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RPG Records: In the footsteps of our Ancestors
 

Out of the Frying Pan -Night 2

The wannabe Crows awake together and feed from the fresh collection of bodies chained up at the temple. These vampires seem to think nothing of it. Two nights ago Hanzo would have been horrified and appalled now he feeds with casual indifference. Ivan jumps back up and climbs out through the hole in the floor, Lucinda springs up through it, Hanzo looks, retraces his steps and finds the stairs.   The Hall floor is cleared and a scaffold-like structure spans where the ground floor ceiling wasn’t. Hanzo looking down at it from the second floor notices that it has mounting points with what looks like wrist and ankle straps. It looks like you could string an entire pack up there. Hanzo felt very nervous. The Bishop and Ruth were in tense discussion, as Ivan and Lucinda approached, it went quiet. Ruth turned to them and said precisely and clearly “Get Hanzo and then bring me the gift” Ivan and Lucinda looked blank, you want us to get Hanzo for a gift? She repeated slowly and carefully. Somehow she makes you feel stupid, and like a little child all at once. “Get Hanzo and then bring me the gift NOW”
Ivan and Lucinda hurry off to find Hanzo. They were both quietly questioning, ‘was she going to sacrifice Hanzo?’ They repeat Ruth’s message to Hanzo. With a flash of insight, relief floods Hanzo and he leads Ivan and Lucinda out to Ruth’s jeep, revealing the 12 bound forms in the back. Blood buffing their strength they carried two each quickly depositing them at Ruth and the bishop's feet. The bishop gave a slight nod of acceptance to Ruth and the bodies are removed.
Soon the perimeter of the hall was full. With the Crimson Crows standing at the base of the dais under guard. Bishop steps up.   As a brother,
we welcomed you to us.
We were blood
We have been betrayed,
Tonight we nurture our vengance
Tomorrow we hunt until not a drop of your blood remains   Theatrically he indicates for the guilty to be attached to the scaffolding. The guards move in tight around the Crows as Carl and his 12 companions are ceremoniously strung up. Each vampire presents themselves to the bishop and adds their blood to the vaulderie bowl. They then go and question? Torture? the sacrifices. Taking a taste or some marking themselves with blood. Soon the air is alive with screams and shadows as the congregation grows enraged and shatter their tie with Carl. Finally, the Crimson Crows are given Carls remains to shred and devour as the other packs stand witness. Each packs priest fills their Vaulderie bowl and passes it around. Each packs rite seems highly personalised.   Ideas of carnage start being voiced as packs start planning an evening of revenge and mayhem with the knowledge they just gleaned and soon competing calls are taken up as packs have overlapping goals of destruction. The hall empties in a matter of minutes leaving the bishop and his immediate circle to restake and store the remaining 12 playthings for later.
Ivan and Lucinda follow the crowd in Ivans somewhat squashed car. Hanzo gets into Ruths Jeep. The horde charges across the causeway to Miami Beach where they go beserk leaving trails of destruction. Ivan plays dodgems as he careens down the street eventually crashing his car through the front of the club where they had found Carl before heading back to the Temple.
Ruth drives quietly around the edges of the chaos. Looking intently. After a bit, she too heads back to the Temple. Only one other car and bike have returned. The hall has been restored to its usual cluttered abandoned look.   Within minutes of returning Hanzo hears tyres and gunfire. He senses danger and melts into the shadows. Ivan and Lucinda head back to the remains of Ivans car. Hanzo creeps around the attackers right flank crouching low to avoid the exchange of gunfire. He drew his fathers knife.
As Ivan and Lucinda drive guns blazing towards the attackers left front, Hanzo slits his first throat. Curiously he noticed that the wound did not heal rapidly. He tried calling the dagon again for the second before quickly returning to the knife.       The repeated crash and shoot tactics of Ivan and Lucinda also took their toll, leaving a battered collection of corpses on the ground. Survivors came out to join in the feast on the remains. After cleanup Ivan, Hanzo and Lucinda shared in their vinculum. They seemed to celebrate it somewhat differently to the Crows. Valuing Persistence, loyalty, cunning. Using a ritual blade to cut the offered arm, stirring with the blade. Ivan was curious to the differences. After observing, Hanzo noticing Ruth was not there and goes off looking for her. About half of the rest of the packs came back in dribs and drabs over the evening.    There is still no sign of Ruth, and no one has heard from Real, Sunshine or Tyrone. As the night draws to a close the three of you lie on your beds looking at two empty dirt pillows trying to make sense of the last 48 hours. Both Hanzo and Lucinda feel the absence of their new pack quite strongly.  
Cerri

