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it's that time again. Gather round for a tale of Ghosts, Vampires, and Faerie!
Session XXI
Doc’s Log
Doc's Log: 1155 Hours, Friday, May 21, 2010
Well this is what sleeping in feels like apparently. Though after an hour and a half, I just stopped with trying to meditate. I was way too frustrated to make the magic happen. I guess I'm still out of sync with everything.
I hope that's Cupcake rattling around in the kitchen. I just realized how hungry I am.
Doc's Log: 1245 Hours, Friday, May 21, 2010
Well this ain't good. I walked downstairs to find Cupcake and Ronin looking over the envelope and letter. I knew what that was about, but I didn't expect Cupcake to then turn into a police sketch artist right there at the kitchen table. When I came through, she had a sketch book with two images and working on a third. One was of a very fancy business suit that looked like it cost more than I do ... oh and the random dude wearing it. The next was the Nosferatu dude from the Orphanage. Not the ones with the big ears, but the one without a face that seemed to be the hitter. Then there was another Nosferatu (apparently) that we dubbed Wrinkleface. Wrinkleface came by his name honestly. Sadly, this means that the vampires are somehow involved in the deal with Chuck. I can already tell there's going to be some difficult conversations thanks to that.
Speaking of which, I think we're getting together now to discuss what to do for today. Joy.
Doc's Log: 1430 Hours, Friday, May 21, 2010
Cupcake had apparently been working on these sketches all morning, so by the time she finished even Nightshade was up and around. Ronin now had a lead and even though it wasn't a good idea to follow up on it, I knew that it'd be easier to pry open the jaws of a great white than to get her to let it go. Fortunately, Rose was feeling responsible and industrious so she strongly suggested that we deal with the Fear spirit back at the orphanage. This led to a more complex plan, but one that I like a great deal.
The Nosferatu have their precious alchemy lab in the secret room, but wouldn't it be a shame if the Fear spirit suddenly "broke free" of their binding. Terrible that it should happen during the day when none of their people were around to stop it from rampaging through and destroying everything.
This will take some preparation and some finesse. Prep work I can handle. The finesse part, I might not be so good with, but I'm not the only one doing this so we should be okay. I just have to keep my head in the game and think about this from all angles. We decided to go scout the Orphanage, this time looking for the kids and ways to make this plan work.
Since we had Cupcake with us, the locks weren't much of an issue. As a precaution, Snowflake decided to scout ahead from outside. This worked out pretty well. We knew that vampires wouldn't be much of an issue at 1300 hours but we didn't expect the scary looking dude crawling around on the ceiling just inside the foyer with an illusion of being normal around him. Yes, he was on the ceiling and pretending to look normal. No I have no idea why that made sense. Rose took a chance and turned invisible to see if he noticed. Snowflake kept watch while she crept in through the wall. It took her a moment to remember that we could stay in contact because of the ear curls but eventually she broke radio silence to let us know the dude was a Changeling, something about Autumn Court because of the leaves. I pieced together enough to figure out she suspected our Lionel Richie impersonator of being sent by Richard Mongler to ward off people dumb enough to try and get in. Something about using Fear to guard dangerous places.
Either way, she made it past him without issue and found the kids. Gina and Ted (well Gina talking for Ted) told Rose the items they wanted from their room on the 3rd floor. She found them since she could sneak around without drawing attention and came back to the kids. Becoming visible again, she convinced the kids to come with us because if/when we let the Fear Spirit out, they would be on top of the menu. Cupcake used her lockpicks (wow we have tools...it's amazing) to jimmy the lock and had the door read for Rose in case Ceiling Man decided there was an issue. Turns out Rose was right, and the Changeling was Autumn Court. Knew something about Mongler, though I don't think that's who sent him. Didn't seem to have an issue with us, but you can't take that kinda thing for granted. I also noticed when we opened the door, the inside of that place was darker than it should have been. I mean it was still daylight and the room almost seemed like none of the light was coming in. Not sure what that was about, but it was creepy.
Before Rose led the children out of the darkness, she stopped to talk with the man on the ceiling and learned some vitally useful information. Tommy Knocker, as he gave his name, spied on the Nosferatu before and was even willing to share his findings. Apparently the pointy eared Nosferatu we met during the whole deal with the alchemy lab, Vaclav Konec is the HNIC (Head Nosferatu In Charge). He holds some kind of spooky court in the basement of the Orphanage. Seems to be setup expressly to unnerve outsiders that come to ask for favors. Which is what likely happened with our rich dude in the impeccable suit. He even saw someone they referred to as Prince Maxwell. I knew roughly what that meant and decided not to get into it for the sake of the others. Even more useful to know, the Nosferatu actually caught Tommy spying and while he was able to run away, he found he was being watched everywhere he went for a long time after that. I'm certain this is important, but I don't know how we can use it just yet. I need more time and information that I'm not going to have access to until sometime after sunset.
Ronin was a little confused when Rose brought out an old hand-stitched doll and a wooden train. I had a few ideas but before we got into all that, Rose told us the rooms on the 3rd floor were permeated with Death energy. The sheer number of children that must have died there is unfortunate. However, she figured out that there were several charms left over and she also learned about a mass grave for the diseased children. This could be useful later on if we find others that want to be properly interred. For now, we're planning to let the kids stay in the Nursery.
