Vampire: Dark Ages (Vienna) - Chapter 5: The Woods

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Vampire: Dark Ages (Vienna) - Chapter 5: The Woods

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Image

The troop start riding for the East Gate. It's all very dramatic, in the dark of night torches fluttering to overcome the overcast sky.

As the first of the men arrive at the courtyard inside the gate, the guards atop the walls call down challenges. "Who commands you? What's your business?"

Teschen calls up to the Sergeant, "Count Felix von Teschen, and Count Rudolf Garnett. We lead these men on a hunt, tonight. Too long have the guards of this gate been the only ones in the city to claim a victory over our enemies."

"Oh, my Lord. Yes, of course." He shouts down to the gate room, "You heard his Lordship, lads. Open the gates. They want to steal our thunder, and God grant that they do."
Last edited by Goatkiller666 on Sat Jan 12, 2013 11:00 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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Post by Rudolf »

Rudolf patted Count Teschen on the back. The group would, under Rudolf's leadership, investigate the gate area for clues or tracks of their enemy. The group would then follow these clues to their prey.

"We must be ready to kill when we meet with these beasts," Rudolf mentioned.
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Teschen says, "Gunter. Erik. Look for tracks."

Two of the men dismount and start looking at the drawbridge itself. They find some recent signs of the battle, and point them out. Pits where arrows had stuck into the wood, and some strange marks on the rails.

One says to the other, "It's like... have you seen a branch where a falcon has landed? The claws would make this shape." The other replies, "Aye. But these are much bigger."

"My Lord, our query has... well... claws on fingers. Your wolf or your cat, they've got claws but just on paws. But these, they bend around the rail from both sides and then embed in. Like a hand." He demonstrates his own hand gripping around the railing. "A hand twice the length of mine, by the looks of it."

Some of the other men look at each other in worry, but say nothing.

Gunter and Erik move out onto the ground beyond the drawbridge. "Look there, Gunter. It's been ridden over, but that's a pawprint."

"That it is. Deeper than a horse's hooves." He looks around, and points to another one and then a third. "Walking on two legs, it is. It's heavy, is our friend. Very heavy. Enough to break a horse, if it were trying to ride. Not that a horse would stand something like this that close."

"That'll save us, then." He points to the open field where the prints lead. "Easy enough to track something that big through soft ground like that."

The two, now that they know what they're tracking, begin to walk to the east through the grass. "This way, Lords. It's running now. To escape the arrows, I reckon. Up towards the top of the hill."

The rest of the men, however, look shaken. Their faces all silently repeat the phrase big enough to break a horse as they watch the trackers jogging up the hillside.
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Post by Rudolf »

"We will defeat these beasts!"

Rudolf's loud voice, tempered with charisma, spoke forcefully over the gathered men to insight awe and bravery. The young man moved forward to follow Gunter and Erik to track down these Lupine - the beasts would surely be captured.
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Gunter and Erik continue walking up the hill, while the rest of the group follows behind on horse. They follow the tracks for miles, commenting here and there about various nuances that nobody else even notices. Here the beasts slowed. There the beasts lay down a heavy load for a time, probably the corpses of their fellows.

The path travels to the north and circles the city, eventually leading to what seems to be the hunting lodge of a nobleman. The walk has taken much of the night, but there are clearly three sets of monsterous tracks arriving at the manse.

Teschen mentions, "This is the home of Sir Boris Angsthase. Why would the tracks lead here. They didn't even deviate... almost like they meant to come here all along."

The manse is a small abode, clearly that of a man of breeding, but nothing so grand as what Lord Teschen would have. It is not fortified, though there is a low stone wall around the place. It's more a demarcation of the border than a barrier. There are no guards, though smoke can be seen rising from several of the chimneys. It's too late in the evening, or early in the morning, to expect lights in the windows, but the place seems occupied.
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Post by Rudolf »

The stage had been set, the men gathered round the unfortified holdings of Sir Boris Angsthase. Each one was armed and ready for battle and bloodshed.

There were no deviations in the tracks and Rudolf was sure this place housed the beasts they all sort. Killing the beasts would bring Rudolf prestige, honour and love among the courts of Vienna and Rudolf desperately wanted all of those accolades to be bestowed upon him.

Rudolf moved to Teschen. Rudolf was wary of this place and full of suspicion.

"We are well-and-truly in enemy territory my brother," Rudolf told the aged man, "and I fear we are in for quite a fight. We will see. We should send a couple scouts to knock on the door and assess the situation. We may need to rest here before daylight, until nightfall. Unless, of course, this is the hideout of our enemies."
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Teschen bows from the shoulders. "Yes, Lord." He waves Gunter and Erik over to him, and quietly orders them to scout around the perimeter of the house, to confirm that the devil beasts have not continued on through. They both grunt and move off into the night, whisper silent.

Then he waves another man over, "Markus, you and Grieg ride up to yon mansion and knock. You are as you seem, a soldier of the von Teschen house, come to ask after their safety alone here in the dark forest. Do not tell them of the rest of us, only that you are one of several such pairs sent around the countryside. Learn the way of things within, and then depart. If you are attacked, give shout and we will arrive in that moment."

