[IC]A Cycle Unending

[Browman]

All of you receive messages from your elders telling you to be at Blackness Castle just east of Edinburgh for a meeting the evening of 2 January 2016. It is an old castle that for the most part stands empty. You are going there to meet a William Dunsirn and you are all warned that he is not to be trifled with. Wallace recalls meeting William once at a large family gathering, he is slightly shorter than average but covered in muscle. When he talks you can tell that he is a man of deep cunning.

When you get to the Castle it is cold and rather dark out. A light dusting of snow has covered everything and it looks like it will snow later in the night. As you enter the Castle you are greeted by a rather large man that looks like he is better suited to threatening people than skulking about in an old castle. "The master is occupied for a few moments if you would wait here for a few moments he will be with you shortly."

The three players find themselves together for the first time with a few minutes before they meet William.

[Woland]

Raul Abrantes

Raul, dressed in an old-fashioned winter coat and a hat, brushed off the last bits of snow from his figure. "Damnation!" he thought to himself. "How am I supposed to work or feed in this unwelcoming climate?". Regaining his composure he turned to the other guests in this dark castle, as if noticing them for the first time.
"Greetings, gentlemen" he said in a reserved, subtly friendly voice. "I am Raul Abrantes, a physician by trade and a philosopher, at your service. Do you, by any chance, know the specifics of why our kind host wanted to see us? Or maybe you have even met mister Dunsirn?"

Raul extends his hand in a greeting gesture, waiting for his newly met comrades to do the same.

[Cynic01]

William St. John

William finishes up some business on his phone before returning it to his pocket as he enters. He takes brief note of the muscle as he steps into the building proper, but pays the servant little mind. As he approaches the gathered group they can see William is dressed in a tailored long wool overcoat making it difficult to make out the clothing underneath. There is still a light dusting of snow on his shoulders, and it causes the paleness of his skin to stand out even more.

He shakes the hand offered, "Evening, William St. John, unfortunately I was not provided with an itinerary for the meeting or its purpose. Most of my business tends to be focused around London so I rarely end up this far north so I have not had the chance to meet Mr. Dunsirn before." William looks around the room in the castle for a moment, "Although given our host's choice of meeting location I think we can assume this is not merely a simple business meeting."

[Thorbes]

Wallace Dunsirn

Greetings, greetings,my good men! I'm Walace Dunsirn, a pleasure to make your acquaintance, gentlemen.-he is wearing a tailor-made three pieces suit and rest part of his considerable weighth in a sturdy-looking cane. He smiles and pats his big belly before shaking your hand, vigorously-"I do hope that there's more than bussiness, but I am as less informed as you are, I'm afraid. I do know cousin William, he is a rather... intense man. You'll see. Whatever it is the reason he has to bring us here tonight I'm sure will be way worth the trouble.

[Woland]

Raul Abrantes

Raul smiles and nods. "Ach, so you are both Europeans, then? Wonderful. I, for one, hail from Mexico, from the Pisanob branch of the Family." He glances over the hall to see if the steward is about to return. If not approached he intends to stay silent, instead focusing on bringing up any potentially useful background details about the Dunsirn family and the city of Edinburgh. What, again, was the Prince's name? The Sherriff's? Are there any recent events, conflicts or places of particular significance? Besides the residents of this castle is there any other Giovanni presence to speak of?

[Browman]

After you make your brief introductions, the man you are here to meet steps out of another room.

"Sorry I kept you waiting, some scum was sending my phone messages about how to become a secret, silent ninja shopper or some such nonsense. One of my people just tracked him down. It would appear that his extended family has suffered from a series of unrelated financial mishaps. Apparently they are serious enough that his grandfather is getting kicked out of the nice home they had him in and he is probably faring the best of any of them. Anyway where was I, yes, now I remember. What can any of you tell me about Lord Camden, once Seneschal to Mithras, Prince of London?"

[Thorbes]

"Other than he is deader than a tombstone, not much, really" - he excuses himself with his right hand over his chest and a gentle bow - "... and that he was a Cappadocian, of course" - he adds a second later, not sure if such a well know fact is of any interest.

[Cynic01]

[OOC Notes: Being from the London area I'll assume I have a bit more information, if anything is too much feel free to edit it down as appropriate. Also before the game started I forgot how you wanted to handle dice rolling]

William St. John

William looks over the man in front of him, trying to get his measure. "Such delays are understandable. As for Lord Thomas Beckett Camden, I'm afraid my information is spotty at best. What I do know is he was a Cappadocian who served as Mithras's Seneschal for a long period, and was even trusted enough to act as his representative to the founders of the Camarilla. From what I've heard he was killed sometime in the early 16th century by the Giovanni, and Mithras's rage at his death made it very difficult for the family in London for some time after. Things have improved since the ascension of 'Queen' Anne Bowesley, but she is a driven woman who brooks little dissent so we must still tread carefully. " William gives the older Dunsirn a wary and quizzical look. "The question I would ask in return is why do you want to know, what do you gain from this information?"