Doc's Log: 1745 Hours, Friday, May 21, 2010
Snowflake and Nightshade have been setting up the entryway and Great Hall into what will be our dance floor for the Date with a Ghost contest. Ronin and I served as roadies and moved the big things. They were checking acoustics and looking at wiring for a band or a DJ. It was all very neat. Nightshade really does know alot about this kind of thing. While I know this, it's always kinda impressive to see her work. To test their setup, Nightshade went and got a CD with proper Waltzing music on it and then pulled me out on the floor. I thought I could just wing my way through it because I mean, I'm still not terribly flexible, but I'm athletic enough I thought I'd be okay. Snowflake and Tavia joined us and they were doing okay. Oh wow...I started getting out of step and that led to stepping on toes. That embarrassed me so I started looking down to try and keep that from happening. Then Nightshade suggested I pay attention to her lips and the words that were coming out instead of her tits. I'm pretty sure that I lit the room like the old Rudolph claymation specials. Add to this that Ronin and Rose were up on the balcony looking down at the whole thing grinning and giggling. That Rose was giggling means that they were talking about how we looked as a couple. That helped so much.
Fortunately for me, Nightshade is tremendously gracious and told me to just consider that my first lesson in Gothic Waltzing. Given that we have a little less than a month before the big party, I hope that it won't be my last. I can say with certainty that I will not embarrass myself on the dance floor with her like that in public. I will learn how to do this. Oh god, now I have a Dancing with the Sin-Eaters promo running through my head. I'm going to need help.
After that, Nightshade and Cupcake went crazy doing the Addams Family dance. I'm not sure what it's actually suppose to be, but Nightshade moved with such speed and precision...if it was wrong, I have my doubts anyone could tell.
Now it's time to get cleaned up for dinner.
Doc's Log: 2200 Hours, Friday, May 21, 2010
After dinner I went about deciding what I'd need to say when I talked to Truman. I hate calling on them like their freaks because that's pretty much what they are fighting to keep from being. I'm sure if I hadn't shown them kindness when they were weakened, I'd not have the kind of relationship with them that I do. So around 2000 Hours, I gave them a call.
Truman answered and I tried to explain that we needed their expertise about an issue that would be very delicate. Phone conversations with people that publicly should not exist are always awkward. Because we're never completely sure how things will go if Nightshade and Neon get together, Truman and I agreed long ago that informing the other of issues if someone is around is very important. Thus I told him anyone that wanted to attend was welcome. I really only wanted Ronin and Snowflake around for this as Rose would be out of her element entirely, Cupcake would want to bring Chandra (which would be a nuclear bomb of a bad idea), and the aforementioned concern for and about Nightshade. Ronin was involved and Snowflake would be able to assist in a few possible situations. Plus that kept me from having to call a cab. Nightshade caught us as we were heading out and made it known she wanted me back in time to watch Nightmare before Christmas. I agreed but the look I got from Ronin made me thankful it was dark outside to conceal the new color of my cheeks. Really don't understand why they can do that to me.
Rose was busy after dinner tonight as well. Since we decided to call in the experts once the sun went down she had a bit of time to kill. Before we left she handed Snowflake the newly repainted wooden toy train and I noticed she'd given the dolly a gauzy black dress, added a belt loop, and created a pocket. Apparently my guess about Rose using the toys into make charms was correct. Cool and horrifying all at once.
I need to ask what you call a group of vampires. A clutch? Nest? Who knows. We met Truman and his group not too long after the phone call at The Coffee Shop. It was a new place but seemed to be quiet enough for what we needed. When we got there, Truman greeted us and I got to introduce he, Neon, Rebecca, and Wynton to part of my Krewe. That Wynton came meant they were concerned by what I was calling delicate. That Neon came meant they weren't too concerned. I brought Cupcake's sketches to see if we could get better information. This was the jackpot.
Once we had a table, I explained a little more about the situation and asked if they knew Wrinkleface. Knowing that identifying other vampires could be problematic plus the whole True Face thing, I opened the sketch book for just a moment for all of them to see. They knew he was a Nosferatu and that he was something like an underling to Vaclav. Faceless Bob (my name, they didn't know his name) was confirmed as something akin to an enforcer. But it was the last sketch that got the most response. When I showed the dude in the suit, Truman glanced at Rebecca, who was more than a little shocked. They told me the man was Jackson Harvard. It was Rebecca's sire. I have to assume that means her maker. Then the Vampire 101 hit. We learned that both Mr. Harvard and Prince Maxwell are part of a group known as the Invictus. The rough idea they gave was that this group is a real power behind the scenes in city institutions outside the Church, which apparently another group holds sway with. Specifically the Invictus seem to be or have control of leaders or social organizations. All told, that would make most of the decisions made for the city heavily influenced by them. I knew the Stockton Posse couldn't have managed those shots. Chalk that up to the Nosferatu. I also called it that they couldn't plan out something like that. Apparently score that one to the Invictus. Based on Rebecca's exceptionally generous explanation of Ventrue and Invictus politics, Chuck is being shown a courtesy from the shadows by not being killed or mind wiped. That does complicate things a bit more now though. To make Mr. Harvard back off of Chuck, we'll either have to remove the problem that he's having, or make it not worth his time to deal with it. And we still don't know what that connection is. Once we got all that, I asked Snowflake to verify we weren't being watched. I had no desire for Truman or any of his people to get wrapped up in this other than from our consultations. Fortunately, the coast was clear so we broke for the night and headed back to the House.
I've got to work out a way for us to crack this thing. We'll only be able to keep Chuck off the trail for so long and Ronin will not react rationally if anything happens to him on our watch. No pressure.