The two grunt also, and spur their mounts towards the main gate of the household. It would seem that Lord von Teschen doesn't encourage verbose responses in his soldiers.

From the cover of the forest, Rudolf and von Teschen watch as Markus and Grieg ride up to the household. The two stop at the stone wall and ring the bell by the side of the wooden gate. They wait a short time, and ring it again. Only a moment later, a man with a lantern leaves the house and quickwalks to the gate. From their hiding place, Rudolf and von Teschen cannot hear what the man says, but his posture shows him to be a household servant. The three seem to speak for a few moments, then the servant opens the gate and lets them in. The two soldiers dismount and lead their horses within the yard and towards the stables.

Quite some time passes then, but eventually the two soldiers can be seen leaving the house again, collecting their horses from the stables and riding off into the forest again. They do not ride directly towards the main group, but several minutes later they can be heard moving through the trees to rejoin their Lords.

Markus moves closer to Rudolf and von Teschen. "The Lord of the estate was asleep, but his man shared with us that they were in mourning. It seems the Lord's cousin and some of his friends, a band of knights from somewhere foreign, were visiting. They felt safe enough of a dark night with such might of God under their roof, he said. But one evening there was some'at happened, and several of the knights is dead now. A few nights later, all but one of the rest were killed as well. And that one, he departed just the other day. Headed north, 'e was."

Grieg added, "We saw the bodies, all lain out for burial on the tables of the main hall. 'Twas the kind of place I'd expect a group of knights to be layin' out several deer they'd hunted, but instead 'twas the knights cold dead on the table. Some of 'em had arrow wounds, and some sword. Weren't no beast what killed those knights."

Gunter and Erik return shortly after this report. "Milords... we found tracks of these beasts leaving again, a day later. There was another beast with them, smaller. And they weren't loaded down this time. We followed them a ways, and it looks like they were fightin' each other. Well... they were fightin' the smaller one. He fell, but then so did the others after."

"The strange part is that a man left that fight. Weren't no man's prints walking up to it, but a barefoot man left that fight and walked back to the manse. And another beast, even lighter than the one that died first, followed him."

Rudolf can sense himself growing ever so slightly sluggish. Though the thickness of the tress block any sight of the eastern sky, he can tell that the sun's arrival is imminent. Perhaps another hour before he will be unable to stay alert. Maybe half an hour past that before the sun's rays might burn him down.
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Post by Rudolf »

Rudolf, noting the imminent daylight approaching, decided that the group must rest here for the day. Rudolf looked to von Teschen with a wry smile and spoke loud enough for the men to hear. "I suspect that the manse may be harboring the devil-spawn we seek," Rudolf said, "and that we should be careful from this point forward. I should explain that these devil-spawn can take the shape of man and trick their prey. The man's bare footprints were from the same beast whose pawprints were first found."

Rudolf was quiet, thinking for a moment, before coming to a decision. "We will need to stay the day here. I am getting tired and sleeping in the broadness of the wild is unfit for any Lord." Rudolf led the way to the manse, indicating the entirety of their group should follow. "I wish to speak to all the occupants of this place. I need to check these bodies, as well. I will deduce the shapeshifters." Rudolf figured he could use Presence to subdue the entire household, or unearth the Lupin. The first step was a risky, dangerous one toward the manse. However, fortune favoured the brave of heart.
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Post by Goatkiller666 »

[I am unclear on your approach. Do you walk up and ring the bell, only with a group of mounted soldiers at your back? Or do you charge the house, knock down the fence, and storm the building?]
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Post by Rudolf »

[Rudolf will walk up, ring the bell, only with a small group of mounted soldiers. He will use Majesty. He will then proceed to investigate the situation. Count von Teschen will be told to stay back with Gunther and Erik, but to keep a watch and ear in case a battle breaks out.]
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Post by Goatkiller666 »

Von Teschen, Erik, Gunther, and most of the men remain outside the gates, but within easy shouting distance in case of need.

Rudolf, Grieg, Markus and three others dismount and walk to the gate. As soon as the bell is rung, the same servant comes out and walks out to them. "Welcome Masters. We hadn't expected your return so quickly." As he gets closer to the gate, to let them through, he can see Rudolf more clearly. "And welcome to you, My Lord. How may Sir Angsthase be of service?"

The servant seems tired, afraid, tense, and also reverent.
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Post by Rudolf »

Rudolf, able to discern the blood of those nearby, used this chance to take in the servant's scent. Rudolf's aim was to detect whether the blood was drinkable to him, which was only possible for those considered beautiful; unless, of course, they were kindred or some other supernatural creature.

"My men and I have been riding for quite some time and are in desperate need of rest," Rudolf said, "and I was hoping to partake of Sir Angsthase's hospitality until we are well enough rested."
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Post by Goatkiller666 »

Rudolf's eyes show him that the servant, while well dressed, is merely old instead of well aged. There are others in the building with a more appealing scent, however.

Once they are in the building, Rudolf can also smell dead flesh. There, upon the tables of the great hall, are laid out several bodies. Several of them are washed and bound in white linen, while others are naked and still bloody.

