Previously on Shadowland
Four students at Croatan College had driven a 6x6 Mercedez Benz pickup to San Diego.
At their final stop, they had witnessed an all-out battle between vampires and werewolves.
Three of them had died! All of them had been transformed into something more.

To save the unlives of two, all four had entered the shadow world of vampires in the service of Baron De La Vega.

And they then scattered to the winds to find their own part of Shadowland.


It has been a strange few days. Living in a luxury apartment has in some ways been the least strange. Watching the most beautiful woman in the world training your friend in the ways of magic was otherworldly at times and nothing but study hall at other times. She didn't even flirt with you anymore.

It's Friday and Abe is on the way to see his family. While you are on the way to an address in La Jolla that might be the only clue you have regarding who you are now. It might also be your death.

As you get there you see a large red brick building. A series of buildings really.

When you drive onto the driveway, you note that she has a large garage. You park the car and note that the middle building has a sign for Ming Antiques and Design near what must be the entrance.



[OOC: The photo shows you what the building looks like. The flora is obviously different. Vines are growing on the brick wall and gateway. There are some indigenous trees. There is a fourth building on a third side too that you cannot see from this view. Beyond the rightmost part of the image, there is a driveway onto the property and between the buildings, there is a mostly asphalted driveway. From this gate, there is a path to the asphalted area in the middle and there is a corridor in the archway above that path that connects the left building and the right building.

The five large archways you can see on the building to the right is this side of the garage.

What in the text above is called the middle building is from this view the left building.]

For some reason, Tom had been expecting some kind of antique shop on a sunny La Jollan commercial street, maybe tucked between a hipster cafe and a rare books store. The reality is completely out of his expectations and seems more like a manor than an antique store.

The tang of the salt in the air tickles his nostrils, and not for the first time does Tom think he’s making a mistake in coming here, but he needs to know if Daiyu is a Hunter or something else.

He looks for the front door or entrance.

Having parked in one of the several parking spaces on the driveway between the buildings, Tom finds the entrance to Daiyu's place of business.

The inside reminds you more of an antique dealer than an interior designer. Though there were a number of framed photographs on the walls showing how various spaces had been furnished. She sees you and places a sword she was holding on display.

"Tom," she says and approaches you. "How are you doing?"

As he approaches, the same pain that Tom has felt twice before erupts once more in his mind. And then Tom sees Daiyu. He manages a weak smile before he realizes what she is holding.

A master of the sword. Their blades do kill us. The rarest of the Shadowlanders, and all they want is our heads. Sparrow’s words: She is the most normal person I know. And Daiyu’s question: Are you here for me?

”Hey, Daiyu,” he says. “I’m alive, I guess.” He takes a deep breath. “This is a really nice place you have here. No wonder Sparrow hired you as her interior decorator.”

Tom puts his hands in his pockets and tries not to imagine her sword going right through his heart. ”I’m not sure if you know this, but a few of my new friends were killed recently,” he says slowly. ”By a Mediterranean man, shoulder-length hair, goatee, mid 30s.” He looks at the weapon Daiyu has just replaced on its stand. ”He was a master swordsman.”

The college student feels completely out of his element. He is certain Daiyu is a Hunter, certain she picked up the sword when she felt the same pain that he did. What he doesn’t understand is why she has not attacked him. If she does, he knows he will run, but he doubts he will get far.

”I just thought you might know something about me. I’m certain you sensed me when I approached.” He looks around himself. ”Is it safe here?”

"That's good to hear," Daiyu says. "Don't lose your head."


"Thank you."


"Was? He's dead then?"



"That depends. Why are you here?"

”Don’t lose my head? Is that some kind of joke?” Tom grins uncertainly.  So Hunters took trophies of other Hunters as well? Does Daiyu have some kind of trophy room somewhere in this complex filled with the heads of Shadowlanders she’s taken? But Sparrow ought to know if Daiyu were like that. Maybe Tom should have told Sparrow where he was going before he borrowed her car.

”I don’t think he was dead. My friends tried to fight him and died, and some of them fled. As to why I’m here…” He looks around, a bit uncomfortable. ”Well, I guess because you invited me. I thought maybe you could help me, uh, get my head on straight.”

"It's a lot of things," Daiyu says cryptically.



"We can speak freely here. What do you know?"

