Re: A Difficult Choice, Martha and Missing Widderslaintes IC Thread 9

[Warpmind]

Colin casually climbed into the car, quickly double-checking the fuel gauge, then got back out and nodded to the old lady before heading back to the motel room, popping his head in, "The grounds are clear for now, but I believe something or someone is coming. Not right now, not just yet, but it feels like... I'm not sure how to explain it, but it feels sort of like someone is about to make a connection to this place."

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

You have about three quarter tank of fuel on the car so you should be fine. The old lady glances at Colin again then return his nod before she walks down the road, stopping now and again every time her small, white companion felt the need to sniff or pee at something.

Adjan looks over at the Orphan when he opens the door and pop his head into the room.
"Very well I will get things ready here then and hopefully Adley will be done before whatever or whoever you think is coming gets here."
He said and offered a hand to Molly to help the Cultist to her feet.
"Miss Aydogan if you please."
He said politely and Molly nodded she still looked rather pale and shaken and let the tall Euthanatos help her up.
"Thank you Sir."
She muttered then to Colin she asked.
"Who do you think is coming Mr Wainwright? Not the Nephandi I hope?"
She asked fearfully, the young Cultist was more scared of the Fallen than her new companions that was considering turning her over to the Traditions with the new knowledge about what she was.

[Warpmind]

Colin shook his head, "I don't know... I just set up a simple divination to look for any fresh connections to this place, and I have a gut feeling there's one ready to pop up. If I were to guess - vampire goons, working for the fellow we deprived of his bride-to-be..."

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

"Vampires? You are in trouble with them Mr Wainwright?"
Molly asked her eyes growing wide.
"You took a vampire's bride from him? I am not sure I understand."
She asked and looked confused.
"Well vampires are better than Nephandi at least, though they can be formidable foes even if they do not have our flexibility and raw potential for power in their magic, they can work their effects with no fear of Paradox much like a hedge wizard can."
She said and looked around a bit nervously then lifted her chained hands and shivered again, she still seamed scared of the memories the handcuffs brought her.
"I assume that if there is trouble I will not be allowed to defend myself."
She asked a bit bitterly.

[Adley]

"Very well that works for me, it do not need to be much, even the smallest droplet will be enough for me to find you."
She said and held out one fiery hand.

He reached out his hand towards hers made of spiritual fires and spoke, directing the smallest amount of Quintessence that he could partition away from himself and drawing it towards Embra. "I offer this to assist in finding me to return the message's response and as a sign of my wish for continued friendly work with you, Embra."

"It is not shifting it that are uncomfortable mage it is...I guess I am proud, I feel as you would if someone where to render you unconscious to hide a message on your body, it might not be directly uncomfortable in itself, but it is humiliating, and I do not like that."

"I see. I am sorry to humiliate you but it will be safer for you as well as us. Thank you." There wasn't any more to say about it though and time was short; he looked apologetic about it though.

Well in either case I will go and deliver your message and I will be fine." Then the fire shifted, the shape of roughly a human female made of flame and smoke and heat melted into a simple fire on the floor

Adley began the message straight away, modifying it slightly as he went along to protect people's names as much as he could until it was through and he said her Name again and that it was done, so she knew to transform back or go off to find the message's recipient.

'To Master Cerebus on behalf of Mrs Molly Aydoğan, apprenticed to Mrs DeMeera of Morningstar, member of the Cult of Ecstasy of Chantry Umbral Gladii.  During a rescue from capture and from experimental torture by the Nephandi, it came light to us that Mrs Aydoğan is widderslainte. However, we believe that she is not like the majority of widderslainte, having not acted upon her impulses and was working on a way to control them – she did not in fact know she was Fallen until now, nor gave apparent cause to suspect it was so. The experiments that the Nephandi did to her also support that she did not behave as they expected her to and they could not force her to act the way that they wanted her to. Her Fall may be attributed to going through the caul to save another person that they cared about, in a past life.