Jasmine’s Diary
Friday, May 21, 2010, Noon
Simon came to practice his swimming this morning. I was working with Jean most of the time, but I did keep an eye on Simon to make sure he was doing well. I did have to give him a few pointers on his form, and he still can’t swim for long without becoming completely knackered, but at least he’s giving it a go. Well done, Simon!
Friday, May 21, 2010, Afternoon
Well, I now know why Gwen has been so ropeable over the past day or two. Doc, Gwen and Alexia gathered us all up and explained that a her friend, Clevon “Chuck” Norris, is being blackmailed by mysterious persons in order to keep him from investigating a small-time gang. I don’t really know all of the details, but the blackmail has to do with a possible past relationship with Gwen (above and beyond the fact that they were once partners on the police force).
What makes the situation difficult, however, is that the people who are blackmailing Clevon are vampires. Alexia managed to determine that much from communing with the blackmail letter and photo. Some of those involved are the “Nosferatu” that Doc, Natalie and Alexia discovered in the St. Francis Orphan Asylum, which is apparently their hideout or laboratory. Doc is very worried about angering these Nosferatu, but we need to do something to help Gwen, so after considerable discussion, we settled on a plan.
We decided to go back to the asylum during the day to look it over and make sure everything was more or less as we left it, with the fear spirit confined to the third floor and the seals that bind it there still in place. Since we need leverage against the Nosferatu to get them to cooperate with us, we plan to break the seals and free the fear spirit, then offer to get rid of it in exchange for the Nosferatu’s help. A dangerous plan, yes, but one that might work. I think we’re all confident that we can destroy the fear spirit without too much trouble.
The only problem is that we don’t want the spirit to harm the two surviving children’s ghosts, so I resolved to rescue them from the building so they would not be when the thing starts rampaging about.
The Orphanage is an unpleasant looking place, particularly in its run-down state. When we arrived, Simon zoned out with the Boneyard to have a look inside, and didn’t see anything amiss, except for a rather ghoulish creature creeping about on the ceiling of the main lobby. Simon could only see is true appearance because he had unlocked the Boneyard with the Phantasmal key, and he warned us that the rest of us would see it cloaked in the guise of a human. When I heard that, I was reminded of Richard Mongler and privately wondered if the ghoulish creature might not be a changeling.
We didn’t want to invite an attack from the thing on the ceiling, so I agreed to go in and have a look about to see if I couldn’t find the children or anything else that might help us. I used the Cold Wind to unlock my Caul and drew the Shroud of Stillness about me, making myself little more than an invisible whisper in the wind, and then passed through the front door without disturbing it or alerting the ghoulish thing to my presence. Once I was inside, Alexia move to the door from outside and began picking the lock in case the others needed to get inside quickly, should I need help.
I should also note that the ghoulish thing did not look like a human to me. I could see it quite clearly for what it was, which confirmed my suspicion that it was a changeling. Richard did, after all, grant me the power to see changeling things for what they are.
I took a while to explore the interior of the orphanage, which is largely a sad, decaying shell of the building it once was. I could almost feel the pain and sadness of all those children as I wandered the halls, looking for the ghosts of the two children, Gina and Ted. I eventually found the two ghosts. Gina is a strong-willed little girl, while Ted is shy and frightened. Still, I was able to coax them out of hiding and talk to them. After explaining that I was a friend of Doc, Alexia, and Natalie, I told them that we feared the fear spirit was going to break free soon, and although we were going to destroy it when it did, we needed to make sure they were safe. In order to do that, I needed to know their anchors, and asked them what they felt the greatest connection to in the asylum. Gina wanted her rag doll, and Ted wanted his pillow, both of which were lost in a room on the third floor, off-limits to them because of the spirit.
I promised to get the doll and pillow for them, and crept upstairs, still invisible. I did not encounter the fear spirit, fortunately, but when I saw just how many dolls and pillows were left in the dust-covered room, I had to go back down and get a more specific description of each from the children. Even so, it wasn’t too much trouble finding their anchors. And on the way, I kept my eyes open for anything lying around up there that might be strongly connected to death and that I might make into a charm. I found a small rag-doll with a felt dress and an old wooden toy train with worn, chipped paint, both of which resonated strongly with the deaths of the children who once played with them. There may, in fact, be more potential charms on the third floor, but we’ll have to look for them later after the fear spirit has been destroyed.
I also happened upon some paperwork while I was exploring the third floor offices. Apparently about twenty dead orphans are buried in an unmarked mass grave nearby. We need to investigate that. Even if most of the children’s ghosts were consumed by the fear spirit, we should still lay them to rest properly.
So, with the children’s anchors returned to them, I guided the children out of the Asylum…but I decided to announce myself to the ghoulish thing in the front room, as it would have been difficult to get the children’s things out without opening the door. Besides, Richard had told me enough about what he calls the “Autumn Court” to guess that the ghoul was simply trying to frighten mortals away from the place to keep them safe from the far more dangerous things that lurked there.
Unfortunately, I think I frightened the changeling more than he frightened us when I peered around the door frame and gently called out to him. He was a bit put out that I didn’t scream or anything when made his face change into something frightneingly grotesque, though I did recoil a bit. Once that was done, we were able to introduce ourselves properly, and I made sure to mention that I was a friend of Richard Mongler.
The ghoul’s name is Tommy Knocker. And yes, he is there to frighten away mortals. He was quite disappointed that he would not be frightening us. I told him that I was removing the children’s ghosts for their own protection, and he was okay with that. He did warn me, though, about the Nosferatu. They are quite dangerous, and apparently they are good at both sneaking about and at observing those who try to hide from them. That’s definitely something for me to remember.
