Noah, Mistral, Sal, Fate, and Michael found a B&B next to their coffee shop to finally crash after several days of consecutive consciousness. However, their peaceful sleep was interrupted the moment the sun set as a pall of fog and dread fell over the city, accompanied by the sound of thousands of bats fluttering in the skies above the city.

 Dracula was on the move and Sal had a guess as to where he was going first... Prince Victor's penthouse.

Without hesitation, Sal calls Victor's phone.

Noah was in the process of making coffee in the B&B as his human self. There was just too much of a chance the owner had a web cam or something set up in the unit. He started setting the cups out on the table. "Did anyone take a moment to let the head vampire know there was a bigger hound in the park?" Bad humor was his defensive mechanism and this was a hell of a situation.

 Three rings and Victor picked up. "Hello? Sal? Mind telling me why it feels like something terrible is about to happen? Did your group blow up something important again?"

"Not our fault this time. Dracula is heading your way. I'm not joking. That's not something I'd joke about. I called to give you a moment at least... to prepare. Please... be careful." Sal allowed the genuine fear he felt of Dracula show in his voice.

Fate sat across from Noah, her faithful book in front of her, but closed. She was tracing the the shapes of it as she looked down towards it. She had been studying this book nonstop and was grateful to the one who had given it to her, but concern could be seen on her face. The moment Mistral came into the room Fate's head lifted to see her come in. Fate gave Mistral time to at least get to the table before she spoke, "Mistral, I hope this is okay, but I just wanted to know do you know anything about how Talion is doing? If you don't could you possibly find out? I expect that I'm not the only one who wants to know considering you all knew him longer than me. I'm worried about him. I just want to know that he is okay, or as okay as he can be right now. I want to know if it may be safe to see him. He might need his friends around him right now. I can't imagine the pain he is going through, but I can't imagine it being better to face alone either."

 There was a pause over the phone. "Dracula? THE Dracula?! That's going to be a... oh! Hello!"

 Victor abruptly hung up.

Michael sipped his coffee then looked up at the ceiling at the sound of thousands of bats. “So what’s the plan everyone? We just letting Dracula do his thing?”

The respite had been needed more than Mistral cared to admit, and it was good that they had taken it, considering the commotion brewing across the city.  The measures of mystical obfuscation she'd put in place would conceal the little bed and breakfast and the coffee shop from nearly any unwanted visitors, though she expected no working of hers could keep away Lord Dracula himself if he should come calling.

Mistral had elected to keep her frail physical body elsewhere to continue recovering her strength, and so showed again in the ethereal form of the Mistress of the Ebon Tower: a dispassionate, porcelain-pale blindfolded figure garbed in stately robes streaming with the threads of creation.  Her initial response to Fate was simply, "Not well, I daresay."  After a long pause, the uncanny archmagess added, "He quite nearly leveled the state of New York when his children were endangered, yet now they have been killed along with several others for whom he cared deeply.  He has been sealed away to protect reality itself from his grief.  I share your concerns, but I believe it would be unwise to visit him at this time.  Would you agree, mon dragon?"

The archmagess then said, "Apart from Talion's state, I believe the condition of the city is a more immediate concern.  It seems that our renowned guest and his serviteurs now scour the skies and the streets.  He hunts those who wronged his childe, but all are en danger."  After a lengthy pause, she said, "Ridding the city of hunters would be to our benefit, but I fear what further damage may come to those less-deserving.  Perhaps we might facilitate an early end to this great hunt by assisting the visiting Lord in finding those deserving his ire."

Mistral added, "D'ailleurs, Nefertiti has contacted moi.  She asks after Monsieur Milo."

OOC: sorry for the double post, but I realized this bears mentioning!

Noah nodded, "I visited him in the reactor when the kids had been in trouble. I laced my scales with a seridite mesh, had every shield up, and I still only barely survived it. That was when I got the shards for Sal's caster gun. It is very unwise to stand in his presence when he can't concentrate."

He passed coffee and a pastry into ectoplasm for Mistral as this wasn't her physical form. Spirits are the domain of the moros bar none. "I relent to your wisdom on this one. Nef and I dont see eye to eye so any words I have on her wouldn't help. Milo is with his dad so he is the safest person on earth at the moment."

"We do need to help the prince out. It will be a good boon for you Sal. I can try to work up a mental shield this time around if need be."

“Once we recover our strength, we should get going. Who or what do we need to find in order to satisfy Dracula’s need for blood?”Michael sipped his coffee enjoying the aroma. When did casually talking about Dracula become a normal thing?

Sal put his phone away and said, "Thank you, Noah. Besides my own personal reasons for not wanting Victor impaled on spike, now is a very bad time for a change of leadership among the Kindred. Victor owing me another favor is icing on the cake. Of course, I wonder if there is anything we can do for Victor that Milo can't do on his own. Either way, I believe Dracula has already arrived at Victor's place, so if we're going, now is the time! Recovering our strength is unlikely to make a difference."

Noah cracked his fingers now that he was human and had all ten. he was working a spell with each hand as he moved to a clearing in the room. "Dear Mist you're better at this than I am. Mixing spells though."

"This won't be much in the way of a mental wall, I need time to set something big up. But it is the best I have at this very moment. I'll catch up as soon as I can. Ill be on his roof just in case something goes down. With something like Drac the more options we make for ourselves the better."

He cut a line in the air so the portal could line up with the door into the prince's office.

anti dracula mental armor
 19:54, Today: Noah rolled 3 successes using 8d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s with rolls of 1,3,3,3,9,3,10(+7),8.  Brainz shield.

Sal hurried through the portal. Normally, he wouldn't teleport into Victor's office unannounced, but time was of the essence.

Seeing her allies file into the portal, Fate hesitates for only a moment then follows behind.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:38, Sun 27 Feb 2022.

Michael held the rosary to his forehead and chanted a couple quick prayers to hopefully prepare himself for another meeting with Dracula. He didn’t prepare his combat incantations yet to keep from instigating a fight. His defenses were up just in case some crazy vampire shenanigans happened. The priest walked through the portal.

OOC: Epipodian Safeguard and True Sight of St. Abel activated

 The moment the group stepped into Victor's office, they were assaulted by the tangible weight of Dracula's presence. He had changed into a business suit but was no less imposing for it. Victor sat in his chair and Dracula stood across the desk from him. They each cast a glance at the group but immediately returned their full attention to each other.

 Milo could be seen looking through a crack in the door behind them. Despite his status as a respected Elder, he had not been invited to this discussion.

 It seemed that pleasantries had just been finished. Victor was locked in a battle of wills with Dracula and seemed composed for the moment.

 Dracula spoke. "As I was saying. I have come to address a hunter problem of mine. I only intend to remain for a night or two until it is resolved."

 Victor took a long pause then spoke. "With all due respect, Lord Dracula, the Hunters in this city are my problem and I am-"

 "Were."

 "Pardon?"

 "The Hunters in this city were your problem. Now that my son has been targeted, they are mine... and I will make certain to deal with them accordingly."

 The Prince and the Progenitor remained with locked gazes... and, because Dracula's attention was not currently on any of you, the feeling of helplessness you had felt last night was considerably lessened (though not gone entirely).

Sal acknowledges the elder kindreds' gazes, and keeps his distance, and remains silent. He motions for his Cabal to do the same.

Fate does the same.

Michael stays silent and still. They were talking about Hunters, and he wasn’t sure if either of them still lumped him in with that group or not. Best not to chance it.

"I'll catch up, using a portal will render me helpless." He put a finger to his brow and winked at Mystral. He was planning something. "There will be some trouble around the bend with this much supernatural stuff going on. Keep your slates on, I'll be out there."

He clapped his hands and set up the best Omni magic hampster ball he could manage, bordering on a rite of mage combat, then took to the bat filled skies.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:44, Mon 28 Feb 2022.

 "I'm surprised that someone of your status can be manipulated by the kine so easily. Do you not think that puts your son in more danger? I would urge you to consider rationality."

 There was a long pause from Dracula. "I assure you that I am quite rational. Were I not, this entire city would be choked in bodies and blood and every mortal and supernatural within would be displayed upon stakes on the rooftops of your city for the world to see."

 "You would die. It wouldn't be me, nor would it be the Camarilla that killed you though. Gods exist and one lives here in the city. This bat storm you've conjured is impressive, but I have witnessed this being do FAR worse... so I suggest that you do not make threats against the people of this city lightly. He is like you in that regard. Harm those he cares for and there will be no force that can save you."

 He paused for another moment. "These Hunters are a danger to us all. I have been hesitant to bring my full force to bear against them. You have my permission to deal with the hunters as you see fit... but you will NOT harm innocent bystanders. I will deal with this massive breach of the masquerade later. You may go."

 Dracula seemed almost surprised at Victor's words... but said nothing further, instead turning on his heel and marching out of Victor's office. With Dracula's presence removed from the room, the air felt much lighter and the relief was tangible. Victor still seemed composed, despite it all.

"Apologies for the intrusion, my Prince. I had hoped to get here before Lord Dracula. I see you didn't need our help, after all. Not that I could have done much if you two were to fight...," he spared a glance at the Mages who came with him, emphasizing the unsaid. "If there's any way we can help with the hunter situation, or to safeguard the innocents of the city, my Cabal will be happy to help."

The Mistress of the Ebon Tower accompanied Sal et al to the Prince's office to bear witness to the 'diplomatic meeting' between Victor and Dracula.  She kept herself to the margins of perceptability, observing from the background of reality.  The Prince conducted himself admirably considering the indomitable weight of Lord Dracula's presence, and Mistral could not help but be impressed.  Once Dracula had departed and Sal spoke up, she remarked, "Bien joué, Prince Victor.  You are a credit to your city."

Outside Victor's office, Mistral mystically tracked Lord Dracula's departure and awaited an opportunity to speak with him.  Fading in from the background, she greeted Dracula with a deep bow, "Bonsoir, Lord Dracula."  She arose with porcelain-pale hands clasped before her, eyes hidden beneath a blindfold.  Mistral went on, "Pardonnez mon interruption, but I have come to offer the assistance discussed last night.  I have those who harmed your son.  Those that yet survive, at least."
This message was last edited by the player at 02:12, Sat 05 Mar 2022.

Noah took flight keeping low. He would show up on street cameras, sure. And his flying was not all that great without Grey's help. But he was on his way to fetch the relics with his name on on them. That and he would be so pleased to put the sword of kings in Michaels hands. The slayers would be the hardest target for the vampires but the old thief in Noah ran strong.

