[X] Take out the young man, drain him to death. He's some kind of mugger, and nobody will miss him; and you have all the props at hand to stage a mugging go wrong, so it's Masquerade-friendly. (Physical Power)
[X]See if the woman can be saved; attempt to stabilize her if so. Possibly call emergencies. Lap the blood spilled on her green dress. (Mental Power)
[X] Take out the young man, drain him to death. He's some kind of mugger, and nobody will miss him; and you have all the props at hand to stage a mugging go wrong, so it's Masquerade-friendly. (Physical Power)
We need all the blood we can and a mugger who, accidentally or not, just tried to murder a little old lady isn't that much of a morally questionable choice.
[X]See if the woman can be saved; attempt to stabilize her if so. Possibly call emergencies. Lap the blood spilled on her green dress. (Mental Power)
Yeah she's old and already pretty close to death but Karma has a way of coming back around.
[X]Take down the young man, drain him to unconsciousness. You're not into killing when it's not necessary, but you do seize a good opportunity when there's one. The narcotic effects of your Kiss will make it so he doesn't remember being bitten. (Physical Power)
[X]See if the woman can be saved; attempt to stabilize her if so. Possibly call emergencies. Lap the blood spilled on her green dress. (Mental Power)
[X]Take down the young man, drain him to unconsciousness. You're not into killing when it's not necessary, but you do seize a good opportunity when there's one. The narcotic effects of your Kiss will make it so he doesn't remember being bitten. (Physical Power)
[X]See if the woman can be saved; attempt to stabilize her if so. Possibly call emergencies. Lap the blood spilled on her green dress. (Mental Power)
[X] Take out the young man, drain him to death. He's some kind of mugger, and nobody will miss him; and you have all the props at hand to stage a mugging go wrong, so it's Masquerade-friendly. (Physical Power)
[X]See if the woman can be saved; attempt to stabilize her if so. Possibly call emergencies. Lap the blood spilled on her green dress. (Mental Power)
does feeding Vampire vitae to mortal provide healing benefits? I don't have the books on me, but It is a thing in some settings and vampiric vitae is also addictive, so it is a way to gain a (somewhat) loyal servant, which, given our beaten state, may be required.
[X] Take out the young man, drain him to death. He's some kind of mugger, and nobody will miss him; and you have all the props at hand to stage a mugging go wrong, so it's Masquerade-friendly. (Physical Power)
[X]See if the woman can be saved; attempt to stabilize her if so. Possibly call emergencies. Lap the blood spilled on her green dress. (Mental Power)
[x]Take down the young man, drain him to unconsciousness. You're not into killing when it's not necessary, but you do seize a good opportunity when there's one. The narcotic effects of your Kiss will make it so he doesn't remember being bitten. (Physical Power)
[x]See if the woman can be saved; attempt to stabilize her if so. Possibly call emergencies. Lap the blood spilled on her green dress. (Mental Power)
does feeding Vampire vitae to mortal provide healing benefits? I don't have the books on me, but It is a thing in some settings and vampiric vitae is also addictive, so it is a way to gain a (somewhat) loyal servant, which, given our beaten state, may be required.
On its own, Vitae is only a very potent drug which forces an emotional bond towards the provider. However, by tapping into your own reserves of willpower, you can force a mortal body to assimilate Vitae and become a ghoul, a human with limited vampiric powers. Turning a gravely injured person into a ghoul would allow them to unconsciously spend the blood to close their wounds and stabilize themselves. The victim would be enpowered with an ersatz of vampiric abilities and likely hooked on vampiric blood immediately, then undergo painful withdrawal sometimes in the next month. However, if she has no idea what happened and that she was given vampire blood, she will have no way to get a fix and the condition will resolve itself on its own. You could also, of course, use this as a hook to make her into a loyal servant, but you have no idea if she has a useful skillset.
As a Resistance primary/Mental secondary character, your reserves of willpower are plentiful.
