Fandom Vampire: The Masquerade: Chapter 3: Setting Aside Grievances

[Captain Gabriel]

I agree!

And if we have time we should see about getting some better weapons just in case, like say a second Katana or a Wakizashi which is usually the companion weapon to a Katana.

Me agrees.

 

[Birdsie]

Dalamus Ulom Captain Gabriel Rin Nyx Archdemon

You call a cab.

~~~~

"So the Prince wants you to be his backup fighter?"

"It seems that way," you nod. The cabbie is simply driving you to a store with antique weapons that you will require. "However, he is manipulating you. He lied to you and has no intention of helping you. Indeed, you're there only so he can flee like a coward while you die in his stead. If you survive this task, you will without a doubt become a local sensation. For to beat a vampire such as the one you are tasked with is... laborious, to say the least."

You gulp. "We're here," the cabbie says.

Do you ask him anything before departure?

1. Nothing.
2. "What if I diablerize the Lasombra?"
3. "What if I don't go there?"
4. "What if I reveal the Prince's plot to the Lasombra?"
5. "Would it be wise to join the Sabbat?"
6. Write-in.

 

[Captain Gabriel]

Dalamus Ulom Captain Gabriel Rin Nyx Archdemon

You call a cab.

~~~~

"So the Prince wants you to be his backup fighter?"

"It seems that way," you nod. The cabbie is simply driving you to a store with antique weapons that you will require. "However, he is manipulating you. He lied to you and has no intention of helping you. Indeed, you're there only so he can flee like a coward while you die in his stead. If you survive this task, you will without a doubt become a local sensation. For to beat a vampire such as the one you are tasked with is... laborious, to say the least."

You gulp. "We're here," the cabbie says.

Do you ask him anything before departure?

1. Nothing.
2. "What if I diablerize the Lasombra?"
3. "What if I don't go there?"
4. "What if I reveal the Prince's plot to the Lasombra?"
5. "Would it be wise to join the Sabbat?"
6. Write-in.

2.

 

[Dalamus Ulom]

Dalamus Ulom Captain Gabriel Rin Nyx Archdemon

You call a cab.

~~~~

"So the Prince wants you to be his backup fighter?"

"It seems that way," you nod. The cabbie is simply driving you to a store with antique weapons that you will require. "However, he is manipulating you. He lied to you and has no intention of helping you. Indeed, you're there only so he can flee like a coward while you die in his stead. If you survive this task, you will without a doubt become a local sensation. For to beat a vampire such as the one you are tasked with is... laborious, to say the least."

You gulp. "We're here," the cabbie says.

Do you ask him anything before departure?

1. Nothing.
2. "What if I diablerize the Lasombra?"
3. "What if I don't go there?"
4. "What if I reveal the Prince's plot to the Lasombra?"
5. "Would it be wise to join the Sabbat?"
6. Write-in.

2.

I concur.

 

[Birdsie]

I concur.

Idea, let's diablerize a Tzimisce and then a True Brujah. Biological Manipulation + Time Manipulation = Kono Dio Da!

Dalamus Ulom Captain Gabriel Rin Nyx Archdemon

"What if I... perform diablerie upon him?"

He smirks. You're pretty sure the question amused the mysterious taxi driver. "Diablerie of an elder? Such a heinous, unacceptable crime. Just the fact you consider it proves you are more than willing to set aside humanity in exchange for power."

You stay silent, not knowing what to say.

In response to your silence, the cabbie pulls off his sunglasses and chuckles. "Ha-ha... ha..." And then, suddenly, he looks up at the roof of the taxi and begins laughing like a maniac. "Ha-hahaha, hahaha... fufu-hahahaha, hahahahahaha! HA-HA-HA-HA-HA! HO-HO-HO-HO-HO! HEH-HEH-HEH-HEH-HEH! HAW-HAW-HAW-HAW-HAW----" he cuts abruptly. His laughter was surprisingly dark. Very menacing, as if he was laughing at some ironic turn of events you have no idea about. He continues to chuckle under his breath and looks back forward, a bit more calmly. You start questioning exactly which person in the cab is more demented.

"Oh, this is rich. First of all, childe of Caine. The diablerie of an elder will not be easy. To commit the crime of diablerie is to be the ultimate predator -- only timing, skill, and embrace of your inner beast within will allow you to do that. But yes, I believe you can do it if you plan things correctly. If you fail to do so, however, and you fail to be the ultimate predator, you will soon see what a terrible mistake you made... or not. What you see might just be your end."

You take heed and consider his words, then get out of the cab. "And remember, it is the blood of Caine which makes our fate," he says.

Upon getting out of the taxi, you look back to pay the fee, but... how? The taxi isn't there anymore. Was this all imagined?

...

...

Are you truly insane?!

You question your sanity. Is this your clan curse? You can't be certain. You don't know. It's perplexing! Is the taxi driver providing you with this knowledge just a manifestation of your insane mind, or is he a truly powerful being? Is he some kind of inner knowledge dwelling within you?... You start questioning reality.

Was that all... just a... vision? Or was it something more?

Creepy.

Without further ado, you enter inside of the shop and buy several swords, wakizashi, ninja stars, kunai knives, and other armaments. Once you are stocked on everything you'll need, you remember that you can't use them at all, since that'd blow your cover. Well, shit.

You call a new cab, but a different taxi driver is in it. A 'normal' one so to speak.

