Fly, Vampiria! (A Vampire’s Riot Quest) [MOTW]

The Vampire thinks about both Mount Grandview and the universities as locations. Both of them are far enough from these knights that it should be able to hunt without too much difficulty. So, the real question was whether it wanted to be closer or further away from the core of the city...

In the end, it chooses to be closer and so goes for the universities.

Helyblan glances around, having been cruising through the city. "Alright, then I'll need to turn here..."

She easily weaves her away through the busy city streets. Even when people don't make room for her, she finds a space anyway. After a few minutes, a tall building comes into view, and The Vampire immediately decides that this place must be where it perches. It asks Helyblan what the imposing spiral-shaped and spire-covered structure is.

She chuckles. "Oh that? That's the Temple of Universal Knowledge. It's the main building of the University of Edge City. You want that as your base, kid?"

The Vampire eagerly demands that this be the case.

"Well, I think we can work something out. We Knights have helped the University out before. Now, let's just get up close..."

Luckily for The Vampire, it's able to enter on the ground floor without any issues. Looks like only specific rooms are private places... that works for it. Helyblan leads it down stony hallways towards a locked wooden door. She knocks and a voice bids her to enter. She opens the door, and The Vampire sees an older man in a suit. He looks at the duo with apprehension, wondering if there is some issue.

But no, it's just a simple matter of allowing The Vampire to stay in the tallest heights of the building. Helyblan appeals to all the help the Knights of White Omega have given the university in dealing with the shadowy beasts, and implies that The Vampire is meant to help keep them at bay. The fact that The Vampire never actually agreed to that is not brought up by either it or Helyblan. So, naturally, the man agrees and provides The Vampire with a space at the very top of the 40-floor tower.

He then bids them good day, and Helyblan shows The Vampire around the building before heading out as night starts to fall.

And as the night descends, The Vampire can feel its bats ascend and take flight!


(Remember, the Vampire does one Action and the Cauldron does as many Actions as there are Bats. There are currently 14 Bats. Vote for one thing for the Vampire to do and one thing for a Bat to do.)
[][Vampire] ???
[][Cauldron] ???


Bats: 14
QM Note: Gonna leave this open for a good while. The Vampire takes 1 Harm from Insomniac, bringing it to 2 total.

Some time ago...

At the northernmost tip of Edge City, three rivers meet – the Mon, the Alge, and the Owa. Not far from this conjunction, there lies a tall tower, paneled with thick glass, and shining with bright lights.

This tower is the Tower of the Knights of White Omega, though not everyone inside knows that.

Deep inside, the remaining six knights, armor-clad are waiting inside a hidden meeting room. They were as follows: Helyblan, the White; Roy Rowan, the Red; Blueberry, the Blue; Hector Aurel, the Gold; and the Dargent sisters, the Silver. They've been summoned here by their boss, due to the sudden death of one of their own – Blake, the Black. He was found with his throat torn out and his blood drained from his body. Nearby cameras didn't pick up anything attacking him – one moment he was alive, the next he was dead.

This could only have been the work of a loathsome Vampire!

...though none of them were sure how, as they thought they'd either killed or forced out every one of those blood-suckers from Edge City... perhaps they'd missed one, or one had come back...? Could more than one Vampire have done this, even though they hate working together...? Had they maybe figured out how to control one of the Shadow Beasts...?

They'd been discussing the matter when their boss walked in. He was a tall, pale-skinned, and red-eyed man in a fine suit, named Byron Luxworx. By his side was The Doctor, a similarly pale man who was always smoking a cigarette. Bryon was a thick slab of muscle, while The Doctor was wire thin. Byron shut the door and locked it behind him, taking a seat at the front of along table. He glared at the group of six knights as he spoke his first words with bitter venom.

"Would any of you fools like to explain how this happened?"

The knights looked at each other (except for the usually apathetic Blueberry), none particularly wanting to speak up. But since Helyblan was technically Blake's partner, she was put in the spotlight.

"Well, he went off on his own. You know how he is."

Byron scoffed. "A man who attacks first and asks questions later, like the rest of you?"

Helyblan laughed, but with Byron's glare, she cut herself short. She coughed. "That's right."

Roy concern in his eyes, spoke up next, addressing The Doctor. "Is there anything we can do for him?"