Despite Tommy’s unpleasant appearance, he was very nice. I quite liked him, and I wonder if it wouldn’t be a good idea to make more connections to the Autumn Court, as it seems our interests tend to overlap a bit. I’ll ask Richard about it.
We got the children into Simon’s car and headed back to Dark Haven Bluffs to set them up in the playroom for the time being. Gwen was very good with them, much better than I was. She has training in dealing with traumatized children, but she’s also just more personable. I fear I wouldn’t be a very good mother.
Friday, May 21, 2010, Evening
After returning from the orphanage and making sure the children were comfortable, we all split up to take care of various errands. I got Tavia and Alexia to help me clean up the toy train and rag doll. I had Tavia touch up the paint on the train and add some touches of dark, iridescent blue, and then I performed the ritual to make it into a Phantasmal charm for Simon. A toy train seemed somehow appropriate for him, though I can’t put a finger on why. More whimsy, I suppose. Alexia and I also dyed the rag doll’s dress black and altered the doll to serves as an odd little belt pouch, which I turned into a Stillness charm for myself.
By the time that was done, we found that Gwen, Doc, Simon and Natalie had spent the rest of the afternoon working getting the mansion’s great hall in shape for Bonnie-Lynn’s ball in a few weeks. They’re turning it into quite a ball room, and Gwen and I chatted for awhile on the balcony that overlooks it all while we watched Simon, Tavia, Doc and Natalie practice waltzing. It was so romantic. Doc and Natalie looked so right together, even if Doc was a terrible dancer and spent most of the it embarrassed. Being so close to Natalie put him quite off his mark.
Footnotes
Gina and Ted
Date of Death: Unknown
Cause of Death: Sickness.
Haunt: St. Francis Orphan Asylum
Known Anchors: Gina: Her precious ragdoll. Ted: His pillow. The two might have other anchors as well, but if so, those anchors are inside the orphan asylum; otherwise they would have been able to leave to escape the fear spirit.
Known Numina: Telekinesis
- Gina and Ted are the only surviving ghosts that were not consumed by the fear spirit. They spend their time hiding within the halls of the orphan asylum. Gina is the eldest and protects Ted. Ted almost never talks, and relies on Gina to shield and protect him from everything that frightens him.
We have rescued Gina and Ted from the Orphan Asylum, at least for the time being, and have moved the anchors we know about into Dark Haven Bluffs nursery/playroom, the room where Tavia, Simon, and Alistair used to play as children. The orphans seem excited to have such a fantastic place to play after being alone in the ruins of the orphanage for so long. Once we’ve removed the fear spirit and can find their other anchors, we’ll help them to pass on.
American Culture & Idioms
"Yenta"
- While Gwen and I were chatting about Bonnie-Lynn and how charming the others looked waltzing, I commented that I had no idea what I’d do at the party. I don’t really know if I’d feel comfortable waltzing, or socializing with all those people, but I wanted to be involved. She told me that I was the yenta. I had no idea what that was, so she explained that it was a Jewish matchmaker. I’m probably most invested in helping Bonnie-Lynn find someone, so I supposed that does make sense. It’s still an odd comparison, though. Cultural differences don’t seem to have any impact on the way Gwen associates one thing with another.
"Monty Python"
- This isn’t even American pop-culture, but I’m not surprised that Gwen likes it. I’ve known of Monty Python ever since high school because some of my cousins in New Zealand liked it, but I never saw the appeal. It all seems rather idiotic to me.
I did observe, when Gwen mentioned Monty Python, that I found it odd that she remembers almost nothing about her past except all of these bizarre pop-culture references. I wonder why that is, and if it can help her find her memories again?
Natalie’s Tweets
Friday May 21st
-Had late night chat with Late Evil. Poor thing is mad as a March Hare. Funny when she stutters too.
-No, nothing happened. :P
-Meeting the gang for lunch, plotting.
-Someone has pissed off Gwen big time.
-Time for more B & E for the gang.
-Late Evil is REALLY trying to impress me now. This is what I get for being nice to people.
-Doing a follow-up check on St. Francis Orphan Asylum. Last check two ghosts (kids) one Fear Spirit.
-Also, mild Vampire infestation. Mild.
-I’ll just hang around and look pretty while Jasmine and Simon take care of this.
-I don’t have to Velma this time, since we have Jasmine and the Jeep swallower.
-This sun is going to do away with my lovely pallor! Good thing I brought by parasol.
-Lacy black parasols are always in fashion.
-Jasmine has helped the kids; I think she plans to take them home.
-A fairy was hanging around on the ceiling. Jasmine is talking to him now. What?
-Why don’t we ever meet any pretty girl fairies?
-Back to Chez Satanique with more ghosts. Because it was not haunted enough.
-Flowers from Late Evil, and a backhanded compliment.
-…I think these came from the yard.
-Working with Simon on acoustics, watching him waltz with Tavia. It’s cute.
-I may take a spin myself. Lets see if Doc can keep up. >
-That was fun. Doc did passively well. My feet hurt.
-Need to show Jasmine Nightmare before Christmas tonight.
-Gonna hit the library a bit while Doc, Simon, and Gwen go to talk to some friends of Doc.
-Late Evil keeps smiling at me. Wasn’t she here to do something?
-Researching an evil ritual. OK, maybe not so evil.
-That wasn’t such a chore. Let’s see if the others are gonna do Nightmare.
End Session XXI
For those playing along at home, Tommy is an Autumn Court Darkling Tunnelgrub/Palewraith with the Scarecrow Ministry.