The law as it stands states that she must be brought in to the authorities to face trial at Horizon, yet her mentor is not yet a Master. Additionally, we have come to know that there is one instance where a widderslainte cleansed their avatar with assistance – however, they were still given the gilgul rite regardless. We ask if you would consider intervening on Molly’s behalf or help her in some way – for her chances that she would be spared under the current precedents and predicaments (some of which you may be aware of personally) are not good. Time is however very short and there is much urgency. Yet we hope there may be a way for some like her to be cleansed. With all due respect, please let me know your response as soon as possible as we do not have much time to spare, the window closes on us all too quickly.

~Mr Roth Hicks, filius Master Morgan, Flambeau of the Order

Adding voice to this most sincere request the following:
 ~Mr Terach, Euthanatos, filius Mr Wellington;
 ~Mr Wainwright, Orphan in good standing with Lady Arden due to recent events

// It was swordfish, not even a shellfish (I've gotten sick on those only once in my life but it was the worst), but swordfish is a delicious fish - one of my favourites and it tasted great until it didn't ;_; Sorry for no reply last night I went to bed early.  

Spirit Kiss S2- 6,3;  5,0

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

He reached out his hand towards hers made of spiritual fires and spoke, directing the smallest amount of Quintessence that he could partition away from himself and drawing it towards Embra. "I offer this to assist in finding me to return the message's response and as a sign of my wish for continued friendly work with you, Embra."

Touching Embra, even if it was the briefest of touches felt like putting your hand to a stone that had been warmed in the mid day sun on a warm summer day, it was both comforting and slightly painful at the same time and you think anything but the briefest of touches would have seared your flesh. The Umbrood took the minuscule amount of Quintessence.
"Thank you I will be able to find you for a while."
She said as she pulled away again.
"Did I hurt your hand?"
She asked softly.
"Half manifested like this I do get hot."

"I see. I am sorry to humiliate you but it will be safer for you as well as us. Thank you." There wasn't any more to say about it though and time was short; he looked apologetic about it though.

"Sometimes one have to do what one do not wish to, do not worry about it, I volunteered."
Embra simply said.

Adley began the message straight away, modifying it slightly as he went along to protect people's names as much as he could until it was through and he said her Name again and that it was done, so she knew to transform back or go off to find the message's recipient.

Once you where done dictating the message and spoke Embra's name she slowly reformed into her humanoid shape, for a moment she looked confused as if she had been unconscious as took a moment to catch her bearings then she said.
"Did you dictate the message mage? If so I should probably go, I want to get this delivered and done soon so I can continue watching over Danielle, I fear her masquerade as a vampire will one day fail and those of her kind will come for her, if that happens I want to be there to protect her, we are sisters she and I born from the same fire."

(OOC: Oh no problem I went to bed early yesterday as well, my eyes have been acting up lately.)

[Adley]

"Thank you I will be able to find you for a while." She said as she pulled away again. "Did I hurt your hand?" She asked softly. "Half manifested like this I do get hot."

He found the sensation curious more than alarming, warming as he would have expected and nothing like a human touch was like. Not like putting a hand in an open flame directly, though there was a definite sting there that promised that if it had gone on for much longer it would have been much more painful, like walking on a hot sidewalk barefoot and worse. "That was just the right way," he said, withdrawing his hand and rubbing his dried fingers together.

"Did you dictate the message mage? If so I should probably go, I want to get this delivered and done soon so I can continue watching over Danielle, I fear her masquerade as a vampire will one day fail and those of her kind will come for her, if that happens I want to be there to protect her, we are sisters she and I born from the same fire."

"Yes, I did. If, at some time I have great need, may I ask for your help again in the future, once this work is complete? And I hope that does not happen to your friend any time soon. I too must go, safe travels." Once the spirit had departed to her task, he vacated the bath, glad to leave it and feeling like he had been tiptoeing around a sewer. But there wasn't time for that now, they had to move and he went to join his fellows so they could leave the motel.