The Doctor breathed out a plume of smoke. "You? No. Me? Perhaps... but it'll take time."

"In the meantime," interrupted Byron, "you are to work in pairs from now on. Roy and Blueberry will remain a pair. Helyblan, you go with one of the Dargents... Aisha, you. So that leaves Tyra with Hector."

The two sisters at once complained about being separated, and Hector joined them, proclaiming that he needed no aid, but Byron shut them down them. "Enough! I am your boss, and you will do as I command. Now go!"

After they did so, The Doctor spoke up again. "This will make a good test case."

Byron blinked. "Huh? Test case for what?"

"For her. In case something happens and we need a second resurrection."

He glared at The Doctor. "But nothing will. That's what we're paying you for." He got up. "Now, bring me to him. He needs my blood now, doesn't he?"

"That's right. The Vampire Blood and the Holy Magic combined will bring him back... in time. Follow me."

And the two departed, descending to another secret place inside Luxworx Tower... the place where Blake was buried. The place where he would rise again!

QM Note: Vote will close in roughly 24 hours or so.

As the Vampire descends into restful sleep, its Bats ascend and take flight through the night!

The vast majority of the Bats – nine total – head East from Mount Nis, towards the abandoned mansion and tunnels, sites of great curiosity. The Bats are eager to explore the ruins! Additionally, two Bats go near the Forest, searching for prey to strike!

Meanwhile, two other bats head towards Edge City. They have received a mission from The Vampire. Steal clothes for it! As they, like the Vampire, cannot barge into private spaces without permission, they must steal them from a public space. If this place exists, they will find it. For sure.

This leaves one bat alone, to Assist its fellow Bats. Where does this Bat go?

[] It heads into the Mansion (turns one failure into a partial success)
[] It goes on the mission for clothes (turns one failure into a partial success)
[] It joins the Hunt (turns one failure into a partial success)

Bats: 14
QM Note: Hoping for another update either tomorrow or Friday.

The loner bat knows what it must do. It flies off towards Edge City, joining its companions. The mission for new clothes for The Vampire, their creator, must succeed!

And it does!

But only just...

As The Vampire slumbers inside the tallest heights of the Temple of Universal Knowledge, three bats fly high in the sky of the surrounding university. There are plenty of people out and about, and at least some of them have to be shopping for clothes, surely!

Now, these bats were not given specific instructions on what kind of clothes to get. And bats – even these ones – are quite colorblind. So, when two of the three bats manage to steal an outfit out of someone's shopping bag – the third having sacrificed itself for the cause – they end up with an outfit...

(Choose one. While not part of the vote, feel free to describe what you'd like your new outfit to look like. It just has to fall in line with one of these descriptors.)
[][Outfit] ...that's actually full of bright and highly clashing colors...
[][Outfit] ...that's doesn't fit The Vampire, being far too big for it...
[][Outfit] ...that's tattered and torn, as if it was being thrown out...

...and have to escape before they realize what they have in claw.

As for the bats that went East, two went on a Hunt but were Hunted instead. A swarm of giant carnivorous beetles made a quick meal out of them. And two more, aiming to explore, are instead overwhelmed with fear and flee!

But the rest fly on, into the tunnels and into the mansion.

The one that goes into the abandoned mansion via the open door is immediately greeted by... a ghost!?

"Oh! Hello! Company! Would you like a treat?"

The bat, thinking the ghost is referring to fruit, insects, or blood, follows the ghost from a dust-covered foyer into a dust-covered small room. Wherever the ghost goes, a trail of dusty scales follows. The room is furnished with a couch and chairs, but the furniture is broken and the shelves are all empty. The only decoration is a tray on the table, covered with biscuits that have skulls stamped into them.

"Have one!"

...the bat is sure that it is not interested in this treat. However, the ghost has an odd aura around it. The bat is not sure how the ghost will react if it rejects the offering. What to do...

[][Biscuit] BOTTOMS UP? (The Bat gets sick and dies. The Ghost will compensate The Vampire later for this loss.)
[][Biscuit] I'M ON A DIET. (The Bat rejects the offering and must succeed a +TOUGH roll to escape!)

Bats: 14 -> 11
QM Note: We'll check in on the tunnels next time!