~~~~

Returning to your apartment, you once more attempt to connect yourself with the Clan...

You succeed. Voices whisper advice in the shadows. You hear the knowledge flowing into you from Malkav's web of madness. (No vitae cost on the next use of Obfuscate.)

Time Left: 41 minutes.

1. Wait the rest of the time out.
2. Write-in.

Vitae: 100%

 

[Archdemon]

2. We should train ourselves and also try to make ourselves seem like the prince in stature, voice, movement. And we should also try utilizing how best to use the smoke thing the prince will set up so we can attack stealthily and quickly. We must become a true ninja for the Harsh Battle to come.

 

[Birdsie]

2. We should train ourselves and also try to make ourselves seem like the prince in stature, voice, movement. And we should also try utilizing how best to use the smoke thing the prince will set up so we can attack stealthily and quickly. We must become a true ninja for the Harsh Battle to come.

Our Obfuscate level does that for us. Level 3 of Obfuscate lets us perfectly appear like another person. The same height, mannerisms, voice, body language, and other traits. Even if we don't perform them, it will seem that way. It's a perfect spying tool. The Kuej-jin, for comparison, can do a similar thing by shapeshifting, but their version is imperfect, as it garners only appearance and voice. Obfuscate is a more magical than biological Discipline, and as such, it allows for perfectly copying someone's personality. We say: "Senpai," and it seems like we're saying: "Dear Archibald," to everyone around us. Obfuscate has us covered, so to speak.

 

[Birdsie]

Our Obfuscate level does that for us. Level 3 of Obfuscate lets us perfectly appear like another person. The same height, mannerisms, voice, body language, and other traits. Even if we don't perform them, it will seem that way. It's a perfect spying tool. The Kuej-jin, for comparison, can do a similar thing by shapeshifting, but their version is imperfect, as it garners only appearance and voice. Obfuscate is a more magical than biological Discipline, and as such, it allows for perfectly copying someone's personality. We say: "Senpai," and it seems like we're saying: "Dear Archibald," to everyone around us. Obfuscate has us covered, so to speak.

To clear this up a bit more. Obfuscate isn't just "invisibility that gets stronger as you level up." It's a diverse, expanded tree of powers focused solely on deception and stealth-craft. Early levels make shadows embrace us and make us less visible to those around us. Adept-level ones like this one let us mimic other people, and Mastership (level 5) lets us turn a whole group 100% invisible. Then we get to the Elder powers (level 5 to 10,) that lets us do some ridiculous bullshit, like cloaking objects and rooms, having people blatantly accept us as nonexistent so long as we don't become violent, and do the mimic/shapeshift thing that we'll do during the duel to a group of people, whether they want it or not. Some higher level stuff even lets us hide from Auspex-users.

 

[Archdemon]

To clear this up a bit more. Obfuscate isn't just "invisibility that gets stronger as you level up." It's a diverse, expanded tree of powers focused solely on deception and stealth-craft. Early levels make shadows embrace us and make us less visible to those around us. Adept-level ones like this one let us mimic other people, and Mastership (level 5) lets us turn a whole group 100% invisible. Then we get to the Elder powers (level 5 to 10,) that lets us do some ridiculous bullshit, like cloaking objects and rooms, having people blatantly accept us as nonexistent so long as we don't become violent, and do the mimic/shapeshift thing that we'll do during the duel to a group of people, whether they want it or not. Some higher level stuff even lets us hide from Auspex-users.

Oh! If that's the case then we should at least train combat wise against such a foe.

 

[Birdsie]

Oh! If that's the case then we should at least train combat wise against such a foe.

For an Elder such as him, I doubt he'll bring along any weapons. There's just that spot in vampiric growth where you get so powerful that weapons become useless because they don't change the damage you do to others anymore, especially for old ones. Indeed, while our Obfuscate will shield our katana and make it look like a normal Renaissance-period rapier/saber to compensate and make it look more aligned with what the Prince would pick, I doubt it will be of much actual use in the fight. You have to remember that no matter what we do, this is pretty much a suicide mission. Once the Prince starts failing, we step in, and at that point, the enemy will most likely be at anywhere from 30 to 66% strength. Still, 30% strength for him is 30% of a vampiric Elder, which means he's still at least thrice as strong as us.

 

[Dalamus Ulom]

Birdsie really miss this. Any possibility of this ever getting restarted?