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

"That was just the right way," he said, withdrawing his hand and rubbing his dried fingers together.

"I am glad, I have not touched many humans, but I am fire, I know my touch can damage you."
Embra said as she looked at your hand.
"I do not have to be careful around Danielle as she is in the physical world and I in the spirit world, but you are birding the gap, then I have to take care not to harm you...or set anything on fire."

"Yes, I did. If, at some time I have great need, may I ask for your help again in the future, once this work is complete? And I hope that does not happen to your friend any time soon. I too must go, safe travels."

"You may call me and as for my help if you need is great as long as you keep your promise and continue to look for a way to move Danielle's conduit into something more permanent, or find a way for her to safely return home to the dark world of her kind for while she love that cat, one day it will die and then she will starve to death and become nothing without even having been given a chance to fight her dark part and find salvation. I do not want that to happen but I can not help her, perhaps your kind can, so as long as you are working towards finding that solution to help my friend, I will obey your commands mage."
Embra said before she slowly faded back into the deeper layers of the Umbra to go to her task, the sensation of warmth, of being near a roaring flame vanishing with her presence.

Once the spirit had departed to her task, he vacated the bath, glad to leave it and feeling like he had been tiptoeing around a sewer. But there wasn't time for that now, they had to move and he went to join his fellows so they could leave the motel.

"Colin have informed us someone is coming."
Adjan said he gave the windows a concerned look.
"We should get out of here, I have learned to trust your Cabalmate's intuition."
He said before he glanced at Molly.
"Miss Aydoğan have expressed an desire to be able to defend herself if trouble should come our way."
Adjan said he looked at Adley, on one hand the girl was somewhat calmer now though still terrified, on the other hand if it was him there was nothing he would not do to protect his Avatar, letting her defend herself would be the decent thing to do, but at the same time dangerous.

[Adley]

"I am glad, I have not touched many humans, but I am fire, I know my touch can damage you." Embra said as she looked at your hand.

He gave a nod of thanks to that, and a small smile.

"...as long as you are working towards finding that solution to help my friend, I will obey your commands mage." Embra said before she slowly faded back into the deeper layers of the Umbra to go to her task, the sensation of warmth, of being near a roaring flame vanishing with her presence.

"I hope sometime you will wish be an to me ally regardless, but until then, thank you. And I have not forgotten but first Boston must be saved."

"Colin have informed us someone is coming." Adjan said he gave the windows a concerned look. "We should get out of here, I have learned to trust your Cabalmate's intuition."

"Let's get out of here then, Adjan be ready to go into the umbra...if its vampires then hopefully they cannot follow there. And if we can't get ourselves a car that's not as easily noticeable, we just might need to..." And if it was Nephandi, they would have to fight or escape, possibly both.

"Miss Aydoğan have expressed an desire to be able to defend herself if trouble should come our way." Adjan said he looked at Adley, on one hand the girl was somewhat calmer now though still terrified, on the other hand if it was him there was nothing he would not do to protect his Avatar, letting her defend herself would be the decent thing to do, but at the same time dangerous.

"Let's get everyone out of here, first thing's first."

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

"I hope sometime you will wish be an to me ally regardless, but until then, thank you. And I have not forgotten but first Boston must be saved."

"Perhaps when I know you better."
Embra said then she nodded.
"I am not expecting immediate results, nor that you will spend all your time on it. In fact I have no concept of time I have to observe Danielle for that, for me things happen, there are no time."
She said before she left.
"Be well mage."

"Let's get out of here then, Adjan be ready to go into the umbra...if its vampires then hopefully they cannot follow there.

The Eutnanatos nodded.
"Stay close to me, I should be able to get us all into the spirit world if need be and you are right, most vampires can not follow us there, and the Umbra is generally a confusing, inhospitable place for them."
He said and took a better grip on his dice to be ready to rip the Gauntlet if it became necessary."

