party. Chloe has the guest list and Rough Rider's has the catering arrangements. And I have the best party planner that blood can bind to me.
That could probably have been written better.
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
December 17th (Late Evening)
Amazing. Absolutely amazing. For the past eight months, I have had to handle maybe one or two things a night. Last night, I had five situations pop up.
First, I spoke with Celeste about the Cillian findings. She seemed concerned (and for good reason, seeing as Mr. Stillwater has chosen her for his paramour) about how this information has been discovered by us...and why she wasn't told. I had to reassure her of his intentions...and act much in the way a father figure should.
God knows she does not have one right now.
Next, I had a chat with Agnes.
Indeed, I did.
Following that, the actual meeting with Mr. Stillwater. Our findings were absolutely correct. He suggested that the legend remain a legend and agreed to meet with Nadya. He and Celeste then went home to discuss things, I believe.
Next, I met with Nadya for our first try at deleting memories. It appears to have worked, so next time we will be a little more ambitious. She plans to speak with Massena and the techs to see about beginning the process of obtaining memories.
And finally, I took possession of three trunks of journals, diaries, and memoirs. I have been told that there are several interesting sections, and one I must read - the Reaper Inquisition. I have had little luck finding it, but I will persevere.
And that is what I have been doing to this point, reading.
First, I spoke with Celeste about the Cillian findings. She seemed concerned (and for good reason, seeing as Mr. Stillwater has chosen her for his paramour) about how this information has been discovered by us...and why she wasn't told. I had to reassure her of his intentions...and act much in the way a father figure should.
God knows she does not have one right now.
Next, I had a chat with Agnes.
Indeed, I did.
Following that, the actual meeting with Mr. Stillwater. Our findings were absolutely correct. He suggested that the legend remain a legend and agreed to meet with Nadya. He and Celeste then went home to discuss things, I believe.
Next, I met with Nadya for our first try at deleting memories. It appears to have worked, so next time we will be a little more ambitious. She plans to speak with Massena and the techs to see about beginning the process of obtaining memories.
And finally, I took possession of three trunks of journals, diaries, and memoirs. I have been told that there are several interesting sections, and one I must read - the Reaper Inquisition. I have had little luck finding it, but I will persevere.
And that is what I have been doing to this point, reading.
Saturday, April 26, 2014
December 13 (Late Evening)
Eventful couple of days.
Nox Team is aware of what I am. As it should be.
However, due to Mr. Birch's visions, he, Massena, and the younger miss Schmitt are aware of Marcus's deeper secret of his existence. And so I needed to go speak with him.
He took it extremely well, commenting that the trust he extended me for his secret extends, for now, with Ultor. That is much more than I was expecting...and nearly as worrying. I've been part of this other world for long enough to realize that there's a good chance the other shoe will drop.
As he said, I just need to prepare.
After that we made small talk, him about his family, and me about mine. He reassured me that, eventually, Viviana will speak to me about why she is acting as she is.
It has been noticeably quiet around my house as of late and Viola's distractions are only marginally successful. I have been physically idle for too long, letting the seeds of my powerbase grow. I have not returned to the ranch as I said I would, I have not bothered to retrieve Lightning from Agnes, I have done nothing but play at corporation building and Kindred politics.
I need to go hunting again. I have rested on my laurels for too long. Soon, if they have not already, the events of Traven Towers, Birkin's actions, and the God Machine will fade into memory and I will be faced with "what have you done lately?"
Though I suppose the discoveries of Mr. Stillwater's legacy will shock and awe at least part of the Kindred.
I have two parties to host in a week or so: Nadya's graduation and the company Christmas party. And then Viola and I will be taking Mr. Birch to accept Marcus's invitation for Christmas.
It is not going to be a dull week, at least.
Nox Team is aware of what I am. As it should be.
However, due to Mr. Birch's visions, he, Massena, and the younger miss Schmitt are aware of Marcus's deeper secret of his existence. And so I needed to go speak with him.
He took it extremely well, commenting that the trust he extended me for his secret extends, for now, with Ultor. That is much more than I was expecting...and nearly as worrying. I've been part of this other world for long enough to realize that there's a good chance the other shoe will drop.
As he said, I just need to prepare.
After that we made small talk, him about his family, and me about mine. He reassured me that, eventually, Viviana will speak to me about why she is acting as she is.
It has been noticeably quiet around my house as of late and Viola's distractions are only marginally successful. I have been physically idle for too long, letting the seeds of my powerbase grow. I have not returned to the ranch as I said I would, I have not bothered to retrieve Lightning from Agnes, I have done nothing but play at corporation building and Kindred politics.
I need to go hunting again. I have rested on my laurels for too long. Soon, if they have not already, the events of Traven Towers, Birkin's actions, and the God Machine will fade into memory and I will be faced with "what have you done lately?"
Though I suppose the discoveries of Mr. Stillwater's legacy will shock and awe at least part of the Kindred.
I have two parties to host in a week or so: Nadya's graduation and the company Christmas party. And then Viola and I will be taking Mr. Birch to accept Marcus's invitation for Christmas.
It is not going to be a dull week, at least.
Sunday, March 23, 2014
December 8th (Late Morning)
My Viola does not let me down.
Not only did she bring home a decent meal (which, incidentally, earned her a little extra Vitae), she also brought me a bit of interesting news - it appears that some members of Nox were out at Invidie after what Henry tells me was a successful mission.
Good that they're starting this early.
I need to get in touch with Cyril, see how things are going now.
Not only did she bring home a decent meal (which, incidentally, earned her a little extra Vitae), she also brought me a bit of interesting news - it appears that some members of Nox were out at Invidie after what Henry tells me was a successful mission.
Good that they're starting this early.
I need to get in touch with Cyril, see how things are going now.
Friday, March 21, 2014
December 7th (Early Evening)
The past couple of days have almost been enough to make me go to a Sanctum service.
Almost.
Apparently Heike, one of the members of Nox Team, desperately needs access to a library detailing what they're up against. The only one with a library like that in humane driving distance is Marcus. I gave Massena permission to refer her to Marcus, though it throws into sharp relief how reliant I have been on him. He, himself, claims that our friendship is something he actually cares to keep. I just need to start developing even more resources so that requests like that can be handled in house.
Which, to be fair, is part of the reason Nox exists.
I suppose, on a purely truthful level, Nox is an experiment with several facets. What happens when we unlock human potential to a point where they develop near-supernatural power? What happens to mages when they Awaken? Is there something that draws Kindred to certain people for the Embrace? What triggers a first change in a werewolf? Is it possible to subdue most supernatural species without killing them? I want to find answers to all of these questions - and then learn what to do with them.
Nox are all of these steps combined into a giant package. The team themselves are the near-supernatural component. They will be acquiring and assimilating all of this information over the course of their missions. We'll get to see what hunters, empowered by their bloodlines, are capable of doing.
Though that dream could be short-lived. I was told by Henry that two members, Heike and Louis, had a verbal altercation in the middle of our lobby. Henry also told me that he handled it, so I'm attributing it to a fluke caused by the extreme amount of stress all of them must be feeling.
I spoke with Marcus that evening, two nights ago now, I believe. My concerns were addressed quite positively. Easy meeting. After another couple of meetings, I just went home and skipped going to the office.
Last night, I was able to watch a short training session of Nox. I find myself very happy with the progress.
Almost.
Apparently Heike, one of the members of Nox Team, desperately needs access to a library detailing what they're up against. The only one with a library like that in humane driving distance is Marcus. I gave Massena permission to refer her to Marcus, though it throws into sharp relief how reliant I have been on him. He, himself, claims that our friendship is something he actually cares to keep. I just need to start developing even more resources so that requests like that can be handled in house.
Which, to be fair, is part of the reason Nox exists.