[X] Take out the young man, drain him to death. He's some kind of mugger, and nobody will miss him; and you have all the props at hand to stage a mugging go wrong, so it's Masquerade-friendly. (Physical Power)
[X]See if the woman can be saved; attempt to stabilize her if so. Possibly call emergencies. Lap the blood spilled on her green dress. (Mental Power)
The trees in the wind cast dancing shadows over your figure as you approach, slowing down your walk to better savor the moment. The young man stands up, holding his knife in a shaky hand, his eyes darting to and fro, confused and frightened.
"Didn't you hear me? Leave me alone or I'll- I'll…"
You smile a smile so wide as to reveal your teeth shining so white in the moonlight, and in that moment you see it in his eyes - the cold understanding that the roles have been reversed.
"Go ahead," you speak, your first words since your awakening, voice like gravel. "Give me a challenge."
He panics, but he does have a weapon, and you have nothing. Instead of running away he darts forward, knife slicing towards your neck; you duck to one side while using your right hand to swat his armed hand aside. He's pushed off-balance and you grab him by the wrist, twist - the blade falls to the ground with a metallic clatter. You smile again, and with your other hand grab him by the throat. He tries to push you away, but to no effect; you lift him in the air, and for a brief moment you revel in his powerlessness.
He opens his mouth to scream; you pull him back to you and plant your fangs in his throat.
Blood gushes into your mouth and it is like heaven on earth. You thought you were hungry, but you did not know what the word meant before your first taste. You forget everything to the exclusion of this moment - life flowing down your throat and into your empty aching veins. Your body creaks and whines as you assimilate the blood, ribs shattered by the passing of a bullet fusing back together, wounded organs twisting back into shape. Your every wound is healed within moments…
And then the blood runs out. You suck on empty air for a few seconds, then toss the young man's faceless body to the ground with a grunt of frustration. You're still hungry. But you're also careful; you lick the two small holes pierced by your fangs, and they close under your eyes under the effect of your saliva. Then you grab his knife and open a great gash in his gut, and drop the blade to the ground. Mugging gone wrong, victim turned the blade on him, case closed.
Finally you turned to the woman. She's still breathing, and her blood is… tantalizing. But she's not the same as him. Some people choose a life of violence, and steal their sustenance from others, sometimes at the cost of their lives - whether you or the young mugger, it's all the same. And people like you are fair game - thugs and crooks, killers and thieves, they set on the same path as you, the path of night and violence. Their lives are as forfeit as your own. Their victims - your victims - they're not the same. You don't kill those who are not part of the game.
You tear off the woman's blouse and the hem of her dress, then rip open the part where she has been wounded. Your memories of human anatomy are shaky - they mainly come from tending to your ghoul when for some reason she staunchly refused to just use your Vitae to magic the wounds away. You have a fond thought for her as you first use a piece of her dress to absorb the blood around the wound, which you then stuff into your mouth, chewing on the blood like some kind of gum. It's not much, but it helps keep the Beast quiet in proximity with vulnerable prey. You then dress the wound normally with the pieces of cloth, applying pressure and tying them around the chest wound. It seems that the knife ripped against the victim's ribs, producing a relatively shallow clut; she should be able to make it with quick enough help.
As the procedure reaches its end and you find yourself simply sitting there applying pressure, you finally have a moment to think. It's all coming back now - the blood you drew from the mugger helped heal the last bits of you that were making it hard to remember. You don't know who went after you that night, but you know they operated largely through hired mortals. There was… one vampire, you're sure of it, but you don't know his identity: he was using Obfuscate, the discipline of supernatural stealth, to conceal himself from you while he attacked, forcing you to retreat to your Haven. This allowed a group of mortal hired guns to set fire to it and force you out, and by then you were already heavily wounded and low on blood. They botched the job because they likely did not know you were a vampire - or even that such things existed; just a bunch of hitmen used as cat's paws.
You lost most of what you had, but one of your assets survived.
