Vampire: Dark Ages - Scene 5: We Are Revolution

[Sabine]

I hold very still. Taduz puts me in a chair. I feel like a princess' doll.

[Goatkiller666]

Roderigo, with real fear in his eyes, rushes over to Taduz' side and stands behind his chair, to the left.

Claudio listens to Taduz' question, and replies before Miecyslav can answer. "Many of us enjoy a good wager. When you have eternity to pass, little amusements like this are like a gift from God."

"So, you childer wish to know of your sires? Then listen well, and hear of the Conspiracy of Isaac, and of Hardestadt and his foolish accord."

"Vampires are, as you might have guessed, basically immortal. Dear, dear Marchettus will never rise again, now that the Viking has fed on his soul. But yon frozen girl and your kinsman Gabrin, in a week at the most, you will be unable to tell they were ever hurt thus. And yet, like mortals, we often like to create childer to carry on our lines."

"So, what do you think happens after 500 years, when you've passed on your line, and you're still left in the world ruling your house? Those same childer are no longer weak and innocent things. They are nearly elders in their own right, and they long for a house of their own. But without natural attrition, they will forever be but minions to their sire's whims."

"Slaves, for centuries. And when we rise up and try to leave, or try to fight off our sires, all of their generation bands together to crush us. For if any of the younger cainites realize that their sires are vulnerable, there would be an uprising... why, it would be like Carthage all over again."

"That is what we are about. We are the first to rise up. These fine and noble companions of mine, they are joined with me and my family to overthrow my clan. Cappadocius and his sniveling childe Japheth. And having done that, the movement will spread to the other clans. These fine friends will lead their own rebellions, with the help of each other and the new Clan Giovanni, and we will wipe the elders from the night."

Violetta steps forward, "He romantacises things, of course. Some of us are already at war with our elders. The Niktuku of the Nosferatu are sent by our founder to destroy every last one of his clan, he hates himself so. Powerful are they, and so we hide from them. But yet, there are other threats, and Cappadocius is one of those. Tell them, Claudius. Tell them what your Grandsire plans for the world."

"Hrmph. That plan would fail anyway. There's no chance it will work."

"Just tell them what he wishes to do. Let them be the judges."

All the while, Seska is passionately, even lustily kissing the immobile Gabrin.

"Fine. Killjoy. Cappadocius, through thousands of years of studying death and the soul, has decided that... as yon viking drank the soul of his sire, one could literally drink the soul of God, and ascend to divinity himself. He searches for a way to bring God himself into the world, so that he can consume His holy essence and replace him. It is madness, I say. And just another example of why he must be destroyed. He leads the entire clan on this crazy quest to find the body of God. He entombed half of his descendants into a tomb because he thought they weren't worthy to help him on this path."

"Half! He said, 'All of you who are not Christians, go you into the cave.' And then he sealed it. They did not die in there, right away. They starved. They must have turned on each other, until one was left who had drunk the souls of all the rest. And then he too must have starved. What kind of sire would doom so many of his childer to such a fate? And yet he expects complete obedience from the rest of us."

He gestures towards the dust on the floor. "Troile slew his sire Brujah, and was then himself destroyed for it. Their clan now rages aimlessly." He then points to Violetta, "Nosferatu even now wages war on all of his childer." Waving at Al-Nasir, "Haqim hunts down all vampires, and his clan follows in his path, screaming like banshees." And yet, legend says that these same founders rose up and slew their own sires, those of the second generation. And they, in their age, rose up against mighty Caine himself, he who wore the Mark of God's protection upon his brow. The mark he received for having destroyed his own brother."

"It is the way of the world. And now it is our turn to rule."

"Hardstadt knows this. No doubt he and his fellows once were beholden to those before them, but now they will not relinquish their place. They are past their time, and yet they try to wall us in with laws of hiding. They claim that the mortals, ever our food and our playthings, are now a force to be reckoned with. They say that these same mortals we have ruled for generations are now a threat, and that we should hide ourselves away from them. And that to reveal ourselves to them is to be punished by death. This is all hyperboly. They say this so that we cannot claim power in the world, while they can destroy us for trying. They already have their power."

"Look around you to the mighty Tzimisce, your own clan." to Taduz, "They do not cower in the shadows. They rule from them. Ask any peasant in Transylvania if Vampyres are real. Ask any of them which Vampyre owns them. They will know the name of their Voivode and they will bow and grovel as they say it to you. Mortals are no threat to us now, nor have they ever been. And Hardestadt is a boldfaced liar to even imply so. And if he truly believes they are, he is also a coward, as are all those who follow him."

