A week ago, it seemed as though the world had ended. Storms ripped through, tearing up giant chunks of the city and leaving the whole thing covered in vines. Since then, new monsters have been prowling the streets at night. Where it had once been creatures of the night, now it was beasts... part man, part animal.

 A few days ago, Michael had met Jay... one of the man beasts but not quite so monstrous. They fought together and, so far, their tenuous alliance had held.


 Nefertiti had spent the past week wandering. The storm had been far too dangerous to travel into. Winds, flooding, and flying monsters had made the journey too dangerous to make... and, tracking Apophis to where he had stood revealed only a plant filled crater. The dark god of destruction must have either found what it sought and left or was driven away before it could... but you had no idea which it was or what it sought.

 Now, with the trail cold, you were looking around to find someone who perhaps knew something, anything.

As the past week went by, Nefertiti was able to find something that was more fitting for her body but she kept the sandal to help remind her of her homeland.  During the week she was able to find a place to get some odd things to eat and to place in a large bag which she carried with her.

She was still a bit shocked to discover that she was the only human being left after Apep's ravishing the world.  The only thing that was on her mind was did he find what he was looking for. She could only hope not and that he returned back to the Plane of existence where he called home.

Discovering the half-human/half-beast beings did intrigued her some.  If only she was able to get a chance to get one alone to see if it was docile or was it truly a beast that would need to be tamed.

She also needed to find her own Safe Haven that she can call home and a place to pray.

“Seems pretty quiet this morning don’t ya think?”Michael sat on the front stoop of the small apartment building sharpening his Zweihander with a whetstone and talking to Jay when he noticed a woman walking down the street. She didn’t look like she was in any particular hurry. “Looks like we got another lost soul looking for refuge.” Michael put the whetstone in his pocket and stood up to wave at her. The sheer size of his Zweihander required that he hold it upright with the point down. He called out to her. “How’s it going, and what brings you to our particular corner of the apocalypse?”

Nefertiti's head turned in the direction she heard the voice and smiled, as there were other humans in the world that she knew nothing about.  Her pace stopped as she didn't know if it was a trap or just her instincts.  The man was with one of the half-beasties.

This was her opportunity to discover more but she did it with caution.

The language he spoke sounded odd but still familiar to her to understand.  Her eyes looked at the man then the halfling.

"How's it going? she softly said to herself as her right eyebrow arched slightly.

"I am lost.  But it is good to see another. she replied.

They both can see that this woman was an exotic looking woman of unearthly beauty.

Striking Looks **

Jay sat on his haunches beside an enormous white dog, his hand scratching at her neck with the secondary effect of calming and restraining her in case of a bad reaction. He allowed Michael to do the meet and greet since the man was far better at human interactions from what Jay could tell, though the two-hander the guy carried implied a certain level of martial competence. He stayed crouched so as to not appear intimidating, he had received some pretty mixed reactions to his near seven-and-a-half feet, and raised his unoccupied hand in greeting. Wondering where Wraith had gotten to, he glanced around to try and espy the wiry mongrel that completed the living component of his dysfunctional little pack, but quickly decided he was probably off somewhere hunting, scavenging or just plain messing around with their totem spirit, Red~Muzzle~Broken~Tooth.

Michael looked at his sword as if he just noticed it was there. He chuckled and set it down. It was probably intimidating for a woman as pretty as her to approach two men she didn’t know bristling with weapons in a city that had gone to hell. “Sorry about that. Can’t be too careful with all the monsters running around ya know. My place here is called Haven. It’s a safe place for the few remaining humans in the city. Jay here and I try to keep it that way. Don’t worry. His dogs bite harder than he does.”He gives a playful smirk to Jay as he puts his hands on his hips.

Seeing that he was so kind to lower the huge blade she felt a bit relieved. At the mentioning of monsters she nodded her head but looked over at Jay briefly then back to the man speaking.

Looking around she took in all that she could of The Haven.
"Is there more humans that survived? her voice was filled with pleasure and excitement of the thought.

Again she looked at Jay for she now knew his name but still the man didn't offer his.

"I have been wondering through this place for a few days without seeing any humans.  Do you think there are more besides those that are within your Haven? she asked as she took a step closer.

She needed to find a home for herself and could there be a place within this Haven for her or would she need to move on further to seek her own Haven.

Michael nodded. “Yep. We got a couple of families staying here. There’s a few more apartments still available. You’re welcome to stay here if you want. Just have to walk through those doors. If you really are human, you’ll be just fine. If you’re not and have been feeding us a bogus story, then we have a problem understand? Just being cautious during these uncertain times is all.”Michael steps to the side and motions for her to try and walk through the open door.

10:01, Today: Michael rolled 3 successes using 11d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s with rolls of 5,6,5,7,8,1,4,8,7,1,10(+5).  Blessed Protection of St. Agrippina round 5.

10:01, Today: Michael rolled 5 successes using 11d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s with rolls of 4,7,9,2,8,7,2,4,8,10(+9),7.  Blessed Protection of St. Agrippina round 4.

10:01, Today: Michael rolled 6 successes using 11d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s with rolls of 9,5,10(+10,1),9,9,2,5,3,5,7,10(+2).  Blessed Protection of St. Agrippina round 3.

10:01, Today: Michael rolled 3 successes using 11d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s with rolls of 3,10(+9),3,5,8,3,7,7,2,3,1.  Blessed Protection of St. Agrippina round 2.

10:01, Today: Michael rolled 5 successes using 11d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s with rolls of 8,8,8,5,1,6,2,10(+5),3,1,8.  Blessed Protection of St. Agrippina round 1.

His daily blessing over the building that morning resulted in one willpower point spent, 5 minutes to perform the ritual, and 3 exceptional successes increases ward’s strength to 9 against all supernatural entities.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:04, Sun 05 July 2020.