Pick one (vote), and if applicable choose name and gender (whichever I like best). Background or description of quality may also be picked, though optional. [ ]Your tutor in the Ordo Dracul, a stern authority figure who mastered the Coil of the Wyrm and formally introduced you into the City when you came over from the Old World. They expect great things from you, but he also expects these achievements to further his own designs. (The Mentor asset represent a character of greater authority and power than you, who can lend you considerable benefits but is autonomous and expects a measure of obedience and service.)
[ ]Your childe, a brash young Gangrel whose life you saved through the Embrace, who expected you to formally introduce them in the Ordo Dracul in the next few weeks, plans cut short for obvious reason. They are ambitious, but devoted. (The Retainer (Childe) asset represents another vampire, younger and weaker than you, and bound by family links; they are subservient to you and loyal, but have a certain degree of autonomy, their own goals, and expect some degree of assistance in return for their loyalty.)
[ ]Your ghoul, your personal servant who tended to you in your travels across the Atlantic. They have known you longer than anyone else, and what they make up in raw power they make up for in devotion. (The Retainer (Ghoul) asset represents a human fed on vampire blood; thoroughly addicted and subject to the blood bond, they are utterly loyal and will die for you barring absolutely inhumane treatment. However, they are weaker than vampires, cannot obtain the same social status, and are a drain on your blood reserves due to needing your blood to fuel their powers.)
[ ]Your safe house. Everyone you relied on may be dead and your haven may have burned down, but you long ago prepared for this eventuality, and set up a secondary safe house in a secure location. Smaller and less furnished than your home, it will nonetheless provide you with an immediate base of operation, and contains clothes, weapons, and cash.
Come to think of it, with so little left, that woman here might be an opportunity. She looks in her fifties, but she seems in good physical shape, and she had the guts to pull a mace on an armed mugger. [ ]Just call emergencies and leave. You're in a hurry and can't afford to nurse a new ghoul back to life with all the explanations that implies.
[ ]Feed her your blood and willpower to close her wounds and make her a ghoul, then leave. You have her papers handy, so you can always check up on her and perform the rest of the process later, once she's in a hospital or back home.
[ ]Feed her your blood and willpower to make her a ghoul, then wake her up and take her with you. She'll be confused, but you can provide some basic explanations right now and having a minion at hand may be useful.
Hunger level: HUNGRY
Health level: HEALTHY
Willpower level: 7/7 (Willpower may be spent to enhance any action.)
[X]Your childe, a brash young Gangrel whose life you saved through the Embrace, who expected you to formally introduce them in the Ordo Dracul in the next few weeks, plans cut short for obvious reason. They are ambitious, but devoted. (The Retainer (Childe) asset represents another vampire, younger and weaker than you, and bound by family links; they are subservient to you and loyal, but have a certain degree of autonomy, their own goals, and expect some degree of assistance in return for their loyalty.)
[X]Just call emergencies and leave. You're in a hurry and can't afford to nurse a new ghoul back to life with all the explanations that implies.
[x]Your childe, a brash young Gangrel whose life you saved through the Embrace, who expected you to formally introduce them in the Ordo Dracul in the next few weeks, plans cut short for obvious reason. They are ambitious, but devoted. (The Retainer (Childe) asset represents another vampire, younger and weaker than you, and bound by family links; they are subservient to you and loyal, but have a certain degree of autonomy, their own goals, and expect some degree of assistance in return for their loyalty.) [x]Just call emergencies and leave. You're in a hurry and can't afford to nurse a new ghoul back to life with all the explanations that implies.
[X]Your ghoul, your personal servant who tended to you in your travels across the Atlantic. They have known you longer than anyone else, and what they make up in raw power they make up for in devotion. (The Retainer (Ghoul) asset represents a human fed on vampire blood; thoroughly addicted and subject to the blood bond, they are utterly loyal and will die for you barring absolutely inhumane treatment. However, they are weaker than vampires, cannot obtain the same social status, and are a drain on your blood reserves due to needing your blood to fuel their powers.)