”Yeah?” Despite Daiyu’s assurances, Tom still feels uneasy, and he glances over his shoulder as though expecting someone else to enter the building.

Turning back to Daiyu, Tom says, ”So Sparrow tells me I’m a Hunter. And if what she told me is right, I think you are one, too. Sparrow said Hunters fight each other and take the heads of other Shadowlanders. I can sense Shadowlanders, at least, I can recognize vampires, whatever those half-vampires are, Fae, and other Hunters. The pain is pretty intense. I also heal really fast.”

After a moment, he adds, ”I asked her if you were a Shadowlander, too. I didn’t name you as a Hunter to either her or to De La Vega or my friends. But I think you are one. Why have you hidden yourself? And are you going to try to kill me now, like that other Hunter in town?”

"What are you talking about," Daiyu asks. "That's nothing but superstition." Pause. "Wait." You can see her thinking. "Are you telling me that the laughter I sense around Sparrow isn't just us vibing, but that she isn't human either?"

Tom stares at Daiyu in disbelief. Is she joking with him, or does she not know about the supernatural beings who live around them? And has Tom just outed someone who has been a benefactor to him?

”Let’s back up for a minute,” Tom says, uncertainty in his voice. ”Did you feel pain the two times we’ve met before? And what were you going to do with that sword?”

"You mean this time and the time we met in the club," Daiyu says. "Of course, as we always do when other Immortals are close by. And the sword, well that depended on who was coming and why they were here."

”Wait, Immortals. I thought—“ From the back of his mind, Tom hears power rock chords. Here we are, born to be kings. We’re the princes of the universe.

Immortals. Swords. That weird feeling, sometimes pain, other times laughter or cold. It’s all starting to make sense now. ”So Connor McLeod—that was real? Or at least based on something real?” Tom has a friend named Luis who loves fantasy of all kinds, and Tom remembers sitting through part of the first <i>Highlander movie with him.

”Are you telling me that you and I are like on Highlander? I was thinking I was like Buffy or Van Helsing or something.” This is amazing! And probably scarier, too. If what Tom is thinking is correct, anyway.

”I’m sorry, Daiyu. A week ago I was just a normal college student, and this is totally blowing my mind.” He looks at her helplessly. ”I—so you just wanted to meet me? Is that why you invited me to come by?”

"The movie was pretty accurate in concept," Daiyu says. "But not in all the details, obviously. And yes, Highlander is based on people like you and I. Much cooler than Buffy or Van Helsing in my opinion."

"I figured you were new and untrained when we talked at the club, so that was why I invited you. But you were talking about vampires and fae. Tell me more about them."

"Yeah, uh, about that." Tom looks apologetically at the person who seems to be most like his own kind. But he has been told stories about Hunters, and he doesn't want to put his new friends in danger.

"Vampires and fae are real," he says. "As are werewolves and apparently angels and demons. My friends and I found ourselves in the middle of a battle between wolves and vamps, and that's where I died. Or at least, I thought I died."

Tom looks searchingly at Daiyu. Can he trust her? Sparrow apparently does, although the Fae doesn't know Daiyu's identity. "I've been told our kind actively hunts other supernatural creatures. The Mediterranean guy in town--do you know him? He's apparently killing vampires. Is that a thing that you and are I supposed to do? Some tradition, or maybe as part of our nature or something?"

"Until you told me about them, I didn't even know vampires existed," Daiyu says. "Or any other supernatural creature. We call those Immortals that actively search for other Immortals to take their Quickening for hunters. Most of us try to live our lives and defend ourselves when we have to. And as soon as they know you are out there, the less discerning of them will come after you too."

"I'm pretty sure the Mediterranean guy you've described is Caius. He is old, skilled, and ruthless. I was lucky to get away from him. He most definitely is a hunter and I'm certain he has killed many of us."

She must have sensed Caius, too, the way Tom had. "Is that why you went into the Arcane Lux, then?" he asks. In the movie, he remembers the main character, Connor MacLeod, fighting an evil Immortal, the Kurgan, or something like that. Sean Connery had been in the movie, too.

"So all Hunters are Immortals, but not all Immortals are Hunters," Tom says, musingly. "That's good to know, actually. I was worried I was going to be forced to attack my friends or something."