Nefertiti tilts her head at the man "You are a protector? she asked.  But not moving toward the door he is offering her to enter.

"What ever do you mean by this bogus story? she replied. "I have told you the truth, are you not able to detect when one is speaking the truth?

She looked over to the halfling for a moment. "If I am not human what kind of problem would you considered me being? she smiled to the man.

Michael crosses his arms and shrugs. “It’s only a bogus story if you’re lying about being human. It’s not a sin to not be human, but lying about it doesn’t exactly build trust. I believe in redemption and that not all non-humans are monsters. If you are afraid of being judged or attacked for not being human, you’ll find I am understanding and willing to listen as long as we all speak honestly. The fact that I told you about crossing the threshold and what would happen should be proof of that. I could have just waited to see what happened and reacted accordingly. If you’re here to hurt humans, this is your one chance to leave without any aggression from us. We’re just interested in protecting our neck of the woods and look out for each other.”

Suddenly there was a sweet scent of Frankincense and Myrrh in the air as she allowed her own Awe flow from her and those around her can see that she is not human but surely something of Power.

"I never claimed to be human.

I am not here to hurt any human but to guide them to see the ways of the Creator.  she said as her eyes looked him up and down.

"Would you allow me to help show them the light and help protect those that have survived the destruction of the World?

Michael looked to Jay with a look of being impressed. He turned back to the woman still with his arms crossed non-threatening. “You are free to protect them. I too do my best to guide them in the ways of the great Creator god.”He tapped on a metal cross hanging from his neck. “I would be interested in discussing Theology with you and learn what you really are and if we revere the same Creator. Until such a time as that can be determined, I would ask that you do not do anything too overt to try and beguile them to a possibly pagan or heretical belief. I’m not saying it is, but a Shepard must be careful in who he lets lead the flock. They of course have dominion over their own minds and what they believe regardless of what I say. Shall we sit and talk over some lunch maybe? No reason we can’t have a pleasant conversation right?”

Jay stood and approached, the huge dog Yuka following him close behind. Offering his hand somewhat awkwardly, as though he was unused to greeting people, he spoke in a resonating voice that rumbled from his deep chest. "Jay Valentine, sometimes known as Bringer~Of~Woe. Can't say I'm not much for Creators and the like, I'm more concerned with making sure the Shadow doesn't bleed into the Real."

He notice that she never makes any aggressive movements and even smiles to his offer of food.  That alone is something he might notice for a being having to eat food.

"Your kind words are appealing.  I would gladly welcome a conversation with one such as yourself or anyone.  It has been many years since I even talked to someone. she smiled.

IF he looks her over he will surely see that she has a Ankh in her hand and a Crosure as her staff to guide her movement. (pictures in Bio)

"I am Princ.... she goes silent "Nefertiti.

"It is a pleasure to meet you Jay Valentine she replied "I encountered a evil being in my travels.  It was Apep, the God of Destruction and Darkness.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:08, Sun 05 July 2020.

Michael smiles as Jay does his usual slightly awkward way of introducing himself. It was always good to see him try to make new friends. As Michael glances over attire, he notices the ankh and staff. Part of his studies in theology made him aware of the general beliefs and religions across the world. His mind remembered that the ankh was the symbol of the beliefs of the ancient Egyptians. They were polytheistic and he at least new of the major gods of the religion. The question was what was she doing here and what exactly was she. “Well I guess I should go ahead and grab some food then. Do you have any dietary restrictions miss?”He picks up the massive sword and puts it in its holster on his back.

An happy expression crossed her face "Would you have figs? she asked.

"I don't understand what your asking? the things that I have been eating lately have been very sweet and I believe called Milk Chocolate.

Well that at least rules out lactose intolerance and her being from at any point in this time period.Michael thinks for a moment and nods to her. “Well I got something that has figs in it. Should be close enough. I’ll be right back.”Michael walked in seemingly unaffected by any sort of ward he claims to be there. He goes into the pantry and pulls out a few different items. The priest returns and hands her some Fig Newtons while showing her how to open the first one and handing it to her. He tosses a couple of big dog biscuits toward Jay’s dog. He then sat down next to Jay with a big bag of generic beef jerky between them. Four bottles of water were put on the ground between all of them. Michael takes out a piece of jerky and tears a piece off into his mouth. After chewing and swallowing, he motions for her to join them and holds out his hand. “By the way, my name is Michael. It’s not a feast, but it’s good.”

Nefertiti watched as he walked away and then looked to Jay with a warming smile "Jay can you enlighten me as to what kind of being you are? she asked as he can see she is curious about him.

When Michael returned with the fig bars she didn't say anything but was glad to get a taste of figs. "Thank you Michael. she said as he showed her how to open and then she took a bite.  Sheer pleasure was upon her face but the taste was a bit sweeter than she would like.

Looking up to the buildings "Where are we? she asked  "This can not be Deir el-Bahari, Egypt. 
This message was last edited by the player at 17:35, Sun 05 July 2020.

Michael looked over at Jay and then back to her. “This is New York City, New York of the United States of America. To give you some perspective, you’re on a land that your people never new existed across a vast ocean. Our country is about ten times bigger than Egypt and spans almost every type of climate and terrain. This was one of our most prominent and advanced cities with one of the largest concentrations of people. May I ask why you’re here or if you even know why?”

She repeated the words New York City, New York. then a puzzling expression.  "Why call the place the same name twice but with a city? shaking her head as she wondered what all has transpired in the world so many years.

The question was interesting to hear but she looked to him. "Here in New York City, New York of the United States of America? or here in the world after Apep's destruction?

