>>4861434

You are currently on your way to your sire - Varnava. He himself controls a far larger area, and expects you to be his right hand - currently, your objective is to establish a trade route from the south over the mountains. On this, you have learned that there is a conflict between the lasombra and cappadocians on the other side of the mountains, two other vampire clans. You are on good relationship with your sire, and he has promised to teach you some new skills now that you have mastered the third level of vicissitude. You are currently on your way there, where he wants to strategize the current events, and how to proceed.
Due to the success and your contribution in the attack against one of his rivals (and perhaps more pressing, now your rival too), you can expect a minor boon from him. This could be anything that is not substantially difficult for him to provide.
For example, it could be literature, training in your (or other, perhaps) disciplines, tutelage from him, or possibly someone else. Or something more direct: weapons, people or money. Of course, keeping a boon is itself useful. He too is bound by the ancient codes of honour.

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>>4861436
Your clan, Tzimisce, own the powers of Animalism, Auspex and Vicissitude. Additionally, due to the potency of your blood, you find it trivial to develop the three physical disciplines;
Potence (strength), Fortitude (durability) and Celerity (speed).
Currently, you know these powers:
Animalism I : Whispers to the wild - You can talk to animals and command them
Auspex I : heightened senses
Fortitude I : The abillity to withstand damage.
Vicissitude I : Mallable visage - You can alter the visage of someone at a surface level
Vicissitude II : Transmorfigy the mortal flesh - You can alterate flesh, muscle and fats of living beings
Vicissitude III: Rend the osseous frame - You can blend and twist bone of living and undead beings, and combined with the other two powers, you can create truly inhuman creations.


Vicissitude allows for general ideas to be researched, currently, you only know of one of these, but your sire has told you that he would be willing to teach you
some of his ideas once you have learned the third level of vicissitude.

Current known alterations:
Reflexive muscle contractions: (+1 survival/melee -1 to stealth, gives slight jitteriness.)
Current undeveloped alterations:
Ram horns - additional dice in tackling maneuvers.

Lastly, the curse of your clan is a connection to the land. Where you rest, must be close to the dirt of some importance for yourself, such as the land of your castle. This can be subverted by carrying dirt with you. Should you fail to do this, your dice pools will diminish with 1 per night.
You are working on some projects on the side, which are as follows:

>Progress on roads in the village 4/~600 (this will passively improve over time, as it is not done by your hand)
>Progress on teaching 1/8
>Progress on outpost (50/65) (halted)
>Progress in improving survival (2/?)

This game uses a dice pool system, where you roll a combination of some attribute and ability, each dot equaling a dice. they contested against some difficulty, in general 7. Every dice that lands equal or over the difficulty is a success, and every 1 takes away a success. Some actions require multiple rolls, and a number of successes, and I will note these as extended rolls.

Furthermore, your vampiric powers allow you to temporarily enhance your physical attributes at a 1-1 ratio from your blood pool, and heal any injury with the power of blood (also 1-1 ratio), ghoul people with blood to force them under your will, and the learning of disciplines. The three physical disciplines add further dice to any physical test.

For long term projects, they have meters that increase based on investment - what resources have you administered to them. In general, they update once every in-game week.

>>4861448


Your current position, allows for none of these grander projects to come to fruition however - you were on a carriage on the way to your sire - where you got ambushed by a pack of ghouls. In fact - right now you are fang deep, and had just regained control over yourself from the blood-induced feeding frenzy on one of the war ghouls attacking you. You are still draining the blood, but as it is now, there is little remaining. The vessel is doomed, and will die from a lack of blood, even if you could keep draining it a little longer. as you force your eyes open, pushing the blissful world of feeding away you realize that you have been out of it a little bit longer than expected. The archer you started draining before has regained some foothold, despite the quite rough wound you inflicted on his neck, and the lack of blood. Ghouls are quite sturdy. You realize he's readying another shot from his bow, this time not at you, but at your ghouls. Shit - should your human ghoul become too wounded, it could become truly problematic. And yet, it's so hard to pull away from the sweet nectar.


>Keep feeding on the ghoul in your hands, killing them off for sure
>Push the dying war-ghoul aside, and lunge towards the archer. The surge of power in your blood is still strong, and you could probably defeat them easily.
>back your other two ghouls up physically - if we kill the other war-ghoul, the archer should prove little problem alone.
>place yourself between your ghouls and the archers line of fire - if not swift enough to snatch the arrow out of the air, you could at least tank it yourself.


Current blood: 22/30

You are at hurt damage level right now: all rolls suffer a -1 dice penalty.
>You could heal by spending blood at a 1 to 1 ratio for health, and succeeding on a stamina+survival+fortitude roll (5d10)

>>4861449
>Leap for the archer

we could buff up our celebrity a bit more.

>>4861483
Support

>>4861612
>>4861483
alright, if you want to buff up celerity before, please do, else do a dexterity +brawl roll. (2d10). you could feasibly grab your spear beforehand, doing a dexterity+melee (3d10).

(of course, if you do so, then it wouldn't be a grapple, but more a lunge attack to refocus the archer towards you.)


please choose how much you want to buff dexterity first. (currently at 1+1 from blood buff)

>>4861449
>Push the dying war-ghoul aside, and lunge towards the archer. The surge of power in your blood is still strong, and you could probably defeat them easily.

Rolled 9, 9 + 5 = 23 (2d10 + 5)

>>4861810
What was our current buff? Voting for +5 more for dexterity. brawling.

>>4861998
if we buff we roll more dice, not add +5, as adding 5 straight up does nothing.

We are currently at 1 dex (base) + 1 from buff. we can at most keep our physical stats at 8 each.

Rolled 8, 2, 8, 5, 7, 9, 5, 7 = 51 (8d10)

>>4862024
Oh. Well then Lets add 6 more to dex or brawl or whatever we're doing.

>>4862038
With a buff and roll like this i'm not even going to roll for a dodge action - The number of successes here eclipse the archer's dodge pool


>>4861483
>>4861612
>>4861993

You brush the ghoul aside with your superhuman strength, and let the newly gouged blood soar through your veins, flaring with power, the tremendous exaltation of letting the curse of the ancient one come to power to destroy and unmake the mortals. your vision blurs red as you make a leap of superhuman speed - faster than what any human could ever dream of, and yet with the accurate grace as if you had done it your whole life - it's just so instinctively easy, as you move with unhinged grace. For anyone on-looking, it would be a mix of terror and awe, as your veins bulge, and your eyes glow faintly in the dark from the blood burned to fuel your damned strength.


As you lunge, you feel as if time slows down, and you can see the damned visions again, nights of horror, glory and destruction - scenes with beings of untold power - and those that obey it. Rituals, feasts and the willing sacrifices; all under the glooming red moon. And lastly, you see something else. The original sin, the dark father himself, murdering.


When you come back to reality, you have locked the archer into a death grip - your arm firmly around his throat, and he seems powerless to struggle back. It's as if you move in a trance - this skill is not yours alone, but is granted to you by your non-human nature. The gifts given. And yet, you wield it as your own, to dominate humans at your whim. yet, there is a question of what to do with the archer in your grasp.


>Blood calls to blood, and his is forfeit. Drain him dry. (you would start drinking his blood, draining him completely would take 3 rounds)
>sink your fangs into his neck to kill(do strength+1 dice of unsoakable damage, 5d10)
since you have the archer in a vice grip, there is no risk of "missing" your attack


>you could fuse his arms and legs together with vicissitude, and leave him unable to escape to deal with the final war ghoul.(strength+body crafts, 6d10)(-1 blood)
>other (write in)


Current blood: 16/30

We are currently at hurt, this leaves us with -1 dice penalty. (except soak)

>We could spend a blood point to heal this, on a successful stamina+survival roll (stamina+survival+fortitude, 5d10)

>>4862097
>you could fuse his arms and legs together with vicissitude, and leave him unable to escape to deal with the final war ghoul.(strength+body crafts, 6d10)(-1 blood)

>We could spend a blood point to heal this, on a successful stamina+survival roll (stamina+survival+fortitude, 5d10)

>>4862097
also wait a bit with rolls, incase we got conflicting opinions!

>>4862148

>Support

>>4862154
Give it 30 mins, then you can roll

>>4862148
I'll support fusing his arms, but ignore the hurt.

Rolled 6, 8, 10, 1, 6 = 31 (5d10)

>>4862168
rolling for fuse

>>4862223
you missed a dice there, but I can take that as the stamina+survival+fortitude roll. the -1 blood is the cost for fueling discipline.

>>4862227
ah, i misinterpreted the -1 blood as -1 dice. it all worked out I guess.

Still need 6d10 for the vicissitude roll!

Rolled 8, 8, 1, 1, 4, 7 = 29 (6d10)

>>4862300
slash

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>>4862304
>>4862223


As you keep the archer suppressed on the ground, you again let your mind sink into your cursed nature, now letting it mend the wounds you have accrued, your flesh mending together at an unnatural pace. There is a reason why the undead are feared and rule over mortals, and this is partially it - you ability to just let wounds that cripple mortals mend as if they were nothing. As the blood becomes one with your flesh you feel your hunger start to become noticeable - you should finish this up.


You use your other free hand to mend the archers hands together, and its not the best work - he's not going to be shooting any arrows any time soon.
When it comes to his legs you just fuse them together at the ankles. Again, sloppy work, and here the bones are not properly fused - a terrified man could possibly rip this apart if truly desperate - yet it will have to do for now.


You glance over at the other skirmish - It's not a great sight, but it's not looking too bad either. Your war ghoul, Mar is currently in a skirmish against the somewhat larger ghoul, but the opposing war ghoul also has a spear lodged quite deep in its side. Unfortunately, the ghoul driving your carriage is slumped down against the side of said carriage - with an arrow stuck in his shoulder. Still, with you at their side, this should be decisive.

> lunge towards the war ghoul to drain it. However you'd have to be pretty damn accurate, considering the large spines on it's back(dexterity + brawl,8d10)
>maneuver close first, and attempt to do some strike to the ghoul with the dagger on your side. (dexterity+melee, 9d10)
>You could check out on your carriage-ghoul, and ensure that he's going to live.
>other (write in.)

>>4862362
>maneuver close first, and attempt to do some strike to the ghoul with the dagger on your side. (dexterity+melee, 9d10)

Rolled 8, 8, 5, 5, 1, 4, 8, 2, 1 = 42 (9d10)

>>4862362
>>maneuver close first, and attempt to do some strike to the ghoul with the dagger on your side. (dexterity+melee, 9d10)

>>4862362
Oh and, current blood: 13/30

>>4862362
>Lunge and drain

I mean. The ghoul isn't going to die yet

>We spent a king's ransom on dex. Might as well try to get it back. Drain the war ghoul.

>>4862417
changing to support this

>>4862426
>>4862417
>>4862414
I'll need a roll of 8d10 then, if we are changing vote to this!

Rolled 9, 7, 1, 2, 6, 2, 8, 3 = 38 (8d10)

>>4862487

Rolled 7, 6, 1, 9, 3, 4, 1, 3 = 34 (8d10)

>>4862487

>>4862499

You lean into your instincts completely, and simply do what has proven effective so far - lunge and drain. As you let go of the tied up archer beneath yourself you feel the flurry of power rage in your veins, your arms stretched out wide, and your fangs exposed to the world - the evil in the hearts of men. You make another massive leap across the battlefield, but here it's not quite as perfect as expected - a glancing blow from the large spinal spikes from the opposing war-ghoul hits you in the side.

Nevertheless, you are able to lift the ghoul up from the ground in a clenching grip under the arms, bracing hard against the ground as you sink your fangs into its neck - the last moment of consciousness the ghoul will ever have. You drink deeply, and more controlled this time, savoring the flow of blood as it refills your body - at times you wonder how you can drain mortals so completely, and still then demand blood, but these thoughts are wasted away as the ecstatic bliss of draining controls your mind. Again your mind is clouded in visions. Visions of power - you see it all in a typhoon of nothing and everything. Those who have lived for centuries, the urge to kill, the urge to drink the blood of others, men and vampire alike. Fear of no one. It calls out to you - the desire to be truly immortal, and ironclad ruler above men.


And just as it was so clear, it all fades out, replaced by the dull reality of a dry husk in your arms. Partially disgusted, you drop it on the floor, brushing it aside. There is some cleanup to do, ensure that your ghouls are fine, finish the archer.


