Beat Still, My Great American Heart (V5 Quest)

[Rogue Attican]

A notable hacker [like Bobby Weatherbottom] would be a good get for branching into cybersecurity, something Major Choudhury expressed an interest in.

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Eleanor Chowdhury was a computer science major who joined the ROTC program for college money. After serving full-time in Army signals intelligence, she joined the National Guard and embarked on a civilian career handling cybersecurity for Sunburst Computers' Chicago office.

Close affiliation with us might get the Prince to lay off Bobby some. A win-win, in my view.

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You're being a little optimistic there, Synergy. If there's one thing Prince Jackson hates more than an Anarch, it's a Blue Blood Anarch. As much as the Prince might like Artie right now, it's not enough to let his own Blood get away with feeding intel and potential targets to licks like Duncan MacTavish. Fortunately for the Hurricane's continued existence, his computer skills are such that while everyone's playing Bloodlines, he's playing Watch_Dogs.

[X] [EMOTION] Curiosity. The subject seems interesting, and even if it doesn't pan out, we can learn about Kindred religion and philosophy.

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One of the reasons I'm excited about introducing Artie's sire is that she has her own understanding and way of managing the vampiric condition. While the Kindred of the Camarilla and the Anarchs cling to their Humanity, the Paths of Enlightenment pioneered by the Sabbat are arguably a better fit for the Damned. After all, you're not human anymore, so why pretend otherwise?

 

[Synergy]

You're being a little optimistic there, Synergy. If there's one thing Prince Jackson hates more than an Anarch, it's a Blue Blood Anarch. As much as the Prince might like Artie right now, it's not enough to let his own Blood get away with feeding intel and potential targets to licks like Duncan MacTavish. Fortunately for the Hurricane's continued existence, his computer skills are such that while everyone's playing Bloodlines, he's playing Watch_Dogs.

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I'm thinking that if Artie forms a working relationship with Bobby in some capacity, that might cool the tensions a bit. Maybe not to any dramatic extent, but if Prince Jackson had anything more than suspicions and a lingering grudge, I don't think Bobby would still be walking around in public. If he's useful enough for the Prince to keep around, I think he's definitely useful enough to recruit.

Plus, I mean. Artie is pretty sympathetic to the Anarchs too, in his own way. I think he'd be curious about Bobby.

 

[Andres]

you are left wondering about yet another aspect of the world of darkness in which you now reside.

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[X] [EMOTION] Regret. I'm already getting the sense that I've signed up to listen to some "guru" give his sales pitch.

I think Artie would like something like Golconda, but this specific scenario screams "scam". It's more novel than manhood enhancements, NFTs, Herbalife, and Scientology, but not different in nature.

 

[Kebarton]

A moment later, the gate moves off to the side with a rattle, allowing you an unobstructed view of Zachary Forge's home. It's a Gothic Revival-style mansion whose gray stone and sharp angles are even more foreboding in the darkness. Staring at the electric lights illuminating the windows from inside makes you realize just how far from Chicago proper you are. Next to you, Courage lets out a low whine. You sigh as you reach out to stroke her back. "There, there, girl. We'll be in and out before you know it."

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Okay be honest everyone. How many of us thought we were reading the beginning to an episode of Courage the Cowardly Dog? An that Artie was cast as Murial.

[X] [EMOTION] Hopefulness. Could Zachary Forge have found a way to control our predatory urges?
It's possible, this world of darkness is a big place with a lot of mystery. Though I think it's important to point out that finding balance between humanity and the beast doesn't mean suppressing the beast or getting rid of it. I think it implies the opposite if anything which could be a scary thing. No wonder the

Spoiler: God of Hope

Tzeentch: "JUST AS PLANNED!"

is an evil entity, hope truly is a sinister thing.

[] [EMOTION] Curiosity. I'm more interested in the mysterious presenter than his subject.
It is an interesting thing for a Blue Blood to focus on the occult above the traditional pursuits. Artie can probably see a comparison to himself, Nosferatu aren't known to be creators of artworks, or at least not to outsiders of the clan.

[] [EMOTION] Skepticism. All evidence suggests that vampirism is incurable.
That certainly seems to be the case but the existence of Thin-bloods implies it's not an absolute case. Vampirism seems to be affect at least to a degree by the concept of 'Mind over Matter'.

[X] [EMOTION] Regret. I'm already getting the sense that I've signed up to listen to some "guru" give his sales pitch.
Given the mystical arts are a very real thing and there seems to be multiple secrets societies of magical creatures wandering the planet. The theory behind Golconda seems probable, even if we might not agree with the methods to achieve it. I'm voting for this as a secondary vote because I find it hilarious that Artie isn't denying that something like Golconda may exist, but that the situation in which he's gonna learn about it, sounds a lot like the build up to a scam.