"Ah, my Lord was hosting his Cousin, the Knight Mauricio Estefan del Tores, as well as several other knights of his order. But all of those worthies have fallen in battle, so it falls to us give them the christian burials they deserve."
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Post by Rudolf »

"I see." Rudolf sounded disinterested. The servant had an unappealing scent; however, other more appealing scents entered his nostrils and acted as a great appetizer. The seemingly young Lordling looked excited about something, but it was difficult to tell what. Rudolf turned to the servant and smiled politely. "I would like you to lead me to your Master."
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"Yes, of course, Lord. He is just this way. The comings and goings have woken him already, so he should be about presently."

The man leads them to a small wing to the south of the building, and raps smartly on the closed door. A muffled "Come." can be heard from inside, and the servant opens the door to lead them inside.

It is a small parlor with doors leading off to, presumably, bedrooms on either side. A fire is lit, and the logs all look fresh, so clearly it was only recently built up. A large man is there, in his country finery, hair still damp and brushed away from his face. The man was indeed only recently risen.

To Rudolf, the man says "My Lord, it is my honor to present Sir Angsthase, master of this house and loyal servant of the ArchDuke of Vienna." He turns to his master, then looks surprised. "Sir, in my haste to bring him here, I have forgotten to ask his Lordship's name. I beg your pardon."

Angsthase frowns at his man, "It's fine, Nils. Please bring me something to break my fast." He turns to Rudolf. "You are most welcome in my home, Lord. How may I be of service? May I offer you anything from the kitchen?"

Nils hears this and pauses at the door, in case Rudolf wishes him to bring anything back.
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"That is a fine offer but no thank you," Rudolf answered. Rudolf's eyes lingered on the older man with confidence only fit for a nobleman. Sir Angsthase was a large man of great stature. Rudolf's height and build paled in comparison to the stockiness of Sir Angsthase. Nonetheless confidence emanated from Rudolf's person, written all over Rudolf's face.

"I have been travelling in search of some strange beasts that attacked Vienna's walls," Rudolf began, "and their tracks have led me here. I am afraid my men and I are tired now, though. I was hoping to ask for your kindness and hospitality. We need rest."

Rudolf used the power of his innate magnetism. The thought occurred to Rudolf that Sir Angsthase was already owned by another Kindred, but then that Kindred would have to answer why their Retainer seemed to be acting as a safe house for Garou. Rudolf smiled arrogantly.

[use of Entrancement on Sir Angsthase]
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Post by Goatkiller666 »

Angsthase flinches slightly when Rudolf mentions the beasts attacking the walls. But he quickly recovers and listens to the rest of what is said.

Rudolf uses Entrancement on the larger man, in addition to the Majesty he had already been pouring forth. Angsthase nods at the request. The man's already respectful demeanor shifts to one of near reverence.

"Of course, my home is always available to any Christian soul in need to shelter and rest. You and your men are all welcome to stay here. I'll have Nils prepare rooms, and bring your horses into the stable. We have room enough for the six of you, easily."

"I must attend to the bodies of these knights you saw in the main hall. Their burial is today, if I may finish in time. But when that is done, this evening, I will host a feast in their honor. No better knights have I met in my lifetime, and I would toast them so much that even the Lord God himself takes notice in heaven. I would be honored if your Lordship would join me in this, though I would understand if your duties draw you away instead. Our duties to the living must take precedence over our duties to the dead."
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Post by Rudolf »

Rudolf smiled charmingly. "I would be honoured to join you in this feast. I will need to rest now, so that I may be rested enough for the night in that case. I have more men outside, about twenty all up, that I ask you to extend your hospitality to as well. I do not expect rooms for everyone, but a roof over their heads would be very kind."

Rudolf, doubtful that Angsthase would deny him, planned to get everyone underneath this roof. "Do you have any other guests?"
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"Twenty? I... normally, I would have them stay in the main hall, but there lie the bodies yet. However, we will make due. We cannot use the stables... your horses alone will fill that space to bursting, I think."

He paces to the nearby window, looks out it absently, then turns back to Rudolf. "I have no other living guests, but I have the rooms where my former guests stayed. They are appointed for noble knights, but I see no reason that your men could not stay two or three to a room. Ask them to be gentle with the furniture, though. Some of it has been in my family for generations."

"Nils, wake the household, and arrange for his lordship's men. He may, of course, use my suite for himself. Just let me get a few things to help with the bodies, and I will be quit of the place until the feast begins."

Rudolf begins to feel the lethargy of daylight. He has perhaps only 15-20 minutes before he is forced to struggle to stay awake.

[Unless there's anything specific you'd like to arrange for the daytime, let's go ahead and break here. Assume all the men are set up for the day, and that Rudolf's personal accommodations are sufficient. Ilsa (is that her name?) will stay with Rudolf through the day, mostly because she's still pretty woozy from loss of blood and the ecstasy of the Kiss.]

[Let me get Lament's thread wrapped for the evening, and we'll start everybody fresh at sundown tomorrow.]
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