I suppose, on a purely truthful level, Nox is an experiment with several facets. What happens when we unlock human potential to a point where they develop near-supernatural power? What happens to mages when they Awaken? Is there something that draws Kindred to certain people for the Embrace? What triggers a first change in a werewolf? Is it possible to subdue most supernatural species without killing them? I want to find answers to all of these questions - and then learn what to do with them.
Nox are all of these steps combined into a giant package. The team themselves are the near-supernatural component. They will be acquiring and assimilating all of this information over the course of their missions. We'll get to see what hunters, empowered by their bloodlines, are capable of doing.
Though that dream could be short-lived. I was told by Henry that two members, Heike and Louis, had a verbal altercation in the middle of our lobby. Henry also told me that he handled it, so I'm attributing it to a fluke caused by the extreme amount of stress all of them must be feeling.
I spoke with Marcus that evening, two nights ago now, I believe. My concerns were addressed quite positively. Easy meeting. After another couple of meetings, I just went home and skipped going to the office.
Last night, I was able to watch a short training session of Nox. I find myself very happy with the progress.
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
December 4th (Early Evening)
My attempts at damage control have been thwarted by paperwork.
I had been so distracted in reading Henry's notes on Nox team's performance that I was genuinely surprised when Viola knocked on my office door to inform me that dawn was only an hour or so away. She then reminded me that, if I was willing, it was time for her dose of Vitae.
Even the mystically bound display ulterior motives. One could easily become jaded.
Still distracted, I motioned her over to me and idly slashed at my wrist. This I offered up to her, willing out just enough Vitae to keep her sated, to maintain her perfect form...and obedience. I pulled my wrist away, sealing up the gash motioning her to stand there, silently. No doubt there was an expression of hurt or confusion on her face...
...but this was interesting.
Sequential electric light explosions, mysteriously moving toy train, black fog that knocks a person out? Who knew this thing had that sort of power?
I looked up at Viola and, that little bit of attention turning her expression joyful, pulled her onto my lap. I told her to take the car and to go home, that I would be along later through my usual method. I didn't tell her what I was doing, nor where I would be going. As I watched her walk off, I marveled at her capabilities. Somehow, she kept hours with me, slept a few hours at home, and still managed to field requests during the day. Either she's extraordinarily gifted, or she takes a lot of power naps.
As for me, I grabbed my coat, cane, and Stetson, left and locked the office, and made my way out onto the lands I could now claim as mine. My request had been approved by the Prince. As long as I could protect the projects, and expect no Camarilla assistance in doing so, I could claim them as my feeding grounds. In our little neofeudal Kindred society, I had just become a landed noble.
And all moves according to plan.
In the remaining time before dawn, I made my way to Greenbriar and stood outside for a long time. Whether at the beginning or ending of my hunting career in Chicago, or even now, months after my semi-retirement, this little building continues to be a beacon, a nexus of sorts. The first gear any of us saw, the assault by Taraton, the formation of the team, Dr. Gale...it all started here. So many events tied to this one location....and now, it housed one man I needed to save somehow, and one man who would soon come to know far too much.
As the sun's corona peeked its way over the horizon, I walked through a door in the alley and into my bedroom at the mansion. Tomorrow night would be soon enough. I would work on my end, Massena would work on his.
Absolutely nothing could go wrong, right?
We'll have to move quickly. It's time for a phone call.
I had been so distracted in reading Henry's notes on Nox team's performance that I was genuinely surprised when Viola knocked on my office door to inform me that dawn was only an hour or so away. She then reminded me that, if I was willing, it was time for her dose of Vitae.
Even the mystically bound display ulterior motives. One could easily become jaded.
Still distracted, I motioned her over to me and idly slashed at my wrist. This I offered up to her, willing out just enough Vitae to keep her sated, to maintain her perfect form...and obedience. I pulled my wrist away, sealing up the gash motioning her to stand there, silently. No doubt there was an expression of hurt or confusion on her face...
...but this was interesting.
Sequential electric light explosions, mysteriously moving toy train, black fog that knocks a person out? Who knew this thing had that sort of power?
I looked up at Viola and, that little bit of attention turning her expression joyful, pulled her onto my lap. I told her to take the car and to go home, that I would be along later through my usual method. I didn't tell her what I was doing, nor where I would be going. As I watched her walk off, I marveled at her capabilities. Somehow, she kept hours with me, slept a few hours at home, and still managed to field requests during the day. Either she's extraordinarily gifted, or she takes a lot of power naps.
As for me, I grabbed my coat, cane, and Stetson, left and locked the office, and made my way out onto the lands I could now claim as mine. My request had been approved by the Prince. As long as I could protect the projects, and expect no Camarilla assistance in doing so, I could claim them as my feeding grounds. In our little neofeudal Kindred society, I had just become a landed noble.
And all moves according to plan.
In the remaining time before dawn, I made my way to Greenbriar and stood outside for a long time. Whether at the beginning or ending of my hunting career in Chicago, or even now, months after my semi-retirement, this little building continues to be a beacon, a nexus of sorts. The first gear any of us saw, the assault by Taraton, the formation of the team, Dr. Gale...it all started here. So many events tied to this one location....and now, it housed one man I needed to save somehow, and one man who would soon come to know far too much.
As the sun's corona peeked its way over the horizon, I walked through a door in the alley and into my bedroom at the mansion. Tomorrow night would be soon enough. I would work on my end, Massena would work on his.
Absolutely nothing could go wrong, right?
We'll have to move quickly. It's time for a phone call.
Sunday, March 16, 2014
December 2nd (Early Evening)
Oh, what a twisted web we weave...
Reports came back on Jason Myers, the psychic that Nox brought in. Would you believe he had undergone a pharmaceutical trial only a week before he started displaying his powers? Weylan Pharmaceuticals....Cheiron.
Oh, but it gets better.
Bloodline analysis on Nox team also made its way to my desk. About as I'd figured, but then the red flag for Lucas Birch caught my eye. Apparently, the good ex-Ranger has a very unique, highly dangerous, still very potent ancestor. Replying to Messena's request for how to handle it, I informed him to tell Birch what he needed to know, but to keep the full identity a secret.
Time to do some pre-emptive damage control. And quickly.
Reports came back on Jason Myers, the psychic that Nox brought in. Would you believe he had undergone a pharmaceutical trial only a week before he started displaying his powers? Weylan Pharmaceuticals....Cheiron.
Oh, but it gets better.
Bloodline analysis on Nox team also made its way to my desk. About as I'd figured, but then the red flag for Lucas Birch caught my eye. Apparently, the good ex-Ranger has a very unique, highly dangerous, still very potent ancestor. Replying to Messena's request for how to handle it, I informed him to tell Birch what he needed to know, but to keep the full identity a secret.
Time to do some pre-emptive damage control. And quickly.
November 11th (Early Morning)
Our first candidates for Nox team have been fairly successful in their assigned training operation. They successfully acquired a non-hostile psychic with minimal problems and minimal collateral damage.
I have hunters and they've brought me a psychic. This whole thing might actually work.
I have hunters and they've brought me a psychic. This whole thing might actually work.
August 9th (Early Morning)
That was surprisingly simple.
It's amazing what a small bit of Kindred blood is capable of. With it, I can, without embellishment, shoot a fly off the table without scratching the finish. I can open doors between here and the other side of the world. No lock can stop me, no room can contain me. With a thought, I can make a crowd adore me. At a glance, I can discern the weakest person in the room, the one most like to harm me, the one who is most afraid. I am more durable, I am faster.
I can bend others to my will.
It's this last one that is fraught with peril, though the crowd influencing can be just as bad. Purely from a human perspective, what good is forced affection? What purpose friends, when relationships can be empty?
And yet...