Michael watches in silence at the exchange between vampires. He let Sal take the lead with speaking to the prince. The Banisher was content to keep watch to make sure nobody busted in the room interrupting their conversation.

Fate stayed quiet at the back of the group. Sal was the one taking the lead on this one so instead Fate kept watch for any signs of trouble.

 The vampire Prince inclined his head toward Mistral, acknowledging her as she vanished.

 Victor nodded slowly. "I must admit, I wasn't expecting to meet with a legend this evening. I think it may say something about me that I've begun to grow accustomed to it though.

 I'm sure it is a great feat to ask but I would like for you to keep an eye on Dracula to the best of your ability. I would like to try and minimize any casualties to the Kine and keep this fiasco as contained as possible. To do that, I will need information."

-------------------------

 Dracula had already managed to reach the ground floor before she could locate him and move to his side. Now, once more, he turned his attention to her and she could feel the weight of his indomitable presence. He smiled at her and bowed with a flourish. "Your aid is much appreciated."


-------------------------

 The bats did not actively attack Noah as he flew but they WERE bats, making any flight rather difficult... though the fog served as great cover for his trip.

"Understood, my Prince. Pardon me, one moment," Without bothering to look around for her, as he knew if she didn't feel like being seen, she wouldn't be, he said, as if he was speaking on a radio, "Mistral, do you have eyes on Lord Dracula?"

Mistral's voice answered Sal from nowhere, "Bien sûr  I shall monitor his every move this night."  She was in fact there in her otherworldly blindfolded presence and had been the whole time, though when attempting to see her one's eyes tended to feel somehow drawn elsewhere.

Mistral was also present on the ground floor of Victor's building treating with Lord Dracula himself, who seemed to her a gentleman rather than a tyrant.  She must be mindful that the two are not mutually exclusive.  After the exchange of bows, the archmagess said evenly, "Six live still, exiled to localisations both remote and inhospitable.  The squad leader est mort.  I wonder what it is you wish to become of them."

"Thank you, Mistral," said Sal. "Does that suffice, Prince Victor?"

 Victor nodded. "Of course. Now, if you do not mind, I need to speak with Milo at length about a few matters."

 He pulled out a disposable phone. "I already know that most of you have ways of contacting me. Here is one more. I would like to keep communications covert from here until the end of this. There are a great many things which could go terribly wrong."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Dracula thought for a moment. "Tis a pity. The leader would know more than his subordinates. Still, one of them might know something useful. If you would deliver one of them to me once we are outside, it would be much appreciated."

 As he spoke, he walked imperiously to the door. No Ghouls, no Kindred daring to stop him.

Noah made his way keeping low. More than twice he had to spit out a bat who had managed to somehow get in there. Heavy breathing and flying in a mob of bats that made Coachella look like a scant tea party did not go together. Only once he got to his intended destination did he stand there as his human self, some distance from their headquarters.

He tapped the weakened manastar cane on the ground and just waited.

"Thank you, Prince Victor." Sal took the phone, and returned home through Noah's portal.

Fate followed Sal without saying a word. She simply nodded to the prince then made her exit.

Michael gave a polite bow to their host before exiting after Fate.

Mistral was already back at Sal's estate when the others returned through the portal, reclined comfortably on a chaise lounge.  When they were all through she banished Noah's portal with a gesture and destroyed its resonance signature, to prevent possible tracebacks.  She said to the others, "I am presently assisting Lord Dracula.  He will have his quarry indépendamment, but perhaps with my help he needn't tear the city asunder in the hunt."  It seemed to Mistral a practical approach to mitigation of wide-scale harm, but it was possible that some might object to aiding the literal lord of darkness.


Outside of Victor's building Mistral stepped out of the shadows ahead of Lord Dracula and asked, "Would you prefer to consult an individual higher in command, as opposed to les soldats following orders?"  Mistral proceeded to weave the arcane threads to transcend the boundaries of space, intoning strange words of power.  Then, a swirl of supernal mist blew through and deposited a hunter at Dracula's feet.

 Dracula quirked an eyebrow at Mistral's question and the faint touch of a smile graced the edge of his lips. "My son has some effective acquaintances. A leader, if you would?"

 Voscal, for his part, was preparing his equipment for battle when Mistral dumped him at Dracula's feet. He fell to the ground, clutching his sword and whetstone as the spell finished and Mistral faded into the background.

 The fog grew thick as Voscal scrambled to his feet and brandished a silver cross. Dracula strode forward and grabbed the hunter by the hand (that wielded the crucifix). There was sizzling as the cross burst into flame in Dracula's hand. He glared into the Hunter's eyes as the fire went out, leaving only slag on Voscal's arm. He tried to swing his sword but, with a swift motion, Dracula snatched his other arm and broke the wrist, letting the blade clatter to the ground.

 "You have been busy. It seems that you have all of the other supernaturals hiding in their basements. You. Must. Be. Proud of yourself."

 He drew Voscal close. His voice almost...gentle. "But you chose the wrong prey... and now all of you are doing to die."

 Dracula took a deep breath as he opened the distance between himself and the terrified Voscal by a few inches. He tilted his head and tapped his fingers to the timing of Voscal's heartbeat... and it was almost as if Mistral could hear it herself. "Now tell me the location of your bases, your numbers, and your defenses."

 Voscal stopped moving and his arms fell slack. Mistral jolted back to her senses, having not even realized she had been falling into a trance until the thumping of Dracula's fingers stopped.

 "There are roughly 200 of us..."

 He then proceeded to give the locations of the Hunter hideouts and a list of their armaments. When asked, he also gave the name of his superior. It was a code name, but it was a name nonetheless. When he was finished, He jostled Voscal, snapping him out of his trance. "I'll never tell you anything!"

 Dracula smiled. "Oh, but you already have... your name will be remembered forever now as that of a traitor, who led demons to your door, and you will die a dog's death."

 Voscal spun, twisting to his feet as he tried to run, only for the night sky to reach down through the fog in a cacophony of screeches and take him. Dracula glanced back at Mistral. "And now, let the hunt truly begin!"

 From beneath, Mistral could hear the squeaks and sloshing of the creatures down in the depths, moving in numbers that could be heard above even the bats.

 Dracula reached out a hand in invitation to her, smiling expectantly.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Sal, Fate, and Michael arrive back at Sal's home. All of the kindred and bats were now gone from this area. Instead, they had begun to move in strange patterns, congregating in certain parts of the city. Mistral was, of course, already present.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Noah, for his part, had braved the storm of bats. The sheer volume had made it difficult to fly at anything other than slightly above traffic level. However, even he could see the manhole covers beginning to jitter in spots and black masses roiling in sewer drains below the streets.
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:28, Sat 12 Mar 2022.

Noah drew a small rune on the ground, a simple spell to help the animals go around the dragon hampster ball of doom. Black mass from the street was one thing and should be handled by the bubble. The bats on the other hand, splatting on the windshield was hitting kinda close to home. There was a kinship to dragons splatting on Grey...

He just waited until he was sure it was safe to collect the artifacts. He wasnt dumb enough to take on dragon hunters alone.

Mistral had more or less expected what Dracula did to the hunter she had summoned, and she still believed that focusing Dracula's ire on specific targets was better than allowing it to run rampant... yet, that made it no easier to watch such utter subjugation of a man's will.  She herself felt compelled and overmastered even though the interrogation was not directed her way.

This road may have been the lesser evil, but it was still evil.

Even so, the information extracted from Voscal via psychic domination was instructive.  Though Mistral's form that listened to the interrogation remained still and impassive in the periphery of reality, elsewhere she went to work.  Soon enough the interrogation ended in a frightful (if not unexpected) murder, and Lord Dracula's undeniable attention turned back to Mistral.  She may be hidden from all the world, but it would seem there was no hiding from him.

Mistral spoke with difficulty under the weight of that dreadful gaze, "It would seem you have taken the information you required... and now all that remains is the hunt.  I would not participate... Je préfère ne pas..."  Despite having no need to breathe nor swallow in her present form, she felt the breath catch in her throat as she tried to summon the words to resist this monolithic will.  The words did not come.

Against all her better judgement, Mistral extended a porcelain-pale hand for Lord Dracula to take.

 Dracula took Mistral's hand gently and began to walk through the streets. "Nor would it be polite to ask you too. However, it would be unbecoming of me not to escort such a competent ally on a dangerous night such as this." She could feel the sound of rumbling beneath her feet and could see the slick, black, squeaking multitude almost marching in tune with Dracula's footsteps beneath her.

 Somehow, the walk took only a few moments. It was almost as if they had teleported but she had not sensed any magic. It felt familiar though... like the time Sariel had transported her into Talion's memory box in the Museum.

 Now they stood in front of a church. Rats had burst from the sewer and swarmed into it. She could see the Hunters fleeing, even flinging themselves from the windows to escape...

...
...
...

 The ones who died to the rats were the lucky ones. Those who escaped were captured by the soldiers Dracula had brought and were promptly dismembered and impaled on light posts. Dracula looked on impassively and, once he was satisfied that all of the Hunters were dealt with, he began to move on.

 Again, there was the unusual but familiar sensation of moving that was not quite Teleportation and they were at another. This one had already been overrun with rats and the hunters crucified to brick walls with railroad spikes.

 Again, he took note of the death approvingly and escorted Mistral to a third location. Here, she could see Noah present at the periphery of the chaos. There were no rats here, but there WERE a horde of bats. They are streaming into the upper windows. Some Hunters are being dragged out and into the sky.

 However, these were doing slightly better than the previous ones. The vampires were unable to enter and so the Hunters had only the bats to contend with. Dracula smiled amusedly. "It seems that I've found my target."

 With a raised hand, he snapped his fingers, bringing two of his vampire soldiers to his side. "My companion is to be protected with your lives."

 The two nodded silently. She also felt the unsaid threat about what would happen to her two new guardians were she not protected. Dracula bowed with a flourish. "I'm certain that you do not need such protection, but it would be unbecoming not to offer."

 Despite this, Dracula did not yet move from her side, instead watching with renewed interest.

Noah was dancing a waltz, he couldnt help himself due to all the supernatural events going on around him.

Don't fret, precious, I'm here
Step away from the horror, go back to sleep
Safe from pain and truth and choice and other poison devils
See, they don't give a fuck about you, like I do

A large circle was being drawn out by his dancing. He was in human form so that cane's tip was dragging in the grass as he waited for the hunters to be killed.

Count the bodies like sheep...
Count the bodies like sheep...