Cerri

0
RPG Records: In the footsteps of our Ancestors
 

Out of the frying pan Night 1

Carls remains are thrown into the boot of Ivans car and all three of them get in, Lucinda riding shotgun. As Ivan turns onto the bridge he notices they have a tail. Ivan floors it and weaves back and forth across the lanes. The Chrysler gets closer. Gunshots rip through the skin of Ivans car peppering it like a giant dot-to dot. Ivan pulls on the handbrake, spinning the car broadside for Lucinda’s vengeance. She hits the front passenger in the throat, and Ivan drives off again. The Chrysler doesn’t give up, its next round of fire shatters the back window. Ivan hits the breaks and they slam up the rear of his car. Hanzo turns to look at the remains of the boot, there was maybe a third of it left.      Two more cars pile up behind. Four gunmen emerge from the Chrysler, spraying Ivan’s car with automatic gunfire. Hanzo launches himself out of the back window and over the bridge rail with surprising agility. Lucinda picks off another one with her trusty shotgun as Ivan hitting the accelerator, wrenches the wheel and drives off.   Hanzo, hanging by one arm, tries to obfuscate into the shadows as one of the assault-rifle-wielding (Wtf?) Chrysler passengers comes over to investigate. He is so close Hanzo can smell him. The odour an odd mix, as if spring and decay were dancing in his nostrils. In one fluid action Hanzo pulls the gunman over the edge dropping him into the water below. Carefully he negotiates his way under the bridge to the other side. The remaining gunman was definitely a vampire. Police sirens now drawing closer, Hanzo decides to leave him. Ducking back under he heads off after Ivan.   Ivan had noticed Hanzo’s rapid exit. He swore, parked the car at the other end of the causeway and waited. 20 minutes later Hanzo emerges from the shadows it was now 3:30   15 minutes later the remains of Ivans car was crawling the backstreets of Little Haiti. They were clearly and obviously watched. Neither Ivan or Lucinda ventured here as humans, it was near those places you just didn't go. ‘The Bishops’’ looked like a decrepit fortress although the chainlink fence seemed sturdy enough.   Here there was a clear simple display of force. Like a pack of wild dogs They were sprawled across access points and rooftops with their peers. As Ivan moved to park the car around the side, his path was blocked by a group who suggested he had lost his way. Ivans reply showed more confidence than he felt. “I need to see bishop, about traitor” The group parts allowing the car through but they keep them constantly surrounded. When Ivan parks the car, he and Hanzo are led inside, leaving Lucinda waiting with the car (and hopefully the remains of Carl). Within moments of Ivan and Hanzo’s departure gang members are lounging all over the vehicle
Ivan and Hanzo are escorted up the front steps. No one moves aside for them but no one blocks their way. There is something almost feral? Primal? about them.   There were strategically placed thugs around the ground level access points inside and about 30 vampires on the top floor balcony. Scattered conversations stopped as heads turned to watch the trio enter the hall. Hanzo and Ivan peered down the hole in front of them. Couldn’t see much, just shadows moving, but it smelt good. Ahead, on the dais stood 5 people. Ivan approached stating he needed to see the bishop. One asked “Who is your Prior?” Ivan answered “Real” ”ahhh Crow wannabees” replies the One as Hanzo answers “Ruth” The spectators returned to their conversations. (Ivan makes an 'Annoying Little Girl' comment to Hanzo, and a lady standing next to the One who questioned them conceals a smile poorly) “Is the bishop here?” pressed Ivan “Yes he is” answers ‘the One’ and they hear the rest of the Crimson Crows enter.
Not wanting to lose his percieved advantage, Ivan quickly sums up to the group in front of him. “Tell Ivan ‘Carl is traitor’ get Carl.' Ivan get Carl. Annoying little girl says 'Not Carl, just looks like Carl', Ivan get new Carl, bring to bishop.” The room comes alive with angry conversation. Words like interrogate and traitor were flashing around and it wasn’t all about Carl. They all felt very vulnerable.
“You have brought him?" commanded bishop, all pretense dismissed, "Show me.” Ivan explains he is in the boot, he hopes (very worried look from Real)… and soon Carl’s remains -well what was left of them were carefully carried in by Lucinda he looked more like a desiccated mummy than a partially burnt corpse.   Three others joined the bishop around the body. It looks nothing like the body they put in the boot. Ruth looks at Hanzo in disappointment. Had he learned nothing?   One of them, muttering quietly, cut their arm and let the drops fall to what was left of carls mouth. As it did the nearby tissue started to regenerate, as it did another slowly carefully slid a stake through Carl’s chest. Once Carl resembled a corpse again a bloodbag was called for and he was fed properly. Attention returned to the Crows. One by one, each had their memories sifted through by the bishop. It hurt a lot took far to long and he was very nosey, often examining what seemed trivial moments.
Sunlight breaching, The bishop stood up. “We hold judgment tomorrow night.” he said and left through a small doorway behind the dais. The group was escorted down the hole, offered leftovers from the night's feed and shown through to a room off a corridor that seemed to be in the apartment building behind the temple.
torporus Carl was relocated somewhere safe.   As the crows prepared to settle in for the day, Sunshine bit her wrist chanting " We observe the Rites," and let her blood spill into the bowl. She followed with "We act with honour, Strength and Unity" licking the wound closed, the cup was passed around with each of the Crows following suit. When the cup was returned to her, she mixed the blood with her finger saying something quietly to herself. She then held it high saying "Always for the Sabbat," gestured to the others in a 'toast' like motion "Always for the Pack" then finishing with "Always for Freedom" she drank her portion and passed the cup. Each of them copied and drank their share. before sleep Hanzo noticed Tyrone get a little bag of dirt and shape it like a pillow for sunshine and a second one out for himself. On asking, Hanzo is told it is the cost of their blood, their power. Ivan is curious.
Cerri

Cerri

0
Game Reviews
 

Deceit: The Friend Experience

Deceit is a game that will test your relationships when played with friends, whether it be how your friends trust you, how well you could deceive them or even how well they could deceive you. 