Comments and Questions welcome, hope you enjoyed.
Session XXI
Doc’s Log
Doc's Log: 1155 Hours, Friday, May 21, 2010
Well this is what sleeping in feels like apparently. Though after an hour and a half, I just stopped with trying to meditate. I was way too frustrated to make the magic happen. I guess I'm still out of sync with everything.
I hope that's Cupcake rattling around in the kitchen. I just realized how hungry I am.
Doc's Log: 1245 Hours, Friday, May 21, 2010
Well this ain't good. I walked downstairs to find Cupcake and Ronin looking over the envelope and letter. I knew what that was about, but I didn't expect Cupcake to then turn into a police sketch artist right there at the kitchen table. When I came through, she had a sketch book with two images and working on a third. One was of a very fancy business suit that looked like it cost more than I do ... oh and the random dude wearing it. The next was the Nosferatu dude from the Orphanage. Not the ones with the big ears, but the one without a face that seemed to be the hitter. Then there was another Nosferatu (apparently) that we dubbed Wrinkleface. Wrinkleface came by his name honestly. Sadly, this means that the vampires are somehow involved in the deal with Chuck. I can already tell there's going to be some difficult conversations thanks to that.
Speaking of which, I think we're getting together now to discuss what to do for today. Joy.
Doc's Log: 1430 Hours, Friday, May 21, 2010
Cupcake had apparently been working on these sketches all morning, so by the time she finished even Nightshade was up and around. Ronin now had a lead and even though it wasn't a good idea to follow up on it, I knew that it'd be easier to pry open the jaws of a great white than to get her to let it go. Fortunately, Rose was feeling responsible and industrious so she strongly suggested that we deal with the Fear spirit back at the orphanage. This led to a more complex plan, but one that I like a great deal.
The Nosferatu have their precious alchemy lab in the secret room, but wouldn't it be a shame if the Fear spirit suddenly "broke free" of their binding. Terrible that it should happen during the day when none of their people were around to stop it from rampaging through and destroying everything.
This will take some preparation and some finesse. Prep work I can handle. The finesse part, I might not be so good with, but I'm not the only one doing this so we should be okay. I just have to keep my head in the game and think about this from all angles. We decided to go scout the Orphanage, this time looking for the kids and ways to make this plan work.
Since we had Cupcake with us, the locks weren't much of an issue. As a precaution, Snowflake decided to scout ahead from outside. This worked out pretty well. We knew that vampires wouldn't be much of an issue at 1300 hours but we didn't expect the scary looking dude crawling around on the ceiling just inside the foyer with an illusion of being normal around him. Yes, he was on the ceiling and pretending to look normal. No I have no idea why that made sense. Rose took a chance and turned invisible to see if he noticed. Snowflake kept watch while she crept in through the wall. It took her a moment to remember that we could stay in contact because of the ear curls but eventually she broke radio silence to let us know the dude was a Changeling, something about Autumn Court because of the leaves. I pieced together enough to figure out she suspected our Lionel Richie impersonator of being sent by Richard Mongler to ward off people dumb enough to try and get in. Something about using Fear to guard dangerous places.
Either way, she made it past him without issue and found the kids. Gina and Ted (well Gina talking for Ted) told Rose the items they wanted from their room on the 3rd floor. She found them since she could sneak around without drawing attention and came back to the kids. Becoming visible again, she convinced the kids to come with us because if/when we let the Fear Spirit out, they would be on top of the menu. Cupcake used her lockpicks (wow we have tools...it's amazing) to jimmy the lock and had the door read for Rose in case Ceiling Man decided there was an issue. Turns out Rose was right, and the Changeling was Autumn Court. Knew something about Mongler, though I don't think that's who sent him. Didn't seem to have an issue with us, but you can't take that kinda thing for granted. I also noticed when we opened the door, the inside of that place was darker than it should have been. I mean it was still daylight and the room almost seemed like none of the light was coming in. Not sure what that was about, but it was creepy.
Before Rose led the children out of the darkness, she stopped to talk with the man on the ceiling and learned some vitally useful information. Tommy Knocker, as he gave his name, spied on the Nosferatu before and was even willing to share his findings. Apparently the pointy eared Nosferatu we met during the whole deal with the alchemy lab, Vaclav Konec is the HNIC (Head Nosferatu In Charge). He holds some kind of spooky court in the basement of the Orphanage. Seems to be setup expressly to unnerve outsiders that come to ask for favors. Which is what likely happened with our rich dude in the impeccable suit. He even saw someone they referred to as Prince Maxwell. I knew roughly what that meant and decided not to get into it for the sake of the others. Even more useful to know, the Nosferatu actually caught Tommy spying and while he was able to run away, he found he was being watched everywhere he went for a long time after that. I'm certain this is important, but I don't know how we can use it just yet. I need more time and information that I'm not going to have access to until sometime after sunset.
Ronin was a little confused when Rose brought out an old hand-stitched doll and a wooden train. I had a few ideas but before we got into all that, Rose told us the rooms on the 3rd floor were permeated with Death energy. The sheer number of children that must have died there is unfortunate. However, she figured out that there were several charms left over and she also learned about a mass grave for the diseased children. This could be useful later on if we find others that want to be properly interred. For now, we're planning to let the kids stay in the Nursery.
