Vampire: Dark Ages - Scene 6: Over the river and etc.

[Sabine]

I whisper to Taduz, "Was that man a ghost?" It's a loud whisper.

[Taduz Illyannovich]

I whisper to Taduz, "Was that man a ghost?" It's a loud whisper.

Once back at the coach to Sabine "No he was a preten..." stopping himself before going off on the puppy girl.

Deep breath to steady yourself old man.

Realizing the deeper nuances of a statement about church and its slaves would be wasted "That, was an old man, who thinks it's his job to make people scared. Even little girls, by pretending to be a ghost, and telling them bad horrible things will happen if they don't talk to and like their imaginary friend."

"We got out of there before he could tell you lies like 'You cannot keep those dogs, they are evil.' You know your er, friends aren't evil." Remembering the arm bone I threw them during the interrogation "But he'd tell you they were. He'd say things to try to scare you about you."

Thinking that the puppygirl maybe not have understood anything and he'd slipped into Angry Teacher mode, more calmly and almost affectionately "He is what we do not want to become. Stay young Sabine, stay as you are."

To Seska " Shall we be off M'lady, and have this damnable errand over with?"

[Sabine]

"If a ghost isn't there, how can he have a 'maginary friend? He's 'maginary too."

"Or... the imaginary friend of an imaginary ghost... "

"An imaginary friend of an imaginary ghost must be a real person."

I'm very proud of my logic. Then I'm confused again.

"So who am I supposed to be 'fraid of? Donica is afraid of ghosts. But the ghost man wasn't very scary. He was too smiley."

"Oh, I'm 'upposed to be 'fraid of ghost man's imaginary... his real friend! So, who's his friend?"

All this thinking is boring. I start singing like one of the spring songbirds. [Animalism 1]

When we get back to the horseys, I say "I wonder if I can turn into horsey, too!"

I scrunch my face down and try really hard to turn into a horsey, but it doesn't work. I make a horse snort. [Animalism 1]

[Gedeminas]

Gedeminas smiled at Sabine no longer remembering when he asked her to try turning into a horse and she failed to do so. Then he gets in the carriage and waits until they meet with their retainers again, at which point he rides with Danukas until they have to leave the rest behind.

[Seska Karantanija]

"Child, you should not be afraid of that man because of whether he is a ghost or not. Lord Giovanni may be correct in that he seems touched in the head. Though he did not come across as intimidating, if he is the head of their line then he must wield some incredible influence and power."

[Taduz Illyannovich]

"Child, you should not be afraid of that man because of whether he is a ghost or not. Lord Giovanni may be correct in that he seems touched in the head. Though he did not come across as intimidating, if he is the head of their line then he must wield some incredible influence and power."

"He thinks something touched him. And insanity seems to take others by surprise and leave the victim unopposed, who knows what a madman will do..."

[Olaf_Magnusson]

OOC--sorry for extended absence.....

FOllow along with Taduz....

[Gedeminas]

Upon reaching the village near the Inn, Gedeminas return to the carriage with the rest of the coterie, leaving Daunkas in the wagon.

[Alína Nyárí]

Alína makes herself comfortable in the coach, glad to be away from the church and its members. Leaning the back of her head against the wall of the coach behind her, and rubbing at the new wrinkle of stress forming between her eyes, she listens to her lady and the tutor instruct young Sabine. Glad to be heading back towards her horse and cart, she watches Dara soaring above them and hopes for a chance to speak with her again soon.

[Goatkiller666]

[Unless anyone wishes to do anything in the village with the retainers, let's head back to the Sires, shall we?]

It is perhaps 40 minutes before dawn when Roderigo pulls the carriage back into the courtyard of the same Inn where everyone woke last. Some of you feel the soft touch of slumber starting to pull at you slightly.

In the courtyard, Lady Theophania is standing free of the building with her arms outstretched at her sides. She has on only a white shift, certainly not enough for a mortal in this early spring chill. Over her face is a matching white cloth, tied as a blindfold. She is spinning slowly, and humming tunelessly, as she drifts around the clearing.