To many of my Kindred, friends are a weakness, a burden, an opportunity for betrayal. While I strive to feel otherwise, I know that it is all too easy for one who knows what I am to use that information to betray me, either to my end, or to another Kindred who seeks to destroy what I have chosen to protect. To that end, and because she is dear to me....I turned Viola into a ghoul.
My sire explained the process to me, and it is amazingly simple. Feed the subject a bit of my blood, and, with a bit of focused effort, I have a devoted servant, addicted to...me.
After she came by on the fourth, we discussed many things. Without going into details, by the end of the night, I had acquired a delightful companion and a very beautiful, highly useful agent-slash-secretary.
Win-win for Gavin and Geralt, I'd say.
We have our first round of results back from various blood tests we've processed. A few candidates that bear watching. I'm reveling in the quiet that persists after the God Machine incidents and find the ability to focus my attention on Ultor to be a nice change of pace from the constant conflict and haphazard planning.
Good Lord, I've only seen thirty-seven years, but I sound positively elderly.
I doubt I will write again for some time.
It's amazing what a small bit of Kindred blood is capable of. With it, I can, without embellishment, shoot a fly off the table without scratching the finish. I can open doors between here and the other side of the world. No lock can stop me, no room can contain me. With a thought, I can make a crowd adore me. At a glance, I can discern the weakest person in the room, the one most like to harm me, the one who is most afraid. I am more durable, I am faster.
I can bend others to my will.
It's this last one that is fraught with peril, though the crowd influencing can be just as bad. Purely from a human perspective, what good is forced affection? What purpose friends, when relationships can be empty?
And yet...
To many of my Kindred, friends are a weakness, a burden, an opportunity for betrayal. While I strive to feel otherwise, I know that it is all too easy for one who knows what I am to use that information to betray me, either to my end, or to another Kindred who seeks to destroy what I have chosen to protect. To that end, and because she is dear to me....I turned Viola into a ghoul.
My sire explained the process to me, and it is amazingly simple. Feed the subject a bit of my blood, and, with a bit of focused effort, I have a devoted servant, addicted to...me.
After she came by on the fourth, we discussed many things. Without going into details, by the end of the night, I had acquired a delightful companion and a very beautiful, highly useful agent-slash-secretary.
Win-win for Gavin and Geralt, I'd say.
We have our first round of results back from various blood tests we've processed. A few candidates that bear watching. I'm reveling in the quiet that persists after the God Machine incidents and find the ability to focus my attention on Ultor to be a nice change of pace from the constant conflict and haphazard planning.
Good Lord, I've only seen thirty-seven years, but I sound positively elderly.
I doubt I will write again for some time.
July 4 (Late Evening)
America.
A quiet night in is exactly what I needed. Viola invited me to a party with her friends, but I declined. A night of fireworks is no longer all that appealing. Rather than see me alone all night, she offered to come over after she left her party. She's due here any time.
It has only been a few short months, and I know that one in my position should aim for the long view, but if I've learned anything since my Embrace, it's that just because we are given tools to rise above humans, that does not mean that we are any less susceptible to our final end. So I find myself working quickly to enjoy a more relaxed pace later on. In that regard, I think that tonight I will enact my plan.
Ultor is fully up and running. We've even had our first requests for blood analysis come in. As a new lab with lower processing fees, I'm unsurprised that so many would flock to us. I'm looking forward to seeing what we're able to discover.
I visited the marker again last night. I simply sat there, unmoving, for several hours. I think my sire tried to tell me something, and I think my phone rang once or twice before I turned it off. As I sat there, I found myself amazed that someone I had known for such a short time could have this effect on me. From when I arrived in Chicago to the end of the fight with Birkin was only a span of two or so months. That's usually not even long enough to develop a good friendship, let alone a sense of family that some of us had fallen into. A highly dysfunctional, neurotic family, but a family nonetheless.
Ultor's going to have to tread carefully with this first team. Give them direction, but no step by step outline of procedure. Let them work together, let them succeed, let them fail...let them grow. Start off as a team, with a clear leader, and everyone knowing where they stand. Whatever we find in regards to their potential, don't let them get out of control. Teach them to respect themselves, each other, and the world around them, human and supernatural alike.
All it is is a couple of miracles, right?
Guillermo's come by a couple of times (to see me specifically, he comes by more to see Viviana). We'll sit, talk, drink, and laugh until nearly dawn, usually about nothing of consequence. I think I'm being observed, but I don't mind the company.
This week, Oliver will start training the two fireteams that we are able to fund. With some of the cream skimmed from the Soul's Army cache, plus the arms we've been able to acquire from various sources, the two should be sufficient to keep an eye on one team.
I plan on putting in a request to the Prince to claim the projects and the areas surrounding Ultor as a personal feeding ground, mainly to protect those that live there. I have not forgotten the Daeva, Sophia, or her unthinking predations on the people of Greenbriar. We're going to protect them, uplift them. I believe that my actions in defending Chicago give me a bit of capital I can spend, plus a bit of standing in the Camarilla, even though I am not as enmeshed in the politics as others. We'll see.
A quiet night in is exactly what I needed. Viola invited me to a party with her friends, but I declined. A night of fireworks is no longer all that appealing. Rather than see me alone all night, she offered to come over after she left her party. She's due here any time.
It has only been a few short months, and I know that one in my position should aim for the long view, but if I've learned anything since my Embrace, it's that just because we are given tools to rise above humans, that does not mean that we are any less susceptible to our final end. So I find myself working quickly to enjoy a more relaxed pace later on. In that regard, I think that tonight I will enact my plan.
Ultor is fully up and running. We've even had our first requests for blood analysis come in. As a new lab with lower processing fees, I'm unsurprised that so many would flock to us. I'm looking forward to seeing what we're able to discover.
I visited the marker again last night. I simply sat there, unmoving, for several hours. I think my sire tried to tell me something, and I think my phone rang once or twice before I turned it off. As I sat there, I found myself amazed that someone I had known for such a short time could have this effect on me. From when I arrived in Chicago to the end of the fight with Birkin was only a span of two or so months. That's usually not even long enough to develop a good friendship, let alone a sense of family that some of us had fallen into. A highly dysfunctional, neurotic family, but a family nonetheless.
Ultor's going to have to tread carefully with this first team. Give them direction, but no step by step outline of procedure. Let them work together, let them succeed, let them fail...let them grow. Start off as a team, with a clear leader, and everyone knowing where they stand. Whatever we find in regards to their potential, don't let them get out of control. Teach them to respect themselves, each other, and the world around them, human and supernatural alike.
All it is is a couple of miracles, right?
Guillermo's come by a couple of times (to see me specifically, he comes by more to see Viviana). We'll sit, talk, drink, and laugh until nearly dawn, usually about nothing of consequence. I think I'm being observed, but I don't mind the company.
This week, Oliver will start training the two fireteams that we are able to fund. With some of the cream skimmed from the Soul's Army cache, plus the arms we've been able to acquire from various sources, the two should be sufficient to keep an eye on one team.
I plan on putting in a request to the Prince to claim the projects and the areas surrounding Ultor as a personal feeding ground, mainly to protect those that live there. I have not forgotten the Daeva, Sophia, or her unthinking predations on the people of Greenbriar. We're going to protect them, uplift them. I believe that my actions in defending Chicago give me a bit of capital I can spend, plus a bit of standing in the Camarilla, even though I am not as enmeshed in the politics as others. We'll see.
May 28th (Early Morning)
A busy month, and no time to write in this little thing.
I find my attention divided between building my own powerbase, maintaining relations with my team, hunting a mage for Cyril, and a half dozen other things.
Viola, the girl from Desire, and I have met multiple times since the last time I wrote. Charming, beautiful girl. My beast finds her beauty and allure appealing. It wants to use her, devour her, move on to the next. The man wants to cultivate this, to see if he is too far gone for romance to reach him. Gavin enjoys pulling out all the stops, letting his dashing, willed-to-appearance-change stubbled dazzle her...while all Geralt is considering is how to utilize her.