[X]Just call emergencies and leave. You're in a hurry and can't afford to nurse a new ghoul back to life with all the explanations that implies.
A loyal Ghoul is someone who can tend to and protect us in the day which is a bit of a problem for most others.
Loyalty and competency in ghouls is much harder to get than other options given that they'd be looking after us when we're completely helpless.
[X]Your ghoul, your personal servant who tended to you in your travels across the Atlantic. They have known you longer than anyone else, and what they make up in raw power they make up for in devotion. (The Retainer (Ghoul) asset represents a human fed on vampire blood; thoroughly addicted and subject to the blood bond, they are utterly loyal and will die for you barring absolutely inhumane treatment. However, they are weaker than vampires, cannot obtain the same social status, and are a drain on your blood reserves due to needing your blood to fuel their powers.)
-[x] This one is viewed as an oddity among your fellow Gangrels. While others of your heritage tend for, let's say it, savages, you took a true valet of Victorian era as your servant. Oh, he learned a bit of hunting skills, but at the heart he is still a strict servant of high society, even if he loves to shoot a bit on weekends. He's going by Gordan Gordan Jeeves by his current ID. He always smile when you call him by this name.
[x]Feed her your blood and willpower to make her a ghoul, then wake her up and take her with you. She'll be confused, but you can provide some basic explanations right now and having a minion at hand may be useful.
- [x] More specifically, you need a proxy that cannot be associated with you, in case you are wanted.
[x]Your ghoul, your personal servant who tended to you in your travels across the Atlantic. They have known you longer than anyone else, and what they make up in raw power they make up for in devotion. (The Retainer (Ghoul) asset represents a human fed on vampire blood; thoroughly addicted and subject to the blood bond, they are utterly loyal and will die for you barring absolutely inhumane treatment. However, they are weaker than vampires, cannot obtain the same social status, and are a drain on your blood reserves due to needing your blood to fuel their powers.)
-[x] This one is viewed as an oddity among your fellow Gangrels. While others of your heritage tend for, let's say it, savages, you took a true valet of Victorian era as your servant. Oh, he learned a bit of hunting skills, but at the heart he is still a strict servant of high society, even if he loves to shoot a bit on weekends. He's going by Gordan Gordan Jeeves by his current ID. He always smile when you call him by this name.
[x]Feed her your blood and willpower to close her wounds and make her a ghoul, then leave. You have her papers handy, so you can always check up on her and perform the rest of the process later, once she's in a hospital or back home.
If we want a deniable proxy then it's better to not pick her up immediately, especially if we have Jeeves.
[X]Take down the young man, drain him to unconsciousness. You're not into killing when it's not necessary, but you do seize a good opportunity when there's one. The narcotic effects of your Kiss will make it so he doesn't remember being bitten. (Physical Power)
[X]See if the woman can be saved; attempt to stabilize her if so. Possibly call emergencies. Lap the blood spilled on her green dress. (Mental Power)
[X]Take down the young man, drain him to unconsciousness. You're not into killing when it's not necessary, but you do seize a good opportunity when there's one. The narcotic effects of your Kiss will make it so he doesn't remember being bitten. (Physical Power)
[X]See if the woman can be saved; attempt to stabilize her if so. Possibly call emergencies. Lap the blood spilled on her green dress. (Mental Power)
[x]Your ghoul, your personal servant who tended to you in your travels across the Atlantic. They have known you longer than anyone else, and what they make up in raw power they make up for in devotion. (The Retainer (Ghoul) asset represents a human fed on vampire blood; thoroughly addicted and subject to the blood bond, they are utterly loyal and will die for you barring absolutely inhumane treatment. However, they are weaker than vampires, cannot obtain the same social status, and are a drain on your blood reserves due to needing your blood to fuel their powers.)