>Ensure that both of your ghouls are alright. (intelligence + medicine, 6d10)
>Go check up on the archer and finish him off - it would be nice to slate your thirst.
>Go check up on the archer to try to interrogate him ( Self-control roll needed, difficulty 6, 3d10)
>Other(write in)


I will also need a soak roll (4d10) for the bone spike that hit your gut.

>current blood 18/30

Rolled 1, 10, 2 = 13 (3d10)

>>4862622

Rolled 9, 4, 4, 5 = 22 (4d10)

>>4862622

>>4862622
>Ensure that both of your ghouls are alright. (intelligence + medicine, 6d10)
>Other(write in)
Tell our war ghoul to watch over the archer as we check out our normal looking ghoul.
Only 2 more blood?

>>4862642
we were down to 13 before we drained the war ghoul - it was quite wounded.

>>4862642
feel free to do the intelligence + medicine roll, since we have no replies in a while

Rolled 9, 8, 8, 10, 6, 4 = 45 (6d10)

>>4863437
Rolling for penis enlargement pills

>>4862622
>Go check up on the archer and finish him off - it would be nice to slate your thirst

>>4863437
Can the archer be interrogated? Can we turn the ghoul to serve us? Can we make use of anything of the dead war ghoul?

>>4863758
>Can the archer be interrogated?
Yes, of course
>can we turn it to serve us
We could, but we'd have to break the blood bond and any other possible control - something that takes time, which we don't really have the possibility to here.
>Can we make use of anything of the dead war ghoul
I can't think of anything in particular we can do with a dried-out corpse.

>>4863998
Make sure the archer survives, drag him to the master.

>>4863998
I believe se can attempt to break the archer inside our carriage as we travel. We should have enough time then.

>>4863516
You drift your eyes over to your own war ghoul, pointing them to the archer. "Guard him" is the simple command you give, and Mar obeys without question, the shambling motion as he runs over to your soon-to-be prisoner. The way they move keeps surprising you, as it is slightly unnerving, as if they reject the natural order completely. you shrug it off, and re-direct your attention to more important things, such as your wounded ghoul in charge of the carriage.


As it turns out, the wound is not too debilitating, and while it might have left a regular human wounded form months, with possible chance for permanent injury, you are not too worried about that here - once you had stopped the bleeding from the shoulder wound, you could quite cleanly extract the arrowhead - with enough bandage to ensure that the blood wouldn't soak through, even as it would be utterly tempting. Unfortunately, you can't do more than this out here without access to better tools - instead, you will have to trust that his own tenacity will be able to pull through - aided by the nature of ghouling

"Focus, and feel how your body can rebuild itself." You tell your ghoul, who is clearly in some mixture of shock and terror - far from used to this kind of action.


"I- I don't know what you are talking about - i'm not you - our wounds take time to heal!" he blurts out, in some kind of mixture of fear and obedience. clearly not wanting to dissapoint, yet completely out of depth in the waters here.


"Let your mind reach out to the wild, the surge. Feel how it can remend your body. The part of you that is hidden deep within your heart" you say, your voice calm and soothing. His face focuses, then twists and clenching his jaws, and you can ever so faintly smell the surge of blood, his heart beating faster as the wounds recede somewhat due to the twisted intermingling of the curse and humanity in his blood.


You quietly stand up and head over to the captive archer, pondering your options. You also realize how the surge of blood have left your body somewhere when you fixed up your ghoul. The first, and most captivating option would be to feed - let him repay for the blood you have spent. it's an oh so tempting idea, but you also know that you could get some information out of him. If not anything else, why they attacked you at least, and who they work for. You also breifly consider bringing him along - however, that could prove very dangerous.


>Just feed on him, be done with this farce - you have other things to consider here.
>Interrogate him and see what you can get out of him (write in any questions)
>you could perhaps bring him along to your master (This is highly dangerous - You still have a couple of days travel, and he'd be able to be awake while you are vulnerable and asleep away from the light of the sun. He could perhaps do something like a desperate attack to your ghouls, alert danger, etc.)
>Other (write-in)

>Current blood 18/30

>>4864059
>Interrogate him on his master, his mission and what he knows.
>Bring him along to master, use vissictitude to bind his body completely properly. Gag him.

He'll make a fine gift and test for more vissictitude tricks.

>>4864059
>Interrogate him and see what you can get out of him (write in any questions)
"Which vampire sent you to me? What were his motives? Why shouldn't I melt your genitals, disfigure your hands, rend your face apart and let you go?"

>>4863998

> I can study the craftsmanship. These are works of art, with the artists touch about them. Study will not just provide inspiration for my own fleshshaping arts, it will allow me to learn this artist's signature as well. Assuming that it fits in the cart of course.

>>4864072
This

>>4864163
I'll also support that.

>>4864059
Can we also drain the remaining corpses of blood if we haven't already? Can we loot the bodies for any coin and clues? Maybe use the flesh to modify Mar?

>>4864059

The arrow was launched at us. It failed to slay. A true attempt to wound, or mealy a test to probe? There was balance to the combatants. Three against three, war for war. Where was my mirror?

The arrow caster is wounded, afraid, and tired. Too weak to interrogate now. Better to mold its eyelids like clay to cover the eyes. Better to fuse the hands and the ankles. No rage. This attack was not enough to enrage me. It was an attack on me, not upon my demese or my authority.

It will make noise. Better if it were quiet for now. Left alone with it's thoughts. A shining beacon to the astral wanderer. A slight concave to the voice box, to reduce the screams to a whisper. A detachment of the tendons, to prevent kicking and flailing about. A tying of the tongue to the bottom of the mouth, so that it does not choke to death on its own tongue. Simple touches, full of purpose. Full of intent. There is but one thing to ask now, which can not wait until later.

> "Are there any others with you? More waiting and watching?"

>>4864072
>>4864084
>interrogate

>>4864163
>>4864167
>>4864176
Study craftmanship of the war-ghouls

Consider this vote closed for now. Sadly no more update tonight - I got a 5 min presentation tomorrow that I /have/ to pass.


>>4864189
one is completely drained dry, and the other has probably succumbed to the bloodloss - we can't drain dead people. (If you ponder this thematically and not physically, this makes total sense)

>>4864059
>Interrogate him and see what you can get out of him (write in any questions)
"Who sent you, are there more and give me a reason why I should not just drain you right now."

Then drain him.

>>4864213
Re-counted votes - interrogate


You kneel down next to the archer now stuck between a rock and a spiky place - placing your knee over his chest. You press a nail against his cheek, just right under the eyes. "You are going to answer my questions. Everytime you lie, or give an incomplete or unsatisfactory answer, I'm going to break a finger. Pray you don't run out of them" you say, beads of sweat forming on the brow of the archer.


"Why are you here? what was the purpose of this raid?" You ask in a calm voice, expecting no real resistance, due to the precarious situation he's placed in. be tries to stall for a moment, as if to explain yourself, but as you grab the part of his fused-together hands, placing your hand on his index finger he splutters, and speaks.

"F-fuck! It was just supposed to be a raid on a carriage - a carriage with goods of metal, not this!" he exclaims in horror , as you start to bend the finger backwards, pushing it towards the breaking points.


"Very well, then. Who sent you here, who is your master? I can smell the blood of the cursed on your body." you say, and his eyes go wide, his breathing increasing, and you can tell how he's sweating.


"I don't kno-" before he can finish that sentence, you press the finger all the way back, and a meaty crunch is heard as the man screams out in pain. "I would not try that again, if I were you." You say, and firmly place your hand over the next finger.


"I swear, I don't know who it is. It's as if I have forgotten, or never known." The forest once again echoes with screams, as you first snap the finger to the side, and then further up.
"I understand why this attack failed, if you're so pathetic you can't even recall who you serve." you scoff, and ask your third question. "Now tell me, why shouldn't I kill you outright, and break every single bone in your body before i do that?"


The ghoul seems to become an even more pathetic version of himself, as he seems truly unable to give up anything of value, he starts to beg. "please, i beg of you. I never wanted to do this! I never had any choice at all... I just don't want to die!" he cries out, and the whole farce disgusts you more than anything else.

>Kill him, as you said you would do
>give him the mercy - not that it will do him much good in a forest, all alone, hurt and bound.
>Bring him with you, maybe you can get something else out of him. Keep in mind that this would give him more chances to get away, or sabotage your operation
>Other (write in)

>>4864907

Aldo, decide if you want to dissect/inspect the two dead war ghouls

>yes
>no

>>4864907
>Kill him, as you said you would do
Make it quick.

>>4864946
>Yes

>>4864907
>Bring him with you

>>4864946
>Yes

I think we ought to bring him with us, both as a snack and as a gift/practice dummy.
It would be an appreciable show to our sire.

>>4864989
We would have to turn him into a human slug for that in order to make it safe. That is A) far more cruel than things need to be and B) a waste of blood.

>>4864999
He's already not got legs or wrists

>>4864907
>Bring him with you, maybe you can get something else out of him. Keep in mind that this would give him more chances to get away, or sabotage your operation

>>4864946
Yes

>>4864907
>>Bring him with you, maybe you can get something else out of him. Keep in mind that this would give him more chances to get away, or sabotage your operation

>>4864989
>>4865130
>>4865868

"Very well" You mutter with a confident smile. "You get to live for a little longer" , you finish as you stretch out your hands and flex them. You go to work, as you bend and break the bones of the archer, the man, or what little is left of him at this point screaming as his arms are broken and merged stuck to his back, and his legs fused together. You finish as you pull his cheeks over the mouth, leaving him unable to speak. "hope you don't catch a cold!" you say with a glare of death.


"Drag him to the carriage, Mar" You say, and walk over to the corpses you have left behind. You drag them both to the same spot, the now dead and cold blood trailing from the ghoul that you wrestled with first. They are different from each other, even if the design is much similar - it seems they have somewhat differing purposes. If you were to guess - and what else is there, to do at this point, is that they are supposed to work together, as a hammer and nail, so to say.

If you would do any further examination on the pair of dead ghouls, there'd have to be choice - either to focus on the general structure, or to focus on the details in a dissection.

>General - the structure of the ghoul is most important (perception+ Body crafts 5d10)
>Details - The special details of the ghouls are what make them interesting, and how they are made (perception+ science, 4d10)


I will also need a roll of Intelligence+ medicine for a how well any dissection goes overall. (6d10)

Rolled 9, 1, 2, 7, 1, 2 = 22 (6d10)

>>4867239
Specific details.
This is what differentiates them from our craft and bears the makers creativity.

also, please no dice rolls before you decide general or details, apart from the one that is done.

>>4867239
>Details - The special details of the ghouls are what make them interesting, and how they are made (perception+ science, 4d10)

>>4867652
Ditto

>>4867826
>>4867652
>>4867257
Sounds like you have made up your mind.

>do a roll of perception + science, 4d10

Rolled 11, 76, 31, 29 = 147 (4d100)

>>4867831

Rolled 5, 9, 5, 1 = 20 (4d10)

>>4867831
Woops

>>4867257
>>4867923

You sit down next to the two ghoul corpses, and despite that one of them are in a dry-drained state, and your tools are truly lacking for any precision work, you hope that you may get some insight at least. On the one with the large talons you begin with opening it from the back, around the spikes in the back - this turns out to be a complete mistake, as the anatomy has been completely re-worked. you curse under your breath, as you have ripped apart several organs already, and the body has deflated some - and as you continue working you come to realize that this whole affair was doomed from the start. If you didn't know better, you'd think that this ghoul had some kind of self-collapse system built into it - everything is just in wrong places, and whenever you think you've made any progress - it is if you've sabotaged for yourself three steps ahead.


Eventually, you come to the conclusion that this is futile the corpse is simply too mangled at this point, and move over to the next ghoul - a little more confident, with what you've learned from this one. However, it turns out that this assumption you've made that they'd have similar internal designs was a complete and utter mistake - this ghoul has a lot of internal bone structures, and every single organs seems to have been separated into several smaller versions, for reasons unclear to you. You're not certain about anything in the design of this ghoul either - apart from perhaps one thing; it's vastly more complex than what you have made yourself - and you don't even know if this is some sort of intentional enigma, mistakes or design.