Honestly, that I am able to speak to her dealing with all four people in my head at once is astounding.
I've not told her what I am, yet. I may never have to. For now it is nice to simply be...normal.
There's been no word from the pack about the industrial district. I'm not surprised, since one of their own was killed on my watch. I'd close ranks, too. However, if I've not heard anything by the time we get our first team started, I plan on making that among their first assignments.
The Camarilla proceeds apace. After the shake up right before Traven, things seem to have calmed down a bit. There's been some shuffling among the quieter covenants, the Sanctum and the Circle. They're poised to gain a stronger presence, if they do it right.
In terms of Ultor, construction is well under way, both above and underground. I'm hopeful that we will be up and running by July, though I'm told there have been a few snags with zoning issues. Easily enough fixed, either by money or other means.
Henry Massena, the man from Texas, is an interesting character. He claims to be descended from Quincey Morris, one of the major players in the most infamous altercation with Dracula. I explained to him what we were doing, and what I was planning to do with it. He seemed quite interested in the idea of confirming lineages, and unlocking each person's own potential. I did not tell him about the rest of it, and I'm not certain that anyone will ever find out.
At any rate, Henry will become our Director of Lineage Discovery and Acquisition. Fancy department name for what will eventually become one of the oddest collections of hunters anywhere.
Once we finally open, we can begin our collections. I'm finding myself excited and ready to get this going.
History will become my playground.
I find my attention divided between building my own powerbase, maintaining relations with my team, hunting a mage for Cyril, and a half dozen other things.
Viola, the girl from Desire, and I have met multiple times since the last time I wrote. Charming, beautiful girl. My beast finds her beauty and allure appealing. It wants to use her, devour her, move on to the next. The man wants to cultivate this, to see if he is too far gone for romance to reach him. Gavin enjoys pulling out all the stops, letting his dashing, willed-to-appearance-change stubbled dazzle her...while all Geralt is considering is how to utilize her.
Honestly, that I am able to speak to her dealing with all four people in my head at once is astounding.
I've not told her what I am, yet. I may never have to. For now it is nice to simply be...normal.
There's been no word from the pack about the industrial district. I'm not surprised, since one of their own was killed on my watch. I'd close ranks, too. However, if I've not heard anything by the time we get our first team started, I plan on making that among their first assignments.
The Camarilla proceeds apace. After the shake up right before Traven, things seem to have calmed down a bit. There's been some shuffling among the quieter covenants, the Sanctum and the Circle. They're poised to gain a stronger presence, if they do it right.
In terms of Ultor, construction is well under way, both above and underground. I'm hopeful that we will be up and running by July, though I'm told there have been a few snags with zoning issues. Easily enough fixed, either by money or other means.
Henry Massena, the man from Texas, is an interesting character. He claims to be descended from Quincey Morris, one of the major players in the most infamous altercation with Dracula. I explained to him what we were doing, and what I was planning to do with it. He seemed quite interested in the idea of confirming lineages, and unlocking each person's own potential. I did not tell him about the rest of it, and I'm not certain that anyone will ever find out.
At any rate, Henry will become our Director of Lineage Discovery and Acquisition. Fancy department name for what will eventually become one of the oddest collections of hunters anywhere.
Once we finally open, we can begin our collections. I'm finding myself excited and ready to get this going.
History will become my playground.
April 17 (Late Evening)
One month later, I am hit with a night of reflection.
I am resolved to maintain a friendship, but to give up any intentions of taking said friendship further.
For now.
Today was the groundbreaking ceremony for Ultor Corporation. Through sheer force of will (and full body covering clothing) I was able to attend, to speak...to endure the violent, harmful sunlight and act...human, for a little while.
I can almost remember the feel of sunlight without it burning.
It was a good ceremony, pomp, circumstance, consternation over the location. We chose to build in the projects for a few reasons: 1) revitalization - The best way to improve conditions in a place is to improve the appearance of the place, 2) convenience - Most of the Ultor powerbase is here already wrapped up in the Soul's Army, 3) necessity - The projects are littered with underground chambers that we can adapt to our advantage.
Also, I am, as we've all seen, a huge fan of irony.
Here, my love affair with the city of Chicago began. I wandered into the projects and saw far more than I ever expected to see. For all its twists and turns, my path has been remarkable straightforward in hindsight. I start actually hunting in the projects, and I (mostly) retire from hunting in the projects. The story comes full circle.
I haven't slept decently in a month.
I am pulled in two different directions by Viviana and Guillermo. My sire believes it is best to, now that my humanity has been shaken, shrug off the rest of it and save myself the pain, anguish, and wasted time such feelings bring. Guillermo, on the other hand, pressures me to maintain my humanity for as long as possible, relishing in the pain because once it is gone, it is gone forever and there is no way to get it back.
No way for most people, but I will return to that later.
And so, I walk a fine line. The beast needs his due and the man needs his care. The beast is unleashed and focused upon business dealings. In that way, I can be ruthless and cutthroat without permanently damaging someone. The man takes care of my team, my people, and my friends. I still find myself with more of the man in control - and maybe that's not such a bad thing after all.
I've set up a marker for Max, since I left his body behind. It's behind the mansion, just a little rock that most would miss. Sometimes I go out and spend hours just talking to it, alternately remorseful and raging. Not particularly helpful, I'm certain, but we all have our anchors to keep us sane, this is mine.
I've checked in, briefly, with the team. Nadya is swept up in preparations for graduation and work with her new club. I'll probably throw her a party, invite her friends. Now that Ultor is in the process of being built, Mark is preparing to quit the force. He'll join with us as head of security full time. Guillermo is...Guillermo. Flitting about, doing this and that. He says he'll be ready to work when I need him, and I'll trust him on that. Greyson's enigmatic as ever, Chronos is...Chronos...and Rose seems to be looking forward to taking on a position of responsibility in Ultor.
Cyril is not getting any better, and I am having no luck in finding a mage that I can kill without repercussions. I have my backup plan, but I am loathe to consign another to a fate akin to mine.
Agnes is... *lots of scratching*
I met a lovely young woman at Desire the other night, on one of my many attempts to get out and see people. She's an actress between jobs and has a college degree in business to boot. I am supposed to meet her tonight again, for drinks and idle chit-chat.
There's a man in town who's been looking for me. A Texan, who says he might have skills that we need in Ultor. I have his number, and his name. Henry Massena. I plan to contact him soon.
Time for my date.
I am resolved to maintain a friendship, but to give up any intentions of taking said friendship further.
For now.
Today was the groundbreaking ceremony for Ultor Corporation. Through sheer force of will (and full body covering clothing) I was able to attend, to speak...to endure the violent, harmful sunlight and act...human, for a little while.
I can almost remember the feel of sunlight without it burning.
It was a good ceremony, pomp, circumstance, consternation over the location. We chose to build in the projects for a few reasons: 1) revitalization - The best way to improve conditions in a place is to improve the appearance of the place, 2) convenience - Most of the Ultor powerbase is here already wrapped up in the Soul's Army, 3) necessity - The projects are littered with underground chambers that we can adapt to our advantage.
Also, I am, as we've all seen, a huge fan of irony.
Here, my love affair with the city of Chicago began. I wandered into the projects and saw far more than I ever expected to see. For all its twists and turns, my path has been remarkable straightforward in hindsight. I start actually hunting in the projects, and I (mostly) retire from hunting in the projects. The story comes full circle.
I haven't slept decently in a month.
I am pulled in two different directions by Viviana and Guillermo. My sire believes it is best to, now that my humanity has been shaken, shrug off the rest of it and save myself the pain, anguish, and wasted time such feelings bring. Guillermo, on the other hand, pressures me to maintain my humanity for as long as possible, relishing in the pain because once it is gone, it is gone forever and there is no way to get it back.