[] [EMOTION] Guarded. For some reason, I've got a bad feeling about this meeting.
A reasonable concern for Artie to have. After all if such a thing as Golconda is possible, then there are certainly those out there who would want to either suppress the information, hunt the followers or perhaps worse of all misuse it for their own benefits. Plus Hope can be a scary thing to hold.

[X] [SOCIALIZE] I should see what Kathy Glens is like when she's not drilling me or leading her band.
-[X] What does she think of this whole Golconda business.

 

[The Laurent]

[X] [EMOTION] Hopefulness. Could Zachary Forge have found a way to control our predatory urges?
[X] [SOCIALIZE] I should see what Kathy Glens is like when she's not drilling me or leading her band.
-[X] What does she think of this whole Golconda business.

It feels like, after what happened with Valerie and considering their own preference for consensual (or consensualish, since obviously blood dolls get into a lot of very iffy/complicated territory when it comes to consent) blood donors, Artie has reason to hope... if he thinks there's hope.

And so I'm leaning this way.

 

[Rogue Attican]

It feels like, after what happened with Valerie and considering their own preference for consensual (or consensualish, since obviously blood dolls get into a lot of very iffy/complicated territory when it comes to consent) blood donors, Artie has reason to hope... if he thinks there's hope.

And so I'm leaning this way.

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Thank you for your input. Yeah, Artie's pretty nice as far as monsters go, but they're still a monster.

 

[The Laurent]

Yeah, I'm glad that people didn't vote for the "end the Masquerade" thing, because, like.

The irony is that I 100% believe the Anarch when they're like, "Working within the system for patient reform is not going to work out*" as they basically said a few updates ago?

Except they don't get that they're 'the system' too. Even the most vote-happy, share-the-wealth Anarch (or Carthian, I'm admittedly more used to VtR) is, y'know, part of the system of blood extraction as it were, of predation.

They think they're different, and IC it matters because we're steering around Artie and as a compassionate vampire he'd rather things be better than worse for he and his, but OOC it's "lesser evils" all the way down.

And so Ending the Masquerade on the Kindred's term would still end up badly because the facts of Kindred society are so plain.

*Surprise, surprise, the communist-ish SVer thinks that.

 

[LotusPocus]

[X] [EMOTION] Regret. I'm already getting the sense that I've signed up to listen to some "guru" give his sales pitch.

 

[Rogue Attican]

[X] [EMOTION] Regret. I'm already getting the sense that I've signed up to listen to some "guru" give his sales pitch.
I think Artie would like something like Golconda, but this specific scenario screams "scam." It's more novel than manhood enhancements, NFTs, Herbalife, and Scientology, but not different in nature.

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[X] [EMOTION] Regret. I'm already getting the sense that I've signed up to listen to some "guru" give his sales pitch.
Given that the mystical arts are a very real thing, and there seem to be multiple secret societies of magical creatures wandering the planet, the theory behind Golconda seems probable, even if we might not agree with the methods to achieve it...I find it hilarious that Artie isn't denying that something like Golconda may exist, but that the situation in which he's gonna learn about it sounds a lot like the build-up to a scam.

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Gah, now I'm imagining some Blue Blood tech bro pitching their cryptocurrency to the other vampires in Elysium.

Okay, be honest, everyone. How many of us thought we were reading the beginning of an episode of Courage the Cowardly Dog? And that Artie was cast as Muriel?

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Let's visit the mysterious hermit vampire in his creepy haven! What could possibly go wrong?

Yeah, I'm glad that people didn't vote for the "End the Masquerade" thing, because, like, the irony is that I 100% believe the Anarch when they're like, "Working within the system for patient reform is not going to work out*" as they basically said a few updates ago?

*Surprise, surprise, the communist-ish SVer thinks that.

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As Anita Wainwright stated in her soft recruitment pitch to Artie, being an internal reformist gets even harder when no one's dying of natural causes and opening up their spots to new blood.

Except [the Anarchs] don't get that they're 'the system' too. Even the most vote-happy, share-the-wealth Anarch (or Carthian, I'm admittedly more used to VtR) is, y'know, part of the system of blood extraction as it were, of predation.

They think they're different, and IC, it matters because we're steering around Artie, and as a compassionate vampire, he'd rather things be better than worse for him and his, but OOC, it's "lesser evils" all the way down.

And so ending the Masquerade on the Kindred's terms would still end badly because the facts of Kindred society are so plain.

