And apparently their 'Master' is trapped in the nest?
The oldest of their kind, and apparently a practitioner of some knowledge ... trapped and unable to escape. Once our power is partially restored and we learn more about these 'vampires', he could be a useful resource.
[X] Stay within your lair and ward the third floor workroom as a sanctum for defense.
I don't want to risk losing our sacrifice so close to ritual time, so let's stay here and ward our lair. We can look into finding a library and that magic consumption after we've regained a big chunk of our power.
[x] Go out and seek a place of knowledge, starting with the school. Sneak in and find what you can on vampires.
Does the mansion count as ours when it comes to 'can't come in uninvited'?
And yeah, I too was afraid we could lose a potential sacrifice that way, since we left him bound and gagged under the open sky, and we know nothing about vampires.
The Master that Jessie is refering to is the Big Bad of BTVS Season 1, he's a 200 year old vampire who's sealed inside/bound to the Hellmouth and can't leave the underground chamber where it's located.
[X] Go out and seek a place of knowledge, starting with the school. Sneak in and find what you can on vampires.
I think that we should gather more information so that the Fool's Idol can better understand the world she's been thrust into and how to exploit it.
The Master that Jessie is refering to is the Big Bad of BTVS Season 1, he's a 200 year old vampire who's sealed inside/bound to the Hellmouth and can't leave the underground chamber where it's located.
Over 400 actually(he knew Darla for that long) and the guy you are interrogating is Thomas, the vamp Buffy dusted offhandedly while talking to Darla in the crypt in episode 1, though the same point stands.
Master's an old and scary dude.
Adhoc vote count started by BungieONI on May 21, 2018 at 1:05 AM, finished with 110 posts and 11 votes.
[X] Stay within your lair and ward the third floor workroom as a sanctum for defense.
Over 400 actually(he knew Darla for that long) and the guy you are interrogating is Thomas, the vamp Buffy dusted offhandedly while talking to Darla in the crypt in episode 1, though the same point stands.
Apparently he's about 1000 years old. Anya knew him when he was a noob vampire called Heinrich. He's reportedly 'the oldest vampire on record' ... but then along came Kakistos, who is apparently even older?
So either 'oldest vampire on record' just refers to vampires with a known age. Vampires with 'Age Unknown' aren't counted in that listing.
Or maybe the people using said title just weren't exhaustive in their research before declaring him the oldest.
Apparently he's about 1000 years old. Anya knew him when he was a noob vampire called Heinrich. He's reportedly 'the oldest vampire on record' ... but then along came Kakistos, who is apparently even older?
So either 'oldest vampire on record' just refers to vampires with a known age. Vampires with 'Age Unknown' aren't counted in that listing.
Or maybe the people using said title just weren't exhaustive in their research before declaring him the oldest.
@BungieONI, a question about the Idol's sensory powers. She's clearly able to sense Souls at a distance - even determining the nature of a Soul and its potential for magic - and can detect the Vampires. Plus she can detect the ambient power of the Hellmouth.
How practical would it be to just go for a walk through the cemeteries and sense for magical items?
The crypts and mausoleums of Sunnydale seem to have more McGuffins than the average D&D Tomb. I'm sure the Idol could make use of a lot of them, while the others could be used for study.
It is possible that you had left a trail pursuing vampires could follow when you took your captive to your lair. That tracking will take time, however, if they are using physical means, considering how you muddled the course you took via a dip in the sewer to avoid a more populated and active part of town. It seems likely they are limited to physical tracking as well, as you have not sensed much actual magic from them in your encounters.
With this in mind you reach for your spell book and scroll. Flipping to the sections on Warding, you begin to piece together a sanctum warding spell applicable to a single floor of a building. By your nature it will have to include the use of a Fog Gate, which will not weaken you to create if it is sustained by a warding spell.
Unfortunately you are too weak to sustain the creation of your Paralysis Sigil traps. They will come in time however. As you page through your book and read through your scroll's record of symbols you hear to your captive murmur and struggle down below. Towards the latter third of your recorded ward spells you find a suitable Latrian spell which can be converted into a ritual of some length.
You set about preparing the room, letting out your Fog to seep into the stone. By permeating the building its mystical structure can be twisted to accept the ritual more easily than it normally would. After you set the ward in this way, unless it is purposefully damaged, you should not need to actively repair it as your presence will renew it.
Taking the short knife you had used in the enchanting ritual from the floor you walk around the edges of the room clockwise. At each corner you create a circle and square arrangement out of your blood with the knife, smaller versions of the one in the center. They would act as anchors to what you are creating here.