It was a grim song but it was well fitted to the carnage that was going on.

Counting bodies like sheep
To the rhythm of the war drums
Count the bodies like sheep

The little drones he used to contain the mana of his rituals drifted in a lazy circle around his arcane celebration.

Go back to sleep, go back to sleep
Go back to sleep, go back to sleep

Go back to sleep, go back to sleep
Go back to sleep

The whisper of sleep took on form. Little numina whisps, tiny dragons that flitted about like butterflies to be seen by only any who could see aura or magic.

Go to sleep!
Go to sleep!
Go to sleep!
Go to sleep!

The swarm grew.

Go back to sleep, go back to sleep
Go back to sleep, go back to sleep

The swarm Grew.

Go back to sleep, go back to sleep
Go back to sleep, go back to sleep

Go back to sleep, go back to sleep

The swarm GREW!

I'll be the one to protect you from
Your enemies and all your demons
I'll be the one to protect you from
A will to survive and a voice of reason
I'll be the one to protect you from
Your enemies and your choices, son
They're one and the same, I must isolate you
Isolate and save you from yourself

He stomped sending an army of sleep to set to rest normal humans. It would be far easier to deal with the fall out if the worst of this was nothing more than a mild winter's dream.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93ByMEx50Zc
This message was last edited by the player at 01:27, Sat 19 Mar 2022.

 Noah began his spell, straining to reach and save as many people as possible from the horrors Dracula had unleashed. He began to glow from within, shining like a miniature star. The vampires around recoiled briefly and the assault was temporarily halted.

 There was a strain and then a break, as Noah's spell surpassed normal limits, multiplying in on itself near exponentially as the shockwave of the spell encompassed the entire city, putting all of the sleepers within to... well... sleep.

 Dracula raised an eyebrow with an amused smile. "Well, I certainly wasn't expecting that. Your companion is quite formidable, isn't he?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:38, Sat 19 Mar 2022.

Noah stood from his spell and took a deep breath letting that burning grow and then fade. Only now did he notice it and put both of his hands up. He ran around in a circle for a few moments, yelling, before he started a stop drop and roll process that he had been taught day in and day out as a kid. The last time that he had seen arcane fire was during the anti sewer demon ritual the whole group cast.

And that fire burned someone out of forever.

When stop drop and roll proved far less effective than he had been taught he just stood up. He was still in his human form but holding up his hand the dragon claw burst out. He was too new to the multi forms to hold them and also cast the ritual.

He took another deep breath and the dragon burned through. Still sleek but the mother of pearl was hidden in a blue ember-like flesh. The pearl-making designs and constellations over his slightly longer body. The horns that had been white now turned gold supporting a white mask like face, still his old dragon face. A thick mane of burning mana ringed his head.

Transubstantiation was not kind, but he stood with that big cane of his.

As Dracula brought her along for his crusade of darkness, Mistral enveloped herself yet further in layers of occultation to disguise her presence from all but the most extraordinary of observers.  She would rather not be sighted and be asked to answer for condoning this atrocity.  Then again, perhaps she should answer for it, since she had a hand in it.  Mistral looked on in mute, disgusted horror at murder after murder, and the destruction that went alongside.  Dracula's means of transportation was quite intriguing to her, and she distracted herself somewhat by puzzling out how it may have been done.

Mistral was just about to take her leave when they came upon Noah working his own style of ridiculous and ridiculously powerful will-working, and thus decided to remain.  She turned her unearthly visage toward the pair of vampiric guards, who might be glad the icy glare was hidden behind a mystical blindfold.  She answered Dracula levelly, "The gesture is appreciated, but I will have no entourage.  Dismiss them before I do, s'il vous plaît."  Mistral looked on curiously at Noah's song and dance that put the city to sleep.  How many pilots and drivers now slept in moving vehicles?  How many sleepers at the tops of stairs, or in bathtubs, or with burners on in their kitchens?  If this spell worked as she suspected, he might have just caused more death and destruction than Dracula.  Mistral answered Dracula drily, "It has been said of him, oui."

In reply to Mistral (msg # 46):

 It took only a few more moments for the assault upon the Hunters to once more begin in earnest. The bats continued their assault while the soldier vampires waited outside for any who escaped or were dropped by the squeaking, flapping mass above them.

 When Mistral requested that Dracula dismiss her entourage, he simply nodded once and they were gone as if they had never been there. She had not tracked their moves. It felt much like the way she vanished from the sight of others... but, again, nonmagical to the best of her reckoning.

 Dracula let the assault of the bats continue for a few more moments before he raised his hand and the bats flew upwards. The battlefield went quiet. Then, Dracula shouted. "Soldiers! Grenades!"

 The silence was enough that both Mistral and Noah could both hear the near simultaneous pin-pulling of 20 grenades, followed by them being thrown into every window.

 The resulting explosion shattered windshields and windows, setting off car alarms and sending clouds of dust and debris out of every exposed hole in the building. Part of the structure collapsed, destroying whatever barrier had been keeping the vampires out.

 He dropped his hand once more and the assault by the bats resumed. They swarmed back inside the shell of a building with the vampire soldiers following suit.

 The bats and vampires brought out gibbets and dismembered pieces. Chunks of people and mangled torsos. Dracula patiently waited until each and every piece of Hunter was dragged before him. Most were dead... those that were not were not long for this world. "Take their eyes. Make sure Abbot Cavera wakes to each one staring at him from the shelves above his bed."

 Then he turned to Mistral and Noah. The bats and the fog seemed to vanish almost immediately. The rumbling in the sewers had stopped, and the three hundred soldiers had assembled behind him with two hundred pairs of eyes in their hands. "I thank you for your company this evening, Madame. However, I have things which I must now attend to, to ensure that this message reaches the ones who need it most."

 He took a sweeping bow and the tyrannical oppression that he had worn like a mantle faded. "And thank you again for taking care of my son. Should you ever need my assistance, I will do what I can to aid you. Adieu."

 Then three hundred vampires vanished like smoke on the wind, leaving Noah and Mistral alone in the street with a LOT of bodies and blood everywhere. With the bats and fog gone, Mistral and Noah could see what had become of those taken by the bats. They had been impaled upon the radio antennae atop the buildings and their eyes removed.


 With a little magical snooping, the two found that the soldiers had not been interested in looting and the weapons they had been searching for were still inside. Noah found them both buried under the collapsed part of the building.
This message was last edited by the GM at 06:05, Sat 19 Mar 2022.

Fate had been watching what she could stand through the window of Sal's mansion. When she saw all the bats disappear she wondered if it was over. Then another question popped into her head. Mistral could basically now be everywhere at once, couldn't she? Surely if anyone would know if Dracula's business had concluded it'd be her. "Mistral," Fate turned her attention from the window to the form of Mistral there with her. "Things seem to have quieted down a bit. Is Dracula's business finished?"

Sal meditated in silence, not wanting to imagine what Dracula was doing to the hunters.

"A lot of this needs to find its way back to the church." Noah trundled his way out of the hideout. The artifact weapons on his back for sure, but he pillaged any relic he could get his hands on. Michael would get his fill.

Noah looked at Mistral and nodded once. "I've got the synths running damage control. Most anyone still in the city is still in the civi quarantine area. We have eyes on the few who went above and beyond to be dumb."

"I've got the Merlin on a mind line with the prince. Imma take the fall on this one as its already established that Ark actively opposes mass terrorist attacks. A bit of spin from both groups this will be hard to glaze over but we can make it happen."

He stopped for a moment, part of him wanted to ask if she was ok. Instead, he just moved to her and gently bumped her forehead with his.

With the vampiric holocaust seemingly completed, Mistral stood facing an army of hundreds and reeking of gore, with their commander at their head offering a courtly bow to her.  She was silent for long moment and then answered coldly, "I wish I could say it has been a pleasure, but with all due respect, it decidedly has not.  The offer is appreciated, Lord Dracula, but I will never call upon you.  Puissions-nous ne plus jamais nous revoir."  Perhaps Dracula would strike her down for the disrespect, and a part of her might welcome it.  The vampiric host and their Lord vanished in a sweeping darkness, leaving her frozen like a statue of otherworldly porcelain in the midst of a bloody massacre to rival the darkest hours of mankind's history.

There she remained unmoving when Noah returned with his loot, and she did not acknowledge his arrival nor his words.  When he attempted to bump her head he found her to be insubstantial, a co-located projection of herself.  It did prompt a reply.  Her lips barely moved as she whispered, "It is I who should take the credit.  I gave up Voscal, guided the way, and then watched it all happen.  The Ark is not against this, if I am counted a part of it, for the blood is on my hands."  With that said, Mistral winked out of existence.  A moment later, a supernal breeze swirled about Noah and his surroundings shifted until he found himself in the foyer of Sal's estate.


Mistral had remained seated and unnaturally still for quite some time.  Just after Noah arrived, she said in a thin voice, "His hunt is decidedly finished, oui.  His business, less so."  The archmage reached to her side, and with a deliberate motion drew from nothingness a shining blade taken straight from myth.  Mistral raised Excalibur before her face and looked upon it through the blindfold, then turned to toss it to Michael, hilt-first for him to catch.  She said, "You are the senior hunter in this city now, Michael.  Toutes nos félicitations."  She observed the hunter with the legendary sword for a long moment, then asked, "Do you know of an Abbot Cavera?  He is about to receive a rather grim message from our recent guest."

Michael caught Excalibur deftly by the hilt. Some experimental sword strokes performed while he listened to the report of Dracula’s rampage. He looked at the legendary blade in awe before lowering it to turn towards Mistral. “I am associated with the Abbot. He is very high up in our Conspiracy. The message received will certainly surprise him. I would not be surprised if he reaches out to the other Conspiracies for assistance with the majority of his flock decimated. One benefit is that this may open the door for my voice to be heard when it previously wasn’t. If you wouldn’t mind delivering a letter, I can write him asking to let me lead the next group that will most certainly be sent. This can help to avoid more Hunter casualties and lead them toward our true foe. Will it work? I don’t know, but it’s worth a try.”

Noah nodded once, "Michael, I am about to send in the synths to fully secure the sites. Do you have any info they need to be aware of? Traps, prisoners, counters to wards?"

He sat on the floor next to Mistral, unable to change or cast any further magic. It was time for damage control. "Setting up a few things." Hit the ground running. "I still have the mental line to the prince and the Merlin. I am sure the MIB have a incomming phonecall. There is a cover story to make." He raked a claw over that odd white mask and then up through the mana flames that now made up his hair. "Merlin is also going to have a fit. That was a big spell."