Inside the Inn, (if people continue past Theophania) are the normal assortment of tables. Lady Almanov, Lord Valdemar, Lord Mieczyslav and Claudio are seated, deep in conversation. They don't stop their debate when people come into the room, though Claudio does glance up briefly. None of the mortals are present.

[Alina, check your PM.]

[Seska Karantanija]

Seska returns from stabling her horse, a bow in hand and quiver slung over her shoulder. She watches Theophania flit about for a few minutes.

[Alína Nyárí]

As Theophania engages in her own rituals, Alína gives her own lady space to do as she will, although the quiver and bow calls to her as well. Instead she makes her way over to a secluded spot, sitting so an overhanging branch is just above her slightly, and waits.

[Taduz Illyannovich]

Watching the blindfolded madwoman for a few moments, as I get closer to the inn, hearing the murmur of debate, I concentrate on listening to them.

[Let my senses flow into the surrounding area.]

[Sabine]

I walk over to Theophania.

"Are you dancing? I can dance too."

I mimic the grown-ups I've seen dancing.

[Goatkiller666]

Theophania turns towards Sabine. "We are all dancing, child. Myself, here in the open. Others of the Conspiracy are here with me, trying not to be seen. They will dance up to me. If they can reach me, they win the dance. If I can avoid them, I win."

Suddenly, she vanishes for a moment, reappearing a few feet to the side just afterwards. (Not a teleport... just that nobody saw her while she took those few steps.) "Just then, my dance partner was Matron Violetta, I believe. I can smell the dyes in her wrappings. They smell of young women far to the south. They smell of warm sunny afternoons, and southern plants by a salty seacliff."

Over by the stables, Seska feels arms around her. Specifically, she realizes that she has had arms around her for a short while now. She recognizes a smell from the previous night's escapades, one she didn't realize lingered around Amisa until just now. "Welcome back, childe. How did you find Japheth? In good health, I hope?"

Taduz is standing by the door to the Inn. From inside, he hears the conversation. Almanov is stressing the importance of filling the vacancies in the Conspiracy, especially Marchettus and Wenceslas. "They had much influence in the City States. Without their efforts on our behalf, we may not be able to sway events in that area well enough to divert Hardestadt's focus. With the City States no longer diverting him, Hardestadt will be free to send more to harass Mieczyslav's people in Wallachia. If that happens, my own holdings and those of Theophania will be at risk, not to mention the very real chance that we could lose Wallachia entirely. I am tired of these German Ventrue waltzing through my territory like it's a pilgrim's hostel on the way to the Holy Land."

Leopold adds, "There's no chance that the girl who killed Wenceslas can take up his place. But perhaps this northman could be groomed to assume Marchettus' role. He is indeed mighty, and his quaint sense of honor could prove easy for us to manipulate. I imagine that those who followed Marchettus wouldn't buck too much under another warrior's hand, if he were to make the attempt."

[Seska Karantanija]

Near the Stables
--------------------

Seska looks over her shoulder and smiles when she realizes Amisa has her in an embrace. "Better health than his appearance might let on. Most with those looks aren't up and about."

"I cannot say he was happy to see us once he knew we were delivering a message from Lord Giovanni, but he was hospitable enough. His Sire though... is unnerving." She plays it up while twisting around in, but not out of, Amisa's grasp, "I may need someone to hold me through the day to keep it from haunting my dreams."

[Sabine]

"Violetta? I didn't see her. Is she being sneaky too? Who else is playing? I wanna play."

I start looking around for other people. "I see 'Misa! She's hiding behind Seska!"

I run over to them. "I found you. I win!"

I giggle a lot, then I run back to the clearing to start looking for others.

[Taduz Illyannovich]

They plan to use Olaf in their petty schemes. Maybe they'll all end up destroying each other and we'll be free of their games.