Claudio is nearly frothing at the mouth, now. His gestures have become very bold, sweeping and cutting to and fro. Many of the others have been muttering agreements now and then, also rising in volume as Claudio's rant continued.

All eyes turn towars Seska again, as what's left of Gabrin, his clothes and possessions tumble to the ground, filled with the dust that was his body. Seska's elongated tongue is still dangling in the air where his throat used to be.

[Seska Karantanija]

Claudio Giovanni's words echoed at the back of her head, although she was intent upon the path she was now set. Concern for Sabine forced her to show all assembled the discipline she wanted known only to the childer of the Conspirators. Her worry over leaving the situation unresolved, Hardestadt's slip of explaining the Amaranth, and desire to fulfill enough of his commands to save her family made her take another risk. Claudio's berating only inflamed the passion driving the decision.

It was simple, really. Use their own twisted morality to make her aggressive actions seem harmless. Watched by all but unseen until her prey was the one to disappear. The parallels to why they were sent and the words Claudio spoke amused her.

At least until the passion engulfed Seska. The taste of elder vitae was intoxicating. Its subtle flavors. Its power. Even when there was none left she did not want to stop. So she did not. What she finally tasted was on another level altogether. Indescribable. The very essence of a being.

The sensation stunned her for what felt an eternity but was mere seconds in reality. Regaining her wits, she retracts her tongue before turning to face the table where everyone has now gathered.

Looking specifically at Claudio, Seska Karantanija finishes an earlier thought, "Or a Slovenian Serpent...," as an utterly wicked smile spreads across her lips.

Her faces quickly takes a more peaceful countenance and she straightens her posture in an attempt to hide the confusion created by a rush of jumbled thoughts. Thoughts not entirely her own. "I do apologize for your sudden loss of wager. However, I am positively enthralled by your philosophy. Please, continue."

[Alína Nyárí]

And yet, legend says that these same founders rose up and slew their own sires, those of the second generation. And they, in their age, rose up against mighty Caine himself, he who wore the Mark of God's protection upon his brow. The mark he received for having destroyed his own brother.

"It is the way of the world. And now it is our turn to rule.

"Hardstadt knows this. No doubt he and his fellows once were beholden to those before them, but now they will not relinquish their place. They are past their time, and yet they try to wall us in with laws of hiding. They claim that the mortals, ever our food and our playthings, are now a force to be reckoned with. They say that these same mortals we have ruled for generations are now a threat, and that we should hide ourselves away from them. And that to reveal ourselves to them is to be punished by death. This is all hyperboly. They say this so that we cannot claim power in the world, while they can destroy us for trying. They already have their power."

"Look around you to the mighty Tzimisce, your own clan." to Taduz, "They do not cower in the shadows. They rule from them. Ask any peasant in Transylvania if Vampyres are real. Ask any of them which Vampyre owns them. They will know the name of their Voivode and they will bow and grovel as they say it to you. Mortals are no threat to us now, nor have they ever been. And Hardestadt is a boldfaced liar to even imply so. And if he truly believes they are, he is also a coward, as are all those who follow him."

At first confused by which path her companions were going to take, the Jewess smiles slightly at her Lady's method of concealing her intent. Turning to her own sire, she asks Casmir, "How does our own clan fit in to all this? We are considered usurpers already. Why are we not all hunted for what was done by the Tremere founders?

"As far as rising up in to our own power, perhaps I am yet too new to feel hindered by those older than I, and desire to be taught before rebelling against the established ways. But I suspect my Talmudic traditions of halacha and minhag, where we revere the words and guidance of the sages of the past, is coming more in to play.

"In what way would defeating Hardstadt and his ilk benefit us, your Childer?"

[Taduz Illyannovich]

Trying to take in Claudio's ranting and raving while seperating the facts from the propaganda...

But yon frozen girl and your kinsman Gabrin, in a week at the most, you will be unable to tell they were ever hurt thus.

All eyes turn towars Seska again, as what's left of Gabrin, his clothes and possessions tumble to the ground, filled with the dust that was his body.

Looking towards Claudio "While I do not doubt your words, it would seem to me that" nodding towards Dust-that-used-to-be-Gabran "that is a bit more final, similar to what happened to him." Nodding towards Dust-that-used-to-be-Marchettus.

To Lady Seska "M'lady, if it's not too rude of me, I must ask. Was my earlier wondering correct regarding That one?"

I must ask Miecyslav more on this, the Fop has one story, the Cur has another, he may have another. The facts appear when you take all of the stories, and see what is the same between them.

"In what way would defeating Hardstadt and his ilk benefit us, your Childer?"

