[actual play] Vampire the Requiem - The Two Thrones

Vampire the Requiem - Manchester

Season 2 - The Two Thrones

Episode 1 - Ashen Cross

Galen awoke on the floor, face down. It was cold and concrete, and filthy. And sticky. Galen sat up and looked at his hands as his eyes adjusted to the gloom. The dirt filtered light shone down from the flickering lights above. It reflected off the blood that was caked over his hands. And there was more. It covered his face, his clothes, and his mouth tasted of it. And then there was the body. Galen brushed his lank dark hair to the side to see better. There on the stairs with him has body. A vampire. He knew this because he could sense the blood in his mouth was vitae. Galen’s eyes widen at the realization.

Where the hell am I?

Galen reached out with his senses.The rat piss stench intensified. The light from above became an stark orange. And now he could hear the sounds of cars above. He was in a carpark, in the stairwell, and he was below ground. He hurried search the body, looking for some clue to give him an idea of who they were, who she was. He skin was sunken, like stretched vellum. And her fangs were exposed.

Galen  rushed up the steps and out into the carpark. He checked the cars there, and choose an older model that was less likely to have an alarm. With his elbow he shattered the passenger window, popped the trunk and rooted about. He found and overcoat and a bag of recently worn sportswear. He then went back and quickly dragged the body to the car and bundled the corpse into the trunk. Galen then put on some of the clothes in the sports bag, as at least they were cleaner than what he was currently wearing. With that done all that was left was to drive and find somewhere to get rid of the body.

In Fallowfield, Tristan had arrived at the Lancea Sanctum mass that he had been invited to. It was a typical red brick church that was common to Manchester. There we some ghouls as guards on the gate to the grounds and at the front doors. But they were dressed like normal parishioners. Tristen stepped out of the car and smoothed his suit down and idly check himself in the mirror, for what it was worth.
At the front door of the church waiting was Sister Rebecca Castle. She was dressed in her stern suit, but also wore the muted robes of the Westminster Creed. No regal reds and purples here. Just blacks and whites and silver Chi-Rho on each breast. She greeted Tristan, thanking him for his time and for representing the Carthians, and how that she hoped that they could reaffirm the alliance between church and government as she fears that return of the Ordo Dracul to the city is just the start of darker times.
Tristan took a seat in the church, which plain, as is standard with a Protestant church. Once the front doors were shut and locked the curtains were drawn across all windows and the nights rites began.
First Castle read out notices which were all rather mundane and uninteresting. Tristan just sat at the back of the church checking his phone. But once those had all been read out the real business began. Castle had chosen to read from the Rule of Golgotha.

‘Incline your ears, O my children of the night, and let these humble words

fly to your hearts. Know that the teachings of our father Longinus are a

great burden upon us, and that the judgment of God is most justly severe.

Recognize that these words are written not at the bidding of any man, nor

any demon, but for and through the purpose of our God.’

Galen drove from the carpark, in Ancoats, near the train station, to an abandoned factory. Along the way he stopped off to buy some petrol, which he was using to soak the body and the wood piled on top of it. To make sure there would be no other evidence Galen had also smashed out the fangs from the corpse for later disposal. He looked on as the fire blazed, and it was then he got a call. It was Ruth, and she was pissed. She berated Galen for being late, and that she had heard from the dealer he didn’t show. Galen said he could meet them in 2 hours time.

Tristan watched the Lancea Sanctum rites continue, and as 3 mortals we brought before the altar. Their thoughts were slit and from the collected blood was then used as a sacrament. New members of the Covenant were anointed with blood and then the Mass was over. The gathered vampires split up into small groups to chat, and Tristan was joined by another of the Lancea Sanctum, the androgynous Nosferatu Priscus, Amanda Heath. She asked Tristan about the mass and how it work to their benefit to ensure the close relations with between the Lancea Sanctum and the Carthians.

Tristan left the church and checked his phone, noting that there was a message from Ruth. He listened to her complaint about Galen, and she said she would meet him and Galen at the Ascension club.

At the Ascension Club, Tristan was pleased to see it busy, ripe for h
unting. He made his way towards the vip area where the ghouled security kept watch. Past the curtains and into the secluded room were two other Kindred. One was the known to Tristan, Lauren Esten. She was dressed in her typically seductive attire and with her platinum hair. She had one of her herd with her and he was drowsy from being fed upon. Another man was present, dressed in a suit and with cropped curly hair. He introduced himself as Scott Hoyle and that he was looking for a missing friend and was wondering if she had come by the club. He explain that he had thought he had seen her with Galen.

Ruth arrived and showed Tristan to the store room of the club, where they waited for Galen who had picked up the goods from the dealers. Galen brought in a large sports bag and inside were parcels wrapped in brown paper and then in clingfilm. Ruth pulled out a flick knife and punctured one to show them that it was what she needed to continue manufacturing the next batch of speed. This material was just what she was cutting the speed with.

Tristan explained that there was someone in the club looking for Galen. Galen, concerned, went to see who this person was, even though they were both sure that this man was hiding something.

In the vip area Galen met Scott, and Scott explained that he was looking for Fiona Redditch, and that he had seen Galen with her. Galen dismissed it and that the woman that Scott described had not been with him at any point in the night. Scott got increasingly annoyed with Galen, and threatened that both he and Tristan would get what they deserved if Fiona was not found.

Galen, in need of more information, went to Elysium, held in the Circle Club, located under St Ann’s arcade. Galen awaited outside the black door, emblazoned upon which was a gold circle. He went inside and showed his ID and proceeded down into the club. The club was a dark and sombre place, with black slate and under lighting giving the cool glow to the venue. Galen waited for a chance to speak to the Myrmidon, Estabelle Duncanson. She wore her typical Victorian style garb. Estabelle took the time to listen to Galen’s questions, and informed him that the real Scott Hoyle had been in looking for Fiona, and that Fiona was a Invictus lacky while Scott Hoyle was of a Lancea Sanctum and believed to be romantically involved.

Galen returned to his haven, the old house back in Chorlton, and prepared to sleep for the evening. It was as he entered his ‘coffin’ that he noted something was wrong. The fangs of Fiona he had left there earlier were gone.