It is as you are finishing the third anchor and your Fog is seeping into the last few corners of the room, making it strange to mortal sight and fearful to mortal Souls, that the sun rises. Rising from the complete circle you hear a sudden scream and smell burning things.
"Ow! OWWW! OWWWW OH SWEET HELLS! No no no no! Aaaaaaaa!" You are moving before the first of your captive's cries ricochets up the stairwell, book under one arm. You almost fly down the stairs and then simply leap from the second floor down to the first in a blur of graceful motion. The rapid pitter pat of your footfalls ends as you come to the door of the garden and see the tableau within.
Your captive, still screaming around the remnants of the gag, is trying to force his way away from the patch of sunlight his legs are caught in. You tilt your head right at the sizzling. This will be useful to you in the future.
With a grunt and scream the vampire manages to squirm out of the sun, though its legs were heavily damaged. It is breathing heavily, laying there and trying to recover for a moment before it notices you standing there. It raises his head to look at you, its face seeming mildly outraged.
"Really? You couldn't help a guy out when his legs are on fire?" You do not respond to his question. Staring at you for a moment more its head then slumps back onto the ground with a klunk as it mutters. "...freaking crazy demon women."
You make no response. Looking at the sky lights and tracking the position of the sun and where it will be throughout the day you judge that it will be fine where it is. Leaving your captive behind you return to your work upstairs.
The fourth circle takes little time to finish and the array of circles smoothly locks into place when you put the last line of your blood down. It would go faster if you were more powerful magically, but such things do not disturb you. Paging through your book you stand before the central circle. Humming in C# you activate the center, leaving out the other circles which will activate as you perform the warding ritual.
The circle you stand before opens and begins to glow. Turning to the appropriate pages you begin the chant which should take you most of the day.
"Moenia. Columnas. Tectum et area."
"Ego minati. Affer mihi salus."
"Ego minati. Nolite hostibus meis."
"Et nomen pacis. Protegas me."
You walk as you continue to chant, your path spiralling clockwise into the center of the circle. The energies you are channeling begin to surge as you start the second verse, causing whispers to emerge from the Fog.
"Moenia. Columnas. Tectum et area."
"Me exosus. Affer mihi salus."
"Esurio. Nolite hostibus meis."
"Et nomen pacis. Protegas me."
"Oh fuuuuuuuuuuuck me what is she doing now..." You ignore the quiet words drifting upstairs from your captive. The Fog you let loose before takes in the energy and your Demon Soul molds them both, while you slowly walk clockwise out of the center to circle around the room.
The energies become sturdy walls and sturdy columns of translucent energy layered over the walls and columns physically present. This first layer is nebulous and indistinct, solidifying as your third verse rings out into the air.
"Moenia. Columnas. Tectum et area."
"Ego minati. Affer mihi salus."
"Esurio. Custodi me pavit."
"In fame. Tantum victui meo necessaria."
The energy sharpens and becomes hostile to intruders as you move between each anchor circle. The glow from the center circle moves outward in concentric waves in the stone floor, like a stone dropped in a pond.
These three verses are chanted for several hours as you layer the ward slowly and carefully onto the walls, the floor and the roof of the room. Your feet take you around the room and all of the circles in a spiralling pattern. The sun is touching the horizon as the last words of the fourth verse leave your lips.
"Moenia. Columnas. Tectum et area."
"Ego minati. Affer mihi salus."
"Esurio. Custodi me pavit."
"Me exosus. Hostes terga."
"Sigillum, Fog Gate."
With a wave of your upper hands as you stand in the center, the Fog Gate seals this room. The ward slams into place with the toll of a giant tower bell. Closing your book and storing it on your hip with your scroll, you feel out the ward you have created.
It responds to your mystic touch, rumbling in your mystic senses like thunder. The ambient malevolent magic you had been sensing in the air has also been pushed into the distance. Separated from this space. That will be useful later for you, you can use more sensitive rituals without fear of interference.
As the sun dips completely below the horizon you can feel the convergence building. Walking over to the enchanted knife you test it gently with your senses. It is solid and the enchantment will last for several more hours.
Everything is prepared now.
You slide out of the Fog Gate, it disappearing into dormancy behind you. You find your captive resting curled on its side facing the door of the garden. When it sees you it tenses and freezes entirely. Its eyes are locked on the glowing knife at your hip.
"Ah. My wonderful Hostess..." You ignore the despondent speech and reaching down, grab the thing by the scruff. It quiets with a squeak at your touch. Using your other hands you gag it again with more of its own clothing. A twist of magic has you in your seeming, dragging the thing up with a hand, knife hidden on your hip opposite your book and scroll. Pulling the vampire after you, you leave your home and head into the night.