Doc's Log: 1745 Hours, Friday, May 21, 2010
Snowflake and Nightshade have been setting up the entryway and Great Hall into what will be our dance floor for the Date with a Ghost contest. Ronin and I served as roadies and moved the big things. They were checking acoustics and looking at wiring for a band or a DJ. It was all very neat. Nightshade really does know alot about this kind of thing. While I know this, it's always kinda impressive to see her work. To test their setup, Nightshade went and got a CD with proper Waltzing music on it and then pulled me out on the floor. I thought I could just wing my way through it because I mean, I'm still not terribly flexible, but I'm athletic enough I thought I'd be okay. Snowflake and Tavia joined us and they were doing okay. Oh wow...I started getting out of step and that led to stepping on toes. That embarrassed me so I started looking down to try and keep that from happening. Then Nightshade suggested I pay attention to her lips and the words that were coming out instead of her tits. I'm pretty sure that I lit the room like the old Rudolph claymation specials. Add to this that Ronin and Rose were up on the balcony looking down at the whole thing grinning and giggling. That Rose was giggling means that they were talking about how we looked as a couple. That helped so much.
Fortunately for me, Nightshade is tremendously gracious and told me to just consider that my first lesson in Gothic Waltzing. Given that we have a little less than a month before the big party, I hope that it won't be my last. I can say with certainty that I will not embarrass myself on the dance floor with her like that in public. I will learn how to do this. Oh god, now I have a Dancing with the Sin-Eaters promo running through my head. I'm going to need help.
After that, Nightshade and Cupcake went crazy doing the Addams Family dance. I'm not sure what it's actually suppose to be, but Nightshade moved with such speed and precision...if it was wrong, I have my doubts anyone could tell.
Now it's time to get cleaned up for dinner.
Doc's Log: 2200 Hours, Friday, May 21, 2010
After dinner I went about deciding what I'd need to say when I talked to Truman. I hate calling on them like their freaks because that's pretty much what they are fighting to keep from being. I'm sure if I hadn't shown them kindness when they were weakened, I'd not have the kind of relationship with them that I do. So around 2000 Hours, I gave them a call.
Truman answered and I tried to explain that we needed their expertise about an issue that would be very delicate. Phone conversations with people that publicly should not exist are always awkward. Because we're never completely sure how things will go if Nightshade and Neon get together, Truman and I agreed long ago that informing the other of issues if someone is around is very important. Thus I told him anyone that wanted to attend was welcome. I really only wanted Ronin and Snowflake around for this as Rose would be out of her element entirely, Cupcake would want to bring Chandra (which would be a nuclear bomb of a bad idea), and the aforementioned concern for and about Nightshade. Ronin was involved and Snowflake would be able to assist in a few possible situations. Plus that kept me from having to call a cab. Nightshade caught us as we were heading out and made it known she wanted me back in time to watch Nightmare before Christmas. I agreed but the look I got from Ronin made me thankful it was dark outside to conceal the new color of my cheeks. Really don't understand why they can do that to me.
Rose was busy after dinner tonight as well. Since we decided to call in the experts once the sun went down she had a bit of time to kill. Before we left she handed Snowflake the newly repainted wooden toy train and I noticed she'd given the dolly a gauzy black dress, added a belt loop, and created a pocket. Apparently my guess about Rose using the toys into make charms was correct. Cool and horrifying all at once.
I need to ask what you call a group of vampires. A clutch? Nest? Who knows. We met Truman and his group not too long after the phone call at The Coffee Shop. It was a new place but seemed to be quiet enough for what we needed. When we got there, Truman greeted us and I got to introduce he, Neon, Rebecca, and Wynton to part of my Krewe. That Wynton came meant they were concerned by what I was calling delicate. That Neon came meant they weren't too concerned. I brought Cupcake's sketches to see if we could get better information. This was the jackpot.
Once we had a table, I explained a little more about the situation and asked if they knew Wrinkleface. Knowing that identifying other vampires could be problematic plus the whole True Face thing, I opened the sketch book for just a moment for all of them to see. They knew he was a Nosferatu and that he was something like an underling to Vaclav. Faceless Bob (my name, they didn't know his name) was confirmed as something akin to an enforcer. But it was the last sketch that got the most response. When I showed the dude in the suit, Truman glanced at Rebecca, who was more than a little shocked. They told me the man was Jackson Harvard. It was Rebecca's sire. I have to assume that means her maker. Then the Vampire 101 hit. We learned that both Mr. Harvard and Prince Maxwell are part of a group known as the Invictus. The rough idea they gave was that this group is a real power behind the scenes in city institutions outside the Church, which apparently another group holds sway with. Specifically the Invictus seem to be or have control of leaders or social organizations. All told, that would make most of the decisions made for the city heavily influenced by them. I knew the Stockton Posse couldn't have managed those shots. Chalk that up to the Nosferatu. I also called it that they couldn't plan out something like that. Apparently score that one to the Invictus. Based on Rebecca's exceptionally generous explanation of Ventrue and Invictus politics, Chuck is being shown a courtesy from the shadows by not being killed or mind wiped. That does complicate things a bit more now though. To make Mr. Harvard back off of Chuck, we'll either have to remove the problem that he's having, or make it not worth his time to deal with it. And we still don't know what that connection is. Once we got all that, I asked Snowflake to verify we weren't being watched. I had no desire for Truman or any of his people to get wrapped up in this other than from our consultations. Fortunately, the coast was clear so we broke for the night and headed back to the House.
I've got to work out a way for us to crack this thing. We'll only be able to keep Chuck off the trail for so long and Ronin will not react rationally if anything happens to him on our watch. No pressure.
Jasmine’s Diary
Friday, May 21, 2010, Noon
Simon came to practice his swimming this morning. I was working with Jean most of the time, but I did keep an eye on Simon to make sure he was doing well. I did have to give him a few pointers on his form, and he still can’t swim for long without becoming completely knackered, but at least he’s giving it a go. Well done, Simon!