You sigh, dejected as you leave your work behind, climbing up into your carriage and sealing yourself in your tomblike chest - dawn is coming soon, and you can tell how the night is getting a little less dark.
>blood pool: 17/30
>please make two separate rolls of a single d10, to check for events

If you think there is anything urgent we need to do on our journey from this point, please write in, else i will not narrate "eventless" nights
>Other(write in)

Rolled 4, 8, 9, 3 = 24 (4d10)

>>4867831

Rolled 4 (1d10)

>>4868328
I don't have ideas, rolling dice

Rolled 7 (1d10)

>>4868328
aww

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>>4868360
>>4868335

The next two nights pass uneventfully - your prisoner is unable to make any sort of fool hearted escape or yell for help - not that there'd be much to save him out here unless a miracle happened. And fortunately you also realized a way for how he could signal how he had to do... less sanitary business. You should really have thought this through before you forced him along. The smell he permeates is a lot worse than you'd think. you wash him off a little bit, so he is at least a little bit presentable.


At least one thing is positive out of this ordeal - you arrive at your sire, Varnava's domain early in the evening - maybe a hour or so past sundown. It is a lot bigger than what you have under your control - down in the village, or rather, city there must live at least five, six thousand mortals. Unlike your own village, the castle that overlooks his domain is much closer to the city, but still a respectable distance away, to keep the riff-raff out. The last part of the journey is done in silence - You ponder the time it must have taken to accumulate all these resources, and how you would do so yourself. One thing makes smile a little through - the roads here, apart from the main one are still dirt - perhaps you can at least flash with something in a few years time.
Once at the front gate of the castle, you step out of the carriage - your carriage-driver hesitant to move as you have left the vehicle. At least it seems he has enough common sense to know when to keep silent. You give the doors a heavy knock - and within about a minute or so, the doors are opened. Not by your sire, but by a tall man, easily over two meters tall. At first, you think its another vampire, as his appearance is inhuman - pale and well dressed. with a build that looks like it could dominate other men. but then you realize - no. He sweats, and his skin is not smoothened in the way that vampires - at least those of our clan are. His eyes narrow for a moment, before he speaks.
"What is your business here?" he speaks in a stern tone.


"I am Dyraxes, clan Tzimisce, childe of Varnava. I have been invited here, by my sire" You say, your voice challenging his own - you are tempted to push it, but for now, keep it just firm.

He blinks for a moment. "Ah - i was told to expect you soon. My master is in his study, but you are welcome in. he will join you shortly."

>>4868605
You are welcomed into a large courtroom. while not massive, it is easily a floor of your own keep alone. Time drags on for a bit longer than expected, before your sire bursts out of one of the doors. His appearance has changed some since you last met, but he is still the personification of deadly beauty.


"Ah, welcome to my home Dyraxes, I suspect we have much to discuss. The grace of my hospitality is extended. You may stay here as long as we need." he says, in a warm tone.
"Thank you my sire - I have brought a gift too - a captured enemy" you reply, keeping your tone amendable - a little bit unsure of how formal he wants to talk


>push the discussion towards the attack on your carriage
>push the discussion towards the trade situation
>push the discussion towards the finer arts of fleshcrafting
>let Varnava steer the discussion for now
>other (write-in)

>>4868610
>>let Varnava steer the discussion for now
yeah we have preferences but lets not push anything with our sire

>>4868610
>Allow the Varnava to steer the discussion

It's customary for the eldest to speak first, I think.

>>4868682
This

>>4868682
this

>>let Varnava steer the discussion for now

It is dutiful to observe the rituals and niceties of the greeting. After that, one must listen to the master's demands. Likely an account of the journey and my observations on the road will be required. My trip gave me much time to think about my report. If an opportunity presents itself, I should express interest in my desires, particularly fleshcrafting as that is my primary reason for coming. I do not wish to push the trade situation, or complain about my trip. When he asks about trade, present my plan to increase it. When he asks about my trip and the attack, be accurate and precise, without complaint or weakness. Act with honor, civility, and deference in all things.

>>4870470
pretty much this

>>4868682
>>4868838
>>4869252
>>4869436

Your sire pauses for a moment. "A captive, you say? he continues, and you can sense the slightest of surprise in his voice - if that is by intention, you cannot tell. "Ah well, where are my manners? Join me in my study. My servant will take care of your carriage, do not worry about it." he says, as he gestures you to follow. beyond the large wooden doors is a far smaller room, filled with bookcases full of scrolls and books, and even a proper couch group. ah, you haven't seen this since your times down in Greece - truly a lost pleasure.


"So, tell me more about this prisoner, and how you got ahold of him." your sire says, and his eye focus on you - in a way it's truly terrifying when you realize the intent of it - this is a creature that has lived for many human lifespans. That focus now gazing upon you. You recite the story of your attack in a academic, almost cold way - leaving out the more emotion-filled aspects, and instead paying attention to the ghouls, their design and how they fought. You tell him of the interrogation - at least what little you got out of the archer, and lay weight on how it seemed impossible to get anything out about the master of the ghoul.
"Well, this is most curious - the land between my castle and your village should be largely uncontested. No one has any claim, on it, and thus it should fall under our control, at least by claim. Obviously not by sheer might." he says, as he strokes fingers over his right arm, seemingly pondering something. "While the ghoul may be incredibly loyal, and merely tricked you into appearing broken, I find it not too likely - despite your torture being amateurish at best. Remind me to give you something for that" he said, with a little displeasure in his tone and a slightly too long pause, as to let you think about it, before speaking again "But I suspect there is something else at play here. Most likely, their memory has been suppressed, or outright removed. We can deal with this later. "


"I am most interested to hear about what progress you have made these last two years - both personally and with the task you have been given. Apart from that, there is another task too, that needs to be discussed. You may choose where to steer off for tonight. Tomorrownight will be busy. "


Please choose two
>Tell him about your plans for the village, and other things material in your realm
>Tell him about the progress you have made in your own prowess.
>Tell him about what little progress you have made on trade, and the reasons for it
>Ask about the other task.
>other(Write in)


additionally, you may ask for sustenance - it has been a long journey, and your concentration is not perfect. It is very impolite to hunt on someone else's territory without permission, apart from the most dire of circumstances.

>>4870503
>Tell him about your plans for the village, and other things material in your realm
>Tell him about what little progress you have made on trade, and the reasons for it
>ask about the finer arts of fleshcrafting and if there is a way for the modifications to be inherited to the offspring, how it could applied be used to improve cattle for our cattle

> Tell him about your plans for the village, and other things material in your realm
> Tell him about the progress you have made in your own powers

What have I accomplished? I have begun drawing up the bones of the earth to rearrange them into a stone road for the use of merchants and armies. I have prepared ghouls as tools to survey the land and oversee local trade and bandit control. But in these short years I have worked on developing the most important tool of all. Myself. But the Master need not hear this boasting.

Planning for the future is more important that discussing uninteresting accomplishments. The village sits on a mountain pass, and does not appear to be on a waterway. Merchants, like water, take the past of least resistance to wealth. Mountains are a source of resistance, which passes alleviate, but not to the level of the great rivers or the sea. I am not yet in a position to disrupt trade across the waters, nor is my demesne widely known. So first I will survey the local goods and my neighbors and instruct my servants to bring things of value to those who have them not, and increase the hunger for those goods which I can reach.

As for my personal development. That seems to interest the Master, so that is another thing on which I may focus. I have improved my abilities with the fleshcrafting arts to the point at which I might shape bone. I have developed some minor techniques, rapid motion to strike like a serpent and horns for enduring armor and crushing attacks.

>>4870596
thats some good suggesting but i also want to know some fleshy meaty secrets

>>4870843

That's why I came. Wouldn't leave without it. Also, no need to ask for food like a child. I can wait until dinner is served.

>>4870596
And don't forget to mention the information from down south.

Otherwise, support.

>>4870893
Sorry for the slow reply, I've been sick the last two days.

I need an intelligence + alertness roll to judge how accurately you can remember things. (6d10)

Rolled 9, 1, 7, 5, 6, 1 = 29 (6d10)

>>4872097
I'm late to the party but sure, here's the roll. Good to see this quest has not died.

>>4872132
RIP my existence.

>>4872097
I remember that the Lasondroe and Torador are fighting to our south, while some Ventrue are bullying rome.

Something about there being a lot of territory pushes.
And the Bruah are having a meeting somewhere to the west.

[1/2]

>>4872132
Unless University decides to really fuck me over this fall, i have enough planned out until at least winter.
>>4872138
truly

>>4870596
>>4870843
>>4870893
You start off by discussing your proceedings on your own turf in chronological order - you start off by the construction of the outpost, moving over to the repairs of your castle. He nods, as you go along, wielding a fair few advices. You move over to the point of scouting your area, and here comes the first point of real tangible advice. "Hmm, i assume you desire a greater familiarity of your land than what simple maps can give you, no matter how useful. For this task, there are three ways - first and most obvious, and long term perhaps the most effective is simply to do it yourself. However, with even a little assistance and mastery from our natural powers of animalism, you would be greatly assisted. I suspect you could come to learn this on your own. Do not disregard this tool - it may seem primitive, but it is more valuable than what you expect. Lastly, with the assistance of blood sorcery, much can be done and known. I presume you have little knowledge?"


In a bit of shame and acceptance, you nod your mind starts to trail a little as it tugs through your memories. "Yes, that is correct. I must admit though, that i had a vision last fall" you say, as you describe the vivid nightmarish dream in as much detail as you can muster. Your master loses a little bit of composure as he does - and a smirk escapes his lips.


"Ah, I knew there was a good reason I choose you as my childe. Your connection to the occult is strong - much like my own. Visions are a strong indicator of it. I do not have it myself, but have come to and understanding that many that feel a connection to the arcane can see things beyond this world. I will make sure that you can study this on your own, as is tradition." He seems very satisfied with this outcome, and leans back, the disappointment of earlier actions set aside. You continue the story of how you have improved your town, and the long task of replacing the roads with stone ones. In general he seems to approve of the improvements you make. Lastly, you add the curious detail you have learned about the south. some kind of dispute between two differing clans - Lasombra and... fuck, you cannot remember which one the other was. this makes your sire a bit annoyed again.

>>4872283
[2/2]
You move on to describe the events that transpired as you mastered your fleshcrafting - the grasp for instinct and knowledge. and the ideas you've had with how you could use them. You feel as if it is amateurish at best.
"I am glad you could arrive here quickly - there are many things one can do, even with the simple powers you have mastered. I expect that we will have time to practice this once you have fed. You are welcome to hunt on my ground." he says with a generous gesture, allowing you to leave.


>please make a roll of wits + alertness to determine how much you regain.


Once you return, your sire is in the main courtroom, and this time guides you to an staircase that leads you down under the ground - you expect some sort of dungeon and experimentation chamber, and you are correct, albeit it is far more well equipped than your own. it bothers you, but then you realize that Varnava has had far, far longer time to tend to details, require resources and so on than what you have. He explains some of the choices of alterations you may learn:


Order in easier -> harder. please write if you need clarification for any of them
>bone plates
>heart cage and moving of the heart
>hidden blade - a long talon of bone hidden within the arm, that you can force out through a small slit in the hand.
>more mass - this would allow us to be physically larger.
>Bioluminescence
>venom sacs
>sensory upgrades (smell > hearing > vision > touch)
>additional limbs
>growing additional eyes
>growing additional mouths, and the ability to feed from them

>>4872284
wits + alertness roll would be 5d10

Rolled 10, 6, 6, 3, 9 = 34 (5d10)

It is wise to learn from the successful. I should take note of the Master's tools that I might copy them and see if they suit my hand. Though true learning requires doing, it is not necessary to reinvent the wheel to come up with uses for one.

Some of these abilities are suitable for a vampire, some more suitable for a servant. For instance, why should I burden myself with physical enhancements to the senses when I can do so more effectively through Auspex? However, enhancing the vision of an owl or the smell of a wolf would give me a more useful servant beast.

Bone plates seem trivial. Widen the bones. Interlace the blood vessels to prevent starvation. It is simply a matter of time. If I wish this, I would do better to develop the art on my own.

The motions of the heart are more useful to learn. Even if I could learn this on my own, learning from another will give me insights into how others think about this matter, better enabling me to predict the location and form of the hearts of my rivals.