And if we can't get ourselves a car that's not as easily noticeable, we just might need to..." And if it was Nephandi, they would have to fight or escape, possibly both.

"Getting another car right here and now might be difficult unless you mean steal one."
Adjan said then he nodded, if it was the Nephandi then they would be in deep shit. Molly looked quite scared when you mentioned the possibility that it was the Fallen coming for them.
"I am not going back there...I am not going back!"
She muttered sounding terrified and straining against the restraints, probably damaging her wounded wrists in the process.
"I am never going back to that bathroom!"
She whispered tears welling up in her eyes.

"Let's get everyone out of here, first thing's first."

Adjan nodded.
"I should take point in case I need to open the Gauntlet."
He commented he gave Molly a concerned look.
"I will not let the Nephandi have you Miss Aydoğan, you have my word, if I have to put a bullet in your head to prevent that from happening I will, now please come along."
He said strangely calmingly considering what he just said.

[Warpmind]

Colin shrugged noncommittingly, "The Fallen brokered a deal with a vampire; a Mage bride for a favour in return. We broke that deal and rescued the Mage in question. The vampire might have a bone to pick with us over that... Suffice to say there are things that are higher on my list of worries."
He nodded to Adley, "Time's a-wasting, I think I can take the car somewhere out of the way; plenty of fuel yet. But this location is compromised, I fear."
He gave Molly a thin smile, "As Adjan said, we'll not let the Fallen get you while we yet draw breath. If absolutely necessary, we're both capable marksmen."

((OOC: Even without food poisoning, a great many foods taste great until they suddenly don't anymore... ))

[Adley]

"I'll take the last position, let's move," he said, readying himself in case they were attacked. Then he asked Colin, "Who was it out there? Or did they run off?"

// Also dammit I did it again, I meant Senex, not Cerebus in that message. I don't know why I keep getting that mixed up >.<

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

Colin shrugged noncommittingly, "The Fallen brokered a deal with a vampire; a Mage bride for a favour in return. We broke that deal and rescued the Mage in question. The vampire might have a bone to pick with us over that... Suffice to say there are things that are higher on my list of worries."

"Why would a vampire want a mage bride?"
Molly begun, she looked puzzled then she sigh and shook her head.
"Never mind, it sounds like there is a longer story behind that than we have time for at the moment, I do have to say though Mr Wainwright that in all due repect your little group seams excellent at finding unique trouble."
She commented as she walked.

He gave Molly a thin smile, "As Adjan said, we'll not let the Fallen get you while we yet draw breath. If absolutely necessary, we're both capable marksmen."

Molly regarded the Orphan for a moment a dark look in her eyes then she nodded.
"Thank you."
She whispered.

"I'll take the last position, let's move," he said, readying himself in case they were attacked. Then he asked Colin, "Who was it out there? Or did they run off?"

The small group of mages moved out of the crappy, old motel room and out onto the parking lot. Adjan kept a watchful eye as he moved, for now all was quiet but there was an uneasy, almost electrifying feeling out there, as if something was about to happen. Colin you can feel those connections clicking into place from your still active rote, you can feel something getting closer...and in the distance you can all hear the sound of a car driving to far.
"Time to leave."
Adjan said as he quickly got into the back seat.
"What if you drive Colin, and I and one more watch over Miss Molly in the back seat?"

(OOC: Not to worry, I am sure referring to a Deacon Primus by the Chantry he is the Master os is not that unusual like one might call someone a master tailor or master smith.)

[Adley]

"I'll sit in the back," he offered to keep things moving along. "I will need a bit more room if my friend decides to return to me with an answer while en route..." He turned his head slightly as he heard noise "Shit, a car's coming. Hurry," he said simply. He remembered suddenly Tyler's warning, about how it felt that the city was about to burn. He felt it now.