The game having launched on the 4th of march 2017 is by no means a new release but it does something that no other titles have with much success, its objective is to test if you can be stealthy, incognito and fly under your friends radars to win or if you can go full balls to the wall and score wins while convincing your friends that they have been deceived. Having played many hours with groups of 5 friends and trying both strategies I can say first hand they both work and the best way to fail is fall complacent with your strategies instead of constantly evolving. 

The objective giving you are innocent is to survive and escape the map, there will be three stages each with its own fuses and fuse boxes, when the lights go out you must retrieve the fuses and put them in there place with in the fuse box to progress. However while the lights are out you won't be alone, 2 of the 6 players will be murderous creatures trying to stop your escape and if they have enough blood or you take to long in finding the fuses they will hunt and try to kill you. If you survive that and make it to the final area and have successfully installed all the fuses a escape route will appear and you may live to escape another day. 

Being an infected however means you will be searching high and low sourcing blood bags to enable you to transform in to the murderous creature you are when the lights go out. Your own prey will be your biggest adversary as you try to avoid detection and stop the innocent players escaping. 

There are many traps and gadgets spread through out the map that can help both sides given the right opportunity from guns to traps, flashlights to cameras these can be the difference between losing and winning. 

Somethings can go wrong however, my group experienced game crashes, bad performance and connection difficulties but given that this game is absolutely free with most if not all micro transactions being for cosmetics available through playing the game it feels extremely well built. 

Given the fun this game has provided with my friends and I, I would recommend you give it ago and have a try yourselves, having hours into it I would give it a solid 7.5/10 and hope to see the game progress and receive more content. 

7.5//10


https://playdeceit.com
https://store.steampowered.com/app/466240  
corvette81

corvette81

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ConsKrypt Dev Blog
 

A step into the unknown

Recently I have taken the steps of learning Unity and what I can say is I already have learned so much in the last few weeks of messing about. I am yet to take any of the official tutorials because its near guaranteed that it will be ~45-60 mins of useless shit talk, 4-5 mins of actual information deemed vital.   I know, I know... "These tutorials are set up with complete newbies in mind" - Yeah sure, but you see they expect that in every tutorial up on the official tutorial archives and I don't have the time nor the attention span to sit there listening to some droney sounding instructor, these cunts put me to sleep in my schooling years..... So as it turns out, I have just made shit a little tougher on my self because I refuse to sit for how ever many episodes at the average of an hour a piece, to me it just doesn't seem valuable at all in regards to time spent to things learned when you can always trial and error and usually learn a fuck tonne more then sitting through an hourish of a tutorial on one subject, for example an hour on how to serialize data with save and load methods is total bullshit.

Anyway, I have spent a few days making some simple assets in blender, rigged up some humanoid characters (not all bones are there currently, just important ones, placeholders don't need to be perfect, just need to be about right) I have also received some assets from @corvette81 which I must say is very kind of him to offer his time to the cause with some assets to play with, thanks bud

Now if you have read this far and still wondering what my plan is with all of this, you are going to have to keep reading some more because I'm not spilling my secrets just yet, but there will be a project released at the end of it all. I will admit, the task I have assigned myself is a pretty large task indeed but shouldn't be unachievable at all, there are just a few systems I need to develop because I don't have the funds freely available to throw at the project to buy premade assets of the quality that I would like, so I have to make them myself, and that is the path that has been set in stone.

Now before anyone asks (because people have already offered and I have declined) I am currently not accepting donations towards the project as there is NOTHING in terms of gameplay to show, I would feel as though I am doing wrong by accepting donations for nothing to show in return, If you are  interested in helping the cause, please sit on that donation thought until I have a small showcase to show something off with my placeholder assets  & a few select free ones that fit the bill.     Things I will release about the project are as follows;   Set in the current day, day/night cycles, weather system, AI, AI Animals, First Person, Street racing, Smallish "Open World" 2048kmx2048km (working towards larger "maps") Have a mod api already started to allow mods and testing for those who are special enough
ORIGINAL "map" will be entirely in Australian environment - Mythical location, Real Australian landmarks (Reasons being, I'm not recreating peoples neighbourhoods, procedural generation modes**) **=Not Decided Its about cars, Motorsports - Road(with AI/MP Traffic), Track Events, Offroad Events   I could keep going but i'd eventually give too much away and potentially loose my project idea to someone else who knows exactly what they are doing, because when I say its been a long time I have been waiting for a game to fill this void in me since I thought of it when I was a child playing my fathers Commodore 64. I wish I had of picked up this earlier as  it would now be much further in development and I would have something more to share that would be of interest other then this wall of text you are reading now.   I have been waiting for this game for too long now, and I do not know why it has not been made yet by any game developers out there, there are games that have come REAL close to it (not naming games, will give it away) but none have hit the nail on the head or come close to being a true game to fill the particular genre.