Hiding a blade in my arm is uninteresting, and forcing a blade through my palm seems like the path of a rogue. Better to form a symbiote ghoul of my own unliving fang and bone, grafting it into my unliving form. I am a king, should I not wield a noble sword?

Bioluminescence is interesting because it is bizarre. What could one do with this? Could my serfs be more efficient if I illuminated the town with the ignis fatuus? A strange, interesting idea. I would like to learn this.

Venom sacs? Perhaps. This is a more obviously useful tool for war, though perhaps not against the undead and other supernatural threats. It's ignoble, but I could enhance my hounds to wield venom rather than hellfire. Is not the Dragon full of venom? Not a high priority though.

Additional limbs? Probably useful. Is this difficult? I believe that I could develop this on my own, with my own creative freedom.

Additional Eyes? More interesting than additional limbs, if only because Eyes are interesting.

Additional mouths? Interesting for a vampire or ghoul. Uninteresting for a cow. I suppose that it would be useful for more artistic creations, such as a living chair or diadem.

>In order of preference:
>Heart cage and moving of the heart, because it is useful
>Bioluminescence, because it is exotic
>Development of a sword of bone and blood as capable of slaying the strong as my fangs are but with added reach and grace. Perhaps combine this 'additional mouth' technique with boneshaping that I might have a 'long fang' with which to draw blood from hostile prey.

^- Or a fang-spear I suppose, that I might pierce my enemies with my long, hard, pulsating, boney shaft... for the memes. It's not quite as regal as a sword though, is it?

>>4872325
Well imagine if a cow had two mouths or heads it could eat twice as much question is if the stomach can handle that, but seems like something we could figure out
well perhaps as its for vampire feeding it does not need a throat for us so we could have a fanged mouth of sorts in our palm making grappling into a feeding action.


Sensory upgrades are super interesting and finicy


Bioluminescence no idea how we would discover it on our own but it has a magic looking effect on it has great artistic value and could be a way for us to cleanly and safetly light up our castle at the edges and it would open up us too a intrest in chemistry venom sacks could be useful and again chemistry wonder if its blood cloting or blood thining as both kind of destroys normal blood and a big part of it is to develop a internal antigen a anti-venom internally.

Limb crafting could be interesting a simple in idea but complex in execution as its applied mechanics and such.


Hmm several eyes so literally eyes in the back of the head.

More mass could be useful if they can support it with normal consumption for cattle or for something to act as our block for material perhaps even bigger bugs if its ways to support more mass?

>>4872327
Not a bad idea depending on how fast we grow it could do a mosquito impression. Wonder what group or tribe transforms into bats or mist

Rolled 6, 8, 5, 9, 7 = 35 (5d10)

>>4872285

>>4872800
>>4872927
Still need some choices unless you all agree with >>4872325


curious why you care so much about modifying actual cattle - seems awfully micro-management-y.

>>4873108
oh just increasing the value of our products if the modifications are inheritable also good thing to find versatile use for everything

>>4873114
In general, anything you do with vicissitude is not inheritable, much like breaking someone's arm doesn't make their children born with broken arms. (or as seen in south korea, plastic surgury, heh)


Could this be overridden with some high-level power? probably.

If the heart cage includes stab-resistance against stakes and the like, sure, let's go with that.

Also, is the Tzimisce-type plastic surgery scene hip yet? Anyone walking around with a crown of bones or riding a multi-legged human throne?

>>4873120
been asking about that for awhile and i dont remember the answers,i do still think someone would like a rare unique creature to be sold to them or like a luminescent flower that does not reproduce and like if a cow lives to what 20 years? i dont know how they long they live but spending a day modifying them for better yield and such would be good and worthwhile investment for the time invested with returns of the investment itself as its just time

>>4873146
You are assuming we can so easily change them without issues. Or that we can pass on those changes. Plus it seems more worthwhile to just work on the trade angle considering the proportions of work/payoff.

[1/2]
>>4872325
>>4873141


>current blood 25/30

You ponder the options you've been presented with - many of them are very useful, but you settle for one of the easier concepts, and a very basic safeguard against one of the great weaknesses of our kind.


"All of these are great - but my own safety must come first. If i can master how to move my heart, and reinforce where it lies, I would be guarded against mortal and other mundane means of staking. One of the great banes, is it not?"


Your sire nods, and unlocks a door, dragging out two mortals from it. "A subtle choice, but a smart one. No matter how well planned, and confident you are, there will be times you will lose. Another trick may be the difference between life and death. When we play the grandest game, you can only lose once." He says, with a glimmer in his eye. He's enjoying this, you realize, as if you could see though the mask for just the briefest moment. Are you just another game to him, a pawn, something in-between, or different altogether? Either way - those things can be dealt with another time. Someone who acts as a beneficiary and is your superior should be treated with that kind of respect. You stand to learn something very useful here, that may well save you one day, or perhaps more than that, and you will not let faint glimmers of something sinister diminish your focus.


The two subjects are fastened to large granite slabs in chains, exposing them. Your sire begins, as he peels open the chest cavity, revealing the heart within cleanly. He explains how this procedure is difficult and lengthy in humans, because even a single mistake is lethal unless quickly corrected, and that humans need their other organs in a different way compared to vampires. He explains that the most common place to move the heart to is either into the pelvis, or the gut, since both are easy to reinforce, and in vampires, have little other needed space. first, he creates a cage - it looks much like a locket of sorts, with many small holes in it, and you realize this is where the arteries and veins connect, and why it is difficult. many of them must be severed, and quickly re-sealed, lest the mortal die.

>>4873224


[2/2]
He preforms the surgery in less time than you thought possible - even with an subject that is completely open, so you could see just what he is doing all the while. He moves with such perfection, and you can almost taste his radiant power as he works. You realize, you are utterly outmatched here - this is what mortals feel when they see you. It is as if you stood in the presence of a deity. again, you force yourself to humbly watch and study the process. He is quiet most of the time, speaking only when pointing out things to keep a lookout for. He also explains that the procedure is easier on a vampire - as they are already dead. a pause in blood flow in not a death sentence, but merely uncomfortable. No other organs truly matter. He surprises you as he has moved the heart about halfway, as a secondary pair of limbs extend under his long cloak, assisting in the surgery. Once complete, he seals the two halves of the heart-locket together, and close up the mortal. From the outside, you cannot tell that there is no heart in the man's chest.


"Now, we will do this together. " he says, and moves over to the other human, and you follow him. You place your hand upon his chest, rather certain that you could not match the skill of your sire, even if you tried your hardest. To your surprise, he places his own hand on top of yours. "follow my movements, and you will understand.", his voice soothing, easing you mind, your worries drifting as the words die out.


>Please make a roll of 10d10 for how well this goes.

Rolled 4, 3, 4, 9, 8, 4, 10, 7, 3, 7 = 59 (10d10)

>>4873225
Interesting.

>>4873232

It is a strange sensation, to say the least - you are moving your hand, but not truly at your own accord. you try to replicate the procedure that was presented before you, albeit much slower, but every time you even begin to glance at a mistake, a correcting hand-guides your efforts, sometimes even before you begin to realize that something is about to go wrong. It is half-comforting, and half terrifying. something close to divinity - or at least a twisted, dark version of it, is holding your hand, guiding your actions like the father to his son.
There is some sort of warped sense of reality as you sculpt this man beneath yourself. Your kind are an perversion of life, and in this moment it is so apparent. You are far apart from humanity - in a other kind of reality, outcasts and princes much the same. We rule this land - whenever the sun sets, wherever the mortals cannot see. The thoughts are soothing, in a sense, and it shows. You have made great progress, placing the heart of the human in its new abode. You focus. swift cuts as you thread the arteries through bones, making enough space. One after one, they are locked in, sealing the heart on your own volition. Or at least, most of it. Credit where credit is due, your sire has clearly spared a fair few mistakes. And yet, you cannot believe just how well this procedure worked. It is done. You know how. you could do this on your own. It is no longer an idea - you'd just have to recall this moment.


As you complete the final steps, your sire speaks. "Would you like my assistence on doing the same to yourself?" Hrm... Doing it here would certainly be easier, and less risky than doing it onto yourself - a disaster in execution on thyself could be very bad. On the other hand - the downside is apparent. Your sire would know.


>Do it here, and gain the benefit from the alteration right away.
>Skip it. You cannot let anyone know where you have moved your heart, even if doing it yourself may be harder.

>>4873382
>Do it here, and gain the benefit from the alteration right away.
Not like we would be able to oppose him anyway. Plus, as long as we are useful I dont see him trying to off us. When, years later, we are at the point of being more than a pawn to him we should be able to alter things ourselves.

>>4873382
>Do it here, and gain the benefit from the alteration right away.
Overconfidence is a slow and insidious killer

We recently learn this, and even if we know how to use that Discipline we shouldn't be a fool and just recieve help and get the benefit right now

>>4873382
>Do it here.

There are no friends in politics. But if the master is never displeased. .

>>4873580
>>4873479
>>4873403

Gimme another roll of 10d10

Rolled 2, 8, 2, 10, 6, 1, 2, 5, 9, 8 = 53 (10d10)

>>4873818

>>4873818
Kind of want to do it ourself with intervention

>>4873822
We could do it later once we have more experience.

>>4873822
Ah, in that case, feel free to roll 3d10 instead
(You do not want to know what we are getting the 10d10 from)

>>4872824 - This is one option. I was thinking a barbed needle on the end of a chain, cast like Scorpion, as another option. If the principle is sound, the form can molded to taste, beauty and utility.

>>4873108 - Yes, cattle could eat faster, as vampires could eat more, as ghouls could eat faster. A two headed bull works better as a symbol than as a source of wealth and power. Not useless, but uninteresting compared to the potential use of the power. Remember the struggle to pass the spines of the war-ghoul? The time spent draining the foes? These could be solved issues. I could already create living mills, mine servitors with picks and hammers for hands, grain servitors with a threshing tail, long forked fingers, and possibly a cutting or shearing blade. At least in theory. Two heads on a cow? No. Three heads on an adder? Perhaps.

Imagine a Gangrel trespasser, hunting upon my demense without permission. Imagine that Gangrel reshaped, the limbs removed, the mouth re-molded into a pit with a single fang. Imagine an enlarged artery affixed with a spigot. Imagine the mill-ghoul, living machinery, fed with the blood of the decanter-Gangrel without wasting my time on low industry. Then the limit becomes the number of serfs rather than my limited attention, and allows me to take on these sorts of projects without becoming a lowly foreman. An inventor-king, not a factory manager.

>4873382 - Do it here, and gain the benefit from the alteration right away. Maintain awareness. I can make my own alterations later if the need arises, and the Master seems to enjoy this work. Learn from grace, become grace. Use Auspex. Know Pain, know myself.

>>4873403
>>4873479
>>4873580
>>4873895

"Yes, that would be of utmost gratitude." You say, unchaining the human you have preformed the surgery that you are now about to do on yourself, with the assistance of your master. You sit down on the cold table, and the coolness remind you of yourself - dead. A stillness settles over yourself, as you realize just how much this is to your advantage. unfortunately - you still have working nerves. Dulled, perhaps, but not uncaring. while not harrowing, the feeling of pressing your own hand into your chest is painful, and completely alien - dethatched from mortality. you grasp around it, feeling for muscles and arteries - severing those you deem unnecessary - the organs they once provided for are shrunk and scrumpled up, deemed unnecessary by your unliving form. The other ones, you slowly extend as you ever so slowly pull your heart downwards, your sire's hand a welcoming help - untangling messes you've missed, or simply keeping you still as the pain is much acute. The work is, while painful, very very soothing. You understand why those of your clan do this. It is meditative in a way - perfection of the self, body and spirit in one, metamorphosis. In a way, your whole existence is revolution against one of the fundamental aspects of our kind. We are not static, like the other clans. We can change - grow. Inspiration. You must do this more - learn more, see more. Become the grander version of yourself.


Soon enough, you find that your heart is down in your pelvic area, and you move over some of your ribs, along with some unnecessary bone from your pelvis and connect it to the back of your spinal column. The first half complete, and just as you are about to place it within, you realize your mistake, far too late, ripping one side of your heart open. The blood surges forth, sending you into a delirious state as the core of your being is shattered, the harrowing visions of blood overwhelming you.