No way for most people, but I will return to that later.
And so, I walk a fine line. The beast needs his due and the man needs his care. The beast is unleashed and focused upon business dealings. In that way, I can be ruthless and cutthroat without permanently damaging someone. The man takes care of my team, my people, and my friends. I still find myself with more of the man in control - and maybe that's not such a bad thing after all.
I've set up a marker for Max, since I left his body behind. It's behind the mansion, just a little rock that most would miss. Sometimes I go out and spend hours just talking to it, alternately remorseful and raging. Not particularly helpful, I'm certain, but we all have our anchors to keep us sane, this is mine.
I've checked in, briefly, with the team. Nadya is swept up in preparations for graduation and work with her new club. I'll probably throw her a party, invite her friends. Now that Ultor is in the process of being built, Mark is preparing to quit the force. He'll join with us as head of security full time. Guillermo is...Guillermo. Flitting about, doing this and that. He says he'll be ready to work when I need him, and I'll trust him on that. Greyson's enigmatic as ever, Chronos is...Chronos...and Rose seems to be looking forward to taking on a position of responsibility in Ultor.
Cyril is not getting any better, and I am having no luck in finding a mage that I can kill without repercussions. I have my backup plan, but I am loathe to consign another to a fate akin to mine.
Agnes is... *lots of scratching*
I met a lovely young woman at Desire the other night, on one of my many attempts to get out and see people. She's an actress between jobs and has a college degree in business to boot. I am supposed to meet her tonight again, for drinks and idle chit-chat.
There's a man in town who's been looking for me. A Texan, who says he might have skills that we need in Ultor. I have his number, and his name. Henry Massena. I plan to contact him soon.
Time for my date.
Saturday, February 15, 2014
March 16th (Early morning)
I'm not even certain how to begin this...
It should have been me.
I suppose I should be celebrating. We did it, we removed the machine's presence from Chicago (at least as far as I know). We did everything we set out to do from the first time they found that gear in the basement of Greenbriar. And I suppose, pragmatically, we suffered minimal losses.
I've never been much for pragmatism.
Out of the twelve Soul's Army members we brought, we lost three. Two of them, Jamarcus and Real Badman, came from my team. That should have been warning enough. The other was Little Mike, one of the ones with Greyson.
And then we lost Max.
I keep replaying those last few seconds in my head. What if I'd had Lightning? What if I'd gone to that group instead of helping Chloe? What if I'd fled in the same direction as Max and thusly prevented him from taking on that angel alone?
And mostly, why wasn't it me? I'm the so-called Angelslayer. I'm the one with the revolver on his desk that has seven notches cut into its grip, one for each angel. I'm the one who should have been their target, not him.
And yet, for all of my "I should have"s he's the one that's dead. So I guess it doesn't matter much.
The only consolation I have is the removal of all angels from play, nine of them by my team. A victory, indeed. But even that final confrontation with Birkin...
Birkin: So you've all made it this far.
Greyson: Not all of us.
Birkin: Oh, that's right.
And then that smug laugh. That "I'm more powerful than you so I get to ridicule you" laugh. That bastard's laugh is what finally sent me over the edge. Almost on instinct, Thunder snapped up and let loose a shot worthy of her name. That blue streak hit the son of a bitch right between the eyes and blew him apart. I didn't even care that the gears flew everywhere. Even that kill couldn't faze me.
How is it that so many mortals lived, and he died? How is it that a man whose only ties to the supernatural are that he hunts them is able to die and come back while Max gets blown apart by a damned angel?
Then end of the night left my group the worst of all of the teams involved. A 75% casualty rate, three of four people dead and gone...
Now that our business with the Machine in Chicago is completed, I suppose I have to look to the future. But I will do that tomorrow night.
Tonight is for me.
It should have been me.
I suppose I should be celebrating. We did it, we removed the machine's presence from Chicago (at least as far as I know). We did everything we set out to do from the first time they found that gear in the basement of Greenbriar. And I suppose, pragmatically, we suffered minimal losses.
I've never been much for pragmatism.
Out of the twelve Soul's Army members we brought, we lost three. Two of them, Jamarcus and Real Badman, came from my team. That should have been warning enough. The other was Little Mike, one of the ones with Greyson.
And then we lost Max.
I keep replaying those last few seconds in my head. What if I'd had Lightning? What if I'd gone to that group instead of helping Chloe? What if I'd fled in the same direction as Max and thusly prevented him from taking on that angel alone?
And mostly, why wasn't it me? I'm the so-called Angelslayer. I'm the one with the revolver on his desk that has seven notches cut into its grip, one for each angel. I'm the one who should have been their target, not him.
And yet, for all of my "I should have"s he's the one that's dead. So I guess it doesn't matter much.
The only consolation I have is the removal of all angels from play, nine of them by my team. A victory, indeed. But even that final confrontation with Birkin...
Birkin: So you've all made it this far.
Greyson: Not all of us.
Birkin: Oh, that's right.
And then that smug laugh. That "I'm more powerful than you so I get to ridicule you" laugh. That bastard's laugh is what finally sent me over the edge. Almost on instinct, Thunder snapped up and let loose a shot worthy of her name. That blue streak hit the son of a bitch right between the eyes and blew him apart. I didn't even care that the gears flew everywhere. Even that kill couldn't faze me.
How is it that so many mortals lived, and he died? How is it that a man whose only ties to the supernatural are that he hunts them is able to die and come back while Max gets blown apart by a damned angel?
Then end of the night left my group the worst of all of the teams involved. A 75% casualty rate, three of four people dead and gone...
Now that our business with the Machine in Chicago is completed, I suppose I have to look to the future. But I will do that tomorrow night.
Tonight is for me.
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
March 13th (Late Evening)
It is almost time.
Two nights ago, we investigated a part of Chicago wherein a number of people had gone missing, spaced out over many years. And it all seemed to be centered around a hospital.
After some failed attempts to get some helpful information from the local police precinct, and finding out that there was zero crime in this part of the city...we set out to make some. We found our way to a bar, where Max and Guillermo got "drunk" and started to fight. Eventually, the cops arrived and tried to arrest them, but a man in a suit walked in and sent the officers away. He asked us why we were there and did not seem to take Guillermo's attempt at a story at all seriously.
Eventually he gave us a choice: walk away and let things be as they are, or get fed to the machine. As we made no move to leave, he exited. Not long after a van arrived with three or four machine gunners. We dispatched three while Max held the third, alive, and quite unwilling to answer our questions. After a brief bit of persuasion, he quite easily told us where we needed to go. It must have been my cutting wit and persuasive speech.
Or the fact that I showed my fangs and threatened to suck his blood.
(Side note: No one on the team seems to be all that comfortable with my eating habits anymore.)
I suppose we'll never really know, because after he told us, he displayed an audacious bout of rudeness to one of the women on the team. I applied an instant corrective measure by shooting him in the thigh, then using my blood to lock him solidly in their van. Then I smiled to the rest of the team, said "Let's go" ... and we went directly to the hospital.
Once there, Mark, Rose, and Chronos stayed up top while the rest of us headed down to the boiler room. Once down there, we dispatched a few more of those cult-like fellows as another angel arrived. He opened up by blasting Oliver against a wall, knocking him out. I was on the other side of a giant machine and missed a fair bit of that fight (I was methodically removing the small threats) but when I came around, the angel was, it seemed, holding Max aloft and crushing him.
I opened fire with both Thunder and Lightning, nailing the angel and sending it back. I would like to think I broke its concentration, because Max then fell to the floor (it also might have been Max fighting back against it, if I am to be fair). Eventually, we were able to bring the thing down and get out of there. Chronos took us all through the spirit world (which freaked Mark out) and we all managed to split off.