And Daiyu said she got away from Caius, so she didn't choose to confront him. Does that mean Caius is more powerful than Daiyu? If an experienced Immortal is worried about him, and the man managed to kill vampires so easily, then he'd no doubt kill Tom in about half a second.

"So if you don't mind me asking, how old are you? I know it's bad manners to ask a lady her age, but were you born here, or in China? And do you have any advice for me? Do I need to start training with a sword? Is it off-limits to use a gun? Are there any rules or codes I need to follow?"

"I went to Arcane Lux to relax," Daiyu says. "I haven't met him in a very long time. I didn't know he was in town."


"Yes. At least with our definition of Hunter. I don't know about their definition."


"I'm over 600 years old. And yes, I was born in China. You should start training with a sword. And guns are banned by tradition. And while some shun the traditions, they are then shunned in return."

"Yes, there are rules. The most important rule is 'In the end, there can be only one.' When an Immortal takes another Immortal's head, they also take their Quickening or power. In the end, there will be one Immortal with all power. Other rules, like the rule on guns, are more like traditions."

"We don't fight on holy ground, folklore teaches us that Pompeii was destroyed because a head was taken on holy ground and I'm pretty sure it was the reason for the Three Mile Island incident."

"We fight one on one. There are several reasons for that. When you take someone's Quickening, you are fatigued and an easy target. If there are two of them, whoever still lives can easily take your head. And even if you only want to watch, some of your Quickening will be lost in the transfer to the quick from the dead. Just as a storm takes a tree or a house if it's strong enough. And when it comes to the Quickening, it's always strong enough."

"We fight face to face without trickery. That includes guns and other ranged weapons. And whatever dirty tricks a clever mind can invent."

"And we don't share our secrets with outsiders. Or in other words, if you're not an Immortal, we're not going to tell you about us."

"Some live a stricter code and don't attack fledglings or involve outsiders in Immortal disputes. And they fight fairly and honorably."

"It's fairly straight forward really."

"600..." Tom lets that sink in for a moment. Daiyu must be incredibly skilled to have lived that long. Either that or she has avoided confrontation with other Immortals, which also implies a great deal of skill. "Holy ground. So like churches, sacred sites? How do you know if a place is holy ground?"

He was going to have to learn how to fight. So far, AFROTC has been mostly about things like leadership, Air Force history, and PT, but he knew he'll be covering some combat training this summer, or at least he is supposed to be. He'll have have to double check, but he doesn't think that combat training includes sword fighting.

The rules actually seem fairly simple. Fight one on one, don't fight on holy ground, no tricks, keep their secrets. And then of course there are those who break the rules.

"I--this is a lot to ask, I know, but--could you train me? Or if not you, do you know someone who would be willing ot?" Tom isn't sure how this whole training thing can work, not if there can be only one. Daiyu wouldn't be gaining anything by training him since he apparently isn't allowed to help her if she's attacked, and it's possible that they might have to fight each other one day. He's sure he could learn fencing from a non-Immortal, though, and probably stage sword fighting. There are probably schools that teach sword-fighting, too, although probably not back in North Carolina.

"I haven't found any consistent definition of holy ground," Daiyu says. "So it can be a little difficult to know. Hence, Three Mile Island. Most take the widest possible interpretation possible. Just to be safe. Any site, sacred or sanctified to any religion or religion like entity. In my experience, that isn't an accurate definition, but I don't have a narrower one that works."



"Yes, I can teach you how to fight. With heart, faith, and steel."

And in that moment, your phone rings.

[It's Abe. If you choose to answer the call, you can take the call in his thread. And in either case, make a post here to let us know what you do with the call.]

Daiyu's explanation is interesting but unsatisfying. Probably Native American sites would fit in that broad category, but how many of them have disappeared over the centuries?

However, she agrees to train him, something Tom knows he will desperately need if he is to survive in this brave new world. And then his phone rings. He slides it out of his pocket and sees that it's Abe.

"It's Abe, the guy from the club," he tells her, and he slides his phone open.

"Hey, Abe. What's up?"

Tom speaks with Abe on the phone for a moment, and then says to Daiyu, ”Excuse me for a bit. My friend Abe wants to drive by and have me check someone.”

"Certainly," Daiyu says. "We can start the training afterward."
This message was last updated by the GM at 22:57, Thu 12 Dec 2019.