"So far they are reporting a drunk guy didn't make it to the bench before he fell asleep. They are double-checking the cars that decided to pull over for the nap compulsion."

"Spooling up Pestilence and Famine to keep an ear out. There is too much incoming for me to handle alone, don't even have my server... Fuck most my tech is burned up."

"We likely need to go ourselves to the larger sites."

Michael rubbed his stubbled chin as he thinks about what might be left. “You’re right, Noah. There will be research and possible weapons and unfortunate victims in the torture chambers. That’s the last thing that needs to be available for anybody to stumble across. The letter can wait until all the items have been obtained. Mistral, can you please take me, Fate, and Sal there? Noah seems like he is worn out and could use a rest. It shouldn’t be too hard for me to find anything they have hidden especially with the help of the Synths.”With Mage-Breaker strapped to his back and Excalibur in his hand, he was ready to go.

"Michael, if you are the only surviving member of your conspiracy left in the city, you will likely be viewed by your people with suspicion. If not, your conspiracy are half as paranoid as they ought to be," said Sal.

Noah nodded once, he would respect Michael's calls on this one.

He held out his cane for Sal, it looked like something the king pin would use but it was lite as a feather. "The glass is adamant with a seridite core. It has a directional mic, a thermal camera, and an uplink to your slate and the synths. The gem is a mana battery but it's only got ten charges left to it. Take the foot of it off and it can poke through anything but a mana barrier." Monotip points. The best way to say "little pig little pig let me in." "The glass can slip off if you want to go two handed, bout the best I have on hand that can rip up armor without killing the occupant."

Sal was one of the few people Noah would have offered one of the dragon slayers to, but without knowing what they did it was more a risk than a benefit.

Michael braced Excalibur against his shoulder and nodded to Sal. “They already know that I am what they call ‘tainted by magic’. They would never completely trust me, but I am alive and the others are not. I warned them. I offered to help lead them in the right direction. Maybe those two hundred Hunters might still be alive if they had left the vampires alone and gone after the real threat. I can extend my offer again to have them work with us instead of against us. We know what is in this city better than they do currently. Perhaps if some valuable research is found, it could be used as a bargaining chip depending upon its nature.”

Sal accepted the cane, graciously. "Thank you. I imagine there's no one left to fight where we're going, but the other features will be indispensable. I'll be sure to record what we find, as well."

To Michael and Fate, he said, "Good to know, Michael. So, shall we?"

Mistral remained inhumanly still as the others conversed, not even moving to breath in her present otherworldly form.  She had acquired a pen and paper somewhere and was somewhat preoccupied writing without looking, being blindfolded.  One might even think she wasn't paying attention, until she replied to the request for transportation.  She nodded once and said, "Mais un instant..."  At last she finished her list, and underlined the final entry.  Mistral handed the page to Michael, who found it to be a numbered list of addresses written in a neat, spidery handwriting.  "These are the locations of the former safehouses given to our recent guest, and subsequently massacré.  The final locale seemed to be a headquarters.  I will provide the option to visit whichever you wish, but be warned that what you find will be unpleasant."

Mistral turned to a nearby empty wall and spent a few minutes weaving a complex working of will, speaking a string of arcane syllables and performing circularly-sweeping gestures that were strangely difficult for the eye to parse.  At the end, she pulled open a round portal with supernal vapors boiling off the edges.  She instructed the others that the destination would be defined by the user while stepping through, by holding up numbers of fingers corresponding to the numbered list of locations provided to Michael.  "Hold up nine fingers to visit the headquarters at the list's end.  To return here, simply pass through with both thumbs up, ainsi."  Mistral made a double thumbs-up gesture by way of demonstration, which was rather awkward coming from her and considering that they were about to visit sites of gruesome mass-murder.  "Compris?"

Mistral turned to Noah and said, "Mon dragon may accompany by the method more agreeable to votre équilibre, if you like."

 Michael found that the "headquarters" had actually been the Haven he himself had built. There was likely nothing there that he himself had not put there unless they had brought things in.

 Thus, that place seemed to be best left for last. So, the group headed for the first address on the list.

 The first thing that caught your attention was the Hunters... 15 of them, hung by the neck in a neat little row from the power lines (without disturbing the lines themselves) and their eyes removed. Each bore hundreds of little bites and the injury to their eyes, but no other outward sign of attack.


 The church itself, (save for the macabre presentation outside) now looked abandoned, the only trace that anything had been there was the faint scent of lingering sewage that now permeated the defiled sanctuary.

 Upon entering, the place looked to have been ransacked and the building's doors broken down as though they had been trying to escape (rather than something trying to force its way in).

 Looking through, both Sal and Michael notice a hidden lever in the form of a light fixture on the wall. Pulling it revealed a hidden room where there were 2 more Hunters. The rats had not yet left this place and had been consuming the two Hunters. When disturbed, they scurried away.

 In the Hidden chamber, there were books of various descriptions, bestiaries and journals indicating Hunter movements and contacts within the city. Behind yet another hidden lever (which only Michael had found) was the basement.

 The smell of blood mixed with the ever-present scent of sewage that the group was getting accustomed to. The sound of weeping could be heard from the door at the bottom. Opening it revealed a wooden slab with leather straps. Doctor's and dentist's tools sit on trays to either side. The slab is stained with old blood.

 The whimpering came from cages that had been built into the wall. Each was made of a special material (silver laquer, cold iron, steel) and four of them held bodies... live bodies. Not a single one bore the bite of a rat, even though all were incapacitated and the rats scurried busily across the floor.

 There were three young women (in their teens) and a young man (early twenties) all bound to the wall by different types of material (3 by silver laquer and one (the man) by cold iron).
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:34, Wed 23 Mar 2022.

Noah opted to stay back with one of the Mistrals at the Rondo. All of his mana had been burned, he couldn't take in any mana, all of his tech got converted into the new body. He was better at playing command center for the synths than out there in the field. He curled up on the couch and would have done his canopy thing but he didn't have wings anymore.

Michael nodded to Mistral. “Thank you. Any books I find of interest I will mark with a piece of charcoal to be brought back here. You all are free to look through any of them of course.”He didn’t really know if Mistral could read with the blindfold on, but Noah could at least read them to her. He took the piece of paper with the addresses and spoke the correct number to get to their first destinations leaving his once beloved Haven for last. At least that explained why the vampires couldn’t initially get in since the weekly ward had still been up.

The church they came to was the one they had entered once before and retrieved a cache of weapons they then gave the Synths nearby to protect themselves. The neck-bound high wire act of the 15 dead Hunters was not easy to see for Michael as he remembers one of them that he had been on a mission with once upon a time. To think that if he hadn’t met Jay, Nefertiti, and his Cabal then he might have been one of those among the dead.

The smell took some getting used to as they stepped into the church. Almost out of reflex, Michael formed a cross over his chest and kissed the sacred rosary around his neck. Old habits die hard for the priest. It didn’t take long to find the two hidden chambers since he had already discovered them before. The books and other documents located there were marked with a charcoal stick to be transported back to base. Michael would have to put some time aside to read them later.

Then came the torture chamber. Last time he was here, it had been thankfully empty. Unfortunately for the poor souls locked up here, it had been in use. There were three young women bound with silver and a young man in cold iron. Hunters knew enough of the sacred substances and how they were the weakness of some creatures to know that each restraint was intentional in its make. The priest spoke a quick prayer St. Abel for clarity in this situation for him, Sal, and Fate. The veil of what is and what isn’t fell away from their sight revealing any supernatural creature or person that they were looking at. Michael suspected the three women were shapeshifters and the man a vampire or Mage. “Don’t worry. I am not here to harm you. My name is Michael. What are yours?”This was of course meant to buy him time and to get a good read of what the 4 people were.

OOC: Used True Sight of St. Abel to give Michael, Sal, and Fate the ability to see all supernatural creatures as they really are. Are any of them radiating a magical aura and what does it look like?

 Michael's prayer immediately revealed the true nature of the three young women to be werewolves. They were like Jay, not like the diseased ones she'd seen. The young man in cold iron was a fey creature of some sort... a changeling.

 He could see clearly the blisters that their restraints were making as they chafed. Most were hanging limply from the wall (Michael knew that werewolves healed quickly so any evidence of what had happened would have been erased naturally). The young man, however, bore the scars of at least a few weeks at the mercy of the Hunters.

 One of the young girls raised her head weakly. When she saw you, she began to cry and plead for mercy. "I've told you everything I know. Please, I just want to go home!"

 Her begging began to stir the others awake. You could see the terror rise in them ass they saw you. Each of them looked at you as though you were a monster.

Michael hung his head and took a breath. They had suffered for so long. Their minds and bodies broken repeatedly down here. It hurt to hear their fear. He walked over to one of the bodies of the consumed Hunters and retrieved a key ring on his belt. When he looked up at them there were tears starting to fall down his cheeks. “I know what you must think of me. I was once a Hunter like them. I’ve killed many a werewolf, vampire, and mage in my service as a Hunter. That was until I met my now late friend Jay, a Hunter in Darkness Rahu. He showed me that not all non-humans are inherently bad and even want to protect humans. He even saved me from another Garou when we clashed in battle. I owe my life to him. I can’t bring him back, but I do want to try and pay back his kindness and friendship somehow.”

Michael sheathed Excalibur in his belt and opened the cage to the Changling. He slowly reached out to place his hand on the man’s chest. He could feel the fey shaking in fear at his touch. Michael smiled and spoke in a soothing voice. “I’m not going to hurt you. Please remain calm and take a breath.”He closed his eyes and brought the rosary to his lips as he prayed for healing over the changeling. Some of the scars and wounds on the man’s body closed and a warm energy filled him with life. Once the prayer was complete, he stepped out of the cage and unlocked the others.

“My name is Michael, and I am a Hunter. These two are members of our Cabal: Fate a Mage and Sal a vampire. All the Hunters in the city, except me, were wiped out by Dracula and his forces including the ones that held you captive here. Please understand that I am not your enemy and actually want to help you if you are willing to let me. We have food and can find you a safe building to rest in while you recover. Where do you all come from, so I can see about getting you home?”

OOC: Using Hands of St. Luke to heal the Changeling however much lethal and bashing you think he has sustained and would heal from.

 "Hunter, vampire? What are you talking about? I just want to go home."