Friday, May 21, 2010, Afternoon
Well, I now know why Gwen has been so ropeable over the past day or two. Doc, Gwen and Alexia gathered us all up and explained that a her friend, Clevon “Chuck” Norris, is being blackmailed by mysterious persons in order to keep him from investigating a small-time gang. I don’t really know all of the details, but the blackmail has to do with a possible past relationship with Gwen (above and beyond the fact that they were once partners on the police force).
What makes the situation difficult, however, is that the people who are blackmailing Clevon are vampires. Alexia managed to determine that much from communing with the blackmail letter and photo. Some of those involved are the “Nosferatu” that Doc, Natalie and Alexia discovered in the St. Francis Orphan Asylum, which is apparently their hideout or laboratory. Doc is very worried about angering these Nosferatu, but we need to do something to help Gwen, so after considerable discussion, we settled on a plan.
We decided to go back to the asylum during the day to look it over and make sure everything was more or less as we left it, with the fear spirit confined to the third floor and the seals that bind it there still in place. Since we need leverage against the Nosferatu to get them to cooperate with us, we plan to break the seals and free the fear spirit, then offer to get rid of it in exchange for the Nosferatu’s help. A dangerous plan, yes, but one that might work. I think we’re all confident that we can destroy the fear spirit without too much trouble.
The only problem is that we don’t want the spirit to harm the two surviving children’s ghosts, so I resolved to rescue them from the building so they would not be when the thing starts rampaging about.
The Orphanage is an unpleasant looking place, particularly in its run-down state. When we arrived, Simon zoned out with the Boneyard to have a look inside, and didn’t see anything amiss, except for a rather ghoulish creature creeping about on the ceiling of the main lobby. Simon could only see is true appearance because he had unlocked the Boneyard with the Phantasmal key, and he warned us that the rest of us would see it cloaked in the guise of a human. When I heard that, I was reminded of Richard Mongler and privately wondered if the ghoulish creature might not be a changeling.
We didn’t want to invite an attack from the thing on the ceiling, so I agreed to go in and have a look about to see if I couldn’t find the children or anything else that might help us. I used the Cold Wind to unlock my Caul and drew the Shroud of Stillness about me, making myself little more than an invisible whisper in the wind, and then passed through the front door without disturbing it or alerting the ghoulish thing to my presence. Once I was inside, Alexia move to the door from outside and began picking the lock in case the others needed to get inside quickly, should I need help.
I should also note that the ghoulish thing did not look like a human to me. I could see it quite clearly for what it was, which confirmed my suspicion that it was a changeling. Richard did, after all, grant me the power to see changeling things for what they are.
I took a while to explore the interior of the orphanage, which is largely a sad, decaying shell of the building it once was. I could almost feel the pain and sadness of all those children as I wandered the halls, looking for the ghosts of the two children, Gina and Ted. I eventually found the two ghosts. Gina is a strong-willed little girl, while Ted is shy and frightened. Still, I was able to coax them out of hiding and talk to them. After explaining that I was a friend of Doc, Alexia, and Natalie, I told them that we feared the fear spirit was going to break free soon, and although we were going to destroy it when it did, we needed to make sure they were safe. In order to do that, I needed to know their anchors, and asked them what they felt the greatest connection to in the asylum. Gina wanted her rag doll, and Ted wanted his pillow, both of which were lost in a room on the third floor, off-limits to them because of the spirit.
I promised to get the doll and pillow for them, and crept upstairs, still invisible. I did not encounter the fear spirit, fortunately, but when I saw just how many dolls and pillows were left in the dust-covered room, I had to go back down and get a more specific description of each from the children. Even so, it wasn’t too much trouble finding their anchors. And on the way, I kept my eyes open for anything lying around up there that might be strongly connected to death and that I might make into a charm. I found a small rag-doll with a felt dress and an old wooden toy train with worn, chipped paint, both of which resonated strongly with the deaths of the children who once played with them. There may, in fact, be more potential charms on the third floor, but we’ll have to look for them later after the fear spirit has been destroyed.
I also happened upon some paperwork while I was exploring the third floor offices. Apparently about twenty dead orphans are buried in an unmarked mass grave nearby. We need to investigate that. Even if most of the children’s ghosts were consumed by the fear spirit, we should still lay them to rest properly.
So, with the children’s anchors returned to them, I guided the children out of the Asylum…but I decided to announce myself to the ghoulish thing in the front room, as it would have been difficult to get the children’s things out without opening the door. Besides, Richard had told me enough about what he calls the “Autumn Court” to guess that the ghoul was simply trying to frighten mortals away from the place to keep them safe from the far more dangerous things that lurked there.
Unfortunately, I think I frightened the changeling more than he frightened us when I peered around the door frame and gently called out to him. He was a bit put out that I didn’t scream or anything when made his face change into something frightneingly grotesque, though I did recoil a bit. Once that was done, we were able to introduce ourselves properly, and I made sure to mention that I was a friend of Richard Mongler.
The ghoul’s name is Tommy Knocker. And yes, he is there to frighten away mortals. He was quite disappointed that he would not be frightening us. I told him that I was removing the children’s ghosts for their own protection, and he was okay with that. He did warn me, though, about the Nosferatu. They are quite dangerous, and apparently they are good at both sneaking about and at observing those who try to hide from them. That’s definitely something for me to remember.