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At the end of the night, the Jyhad is mainly about who gets how much space in the metaphorical refrigerator full of blood. The human population can only support so many predators, and the Beast's influence can turn a spat over stolen food into a blood feud spanning millennia.

I'd also like to draw your attention to the fact that neither the Ivory Tower nor the Anarch Movement gives much thought as to what the kine think about being used as food, and what objections they might raise...

​

God, I love this image so much. For reference, this is a hunter from the Vatican's Entity Special Operations Group operating in Vienna during the events of Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodhunt. If you want to see this guy in motion, see the latter half of the Vision Trailer below:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dm0anGKphss​

 

[Andres]

God, I love this image so much.

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ESOG has an absolutely baller aesthetic.

Like damn, look at this part of the video.

View: https://youtu.be/FZYnre_hXEg?t=145

 

[Kebarton]

Gah, now I'm imagining some Blue Blood tech bro pitching their cryptocurrency to the other vampires in Elysium.

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Now I'm imagining some Neonate pitching a Bitcoin scheme to a bunch of Elders and taking them for a ride. Could you imagine the level of stupidity a person would have to be to carry through with such a plan? Because it be worth a least one Darwin Award. Better question is just how big a bloodhunt would occur?

Let's visit the mysterious hermit vampire in his creepy haven! What could possibly go wrong?

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Given this setting anything from the hermit vampire being a unlife-long diehard fan of strawberry jam to a bunch of Space Brains from Outer Space showing up to literally steal everyone's kindness to take over the world.

As Anita Wainwright stated in her soft recruitment pitch to Artie, being an internal reformist gets even harder when no one's dying of natural causes and opening up their spots to new blood.

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Honestly I don't mind the idea of Artie eventually jumping ship but I'd rather it happened in an organic way. Let him try to work with the system that was lauded by those he first met and when he eventually becomes disillusioned with it he can go rebel.
If this is what happens it will make for one heck of a character progression story. Plus with Arties's Sabbat Sire somewhere in the world there is always the possibility of him growing a little gray.
Now while I really like villains, I'd rather Artie be an example of the 'Noble Demon' Tvtrope at his worst. That's just my opinion though.

God, I love this image so much. For reference, this is a hunter from the Vatican's Entity Special Operations Group operating in Vienna during the events of Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodhunt. If you want to see this guy in motion, see the latter half of the Vision Trailer below:

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Good lord that is awesome. I think we just found what a 5 dot retainer looks like. I know it'd be virtually impossible to actually get such a person but gosh darn it, I can dream!

ESOG has an absolutely baller aesthetic.

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I 100% agree with you. I'd normally question the use of a sword against an opponent who is almost always faster, stronger, and tougher. But I doubt that is just a normal modern made sword.

 

[Rogue Attican]

Now I'm imagining some Neonate pitching a Bitcoin scheme to a bunch of Elders and taking them for a ride. Could you imagine the level of stupidity a person would have to be to carry through with such a plan? Because it would be worth a least one Darwin Award. The better question is just how big of a blood hunt would occur.

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Officially, a Prince can only invoke the Lex Talionis and call for the destruction of another vampire when they've committed a serious offense that endangers all the Kindred in the city, like diablerie or aiding and abetting the Sabbat. Participation in the Blood Hunt is expected, though not mandatory. However, if you get caught helping the quarry, you'll be next on the chopping block.

Unofficially, Princes have been known to abuse the Sixth Tradition to destroy their political rivals. However, I don't think Prince Jackson would call a Blood Hunt on some fledgling who managed to hoodwink an elder who really ought to know better. That said, he probably wouldn't have the Hounds look too deeply if said fledgling met Final Death in a hunting "accident" unless the murder was especially blatant.

Plus, with Arties's Sabbat sire somewhere in the world, there is always the possibility of him growing a little gray. Now while I really like villains, I'd rather Artie be an example of the "Noble Demon" trope at his worst. That's just my opinion though.

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I'll go ahead and say that Artie's sire walks the Path of Honorable Accord. Instead of clinging to the social mores of Humanity, she harnesses the Beast through strict adherence to a code of honor and loyalty. She might well be the most trustworthy lick Artie will meet in Chicago - though that's not saying much.

 

[ArcanaVitae]

I'll go ahead and say that Artie's sire walks the Path of Honorable Accord. Instead of clinging to the social mores of Humanity, she harnesses the Beast through strict adherence to a code of honor and loyalty. She might well be the most trustworthy lick Artie will meet in Chicago - though that's not saying much.

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I've always found the various methods Kindred try and deal with their conditions fascinating. Things like Paths of Enlightenment and Golconda make a lot of sense given that people would need to adjust their morals and thought processes with their new condition.

