[X] [EMOTION] Regret. I'm already getting the sense that I've signed up to listen to some "guru" give his sales pitch.
[X] [SOCIALIZE] I should see what Kathy Glens is like when she's not drilling me or leading Baby Chorus.
-[X] What does she think of this whole Golconda business?
Part of you holds out hope that one night, you'll be able to walk among mortals without wanting to tear into passersby like they were juice pouches on a hot summer's day. The world has gotten stranger for you since your Embrace and initiation into Chicago's secret vampire society. Perhaps it'd even be kind enough to offer a way for you to control the urges of your Beast.
However, you find yourself seriously doubting that Zachary Forge is the one with the answers to "Golconda." Still, it's just one evening out of what you hope to be an endless number. You can sit through a safety briefing necessitated by the mishap of some dumbass boot straight out of basic. You can handle listening to some Kindred "guru" trying to sell you his book on achieving enlightenment.
"Evening, Kathy," you say as you approach Baby Chorus's lead guitar. She's scrutinizing one of Forge's taxidermied trophies: a wildebeest's head stuffed and mounted on the wall between the tall bookshelves.
"Evening, Artie," Kathy replies, barely glancing your way in acknowledgment before returning to her staredown with the wildebeest's dead eyes. "Got another question you'd like to ask?"
"Am I that obvious?" You ask rhetorically. In response, Kathy turns her head toward you, a dark eyebrow raised. "Alright, alright, you got me. I was just surprised to see you here tonight, that's all. Are you here to find the answers you mentioned before?"
"I am, but the more I see, the less I'm starting to think that Zachary Forge has the ones I need." There is a human frustration in Kathy's voice as she stares down at her trembling fist. In her voice, you hear the low notes of a person who's spent far too long on a project but is far too deep to even consider backing out. "Everywhere I look, no matter who I ask, I keep running into dead end after dead end."
"What's got you so eager to attain enlightenment?" You ask. Kathy doesn't reply - at least not verbally. Instead, her fingers spay out and start tapping her thigh as if desperate to strum a guitar. Her gaze flickers up to meet your own only briefly, but it's long enough for you to discern the sorrow and regret in her dark eyes.
If you recall correctly, the state of Golconda allows Kindred control over their Beasts. If you had to guess, Kathy must have done something in the throes of a frenzy. A horrible deed that weighs on her enough that she'll go through hell to attain enlightenment and end even the slightest possibility of making that mistake again. "Sensitive subject, huh? Alright, I won't pry."
"U-Um, excuse me?"
You and Kathy turn to see Emma poking her head through the library door. "Mr. Forge is ready to see you now."
You have earned one XP for discerning why Kathy Glens is seeking Golconda.
Available XP: 2 3
-
Zachary Forge appears to be a man in his mid-fifties, with graying hair and a bushy mustache thick enough to be the envy of every walrus in the Arctic Circle. Dressed in a tan linen suit, all Forge needs to complete the image of the 19th-century British colonialist is a monocle and a pith helmet. "I must say it's a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance, Mr. Delacruz."
"Likewise, Mr. Forge," you reply, more out of politeness than anything. You can't put your finger on it, but something about your host seems
off. There's no big flashing warning sign floating above Forge's head, but all the little off-putting details make you uneasy. His smile shows off so many teeth that you're worried his lips will split in half, and you doubt his eyes fully perceive his guests as he greets them in his study.
Once you and the other guests are seated, Forge moves in front of his carved wooden desk, clasping his hands together eagerly. Again, Forge's grin is unnervingly wide, almost manic. You half-expect a bolt of lightning to flash in the night sky beyond the large window behind Forge. However, there isn't even a murmur of thunder or a wisp of dark clouds. "Welcome, one and all. I am honored to be your host this evening. Though there are fewer of you in attendance than I had hoped, I promise you that your open-mindedness will be rewarded."
Forge moves to the reversible chalkboard next to his desk - the sort of thing one might find in an old-fashioned classroom. "To ensure we share the same basic understanding of tonight's topic, I shall give a brief history of Golconda. I do not mean to insult your intelligence. I only seek to eliminate ignorance."
As he speaks, Forge picks up a piece of chalk and begins to record keywords and phrases on the board in a nigh-unintelligible script. He doesn't
write as much as drag the chalk across the black surface. You've seen YouTube videos of primates using paintbrushes with greater fine control than Forge. "The term 'Golconda' originally referred to an ancient city in India famed for its diamonds. Eventually, the word became a synonym for wealth, usually in the material sense. However, it is
spiritual wealth our cousins in India are referring to when they use 'Golconda' as the name of the state of enlightenment beyond the natural state of being Kindred.
"According to tradition, the Antediluvian Saulot achieved Golconda after studying under Hindu gurus. He would then pass their teachings onto his progeny, the Salubri." At this point, Forge gazes intently at Erichtho, watching for her reaction. However, her only response is a silent lift of her chin.
Well? Get on with it.
Forge then turns his attention back to the rest of his audience. "However, after the founder of Clan Tremere diablerized Saulot during the Dark Ages, the Usurpers drove the Salubri to extinction, and much of the knowledge surrounding Golconda and how to achieve it was lost."
At this point, Kathy raises her hand as if you were all back in college. However, Forge takes it in stride. "Yes, Ms. Glens?"
"Why didn't the other clans move to stop the Usurpers from, you know,
usurping? Were the skeletons the Salubri had in their closet bad enough that the other established bloodlines allowed a new breed of vampire to take their spot?"
Instead of Forge, it is Erichtho who answers. "According to my clan, the Salubri were diablerists who consorted with demons for power. However, I have done some research of my own. While the Salubri may have devoured souls behind closed doors, the other clans were more concerned with learning our founder's sorcery than bringing diablerists to justice. Before becoming Kindred, our founder was a mortal mage. Allowing Tremere's devouring of Saulot to go unpunished was seen as an acceptable price for access to magical power more immediately applicable in the Jyhad than a long and treacherous path to enlightenment."
"So the Tremere had to destroy the Salubri, just like how these nights, members of Clan Lasombra have to sacrifice an older lick if they want inside the Chicago Camarilla?" You ask.
Erichtho hums as she considers your words for a moment before nodding. "Yes. That's actually a rather good comparison. However, by the time of the Convention of Thorns, we Warlocks had established as respected members of Kindred society, if not
trusted. It may take centuries for the Magisters to achieve the same status within the Ivory Tower."
There is silence in Forge's study for a moment as you all contemplate what you've just heard. Your host strokes his mustache as Kathy stares down at her hands. Bobby writes feverishly in the notebook he brought with him while you and Erichtho gauge the others' reactions. As the silence lengthens, you think that now is the time to seek clarification regarding Golconda or other matters concerning the supernatural.
[] [QUESTION] I'll write a question about Golconda or occult lore and see if I can get an answer.
[] [QUESTION] I've learned plenty already. I have no further questions to ask.
You have earned one XP for learning about the history of Golconda.
Available XP: 3 4