You immediately dip into the sewers at the first opportunity, you want no interruptions as you travel. The dank tunnels remind you of some parts of the Tower and its machinery. You do not feel any vampire presences disturbing the ambient magic as of yet. Perhaps they have already gone to begin their Harvest.
Your captive bumps and slides along after you as you drag it over the stones. Occasionally it dips into a stream or puddle of running water which makes it grumble, but you ignore it. It cannot escape you as it is. The trip to the Bronze does not take long, and soon you sense it in the distance as you emerge from the sewer with your captive in tow.
When you get closer however you sense a potential problem. A melange of scents and the two disturbances. A pack of vampires is moving towards the Bronze. The weaker disturbance is presumably Darla. The stronger vampire is strange however, their presence is stretched and distorted as it connects to another far stronger vampire whose location you cannot determine.
The Master, presumably.
Tilting your head to the right you slow your walk, and consider this development. The Harvest is already happening… you think to yourself as your captive weakly thrashes and begins to mumble as you slow, though you ignore it as usual. Your mind goes back to a particular detail of the Beastly Sinner Ritual.
It does not specify a particular number beyond the minimum of one. You do not need an actual prepared sacrifice to perform it, it merely is a way of simplifying the ritual's preparations. Staring up through the ground at the vampires who are now filtering into the Bronze, you can sense the stir they are causing in the humans.
You could gain more power by killing several vampires in the Bronze. Many offerings to the Moon and the Fog. More of your magic returned to you. Glancing down you stare at your captive. It stares back and seems to understand your gaze because it begins to shiver and whimper behind its gag. Frantically shaking its head.
You have two options. You can kill this thing here and sneak into the Bronze through the back way and hunt vampires in the crowd of offerings. You will be able to sacrifice at least one, you judge with confidence. Two or three is a distinct possibility as you can tell they are distracted with their ritual and you will gain strength immediately with each sacrifice.
You could also take your captive with you and come in through the back way with less stealth. Things would move very quickly from there but you would have time for one guaranteed sacrifice. Possibly another for two in total. The immediate increase in strength from even one sacrifice will protect you and even as you are now you think you could retreat.
What do you do?
[] Kill your captive here and now then sneak into the Bronze and hunt the vampires. You are confident you can get at least one vampire and two or three in total is entirely possible.
[] Do not kill your captive and drag him to the Bronze with you as a guaranteed sacrifice. It is possible you will be able to get a second before you must retreat.
Its amazing to watch the one track mind of the Idol! Also Thomas is growing on me, like a fuzzy fungus. To bad he's gonna get dusted here in a bit.
Here's the spell if you want to know.
"Walls. Columns. Roof and floor."
"I am threatened. Bring me safety."
"I am threatened. Stop my enemies."
"In the name of peace. Protect me."
"Walls. Columns. Roof and floor."
"I am hated. Bring me safety."
"I am hungry. Stop my enemies."
"In the name of peace. Keep me safe."
"Walls. Columns. Roof and floor."
"I am threatened. Keep me safe."
"I am hungry. Keep me fed."
"By the hunger. Feed me."
"Walls. Columns. Roof and floor."
"I am threatened. Keep me safe."
"I am hungry. Keep me fed."
"I am hated. Turn back the enemy."
"Seal, Fog Gate."
E: Oops forgot to put this in. As before Vote Lock will be at 6:00 PM UTC May 22nd.
It's more we have a thing that will work right now, we know it will work right now, so we're going to keep as close to a guaranteed chance of it working going as we can right now.
So the first option is high chance of one, with a moderate and low chance of two or three respectively while the second option is a 100% chance of one with a moderate chance of a second?
[X] Do not kill your captive and drag him to the Bronze with you as a guaranteed sacrifice. It is possible you will be able to get a second before you must retreat.
One will get us enough magic to work with and protect ourself, let's just stick to the slow grind.
So the first option is high chance of one, with a moderate and low chance of two or three respectively while the second option is a 100% chance of one with a moderate chance of a second?
Sort of. Its a pretty decent estimation of your chances, though for the first vote option you should bump the chance of a first and second sacrifice to very high and moderate-high. Its the slightly risky but potentially higher reward path.
[X] Kill your captive here and now then sneak into the Bronze and hunt the vampires. You are confident you can get at least one vampire and two or three in total is entirely possible.
[X] Do not kill your captive and drag him to the Bronze with you as a guaranteed sacrifice. It is possible you will be able to get a second before you must retreat
No risks, we are not in a position to gamble, if we lose we LOSE
[X] Kill your captive here and now then sneak into the Bronze and hunt the vampires. You are confident you can get at least one vampire and two or three in total is entirely possible.