Glancing to Claudio again to not step on his toes so to speak "If I may, to see if I understand you correctly. "

Unconciously falling into a instructing voice, to Alina "The Fop wants to be in control over himself, others, and perhaps most importantly his childer, because he made the latter. By his rules, he would be in charge until replaced. For his childer to rise up would be against the rules, seems it has happened before. Therefore, it would be a stagnant rulership, never changing. Our childer would be beholden to us, and theirs to us, while we are to our sires, and our sires to theirs, and so up to whomever was first."

"Slavery, hereditary, would that be the right word, slavery. Forever bound by the shackles of our elders. Those here seek to cast off those shackles, for freedom. What they do between themselves and their childer is their business." Looking to Miecyslav. "Some rightfully rule over those who have not Become more, others may pursue their own philosophies as this Cappadocius, and just as there are many peoples in this world, there are probably just as many goals amongst them. Let them seek their own fortune, fate, or folly."

"May seem hyprocritical, but really, we've left behind what we were. Those such as him" motioning neglegently towards the cowed Slave near me "Are not on the same plane of being as what we now are."

To my sire "Did I cover the gist of it?" looking to be corrected if I missed anything.

[Seska Karantanija]

Seska smiles at Taduz, "Not offal, though earthy. Solid. Yet an ephemeral quality lapping at the edges, making it hard to define."

Her left hand makes little circles in front of her as she tries to place the tastes. "Annoyance giving it a sharp edge. Disbelief causing a little explosion of flavor which turned acrid as fear and realization crept in. Finally the flavor mellowed as he understood there was no fighting his fate."

"It is unfortunate in that I doubt I will have as flavorful a meal for quite some time." She looks slightly sullen, but perks up as she walks over to Amisa, " However, I believe I understand our Sire's dinner party now, and I have had only a few days in which to comprehend."

[Olaf_Magnusson]

"I have no kin I know of to tie me to what once was. Only my honor and the Nine Noble Truths connect me to the man I once was.....yet, in the end, those things are what matter. To be able to ride with the Valkyrior, stand before the All-Father, and bear no shame, to pass into Valhalla....these change not simply because my heart no longer beats, I think. It is the SPIRIT of the warrior, the courage, that the Valkyrie is drawn to, not the pulse of the heart. But I should have passed into the Shining Halls, and that one" spit at Marchettus ashes "held me from them. It would be the act of a coward to seek my end in hope of entering now...and by that every cowardice would the doors of those Halls be ever barred to me."

Thoughtful look, "Eternal life....but spent in eternal slavery? No, that cannot be tolerated."

[Sabine]

I can't move.

Nobody is reading my mind.

Nobody is scratching my ears.

I'm so sad. But I can't cry.

[Goatkiller666]

Jadviga claps her hands enthusiastically, "My Lady Amisa, you are to be complimented on your childe's character and subtlety of wit. Most excellent well done!"

At the same time, Claudio stops his rant and turns to watch the dust billow. He mutters, "Right under my nose...". He takes a necklace from around his neck, with a key on it. "Geppen. Take this to the cellars and take out 500 gold. Bring them right back here for the Lady Almanov."

The old man scurries forward to take the key and runs off through the kitchens.

Casmir ignores all of this (including Taduz' own response to the same question) to turn to Alina and Gedeminas. "Usurpers? That must be Hardestadt's teachings you've heard. We are called that not because of our crusade against the Salubri, but because we were once mortal. We usurped the power of the Tzimisce, " here he gestures towards Miecyslav, "to become immortal. And yes, for this, that mighty clan has declared war upon our house. For centuries, the armies of the great Voivodes have tried to destroy us. But the strength of our Magicks has protected us."

"I say 'us', though I am no longer welcomed among the halls of our clan. The Tremere, perhaps more than any other clan, revere the ideals of subserviance. Like a great pyramid, everyone supports the will of those above him. And for those at the bottom, there is no ability to live to their own wills. And so, I left. There were areas of study I wished to approach, but was forbidden by those above me. Fools. And so, I came away from them, and from the Tzimisce who war against them."

"But, to answer your question, you who took your blood from my veins should view Hardestadt as the one who would shackle you and bring you back to Coeris, where your enslavement to the Tremere pyramid would begin. They have allied with him and his clan, most tightly. You must have seen his pet Sorceress, Fanchon. They hope to bring the Ventrue into the conflict to help against the Tzimisce. And so it is that hordes of German soldiers march through Romania now."

Miecyslav listens to Taduz, and says "That is the right of it. Few mortals rise above their own stratum to become Vampyre. And among those, some stay as servants to their masters, and others assume the places of their sires. There is no onus to those who try, though there's no reason to expect success in the attempt. Many are the upstart childer who believe they can rule better than their sires, who find that their sires were stronger than they had let on. But we at least wish for it to be understood that the childer will make the attempt. Only a foolish elder is surprised by this."