After Tom had left Daiyu, he had gotten into his borrowed car and driven down to a cafe to wait for Abe. Tom wanted to put at least a thin barrier between Daiyu and the rest of Shadowland if possible. She seemed entirely unaware of non-Hunters/Immortals, and Sparrow had not realized that Daiyu was someone like Tom. The college student knew he might have to tell the others in time, but for now, he didn't want to enmesh Daiyu in everything else. While at the cafe, he orders an Earl Grey tea and a coffee and some cream and sugar.

After Abe drove away, Tom returned to Ming Antiques and Design. Ming. Wasn't there a Ming dynasty? Tom's pretty sure there's such a thing as Ming vases, and he regrets now neglecting world history.

Back at Ming's, Tom looks for a place to put the coffees down where they won't damage a three-hundred-year-old table. "I wasn't sure if you liked coffee or tea, so I brought both. Your choice." The idea of training is a little exciting to Tom. He doesn't exactly enjoy PT, but he loves that feeling of pushing himself and getting stronger. "So is this going to be like The Karate Kid? I wash your car and mow the lawn, and after all that, I'll know kung fu?"

OOC: Where is Daiyu's place in relation to the rest of La Jolla? Is it more like this? https://goo.gl/maps/rMdRAcMwZerzDygL7

Or this? https://goo.gl/maps/DxMsphG5f7geWCn47

Daiyu took both the offered cups and placed the coffee on

"Thank you," Daiyu said and took both the offered cups. She placed the coffee on a desk and took a sip of the tea before placing that cup on the desk too. "I appreciate the gesture. I prefer Jie tea, but it's difficult to get here."




"If it was that easy, everyone would do it. No, you have to train. Pick a sword." She made a gesture with her arm to indicate that he could pick any of them.


[OOC: As to where she lives, for ease of reference, let's assume her place replaces ksdo-fm San Diego on Via Capri.

There are a number of swords on display, feel free to make your own choice on the matter.]

Tom examines the swords Daiyu has on the wall. They look expensive. He imagines someone thinking these were just props, or a set piece to hang on a wall as some kind of cool trophy.

From playing Dark Souls and Skyrim, he's seen plenty of swords in games before, but he's never handled one in person. He recognizes a katana, a large two-handed sword, and a sword with a serrated blade. He finally selects a broadsword that looks as if a Viking might have carried it once.

The sword in his hand, he says, "Okay. What next?"

"Your sword is your life," Daiyu says as she puts a closed sign in the door. "Let's teach you how to use it." She indicates for you to follow her and she walks through a glass corridor to the next building in which there was a gym and a dojo.

"This used to be a fire station, built a century ago, sold a few decades ago instead of updating it to their current needs. But it was easy enough to update for my needs. Though it still only has one locker room and one sauna."

She turns to face you, places her right arm behind her back, and when she brings it out again, she's holding an old Chinese straight double-edged sword. That hadn't been behind her back when she turned.

She then started showing you how to stand, how to hold the sword, and the basics of defending yourself. "To be among the top 100 swordsmen, you need an excellent offense. But to be among the top ten, you need an excellent defense."


You were standing on a one-inch diameter steel cylinder fastened a yard above the floor.
"B - A - L - A - N - C - E. Balance. If you can't stand, you can't fight. She struck the cylinder, causing it to move side to side, and you fell.


There were a lot of calisthenics, way beyond anything you'd done in ROTC. It felt worse than you thought SEAL or Delta training felt like. If nothing else then there was nowhere to hide. One student. One trainer. Relentless, unceasing focus.
This message was last edited by the GM at 08:18, Thu 09 Jan 2020.

"Thank you for taking the time to train me," Tom says. Frankly, he is surprised she is willing to drop whatever she had planned for the day to spend time teaching someone she doesn't know.

Again with the sleight of hand. Daiyu is quite the magician.

He does his best to follow along with her as she walks him through the stances and swordplay. "Got it," he says, nodding. "It's all about the defense." Offense wins games, so the saying goes, but defense wins championships.

The balancing part is difficult. How is he supposed to maintain his balance on a one-inch cylinder? Olympic gymnasts make it look easy, but Tom's no Olympian. He follows her through the exercises, and soon, he is sweating and out of breath. If nothing else, he is going to be in excellent shape for his camp in August.

"Of course," Daiyu says. "You are going to need a lot of it."