At the question regarding his nature Jay grinned a little and scratched Yuka behind her ear, eliciting a satisfied rumble from the huge Caucasian Shepherd. "What? You mean you can't guess? I'm Uratha, often known as Werewolf, descended from Father Wolf to patrol the borders between the Shadow and Real Realms." The admission of his nature explained a great deal, especially the complete lack of any personal belongings other than his clothes and a leather pouch containing his ritual materials.

“It’s the same world as your time, but just a different area of it. Who is Apep?”He took another bite of beef jerky.

Taking a bottle of water she sipped some before looking at Jay for a moment "I don't think I ever had the privilege of meeting a child of Father Wolf.  My time was mostly dealing with the Rites and Rituals of my people before.... she looked to the ground and it was a while before she looked back up.

"My untimely death. taking a another sip from the bottle as it has been sometime since she had water that tasted this fresh.

She smiled "I was born around the Eighteenth Dynasty of my people.

Then she looked up to the sky "Apep is a huge beast that was flying in the sky's some days back.  I think he was looking for something but I don't know what or if he found it. she paused "I kept myself high in buildings as the Storm raged its fury upon the world.

“But how did you come to this time seemingly from the dead to begin with? Also can you tell us more about this Apep?”Michael seemed very confused.

"So... We're talking Nefertiti, Queen of Egypt and like, first monarch ever depicted giving a crap about her subjects?" At the inevitable questioning looks he shrugged his bulky shoulders and chuckled. "I watched the History Channel from time to time. You're a big deal, your majesty." The last was said with a playful tone, it was clear Jay held little belief in such titles but he paid due respect nonetheless.

After waiting for Michael to ask his questions Jay offered his own, he had already accepted that weird events were taking place, and the rising of such a prominent figure as Nefertiti rated about as odd as a 300-pound high-school dropout being able to transform himself into an twelve-foot long wolf thing. "Forgive me if its a stupid question, but did you rise at the same time as Apep attacked? Could it be that one of the two events instigated the other?"
This message was last edited by the player at 19:33, Sun 05 July 2020.

Turning to Michael "That is still something I'm trying to unravel.  Why was I awaken when Apep was here destroying the world.

Apep or Apophis is an ancient Egyptian God of evil, darkness and destruction. He is the arch enemy of the sun god, Ra, he is a malevolent force who could never be entirely be vanquished. Every night as the sun traveled though the across the sky his roar would fill the air and he would launch his attack. she did her best to try to help them understand more of Apep.

Then she looked at Jay for it seemed that he was mixing her with the one Queen.

I'm not Neferneferuaten Nefertiti, for she was before my birth. it was nice to see that her history has spread into these lands and time.

"It could be why I was awaken and to stop him from destroying the world.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:15, Sun 05 July 2020.

Michael nodded in understanding. “So how is a pretty lady that lives off of chocolate and Fig Newtons gonna take down some unvanquishable evil god? Just curious.”

Looking up to the sky "Only the Creator knows this, having me to awaken.

Then she looked to Michael "Or for me to help those after his ravishing of the world.

Michael looks at her and shrugs. “Maybe we’ll find out together? As for right now, it seems that you will not be able to stay within the apartment walls due to your...uniqueness. That’s ok though. Jay can’t either and might be able to show you somewhere in his territory you can stay that is close by to here. After that, we’ll need to take a stroll to gather more food and supplies. A quick patrol might turn us something else too.”

She looked over to the door "What would happen if I did walk through? she wondered if she could still have the ability to do such a feat.

Michael looked over at the door. “I doubt you could, but if you did possess the power of a god and went inside you would be reduced to being as weak and dumb as a newborn baby. Such is the power of my God and his blessings.He looked back at her and smiled. “Doesn’t matter anyways because there’s no reason for you to do so now. Care to join me and Jay on our little walk?”

This was the second time he mentioned his God but never once did he speak of his name.  She was curious now to know which God had power over this man and the people of these lands.  Has Seth, Hator, Anubis, Horus or Isis claimed these lands as well.

Her mind journeyed back to the times when she was a follower of the Goddess.

His words brought her out of her daydream and she looked to him then to Jay.
"I would be delighted to and maybe you might enlighten me on the God you pray to.

Jay watched the exchange between the two, carefully building a profile of each in his mind as he got to know them. As always, however, he was reticent in sharing his own opinions. He tended to enter social interactions very carefully since the loyalty he felt to his pack, his tribe and his duty left little room for shallow relationships. Once Wraith returned with Red~Muzzle he relaxed slightly, as he always did when all of his odd little pack were in sight and safe, and offered a little more of himself. "I don't pray myself. Whether there are Gods or not I know that spirits sometimes end up on this side of the Gauntlet causing trouble, and sometimes a Human finds himself caught on the Shadow side in trouble. Either way its my kind's duty to resolve the situation. Beyond that I just want a nice, quiet area to call home."

Michael nodded to Jay. “I would definitely like to see more of your side of things in action. At least it seems there is a way to join you if you need help. Got any preference on which side of town you want to check out? Any others of your kind causing trouble near your territory?”

Turning to Jay "Do you have humans living in your territory as well? then she looked to Michael for a brief moment.

He didn't reply back to her question but she was sure he would one day when he feels comfortable with sharing such knowledge.

"The territory we will claim," he made a motion with his arm to show he included both of the dogs as well as Red~Muzzle, whether the other two could see the totem spirit or not, "is rather large and encompasses the building Michael and his friends occupy. Once we have finished testing the water I will announce our intentions to the spirits nearby and claim the area properly."

 So the journey began to gather food and supplies. People were finally starting to come out of their hiding places and there were a few people out and about... though most of them were being evacuated. The remainder were people trying to clean up the vines or clear away rubble.

Michael led them to one of the supermarkets that were still standing whether they still had employees working there or not. He had money, but wasn’t sure if there would be anyone there to take it.