 

[The Laurent]

Officially, a Prince can only invoke the Lex Talionis and call for the destruction of another vampire when they've committed a serious offense that endangers all the Kindred in the city, like diablerie or aiding and abetting the Sabbat. Participation in the Blood Hunt is expected, though not mandatory. However, if you get caught helping the quarry, you'll be next on the chopping block.

Unofficially, Princes have been known to abuse the Sixth Tradition to destroy their political rivals. However, I don't think Prince Jackson would call a Blood Hunt on some fledgling who managed to hoodwink an elder who really ought to know better. That said, he probably wouldn't have the Hounds look too deeply if said fledgling met Final Death in a hunting "accident" unless the murder was especially blatant.


I'll go ahead and say that Artie's sire walks the Path of Honorable Accord. Instead of clinging to the social mores of Humanity, she harnesses the Beast through strict adherence to a code of honor and loyalty. She might well be the most trustworthy lick Artie will meet in Chicago - though that's not saying much.

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That does raise the question of what the fuck happened with Artie, tbh. If you actually meant "walks" in its present tense, she's out there somewhere sense.

 

[Rogue Attican]

That does raise the question of what the fuck happened with Artie, TBH. If you actually meant "walks" in its present tense, she's out there somewhere sense.

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Oh, she's still out there. She and her pack were assigned to raise a force of disposable shock troops for an attack on Chicago. However, the Second Inquisition located the junkyard they kept the shovel-heads in and torched the place. However, one does not survive centuries as a vampire without knowing how to escape the flames of hunters out for vitae.

 

[The Laurent]

Oh, she's still out there. She and her pack were assigned to raise a force of disposable shock troops for an attack on Chicago. However, the Second Inquisition located the junkyard they kept the shovel-heads in and torched the place. However, one does not survive centuries as a vampire without knowing how to escape the flames of hunters out for vitae.

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...how well-known is Artie's background? Wait, it'd have to be well known, right. Known-ish? Artie's not exactly keeping it that secretive that he has a deadbeat sire and was a Sabbat Shovelhead. But of course, what's well known in the (Chicago) Camarilla isn't necessarily known at all in the (Chicago/nearby) Sabbat.

 

[Kebarton]

That does raise the question of what the fuck happened with Artie, tbh. If you actually meant "walks" in its present tense, she's out there somewhere sense.

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That's a talk that's gonna be pretty loaded against her.

...how well-known is Artie's background? Wait, it'd have to be well known, right. Known-ish? Artie's not exactly keeping it that secretive that he has a deadbeat sire and was a Sabbat Shovelhead. But of course, what's well known in the (Chicago) Camarilla isn't necessarily known at all in the (Chicago/nearby) Sabbat.

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That's actually explained in the book. To summarize take his status in Chicago and minus from the further away you get from the city until it reaches zero. Zero is basically is being an unknown and like constitutes everything outside the state.

 

[The Laurent]

That's a talk that's gonna be pretty loaded against her.

That's actually explained in the book. To summarize take his status in Chicago and minus from the further away you get from the city until it reaches zero. Zero is basically is being an unknown and like constitutes everything outside the state.

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Well yeah, Shovelheads are fucked up acts indeed. There's no actually getting around that, because all of her "duty and honor" still told her it was all cool to murder people twice, once into undeath and then sending them into almost certain destruction beyond death. I'm sure her code does "justify" it, but, well.

(Also not really possible in VtR without some really clever pyramid scheme bullshit because it takes a dot of Humanity every time you embrace. The way around that, because I thought about it once for a Quest, if you want a way around that is to embrace a Childe who embraces a Childe who then is duped and manipulated into burning all of their Humanity making shock troops, then killed. Then you keep on doing that.

Not that what's possible in VTR matters all that much, it's just what I know more about.)

 

[Rogue Attican]

...how well-known is Artie's background? Wait, it'd have to be well-known, right? Known-ish? Artie's not exactly keeping it that secretive that he has a deadbeat sire and was a Sabbat Shovelhead. But of course, what's well known in the (Chicago) Camarilla isn't necessarily known at all in the (Chicago/nearby) Sabbat.

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Artie's quite open about the circumstances of their Embrace if one bothers to ask. Prince Jackson likes to hold them as an example of how even one Embraced to become cannon fodder can ascend the Ivory Tower in his domain. Here are some of the rumors whispered in Elysium about our protagonist at various points in the chronicle.