Next blog, more secrets will be revealed about The Project,

Cheers for reading!
~ConsKrypt
RPG Records: In the footsteps of our Ancestors
 

A burning Quest Night 1

In the dimly lit shadows of the Winn-Dixie carpark, the Crows gather around the boot of Ivan’s car. A staked 'Green Station Wagon Driver/SMS guy' in the boot.   Real whispers? Mouths? It is more visible than audible. Finger to his lips, a partial gesture to back up, an indication to new the trio.  "Follow him, you’ll find Carl."   Ivan locks the passenger doors of his car and backs up. All but Real melt into the shadows.   Real quietly pops the boot and, biting his wrist, hisses softly as he smears a small amount of blood across the captive’s lips. "Quick, get out of here while you can. Tell Carl he owes me." and removes the stake. The vampire, looking confused, hungry and hunted tumbles out of the boot. Dragging himself up he hesitates, not sure if it’s safe to run or not. Realising he has no choice, he lurches to the outer edges of the car park where he is overcome by the beast and reduces a nearby vagrant to a pallid husk. As his hunger abates, he staggers back overwhelmed with grief and shame at his actions. Now as scared of himself as he was of his captors, he races from the scene towards the intertown bus stop. Activating celerity Ivan and Lucinda race silently after him, his goal soon becoming clear to them.   Knowing he would be unable to keep up, Hanzo chooses to remain with Ivan's locked car, but the other crows do not reemerge from the shadows.  Ivan, returning for his car, collects Hanzo and heads for the highway.   As Lucinda watched, their quarry attempted (unsuccessfully) to tidy up a little before boarding the bus. Desperate to stall them for as long as she could, she too boards but plays dumb about the fare. When pressed she spills ample coins over the floor in a last-ditch attempt to gain more time. The frustrated bus driver closes the door and drives on with them both while Lucinda, blocking the doorway, collects the spilt coins. In the light GSWD easily recognizes her. Unwilling to risk breaching the masquerade, as soon as the bus crosses the river to more neutral turf, he slips off through the rear exit. Lucida is still 'collecting spilt coins' and arguing with the driver when he alights. seeing this she hurriedly pays her fare, declaring “She must be let off this bus immediately!” the driver gladly deposits her at the next stop – a block up the road, Lucinda rushes back, anxious to find him.   Ivan and Hanzo turned onto the highway to see the bus pulling away from the stop with both GSWD and Lucinda clearly visible through it's well-lit windows. Without hesitating, Ivan accelerates hard deftly catching up to and trailing the bus. Seeing the bus pullover and their target exit, Hanzo slips out and into the shadows to quickly follow, leaving Ivan to find and recover Lucinda. Hanzo cuts through between dark office buildings towards Bayfront Park. Queueing for the Miami Beach bus with GSWD, He takes the opportunity to furtively touch the Vampire and attempt to focus on his own blood and call the dagon.    After waiting in Ivan’s car for about 15 minutes Ivan and Lucinda realise that neither of them have Hanzo’s phone number (or even last name). They have no way of contacting him. Hoping the Crows have a solution, Ivan texts Real with an updated location and informs him that Hanzo is currently trailing their quarry.   Hanzo tails GSWD all the way to a nightclub opposite Lummos park in Miami Beach. Still hiding in the shadows, Hanzo follows GSWD into the club where he finally sights Carl sitting in a far corner booth with a couple of women.     Hanzo texts Ruth (the only number he has) with Carl’s location. Real forwards it onto Ivan and Lucinda, who drive straight over -thankfully this early in the morning the drive can be managed in about 10 minutes…Ivan, bored of waiting, manages a comfortable 9. Hanzo sees Lucinda and Ivan appear at the door to the club.   It was obscenely rich and decadent. Red leather and neon with laser lights slicing through the air dancing with the heaving crowd and thumping bass. Bottle girls leaning over private tables stripping every last dollar off their clients.       Scanning the crowd they locked eyes with GSWD who immediately informed Carl of their arrival. Ivan melts into the crowd as Carl highlights them to the bouncers at the door. Three bouncers swiftly block Lucinda path, requiring her to leave. Even as she protested they picked her up and removed her -face first onto the concrete outside. Lucinda recovers, activates celerity and fires two shots at the backs of the departing bouncers. The sound triggers chaos and panic on the streets, Lucinda doesn't notice -she watches them quickly heal from the hit in as the third bouncer turns and sends her back to the ground with a right hook. The bouncers return to the innards of the club while Lucinda lays there in shock and disbelief. She needed better ammo.   Hanzo, still concentrating on calling Dagon notices Ivan maneuvering around towards GSWD and Carl. Carl sees the bouncers return and stands; wavering slightly. Running with, and now from, the Sabbat was taking its toll. Almost bemused, he led the group over to the far side of the bar.   Hanzo triggers the call (with no noticeable effect) then slips over the bar in front of them and into the delivery room beyond. Ivan follows the foursome but is blocked again by a bouncer…maybe a personal security detail? Ivan dominates the bouncer saying that Carl’s life is in danger. The bouncer follows after Carl determined to save him, Ivan follows after the bouncer.   Lucinda stands up, brushes herself off ignoring the stares of scared but curious bystanders and their phones. She walks around the side of the building looking for another way in and spies a roller door.   Carl, then 'GSWD' and the two women, walk past Hanzo. As Carl presses the button to open the roller door, Hanzo uses quietus. The surrounding area goes silent like someone pressed a ‘mute’ button, just as the bouncer shoots the garage door mechanics to stop Carl from walking into danger. Ivan rushes in for the attack, shooting for the knee as Carl climbs under the door.   'GSWD' grapples Ivan while the women run off silently screaming in terror. Sinking his teeth into 'GSWD' Ivan barely gets three blood points before he is shaken off. Lucinda fires her shotgun encountering a repeated ammo fail (These bullets are useless?!) as Carl runs past her toward the main road. Ivan rolls under the door after Carl, dodging 'GSWD’s fresh attempt to maul him. GSWD and Hanzo follow.   Lucinda chases Carl to the main street where he lunges at her before attempting to escape in a car. Hanzo spits/vomits 2 litres of tainted blood on them sapping both Carl and Lucinda’s stamina. Lucinda once again fires -this time her shotgun leaves permanent damage on Carl. Hanzo climbs to the roof of the club. Ivan shoots at the vehicle (and with an amazing all crits roll) causing a cigarette lighter on the parcel shelf to explode. With the car being rapidly engulfed in flames and his arm alight, Carl frenzies and runs. So does everyone else, just as the police arrive.   Hearing the arrival of the police, Ivan turns to go but stares transfixed. It was beautiful. The fire, the chaos, the burning, the flashing lights. Struggling to gain control, he walks towards the police. Playing victim, he indicates there are four persons of interest back around the corner. As they look where Ivan points, Lucinda celerities out and drags the now toporus flaming Carl around the corner. She barely makes it around the corner before dropping him as the panic takes over. A block further on she regains control and feeds.   While one of the police moves towards Ivan to investigate, the other turns to call reinforcements. Ivan grabs the adventurous one, feeding and racing around the corner. Now freshly fed and confronted with Carl he rips off the still burning arm off the corpse and, taking the rest, goes to find a car.  Collecting a now fed Lucinda and a still silent Hanzo, Ivan texts Real ‘We have him’ Real replies ‘meet at Bishops’. It’s nearly Three am. Four hours remaining until sunrise.
Cerri