They could see that Nefertiti was looking left and right at any people she spotted out in about but she was also looking into empty space which Michael would think but Jay knew what she was seeing.

"Are you ... are we going to help the people first or find supplies? she asked Michael.

If they did help some of the people they might be interested in going to The Haven for safety.

Michael shrugged and looked at Jay. “We can try to help as we go I guess. As long as we make it back to the Haven before nightfall.”He looked back to her. “You seem the pretty and friendly type. Wanna go give it a shot talking to the locals?”

Nefertiti looked at Michael and took note as the time he mentioned on being back.  She didn't know the area so she was giving him all that responsibility of knowing how long it would take for them to get back to the Haven.  Which neither her or Jay was able to enter.

"I would gladly offer our assistance in hope that they accept. she replied.

As they moved closer to anyone she wanted to make sure they were comfortable with her approaching and then she would speak in her soft sweet voice.

11:12, Today: Nefertiti rolled 1 success using 4d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s with rolls of 1,4,8,4.  Awe.

Jay sniffed at Michael's desire to be back at the building by nightfall, he held no particular fear of night, in fact he had been relishing the chance to sharpen his claws for days now. Issuing a series of soft noises in Yuka's ear he dispatched the hound to accompany Nefertiti, both as an enormous ball of fur that could illicit oohs and aahs from even the most stalwart dog haters and as the barely restrained package of violence and savagery that would protect their new friend if events were to go sideways. Meanwhile he kept his distance, again figuring that someone of his size would just add intimidation to the mix whether he intended it or not.

OOC: I'm guessing we can't move forward till a ST steps in or are we allowed to do some Freeforming?

 The people were in somewhat of a daze. Some of the buildings were fine but some had simply vanished, leaving only holes in the ground behind. Many were picking the fruit off the vines that they were cultivating near their houses. Despite being a fruit of some kind, they smelled like freshly baked bread and honey.

 As Nefertiti approached, she noticed that most of the humans in this area were not in terrible shape physically. Whatever weighed upon their minds likely involved the destruction around them rather than their own physical ailments.

 Instead they worked with one another to move away debris and throw it into the gaping holes left behind by the storm.

OOC: so, help with the debris or head to the supermarket?

Moving to some of the people "Would like some help? she asked.

Hoping that during the time they do help that she can find out more about what is going on around here..

 The man Nefertiti approached nodded and smiled, wiping the sweat from his brow.

 However, moving rubble was hard work.

OOC: roll strength

21:11, Today: Nefertiti failed (no successes) using 1d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s with rolls of 2.  Str.


Not my strong suit. LOL

"Hell, if the lady's willing to chip in I can't exactly just watch," Jay grinned across the burden at Nefertiti and applied his back to the task alongside anyone else that would help, though not before sending Wraith off to act as a sentry. "If we can rig up a sling or something I'm sure Yuka wouldn't mind helping out too."

OOC: Yuka is as strong as me, and many hands (paws) make light work after all. At risk of scaring the bejeezus out the locals I could also shift to Dalu to boost strength a little more.

“We got plenty of time to help out.”Michael walked over and helped Nefertiti move the debris out of the way. He also checked out this strange fruit hanging from the vines. “Anybody eaten this fruit before? How does it taste and is it filling?”

 Several of the locals offer the group a piece of fruit each, all saying that it tastes like cake and is extremely filling.

 With some time and effort, the group managed to help the people clear some rubble though there was still much to go and the day was getting closer to its end as the people outside began to head back in for the day.

OOC: everyone here gets a temporary willpower point that can exceed maximum value and is burned upon use as a reward for helping the locals.

 However, now nearby the group could hear the sounds of glass breaking and the sound of gunshots.
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:02, Tue 07 July 2020.

While helping the people she couldn't help herself in getting a fruit from the vein and sampling it.  It was drawing her to have a taste of its nectar.

When she heard the glass breaking and gunshots her head turned in that direction and then to Michael and Jay for she was ready to move and see what is happening and how to stop it.

Notes

 Nefertiti takes a bite of the fruit ad finds that its texture is reminiscent of baked goods moreso than fruit. It is soft, spongy, and sweet and eating the fruit (which is roughly the size of two normal human fists), she feels as though she's eaten a full meal.

Michael gave Nefertiti and Jay a nod for them to investigate. He quietly and deftly vaulted and flipped over debris and pits as if they weren’t even there on the way toward the sound. Once he had arrived in the general area of the commotion, he unsheathed his Zweihander and held it in a low stance. Waiting on the others to arrive and get into position, he tried to figure out what was going on.

22:34, Today: Michael rolled 2 successes using 7d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s with rolls of 8,8,7,7,2,7,7.  Athletics 4+Dexterity 3.
22:32, Today: Michael rolled 1 success using 7d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s with rolls of 4,6,5,4,5,7,9.  Stealth 3+ specialty 1+dex 3.

After eating one of the fruits she looks to see if there was more around here and where was the main roots of the vines coming from.

"Very tasty.  I would hope there is more of these around.

"Wraith, seek!" Jay called to the wiry patch of shadow that was his second canine companion and the animal darted away towards the sound to provide eyes-on. Meanwhile he whistled another command to Yuka to bring her to his side and accompanied Michael in his approach, though he moved more slowly, not trusting his weight on the loose piles of debris. As soon as his form was blocked from sight by any humans he had noticed he initiated his shift, bones and muscles stretching and toppling him forward onto all fours. A brief second later he emerged from his cover, now in the form of a horrifically large rottweiler, standing fully four feet at the shoulder and eight feet long and drooling long ropes of saliva from his snarling jaws.

With Yuka at her side she moved a bit quickly to the location where the commotion was taking place.  Her eyes scanned the area for any wounded people first near broken glass.