 Michael's sight confirms that they're werewolves but they don't seem to be lying about not knowing. The changeling looks like he hasn't had water in weeks and his body carries the heavy brands of torture by fire. As he's being healed, he rasps out. "The girls are sisters, newly changed. They know nothing, please no more. They're little girls. Just let them go... please."

 The young man's legs didn't have the strength left to hold him up, instead letting himself hang by his wrists from the cold iron that burned his flesh. His ears had blood dried around them and his accent suggested that he could no longer hear.

 The healing was doing its work but he was slipping away fast, begging for the girls' life with the last of his strength.

 When he looked up to see that the three girls were set free, he let out a deep breath and went still. When Michael checked for a pulse, he found none.
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:47, Wed 23 Mar 2022.

"I do believe in faeries," Sal said, with absolute conviction, as he attempted to open the manacles binding the nearer of the two werewolf girls.

If the manacles require a key, and Sal doesn't see one nearby, he will use Skeleton Key.
21:14, Today: Secret Roll: Sal rolled 2 successes using 7d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s with rolls of 8,1,8,5,3,1,1.  Skeleton key.

Fate's stomach churned at the sight of all the gore, but as much as it sickened her she felt it couldn't have been helped with how the hunters had been going about things. Watching the scene unfold and the finding of the girls and the changeling Fate looks around for the other key to help unlock the other of the two girls. If she doesn't find it she'll take out a set of lockpicks that never left her jacket's pocket and will go to work on freeing the poor girl.

 As the changeling was laid to the floor, Sal made his statement with great conviction. He felt the Beast began to surge, mingling with conviction. He could see out of the corner of his eye that the changeling had begun to twitch, just barely clinging to life... but that was little comfort for him now.

 The taste of blood in the air, the scent of it surrounded him and his mind began to go red.

Seeing this young man's treatment reminded him of what Pan did to all those other children. Sal closes his eyes, breathes, and focuses on the task at hand. He would have time to be angry about this later. These children needed his help now. "We are here to help," he said, as much to himself as to these kids. "We are here to help. The monsters who did this to you are dead."
And the monster who will see that their punishment doesn't end there, stands before you now,  he thought. My beast will do as I command, he assured himself. We will make them pay
This message was last edited by the player at 08:20, Thu 24 Mar 2022.

 With all four prisoners released, now came the time to leave. The changeling would need to be carried as he was only barely clinging to life. The other three girls were werewolves, even if they did not know or understand.

 Werewolves in a vampire Haven would not sit well with other Kindred if they found out... but does that even matter right now?

Mistral remained behind at Sal's manor while the others ventured through the multi-destination portal to survey the blood-soaked remnants of hunter operations in New York.  She kept a remote eye upon the search in case aid was required, but for now she would rather keep her distance.  Once the others were away the otherworldly spirit form was replaced with Mistral's gaunt, newly-made flesh-and-blood body.  She was dressed in cold weather hiking gear and looked weary as she curled up next to Noah and rested her head on his shoulder.  In a thick voice she said to him, "However vexant the hunters were, they did not deserve this.  I knew how it would end for them, and yet I facilitated anyway.  As short-sighted as their beliefs may be, they believed themselves to be doing right.  Merdasse..."  Mistral buried her face in Noah's shoulder and began to quietly cry.

As Sal, Fate and Michael discovered the prisoners they heard Mistral's even-toned voice speaking into their thoughts, ~Les prisonniers may pass through la Porte if accompanied by one of you and brought with conscious intent.  If another destination is preferred, speak its name.~

Noah wrapped an arm around Mistral and his tail around her and across her lap. This didn't seem like a fix it thing. This seemed like a listening thing. So he held onto Mistral and let her cry. "As silly as it sounds, it's ok to not be ok about this. The dust will settle and then we can dust off and dust-up." Noah was always an unrestrained source of positivity even in the darkest times.

If she wanted to make it right he would be there. If she wanted to go to war with Vlad, he would be there. But right now he was there with her.

They needed a vacation.

Sal stopped Michael short of the exit to the prison. He said, "Michael. Stay behind for a moment, if you will. Fate can take these children to my place, but I have one more thing I want to do here, and I'll need your help."

Michael was helping carry the changeling when Sal stopped him. He nodded and motioned for the girls to help carry the man with Fate to where the portal was. “Don’t worry ladies. We are taking you to someplace safe to rest up before we take you home. Please excuse me a moment.”Once the ladies had left, he turned to Sal. “I am at your disposal.”

Fate took up the changeling as gently has she could and continued to lead the girls thru the portal.

 Fate led the three girls and the near-dead changeling through the portal and back into Sal's mansion. While the changeling was far too exhausted/injured to take notice, the three young girls immediately froze at the sight of the dragon, noticing Mistral only tangentially.

 Michael had also marked quite a few documents for Mistral to retrieve. However, no one had really had the chance to look at anything yet.

OOC: Bear in mind that this is only the first location (I'll be glazing over most of them once this scene is finished).

Noah looked at the new arrivals and put a talon to the white plate that made up the dragon face. "You're safe here, I encourage you to head to the kitchen and get some water and a snack. You'll need to decompress a bit. Once each site has been looked over we will sit down for a talk."

"You're safe here. Just take it slow and don't leave till we can get in contact with your people and arrange for you to get home safely."

He wasn't gonna move for anything shy of armageddon. He was perfectly content to be there with Mistral.

Fate swallowed back her wrath at the hunters and smiled at the girls trying to calm them, "The dragon is right. You are safe with us. Come let's get you some food and water." Fate wasn't the mothering type, but she tried to put on her best face.

"I'd like you to do me a favor," Sal asked. "You can see ghosts, right?"

Mistral's thin corporeal self remained cuddling with Noah, though after the discovery of prisoners she was far from idle.  Her crying died down once she'd had that initial release, and was replaced by the whispering of cryptic syllables under her breath.  Stacks of documents and other artifacts flagged by Michael began to appear in orderly rows in a corner of Sal's study, while Mistral's eyes moved beneath her closed lids as if she were dreaming.  She spoke quietly, "If there are more prisoners, je vais les trouver."

When the three girls and the changeling arrived they might register Mistral as no more than a blanket draped over Noah's draconic shoulder and lap.  A blanket wearing hiking boots, for some reason.  Fate seemed to have them in hand, but if they tried to make an escape before they'd been properly apprised of the situation, she'd ensure that they'd have difficulty finding their way out.  If any of the new arrivals happened to reach the outer exits of Sal's property, they would somehow find themselves approaching the front door instead.

Michael’s eyes narrowed slightly and his hand subtly started moving toward the hilt of Excalibur as he scanned the surroundings. “Yes…why do you ask?”He didn’t know if this was a subtle hint from Sal that one was in the area. Hunters are extremely paranoid after all.

 The changeling man was in no position to move but the three girls had been broken down far too much to do anything except comply. They went into the kitchen but Sal's estate had little in the way of actual human food. The only thing it had was the oatmeal-like paste that Point Break used to fuel himself.

 It was, however, edible by humans (tasting slightly sweet with the consistency of pudding and relatively filling) and so each was given a pouch and one of the girls attempted to feed the near dead changeling.

Noah had to pull out his slate as the spell he had going to connect the two largest players in the city had run due. It was better to send them a text anyway.

~Prince, Merlin. I've got most the city in a compulsion to sleep. We have a little bit to hide a lot of this but there will be fall out. Ark is known for battling terrorists, it may be best to counter this with a story to that relation.

Our best are evacuating the prisoners of the hunters. Ill send you the all clear once we get the people out. The less people know the better. Is there anything you need from us to help keep this all silent and hidden?~

Mistral snuggled closer to Noah and spoke quietly to him and to Fate if she happened to be near, "There are several more prisoners left abandoned... dans des états similaires.  I will not leave them, but what is to become of them is less clear."

In the filthy hunter dungeon where Sal and Michael remained, the otherworldly blindfolded form of Mistral silently emerged from a fold in space.  She said, "Bonsoir, mes amis.  Sal, there are more such prisoners.  Twenty one au total.  I intend to extract them, but would not impose their arrival upon your estate without your consent.  If you do not wish this burden, I may make other arrangements."  Mistral waited for a reply in perfect stillness, apart from the glowing threads of reality that rolled off the edges of her form.  Sal appeared to be in some distress, but she would assume that he and Michael had matters under control unless given cause to think otherwise.

Back at Sal's estate, the gaunt flesh-and-blood Mistral said, "Sustenance and shelter will be première nécessité, after freedom.  Some of the prisoners may be dangereux, and require a manner of containment..."  She turned a weary gaze up to Noah, whom she remained snuggled against and said, "I do not mean to impose upon you, mon dragon.  If you wish to move, I will manage."  She did seem to be in a somewhat better place after the brief cry and cuddle, but she made no move yet.

PM

Sal said to Michael, "You knew some of these hunters, right? Help me find a ghost who might know more about these children. They may have families to return to. Also, if you don't think it too cruel, I have uses for ghosts, but would prefer to reserve them for those who deserve it. Thus, I would like to capture the ghosts of those responsible for torturing them."

When Mistral spoke, he said "As long as you keep them out of the security office, and out of trouble, I have no objection. Besides the bedrooms, I have cots set up in the basement. Please sweep the premises of any signs of my most recent guest. They will need food, my pantry is pretty bare. Orange juice may be in order, as well, if you please. Don't overextend yourself, though! Ask Point Break to bring the food when he comes home. Coffee, too. Until then, there's Synth food, and plenty of tap water."

Michael considered Sal’s words with some thought. Had he asked a month ago, it would have been an immediate no. Times change and there is a difference between right and wrong despite the justification. The priest made a quick prayer while motioning with an open hand over Sal’s eyes. Now they both could see all that was supernatural about them including any lingering ghosts. “In this particular instance, I will allow it.”He then stood to the side to be available if Sal needed assistance.

Sal looked around. As he did, seeing Michael's consternation, he said, "Don't worry, I don't intend to cause pain or permanently harm them. Though they deserve no more mercy than they gave those children, I can't let myself fall to their level, especially if they acted out of ignorance. I simply might need to borrow their knowledge or skills. While we're at it, if we spot any ghosts you believe deserve a kinder fate than being bound to this world, perhaps we can find a way to help them move on. Oh! and before I forget-- please refrain in the future from announcing to strangers, even non-human ones, that I'm a vampire. If any of my own kind were to find out you did, it could mean both of our heads."

 Sal began to look around. He could see ghosts, but none of them matched the Hunters strung from power lines outside. One was a kindly-looking old man in a priest's garment. He stood in front of the secret chamber holding a ghostly rosary.