>please, do a roll of wits+occult(4d10) if you can discern anything from your blood-delirium

>also, please do a stamina+fortitude roll(4d10) for how bad this blood leakage is.

Rolled 8, 5, 7, 5 = 25 (4d10)

>>4874065
Oh no! were's spilling beans everywhere!

Well, here it goes the Wits+Occult roll. Let the Dice Gods give us 4 10's so we could bring something good about this

Rolled 3, 1, 5, 9 = 18 (4d10)

>>4874065

Rolled 8, 2, 8, 4 = 22 (4d10)

>>4874065
For the stamina+fortitude

Rolled 1, 2, 5, 5 = 13 (4d10)

>>4873895
wonder if you can have several hearts like a squid like how you can have several mouths with the modifications being done here

[1/2]
>>4874142
>>4874184
Please annotate what roll you are doing if there are multiple rolls asked for, i don't want to pick and choose arbitrarily from dice rolls.


>>4874184
Sounds like an idea for future experimentation, does it not?

>>4874137
>>4874152

It is all darkness at first - you feel chained, fettered to the depths of an jet-black abyss. At first you can only smell it - the smell of heavy iron, blood. but soon you feel it pooling at your feet, it drives you wild - an outrage, and soon the crimson tides are all around you. You can feel how it warps, tearing you asunder by a maelstrom of pelting needles, shards and blood, bludgeoned by flesh and muscle, yet all around, regenerating your body as needed. The blood fuels you, a deep dark obsession, as you tear yourself free from the shackles, swinging towards the surface in this endless storm. You just want the endless pain to cease. You breach the surface, and is greeted by a sight of nightmare - it's a torrential downpour, and before you, so close yet so far stands a figure of darkness. The one who smashed the gods bloody. By your side, watching. You cannot discern any features, as it seems to be protean - in a constant flux of change, only giving you the impress. You are in awe, for any better word, even as you are battered and pelted with wounds and pain. The figure stretches out an arm towards you, and it seems to be as long as the horizons. But as it closes towards you, you feel how reality crumbles, giving you a ashy taste on your tongue as this world of darkness and blood closes in. But one thought remains of this world as it ekes out of existence. Blood can give you what you need.

[2/2]

>>4875160

You are shook back to reality in a gush of blood and pain, the precious nectar leaking out of your heart at an alarming rate. You close the harmed bit as soon as you can, and wheeze out in pain and lack of blood. You try to recall what you saw in that dream of darkness, but it is already fading. And then it comes to you. Blood can heal your wounds, no matter if its flesh torn open, bones shattered or even your limbs hacked off. And so, you should be able to convert your flesh to blood, should you not? you sigh, and refocus, burning even more blood to test this - you feel as if it is accute that you do this now, while the vision is "fresh". And to your suprise, you feel how the flesh in your lower stomach is converted to bone, using it to seal your heart within its new cage. You smoothen over the rest of your body, to ensure that it looks the same as before the procedure. It feels strange. Your balance of power is a little changed. But it feels Safe. Yo0u stare at yourself for a few moments, as to calm your senses, and you realize just how late it is. your sire shows you to your room following a short and polite conversation, and you are left alone for the last while before dawn, to untangle your mind, before the day sends you into the dead slumber.
You wake next night. in a wrack of hunger. You must hunt. Feed. The hunger clouds your mind. Yesss, feast on them. Show the mortals who is a predator in the night.

>deny your hunger, and proceed with the night
>hunt, sate the beast within. (wits + alertness, 5d10)

current blood 12/30

again, please wait with rolling until people agree.

>>4875164
>deny your hunger, and proceed with the night
Let us not be ruderude

>>4875164
>deny your hunger, and proceed with the night
We don't let our hunger drive by the Beast, not even by how wild it is. This is the Path we choose, and also we will feast when we want to.

>>4875160
>Please annotate what roll you are doing if there are multiple rolls asked for, i don't want to pick and choose arbitrarily from dice rolls.
I dont see how it matters since this is a Best of 1 set of dice kind of system.

>>4875164
>deny your hunger, and proceed with the night
But ask our sire for something to drink.

>>4875164
He did say we were welcome to them, but it's best to ask him Specifically if he has any "vintage" stock.

>>4875251
>>4875268
>>4875396

You focus, and push your hunger aside. You can deal with the hunger tomorrow, even if your sire has allowed to hunt, and you are so... Hungry. You make your way down to the main hall, not wanting to intrude upon whatever your master is doing until he expects you. After little less than a hour later, he emerges from his study - glancing you over. "Ah, good. I wasn't expecting you, considering what happened yesterday." His eyes focus on you, and you regret your stoic decision. "But, this is good. I will explain the situation." he turns around, and beckons you over with one of his secondary hands.


The study is a little transformed since yesterday - with maps and documents littering the table you sat around yesterday. "before we start the real discussion, there is another thing too. In roughly six years - there will be a clan meeting - current events - position outwards and other things of.... importance." he trails his voice as he says the last part, and you realize why. Most of the deals that matter will already have been done, unless someone is playing a risky move. "I would like you there. Of course, this is simply a status show. It would give legitimacy to you." he pauses for a moment, letting you figure out why he wants you there in the first place. "However, there is a large caveat to this - almost everyone can read, or at least glimpse thoughts. doing so is, of course, impolite - but if the recipient can't tell, who is to blame?" he pauses, before he continues. "Normally, this would require the fourth power of auspex, but with a clever trick, most of the protection can be done with only three. " You ponder this proposal. It would demand significant investment to learn this, and there is just so many things you need to do, ack!.

>Deny this request. This is risky, and we are already spread thin with all the things we want to do
>Accept. You must get auspex up to rank at least 3, preferably 4. Failure would probably disrupt your master's schemes, and this would be very problematic.


You move over to the general concern of why you're here, the trade route. He has planned up several ideas, and want to coordinate with you. of course, since you have different skills, you would have to decide where to put your focus, with varnava covering other details. "Also, since there is a vampire prescence already there - we have to make a choice of who we support here. We could deal with both, but then we would have to expect problems from both. Better to have at least one side free."


>Side with Lasombra.
>Side with... whoever the other party was
>Side with neither, and try to reap the benefits from them both.


>focus on science - what can be directly improved (int +science, 5d10)
>focus on logistics - supply chains, what can be pulled from where and when (Int + law, 5d10
>focus on politics - who to talk with, who to get on our side. who is needed where. (Int + politics, 6d10)

>>4876052
oh, and a willpower roll (7d10) for your control over your hunger. It's not acute, but it may still negatively impact your focus here.

Rolled 1, 9, 1, 8, 3, 9, 5 = 36 (7d10)

>>4876052
>Accept. You must get auspex up to rank at least 3, preferably 4. Failure would probably disrupt your master's schemes, and this would be very problematic.
We are his childe, he knows our limits. It's our duty to follow his plans and if we fail to, that is our fault, not his.

>Side with neither, and try to reap the benefits from them both.
We must be cautious in all things.

>focus on politics - who to talk with, who to get on our side. who is needed where. (Int + politics, 6d10)
We're Tzimisce, it's our specialty.

>>4876056
Gotcha.

>>4876052
>Accept.

>Side with none Until we get better intel.

>Politic.

>>4876149
>>4876142
Just a headsup - it would be wise to do choose sides here, rather than later on - we're getting pretty hefty planning bonuses we could utilize here, and we can't get those later on. of course, if you want to do everything the hard way - don't bite off more than we can chew.

>>4876172
Do we have any rivalry by clan with the Lasombra?

>>4876172
Oh, and if you need clarification on the two clans, I can give you that we have been given by our sire on the lasombra; since we don't remember the name of the other clan, he can't give anything there.


Lasombra are a high clan, much like our own. They are ruthless, and work in a a ruthless "survival by the fittest" manner. They tend to rule from the shadows, where their own discipline comes from. They can control and animate shadows - and are in turn sensitive to the light. While one may expect that they are fools that cower in the dark, the truth is far from it - when they strike, it tends to be hard and decisive - both in combat and politics. Of course, much like all other vampires, no two are truly the same.

>>4876180
Wait hold on. Uhh I just noticed.

>>4861436
>You learned conflict between Lasombra and Cappadocians

Did we forget the recap?

>>4876052
>Accept. You must get auspex up to rank at least 3, preferably 4. Failure would probably disrupt your master's schemes, and this would be very problematic.

>Side with Lasombra

>focus on politics - who to talk with, who to get on our side. who is needed where. (Int + politics, 6d10)

>>4876179
Not in particular. The clans we oppose are at first Ventrue. Most have a distaste for Ravnos and Malkavians.


We are on decent terms with Gangrel - our sphere of interest don't intersect too much, but there is still a common connector and a great deal of respect. Far from an alliance, but the treatment they get from us is better than from many other, and the knowledge of someone who moves around a lot is welcome.


>>4876182
Yes - we failed a roll that only existed due to stress and negligence to prioritize.


We could try to remember it again now, another wits + alertness (5d10) roll. Keep in mind though, that we are hungry, and our mind /really/ wants to think on other things. A failure here could mean that we remember the wrong things.

Rolled 10, 10, 9, 4, 7 = 40 (5d10)

>>4876196
I don't see why not.

But speaking of that, I think we should side with the Lasombra. They seem to fit our uses.

Memory!

>>4876214
Uhm.

Guys, did I. . Did I do that right?

>>4876052

>Accept the quest for Auspex. It runs counter to the suggestion of Animalism, but Auspex is useful for scouting as well.

>Side with the Lasombra. Reject the stodgy priests and their hidebound tomes. Embrace the dark priests and their love of power, influence, and money. Besides, it would be unwise to deny Canon when dealing with those who follow Canon Law.

>focus on politics. If dealing with the dark priests we will need to satiate their hunger for plots and webs.

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>>4876218

>>4876254
>>4876214
>>4876183
>>4876142
>>4876149
Please do an intelligence + politics roll (6d10). This will be at +1 difficulty, (check vs 8) due to our faltering focus.


>>4876214
You remember now what clan the other side was on - Cappadocians. after telling your sire on this, he explains that the cappadocians are a clan of mystics and scholars, first and foremost. they are a ghastly sight - and have a corpse-like complexion. In general, they their structure seems to be loosely connected, and in general, they achievement and status is dependent on scholarly results more than anything else. Even so, it is unwise to underestimate them - their occult powers give them unpredictability. Thus, what is happening south seems to be an outlier - most of the time, cappadocians aren't this tightly organized, and don't really strive for direct power, but rather tend to be advisors. We should consider what is going on with this, and direct focus there, most likely.

Rolled 8, 8, 2, 7, 3, 6 = 34 (6d10)

>>4876956

>>4876956
Hmm thinking of possibly siding with the schollars

>>4876956
>>4876980

If they are not that tightly bound, then destroying them/aiding the L's is of a better benefit. The Cappadocians are not going to be reliable favor machines.

>>4876990
Could be a clan of masterminds manipulating everything

Rolled 6, 1, 1, 8, 7, 3, 4, 9, 3, 2, 6 = 50 (11d10)

>>4876968

>>4880638
>>4876968
You argue that you should be in charge of the political planning - much of this is dictated by the key people in your village apart from yourself, and for how you will deal with the vampires to the south - well there is no better time to learn, both here and in action. After your sire explains the general intricacies of the two clans, you decide that the better choice would be to side with the Lasombra - while ambitious, their cunning leave them well posed to win the power struggle in the south. If that ends up the case, that could be a good opportunity for connections out south. Of course, this leaves the stipulation that they need to be in somewhat control of the area.


Over the course of the night, you and your sire plan out many of the details of the whole operation - who to place where, the general status of political structures of vampires in larger cities, how to find who is in charge, finding Elysium and so on. Moreover, there are also small things, like improvements to your carriage, but also things like routing, important points on the way, how to tell who you can place on a trading caravan. Most importantly, you decide on what you actually can trade. You produce enough grain to trade some of it away, but the only other tradable resource you have is wood as of now. There is the possibility of metals in the mountains, but this is a gamble to spend time on.
Distribute the planning - we have 5 points, where they are put into different areas. How you distribute them incur bonuses to the corresponding part of the trade investiture. leaving them at 0 gives no penalty, but no bonus.


