Vampire: Dark Ages - Scene 4: In the Halls of the Dead

[Sabine]

I pet Szolt's head. Then I back up and turn into a puppy. [Protean 4]

I tell him, "We hunt deer. I'm hungry."

I run off after the pack. I enjoy just running with them.

[Alína Nyárí]

Once stabling Zoja and seeing to her comfort, Alína follows Seska in to the dining room, trying to see beyond the veil of normalcy as she was used to doing before Giovanni's dinner...

...

...and is bombarded with heightened auras of emotion nearly palpable to her touch.

Seeing the frozen blinded man, the healer focuses her attention upon him, determined to see past the frozen depiction of rage on his face to his true current emotions at the moment. (Auspex 2, please)

[Goatkiller666]

Northwest of Zombar
-------------------------

Szolt races after Sabine, quickly catching up to her. They catch up to the pack, who are spreading out into the woods looking for deer scent. Szolt says, "This is a better shape for hunting." Then he begins to sniff around as well.

Soon, one of the smaller dogs on the edge of the pack gives a howl, she's found deer. She starts out after the trail, and all the others quickly move to follow her. When they get there, Szolt tells Sabine to sniff that spot, so she'll know what to smell for later.

They course through the woods, on the deer's trail, sometimes barking between themselves. As they descend the hillside and get to a small valley, they spot a small group of deer. It's still too early for the does to have dropped their fawns, so the two females are fairly gravid. The three bucks are without antlers from the winter.

The barking dogs make no attempt at stealth. They swarm across the field, looking to surround the deer. And since the deer were all asleep, they get fairly close before the barking wakes their prey. Then the chase begins in earnest.

Szolt charges ahead, passing the two does, and immediately latches on to the neck of the front buck. It falls to the ground, pulled off balance, but still very much alive. The other deer scatter at the sight of an enemy in front, with the pack splitting in two to follow the two bucks. Years of hunting for humans have taught them not to go for the gravid does.

Szolt's buck tries to get up, to dislodge Szolt from his neck, but he can't get his legs under him to find the leverage. But Szolt can't release the buck to take a kill shot, or else it'll get away.

[Taduz Illyannovich]

Half listening to Olaf and Danukas conversation, I slide my dagger back into it's sheath.

I still don't trust it.

I'm watching Gedeminas, looking for signs he's A: Returning to animation, B: Calming down, C: All of the above.

That finger trick worked, what else can I do...

I start kneading the skin on my left hand, making designs, pushing a hole through a hand watching/feeling the bone feel like it's liquifying and flowing how I push with my other hand.

No blood either, completely sealed...

The skin sounds like a full thick wineskin being squeezed, the bone like a stretched strap on a saddle creaking as it's cinched tight.

Amazing. Utterly amazing.

I just finished making a large hole clean through my left palm, perfectly round, smooth edges, while allowing all my fingers to still work normally. I'm looking through this hole at Gedeminas when Alina walks in.

So many possibilities, so much I can do...

I turn to face her, looking at her through the hole in my hand, large enough that she can see a goodly of my face, and grin.

"Welcome back"

[Alína Nyárí]

Still concentrating on reading Gedeminas' emotions via his aura, Alína sees Taduz's injured(?) hand in her peripheral vision. Her mouth drops in a silent "O" but she holds her attention on Gedeminas for now. From what she saw out of the corner of her eye, there was no blood; no actual injury to the hand. And Taduz seemed a bit pleased with himself.

She nodded at the Rom, acknowledging his greeting but staying focused on the blind man before her. The hand can wait, Taduz. I'll ooo and aaah at whatever it is you have done when this is dealt with first, she thinks to herself.

[Taduz Illyannovich]

"He's frozen, the minor wounds were a misunderstanding, he's stuck as he was when he was afflicted. I checked him over myself, and must say it's the oddest thing I have ever seen. His spirit is fine, except for he was rather, excited, last time he was mobile"

I go back to kneading the hole closed, realigning things.

Quietly "Utterly amazing"

[Erick Shinnings]

I quickly move deeper into the forest. While I do have some knowledge of its layout, not enough for me to effectively lose my captors without losing myself. Truly, this land is strong with pagan spirits, though benign or evil, I cannot yet determine. Still, it would seem something is aiding me. Those bats, and that strange cat. Surely if that spoke to me, perhaps I could speak to yet another beast?