Michael nodded to Sal. “My apologies. I’m not as familiar with your political customs. Mainly I just learned how to kill your kind. Hunters generally don’t teach others about court politics. Perhaps when we get back, you could educate me so I don’t make a huge blunder in the future.”

He made a quick scan of the area and only saw the ghost of the priest that most likely originally was the caretaker of the church. “The ghosts of the Hunters won’t appear here for some time since they have to face judgement first. Unless there is some sort of ghost summoning ability you possess?”

"D'accord.  They will remain where you wish them to, and arrangements will be made for sustenance."  She then added, "If there is trouble with ghosts, do recall that you know un nécromancien.  He is rather depleted at present, but may advise."  She turned to Michael and said, "Michael, you may be interested to know that a gruesome crucifixion scene has been left for your former superiors.  I believe it is intended to send a message.  I thought you might wish to know."  If requested, Mistral would provide the location (which was accessible via the multi-destination portal she'd provided), as well as a general description of the scene.  Ten hunters crucified with railroad spikes and their faces painted with bloody crosses, all pinned up to a brick wall.  With that, Mistral took a step backward and dissipated into a swirl of glowing vapor, then faded into nothingness.

Back at Sal's manor, the gaunt mortal figure of Mistral arose from where she'd laid with Noah and began to move toward a basement.  She beckoned for Noah and Fate to follow and said, "More prisoners are incoming.  I am unsure what ought be done with them, except that they cannot be left abandoned in their cages."  She reached the bottom of the stairs, where there was a large basement space with cots.  Mistral paused and sat cross-legged on the floor near the stairs, and bowed her head.

In small groups of twos and threes, prisoners began to appear.  Twenty one in total, in various dreadful states of abuse and neglect.  Mistral quietly and succinctly explained the essential qualities of the nine werewolves, eight mages, and four changelings as they arrived.  On a table against a wall began to appear several 24-packs of bottled water and boxes of trail mix, protein bars, and beef jerky.

Noah was reluctant to let the moment go but did follow along when he was beckoned. The new body had tiny lower legs and he was not yet able to switch forms so he opted to still walk slowly upright out of pure stubbornness. When Mistral sat down Noah flopped down nearby to resume his unrepentant laziness. "What should be done with them?" He rocked his head side to side shaking the mana flame that was his hair, dragon pattern baldness wasn't going to be an issue. "I see seeds in need of a gardener. The first batch looks like a few young ones. But each of the races have their own magic. The wolves work alongside the very spirits of nature and cast their own breed of rituals."

"The hedge born of their own magic."

"Prometheans, the same."

"Even vampires have deep magical rituals."

"If I didn't know any better, with a careful hand, you may here have the seeds for your new tower. Far enough away that they can acclimate to society slowly to avoid setting deep PTSD roots. Each with their own form of magic that would extend your reach. The races may take exception to this but then they shouldn't have let their people get caught by hunters."

"We have seen just a few come in so far, but I'd bet they will all be either fresh or young as the old crusty bastards are a bit too clever or old to get caught."

"Freedom isn't chaos, it's structure. You need people who can fight the paradox, they need structure to move forward."

"Femme de la Liberté; Donnez-moi votre fatigue, votre pauvre. Vos masses entassées aspirent à respirer librement, Les misérables déchets de votre rivage grouillant."

Fate was hesitant leave the girls and the changeling alone, but then would they really be alone with Mistral watching? Deciding that Sal's home should be safe enough Fate asked the small group of them to stay put here in the kitchen for now as she turned and left to speak with Mistral. Once down the steps to the basement Fate listened to the two with folded arms across her chest. Mistral's concerns were valid, but Noah made an excellent point, if that's what the newly freed prisoners wanted. "I agree with Noah as long as it is what the prisoners want. They should be free to choose for themselves and we should be willing to help them where we can, not that I expect we aren't already willing."

Sal shook his head, "I'm afraid I can't summon ghosts, no. Trap them in bottles, borrow their knowledge and skills, feed on them, if I must, but not summon. To be honest, its still quite new to me. I assumed ghosts were those that hadn't met judgement yet. Either way, perhaps we should talk to the priest?"

Michael nodded and motioned to the priest. “Sure. Is there anything specific you want to talk about with him?”

Sal says, "You're a priest, right? I doubt the poor soul got last rites. If he was not party to the torture of those kids, the least we could do is see he gets a respectful send-off. So first, lets find out how much he knew about what happened here."

He walks over to the ghost priest, "Excuse me, father. I'm Sal, and this is my friend, Michael."

 The priest looked up at Sal and Michael and then turned to look back at the door. "Such tragedy. Why would a place like this even exist?"

Michael made the sign of a cross over his chest while holding the rosary. “Unfortunately, men with good intentions can succumb to using heinous methods to achieve their goals. They lost their way in the pursuit of self righteousness. Can you tell us about anything these men were talking about? It may help us to prevent this from happening again.”

The specter of the priest shook his head, "Trapt so is mine eyes in this regrettable purgatory. Blood so stained as if from the hands of Christ himself, a sin so aged and rotten but kept fresh by new devotions to twisted theologies of liberation from bonds imagined."

"If I could do so I would set such tortured tools and their confines to flame. Through my sine of what I have failed to do others have fallen to the torturer's irons. Mea culpa."

"Memorare, O piissima Virgo Maria, non esse auditum a saeculo, quemquam ad tua currentem praesidia, tua implorantem auxilia, tua petentem suffragia, esse derelictum. Ego tali animatus confidentia, ad te, Virgo Virginum, Mater, curro, ad te venio, coram te gemens peccator assisto. Noli, Mater Verbi, verba mea despicere; sed audi propitia et exaudi. Amen."

Noah, Fate, & Mistral
---------------------

 The young men and ladies suddenly all found themselves in Sal's basement with basic supplies (food and drink). Nearly all were in serious need of medical attention but Fate, Noah, and Mistral combined couldn't manage a bandage between them.

 The young men and women were exhausted and disoriented, confused and taking the current moment to regain their bearings.

"Mist, could I bother you to snatch the good doctor Meep from the headquarters? He has been lost without people to care after." He clapped once and rotated until he was sitting. "Hello there one and all. I am Noah, you are under the care of the Ark. We started in Synth services but have taken a real antiterrorism bend as of late."

"For now take a moment and rest. We will make sure you are A OK before we go through a debriefing and get you back in contact with your friends, families, or allies. You are currently still within the state of New York, but once we are sure everyone is recovered, safe and sound, we will get you back to normal."

"We have contact with a number of major groups in New York, be assured everyone gets to go home."

Fate listened to Noah's short speech and couldn't help closing her eyes when he mentioned that everyone would get to go home. It was a hasty promise made to try and calm these people down, but it wouldn't be good if they were to find that he couldn't deliver. Who's to say these people even had homes to return to or that it'd be safe to return them to wherever it was they called home. Fate dreaded the outcome this would bring, but she couldn't, wouldn't speak out in front of all these people and tell them that the ones they needed to be able to trust had already made an empty promise to them. She put on a neutral expression and tried her best to keep from showing any emotion. This was going to be a very long night and who knew how long after that. Only time would tell...

Mistral considered Noah's notion, and found an appeal in aiding these many and varied supernatural victims.  She remarked quietly while working her spells, "There is something to this notion, je pense.  You are idealistic, mon dragon, but perhaps a touch of light is what this dark situation needs.  We have no means to instruct many of these in their own formes de sorcellerie."  The prisoners began to arrive, and she went on, "It will depend on the individuals.  Many will have elsewhere they prefer to be, or responsibilities to be upheld.  Those without such ties and with a desire to learn, may find a place avec nous."

When Noah requested to summon Meep, Mistral inclined her head.  She privately inquired directly with Meep to ask his availability and what he might need to care for the situation.  If he should wish to come, he would arrive within a minute on a swirl of mist alongside all of his supplies he might require.

 The growing crowd looked on Noah with a mix of fear and apprehension (as he was now an awe inspiring supernal visage of blue flame and claws), but his words were calming and those able to do so took tentative bites of the offered food and water. Many were just too injured to move so the more able ones took to aiding the more injured in whatever manner they could.

PM

Sal lowers his head sadly, and says, darkly, "You heard the Padre, Michael. Once we're done here, we should burn this place down. But first, perhaps we fill it with the bodies of those who did this. Mistral, I know you've taken on a lot already, so if you want, I'd be happy to take the time to pull those bodies down and bring them in, so you don't have to. Up to you, Michael, if you wish to grant them last rites. I won't judge you either way."

Sal looks at the nearby buildings. He's looking to see if there is a nearby building with a door facing the church, especially if that door is elevated from the ground.

PM

Michael nods and moves to stand in front of the church. He closes his eyes and performs a mass Last Rites for all those past and present that died in the church. Once complete, he used his enhanced speed to toss the bodies in the church and setting a controlled fire that wouldn’t spread to the surrounding buildings.

Sal helps by clearing anything that may spread the fire to nearby buildings, then once the has grown, he tries one his newest tricks on a nearby door. He says to Michael, "If you hear me talking about umbrellas, head for the portal post-haste."

Sal uses Shift Threshold, and fails, then tries again, and succeeds. He creates a link for 1 hour between a wooden door positioned so that if a lot of water happened to flow out of it at high pressure it would smother the fire (Door 1) and the door to his cabin in the sunken ship (Door 2.) Door 1 also needs to be positioned so that Sal and Michael don't have to cross the path of the water to get to Mistral's portal. The key is to hold the doorknob while saying, "I hope you brought an umbrella," count to 3 in his head, then open it. After the fire burns for 45 minutes, or if it begins to spread beyond the church, he'll open the door.(Sal started the discipline once the fire spread to all corners of the church.)

16:24, Today: Secret Roll: Sal rolled 1 success using 5d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s with rolls of 6,1,2,6,9.  try again.

16:23, Today: Secret Roll: Sal failed (no successes) using 5d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s with rolls of 4,2,2,5,7.  Manipulation + Occult + Carrefour (Shift Threshold).

 It took a bit of effort to get things set up but soon the fire began, spreading to all corners of the profaned church, burning it and those inside with cleansing fire. The plume of smoke was likely to get attention... but Noah seemingly had taken care of that.

 The fire burns without interference until Sal spoke the words "I hope you brought an umbrella." and opened the door, releasing a deluge from within and drenching the fire (while flooding the immediate area with salt water).