OOC: Sorry should have mentioned.... Spending 1 Essence to activate the anybeast gift to shift to Urshul, becoming a size 7 (grizzly bear-ish) dog

 Michael had seen Jay's terrifying transformation once before but that didn't make it any less horrific to see as Wraith darted forward as Yuka left Nefertiti's side to join Michael and Jay.

 As the three went through a street/alley, it opened into a parking lot with a church in the middle. Half man, half beast monsters had kicked in the doors and leapt through the windows. It seemed combat was occurring within.

The huge dog bellowed a resonating howl of challenge in the hope of drawing attention away from innocents and thundered towards the combat. He trusted in his pack to fulfil their roles, Yuka would be by his side while Wraith would hover at the outside, the spirit Red~Muzzle~Broken~Tooth would remain immaterial unless he was needed or a golden opportunity presented itself.

OOC: 21:24, Today: Jay rolled 1 success using 8d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s ((4,6,2,6,2,3,10(+2),3)). Perception

21:25, Today: Jay rolled 10 using 1d10+7 ((3)). Initiative

Nefertiti was a bit behind the rest but she was willing to allow those that were skilled at fighting to go first while she would aid when needed.

Watching the transformation of Jay was interesting but she wondered where did his clothes go....

Her eyes scanned the area as well to make sure there wasn't any other Halflings watching to attack later.


Initiative 4 + 6 + 1 (Celerity) = 11
16:42, Today: Nefertiti rolls of 4.  Initiative.



This message was last edited by the player at 20:54, Tue 07 July 2020.

He had always been at least a little disturbed by Jay’s transformations, but it was a natural to the werewolf as the lord’s blessings on him so he wasn’t going to judge. Michael kneeled momentarily as he prayed first to St. George and then to St. Martin for the strength and protect to defend the weak against those who would defile a church of the Father. His muscles seemed to swell and veins pop out. Then a spectral, radiant armor covered his entire body complete with a set of bird-like wings and a halo hovering above his head. He looked to Jay and Nefertiti. “Time to go and say hi.”He charged through the front door to confront any of the creatures that would defile the church.

15:20, Today: Michael rolled 2 successes using 9d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s with rolls of 4,5,6,8,1,10(+5),3,5,5.  Armor of St. Martin.

15:19, Today: Michael rolled 2 successes using 11d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s with rolls of 4,6,2,5,8,6,1,7,8,5,2.  Fortitude of St. George.

15:52, Today: Michael rolled 10 using 1d10+7 with rolls of 3.  Initiative .

Activated Fortitude of St. George to increase Stamina and health by 1
Activated Armor of St. Martin to gain Armor 6/6
Initiative: 10
This message was last edited by the player at 20:53, Tue 07 July 2020.

 As Jay and Michael stepped through the front door, they saw a large bipedal wolf beast with baleful red and yellow eyes, slavering at the mouth with patchy black fur.

 Below him, on his back, was a young man scrabbling to his feet in an attempt to run away.

 Form back further in the church was the sound of another gunshot and one of the beasts went flying out the back door into the vestibule with a giant chunk torn out of him. It's wounds were still sizzling.

Stepping slightly to the side to see if she is able to see the direction the one beast that come from the back door went.  So to follow any drops of blood later.

As she stands there she looks over the Church for a moment.

Michael charged in with his hand gripping the mid hand guard on the sword using it almost more like a spear to stab the werewolf in the back twice with his silver Zweihander.

12:08, Today: Michael rolled 3 successes using 12d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling on 9 or more with rolls of 3,2,5,8,4,2,6,6,4,8,6,9(+6).  Half sword Double cut 2 on werewolf silver Zweihander .

12:07, Today: Michael rolled 2 successes using 12d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling on 9 or more with rolls of 4,3,5,3,6,2,4,10(+3),10(+2),6,2,4.  Half sword Double cut 1 on werewolf silver Zweihander .

Michael loses defense for the turn, but gets two attacks due to rank 4 Langschwert: Double Cut fighting technique that do aggravated damage to the werewolf. Any attack that hits has +2 aggravated damage from Rank 3 Langschwert: Half Sword technique. Overall, horrible rolls.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:27, Wed 08 July 2020.

The massive rottweiler moved alongside Michael, bearing down on the target with a singular focus and a thunderous growl as he tried to clamp his jaws on the creature attacking the downed man.

OOC: 19:24, Today: Jay rolled 2 successes using 11d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s ((1,4,3,1,6,2,2,3,10(+6),9,6)). Bite Attack

 Michael's blade managed to pierce the beastling's hide as Jay's beast mouth clamped down. Though they were double teaming the beast, they were not nearly enough to bring it down. The beast slashed at Michael, for he was the more pressing threat.

Michael has trained for this and knew the beast would underestimate the timing of his attack. Just as the beast tried to claw him, he brought up his blade to bat its talons away.

23:50, Today: Michael rolled 4 successes using 13d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling on 9 or more with rolls of 7,2,10(+9,5),2,1,9(+1),9(+3),7,2,7,2,1,2.  Fool’s Guard w/Half Sword: strength 4+skill4+Specialty 1+weapon 4.

Used rank 2 technique of Langschwert style: Fool’s guard. Essentially, I roll my attack pool versus its attack to reduce the damage by the number of successes. Each success over the opponent equals damage against it from my weapon. Result was equal so no extra damage.

Nefertiti moved inside the building to see if she was able to help the others, as she entered into the building she witnessed how Michael's fighting skills and Jay's new form attacking the one Beastie in the room she also noticed there was a door leading else where.  Surely that was where the loud noise was came from.

She wasn't good at fighting but she had her staff in hand ready to attack if it came near her.

"Holy shit, another one? Did someone open the gates at the zoo?" Chance asked to no one in particular as another one of the furry death beasts rushed past him to attack the one that had tried to grope him. "And an angel? What in the hell is going on here?"