Cerri

0
RPG Records: In the footsteps of our Ancestors
 

Not what, who? Night 1

When they get inside Carl is nowhere to be seen. Lucinda doesn’t pass on that she has met with her contact, just that ‘he’s not here yet’. Filling in time Ivan and (a rematerialised) Hanzo go to the bar. Ivan orders Vodka and Hanzo orders Saki -inviting another bout of ridicule from Ivan. The heavily pierced hipster barkeep watches the show with amusement. Ivan eventually convinces Hanzo to order vodka and the shots are placed in front of them. Ivan promptly downs his, immediately projectile vomiting it over the bar. Hanzo not to be outdone follows suit expending willpower to hold it down while he bolts to the bathroom to wretch in privacy. Ivan curses the barman for serving cheap Japanese vodka.   As Hanzo returns they both spot Carl entering the club through the fire escape. Lucinda, who was alternating between watching the door and keeping an eye on Ivan and Hanzo…well, mainly Hanzo, suddenly realized that Carl was walking with Hanzo back to Ivan.
Ivan turns on all his charm and calls out ‘Carl, come here the boss sent me…’ He proceeds to escort Carl out of the front door towards his car talking about needing to move him for his safety. Lucinda collects Hanzo and they head back to the Crows with their prize.   Ivan navigates Carl into the front passenger seat and races off ahead -Lucinda is barely able to keep him in sight -Thankfully Hanzo has some idea of where they are going. As Ivan slides into the driveway he high beams the front windows. Tyrone walks out the front to see what’s going on and Ivan says “here’s Tyrone he’ll help”. At the mention of Tyrone’s name Carl busts out of the car, Tyrone opens fire shooting wildly in their general direction. Ivan jumps out, trying to tackle Carl who escapes only to be cleaned up by Lucinda as she skids her car to a stop on top of him. Tyrone quickly jams a piece of wood through Carl's chest as Hanzo deftly removed its shoes. Ivan carries the now immobilised body into the house. Tyrone messages the others and they quickly arrive. Equally quickly Sunshine stamps, pouts and states that Carl is not Carl. Real studies Carl for a moment and agrees. This is not Carl.   Real sends Sunshine out to get a snack while he and Tyrone bind Not Carl and hang him by his feet. Ivan, Hanzo and Lucinda watch in morbid fascination as Sunshine skips back through the front door bare minutes later leading some helpful soul to their death. What comes next could be called art.  Carefully measured drops of blood are administered to Not Carl and, as they watch, the stake is removed.  He regains coherency, writhing in pain as he is decimated by fear of something they couldn’t see. He is interrogated, drained to frenzy, staked and revived as Real examines the far corners of his brain. The scope of that power, that control, is mind-blowing. Unfortunately, they don’t find out much, aside from this being a 'flesh crafted' 'dominated' double (you mean we can do this stuff???!!!) but Real can now composite an image of what Carl looks like now.   Ivan asks if they could change their appearances to look like Not Carl and Sunshine says proudly ‘Tyrone could’. While the discussion passes around who Tyrone could make look like Carl (or Not Carl) Ivan asks -Why doesn’t Tyrone do it? This leads to a very basic discussion of Viniculum, how it binds and connects the pack, protects pack members from being 'blood bound' and how it wears off after a while, but that a while would be too late -Carl will have betrayed us and we are unable at this point to retrieve him. Ivan is hungry and allowed to finish off Not Carl -safer than keeping him around. Ivan, not sated after draining the remaining three bloodpoints from not Carl succeeding in a battle of wills against his victim and sucked a point of potence out of the now decayed corpse. Lucinda searches the remains, finding a phone and a wallet. After checking out the message history of the phone she messaged the only contact with ‘help they’ve got me’ and the location. The pack immediately runs. Real presses a small slip of paper into Ivan’s hand      and says ‘Run, hide, if you are in trouble Bishop may help’ Hanzo turns to Ruth for guidance Ruth says ‘I don’t care if you run and hide or don’t run and hide, JUST HIDE’. No one offers any advice to Lucinda.