I look about while moving deeper into the forest, searching about for an animal that could assist me and not run in terror. ([Need GM for whether I find one?])

[Dante Nachtzehrer]

Dante continues to run after his meal. Amazed by the amount of help the devil is giving this lad, as he runs by he picks up the cat and breaks its neck, before continuing to give chase. Fueled on by the insane urge to feed, Dante runs with all his might.

[Sabine]

I bite the deer's neck. I drink blood, until it dies.

[Alína Nyárí]

The glow around the frozen Lithuanian was different from any the kabbalist had ever perceived before. Whether that was because she was seeing the aura of a non-living creature for the first time, or because she was discovering a new means of doing so, she had not the time to determine.

Gedeminas' halo was paler than any she had seen before, and was mottled with shifting colors. She attributed this to confusion at the state he found himself in. The predominate colors seemed to shift between a bright silver and dull gray, as if he fluctuated between being sad and depressed...ah, she had it. The blinded man in front of her was cringing with embarrassment at his own lack of control the rage on his countenance depicted.

She tried to look deeper, to see if any of the portrayed lack of control remained. Seeking rapidly rippling colors or any hint or purple or red, the healer saw nothing of the sort. All she saw was the mottled shifting between silver and gray.

Breaking her gaze from reading the halo, Alína turned towards her Lady. "It seems he has regained control of himself and I believe he may have been humiliated enough. Would it be possible to release him from this state before it expires on its own? I will state I am most confident he will be himself once released."

[Taduz Illyannovich]

I grumble softly something to the effect of "By Jove, what a novel thought, he's fine, I swore I heard that before."

Dark times, when the word of a learned scholar is ignored.

I extend my awareness to the surrounding area and notice they are short one puppygirl

"Lady Seska, your party seems to have gained one person, and lost one puppy. Where is Sabine?"

[Alína Nyárí]

At the words spoken in a grumble, Alína turns back to Taduz. "You're pardon, good sir. I must have missed your intent when you stated his spirit was fine but he was last known to be a bit "excited" when he was last mobile. I took that to mean his current state might still be unknown, although essentially he was well.

"I ask your forgiveness in my misinterpretation of your words."

Looking towards her Lady as the question regarding Sabine's location is asked, the Jewess waits for her to answer before stating what Sabine had told her before flying off.

[Taduz Illyannovich]

I wave my hand.

"My apologies, it's been a trying time for us all lately, my tongue got away from me."

[Seska Karantanija]

Seska shrugs at the suggestion she do something to remove it. "I can attempt, however it may make his state worse. My own paralysis wore off, if it is the same, after a short while. I think it best to not meddle for now."

To Taduz' question she replies, "She flew off. As a hawk."

She returns to her seat at the table with her compatriots. "I apologize for leaving abruptly. It was unkind of me after relaying such a tale. My moods have been ever shifting since that night."

[Alína Nyárí]

Alína nods at her Lady's answer. "Then I shall await Gedeminas' release, whenever that may be. He may need some care or attention once free of whatever trapped him this way."

As Taduz waves his hand, his no-longer-bearing-a-hole-in-the-center-of-it hand, the sight of it catches the healer's eye. Searching for a reason to continue discussion with him and draw near, she expands on her Lady's answer.

"Sabine did turn in to a hawk. Her thoughts centered on someone named Szolt and then turned to her pack once she thought of him. She flew off after saying she needed her pack and should get them.

"Did she tell you of anyone named Szolt in her past?"

As she draws near, her eyes gaze at his hand. Finally, she looks up at him and quietly asks, "I did see a perfect hole in the center of your hand when I walked in, did I not? Yet, there is no sign of it now. The healer in me begs to know: how is such done? Can it be taught to others?"

[Taduz Illyannovich]

I blink. Twice.

"It appears our...puppy, has more tricks than we thought..."

Hawk, Dog, disappears, can she mold own skin?

"She has spoken nothing of her past to me, she was content for the finer things in a puppies life. Szolt is a name I don't know."

First Johann runs off, now Sabine has taken off. I believe she's from the village, so she hopefully hasn't run too far off.

"My hand? You recall, while the Fop at the *drenched in sarcasm* League's Castle *end sarcasm* was yelling at me, before he put his flaming friend in my face, he pulled off me toe. He called me Fiend."

I look at Dunakas "You may have been right calling us monsters"

Back to Alina "I pushed it away, knowing he was going to cause me great pain, pushed away the pain. Was a family secret, ignoring pain, pushing it out."