>Politics
>Logistics
>physical resources
>recruitment
>other(write in)

>>4880639
Politics 2
Logistics 1
physical resources 1
recruitment 1
Better make sure that everything goes smootly, by securing political allies.
Putting more planning into resources would give us nice boost too, even outside the trading.

>>4880661
I'll agree with that.

>>4880661
sure

>>4880661

>Support

>>4880661
yeah

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>>4880661
>>4880667
>>4880703
>>4880838
>>4881076

You decide that the most important part is to secure the cooperation between you and the Lasombra, and the best way to plan for this is to ensure a smooth operation. Part of this is in clan-specific etiquette, and how to behave, but much as importantly is the local politics too - you need to ensure that the right mortals are put in place, and with the descriptions you have given, you and your sire can collaborate rather well on this task. On that, you decide that some of the "important people" needs to be changed around, as you need someone that is more willing to take risks and develop. The man you have given a little tutelage might suffice. On another note, you make some overall improvements for how the logistics is going to work out. One idea that is thrown about is a logging building. If you can process the cut trees on the spot, you have something that is worth trading for. This doesn't need to be long term, just something that gets trade rolling. On top of that, your sire will be improving the road that leads to his town to yours, allowing things to move there from your village.


This takes the entire night, and you admit to yourself that your focus isn't perfect meanwhile. You are just so HUNGRY[/B]. Every so often, you feel your senses trail off, searching for more essence to gulp down. Unfortunately, by the time you have developed a good working plan, you can feel how the daze dawn is calling you to become inert again. This night, the time between work and the torpor of dawn is minimal - you are left alone less than half an hour before the sun leaves you inert.
The next night you wake your mind is wracked by PAIN[/B]. It is as if a thousand needles pierce your skin all over. You need BLOOD[/B]- now, rather sooner than later. Of course, you could always push this up to later, but considering yesterday that'd leave you to just think about blood, and how sweet and pleasant it'd be as it trickles down your throat, the mesmerizing delic... You snap out of it - by willpower alone, but you know you can't do this forever.


>Hunt now
>Push it further

>current blood 11/30

(The result of yesterday means that you have a +33% bonus for progressing projects in regards to the trade route, except for politics, where projects progress 50% faster. this also means you have one extra dice when it comes to political interactions that are relevant in this endeavor. )

>>4881640
ah nice, my formatting got owned by caps, very cool

>>4881640
>Hunt now
Maybe go for some animals, so if we loose our shit when feeding from humans we don't kill some of our Sire's "food"

>>4881829
This basically. Prefer humans but if there is a big enough risk of us spazzing out I would rather mutilate some deer or cow. Can always go for humans the night after.

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>>4881829
this. when we drain animals I want to mold their flesh together and see if we can create some specialized undead, like a Wendigo.

>>4881829
>>4882286
>>4882359

Remember that animals give a lot less sustenance than humans, and probably take a lot longer to catch.

>>4882359
>>4882286
>>4881829
yeah lets go after animals
>>4882438
at least its good exercising and training for general hunting and stalking and we can practice non lethal feeding while starved

>>4882438
What I mean is that we should definitely go for a human bloodbag unless there is a high risk of us flipping out and draining them dry. Hell, go for 4-5 humans and sip a little from each one until we are full as long as this does not end with a murder scene. V:tM:B taught me that you can get away with that shit piss-easy and I dont think we will have much trouble finding some stragglers in a city.

>>4882359
Rather try to pull off an Odious Chalice.

>>4882460
like taste does not matter and well hunting animals is probably better for well hunting practice and physical combat and we can experiment on the animals

>>4882494
We have limited time with father dearest though.

>>4881640
>Hunt now

>>4882518
i dont want any deaths and i am not trusting in our limited feeding experience i dont want to do anything unsustainable or set a future presidence for it dont want vampires that act like china when we take over the world

>>4882526
I mean, considering what we just did last night a death wont change shit. More worried about causing trouble on our sires front porch.

>>4881829
>>4882286
>>4882359
>>4882440
I take it as you will hunt animals - this takes longer time and gives less blood, but obviously doesn't hurt mortal population. It's a hamper on your mood, because it's like eating dirt and drinking rat piss.


I will need a self-control roll 3d10 and then a wits+survival roll, 4d10


>>4882359
This is well beyond our knowledge, and considering that that would consume blood, it would also be defeating the purpose of hunting, no?

>>4882536
Well that also but no reason to kick up the fuzz and shitting up stuff on his porch so thats true
Also on the whole world conquest thing it would make all dirt important to us but i do wonder what happens without our dirt

>>4882561
Get weaker until you presumably fall into Torpor.

>>4881640
>>Hunt now
Lets not waste time, we have planning to do, and we have to be in good shape.

Rolled 6, 9, 5, 9 = 29 (4d10)

>>4882538
Survival

>>4882568
>>4882561
Yes - you'd get weaker until all your dice pools are reduced to 1. You don't fall into torpor, but you'd be incredibly weak.


Even if we "took over the world" we wouldn't count all of that as our soil - it's something that matters to you personally, not necessarily something that is /important/ to you. In most cases, this takes form of your childhood home, place you were embraced, or where you made something out of yourself. This can change over time, but it's not done quickly, or even consciously so. Think it more like "I have this hunch that this part of the world matters to me, and i must have it with me at all times, like some sort of obsessive compulsion.

Obviously we need to become Space Emperor so that "this place" would be Earth itself. Just have to make a sunset in space.

I still need a self-control roll of 3d10

Rolled 2, 6, 3 = 11 (3d10)

>>4882796
Fuck it, nobody else is doing it.

Rolled 5, 5, 1 = 11 (3d10)

>>4882796

>>4882843
thank god you were late.

>>4882891

You be not out of the woods, please do a willpower roll, 7d10.

Rolled 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 9, 1 = 18 (7d10)

>>4883215
Oh no

>>4883299
OH NO

>>4882822
>>4882843
>>4883299

>>4882605


You head out from your sire's castle just after nightfall - the plan is to hunt wild animals for sustenance - You don't want to screw up by doing anything too rash when you are this Hungry. Your path takes you directly out of the smaller city and directly into the forest beyond. You don't thread too deep, as you neither know the land too well, nor what is out here, but it matters not. Your senses are Sharp, and with a little focus you can bring yourself out to harry over animals. Once lured close enough, there is little they can do to escape. Your grip is firm as you drain their bodies, but the blood is like dirt. at best it gives a ashy taste in your mouth, and at worst, it's like drinking the gunk in rotting remains. It might sustain, but this is no way to live. No need to do it here. you head back after about an hour and a half, your thirst just a little less burning.


As you stride back towards the castle, keeping to the shadows the best you can, you can still taste the boggy liquid on your fangs, no matter how much you try to peel it away, and the smell of fur fills your nostrils, even as you try to let as little airflow through as possible.


And then you can smell something else. Blood. Real, fresh blood. It's ecstatic, even from this range. You want it. Desire it. You stop in your tracks. You can feel something claw at the back of your head. You breathe in, heavily. East. You move there, not fully on your own accord. The door is unlocked. Push it aside. You hear crying. The scent is thick now. No control left. You force your way through the last door, slamming it open more than anything else. You see her. It. She's crying. Bruised. Bleeding from her forehead, and her legs. She's terrified. Your hand close off her scream. the struggles. No escape now, her skin has nowhere to escape. Piercing.

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>>4883653
Ecstasy


The whirl of blood dominates your world. slowly, slowly draining the nectar of life. Robbing her again, Severing, puncturing as you sweep through the arteries. Currents of carmine storm into your heart, for this is your all. Nothing comes close. No dreams of conquest, no victory can taste more sweet than when you drown in this love. Stealing, invading as you charge again. It's fiery, burning as you speed through a heaven of blood.


Far too soon, it leaves you back in reality. Killing again. Strong. Back in control. You push it away, no matter how much you wish for these short moments to never end. Reality beckons, and there is a pale corpse in your hands. Fear in her eyes replaced with the cold stare of nothingness. Fuck, how are you supposed to deal with this? This shouldn't happen. You are better than this, are you not? You can just about keep the agony and panic away, and force yourself to think. What do you do here? What do you tell your sire?


(You are not in complete control here, and just want to get out of the situation. Hence, your "inherent suggestions" are, to say the least, lacking)
>Do nothing, and leave the corpse here. She was already beaten - left for dead?
>Other (write-in)


>Hide this from your sire
>Tell your sire what happened
>Other

Also, i will need a conviction roll 3d10 to not degenerate road rating - you have broken your word against your superior, Varnava to not kill on his domain. This is major, and requires success on a roll against a difficulty of 9.)

>Examine the corpse. What were the injuries? Were they lethal? Cause by fists or weapons? If there were unauthorized punishments being doled out here, the Master might be interested.

>Tell your sire what happened. Nothing can be hidden in his demense. There was the smell of blood. The scent of red wafting on the air.

Rolled 6, 8, 4 = 18 (3d10)

>>4883659
Gat-dang

>>4883792
This.

FFS

Should have just gone for the human meat puppets. Note for future reference (since I assume eating deer gunk leaves us at a disadvantage on the rolls?).

>>4883792
+1

>>4883792
Support

>>4883792
I'll support.
We have no actual excuse we can use, since our path is fully on the "You control it, not the other way around" path of thought. But if he does ask "how did it happen" then the answer is 'I was on the hunt and her scent caught the beasts attentions'.

He'll understand, even if he must punish us for breaking our word. Order must be upheld.

Rolled 5, 8, 3, 1, 8 = 25 (5d10)

>>4884209
Sustaining yourself on animal blood leaves you in a sour mood, more than anything else, but the issue here is that you were low on blood, driving the beast to find a fresh source of blood.

>>4884255
>>4884220
>>4883947
>>4883792
rolling for convenience.

>>4884475

>>4884255
>>4884220
>>4883947
>>4883792

You grit your teeth and try to focus, but an uneasy feeling settles over you. You truly did lose here, and something is wrong inside of you. there is a sense of rejection. you feel as if there are black blotches streaming through your veins. A creeping feeling, as the beast within is just a little bit closer to reality. More instinct, loss of control. Less of you here. More of [i]it[/i].

>( -1 road rating, down to 6.)


after a little while, you've managed to placate your senses and convinced yourself to grip ahold of reality. First of all, you need to assess the situation. You're in a small shack, paultry even by the standards of commoners. The room is dark, and you're standing with one foot on a straw-bed. You realize that she couldn't possibly have seen you, more than a shape in the dark, only your heightened senses give you a little bit of localization.The woman-now corpse slumped against the edge of the bed is bruised, even before you manhandled her.. It's a little hard to tell as the lack of blood in her body leave only faint traces, bit it's clear that she has been beaten by a human, not by weapons. You step back, and piece together something out of this scene. You guess that she was a whore that was beat up - It explains why she was crying, and why no-one was here if it was their woman. She was young, too. Twenty at most. Cattle as cattle.
>take her away and bury her to hide the murder - a disappearance is easier to gloss over than a murder, and a supernatural one at that.
>Leave her here, dealing with this is unimportant, and it's better to deal with this with your sire. (Strength + stealth to get her out of here unseen, at 6 difficulty as it's dark, and your senses are better than that of mortals.)
>Other(write-in)

>Current blood: 22/30

>>4884487
>Take her and hide the murder.

Lets not leave our mess lying around. Local animals can probably tear her apart well enough.

>>4884487
The second option says to leave us here, but your giving us a roll to take her corpse with us?

>>4884603
My mistake, that should be for the first one!

>>4884487
>take her away and bury her to hide the murder - a disappearance is easier to gloss over than a murder, and a supernatural one at that.
>Other(write-in)
Find a carpet or something to roll the corpse in. Might be able to bullshit our way out of a weird situation even if someone spots us.

>>4884751
Support

>>4887824
>>4884751
>>4884735
>>4884603
>>4884518

alright, give me a roll of 3d10.

Rolled 8, 3, 7 = 18 (3d10)

>>4888161
This is going to end badly

Rolled 8, 9, 5 = 22 (3d10)

>>4888161
Okay

>>4888164
Are those good rolls?

>>4888391
yes, that would be two successes.