[Woland]

Raul Abrantes

"The seneschal of Mithras himself, you say?" asked Raul, adding precious little curiosity to that question "I came across that name a couple times during my research. It turns out that he was quite the accomplished historian and necromancer, with some insight into the matters of the departed. Not very much has remained of his work, I'm afraid, yet there are rumors of him having a childe, a figure even more elusive than he was." The interest his host showed in the long dead vampire concerned Raul greatly, so he nodded approvingly when William asked about the motive of such a question.

[OOC note: the background info I mentioned in my previous post is really something I'd like to know, unless of course I am straight off my plane to Birmingham and have no way of knowing that]

[Browman]

[ooc]The Dunsirn have extensive holdings in and around the city and probably about 6 of the blood. But officially the city is run by the Camarillia, the prince is a Toreador named Cameron De Pris and his sheriff is a Brujah named Ducan Blackfist, Camarillia population is about a dozen.

On an unrelated note, I recommend that everyone subscribes to this topic if they haven't already. It should help people realize that updates have been posted by someone and keep things moving better.[/ooc]

You see a small, knowing smile on William Dunsirn's face at the mention of mithras' replacement.

"Good, I see why you were the ones sent to me. I will not have to spend time explaining the importance of what I am about to tell you. I have been contacted by a Nosferateu who claims to have found a previously unknown haven that belonged to Lord Camden that has sat untouched since his death. I have no reason to believe that the family is the only interested party in this information, so it seemed prudent to send a group that was able to take care of themselves to investigate. A meeting has been set up with the information broker for 3 nights from now in Nottingham, it will take place in Church rock cemetery, in the largest mausoleum. This knowledge cannot be allowed to spread, find the location of this haven and remove all others who know it's location. Report to me and only me when it is done. Are there any questions?"

He then gives you his contact information and a briefcase full of money.

[Thorbes]

Wallace is quick to take the money with his big, greedy hands-"So, we have to meet this Nosferatu, find the haven, destroy any oposition and report back to you"-he caresses the briefcase, smiling-"You can consider it done, cousin. Perhaps you have any suspicions of what we could find in that haven?"

[Cynic01]

William St. John

William takes the briefcase, although he has a slight look of concern on his face. "If this Nosferatu contacted us regarding this information its almost a guarantee he has sought other buyers for this information. I wont be surprised if we aren't the only ones who show up to this meeting. If we are lucky the other interested parties will be too self-interested to share the information about the meeting." He stops and thinks for a long moment. "Most likely candidates to be interested in such information are other blood mages such as the Tremere. If Lord Camden was the necromancer you say he is Mr. Abrantes, it's likely all sorts of valuable insights could lie within. Necromantic notes, ritual tools and items, if we are lucky perhaps an entire occult library."

[Woland]

Raul Abrantes

"Well, I think we can safely assume that the range of possible buyers for this information is far wider than just blood mages. The local Camarilla and Sabbat would surely be interested in it, too, if not for the power within, then for its value as a bargaining chip in dealings with... well, with us. Add to that mortal users of magic and, obviously, the Nosferatu themselves. These sewer rats play the long game and understand the concept of dividing and conquering. Not to mention there are others creatures of the night, with unfathomable goals" He starts to pace around the chamber, lost in his thoughts for a moment "No matter. We will use the local ghosts to devise a plan, and any further contacts you could provide us, mister Dunsirn, would be of tremendous assistance. And, oh, does this Nosferatu have a name?"

He turns to his companions and says: Well, if any of you, fine gentlemen, has any ideas as to the approach we should take, then maybe we can discuss this... elsewhere. And if our host would be so kind to provide us with a resting place, then I suggest we may retire there afterwards and leave tommorow night." He falls silent, waiting for his comrades' response.

[Browman]

"Studies into the nature of death, Lord Camden was a master of the lost arts of Mortis. The Nosferatu contact gave his name as Gord, he is likely a middle man as my sources say that they only kindred named Gord they can find is a 13th gen embraced at the turn of century. Hardly the one to find such a treasure. You will find rooms below that do not appear on any records, they even have modern communications."

[Thorbes]

"I see..."-he smiles at the description-"Maybe I can finally learn something about that, I must admit I have avoided the more mystical side of our trade for maybe too long. I am a practical man"- He then turns to Abrantes-"Our aproach will depend. Some, we can overbid, others may require a more direct, physical aproach. Is difficult to know without much information about the other interested parties. Gathering that information should be our prime concern"