-[x] This one is viewed as an oddity among your fellow Gangrels. While others of your heritage tend for, let's say it, savages, you took a true valet of Victorian era as your servant. Oh, he learned a bit of hunting skills, but at the heart he is still a strict servant of high society, even if he loves to shoot a bit on weekends. He's going by Gordan Gordan Jeeves by his current ID. He always smile when you call him by this name.
[x]Feed her your blood and willpower to close her wounds and make her a ghoul, then leave. You have her papers handy, so you can always check up on her and perform the rest of the process later, once she's in a hospital or back home.
[X]Your ghoul, your personal servant who tended to you in your travels across the Atlantic. They have known you longer than anyone else, and what they make up in raw power they make up for in devotion. (The Retainer (Ghoul) asset represents a human fed on vampire blood; thoroughly addicted and subject to the blood bond, they are utterly loyal and will die for you barring absolutely inhumane treatment. However, they are weaker than vampires, cannot obtain the same social status, and are a drain on your blood reserves due to needing your blood to fuel their powers.)
There is a reason the saying "Good help is hard to find." exists. We can always find a new mentor or create a new Childe but long lasting loyalty and devotion are hard to find.
We also have to consider that Wolfe is seriously vulnerable here. Our Mentor expects our service and our Childe expects our assistance which could be a problem given what's happened. Our Ghoul meanwhile only requires blood, which will put a strain on our but is probably a lot easier to bare.
[X]Just call emergencies and leave. You're in a hurry and can't afford to nurse a new ghoul back to life with all the explanations that implies.
Some people choose a life of violence, and steal their sustenance from others, sometimes at the cost of their lives - whether you or the young mugger, it's all the same. And people like you are fair game - thugs and crooks, killers and thieves, they set on the same path as you, the path of night and violence. Their lives are as forfeit as your own. Their victims - your victims - they're not the same. You don't kill those who are not part of the game.
Standing there, in the shadow of the wooden bridge, you hesitate for a moment. That woman… You could ensure her safety without a doubt, while at the same time hooking her to a drug stronger than anything she's ever known, setting her on the way to be your thrall. You could have… an asset. And yet, even as part of you loves the idea of acquiring a new servant, of starting to rebuild your power base right here and now, two other parts of you disagree. One, your more pragmatic side, tells you that you can't afford to teach a new ghoul the ways of your life right now, that it would be a distraction and a drain on your resources; another, your idealistic side, tells you that you should not pull into the world of the Kindred one who never asked for it. It is one of your great prides that you have always tried to accommodate both your pragmaticism and your idealism, and tonight they are in accord; you leave the woman to her fate, after calling emergencies. She may die, though you do not deem it likely; but at least if she survives you will not have inflicted upon her the horrors of Vitae withdrawal.
Now you must focus on your own concerns. Your tutor is dead: older and more experienced than you, he was targeted first, so that he could not prepare his defenses properly. You do not know exactly what happened to him - but you remember hearing the terrible stories from younger vampires and fleeting ghouls, about the people who managed to kill him in his own sanctum. If it is any consolation, deep down, you know it must have cost them. More terrible and painful to you, now that you are recovering your memory, is the sudden awareness that your childe is no more - that the young Gangrel you were nurturing and raising to one day become a true Dragon is gone. It is as if a piece of your soul had been torn away. It hurts on a level far deeper than any of the physical injuries you just healed.
So you put it aside. Your mind is strong; it can push these things aside for a time and focus on immediate concerns. You have one last asset; your ghoul, whom you call… urgh. Who insists you call him… Argh. You just can't say it. But you know where he lives, and it will have to be enough.
***
The truth is, despite all your good thoughts about innocents like this woman not having to suffer from monsters like you, you still had to tap into her wallet. Not much; just enough to pay for a cab. It seems utterly innocuous, but you came out of the water with nothing, and walking across the City is long and painful. Cabs don't ask any questions. Cabs just take you where you need to be.