And then there was the dark, radiant beauty that followed after them. He felt there was a joke in there somewhere, and if he hadn't just been attacked by what he assumed was a werewolf, he'd have spent more time thinking on it. Instead, with the werewolf thing apparently being handled, he jogged over to the woman and asked, "who the hell are you guys?"

Examining each with Supernal Vision

Tried to find out more, but got 0 successes for the Unveiling Resonance

19:06, Today: Chance failed (no successes) using 6d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s with rolls of 5,7,6,5,1,7.  Unveiling Resonance.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:08, Fri 10 July 2020.

Nefertiti looked at the very attractive man that was being attacked and then moving next to her as her two companions were attacking the one Beastie.

Turning to the man "It seems your savoir. she smiled as she then returned her focus on the Beastie and if it planned to follow the man next to her.

Seeing no real alternative, Jay continued his attack, worrying at hie foe with slavering jaws as Yuka darted in and out trying to distract the monster.

OOC: 10:23, Today: Jay rolled 6 successes using 11d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s ((7,7,8,10(+8),10(+6),7,8,7,4,9,2)). Bite Attack

 Michael parries the claw deftly as Jay clamps down on the beast, finally ending its life as a third beast exits the room where the gunshot came from, fangs dripping with gore and saliva, its companion now rapidly shifting back into human form.

  "Hey beautiful want to come untie me whilst those folks kill each other or are you here to finish the job that the insane preacher started?" he wastes no time working the angle in the room. "What is going on and where are the police when you need them? Gotta be more careful with my clients. And vette them better in the future."he mumbles to himself more to distract himself from the pain than anything else.

The huge hound roared again, although whether it was because of the new foe that had presented itself or being called beautiful by the bound man was distinctly unclear. Upon completing his bellow he rushed the new target, jaws seeking purchase.

OOC: 00:09, Today: Jay rolled 5 successes using 16d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s ((10(+4),3,7,10(+3),4,9,9,4,5,7,6,1,3,7,5,9)). Bite Attack + WP + All-Out

Looking into the room she was a bit shocked to see another man, but this one tied up.  Moving to help him but making sure the Beastie don't come after her and she allowed Jay and Michael to deal with it while she helped the people as best as she could.

"Preacher she replied softly.  It only showed that the preacher was of a false god and allowed such things to happen.  It only gave her reasons to further her own mission later.

"Be still while I try, but if you turn into something nasty my friends will rip you in two. she said to the man tied up.

Michael charged the new foe and stabbed it right in the gut.

19:17, Today: Michael rolled 3 successes using 12d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling on 9 or more with rolls of 6,2,3,7,8,6,5,2,5,9(+9,2),3,5.  Strength 4+skill 4+specialty 1+sword 4-Half sword 1 on werewolf.

Werewolf takes 5 aggravated (3 from successes +2 from Half Sword). Another crappy roll

 With Jay locking onto the neck and Michael thrusting his giant 2 handed blade through its vitals, the beast came crashing down to the ground. It quickly began to transform back into a human.

 Nefertiti began to untie Hans as the group recovered from the fight. Father Gregory was gone and Tammy was nowhere to be found.

Nefertiti now looked at the two new men and the body that the one was chopping on "Are you both alright?  What happened here? she asked in a calming tone.

She took a step toward Jay's new form making sure no one moves to attack him.

  As he gets up he runs his wrists. "No ma'am if I could shift my shape into a giant slavering beast I would not have gotten caught by these amateurs. Now if you could tell me where I am and if you have a phone or a way to contact some friends of mine I will see if I can't prevent them from leaving."

Chance looked at Hans, a smirk growing on his face, "Wait, so you're saying that old preacher and his fairly incompetent sidekick captured you? What the hell did you do to incur their wrath, excessive littering?"

Nefertiti looked to Michael when the one she untied started asking question and wanting something called a phone.

Moving over to near her companions as these two men wished to talk to each other.

"Michael shall we search this place to see if there are more hidden things? she asked.

Seeing the conflict had ended, Jay unleashed a final howl of victory to inform the local spirits of the action and shrank back into his Hishu form amid a profusion of popping joints and cracking bones. These others already knew of the existence of Werewolves thanks to the recent conflict so he didn't concern himself with secrecy from them, and when he emerged he was fully clothed, as he had been prior to changing. As a man he stood a mere 7'6". The big man gave his accompanying dog a grateful scratch behind her ear and joined the others as they gathered. "Is everyone well?"

Looking to Jay "I am well.  But these two might need something.  That one is asking for a she paused to think "a phone. giving him a puzzling look.

  "I'm a private investigator by trade. I had a couple of folks hire me to investigate the area. They got the drop on me. So now I owe them a couple of broken bones. They were trying to beat a confession about a little girl out of me." he looks at the werewolf as he asks about being fine. "I'm good just in some pain."

Her thoughts were on Hans "A little girl.  Why would they be asking you about a little girl. What did she do?

  "They thought I kidnapped her. She didn't do anything as far as I am aware." he explains.

"The people that hired you attacked you?" Jay shook his head, he was glad he had few dealings with normal humans these days, very few of them had honour enough to stick to their agreements beyond self-advancement. "And if there's a child lost with the city in this state we must try to find her." He dropped to his haunches and whispered to what appeared to be a patch of empty space. "Red~Muzzle~Broken~Tooth, seek out spirits of fear and anxiety for me, but don't engage anything alone. Find this lost child if you can and come back to us."

 "No they didn't hire me. And I doubt there is a missing child they are crazy after all." he clarifies.

She thinks for a moment "If someone is seeking a little girl, it could be that they are her parents.  Do you think that could be the case, and they were seeking their missing daughter? she asked in a calming tone.

Looking to Jay as he spoke and she focused on the area around him to see if she was able to see who or what he was speaking to...