Everyone piles out the front door, The pack clear off, Ivan and Lucinda (in Ivan’s car) drive a few driveways down and park. Hanzo climbs a tree. 10 minutes later three battered sedans pull up in the driveway and 12 men storm the empty house. Suddenly a gunshot rings out, nothing, then two more and then no more. Muzzle flashes can be seen sporadically through the windows for a few moments longer then nothing. Hanzo creeps up and peers carefully into the lounge room through a chink in the curtain. Bodies of the intruders litter the floor, he can count 7. Edging around the house he eventually accounts for every intruder and discovers Ruth casually sitting on the back step.   It is totally silent, Hanzo tries to speak but no sound comes out. He asks Ruth (in charades) what she’s doing there, she answers, waiting. He goes inside and snacks on a nearby body -it tasted much better than his previous shame ridden feed -and has a quick look around collecting phones and wallets as he goes. They all seem to be severely incapacitated near dead, some unmarked, others slashed open their own blood pooling around them. Hanzo removed the cards from the phones and he goes back out to ‘speak’ with Ruth and ask her why she doesn’t call the bishop. She repeatedly tells him they’ve got to find Carl first. Eventually, Hanzo understands and, dropping what he thinks are the SIMs in the letterbox, walks over to Ivan and Lucinda gives them the phones and tells them it’s all clear but they have to find Carl. That done, he returns to invest some time in learning what has just happened with Ruth, he had apparently underestimated her.     While Ivan drives to the address on Not Carl’s license, Lucinda quickly hacks into the phones noting that the ringleaders were all messaged by the same number as the one Not Carl had been in contact with. They get to the house (about 20 min drive) and pull into the driveway. Ivan notices external security cameras and approaches out of their line of sight to learn more about the security system. It appears to be a back-to-base system with the phone number printed on the sticker. Ivan is determined to locate and remove footage of his car so he calls the security company to find out where their offices are. He calls in regards to property and is asked for the account password, not knowing it, he says he wants to speak about his account. He is told to call back during office hours and should they send a car past the premises? Ivan said no and hung up. (they sent a car on password fail) Ivan and Lucinda celerity sneak back to the car and reverse into the driveway across the road. Within a few minutes, a security car crawls along the street. it loops the area three times before Lucinda and Ivan decide to bail.  It wasn't long before the back of Lucinda’s neck started to prickle and Ivan, doubling back a few times, agreed. They were definitely being followed. Ivan ducked and weaved trying to push their hunters but not lose them. The persistent car amongst the collection was a dark green station wagon. A short game of cat and mouse turned into chicken when Ivan took a photo of the car and sent it to the driver. Lucinda saw him receive (and react) to the text, confirming what they suspected. SMS person was the same as Green Station wagon Driver. Ivan swung a U-turn accelerating at the station wagon, deliberately swiping into it as it flinched. The driver tried to escape but Lucinda and Ivan ran/shot him down. Using the staking process they had observed earlier on Not Carl they put the Driver in Ivan’s boot and set the station wagon to careen off into a nearby house. The return to their house in search of Hanzo.   Hanzo’s experience with Ruth: Managing the house
Ruth stands and turns to go back into the house, indicating for Hanzo to follow. She goes to a cupboard in the laundry and fishes out a couple of rolls of duct tape. Tossing one to him she fishes a pencil out of her apron and uses it to stake and tape the nearest intruder. She taped down both eyes, across the mouth, bound wrists and ankles taping the stake in around the chest. Gesturing for him to proceed with the others she stands back to observe / correct. When everyone is taped up she retrieves clingwrap sealing one up nice n tight again, indicating for him to do the rest. She then stacks them in the back of her jeep under a tarp. Ruth is critical of Hanzo's work demanding perfection and focus.
After, she writes the law of protection in the dirt for Hanzo to contemplate     When Ivan and Lucinda return they find Hanzo and Ruth. Ruth on seeing the contents of Ivan’s boot contacts the others and arranges to meet at a nearby supermarket carpark. Ruth drives her jeep, Ivan, Lucinda and Hanzo follow in Ivan’s car. It is now 0130  
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RPG Records: In the footsteps of our Ancestors
 