Sal went into the portal, "Saying, don't worry, Michael, the water will stop in 15 minutes" going to the next agreed upon location.

Michael admired Sal’s work before nodding and stepping through the portal after him.

Sal steps aside to let Michael approach his Haven first. "Perhaps there are ropes we can use, inside. Hopefully some fresh water, bandages, and alcohol, as well."

Michael looked at his devastated Haven in sadness. What was once a beacon of light and hope in this ruined city now lay in shambles. With the explosion, the ward he had placed there previously had dissipated. He motioned for Sal to follow and pointed in the area that was once the pantry. “If it hadn’t already been moved or destroyed, it would be around there including zip ties and duct tape. We should bind them and tape their mouths. Check them for any sort of electronic devices that may have survived the explosion. I will close their wounds enough to keep them from bleeding out once bound.”

Once the Hunters were gathered, bound, and their mouths taped he used his connection with the higher being to stop the bleeding in each of the Hunters but not completely heal the wounds in their wrists and ankles. It would keep them from causing too much trouble until after their talk. He sat on a big piece of rubble and addressed the most coherent one. “So I will inform you that you all are the lucky ones this night. All the other Hunters at the other bases are dead or worse. All of this could have been avoided if you had just listened to me when I last approached my former Haven. Unfortunately, you didn’t listen and awoke a sleeping dragon who came in full force to correct your mistake. Too many men and women were killed tonight. Some had the right intentions but the wrong way to go about it. I’m asking you now to consider what I have to say.”

Meanwhile, in the basement of Sal's mansion...

There was a long delay after Mistral called upon Meep, during which Mistral frowned sadly.  Eventually she nodded, and there came a swirl of supernal mist near herself and Noah.  When the mist cleared, there stood Meep in all his flower-headed glory, clutching a doctor's bag but looking despondent.  Mistral said quietly, "Merci beaucoup for coming, Doctor.  We will provide any further assistance or equipment you require, if we can."

Sal said, "Perhaps we should unbind him. He may be more prone to listen to reason if we show just a little trust. Of course, we may first want to ask why these hunters were singled out for torture, while the rest were simply killed."

Michael shook his head. “You’ve been around vampires too long with their decorum and politics. Hunters have one job, to kill creatures like you using any and all methods at their disposal including lie, cheat, and steal. Leaving him unbound will only cause him to be distracted as he thinks of a way to kill us, free the others, or escape. Maybe after they agree sincerely.”

"Or maybe I've been around mortals too long, with their compassion and optimism? Still, you're the expert, and I concede to your judgement," Sal says to Michael. Then, to the bound hunter, "understand, that we currently have no reason, or desire to kill any of you. If we wanted you dead, we could have finished what your attacker started. Convince us you are no threat to us, and I'd happily agree to let you go whether you answer our questions or not, though I'd still appreciate your cooperation. Do we have an understanding?"

 As Michael got them down, he noticed a cross painted in blood across their brow and the bridges of their noses and, when he tried to heal them, he noticed that the wounds in their hands and feet would not heal (even though the bleeding stopped).

 The men looked up at Michael. They listened and many looked away for several moments before looking at him again. With great effort, they spoke (they all seemed to be trying to catch their breaths). "We're listening."

Michael sighed and sat down a couple of feet away. “There are a lot of supernaturals of all different kinds in the city as you already know. We’re not all out to screw over the human race. Most don’t even have a choice of being what they are. So they try to make a living and exist in our world as best they can. Some such as the group I am associated with have been actively combatting various cults and demons that are truly wicked and evil. I tried to warn the Hunters and give information about the cults in the area, so we might have a common goal as stay out of each other’s way. They didn’t listen and went after who and whatever they wanted. That’s when you woke a sleeping dragon called Dracula. He would have never come here and devastated your forces if you had just listened to me. I tried to heal you but the holes in your hands and feet will not close. A message from Dracula to all who would survive this encounter. I figure you won’t just take me at my word, so I leave the floor open to any questions you may have. I will try my best to answer them as long as it does not compromise the identities and locations of those who wish to remain anonymous.”

Sal gives the men a look of pity. "Whatever Dracula did to you, it's beyond my understanding. I'm afraid these wounds will never heal. And I have no idea what will happen when the vitae in your system wears out. If it wears out. Simply put, you "dragon slayers" crossed the wrong dragon."

Noah, for his part, was padding around the whole of the survivors getting contact information. If they didn't know he would set up a contact to the academy to see if they had spare beds. If there wasn't room there he would reach out to the Free Council as if there was one thing a bunch of techno hippies had, it was couch spaces.

He would see to it that people got in contact with friends and/or family, or shelter for the short term. Even if they didn't have family he would have work for them to be sure.

 Sal's news hit them like a ton of bricks and they fell silent. "Then there's no longer any point in asking questions."

 It was Voscal. He had been among those crucified. Unlike the others, both of his eyes had been taken.

 All that remained was to decide whether to take them back to the mansion for triage or do something else.

----------------------------

 Meep appeared and cheerlessly went about his work as Noah gathered contact information.

 Plans were made to get them sorted after their wounds were treated.

Michael shook his head as Sal’s disclosure of the wounds caused the negotiations to end. He understood how they must feel in this moment if he was in their shoes. “What will you do now if you are allowed to live? Do you still want to live at all?”

 Voscal looked up with his hollow eye sockets in the direction of Michael's voice. "Is there even any point anymore? We were the greatest warriors of the Malleus Maleficarum. Now we are nothing. Broken, corrupted. Our own brothers would kill us on sight.

 Let us be purified of this curse. Let us be free."

 The others weakly nodded in agreement... a sort of solemn death pact for the condemned and corrupted.

Sal said, accusingly, "You'd rather die than be unable to kill those like me? I said, I couldn't help you, not that you couldn't be helped! Hell, if I was convinced you'd stop trying to kill me and my friends, I'd gladly help you find a cure! And you call me a monster? Those I feed on survive, ignorant of their role in my survival. Have you ever had a meal that didn't mean the death of a living thing? You may still have a chance to do some good in this world, if only you'd stop seeing everything in black and white!"

 Voscal looked toward Sal's voice now. He was too physically broken and exhausted to muster much in the form of emotion. Even so, there was conviction in his words. "And what would this cure cost us? There is no point if we lose our souls in the process. We will not suffer the enemies of that which is holy to exist, nor will we join them.

 We have fallen, but what your Dragon has taken will not allow any of you to know peace. More will come in our stead until this place is cleansed of its taint."

Sal focuses his gaze, not on Voscal, but on one of the men with him, who still has an eye. He holds the man's head still with one hand, and his eye open with the other,"You will honestly answer any of Michael's questions you know the answer to." He looks at Michael, sadly. "I hate doing that. Michael, ask away."

Michael sighed. Now there was no chance of the Hunters being able to willingly work with them once compelled. He looked at the designated hunter and began his interrogation.“What is your name? How many Hunters were deployed to this city that you know of? What other relics or weapons were brought here? What plans were there for troop movements and who were they directed at? Where are any signal jamming devices located? What people or creatures have you worked with since you’ve been in the city?”

 The others scowled as Sal compelled one of the warriors to speak. The woman's good eye glazed over and she answered the questions he put forth in a monotone. "I am Emma Pendragon. We were not given the exact numbers of the other Malleus Maleficarum cells. Our cell came with Ascalon, Gram, Excalibur, and a nail of the true cross.

 We received our movement orders from Voscal, who reported to Abbot Cavera. We have a signal jamming device located in each Haven. We have not worked with any supernatural creatures since we have been here other than you."

"I'm sorry it had to come to this. If any of you still possess a will to live, my offer stands. I will try to find a way to heal you. Keeping your humanity is up to you. I would never try to take it from you, and this city has no need for new Vampires, anyway. Take some time to think about it. Michael, a moment in private?" Sal stepped outside the room.

Michael’s eyebrow arched at the mention of the nail of the True Cross. Of course they would miss that during their search as it didn’t stick out as a weapon. No doubt it was meant to be used against vampires they came across. He would need to use his sight to find it in the rubble after this. He expected their reaction to Sal’s compulsion. It would be tricky to gain their trust now. “Please don’t try anything while we talk. I don’t wish you I’ll will either, but I will have to stop you if you try something.”The priest nodded to Sal and stepped outside the room but had the door open to where he could still see all of the prisoners.

"Don't worry, they're on camera," Sal whispered to Michael, and showed Michael his slate, which had an active feed to the camera in his new cane. He placed it well out of the reach of the bound hunters, with the camera and mic pointed at them and walked far enough to ensure they couldn't eavesdrop, and begun talking quietly, never taking his eyes off the screen, "Apologies. I'm not used to dealing with zealots. I didn't expect them to just... shut down, when they heard about their wounds. Now, the ones who still have eyes, I may be able to give them... memories that are easier to live with, but I can do nothing for Voscal. Of course, I'm not sure what kind of memories would make a permanent Stigmata and a missing eye easier to live with. I don't want any part in killing helpless people, no matter how much they hate me... but is leaving them in this state any better?"

Michael considers the options. The leader was the issue. He could get him to sweat an oath for his silence, but it wouldn’t completely prevent him from talking. “If he swears an oath, I can reinforce it with threads of fate if he breaks it. It won’t silence him just hinder him the rest of his life. He may still be helpful depending how he takes my next offer.”

Sal continued to watch the screen. Speaking in a defeated tone, he says, "I can't honestly say I wasn't worried about him, as well. The laws of the Kindred require me to ensure he is silent, but the only things I know will work, threaten to erode my humanity. If you can't get him to cooperate, maybe Noah or one the others can think of another way."

Mistral had never been a nurturing, caregiving sort, and that fact was on painful display now in this basement full of severely maltreated former prisoners.  She did desire for them to get better and be free, but she did not know how nor desire to help them herself.  She had removed them from captivity, provided sustenance, and brought in a doctor.  That all counted for something, didn't it?  It didn't feel like enough.

Just as Mistral pondered this, she was shocked to sudden attentiveness by some far-distant stimuli that was outside the awareness of anybody else present.  She sat bolt upright and took a sharp intake of breath, then said quietly to Noah, "There is a matter I must attend to.  I will remain here in part, but I may be... préoccupée."

With that, Mistral closed her eyes and diverted the majority of her multi-spatial attentions elsewhere.

After a lengthy pause with eyes shut, Mistral murmured, "We must check in on Talion..."

Another pause, and she added succinctly, "Stygia burns with aetheric fire."