Geppen returns, carrying a wooden strongbox. From how he's hefting it, it's not terribly heavy, though that much gold would certainly weigh down all but the strongest of humans. He first places the box on the floor (not the table) in front of Jadviga, thaen returns to Claudio with the key.

[Seska Karantanija]

With Seska being so close, Amisa can feel the heat radiating off her. More than being flush with blood, and her normally healthy pallor, she must have spent some effort in revitalizing her body's functions. Despite this, she blushes further at Lady Almanov's compliment.

Standing near Amisa with an almost girlish nervousness, she quietly tells her while motioning to Sabine, "I will be right back. I am going to let the poor thing go, if she promises to behave."

Seska effortlessly lifts Sabine's chair far enough out to be able to squat in front of her. While brushing her hair, Seska asks, "Can you behave little one? The puppy of a proper lady does not act without her say so and you need to always remember that if you want claim to that position. No more fighting tonight, alright?" She ruffles Sabine's hair a bit more. "I am going to allow you to move. Are you calm?"

[Release her, but be ready to hold her down if still in frenzy. Shouldn't be too difficult since her strength is pumped to seven.]

[Taduz Illyannovich]

"My people have known much of people stealing from us and thinking it fitting and proper..."

Many are the upstart childer who believe they can rule better than their sires, who find that their sires were stronger than they had let on. But we at least wish for it to be understood that the childer will make the attempt. Only a foolish elder is surprised by this."

"The young always think they can conquer the elders. Oft times they learn their folly when they are beaten by the elders cunning" and looking at the Bone Sword "and what they've learn in their span to make them elders."

"Then again, arrogance can lead to even the youngest" looking to Sabine "to surpass the eldest."

To my sire "I would assure you I have no plans as such against you who has freed me from my limitations, but it appears we are a paranoid lot." smirking "and who really trusts the word of a Gypsy?"

[Sabine]

I look ashamed.

"I'm sorry, Lady Seksa. I wasn't fighting. I was just playing."

"You hurted him more than me, anyway."

I look at Seska with big puppy-dog eyes.

[I have puppy-dog eyes!]

[Seska Karantanija]

Breathing a sigh of relief Sabine has left her frenzy, she hugs her and pets her some more. "You are new to being a noble puppy. It is something we can work on, yes?" Glancing back at the dusty spot and lowering her voice a little, "I had to hurt him though. He injured my puppy. We cannot allow that, either."

[Gedeminas]

Having been too stunned by the ferocity of the earlier fighting, and late too nervous about losing his new friends, to do anything, Gedeminas heaves a sigh of relief as he realizes that they are now safe. He shrugs at the seemingly minor, to him, difference in the reason why the Tremere are called Usurpers, then shakes his head in disgust at the idea of the pyramid formation of the Tremere clan. He then goes over to Seska and Sabine, making a slight detour to collect the ashes of Wenesceslas, and, after confirming that they are both fine, asks Sabine, "What did you do to this thing that killed him? The other two seem only to have died after their blood was drunk, but you merely bit him, right?"

[Alína Nyárí]

"In what way would defeating Hardstadt and his ilk benefit us, your Childer?"

Casmir ignores all of this (including Taduz' own response to the same question) to turn to Alina and Gedeminas. "Usurpers? That must be Hardestadt's teachings you've heard. We are called that not because of our crusade against the Salubri, but because we were once mortal. We usurped the power of the Tzimisce, " here he gestures towards Miecyslav, "to become immortal. And yes, for this, that mighty clan has declared war upon our house. For centuries, the armies of the great Voivodes have tried to destroy us. But the strength of our Magicks has protected us."

"I say 'us', though I am no longer welcomed among the halls of our clan. The Tremere, perhaps more than any other clan, revere the ideals of subserviance. Like a great pyramid, everyone supports the will of those above him. And for those at the bottom, there is no ability to live to their own wills. And so, I left. There were areas of study I wished to approach, but was forbidden by those above me. Fools. And so, I came away from them, and from the Tzimisce who war against them."

"But, to answer your question, you who took your blood from my veins should view Hardestadt as the one who would shackle you and bring you back to Coeris, where your enslavement to the Tremere pyramid would begin. They have allied with him and his clan, most tightly. You must have seen his pet Sorceress, Fanchon. They hope to bring the Ventrue into the conflict to help against the Tzimisce. And so it is that hordes of German soldiers march through Romania now."

The Jewess nods as she listens to these details, yet remains puzzled.