// technically that bit about if it were the Fallen they'd have to fight was a bit of internal monologue not dialogue since it wasn't in quotes - then again Molly has every reason to assume the worst anyway. And yeah, in George's case that is literally true, but I did get it mixed up. Whups!

[Tane Karyak]

Friday:

Yeah, a friend of mine. She is hurt, and there have been complications ever since. It was not the moment to make her feel unconfortable.

Tane placed a hand on her shoulder as she spoke of the Gurahl, for the little good he could do with the gesture.

Saturday:

Come to my Tumul I say to her to make her understand, in the words that rokea use for those things, and i try to guide her away

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

Adley:

"I'll sit in the back," he offered to keep things moving along. "I will need a bit more room if my friend decides to return to me with an answer while en route..."

"Well there is five of us so room can be hard unless you get very intimate back there."
Adjan said and sigh.
"We will cross that bridge when we get to it."

He turned his head slightly as he heard noise "Shit, a car's coming. Hurry," he said simply. He remembered suddenly Tyler's warning, about how it felt that the city was about to burn. He felt it now.

"Yeah call me paranoid but a speeding car is not a good sign right now."
Adjan said and reached into his leather jacket to rest a hand on one of his weapons. Molly gave a worried glance towards the back window.

(OOC: Oops sorry then just ignore any reaction to what was thought and not said, but she will have a similar reaction for she is stressed and she do not want to go back into Nephandi captivity. And yes Steelhaven is named after it's founder.)

Tane:

Friday:

Yeah, a friend of mine. She is hurt, and there have been complications ever since. It was not the moment to make her feel unconfortable.

Lily nodded.
"Oh, I do hope that your friend gets better soon Tane."
She said.
"And that it is not serious."

Tane placed a hand on her shoulder as she spoke of the Gurahl, for the little good he could do with the gesture.

Henrietta gave a small smile at that then she continued.
"Ehm...then there are the Kitsune, they are werefoxes. You will find more of them in Japan and China than here in the West but often they will seek out mages as they are fascinated by us, they are intelligent and strong willed. They are tricksters preferring to fight to protect nature with their minds rather than teeth and claws. Unlike most fera their other forms are not that formidable, but also unlike others of their kind, they can learn hedge wizardry, the magic I practice and also have their own path, perhaps that is why they often seek mages out, in a way they are mages themselves."
The hedge wizard explained with a bit of a smile.
"One of them live in one of the other Chantries in the city if any of you ever want to meet one."

Saturday:

Come to my Tumul I say to her to make her understand, in the words that rokea use for those things, and i try to guide her away

The confused wereshark looks curiously at Tane then follows him moving slowly and deliberately. The crowd do not seam pleased to let their show go through.
"Hey do you know her!"
One man calls out.
"You can not just take her away, we do not know your intentions!"
A woman demands.
"Someone needs to call the police!"
A third person shouts as they gather ever closely around Tane and the wereshark female.

[Warpmind]

Colin quickly led the little party back into the car, and peeled out of the parking lot, "I'm not certain who the fellow was, but I would hazard he's a Sleeper employee of Nicolai, or something to that effect. He politely departed instead of causing a ruckus at the gas station, so he's not entirely a lost soul... but I had to let him drive off to report to whoever he serves, and the predictable consequence is coming into view now... I can see the strings attaching themselves to the parking lot here..."
Trying to turn a corner before anyone they were seen, he sighed, "Adjan, a little bit of navigational aid, if you please?"

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

"Well let us hope they do not have any ways to track this car magcikally or by mundane ways."
Adjan said as he glanced back towards the motel.
"I hope you are right though that he is with that vampire boy for while I do not want to get into trouble with either I will take the undead over Nephandi any day of the week."
He muttered.
"You did the right thing in not forcing matters with that man, let us just hope we can slip away quietly now."
The Euthanatos said.
"Go down that street over that and to the left, that should take us towards the center of the city."
He said and pointed.