It's not a haven. It's not even a safe house. When he needs to tend to you, your ghoul comes out of his apartment into yours, for days at a time if needed, nursing you and taking care of you. But this - this is his home; the place where you are not, the place where he can just enjoy being who he is deep down, beneath the addiction and vinculum. You are about to break this.
You get off the cab, healthy but with a hunger boiling inside you. This is the residential quarter of the City - before the suburbs, in that fringe after the district center and after the ghetto, a neighborhood of red brick houses built in the shadow of long-dead industrial plants. Once, these were cheap workmen's quarters; but when the industry died, when the chimneys went out, the workers moved away, and these red-brick houses became 'picturesque,' valuable. Your servant had already bought one long before that.
You knock on the door, and he opens for you. His eyes are wide with surprise - you expected it, and don't care much. You enter the house and collapse on his beautiful, brown leather couch. You sigh. Finally, to sit down. Finally, to rest.
"Nathaniel…" you say, your voice still hoarse; the man shakes his head, interrupting you.
"While I am here, that is not my name."
You roll your eyes and throw your elbows around the back of the couch, trying your best to look casual.
'Must we?'' you say with irritation. He answers with a smile.
"Yes. Nathaniel is long gone now. This is not who I am today."
You throw a glance at his impeccable three-piece costume you've never see it before. "Jeeves. What's our status? 'You're looking great, by the way.'
The older man smiles. 'Thank you, ma'am. I must admit, I was worried about all this. After so much violence, so much fire… I was afraid ma'am couldn't make it.
You frown; this thought, the idea that you could have possibly failed, disturbs you.
Your ghoul hesitates for a moment, then opens his mouth - closes it. Hesitant how to put these things into words. Finally, he just shakes his head, which makes you even more worried. Very concerned, you ask:
"How long have I been gone?" You ask.
Jeeves, your faithful ghoul, cringes visibly. Still, he answers.
[ ]One day. The ashes of your haven are still warm, and your enemies are still on the prowl. You have an occasion to counterattack right away, before anyone has digested your disappearance. Strike back hard and fast, and ddge the people still looking for any trace of you and yours.
[ ]One week. Most mercenaries have left. Your assets have been destroyed, people are adapting to your loss, you are recovering your pets. You have the advantage of surprise on your opponents; they believe you dead, and the ruins of your kingdom are in the process of being shared, rather than already shared away. You can still take it back.
[ ]One month. Your enemies are gone. Everyone believes you are dead. The world has moved on. All that you had has been replaced. On the one hand, getting back on the stage will be very hard, as the vacuum has long been filled. On the other hand, you have the element of surprise, as no one expects you to come back.
[X]One month. Your enemies are gone. Everyone believes you are dead. The world has moved on. All that you had has been replaced. On the one hand, getting back on the stage will be very hard, as the vacuum has long been filled. On the other hand, you have the element of surprise, as no one expects you to come back.
[X] One day. The ashes of your haven are still warm, and your enemies are still on the prowl. You have an occasion to counterattack right away, before anyone has digested your disappearance. Strike back hard and fast, and dodge the people still looking for any trace of you and yours.
Incidentally, @Omicron, you had Wolfe refer to her ghoul as female when she first started helping the middle aged woman. Might wanna edit that.
[X] One day. The ashes of your haven are still warm, and your enemies are still on the prowl. You have an occasion to counterattack right away, before anyone has digested your disappearance. Strike back hard and fast, and dodge the people still looking for any trace of you and yours.
[X]One week. Most mercenaries have left. Your assets have been destroyed, people are adapting to your loss, you are recovering your pets. You have the advantage of surprise on your opponents; they believe you dead, and the ruins of your kingdom are in the process of being shared, rather than already shared away. You can still take it back.
[X]One day. The ashes of your haven are still warm, and your enemies are still on the prowl. You have an occasion to counterattack right away, before anyone has digested your disappearance. Strike back hard and fast, and ddge the people still looking for any trace of you and yours.