Last night, we officially created Ultor Corporation. Hoo-rah.
I also discovered that Chronos, Rose, and Greyson had conducted their two week experiment in the duration of a day. Leaving out a lot of the details (that prove points I've made in the past) they determined that grounding out the angels' insides would cause them to explode. While an excellent point, it appears to be a highly dangerous, and therefore impractical tactic.
Mark contacted me also and told me that he was able to scrounge together a small arsenal as well as blueprints for the building. We discussed them a bit, examined the arsenal, then parted.
Earlier tonight, Mark put together a training session for those who so desired. All attended, so that those unfamiliar with the provided weaponry could get a chance to learn. After a bit, we discussed our options and what is possible for the coming assault. Chronos went over his team's research. We have also tapped Nadya's friend Vashard, the man who makes portals, to get us out after all's said and done. Cyril will be bringing a decent sized group of the Soul's Army. Nadya is talking to Chloe to see if she will help.
Trying not to be overly dour at this meeting, but following along with something Oliver had said, I told them that if they have any outstanding, unfinished business, they would probably want to handle it. To put their affairs in order, if you will. With that in mind, we parted.
As people were leaving, I received a text message. Someone had a gift for me and wanted to meet me at my home.
Never a dull moment..
Two nights ago, we investigated a part of Chicago wherein a number of people had gone missing, spaced out over many years. And it all seemed to be centered around a hospital.
After some failed attempts to get some helpful information from the local police precinct, and finding out that there was zero crime in this part of the city...we set out to make some. We found our way to a bar, where Max and Guillermo got "drunk" and started to fight. Eventually, the cops arrived and tried to arrest them, but a man in a suit walked in and sent the officers away. He asked us why we were there and did not seem to take Guillermo's attempt at a story at all seriously.
Eventually he gave us a choice: walk away and let things be as they are, or get fed to the machine. As we made no move to leave, he exited. Not long after a van arrived with three or four machine gunners. We dispatched three while Max held the third, alive, and quite unwilling to answer our questions. After a brief bit of persuasion, he quite easily told us where we needed to go. It must have been my cutting wit and persuasive speech.
Or the fact that I showed my fangs and threatened to suck his blood.
(Side note: No one on the team seems to be all that comfortable with my eating habits anymore.)
I suppose we'll never really know, because after he told us, he displayed an audacious bout of rudeness to one of the women on the team. I applied an instant corrective measure by shooting him in the thigh, then using my blood to lock him solidly in their van. Then I smiled to the rest of the team, said "Let's go" ... and we went directly to the hospital.
Once there, Mark, Rose, and Chronos stayed up top while the rest of us headed down to the boiler room. Once down there, we dispatched a few more of those cult-like fellows as another angel arrived. He opened up by blasting Oliver against a wall, knocking him out. I was on the other side of a giant machine and missed a fair bit of that fight (I was methodically removing the small threats) but when I came around, the angel was, it seemed, holding Max aloft and crushing him.
I opened fire with both Thunder and Lightning, nailing the angel and sending it back. I would like to think I broke its concentration, because Max then fell to the floor (it also might have been Max fighting back against it, if I am to be fair). Eventually, we were able to bring the thing down and get out of there. Chronos took us all through the spirit world (which freaked Mark out) and we all managed to split off.
Last night, we officially created Ultor Corporation. Hoo-rah.
I also discovered that Chronos, Rose, and Greyson had conducted their two week experiment in the duration of a day. Leaving out a lot of the details (that prove points I've made in the past) they determined that grounding out the angels' insides would cause them to explode. While an excellent point, it appears to be a highly dangerous, and therefore impractical tactic.
Mark contacted me also and told me that he was able to scrounge together a small arsenal as well as blueprints for the building. We discussed them a bit, examined the arsenal, then parted.
Earlier tonight, Mark put together a training session for those who so desired. All attended, so that those unfamiliar with the provided weaponry could get a chance to learn. After a bit, we discussed our options and what is possible for the coming assault. Chronos went over his team's research. We have also tapped Nadya's friend Vashard, the man who makes portals, to get us out after all's said and done. Cyril will be bringing a decent sized group of the Soul's Army. Nadya is talking to Chloe to see if she will help.
Trying not to be overly dour at this meeting, but following along with something Oliver had said, I told them that if they have any outstanding, unfinished business, they would probably want to handle it. To put their affairs in order, if you will. With that in mind, we parted.
As people were leaving, I received a text message. Someone had a gift for me and wanted to meet me at my home.
Never a dull moment..
Friday, January 24, 2014
March 9th (Late, late evening)
With the Titans, our campaign against Birkin, and Ultor, the past two days have been filled with little but meetings.
Two nights ago, I met with Marcus to discuss both the Titans (which he knew alarmingly little about, yet still more than I did) and the Dukes of Hell, Malachite and Alizarin. He said that he would likely remain out of the fight unless there was an opening in which he could remove all three. Acceptable enough, I suppose. He also mentioned they thrive on chaos, and would be as much, if not more, a hindrance to us when it comes time to deal with the Titans, as they would be to Birkin when they join the fray.
After leaving and subsequently feeding, I arranged a meeting with Vincent Delacroix. He mentioned that he was alone, and that Celeste was "out for dinner" (which should have likely been the first warning bell rung in my head). However, he seemed very intrigued by the concept for Ultor, even going so far as to write out a check to help with start up costs. When asked why I specifically came to him, I mentioned needing a lawyer, remembering a remark made when I first met him and Celeste, that both of them were practicing lawyers. He said it was likely he would be too busy to devote time to the venture, but it was entirely likely Celeste would be willing.
Thanking him, I went back to the mansion to prepare for the next night's meetings.
First saw me meeting with Cyril, in regards to an update on the status of things in the projects (things were relatively quiet) and to bring him up to speed. We talked about the ritual and Tartarus, discussed about leaving Cyril to keep an eye on Ultor when the team goes to Germany, the status and locations of MS13, and the absorption of some of the Soul's Army into a para-military arm of Ultor (less hunter style group, more armed backup). We also discussed Ultor itself, getting things ready for its creation, and what the projects would realistically be like once the Soul's Army claims control.
Wrapping that up, I made my way back to my mansion for a meeting with Celeste, Vincent's childe. She and her bodyguard arrived and I began explaining to her my vision of Ultor. She expressed some initial concerns (number of people needing awakened, issues with prideful bloodlines, and possible competition with other hunter organizations) which I tried (and believe that I succeeded) to address. She expressed a concern that I selected her simply because Vincent recommended her. While it is true that he recommended her, I also recalled her ample assistance in preparing me for my first Elysium appearance. She also presented her resume, which alone would have been enough to win her the position of Chief Legal Officer. We made small talk for a bit longer, discussing the steps we would need to take, before she left for the evening, giving me the remaining few hours to prepare for my most daunting meeting yet - the team.
I sent messages to the team, requesting their attendance to discuss Ultor. I included Cyril and Agnes, as they had been present when the original idea had been presented, as well as Celeste, whom the team would need to meet eventually and it might as well be now. As they trickled in, Celeste brought an investor, whom I immediately recognized as a fellow Ventrue and much, much more powerful than I am.
Hearing nothing from Greyson and receiving an apology from Mark, but with the rest assembled, I decided to start the meeting. I began with the appropriate introductions, allowing Celeste to introduce herself. Then we heard Nadya's concerns on multiple things, such as the absence of a Board of Directors (which I explained as not having enough to warrant it at the start), the fact that I seemed to have all the power in decision making (which I rebuffed by explaining that the C-level management department would work as a team), and the fact that I had pre-emptively hired a vampire for a lawyer, citing theoretical future problems with the Camarilla (which Oliver minimized, noting that if we enter into an issue with the Camarilla, we have bigger problems than our lawyer being an active part). Ultimately, she apparently felt as though she had lost some control (when in reality, little to no control was lost) and got that betrayed look in her eye.