• "Did you hear? The Toreador Primogen adopted herself a pet Sewer Rat. He must really like the taste of Louboutin heels."
• "Arturo Delacruz is slurping down the vitae of other Kindred like a man dying of thirst. Is he a secret diablerist?"
• "I'll bet you a minor boon that the Prince's newest lapdog outs themself as a spy for the Sabbat before Halloween."
• "I saw Delacruz walking out of the Lasombra rep's hotel the other night. They're definitely fucking."
  • Ironically, this is the rumor most likely to be dismissed by members of the Chicago court.

Now, would Artie's sire realize the connection between her and Prince Jackson's newest enforcer from these rumors? Probably not. While she's likely received word that Prince Jackson recruited a new Hound, she wouldn't put two and two together until she sees Artie's face.

 

[The Laurent]

Artie's quite open about the circumstances of their Embrace if one bothers to ask. Prince Jackson likes to hold them as an example of how even one Embraced to become cannon fodder can ascend the Ivory Tower in his domain. Here are some of the rumors whispered in Elysium about our protagonist at various points in the chronicle.

• "Did you hear? The Toreador Primogen adopted herself a pet Sewer Rat. He must really like the taste of Louboutin heels."
• "Arturo Delacruz is slurping down the vitae of other Kindred like a man dying of thirst. Is he a secret diablerist?"
• "I'll bet you a minor boon that the Prince's newest lapdog outs themself as a spy for the Sabbat before Halloween."
• "I saw Delacruz walking out of the Lasombra rep's hotel the other night. They're definitely fucking."
  • Ironically, this is the rumor most likely to be dismissed by members of the Chicago court.

Now, would Artie's sire realize the connection between her and Prince Jackson's newest enforcer from these rumors? Probably not. While she's likely received word that Prince Jackson recruited a new Hound, she wouldn't put two and two together until she sees Artie's face.

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By the standards of Kindred, Artie's rise and acquisition of Disciplines is positively meteoric in its rapidity (I think? I admittedly don't know enough about VTM to be mechanically sure of it). I admit that we have a distressing number of minor boons we owe, honestly, on top of all the major ones.

We've been racking up a hell of a debt, but thus far we've been outpacing it.

E: Added in the bolding on the rumor that inspired this tangent.

 

[Rogue Attican]

By the standards of Kindred, Artie's rise and acquisition of Disciplines is positively meteoric in its rapidity (I think? I admittedly don't know enough about VTM to be mechanically sure of it).

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While most of the Quest's mechanics are from the 5th edition rules, the method I use to award XP is derived from the older 20th Anniversary edition. Since Artie operates without the support of a coterie most of the time, I've elected to use a more generous progression system than the one found in the V5 core book.

I admit that we have a distressing number of minor boons we owe, honestly, on top of all the major ones.

We've been racking up a hell of a debt, but thus far, we've been outpacing it.

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Depending on how the current arc plays out, Artie might end up with the three Kindred attending Zachary Forge's lecture owing him favors.

 

[The Laurent]

While most of the Quest's mechanics are from the 5th edition rules, the method I use to award XP is derived from the older 20th Anniversary edition. Since Artie operates without the support of a coterie most of the time, I've elected to use a more generous progression system than the one found in the V5 core book.


Depending on how the current arc plays out, Artie might end up with the three Kindred attending Zachary Forge's lecture owing him favors.

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Yeah, that makes sense. Though at the moment he's more broad than deep. A lot of low-dot little niceties rather than building up any high-level abilities.

 

[The Laurent]

...actually looking up VTM powers, you know what would actually be pretty useful for a Hound/Sheriff?

Animalism 3--

Quell the Beast: The vampire can cow mortals and can pull vampiric targets out of frenzy.

How many times could trouble be stopped by just going, "Hey, how about you DON'T have a big, stupid supernatural shitfit?"

 

[Andres]

...actually looking up VTM powers, you know what would actually be pretty useful for a Hound/Sheriff?

Animalism 3--

Quell the Beast: The vampire can cow mortals and can pull vampiric targets out of frenzy.

How many times could trouble be stopped by just going, "Hey, how about you DON'T have a big, stupid supernatural shitfit?"

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Problem is that power is based on Charisma which... isn't exactly Artie's forte.

 

[Kebarton]

Problem is that power is based on Charisma which... isn't exactly Artie's forte.

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Quell the Beast: The vampire can cow mortals and can pull vampiric targets out of frenzy.

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We'd either have to build up to it first, or get it immediately and rely on Artie's good luck until we can make it reliable. Plus the power itself is like a seatbelt, situationally important but often times only marginally useful. It would make dealing with future hunters easier because it's a non-lethal take down and for future kindred it's generally a rebuff that will give us an edge in combat.