And at the end of the session.

"It would be best for your training if you moved in. There is a lot of room here."

It continues to take Tom by surprise when people offer to be so hospitable to him. De La Vega allowed him to join the vampire's newest cohort, Sparrow had let Tom stay at her place for a week, and now Daiyu is offering him a place to stay.

He thinks about the offer for a moment. It was good to be near Abe in case either needs the other, but Tom had always felt like he was freeloading at Sparrow's place, especially after he turned her down that night. "I'm fine with that, I guess," he says slowly, still thinking. "Maybe you could put me to work so I'm not completely mooching off of you? I could do deliveries, move stuff around for you, cover things here at your shop when you need to go out."

"I will put you to work," Daiyu says. "Don't you worry about that."

The first place she put you to work was in the kitchen. And it was a Masterchef level kitchen. With everything you might ever need or want. She then verbaly gave you the recipe. Ingredients, measurements, and how to prepare them, in steps that were long enough to strain your memory. Some of the ingredients you have never heard of. And some of the methods of preparation were new to you too.

And while you were doing that, she was running about doing other things. Such as preparing the flavored water you would drink with the meal.

After the meal, the training continued. Hundreds of push ups, hundreds of sit ups, and a lot of pull ups too. She gave you directions on how to run a five mile course through La Jolla. All of which you had to memorize beforehand. When you ran the course together, she gave you positive feedback everytime you made the correct choice in an intersection. And no feedback when you made the wrong choice.

Back at the firestation, there was more sword work. More work on your balance. More flavored water to replenish your fluids. And more training. Time wasn't on your mind, until training came to an end.

It was 6.00 AM Saturday morning. Your body was tired from exercising, but it was not sleepy, despite being awake for over 20 hours. It was time to get your things and you were meeting with Abe at the airport at 7.55. You were given strict instructions to get back to the firestation as soon as you had run you errand.



[OOC: Do you ask her for additional information in regards to the ingredients you don't know and how to prepare them?


Your meeting with Abe is in his thread. And we'll keep going here in regards to any questions you might have during this training session.]

Daiyu's idea of work isn't what Tom had in mind. His cooking skills were limited to frying eggs and making oatmeal, though he tried his best to follow her instructions, asking for clarification when needed, but trying to commit everything to memory.

When he sees her mixing flavored water, he says, "Just plain water for me, thanks."

He pushes his body farther than it has ever gone before, even with AFROTC PT. If he had not already been in shape, he realizes, there would be no way for him to keep up.

By the end of the training, he is aching all over. Why haven't they stopped to sleep? "While I have this breather, I'm going to take Sparrow's car back to her and pick up my stuff. I'll be back in a few hours, Daiyu."

With this, he leaves and heads for Sparrow's place to pick up his few possessions, leave the car, and go to the airport.

When asked, Daiyu gave clarifications. But they were so quick and detailed that again they strained Tom's memory to follow them

And at his request, she provided plain water for the both of them instead of the brew she had started making.


And when he was leaving, "Don't fall asleep behind the wheel."
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:33, Fri 27 Dec 2019.

You drive to Sparrow's place, Harbor Tower West, one of twin 52 story residential buildings in the Marina District. With the official address of 100 Harbor Drive, even though Harbor Drive was on the other side of the tracks and the Martin Luther King Promenade with public art celebrating the dreams of Dr. King. But that's what money can buy. And you had asked yourself why Sparrow didn't know where to run when people jogged on the promenade every day.

You park her car in the underground garage and don't see the large pool between the two towers or Morton's Steakhouse located in the Harbor Club, which is the name given to this half-block circumscribed by J Street, 3rd Avenue, and the tracks.

You take one of the private elevators, using the RFID tag Sparrow has given you to get access to it and the key to get it to start moving to her floor. The garage, lobby, and 6th-floor levels don't need the key, but penthouse access does.

You don't see the lobby or the signs there to the fitness center or the spa, and you have asked yourself why Sparrow has a fitness center in her apartment when there was one in the building. You don't see the 60-foot lap pool, jacuzzi, sun deck, or BBQ area on the 6th-floor outdoor terrace either.

The doors of the high-speed elevator soon open in the private elevator lobby of Sparrow's 52nd-floor penthouse apartment. And you use the key again to get access to the apartment proper.

No one seems to be home.