Nothing worth doing is ever easy.
We ironed out positions for everyone except Greyson and Mark, who would be contributing what in terms of start up costs, and our next steps. Afterward, it seemed most were in a hurry to leave (Rose leaving might have had something to do with Max's aggressive instruction on how act with a modicum of respect). Celeste and her guest remained behind.
He introduced himself as Cillian Stillwater, Kindred whose sire's name has been lost to time. We exchanged pleasantries, and he explained a bit of news that I had heard regarding Celeste, and some amount of excitement involving several of the Primogen. After that, though, we moved on to business. He claimed to be very interested in Ultor, especially in our envisioned attempts to explore genetic memory (and the possibility of discovering progenitors and things of that nature). He claims to be part of a rare bloodline with roots in Wallachia and of which their are only two in Chicago (of which he is aware) - Celeste and Vincent. He claimed that he would be willing to invest quite a bit into Ultor provided that, in return, should any more Dragolescu (his bloodline) be discovered, he would be informed. After a brief consultation with Celeste, in which it was decided that, should he agree to the information he sought being considered his return-for-investment rather than capital, it would be completely aboveboard and would violate none of the NDAs Ultor would thrive upon.
After a few more pleasantries exchanged, they left, which left me to consider a few things:
- Agnes. She seems far...hostile than she was last time I saw her. Granted, the last time I saw her she was in the midst of a very personal crisis, and we were one on one. It's entirely possible that she was, once again, putting on a facade, that she has simply grown into her role, like I have...or that this was Agnes all along and everything presented that last time was as much a show as many things I've experienced recently.
- Rose. As I expected, her talents will lie more in the non-combative side of things. She handed me a resume showing that she was a capable project manager, something that will be sorely useful in the days ahead. However, she's still almost void of tact, or any sort of...common sense. It's almost like a child who touches a stove, gets burned, shrugs, and touches it again.
- Nadya. This is going to get rather interesting rather quickly. I can only imagine what she will do when she finds out that our first three outside investors are vampires. There's probably a way I can head that off, and I have a couple of days to think about it.
Overall, this stage of Ultor's conception is both easier and more difficult than I initially considered. I have a meeting with the other C-level officers soon, and as a team we still have to consider how to deal with the God Machine in Chicago...and the Germany trip.
Two nights ago, I met with Marcus to discuss both the Titans (which he knew alarmingly little about, yet still more than I did) and the Dukes of Hell, Malachite and Alizarin. He said that he would likely remain out of the fight unless there was an opening in which he could remove all three. Acceptable enough, I suppose. He also mentioned they thrive on chaos, and would be as much, if not more, a hindrance to us when it comes time to deal with the Titans, as they would be to Birkin when they join the fray.
After leaving and subsequently feeding, I arranged a meeting with Vincent Delacroix. He mentioned that he was alone, and that Celeste was "out for dinner" (which should have likely been the first warning bell rung in my head). However, he seemed very intrigued by the concept for Ultor, even going so far as to write out a check to help with start up costs. When asked why I specifically came to him, I mentioned needing a lawyer, remembering a remark made when I first met him and Celeste, that both of them were practicing lawyers. He said it was likely he would be too busy to devote time to the venture, but it was entirely likely Celeste would be willing.
Thanking him, I went back to the mansion to prepare for the next night's meetings.
First saw me meeting with Cyril, in regards to an update on the status of things in the projects (things were relatively quiet) and to bring him up to speed. We talked about the ritual and Tartarus, discussed about leaving Cyril to keep an eye on Ultor when the team goes to Germany, the status and locations of MS13, and the absorption of some of the Soul's Army into a para-military arm of Ultor (less hunter style group, more armed backup). We also discussed Ultor itself, getting things ready for its creation, and what the projects would realistically be like once the Soul's Army claims control.
Wrapping that up, I made my way back to my mansion for a meeting with Celeste, Vincent's childe. She and her bodyguard arrived and I began explaining to her my vision of Ultor. She expressed some initial concerns (number of people needing awakened, issues with prideful bloodlines, and possible competition with other hunter organizations) which I tried (and believe that I succeeded) to address. She expressed a concern that I selected her simply because Vincent recommended her. While it is true that he recommended her, I also recalled her ample assistance in preparing me for my first Elysium appearance. She also presented her resume, which alone would have been enough to win her the position of Chief Legal Officer. We made small talk for a bit longer, discussing the steps we would need to take, before she left for the evening, giving me the remaining few hours to prepare for my most daunting meeting yet - the team.
I sent messages to the team, requesting their attendance to discuss Ultor. I included Cyril and Agnes, as they had been present when the original idea had been presented, as well as Celeste, whom the team would need to meet eventually and it might as well be now. As they trickled in, Celeste brought an investor, whom I immediately recognized as a fellow Ventrue and much, much more powerful than I am.
Hearing nothing from Greyson and receiving an apology from Mark, but with the rest assembled, I decided to start the meeting. I began with the appropriate introductions, allowing Celeste to introduce herself. Then we heard Nadya's concerns on multiple things, such as the absence of a Board of Directors (which I explained as not having enough to warrant it at the start), the fact that I seemed to have all the power in decision making (which I rebuffed by explaining that the C-level management department would work as a team), and the fact that I had pre-emptively hired a vampire for a lawyer, citing theoretical future problems with the Camarilla (which Oliver minimized, noting that if we enter into an issue with the Camarilla, we have bigger problems than our lawyer being an active part). Ultimately, she apparently felt as though she had lost some control (when in reality, little to no control was lost) and got that betrayed look in her eye.
Nothing worth doing is ever easy.
We ironed out positions for everyone except Greyson and Mark, who would be contributing what in terms of start up costs, and our next steps. Afterward, it seemed most were in a hurry to leave (Rose leaving might have had something to do with Max's aggressive instruction on how act with a modicum of respect). Celeste and her guest remained behind.
He introduced himself as Cillian Stillwater, Kindred whose sire's name has been lost to time. We exchanged pleasantries, and he explained a bit of news that I had heard regarding Celeste, and some amount of excitement involving several of the Primogen. After that, though, we moved on to business. He claimed to be very interested in Ultor, especially in our envisioned attempts to explore genetic memory (and the possibility of discovering progenitors and things of that nature). He claims to be part of a rare bloodline with roots in Wallachia and of which their are only two in Chicago (of which he is aware) - Celeste and Vincent. He claimed that he would be willing to invest quite a bit into Ultor provided that, in return, should any more Dragolescu (his bloodline) be discovered, he would be informed. After a brief consultation with Celeste, in which it was decided that, should he agree to the information he sought being considered his return-for-investment rather than capital, it would be completely aboveboard and would violate none of the NDAs Ultor would thrive upon.
After a few more pleasantries exchanged, they left, which left me to consider a few things:
- Agnes. She seems far...hostile than she was last time I saw her. Granted, the last time I saw her she was in the midst of a very personal crisis, and we were one on one. It's entirely possible that she was, once again, putting on a facade, that she has simply grown into her role, like I have...or that this was Agnes all along and everything presented that last time was as much a show as many things I've experienced recently.
- Rose. As I expected, her talents will lie more in the non-combative side of things. She handed me a resume showing that she was a capable project manager, something that will be sorely useful in the days ahead. However, she's still almost void of tact, or any sort of...common sense. It's almost like a child who touches a stove, gets burned, shrugs, and touches it again.
- Nadya. This is going to get rather interesting rather quickly. I can only imagine what she will do when she finds out that our first three outside investors are vampires. There's probably a way I can head that off, and I have a couple of days to think about it.
Overall, this stage of Ultor's conception is both easier and more difficult than I initially considered. I have a meeting with the other C-level officers soon, and as a team we still have to consider how to deal with the God Machine in Chicago...and the Germany trip.