Despite Tommy’s unpleasant appearance, he was very nice. I quite liked him, and I wonder if it wouldn’t be a good idea to make more connections to the Autumn Court, as it seems our interests tend to overlap a bit. I’ll ask Richard about it.
We got the children into Simon’s car and headed back to Dark Haven Bluffs to set them up in the playroom for the time being. Gwen was very good with them, much better than I was. She has training in dealing with traumatized children, but she’s also just more personable. I fear I wouldn’t be a very good mother.
Friday, May 21, 2010, Evening
After returning from the orphanage and making sure the children were comfortable, we all split up to take care of various errands. I got Tavia and Alexia to help me clean up the toy train and rag doll. I had Tavia touch up the paint on the train and add some touches of dark, iridescent blue, and then I performed the ritual to make it into a Phantasmal charm for Simon. A toy train seemed somehow appropriate for him, though I can’t put a finger on why. More whimsy, I suppose. Alexia and I also dyed the rag doll’s dress black and altered the doll to serves as an odd little belt pouch, which I turned into a Stillness charm for myself.
By the time that was done, we found that Gwen, Doc, Simon and Natalie had spent the rest of the afternoon working getting the mansion’s great hall in shape for Bonnie-Lynn’s ball in a few weeks. They’re turning it into quite a ball room, and Gwen and I chatted for awhile on the balcony that overlooks it all while we watched Simon, Tavia, Doc and Natalie practice waltzing. It was so romantic. Doc and Natalie looked so right together, even if Doc was a terrible dancer and spent most of the it embarrassed. Being so close to Natalie put him quite off his mark.
Footnotes
Gina and Ted
Date of Death: Unknown
Cause of Death: Sickness.
Haunt: St. Francis Orphan Asylum
Known Anchors: Gina: Her precious ragdoll. Ted: His pillow. The two might have other anchors as well, but if so, those anchors are inside the orphan asylum; otherwise they would have been able to leave to escape the fear spirit.
Known Numina: Telekinesis
- Gina and Ted are the only surviving ghosts that were not consumed by the fear spirit. They spend their time hiding within the halls of the orphan asylum. Gina is the eldest and protects Ted. Ted almost never talks, and relies on Gina to shield and protect him from everything that frightens him.
We have rescued Gina and Ted from the Orphan Asylum, at least for the time being, and have moved the anchors we know about into Dark Haven Bluffs nursery/playroom, the room where Tavia, Simon, and Alistair used to play as children. The orphans seem excited to have such a fantastic place to play after being alone in the ruins of the orphanage for so long. Once we’ve removed the fear spirit and can find their other anchors, we’ll help them to pass on.
American Culture & Idioms
"Yenta"
- While Gwen and I were chatting about Bonnie-Lynn and how charming the others looked waltzing, I commented that I had no idea what I’d do at the party. I don’t really know if I’d feel comfortable waltzing, or socializing with all those people, but I wanted to be involved. She told me that I was the yenta. I had no idea what that was, so she explained that it was a Jewish matchmaker. I’m probably most invested in helping Bonnie-Lynn find someone, so I supposed that does make sense. It’s still an odd comparison, though. Cultural differences don’t seem to have any impact on the way Gwen associates one thing with another.
"Monty Python"
- This isn’t even American pop-culture, but I’m not surprised that Gwen likes it. I’ve known of Monty Python ever since high school because some of my cousins in New Zealand liked it, but I never saw the appeal. It all seems rather idiotic to me.
I did observe, when Gwen mentioned Monty Python, that I found it odd that she remembers almost nothing about her past except all of these bizarre pop-culture references. I wonder why that is, and if it can help her find her memories again?
Natalie’s Tweets
Friday May 21st
-Had late night chat with Late Evil. Poor thing is mad as a March Hare. Funny when she stutters too.
-No, nothing happened. :P
-Meeting the gang for lunch, plotting.
-Someone has pissed off Gwen big time.
-Time for more B & E for the gang.
-Late Evil is REALLY trying to impress me now. This is what I get for being nice to people.
-Doing a follow-up check on St. Francis Orphan Asylum. Last check two ghosts (kids) one Fear Spirit.
-Also, mild Vampire infestation. Mild.
-I’ll just hang around and look pretty while Jasmine and Simon take care of this.
-I don’t have to Velma this time, since we have Jasmine and the Jeep swallower.
-This sun is going to do away with my lovely pallor! Good thing I brought by parasol.
-Lacy black parasols are always in fashion.
-Jasmine has helped the kids; I think she plans to take them home.
-A fairy was hanging around on the ceiling. Jasmine is talking to him now. What?
-Why don’t we ever meet any pretty girl fairies?
-Back to Chez Satanique with more ghosts. Because it was not haunted enough.
-Flowers from Late Evil, and a backhanded compliment.
-…I think these came from the yard.
-Working with Simon on acoustics, watching him waltz with Tavia. It’s cute.
-I may take a spin myself. Lets see if Doc can keep up. >
-That was fun. Doc did passively well. My feet hurt.
-Need to show Jasmine Nightmare before Christmas tonight.
-Gonna hit the library a bit while Doc, Simon, and Gwen go to talk to some friends of Doc.
-Late Evil keeps smiling at me. Wasn’t she here to do something?
-Researching an evil ritual. OK, maybe not so evil.
-That wasn’t such a chore. Let’s see if the others are gonna do Nightmare.
End Session XXI
For those playing along at home, Tommy is an Autumn Court Darkling Tunnelgrub/Palewraith with the Scarecrow Ministry.
Comments and Questions welcome, hope you enjoyed.
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