 Jay seemed to speak to no one in particular as if that were the norm for him.



OOC: so search the church or leave?

OOC: Searching the Church... if no one else wants to join she will do so herself.

OOC: Jay will assist in searching, going so far as to assign a dog each to Nefertiti and one other searcher to help in sniffing out anything unusual.

 The top level of the church seemed relatively normal, aside from the arsenal stashed in the back. Guns and blades of varying descriptions, molotovs, and silver.

 What was unusual was the basement, which had been modified into what appeared to be a torture chamber of sorts, with chairs and leather straps, along with various, seemingly well used, surgical tools and other, more esoteric items.

Nefertiti looked at the place and it was defiled, surely not a holy place anymore and it would take a very long time to cleanse the foulness from the walls, floors, grounds and air.  This place wasn't a safe place for anyone for the Spirits would claim this place soon enough.

"It seems that the people have come up with many new ways to torture one for answers or to convict. calmly saying as she has seen things that were horrible to many but still this didn't want to make the sweet fruit that she ate to come up.

Looking to the two new men "I am Nefertiti and this is Jay and Michael.  Who might you be?   Seeing that we sort of saved you from a deadly or more painful day.

Jay looked around the basement disparagingly, gathering anything of material value to be moved to Michael's building. The place was quickly affirming itself as the hub of the territory he planned to claim. "When we have everything of value, whether goods or information, this place needs to be cleansed. I dislike the smell such evils exude."

The angel cut the heads off the creatures after they turned human just to be sure. You never knew when these things were playing possum. Michael cleaned the blood off his blade and took a look around the room. He was very quiet during the exchange between Jay, Nefertiti, and the man who had been tied up. His heart was sad at the desecration and death that had to occur in the house of the Lord. The celestial armor and wings lit up the room like sunlight as they investigated the building. He recognized immediately the cache of weapons and what it meant. Hunters.

When the torture chamber in the basement was discovered, Michael’s face visibly twisted in anger. “Such an abomination right under the nose of the congregation? Blasphemous!”He took a few seconds to calm himself down. This was no doubt the safe house of a hunter cell. It was a conundrum. He didn’t want to destroy the safe house of fellow hunters, but how could he allow such evil to be allowed to continue again?

He looked to Jay. “Jay, has the actions here turned the torture table into a locus? Regardless of if it is or not, we will take the cache with us and return home. I’ll leave a note for the hunters here to meet with us if they want their cache back where we can talk about their actions here. I don’t believe they are too far gone from redemption if another man of the faith can speak reason to them.”Henry loaded himself up with weapons and silver from the cache and left a note in the cabinet. <<I have also lit my Candle here in town. The dogs have been taken care of. Your cache has been claimed by me for safe keeping in case you didn’t return or away for too long. We will need to discuss your actions conducted in the basement. I am Michael and you can locate me at the address below. Do not try and pull anything sneaky. I just want to talk and know your tactics. -Father Michael>>The address of the Haven was written at the bottom.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:39, Mon 13 July 2020.

  "I am Hans Drakonov formerly of the Danish military and currently a private investigator as I said before. Normally my cases are a little less dangerous than this. Cheating husband, Little Tommy is buying drugs from Los Noches on 45th and Haight. That sort of thing. This one was a bit more dangerous as there had been rumors of people going missing in this area. I am at bit of loss as to what your friend means by Hunter. Hunter of what exactly and why?"

Michael looked at the investigator. “You know a hunter. A person who hunts stuff. Usually it’s deer and other wild game. A lot of hunters are also gun enthusiasts thus all the guns and ammo. You wanna tell us exactly who tied you up and where the people who were living here are now?”

  "That wasn't a deer. More like the things that go bump in the night. As to who kidnapped me, beat me, and was about to torture me I had a bag over my head or was so concussed that my memory is pretty foggy. Now get the guy in front of me and get him to talk and I might be able to figure out it was him." he is checking his injuries as he speaks. They seem pretty severe for a beating and if it had continued he likely would have been beaten to death. "And I was locked in this room so where they are now is a good question. I have no idea of course, but hey I am willing to come up with an answer. But it is likely as not wrong."

"Alex," Chance said with a smile in Nefertiti's direction in answer to her question. "And yeah, I suppose you saved me, or at least kept me from getting my clothes all messed up. What the hell were those things, and you?" he asked nodding in Jay's direction. "I mean I saw them earlier, like that," he said pointing at them now in their human forms.

He shook his head, "I don't know if there was anyone else here, but there was a priest named Tammy, honestly not the brightest bulb in the drawer, that actually pissed these guys off when we were heading here." He stopped, then shook his head.

"Okay, let me back up. I literally got into town about an hour or so ago. Came in on the bus for some sightseeing and BAM, I see this biblical shit with all the crazy vines all over the place. So I'm walking around, trying to figure out what the hell happened to the city I mean, DAMN. So I see this priest guy named Tammy and ask him what the hell happened. He didn't know, seemed to make some shit up about hell and the apocalypse, but it didn't really sound like he knew what was going on. So he says he'll bring me back to his church where his people might have some answers. Oh, and I might add this priest also felt the need to threaten me by showing me his gun. It was a little odd, but hey, I've heard New York is a dangerous place, so didn't think much about it."

He takes a breath and casually leans on the wall, "So anyway, on our way here, we run into these three gangbangers, that apparently also turn into slavering deathbeasts, no offense," he said with a glance at Jay, "and this idiot priest tries to posture up against them." He shakes his head, "Probably why they came here, to teach him a lesson. Anyway, when we get here, there's this other priest named Gregory. Older guy, seemed nice enough, and smarter than the Tammy guy. Says something about looking over a bunch of ancient texts but can't find anything relevant. Anyway, Gregory and Tammy ran back into the back room when they showed up. Two of them followed after the priests, I heard a gun shot, and then you guys showed up. My saviors," he said with a smile and wink at Nefertiti.