Michael nodded to Sal and head back into the room with the Hunters. “Well we don’t want to kill you. I don’t know enough about your wounds to say whether or not they will ever fully heal. If you want to end your own lives, I will not stop you. There is a chance that you could still be of use to the order if you are willing to trust my intentions and hear my offer. The choice is yours.”The priest takes the knife out of his boot and tosses it at the feet of the eyeless leader.

 Voscal tilted his head and looked in the direction of the clatter, reaching out with wounded hands and feeling for the knife. He took it in his hands and stared at it without eyes. "Let us hear what you have to say."

Noah perked up when Mistral spoke up. "I evacuated his body to the reactor but his presence wasn't in it. So where would he be now that we can check up on him? The observatory with Atlas? I can send out a ping on the network but that is going to ping all his bodies."

"Where you wanna go?"

Sal stayed where he was, and kept watching the camera feed.

Michael made sure he wasn’t in immediate striking distance of the now armed man. “There is still evil in the world. I will clarify that not all that is supernatural is evil. Would you kill an Angel if it landed in front of you? As I stated back before Dracula came, there is a cult of demons working to corrupt this world. We just recently had to annihilate an infestation of demonic beings that had infested the sewers under the city. The Hunters are a force for good if properly guided and led. While your physical bodies may have been maimed, I believe your spirits are still strong. I have learned most of our order’s Benedictions and use them against the demonic forces. I can teach you if you let me and listen to my council. We can work together to purge corruption from the city. If nothing else, my group and I can funnel information to you to be given to the other Hunters as to the locations of groups and individuals actively terrorizing humans. I can help give you new purpose instead of you killing yourself or being killed by the other members of our order for failing your mission. What say you?”

 Voscal fumbled with the knife, his wounds preventing him from actively holding it. It was as though his hands would not obey him no matter how hard he tried. He took a deep breath, bowing his head and on his knees (which was about all any of the others could manage too). "It doesn't seem that we have a choice in the matter."

 He tried once again (and failed) to pick up the knife. Even now it seemed that they would prefer death to submission (especially now that one of them had been dominated)... but their wounds had robbed them of that option.

Michael sighed as he saw him attempt to take his life and failed. He knelt before the man and lifted his chin to be face to face. Michael spoke a prayer to St. Abel as he traced a cross on his forehead. The power of the Saint gave a supernatural sight to the eyeless Hunter. The man could now see Michael and Sal’s aura and in part them. “I don’t keep slaves. It’s clear that if you could have taken your own life you could. I’ll only ask you one…more…time. Do you want to live? Do you want to see again? Do you want this curse lifted? As Lazarus rose from the grave, so can you. If you and your men swear absolute loyalty to me, I can lift the curse on you. You just have to die first.”He takes a tiny roll of duct tape from his belt pouch and tapes the knife to the eyeless hunter’s arm and takes a step back.

OOC: Cast True sight of St. Abel on the lead Hunter.

 Voscal looked down at the knife strapped to his hand with newfound sight. Then he looked back up. "We have been changed by Dracula's curse. I do not wish to live in a form that is an affront to that which is holy... and I cannot swear absolute loyalty to you. My first allegiance will always be to the Holy Trinity... but if you can lift this curse from me beyond the pale of death, then I will follow you."

 He then looked down and cut his wrist with the blade... but the blood did not flow.

Michael furrowed his brow at the lack of blood flow. Curious he placed the cross at the end of the consecrated Angelic rosary to Voscal’s forehead. He wondered if the curse was that he would never die. If this was the case, he may need a more powerful artifact to end his life if that is the case. His eyebrow raised as he remembered something that happened before. He looked back at Voscal. “That spike was what you used to pierce the dimensional portal before wasn’t it?”The priest removed the knife from Voscal and searched his pockets for the spike he suspected was on the Hunter’s person. Michael remembered that he had it on him last time.

 As Michael pressed the rosary to Voscal's head, it started to sizzle. He clenched shut his eye holes and grit his teeth, pressing his head further into it, causing flame to burst forth. Voscal's teeth sharpened as the flame licked at his face, melting off chunks.

 It was one of the others that spoke in his stead. "No, that was a different item. They all vanished before the attack."

Sal sent Michael a text: Strange. Its almost like they are vampires. Michael, if you have the power to restore a vampire to mortal life, be careful who discovers it!

Michael pulled back the rosary. “Just as I thought. He made you vampires. Unfortunately, this means I can’t lift this curse. Tell me where the spike of the true cross was kept during the attack, and I will end your suffering.”

 When Michael pulled the rosary back, Voscal reached out with his wrists, trying to hug the flame to himself... but, as he no longer had the use of his hands, Michael could easily push him away if he wished.

 The other Hunter continued to speak as Michael wrestled with Voscal, who sought his destruction by celestial fire.

 "The Dragon took it."

Michael gave a sigh of relief and looked to Sal. “If you don’t want to see this, I suggest you turn away. It might hit a little too close to home.”He looked to all the Hunters. “Lie down and I will put you to rest. I’m sorry I couldn’t do more for you.”The priest waited for all of them to lie down and one by one pressed the cross of the rosary into their foreheads until their undeath was extinguished. Tears flowed down his cheeks that he could not save them like he wanted. Damn Dracula didn’t have to curse them so. It was not their choice to receive the Kiss. If not for their vampirism, they might have become great followers.

Sal put his slate away and explored the haven, in a different part of the building than where Michael was doing the grisly work. However, in order to present a record if needed, he left the cane to record. He absentmindedly chatted with Trinity as he looked around-- not talking about what was happening, but more about the things he likes in the world, like art, fashion, dogs and  kids (in a perfectly benign way-- harming an innocent in any way is a surefire way to make an enemy of Sal!) and if Trinity has discovered anything that interests or pleases him.

 Sal chatted with Trinity, who had apparently taken the opportunity to explore the city a bit while the group had been occupied. He told Sal of the chrome spires in the reconstructed parts of the city, where the whole thing shined in the sun, how people were returning that that it was not so bleak as it was around here. People were starting to smile again and he could see hope.

 It almost reminded him of something, a forgotten ghost of a memory that itched at his mind but he could not recall.

 The conversation was pleasant enough that he could almost forget about the screams.



 Several minutes later, Michael had finished the grisly deed and the Hunters' suffering had ended. In the end, they had all chosen death over damnation.

Michael wiped his eyes as he left the room to meet back up with Sal. “It is done. Let’s get back to the prisoners. I’m sure they’re all very scared and want to go home. Trying to see some sort of bright side to all this.”The priest traveled to where the prisoners were to offer whatever help and consolation he could.

 (Assuming Sal comes with and has nothing further to do here) The two return to Sal's mansion where triage had been set up. Dried food and water had been provided and Meep was solemnly trudging around the room, tending to the wounded while still loog as though he himself might fall over from grief at any moment.

 The mood in the room was grim, the only bright spot being Noah, keeping a positive attitude while taking down the information of those present.

Michael stood up on a table to be able to see everyone. “Everyone if I may have your attention. My name is Michael, and I am truly sorry for everything you have all gone through. I have finished up with dealing with the last of the Hunters that imprisoned you all. Those individuals will not be coming after you ever again. Some of you are aware of what you are. Some of you have just begun your journey to a new life. Some of you have family you wish to return to. Some of you do not. Know that this is the safest place you can be right now. We will do our best to try and help you towards the next step after stability has been established. If you have any questions, feel free to ask and I will do my best to help you.” The priest then proceeds to go throughout the room getting to know each of the people in the room.

Sal sent his Cabal a memo to please stop calling his guests prisoners, he did not condone keeping any against their will unless they proved an immediate danger to themselves or others.
He will then see to doing whatever he can for the security and comfort of his guests, like making sure kindred were kept in windowless rooms with no mirrors, and lupines were kept away from the silver. He didn't have any cold iron for the fae-touched to worry about, but he did his best to impress on them, even more than the others, that as long as they weren't a threat, they were free to go whenever they wanted. Once all the kindred were identified and gathered together, he would take them aside to talk to.

Noah was indeed a bright spot, like a candle walking around the room. "Alright everyone. I've got the twins contacting anyone who has contacts. As well we are mobilizing the academy for anyone who needs a place for a bit. For the wolves we have a few of your packs we can get ahold of, Mages it won't be long for us to get you home."

"For anyone else, I've got a job for you if you want it and a place to rest your head. We may need to branch out a bit as there is a lot happening at once but we have your back fully."

"I suspect that his worldly forms may be dormant, considering the tremendous resonance focusing now in Stygia."  Mistral's gaunt figure remained still with eyes closed, and she added, "There is not much to be done in the fallen world, as best I can tell.  In the Land of the Dead I am observing a gathering of forces not witnessed in an age...  I could bring you there to bear witness if you wish it, but I can make no guarantee of what is to come..."

OOC: btw, Mist would tell Fate about all this too if she happens to be around, and would make the same offer to go see!

Fate had finished helping some of the prisoners for the time that Noah and Mistral were talking and had been listening, but also trying not to intrude. "I would definitely want to come along, but do you think the doctor will be alright on his own?"

Sal spoke up when he heard Mist and Fate talking about a trip to Stygia, "I am trained in first aid, perhaps I can assist the doctor? I need to talk to the Kindred here, and connect them with Victor if possible, anyway. But really, I'd much prefer we all stay in the land of the living."

Noah sat for a second weighing the various pros and cons. "A little part of me says don't go, but then the other part of me tells me seeing such is far better an option."

"A great ward grows to envelop Stygia and cut it off from the rest of réalité, although that process had already begun with the destruction of its Tower.  It will take several days yet, so there is no rush.  Perhaps nothing is to be done about it, either..."  Mistral remained distracted, and added several moments later, "Sal has the right of it.  I will investigate further, and keep you all apprised."

OOC: Sorry, probably jumped the gun a bit inviting y'all to Stygia before I have any notion of what's even happening ;P

Noah pulled out his slate and started sending a message to Frank and Poe. "Better give a heads up to the Moros then. They are going to need to button up before things get a bit too wild. The whole order will be out in the wind if they are not ready for it."

"Thank you Mist, you are the active ingredient in awesome sauce."

 A quick look around reveals to Sal that there are no Kindred among the survivors. It seems that any Kindred either escaped (unlikely) or did not survive.

 However, Sal's assistance was welcome as Meep set about his work. Many among the survivors gave him strange looks, but most were too weary to process that they were being tended to by a giant plushy sunflower.


OOC: Unless someone has anything else to add, I'm ready to give the group a break, hand out some XP, and get everyone caught up time-wise.