>>4888164

You lift the woman up over your shoulder, she's not too heavy but it's no trivial task either as you slip out of the house, under the cover of darkness. You slip from shadow to shadow, and while there are only a few out at this point, there is no use in causing a scene. Patience pays off, as you make it out of the town. You don't thread too deep back into the forest, and decide to just dump the body behind some trees, and you suspect that the animals of the wild will deal with the rest. One problem out of the way, at least. You look down upon the corpse, the musk of sweat intermingling with the forest. You can see faint glimmers from the town, a few lights illuminating the bastion of humanity against the night. Your stride back is in silence and self-contempt. You mustn't go like this without feeding unless necessary. While it can't be helped from time to time, you shouldn't stay as hungry for extended periods of time. Clouds your judgment, and invites the beast.


When you return to your sire's castle, you can tell that he is a little bothered as you meet him in his study. "I assume there was an incident, else you wouldn't have taken as long, no?" You remain perfectly still as you speak, a trait common in vampires, especially under pressure. You explain the whole situation, from start to finish, and he keeps his glare on you intensely all the while. "While I am thoroughly disappointed, you have dealt with the problem sufficiently." he walks up to you, and grabs your arm holding it in a grip that feels as if it were a vice. "You are fortunate to be my childe, and useful. Yet, deeds do not go unpunished. I will have to keep you monitored. And until the next sundown, your training will be painful." You could swear that his eyes glimmer the moment before a jolt of pain wracks your left arm, as you can feel how the bone in your arm protrudes with hundred of needles, ripping your flesh. as he lets go of your hand, you come to the realization of what he did. Every time you move your arm, the needles bury into your flesh in another way. You grit your teeth, barely able to hold it together.


(I will need a roll of perception + empathy, 3d10)

He motions you over to the table where you planned out the trade venture last night, and it seems he have procured something else to study today. You are right. You can recognize some of it, and you realize this is some kind of occult knowledge. you have passing familiarity, enough to know what this is more complex than anything you've seen before. "Tonight, I will asses your insight into the arcane, and potential. Considering your innate powers, you would be wise to listen." During the next few hours, it seems like your sire manages to extract almost your entire collection of knowledge into the arcane. All from symbolism, to what little you know of the beyond. "Hrm. I didn't expect much, but you still have a sharp mind, especially for your age. Remember, that you should avoid direct confrontations. Be unpredictable, and creative, and don't underestimate other vampires. If they have any modicum of power, there is a reason that they've lived this long." During the rest of the night, you are given a book to study, as your sire leaves you for other concerns.


I will need a roll of stamina+fortitude (4d10) to manage the pain, and a roll of intelligence + occult (5d10) to evaluate how much you can pick up from the book.

Rolled 10, 7, 9, 3 = 29 (4d10)

Stamina + Fortitude

Pain is a tool, not an enemy. Know it, as other tools are known.

Rolled 4, 3, 4, 3, 9 = 23 (5d10)

>>4889163

Rolled 7, 1, 10 = 18 (3d10)

>>4889157

Rolled 2, 4, 4, 6, 5 = 21 (5d10)

>>4889163
just rolling to say i am here

Rolled 1, 6, 8, 8 = 23 (4d10)

>>4890548
Fortitude

Rolled 4, 5, 2, 3, 4 = 18 (5d10)

occult

>>4889695
Failure
>>4889229
>>4889588


It takes a long time, and to yourself it feels like the hours stretch out into an infinity as you are forced to balance studying with perfect stillness. Yet, you are able to keep your arm almost completely immobile. Only occasionally do you face the sting of pain wrack your nerves
while studying. However, this focus doesn't extend to the extent of learning the contents of the occult journal. It's complex, and it seems like everything carries a different underlying meaning as opposed to what is directly written, and you get a feel that you are supposed to interpret the text at several layers at once. It's a headache, ad you admit to yourself that you havent't learned as much as you'd wish. Still, some level of understanding has been made.
When reading the journal you focused on:
>The concrete and practical parts of the content
>The abstract and understanding of occultism in itself


As your sire returns, he listens to what you have learned. He doesn't seem too surprised at your slow progress, but encourages you to progress. "To understand what is beyond, you must let go of the mundane. One must allow and will the unimaginable to be true." he says, in true cryptic fashion. Eugh. It bothers you, because you know that he is right, but you feel like you firmly belong in the physical world. It is so much easier to understand and manipulate. Still, you must master these things eventually, if you wish to amass true power, do you not? After the consultation with your sire, you thread off to sleep, the gaze of the sun preventing you from any other action.


Waking the next night is painful. The jolt of blood that revives you from the torpor of day is makes you twist your arm, the barbs ripping into your flesh painfully, making you move your arm again. After a little bit, you regain control wincing in deep pain slowly pulsating in your arm. You meet your sire again, and this time he seems to be awaiting you directly in the large meeting room. "I consider this meeting concluded, and I expect that the progress on the trade connection will speed up following it. However, I will also gift you with these." he said, as he hands you over the journal from yesterday, along with some other parchments. Curses. In a way, you wish you didn't have to see that accursed little book again with the cryptic inscriptions. "I expect these will come to be useful. Past this venture, there is much we need to to. There will be deeper consequences for this.


Before you leave, do you hunt in the city?
>No
>Yes

>Current blood 21/30

Either way, i will need a single roll of a d10.

Rolled 8 (1d10)

>>4893161
>>The abstract and understanding of occultism in itself
we must grasp for true understanding and this will also allow for freeform ideas and experiments
>No
what we did last time was a disaster if we shall hunt it shall be in the forests

>>4893161
>The abstract and understanding of occultism in itself

>Yes
better top off and not go feral again.

>>4893161
>Abstract
Learn harder things first

>Yes
Top off, no feral.

>>4893171

>The abstract

>Yes to hunting. Learn lesson and hunt humans.

File: 1623508425130.jpg (1.44 MB, 1920x2812)

1.44 MB JPG

>>4893946
>>4893745
>>4893586
>>4893171

You reminisce on the knowledge you picked up yesterday. While the book itself concerns some kind of magic tradition that you have no idea of how you'd be able to understand to the point of doing what it says is possible as the world of today is not as magical as old Babylon. something could be learned. Learn the glyphs, the hidden meanings, how to connect the dots in the arcane. With this as an basis, you could perhaps understand more, even outside the context of this book.


As you take your leave from the castle of your sire, you wake your carriage early in the night. You will steer the horses first, and tell him to get ready. Before doing so however, you use the opportunity to feed on delicious human sustenance. it takes you a little less than an hour to find two suitable targets to sink your fangs into, keeping yourself in restraint to only top off a little blood each time, as to not leave them for dead. No matter if it is pleasurable, you can show restraint. You creep back to your wagon, and while in a sense, you feel like a urchin more than a king, there is no denying that you rule over humans. They are such easy prey, when you know where to look. Someone too drunk, alone. Careless.


You ponder if you can control an area like this one day, as you steer the horse out of the town. It it an new kind of struggle, as your will clash against the horse's You see better in the dark, and your other senses are sharp. Using this, you have to convince the horse that the road is okay. It's hard. It knows you are a predator. Those who are not to be trusted. Instinctively. And yet - you are right. Its a massive conflict for the poor horse. Thankfully, this is just for one night, and the rest of the journey is done during the day. Thankfully, the journey back is calm, and the nights go by just a little faster. You keep yourself busy with the journal - deciphering, drawing patterns. It's honestly a little fun - playing with your mind in such a way. Deciphering an enigma.

>>4894130

When you return home, it feels a bit off to one night just wake up inside of your keep. At least it seems nothing too bad has happened in your absence, and your ghouls are loyal. At least something is turning out right - the week past has been rough on your mind. You sit down in your own study. It gives a mixed impression. It is your own, yes, but it feels so woefully inadequate compared to what your sire has. You lean back, and take a deep breath - unnecessary yes, but also something to refocus yourself. You are spread so thin in your projects right now.


Please choose where to lay your focus. Things that are done by you need your constant attention to improve, while others improve weekly as long as you have people assigned. Should you choose several of these, the progress will be slower, obviously.


>Progress on roads in the village 6/~600 (this will passively improve over time, as it is not done by your hand)
>Progress on teaching a commoner into a professional(administration) in the village (1/8)
>Progress on outpost (50/65) (halted)
>Progress in improving survival (2/?)
>Progress in improving occult (1/?)
>Progress in improving Auspex (0/?)


>Progress on trade (65/???) split into:
>Administrative (0/???)
>Logistics (60/???)
>Politics (0/???)
>resources(5/???)

Of course, you could always focus on other things too, if you wish. You could practice any of your skills or talents, or perhaps even try to check out the journal to try to learn the sorcery itself.
>other(write-in)

>>4894132
>Improve Auspex
>teach administration to a local Mayor
We have a Map right? Can we get that again? Also, Mole-Ghouls could be handy for construction could even be nice to make a space for a Nosferatu in our sub basement.
And another thing, would be nice to have some breeding programs for crops and livestock, our Fleshshaping can't be passed down so it might be neat to see something we effected that could be.

>>4894296
this

>>4894296
I'll support.

File: map.jpg (1.65 MB, 2048x1536)

1.65 MB JPG

>>4894296
Yeah sure here is the map.


As for breeding programs, remember this is almost two and a half millennia ago. In a backwaters place like this, the pinnacle might be crop rotation. Modern selective breeding is not a thing for over two thousand years. To draw the conclusions needed for this, even for an educated man like you would be like asking for god himself to turn you human again - a miracle.

>>4894296
Support perhaps we can experiment with crops in diffrent orders for crop rotation

>>4894795
hmmm could we fleshcraft a apple tree like how one does apple cuttings could we fleshcraft a tree for fruit and have it grow the same kind of fruit each time?

>>4894712

By this point in human history people have been selectively breeding crops and animals for tens of thousands of years. Any intelligent farmer will know that big + big = big and small + small = small. It's part of the reason for all the religious laws against miscegenation. Now, Dyraxes seems bookish, so unless he read about Mesopotamian horse breeding or something he might not personally understand this. I'm not sure how old he is, but being an immortal vampire would give further insight into how generations change over time.

anyway, I support >Improve Auspex.

>Progress on teaching a commoner into a professional(administration) in the village (1/8)
I also support the creation of a literary administrative ghoul. I don't think that it has to be the current political leader.

>Write a letter to the southerners offering a market for their goods and send it off with the wagon carrying furs or timber. We're looking for iron for tools at the moment

>Have the forester ghoul oversee the creation of a tannery at the lake. Leave him to his own devices.

Seems rather agreed on improving Auspex and teaching the ghoul for administrative prospects.
>>4894958
>>4894795
>>4894712
>>4894435
>>4894296

You push your hands together and close your eyes, pushing all other matters out of your mind for the moment. Your by far most pressing concern is Auspex. You've placed a deadline upon yourself, and a rather harsh one at that too. Especially, considering... well how the fuck do you even improve Auspex? It is one thing practicing your fleshcraft - that is practical, concise and tangible. How would you even practice your supernatural senses in the same way? Very well, you have made a promise, have you not?


The next concern should be the trade operation, and to get anything going, we need administration and products. You are limited in choices for both, and for now, your best option seems to be teaching the somewhat promising villager. While he may not know much, he is a little bit sharper than the rest, and that might just be enough to get something going. You should make sure that your keeper ghoul brings him over here tomorrownight. On the other hand, considering products you remember one thing from your tutoring that could be of use here - Tanning. Right now, the use of leather is kept minimal in the village, and while the practice may be ancient, some progress has been made, such as adding limestone to the progress. Of course, there is one little problem here - It stinks, and for good reason. The rotting gore, combined with urine and cranial matter? No wonder it's a poor man's job. Fortunately, your village at least has that in plenty.
After a slightly-too-long detour to get ahold of your ghoul, Dotos, you explain the idea to the ranger. While he seems a little hesitant, apparently knowing of the horrid smell, you consider it somewhat of a positive. He knows how it's done, and that means it's at least one bit less of a burden. You also explain that he needn't do it alone, and that he should probably try to convince some of the other villagers, by use of your name if necessary. You expect that his independent nature should allow him to get something going without complete micro-management. On the other hand, it will take several months until you have any goods to trade, even if it started tomorrow.


This, leaves you unfortunately back at step one of this evening. You sit down outside your keep, peering out over the vast darkness below. Despite that your senses are sharper than any man, it is still gloomy outside. You try to seize outwards, attempting to take in the smell on the wind, the noise of the distant animals, the chiming of the wind, but alas, it feels more as if you're waiting for a miracle. You don't think this is working - and if it is, it's slow and honestly You need to come up with something active for this to progress, lest it drive you absolutely insane in the progress.