You can see in the rear view mirror three cars driving into the parking lot of the motel, the cars looked expensive, two black BMW and a dark Mercedes, the cars did not stop at the parking lot though, instead they sped down the road after your little green Kia, seemingly knowing where they should go.

(OOC: Please give me an appropriate roll to try to shake these pursuers. Diff 8.)

[Warpmind]

Colin swore as the cars came following. He glanced around quickly to see if there were any threads linking the car or any passengers to the pursuers, then twisted around another corner.

((OOC: We didn't take the little green KIA... Bad associations, remember? And Colin didn't have the key for that one, either. As for the Dex + Drive roll... 2, 6, 7, 0. Well, no botches and not a failure, but I wonder if it's enough... ))

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

Yes there where threads...connections linking you and the others who had been at the fight in the apartment building to the cars following you, you twist around a corner hoping to loose the pursuers and you probably slowed them down as they had to pause and pick up the trail but you can feel the connections are still there and are soon coming closer again, you gained a few moments but did not manage to shake them, you are now pretty sure though that they are using something more than mundane means to track you and your friends, which will make them that much harder to escape from.

(OOC: Ah yes off course, it is the slightly bigger blue Toyota then, sorry about that, I might not be the best at keeping track of cars.)

[Warpmind]

Colin swore again as he rounded another corner, "Adley, they're not using mundane tracking. You already cleared me of any links to the apartment battle, but could you do the same for Adjan, Dr. Lee and the car as well?"

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

Adjan glanced at Colin.
"They are tracking us? Damn it!"
He swore then he just looked at Adley and nodded his consent for the working of clearing any connections away from him, to save the Hermetic the time to ask.
"That being said it might be one of them are using some kind of magick on their end to track us which have nothing to do with whatever we might have left of arcane connections at the sight, who know the capabilities of the Tremere? Or the Nephandi for that matter, trying to banish any grip they have on us is the first step anyway."
He muttered.
"Why can nothing ever just go smoothly?"

[Warpmind]

Colin shrugged, "Whether it is from traces at the apartment or anything else is rather a secondary concern right now. The important thing is that they don't appear to be using mundane means of pursuit. Unless..."
He frowned, "No, they couldn't have put a tracker on the car."

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

"We did leave the cars in the apartment building's garage and left them alone while we got Liv...but everyone in Nicolai's flat where accounted for where they not? I mean if there where another person there would they not be assisting Jodelle and the other and not sneaking down into the basement to put trackers on our cars and if they where not originally in the apartment but saw up coming would they not have rushed up to warn their friends?"
Adjan asked then he sigh.
"I guess we can not rule it out though. Damn it, if they know where we are and they have placed a tracker on us they know where Morningstar is, on the other hand I bet that Chantry can defend itself better than we can, it is massive."

[Adley]

"Adley, they're not using mundane tracking. You already cleared me of any links to the apartment battle, but could you do the same for Adjan, Dr. Lee and the car as well?"

"Yes," he said, and once they started talking about the cars, he decided he'd have to look at that too. They'd had Freddy give a look at things, try to keep the off the security, but like Adjan had said, who knew what the Tremere could get up to. Three cars of vampires or vampire ghouls was not welcome. He got to work as best as he was able from within the car, first seeing and then plucking apart the traces of prime that he could see linking them, breath fogging up the windows as he chanted, searching for where to start.

// 9, 2 - 6, 7 - 7, 1 (I hope 7 is a success, if not then forget the next rolls) - 7, 6 - 5, 7 - 8, 7 - 5, 9 - 3, 7 - 5, 4 - 2, 4, - 0, 6

my dice like 7 today if only I was at Vegas - since I'll be away from my dice for a while, I rolled for at least 2 success on each person, including Adley and the car. Ofc, if he botches then the rest is scratch and time is a factor but otherwise he goes for the strongest links first, whomever or whatever that is that he can see connecting them.

[Sponsored content]