I enter the inn, bowing to the assembled elders in turn, a deep one to my sire.

[Gedeminas]

Gedeminas enters the Inn silently, and watches, trying to gain some impression of what the elder's plans are. He also looks around, trying to determine who is missing, and if his senses can locate any of them.

[Goatkiller666]

In the clearing

Theophania says to Sabine. "Poppet, the game is to sneak up on me. Can you be sneaky, like Dimitra taught you?"

Suddenly, Al-Nasir is standing in front of Theophania, with a sword plunged into her chest. When he strikes, the image of Theophania fades, and all notice that she is standing exactly where she was before she "dodged" Matron Violetta.

Al-Nasir makes a surprised noise, then sheathes his scimitar with expert skill, and bows to Theophania, applauding as he does. "A most excellent distraction, Lady. I was completely unaware." Theophania, still blindfolded, and also facing away from him, curtseys in response, without missing a beat of her subtle mincing. It's not exactly a dance, though the motions have the same sense of deliberateness of a dance. Yet, there is no steady rhythm to it, and no discernible pattern that can be seen in the movements.

By The Stable

Amisa stiffened a bit, when she hears of Japheth's sire. When Seska turns within her grasp to face her, the stern expression on her face softens. "You met the Cappadocian? How very rare. The truly old ones… they are difficult to understand at the best of times. They're not mad… not exactly. But it's difficult to tell the difference between an elder Malkavian and an elder of any other clan. Though, the Cappadocian is much older than most that I have met, or spoken to. Pray, tell me what he was like."

When Sabine runs by yelling, Amisa turns to her and smiles. "Yes dear, you found me." But clearly her heart isn't in the play anymore.

Before Seska can speak further, she turns towards the doorway to the Inn. She leaves one arm around Seska's waist as she does, but now the two are facing the same direction. And she leads Seska into the dining room.

The Dining Room

[As I said way above, before everybody decided not to enter the Inn, the four of them don't stop their conversation when people enter.]

Assume that of the nine sires left alive, the five with Obfuscate are outside dancing with Theophania. The remaining four are here in this room.

Almanov replies to Leopold, "Casmir… lived somewhere in my city, but I do not know of any influence or holdings that he brought to the table. Only his knowledge of the Tremere's interests, and whatever mystical lore he had.

Mieczyslav stands to speak; it is a very formal gesture. "Gabrin also lacked a domain, but his wanderings were usually within Wallachia or Hungary. I suggest that Dimitra would be best suited to capturing whatever he gained us. She wanders, I believe, farther afield than he did, but she knows his area. She would have no influence with the Ravnos. They are not strong in battle, but… the threat of then visiting one's domain is a strong one regardless. Perhaps we have lost that edge, now." When he is done, he invites Taduz to sit near him, with a gesture, so as not to interrupt the flow of conversation.

Claudio glances up at Taduz and Gedeminas, then replies to the table as a whole. His manner is of a Lord speaking to his vassals. "Yes, Casmir and Gabrin brought with them little except that they were of their clans. They might have given us insight, and perhaps some amount of arcane trickery. The Genoans, on the other hand. Lady Almanov's observations were keen and most well stated. Who could take their places? The Northman is… an able fighter, to be sure. But, his interests do not lie with Genoa. Even if he were to take up Marchettus' lands and people, they would not be his. Marchettus brought a passion to the cause that was truly inspiring. This Olaf would not have that, I fear. Nor would he have the skill to disrupt Hardestadt's interests in the area. He'd probably just attack them head on, ultimately gaining us nothing for his own death. No, he is not the one."

He looks around the room, and he begins to speak again. "They are not here to speak for themselves, but I think…"

Just then Amisa and Seska come in, and Amisa raises her hand. "My Lords, if I might intrude for a moment." All turn to her. "This one has just spoken to your great grandsire, Lord Claudius."

Upon hearing this, Claudio turns immediately to Seska, and stares at her intensely. Very intensely. [Gedeminas & Taduz, please check your PMs.]