Alex would he of happened to shown you these ancient texts? she asked.

Michael listened to both men and cut the one that still tied up free. “Well you’re both welcomed to come with us. There’s safety in numbers. As you can see, we don’t judge people for not being 100% human as long as they’re upfront about it. So if you’re not, might as well say so now if you’re coming with us. I would also like to see these ancient texts in case they might cause more harm than good.”

Fixing Chance with a steady gaze, Jay spoke simply. "I have sworn oaths not to reveal the secrets of my people to the masses. Suffice it to say I am a protector of sorts." Once all were free he took up position outside the front entrance of the church. He was happy to allow the others to discuss what to do with ancient texts and the like, he was more interested in his spirit totem returning with information about the lost child.

 Looking around once more (after Chance mentioned texts) revealed several books in what had likely been Gregory's office. They seemed pretty old and they were a repository of occult history. Monster bestiaries written by previous hunters,  notes on occult workings and how to deal with them, ect.

 However, there wasn't much to go on regarding the current state of the city.

 While they were looking through the texts, Jay's spirit returned unseen by all but him and reported that there was no lost child that he could find or coerce any local spirits into locating. It had likely been a hoax.

Michael read over some of the texts and scooped them up to take with him. “You find anything Jay?”

Michael would you leave the books for now, seeing that some of us might not be able to enter into the Haven and I too would like to read them and see if there is anything I can discover.  Or leave them in Jay's Domain. she asked as she was holding one of the texts.

Michael looked at Nefertiti and considered some things. “I will need to look through them first to make sure there isn’t information that should remain private or he censored. Let’s just say I have read some of these types of texts before and my superiors would be very upset with me if I were to let certain information fall into the wrong hands. It should be ok, but I need to check first.”Michael quickly scans through the texts to make sure there isn’t passages that talk about the Vigil, other hunter cells, compacts, or Conspiracies.

  "We have saying where I come from you show me your I'll show you mine. You want full disclosure that's fine. But it cuts both ways." he seems serious enough, but seeing as you just met a little seriousness isn't out of the question. "If you can believe it I have seen far worse than this apocalypse as it is being called. I have been in town long enough to start a certain level of contacts with the underworld of the city. We call ourselves Changelings and we deal with the Fae. So if you want more than that you might want to start telling me what exactly you are.

PM

Michael nodded. “Fair enough. I’m a hunter, but not all hunters are like Tammy and George that you met. We have different groups that operate independently of each other. We generally hunt anything that isn’t human and know how to hit them where it hurts. Obviously, I’m making exceptions for this current situation. My goal is to protect those humans still left instead of actively hunting. As you can see by the company I keep, as long as you don’t eat or hurt humans you’re fine in my book. I’ve got a place called Haven set up down the road that’s safe for humans but off limits for non-humans. Although we can try setting up a place nearby for those that aren’t so we can all protect each other.”

She looked to Hans "I'm a Lector Priestess.  One who is well verse in the Arcane.

Greeting his spirit companion upon his return, Jay sank down to his haunches again to whisper to the spectral beast and hear his responses. "Red~Muzzle~Broken~Tooth, my pack's totem, can find no signs of a missing child, its seems to have been a ruse." The information imparted he concentrated for a moment, forcing his awareness to bridge across the Gauntlet so he could assess both Shadow and Real realms at once to gauge the spirit situation surrounding the church.

OOC: 18:40, Today: Jay rolled 4 successes using 7d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s ((8,10(+9),7,9,4,1,7)). Two-World Eyes; unfortunately not quite enough to get audio as well as visual

PM

PM

PM

OOC: I just wanted to confirm that Michael didn't collect all the Texts alone cause she was also gathering to look.

Unless your saying you moved quickly to gather all throughout the room before anyone had a chance.

Nefertiti looked to Michael with a warming smile "Michael these texts are from a Hunter gang that is not connected to yours, right?  Or is all Hunters connected.

I do understand what your saying but you must also understand that there may be things in these texts about our kind and we don't want to have it out.  I would suggest we all be allowed to peruse through these and see what is written.

To show good Faith between us all if we are to work together.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:09, Wed 15 July 2020.

Michael seemed to have an internal struggle for a moment before sighing and nodding to her. “Ok fine. BUT if there is any reference to another Hunter or their location, it stays between us. While I may not know them personally, I wouldn’t want any sort of research I do lead things to come after me.”He puts down the texts for others to read if they wish.

 The texts revealed things about the different types of monsters and their weaknesses. Some of it dealt with vampires, some with werewolves, and some with many other things. Much of it was heavily skewed. Mages were written as witches using evil powers of demons, for example.

 However, there was nothing that revealed the origin of this disaster.

After reading as much as she could she handed them over to Michael and waited to see if anyone else wanted to read them.  If not then he was able to take to his Haven for safety and she would be able to get them later if she needed them.

"There is some interesting things in here.  They need to be place in a safe place and if you would allow us to retrieve them for later use then I have no problem with you keeping them in the Haven. she added.

Then she looked around the place again.

"This is a strange time.  I believe my Awakening was for a purpose.

  "In typical fashion the biggest weakness my kind has is common knowledge. So there is that. Now I don't technically eat human or even non technically. I feed off of strong emotions. My particular food is desire. It doesn't have to be sex. It can be a comfy armchair if the feeling is of a similar nature." he says knowing he might just might be signing his own death warrant.

Nefertiti raised an eyebrow at Hans comment but she wasn't going to allow his need for Desire to cause him any harm.  As long as he didn't harm the people of the land he would be good in her eyes.

"Is there any way of getting a map of these areas?  I too would like to find a safe place to make my own home and to study more on my skills.