"So the Tremere elders became immortal via their own Magicks; they did not go through the process Gedeminas and I did? How does one learn these magicks and others? Solely from one's sire? Or are there other means?

"How do we advance at all, outside of the traditions you are fighting against?"

[Goatkiller666]

While Gedeminas is collecting ashes, Amisa strolls over to where Seska and Sabine are talking. She leans down and scratches Sabine on the other side of the head from where Seska is petting her. "I see what you mean, childe. This one is much more… tractable than the other one. And if she's anything like her sire, she'll soon be more than a match for his brute strength." To Sabine, she says in a sing-song voice, "Little one, have you learned to hide, yet? Have you learned that you get hurt less when your enemy doesn't know where you are?"

She vanishes. Then Seska sees a small, thin cut appear across Sabine's cheek, and a single drop of vitae drips downwards before the wound closes. The word "Delicious." comes from nowhere in particular to both of their ears, as Gedeminas strolls up.

Casmir smirks. "There are theories. Etrius and the others don't talk much to those of us who aren't of the Seven. Some say that they all simply drained each others' blood, then drank the blood of a Tzimisce and embraced each other. I'll have none of that theory, of course. Goriatrix is too impressed with his own skill to take the easy way out. I expect they tortured some poor Fiend to find out the full nature of Caine's Curse, and then duplicated it upon themselves. We are a copy of the Tzimisce, but not actually of them." Then louder, and filled with laughter "Of course, that Fiend they used for their 'research' probably doesn't much care for the distinction."

"You learn the way we all learn, in the end. By going out and finding something interesting, then poking and prodding it until you know why it interested you. Then you move on. Oh, to be sure a young apprentice will learn at the knee of his sire for a time. But with true magic, it has always been an apprenticeship, with a solemn vow by both the master and the apprentice to teach on the one hand, and both learn and serve on the other hand. But after a time, the apprentice has learned enough. Not enough to become a master, perhaps. But enough that she may begin to teach herself."

"The most that I could hope to teach you is how to truly learn. And to do that, I might need to explain the mechanics of various occult principals. But those could be learned now or later. They're just a… scaffolding, in which you will build the walls of your own fortress. And when you are done, you will likely disassemble the scaffolding and stand entirely on your own. For this, I will exert my time and effort on your behalf, and it is only fair while you're learning to learn, your time and effort would be exerted on behalf of whatever I'm studying."

"But do not think that we are friends, or kin, or anything other than two who were working towards the same external goal while each furthering our own needs. Take it for no more than it is, and our time together will be quite fruitful for all of us. But, just as there is danger to me assuming your loyalty or your obedience, there is danger to you assuming my love or my obligation."

Again he laughs, "Still, I do so love to talk. Perhaps if you love to hear the sound of my voice as much as I, we shall get along famously."

[Sabine]

I wipe the blood off with my finger. I taste a little bit.

"I am yummy, huh?"

I hold my finger out to Seska. "Wanna taste?"

Then I listen to Gedeminas. "I... uh... I savaged him." I heard the Hounds Master use that word once. I think it's right.

To demonstrate, I shake my head back and forth really fast. I try to growl, but I giggle too much to sound serious.

[Seska Karantanija]

Seska rubs Sabine's hair a little more vigorously as she replies, "Yes, you certainly did savage him." She rolls her eyes a bit and shivers, "I could really use a different kind of savaging..." She lets it trail off with an exasperated sigh.

Trying to distract herself, she lunges at Sabine's outstretched finger and takes it into her mouth with an exaggerated 'oomph' sound. Pulling back she licks her lips and exclaims, "Yum!". Leaning in to rub foreheads she laughs while tickling and teasing, "So delicious! I am going to eat you up! Om. Om. Om."

[Alína Nyárí]

"Still, I do so love to talk. Perhaps if you love to hear the sound of my voice as much as I, we shall get along famously."

"We are taught in the Talmud:

"The pupil should always remember that through the efforts of the teacher, the world is laid open before him.

"A new world is before me. I have much to learn.

"How long does this apprenticeship of Childe to Sire last? If one does not enter such an apprenticeship, where else does a Childe learn?"

[Taduz Illyannovich]

To my sire quietly: "Are there more of us in this group, our clan I mean. I see only 10 now, each with a niche to fill. What are their roles? Former members seemed to have been raw power and Rom influence, and whatever that other one was. For all his talk of leaving them behind, the charlatan seems to be in love with his own voice, much as the Fop's pet witch was. Is that a weakness of their heritage?"

"I do not doubt your prowess in matters martial, but where does a noble of your standing fit into all this? And what niche will my companions and I fill if any? We are still learning what we are capable of."