[OOC: I made a post earlier about you going to her apartment, apparently it didn't stick. Obviously, this post takes place before you went to the airport, but you can do whatever you need to do here and then skip ahead to after the airport. Among other things covering how you're traveling now that you don't have a car.]

”Sparrow? Are you around?” When Tom gets to the penthouse, he looks around for Sparrow, but doesn’t see her anywhere, so he grabs his bag with his few personal items in it and leaves the key on the kitchen counter. Sparrow’s apartment seems like a self-contained oasis in the city, and perhaps she doesn’t venture out using conventional means very often.

It feels a little strange to be leaving Sparrow’s place, even though a couple of weeks ago it would have been downright unbelievable to think that he had been the house guest of a dazzlingly beautiful supernatural being. He wonders if Sparrow is ever lonely living in this place by herself, although she still has Abe. Daiyu for that matter, too.

Truthfully, Tom is going to miss not living with Abe. The other three guys are lifelines connecting Tom’s old and new lives, and Tom is still trying to wrap his head around all these changes. He wishes he could adapt like the other guys seemed to.

He also feels the need to have a sword on him, especially with that other Immortal out there. Daiyu had explained the Immortal code to Tom, and he accepts it, but he knows not every Immortal will follow the no killing fledglings rule. He figures if he runs into the Mediterranean, the best thing he can do is run at this point.

Going back downstairs, he checks the best bus route to the airport on Google Maps and heads off to meet Abe.

OOC: When Tom doesn’t notice the pool, lobby, etc., does that mean they are present and he just isn’t paying attention, or are they not there?

Tom will rely on Google Maps and public transportation to get around. From experience, this will likely take 2-3x as long to get to where he’s going. Dean’s motorcycle is an excellent idea, and Tom will see if he can find a used one that he can purchase. Maybe Daiyu has some ideas. After the airport, he’ll return to the firehouse.

Sparrow's apartment is quiet. Tom looks for a bit, but no one is there. And you leave the key and the RFID tag (or so I'm assuming) on the kitchen counter.

After the airport, Google maps lead Tom to bus 992, the Sycuan Green Line trolley, bus 150, bus 30, and a 1.5-mile walk before you arrived at the old fire station that is Daiyu's home and place of business.

Inside, Daiyu is with two customers. An older couple, both of them in their 80s. About ten minutes later they finish up.

"Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Jacobs for your confidence. I will make something that you can be proud of."

"That's why we chose you," Mr. Jacobs says. "We expect to hear from you soon."

As they left, the older man gave you a polite nod.

"That was Joan and Irwin Jacobs," Daiyu says. "They have given 100s of millions of dollars in donations in the past 20 years. They're giving another $50 million to Salk Institute for Biological Studies this year and $1,000,000 of that for me to spend on interior decoration."


[OOC: Are you keeping the tag or returning that too?]

The bus transfers make the trip take some time, and Tom takes advantage of the extra time to try to familiarize himself with the area.  When he finally gets back to Daiyu’s shop, he finds her busy with an elderly couple, and so he waits for her to finish up.

When she tells him why the Jacobses had come by, he can’t help but gape. ”Fifty million?” he asks incredulously. ”And $1 million of that is going to interior decoration? Shouldn’t that money be going to vaccines or cancer research or something?”

He does some quick mental arithmetic. ”Okay, so that’s only 2% of their financial gift, but still. What did you have in mind for the interior decorations?”

OOC: Tom returned the tag, too, but he still has the coin Sparrow gave him.

"Nothing yet," Daiyu says. "I'm going to need to see the space first. And think about it. They asked me to come around this afternoon to check it out so that I wouldn't interrupt the staff as much. You can come with me if you like."



[OOC: Based on https://www.salk.edu/news-rele...entific-discoveries/ this additional $50 million donation would be 27.5% of their FY19 revenue.]

Nodding, Tom says, "Sure, it sounds like a pretty interesting place. I've passed by the outside a few times, but I've never been inside."

Looking around, he says, "What would you like me to do in the meantime? More training, or do you have some chores I can take care of around here?"

"More training, but first we need to get you a room," Daiyu says and closes the shop. She then opened another door marked "private" and led you into the next building. And up the stairs to a well furnished room. It was clear that the building was older than Sparrow's and had quite a different floorplan.