A Quick Snack -Night 1

On waking, Ivan, Hanzo and Lucinda are informed that they need to recover a particular vampire named ‘Carl’ who is betraying the pack and all Sabbat. Time is short, survival depends on it. Real (Retro Classic) gives the characters an old photo of Carl. He is short and stocky. He has long black hair and a moustache, he is the missing vampire from the night before. It is noted that it will be better for them to destroy Carl than to let him get away. Sunshine (stonefish child) cheerfully calls after them ‘failure is not an option'   Lucinda makes a few calls, and leaning on her contacts, arranges to meet at a potential sighting of ‘Carl’.   Splitting between two cars, Ivan and Hanzo follow Lucinda’s dual cab, spotlight touting, rednecks wet dream of a ute.    A short way into the ride, Hanzo decides he wants a feed first. He convinces Ivan to pull over next to a local park that has a few 'young people' drinking from a paper bag covered bottle. Not wanting to feed in public, they decide to use the house next to the park. Ivan walks around and carefully supports Hanzo stepping out of the car. Using their newly acquired disciplines to manipulate their prey, Hanzo plays the weak elderly gentleman inviting the young people in for a drink with him and they walk up to the house next to the park. Three take him up on it. Two go ahead with Ivan and one walks with Hanzo. As they walk up the front path, Lucinda realizes they’re not behind her and chucks a u'ie and returns.
The house is owned by an old Italian couple it is filled with memories, iconography and knicknacks. The wife is at the stove in the kitchen cooking bolognese, the husband is watching something on the telly with the volume quite loud.
On walking through the front door with the first two, Ivan bangs their heads together then drags them into the bathroom for a feed. While he is feeding Hanzo walks in (casting quietus as he crosses the threshold) with the remaining youth who sees Ivan feeding and draws a weapon. Lucinda appears behind Hanzo shooting the underage drinker with her shotgun. The old man who lived there emerges to get batteries for his hearing aide and Lucinda fells him with her celerity attack and reloads. Hanzo, now presented with an oozing feast frenzies. Ivan emerges from the bathroom and indicates back towards the bathroom for Lucinda. Shaking his head at Hanzo’s mess he proceeds down the hall to the kitchen. Seeing the crucifix Ivan steps back, Lucinda doesn't. She  continues forward firing her shotgun twice at the wife and returns to her car (passing Hanzo, who, having come to his senses,  is now in the bathroom showering.). Ivan shakes his head and goes into ‘damage control’ mode. Summoning his willpower he crosses the room, skirting the crucifix. Reaching the stove he turns it off, startled by severity of his response to flame. Ivan turns the gas back on puts a few household items into the microwave and runs. Hanzo, feeling an Impending Sense Of Doom leaps out of the shower, grabs a (floral) bathrobe from behind the door and races from the house.   The gas-filled kitchen ignites as the three drive off. The fire affected them all more than they cared to admit.   The rest of the drive was filled with 'settle petal' and 'once and flor-al' puns. Ivan would not leaf it alone. Lucida parks out the front of 'Heart' nightclub. Swinging down from the cab she goes straight to the bouncer (her contact) at the front door while Ivan supervised Hanzo. 
Hanzo was approaching some random. Dressed like a pop gansta, dripping with bling, he was wearing an electric blue velvet suit. Having had it pointed out to him for the last 20 minutes that 'he would not be allowed through the front door wearing only a women's floral bathrobe' he was determined to buy something appropriate.
Lucinda glances back over her shoulder at them, sighs and discretely catches up with her contact. Apparently, the guy in the photo has been there the last two nights. He is not here yet. She decides to wait inside.
After a bit of negotiating Hanzo hands Ivan $500 to exchange for the suit jacket and trousers. Ivan pockets $400 and completes the exchange. 
Hanzo returns to Ivan's car to dress then they follow Lucinda into the club. Hanzo obfuscates and sneaks inside as he still has no shirt or shoes. 
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RPG Records: In the footsteps of our Ancestors
 