(Events of) March 6th/7th
It has been quite the whirlwind of an evening.
After a brief meeting discussing Ultor, Germany, and Sangiovanni, and despite my better judgment, we once again followed a lead from Network Zero. This time, involving a series of ritualistic murders across Chicago. Also involving the word "Titan."
Arriving at one of the most recent crime scenes, we encountered not only relatively (to me) useless, coagulated blood, but also a chubby man named Todd Zenecki. He claimed to have been there for the beginning of the ritual, doing research for a game. When a woman entered the room, took off her clothes, and ascended the altar, he claimed to have left. The only reason he had returned was that he also claimed to have left his phone.
Finding his phone, and assuming he had no further use,he was permitted to leave, only to return fairly beaten and being dragged in by Oliver. After further interrogation, he revealed that he knew where they were headed - an abandoned courthouse. After sending Guillermo to corral everyone else back to the cars, I spoke briefly with Zenecki, lightly modifying his memory to make him believe he'd been robbed, but rescued by a stranger and given enough money to get safely home. I also received a text message from Marcus: "Something is up. The Ley Lines are acting up. If you are not working, you should be." A brief conversation later, and we were on our way to the courthouse.
Upon arriving (and dealing with the fact that there was a police cruiser out front), we made our way inside. Even Rose, whom I had told to wait outside. Once we were inside, I could hear chanting on the other side of a large, heavy door. Greyson opened half of the door just in time for us to see a man at the altar stab down at a woman bound there. Cue the explosive backlash - and an unexpected yell of, "Chicago PD! Drop your weapon!"
Excellent.
A hectic, touch-and-go fight later, and most of the cultists were dead, save two. Greyson had been repeated and violently stabbed, Guillermo had successfully used a door as a weapon, Nadya made a few people bleed violently, Chronos had run off to do God knows what, and Rose had hidden under a desk.
There was an understandable amount of consternation when Oliver approached the cop, but Guillermo and I were able to take him aside and explain things to him, giving him a slight awakening, with more to come later. While we did that, the others were apparently trying to get a handle on what we had stumbled into. It seems as though it was a ritual to "crack Tartarus" and "release the Titans."
Challenge piled on top of challenge, is that it?
We returned to the house to discuss our options and the meaning of what we found out. Over the course of the discussion, Mark, the cop, arrived, having been released from the investigation. We also found out that Task Force: VALKYRIE was sent to Greece, that Marcus was aware of the situation, and that we knew very little of what to expect of the coming days.
After a few different approaches at awakening Mark (with varying degrees of success), we were visited by two (what I later found out to be) Dukes of Hell - Malachite and Alizarin. They had brought with them a proposition - and a gift.
The proposition was that we would draw out Birkin for a real fight, rather than a cat-and-mouse game. Doing so would involve destroying God Machine infrastructure and making the Machine's presence in Chicago both untenable and unpalatable. In return, they would swoop in and eliminate Birkin. After getting them to agree to give us some locations of infrastructure, I inquired about their gift, a woman in a form-fitting red dress, that they had laid on my dining room table.
They demonstrated, by ripping one of her wings out of her back, that the gift was an incapacitated angel. After working out an agreement to the deal, they offered to dispose of her for us. Chronos wanted to keep the angel to study, but I wanted nothing to do with it, and asked them to take it with them and destroy it. Instead, the female, Alizarin, stabbed the angel through the back, destroying it (and damaging my table in the process - I wonder what would happen if I sent her a repair bill). Smiling smugly, safe in the knowledge that any attempt I, or we, made to kill them they could easily rebuff (as it appears happens with most whom we encounter), the pair left, in Nazi-esque lockstep and precision.
After the others had left, Mark and I sat down and had a very long talk about the events of tonight, what he's seen, what he's able to do about it, and so on. I then offered him a place to stay for the night and he accepted, making his way there. I, on the other hand, struck by an epiphany, went to my office in the remaining hours of daylight to redesign Ultor Corporation.
After a brief meeting discussing Ultor, Germany, and Sangiovanni, and despite my better judgment, we once again followed a lead from Network Zero. This time, involving a series of ritualistic murders across Chicago. Also involving the word "Titan."
Arriving at one of the most recent crime scenes, we encountered not only relatively (to me) useless, coagulated blood, but also a chubby man named Todd Zenecki. He claimed to have been there for the beginning of the ritual, doing research for a game. When a woman entered the room, took off her clothes, and ascended the altar, he claimed to have left. The only reason he had returned was that he also claimed to have left his phone.
Finding his phone, and assuming he had no further use,he was permitted to leave, only to return fairly beaten and being dragged in by Oliver. After further interrogation, he revealed that he knew where they were headed - an abandoned courthouse. After sending Guillermo to corral everyone else back to the cars, I spoke briefly with Zenecki, lightly modifying his memory to make him believe he'd been robbed, but rescued by a stranger and given enough money to get safely home. I also received a text message from Marcus: "Something is up. The Ley Lines are acting up. If you are not working, you should be." A brief conversation later, and we were on our way to the courthouse.
Upon arriving (and dealing with the fact that there was a police cruiser out front), we made our way inside. Even Rose, whom I had told to wait outside. Once we were inside, I could hear chanting on the other side of a large, heavy door. Greyson opened half of the door just in time for us to see a man at the altar stab down at a woman bound there. Cue the explosive backlash - and an unexpected yell of, "Chicago PD! Drop your weapon!"
Excellent.
A hectic, touch-and-go fight later, and most of the cultists were dead, save two. Greyson had been repeated and violently stabbed, Guillermo had successfully used a door as a weapon, Nadya made a few people bleed violently, Chronos had run off to do God knows what, and Rose had hidden under a desk.
There was an understandable amount of consternation when Oliver approached the cop, but Guillermo and I were able to take him aside and explain things to him, giving him a slight awakening, with more to come later. While we did that, the others were apparently trying to get a handle on what we had stumbled into. It seems as though it was a ritual to "crack Tartarus" and "release the Titans."
Challenge piled on top of challenge, is that it?
We returned to the house to discuss our options and the meaning of what we found out. Over the course of the discussion, Mark, the cop, arrived, having been released from the investigation. We also found out that Task Force: VALKYRIE was sent to Greece, that Marcus was aware of the situation, and that we knew very little of what to expect of the coming days.
After a few different approaches at awakening Mark (with varying degrees of success), we were visited by two (what I later found out to be) Dukes of Hell - Malachite and Alizarin. They had brought with them a proposition - and a gift.
The proposition was that we would draw out Birkin for a real fight, rather than a cat-and-mouse game. Doing so would involve destroying God Machine infrastructure and making the Machine's presence in Chicago both untenable and unpalatable. In return, they would swoop in and eliminate Birkin. After getting them to agree to give us some locations of infrastructure, I inquired about their gift, a woman in a form-fitting red dress, that they had laid on my dining room table.
They demonstrated, by ripping one of her wings out of her back, that the gift was an incapacitated angel. After working out an agreement to the deal, they offered to dispose of her for us. Chronos wanted to keep the angel to study, but I wanted nothing to do with it, and asked them to take it with them and destroy it. Instead, the female, Alizarin, stabbed the angel through the back, destroying it (and damaging my table in the process - I wonder what would happen if I sent her a repair bill). Smiling smugly, safe in the knowledge that any attempt I, or we, made to kill them they could easily rebuff (as it appears happens with most whom we encounter), the pair left, in Nazi-esque lockstep and precision.
After the others had left, Mark and I sat down and had a very long talk about the events of tonight, what he's seen, what he's able to do about it, and so on. I then offered him a place to stay for the night and he accepted, making his way there. I, on the other hand, struck by an epiphany, went to my office in the remaining hours of daylight to redesign Ultor Corporation.
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