I grin

"Then my toe came off in his hand. With some...work, I managed to reattach it properly, and it works good as new"

"I had thought, since us fiends supposedly can shape skin and bone, to try it. You walked in as I was learning how much to push."

How to explain the feeling it properly

[Vicissitude 2 and 3 as needed]

"Teach it, I know not how I do it in the first place, except" I look at my hand "demand my flesh move" Begin applying pressure to the palm again "as I push" Watch as my fingers seperately make 4 holes for 4 fingers in my palm "and it happens."

My will be done.

[Vicissitude 2 and 3 as needed]

"Putting it back, is the same, except pushing things back into place" Push and knead the flesh back into it's place" "and it's returned to normal."

"I don't know the limits of it, nor do I know if there are limits. I know not if I can do it to others."

"I'm learning, and we all should learn what we can do, I have a feeling the Fop's League will be keeping tabs on us to ensure we fulfill their mission, and we'll need every advantage against those who did this to us."

[Goatkiller666]

The Hunting Estate
-------------------------------

Szolt holds the buck there until Sabine has bitten it. Once she latches on, he releases his grip, but the buck stays still. He thinks its dead, and begins to eat. Sabine is able to drain 12 blood from the deer. In the distance, she can hear the pack taking down a second buck.

Castle Giovanni
---------------------------

As soon as the cat's neck is broken, the chanting stops. The bats lose interest in harassing Wolfgang and disperse back into the night. Erick (but none of the rest) hear's the cat's voice in his head, You're on your own now, child. I've done what I can. But fear not, I'll return to you eventually. You won't escape our bargain that easily.

Erick has gained a small amount of ground, though Gunter is still hot on his tail. Wolfgang is shortly behind him, with Dante bringing up the rear, discarding the cat's corpse.

Between the demonic chanting and the shouting of the combatants, any animal life in the area has long since fled.

The Red Lamb Inn
-------------------------------

Gedeminas suddenly collapses into his chair. [Still at incapacitated from simple wounds. Spend 7 blood (max of 5 per turn) to heal it.]

Danukas immediately tends to Gedeminas. "Sir, are you well? Can you speak?"

Vida is startled briefly and lets out a small shriek. Bojan wasn't quite paying attention to Gedeminas' collapse, but Vida's noise scares him so much he knocks over his chair in his hurry to back away from the table. He stands there, eyes wide with panic, looking around the room for some kind of attack. Seeing only everybody's eyes on him, he storms out of the room into the kitchen.

A few moments later, he comes back in with two flagons of ale, one for him and one for Pierre.

[Taduz Illyannovich]

"Lady Seska, we have not been ourselves as of lately, things have gone awry here on many fronts. I think it would be for the best if, by tomorrow's light, er, dusk, we put tonight behind us."

I grin

"Far behind us"

Upon Ged's collapse, I stay seated, and look over, and wait to see what happens.

Hope he's calmed

[Alína Nyárí]

The healer's eyes grow wide as she watches the holes appear and then disappear in Taduz's hand. Pressing on her own hand, she attempts to manipulate it as well, then looks at him with a sardonic shrug. "I was saying to my Lady earlier that there is much we do not know, yet we seem to have been blessed with gifts in exchange for drawing breath. However, this shaping of flesh seems not to be one with which I was blessed.

"However..." she drawls as Gedeminas suddenly collapses, "perhaps I can use my new gifts to determine the extent of the injuries our non-frozen friend has sustained." Making her way towards Gedeminas, she waits permission to approach by Dunakas, then examines Gedeminas by lightly touching and prodding him. (Auspex 1, please)

[Seska Karantanija]

"Yes, far behind us." She takes Vida's hand, hoping it will calm her, and sits quietly. She doesn't know what else to say.

After Bojan downs a good portion of ale and Alina looks Gedeminas over, she motions for the mug. "Let us see if this works, or if it makes me sick again..." Seska takes a knife from the table and puts the mug in her lap. Cutting herself underneath the table, in a measured manner so as to not repeat the earlier excitement, and so as to not offend their already troubled sensibilities, she fills the mug with her own blood. She stirs it with the knife, licks it clean, then tries to drink as much of it as she can quickly, stopping about half-way as her enthusiasm causes some to spill out the side and down her cheek.

She puts the mug down in front of her and waits, wondering if spirits will have any effect if mixed with vitae.