The making of a shovelhead -Night 0

The three player characters in this story are Hanzo, Lucinda and Ivan.    Hanzo Tokadashi  9th generation vampire Sire Ruth of Assamite blood   Retired, personal quest Apparent age:64 Tradionalist, Rogue   I live in Key Biscayne, Miami. I am 64. When I was 29 my family was brutally murdered. It was then I found out my father had had a dark secret. He had worked with the Yakuza and fled from them to America with a large sum of wealth. He trained as an elite assassin specializing in daggers, to which I possess a family heirloom of a dagger made from silver, bound together with bamboo. Many years have passed and I am still to discover the truth around my family's death.    Quite well off, Hanzo owns a minimalist well appointed home in Key Biscayne
Merits & Flaws selected: Prey exclusion: children Vengeance: Hanzo is obsessed with Avenging his family's murder. The need for vengeance can only be overcome temporarily with the expenditure of willpower points Concentration Danger Sense   Lucinda  12th generation vampire Sire Carl of Brujah blood   Bounty hunter  Apparent age: 30’s   Loner / Bravo
Bail bondsman / bounty hunter she hires herself out to the highest bidder     She has two major contacts, one on the club scene and one at DMV. She has a Home-Office/Condo in Coconut Grove and a secret ally Merits & Flaws selected: Repulsed by garlic Police ties Deep sleeper Amnesia Absent-minded -in order to remember anything other than her name or haven she needs to roll wits or use willpower.    Ivan the Russian 11th generation vampire Sire: Real of Torreador blood   Russian wheelman Apparent age 30ish 
Rogue, Rebel     Ivan the Russian is an incredible driver (think car chase scenes from Bourne movies), he is a wheelman for the Russian mob
Strongly religious in that stereotypical eastern European mob kinda way   Ivan has contacts at the Marina and Commercial Docks and 'Ivan the Russian' is a recognised local solution, his services are generally contracted at Porky's   Merits & Flaws selected: Repelled by crosses  Repulsed by garlic  unbondable   After the players have created their human characters, they find themselves standing in Pinewood Cemetery. Part of a group of ten scared individuals unable to move staring at the empty graves in front of them.   Nico (recently returned from armed service)
Rebecca (Teacher)
Maria (psychology major spring break leftover)
John (Dentist)
Ivan (Russian wheelman)
Scott (Computer systems administrator)
Lucinda (bail bondsman)
Zafar (Boat operator)
Hanzo (elderly Japanese gentleman)
Leslie (Wastewater treatment plant and system operator)   The ten of you are huddled together in Pinewood Cemetery surrounded and immobilized by your 5 captors. An odd collection of people surrounded by an even odder collection of captors. An anglo man radiating impeccable retro classic style in jeans and a white t-shirt. A 9yo blonde haired blue eyed girl who seemed to have beige coloured spikes sprouting out of her limbs like a stonefish, a young shirtless, Hispanic man covered in tattoos, in the moonlight they look like they're moving.  A young lean waitress ( an absolute stunner) with pale skin and raven black hair, A stocky man in a black 70's suit wearing sunglasses shoulder length hair and a moustache.   Terrified by what should be farcical, you just stand there noticing stupid details, looking at the empty graves and listening to the sing-song sound of the little girl’s chanting waiting for the inevitable.   The little girl chants 'Bound in your misconceptions.
We gift you with a glimpse of self,
Starved, beaten and weak.
We gift you with the taste of power,
Empty and disillusioned.
We gift you with raw passion
Will you squander it or rise?'   The pack then descends on the 10 and drinks until the victims are left bloodless. Each pack member bites their own wrists and pours a few drops into the mortal's mouths. The Sabbat do not let the recruits regain consciousness. They bash them over the head with a shovel and throw them into graves. By the time the victims regain consciousness, they are buried six feet under.   A lust for blood drives the now-buried recruits, who must claw their way back to the surface. The potent vitae in their systems puts them in a state of what can best be called semi-consciousness, where hallucinations bombard them.    These hallucinations cause them to remember their lives in very twisted and evil ways. The violent nature of these hallucinations induces violent action in the real world. This helps them break free of the coffins holding them and dig their way out. The more they succumb to the hallucinations, the more Humanity they will lose, but the easier it becomes to dig out of the ground. Those who do not make it out of the earth that first night will never make it. They will remain half-conscious and starving for a full day, after which they will fade in and out of torpor for eternity, growing madder and madder.    Once a recruit emerges from the ground, he meets a Sabbat grave watcher who promptly knocks him out again. 
When you awaken, you find yourself in a dark chamber with two other recruits and 4 of your captors. Your head is pounding and reeling all at once. Your mind screaming in unidentified hunger   The little girl spoke "Caine said, 'A life without Power will not be worth living.'
He wept blood.
He caught the tears in a cup and drank them. 
And the darkness was lifted like a veil.
He Awakened. So shall you be awakened through Caine’s gifts."   The four True Sabbat mix a portion of their own blood into a chalice while the girl chants.   "We observe the rites
We act with honour strength and unity
Always for the Pack,
Always for the Sabbat
Always for Freedom"   The smell is intoxicating, it consumes your thoughts. You need to taste it.   They each sip from the chalice and pass it around for you each to drink.    After all have drunk from the cup, you are led away and given human victims to drink.   After this first Vaulderie, you are all given a brief rundown of your condition and a very basic introduction to a range of new abilities.    Hanzo appears to manifest Celerity, Obfuscate and Quietus.  Ivan Auspex, Celerity and Presence.  Lucinda demonstrates Celerity, Potence, and to the Sabbat's surprise, Presence. Sent to sleep away the daylight hours you drift off to heated discussion.  
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