>please suggest a combination of Attribute + ability, and a short motivation why this would be relevant.

>>4895378
OOC:
While animals/crops have been selectively bred for ages, this took forever in the antiquity. the best known literature for farming at this time would be the poem Works and Days, (something that Dyraxes would most likely have read.) Here, barley is preferred to wheat, despite being less filling since it's easier to farm. No real progress was made in agriculture between ~1000bce and the rise of the roman empire, when water mill augmented muscle power. Hell, proper ploughs as we think of them today were not seen until late in the roman empire, and not re-appearing until 8-9th century after Christ.
As for more uplifting news (fuck, life back in the days sure sucked ass), we should be about 65 years old, with approximately 20 years as a vampire. We are still "young" in appearance, as we were ghouled proper for about twenty of our mortal years. This makes us very much a small fish in a rather large pond, but at least we seem to be the child of a rather large fish.


>>4895452
For clarification, this would mean for example manipulation + etiquette, or stamina +science and so on.

>>4895482
Okay I'm a little stupid, what are we making stat arguments for? The update had a few different things in it.
Also, could be rather interesting if we convinced the Romans to build in our area, maybe eventually we could become a microstate in the far future like San Marino

When I lay alone in the box through the night I had nothing to do but to listen to the sounds of the night, reaching out with my senses. How is one to enhance their ability to pay attention? To see beyond the surface?

First, one could simply brute force the magic, turning Auspex on and off while practicing self awareness to consider what I am doing when I do so, then try to modify that and see what happens. An appropriately experimental method.

However, I am Tzmisce. I am a lord of flesh and bone. While I could focus on the magic directly, perhaps I could instead focus on how my shell responds when I activate the Auspex. Could I remold my shell to enhance my supernatural vision?

Or I could open myself up to the world. Walk with Auspex while blind folded and learn to navigate by sound and feel. Close off my hearing and study the speech of others. Similar to trying to create an image of the world from sound alone as I did in the box.

Option 1: Int + Occult
Option 1a: Int + Vissictude
Option 2: Perception/Int + Awareness

>>4895561
Ah, why not Intelligence+Academics, thinking through the situation (what Is Auspex and how does it work) possible solutions (make eyes better, make the ocular part of the brain more sensitive) and then work through them issue by issue. Owls have some magnificent eyes, their eyes are so big they can't move their heads, only their necks.
>>4895482
We know how to read/write yeah? Maybe in Sumerian or Egyptian

>>4895561
I will support option 3.

Our int is our strongest attribute.

>>4895596
We know how to write in Greek, and the older Phonecian alphabet.

>>4895482
hmmm a plow ox abomination hmmmm imagine it a ox with a plow for a tail ripping up the ground in neat rows

>>4895957
oh greek is good for math

>>4896114

How do you house the ox? If we want to replace tools then doing something with beaver/rat tooth saws for logging or shovel-hands/pitchfork hands, ect. are useful to replace the lack of metal. A thrall with a threshing flail would even be somewhat useful in combat. If you make the flail a tail and useful in sex (just sizing and shaping the last link or two) then the farmers might actually ask for the modification, as opposed to blades for hands or body horror.

Reflecting on the Epic of Gilgamesh, a whore house with fleshcrafted whores might be a good income generator. It's how Gilgamesh tamed Enkidu and harnessed the wild man to serve civilization. Pull in the wanderers with the lure of flesh and charge them in coin, goods, or labor. All the foot traffic would make this area a natural market town and we'd see what the local barbarians have to offer. Could someone like Dyraxes pull this off? Who knows.

>>4896678
>>4896658
I dont mind if you use your trip, i find your engagement fun either way, no need to swap for your own thread

>>4895561
>>4895596
>>4895920
I take it that we are going for Int+awareness?

(While its absolutely not a stupid combination, i'd advice in general against going for a combination of stats and talents /only/ because we have many dots in them, if it's not a good reason then it just means the difficulty we're rolling against is higher)


>>4896678
Compared to many of the ideas, simply making someone pretty-looking would be rather easy. Of course, running and maintaining a such business in a rather small village like this may not be too easy, either.

>>4896688
Not too easy, but on the same score, it's not them we want. It's the traders.

Trade routes are good. Inhumanly beautiful women are another.

>>4896678
>>4896658
>>4896688
I think it might do to make our relationship with the village more positive, fix up injuries and the like, maybe address it in metaphor? Sheep to the Shepherd, the Shepherd cares for the sheep, but sheep become mutton one day. So long as we remember that a King has duties to his people as much as his people have a duty to him.
Just thinking of it, we could probably make Births much safer, we could check in on the child and just remove them when the time comes.
>>4896688
I suggested Int and Academics, a dissective approach to figuring out what Auspex is and then trying to work out what we should do

>>4896715
All three agree on Int, two of you agree on academics? I think this is the most fair, no?

>>4896727
I find it acceptable, I was just restating in the interest of clarity, I know generalistics of V:TM but I don't have a command of the specifics

>>4896737
I meant awareness here, obviously. I'm grabbing some coffee before writing up an reply!

>>4896688
>>4896704
>>4896715
>>4896737

I will need a roll of Intelligence + awareness (5d10) for how well we progress for now.

Rolled 4, 3, 1, 9, 5 = 22 (5d10)

>>4896754
lets see

Rolled 2, 3, 3, 3, 4 = 15 (5d10)

>>4896754
Here's a shot

File: 1625007397199.jpg (232 KB, 1920x817)

232 KB JPG

>>4896754
Found a pic of our Vantage point in the future

>>4896773

While you let your current night simply be the one you settle down in, manage the status of your domain, and perhaps most importantly, feed back up to a pleasing level before the sun renders you inert again, the next night is far more active. Less than half an hour after you wake, pushing the craving of blood away, and settling into a good mood you meet with the man that you are going to tutor. He is, being blunt, yet another peasant in your eyes. Honestly, if anything, it is dull as you teach him the basics of arithmetic, writing, and perhaps more importantly, numbers. if things are going to move around here, that may be the most important thing. On top of that, you mix in some basic etiquette, and how to tell a cheater from an honest man, to the best of your capabilities. How to manage things, who to trust, in the most basic sense. The lessons are short, and you would assume that each of them steal an hour or so.
The rest of the nights you spend on two things - hunting, to keep yourself at a steady level of sustenance, and then long strolls. You let your senses sharpen, at first just reaching out towards nature around you, simply trying to catch all the small things, but soon you find yourself numbing your other senses to focus at one at the time. You spend what you feel as ages in a half life; only half of reality seeps through at most nights. And yet, you feel as if you're not seeing, hearing or smelling any further, either in the real world or into something beyond. It frustrates you a whole bunch. Of course, you're not intending to give up, but a little doubt lingers in your mind. Should you alter your methods, or keep trudging on this self-imposed path?


At least, one thing makes progress in your unlife. Your villager-turned-administrator is making progress, at a decent enough rate - in one way it bothers you, since you are not going anywhere - but on the other hand, you do not have such a great mentor as he does, right? You smirk at that thought, but you're presented with another dilemma soon enough. What are you going to do with the man?

>For now, let him go to his own devices - regarding his new position, of course, and let him do what he deems fit.
>Indulge him into your plans, and make him start work on how trade is going to be handled. On the other hand, should it take too long before anything happens, he might be dissatisfied (considering he's doing nothing to earn food)
>Other(write-in)

On that matter, how will you progress with your auspex training?
>Same
>Change our ways(write-in)
>Progress in improving survival (2/?)
>Progress in improving occult (1/?)
>Progress in improving Auspex (0/?)

>Progress on roads in the village 19/~600 (6 progress/month)
>Progress on teaching a commoner into a professional(administration) in the village (8/8)(Done)
>Progress on outpost (50/65) (halted)
>Progress on trade (65/???) split into:
>Administrative (8/???)
>Logistics (60/???)
>Politics (0/???)
>resources(5/???)

>>4896820
Nice! I should be better at getting pictures for these threads.

>>4896853

Also, it is worth considering that we are rather head-strong, i.e while repeated failure is obviously not good for our mental stamina, proving that your ideas are good is a success. We work best when we're managing large ideas over time with many possibilities (our nature and demeanor are Visionary and Architect, respectively.


For what it's worth considering the large number of projects we are currently undertaking: we have 7 people working directly under us, that do not farm/provide for themselves. 3 in the quarry, 3 building roads, and our new administrator. We're currently producing a surplus of rock.

>>4896853
The real key to supervision is having a Design and trusting others to help you fulfill it so
>Indulge him into your plans, and make him start work on how trade is going to be handled. On the other hand, should it take too long before anything happens, he might be dissatisfied (considering he's doing nothing to earn food)
Also, isn't he the headman of this village?
I've got absolutely no idea about what the best way forward on Auspex is so
>Same
Otherwise
>Outpost
And
>Trade
If we're trying to solidify trade through our town (although why we're doing that I'm not exactly clear) we need to solidify the safety of the Pass and establish ourselves as an independant power that's willing to bow but not break under their rule.
As for a Grand Design, A neutral power? Fortified and Self Sufficient?
Oh, maybe we should start cutting lumber

>>4896881
>>4896853

formatting ate my paragraph break, the bottom parts with progress ratings are just a status report. Of course, if you wish to make progress on either of those things, you'd have to dedicate time and efforts there, and away from auspex training.


We're solidifying trade trough our town because our sire said so, more or less. We're not really in a position to question this, but if it is to succeed, we can clearly reap benefits from this. While we are independent to some extent, we're much under the sphere of influence/control of our sire.

>>4896891
Ah, well then, also I was thinking of supplementing Auspex with Deductive reasoning (Like Sherlock Holmes is supposed to) so not seeing more as such but instead knowing more and using what you see better.
We should see about building a schoolhouse or something along those lines in the future to ensure we have learned people in our pocket

>>4896658
yeah it will be good due to our current lack of metal we kind of become a meat smith

>>4896902
kind of like how people talk about time slowing down its not like each second becomes longer its that there is more in every second instead.
ah learning its like "the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago but second best is now"

>>4896853

There's a bunch of ways we could do this, but two stand out to me.

1. Go Gnostic - While training Auspex, before going to sleep, imagine Varnava's face and repeat his name many times. Try to see him in a different light and in dreamlike circumstances while asking oneself things like 'how do you see it?', 'what angle is the window to the world beyond?', 'what stones line the straight road running beyond the horizon?'. The idea is to induce lucid dreaming with Varnava as a teaching figure to gnosticly teach oneself that which lies within. Varnava is a natural focal point, but any powerful force could work. Tzimisce, Kaine, myself (Dyraxes), maybe even Lilith or Solomon, or whoever Dyraxes sees as a point of knowledge. Lots of possible effect. Maybe Dyraxes gets in touch with his inner spirit and opens his inner eye. Maybe there is contact with a gnostic demon. Maybe there is actual contact with Varnava or some other psychically active being who is being called to. If it is hard to see beyond the world while stuck within it, then break the rules in the land of dreams and bring the broken rules home when awakening. Dyraxes is a Dreamer anyway, so why not.

2. Alternatively, blame the lack of sensory decohesion on the poor materials used. Seek out exotic materials and methods with serious consequences for failure. Learn to differentiate robin's eggs from quail eggs by smell. Walk the parapets of the keep blindfolded. Come to understand the difference in taste between the good stones of the quarry, the round stones of the river, and the enemy stones of the fields. Is there a relation between the taste of river stones and other things from the river? Between the stones of the quarry and other things which are strong and reliable? The stones in the field and other things which are obstinate and troublesome?

Also: Give Dotos an option to relive himself of the odorous duty of setting up the tannery. Tell him that he may use the tubs and salts that he is gathering to turn the place into a bath house instead. He can recruit crones and widows from the village with the promise of youthful beauty (which Dyraxes will provide) in exchange for their services, if he is also willing and able to travel to nearby peoples and convince them to come to the village to enjoy the bath house and the attendants. To incentivize him, tell him that he will keep half of any profits for himself and the workers, a quarter to go to the village elders, and the last quarter to go to Dyraxes as patron of the keep.