"The bathroom is over there." She pointed at another door as the room didn't have an en suite bathroom.

"We're running to the beach and taking a swim. So get dressed for that. And before we leave, I'll teach you how to hide your sword. It is a very useful trick."

Following Daiyu up the stairs, Tom looks around at his new digs. "Thank you, Daiyu." He doesn't understand why she has been so hospitable. He guesses it's down to taking care of fledglings, something he would need to do one day. If he lived that long, that is.

After Daiyu leaves, Tom slips on some athletic shorts that double as swimming shorts and jogs back down the stairs. Hide his sword? He figures she means that sleight-of-hand trick she has with business cards and the sword she was using. Wait, does this mean that he gets a sword, too?

Next time you see Daiyu, she's in a bikini. And she is as well trained as she has appeared to be based on the training she has put you through. She instructs you to bring your sword and leads you back to her gym/dojo.

Over the next couple of hours, she teaches you how to focus, how to see, and how to open up. With much effort, her trick became known unto you.

At first, Tom isn’t quite sure how Daiyu is able to make her sword appear and disappear as she does, particularly only wearing a bikini, but he follows her instructions, focusing on the blade and making it appear and disappear. It takes a number of tries,  but the first time he makes it disappear, he gasps triumphantly and smiles broadly.

He continues to practice the technique, training over and over, willing the sword to appear and disappear. Now that he has access to a weapon at any time, he is starting to feel more confident, but he knows he has a long road ahead of him if he wants to become a master like Daiyu.

As he remembers Michelle Yeoh greeting Chow Yun Fat in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Tom forms a fist with his right hand and cups his right right hand with his left. He says, ”Thank you for the sword, Daiyu. Or what’s the term - Sifu? Should I call you that instead?”
This message was last edited by the player at 19:37, Thu 09 Jan 2020.

"That would be the traditional term," Daiyu says as her left hand cups her right fist. "And for more contemporary use, when your sword is hidden, not even the TSA with all their toys can find it."
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:47, Thu 09 Jan 2020.

Tom nods. "Then we're always armed. That sets my mind at ease a little, but I keep thinking about that Mediterranean guy. I hope I don't run into him anytime soon."

"So Daiyu, may I ask how long you have been in America? Why did you leave China? I've always wanted to go. I'm going into the Air Force after I graduate--or at least, that's the plan. I'm not sure how all of this is going to change things. But I hope I get stationed in Korea. I've always wanted to explore Asia."

"When I died, I really couldn't stay," Daiyu says. "We traveled off the beaten path so it took quite a while. Through China, Tibet, Gurkani Persia, the Golden Horde, the Principality of Kiev," she smiles as if recalling a fond memory.

"The first time I was in the US was before the civil war. I've been back and forth a number of times since then."

"There's a lot to see in Asia. I'm not sure how much you can explore while in the military though. Do you want to be a pilot? Is that why you joined the Air Force?"

"Before the Civil War, huh?" Even though Tom has met all manner of long-lived supernatural people, it still seems incredible to talk to someone who has been alive for hundreds of years.

When she asks whether he wants to be a pilot, he shakes his head. "To be honest, the main reason I signed up with the recruiter is that they offered me a scholarship. I'm still trying to figure out what I'm going to do, but it will probably be something related to communications. Probably a desk job, you know?"

"I've got a couple of cousins. One joined the Air Force, and the other the Army. They've been all over - Machu Picchu, New Zealand, the Maldives, Tibet, Mt. Kilimanjaro, Greenlad. Their Instagram feeds are amazing. I want to see what's out there."

"That's very practical of you," Daiyu says. "Join the Air Force, get free college and see the world. Any other questions? Or are you ready for our run?"

The two of you start your run. It took you a little over 15 minutes to get down to the beach near the La Jolla Shores Hotel. And then out into the ocean. For some distance. The swimming class you took in your first semester at Croatan was very useful to you now.

"And for the next step in your training," she says, swims close to you, pushes you down under the surface, and without taking a breath she follows down, down, down into the deep. Pushing you further and further.

[What do you do?]

At first Tom panics when Daiyu begins pushing him down into the depths of the sea. His first impulse is to struggle, but then he relaxes and allows her to drag him further down. She wouldn't have spent so much time training him if she intended to kill him, and besides, he is functionally immortal now, which should apply to drowning.

OOC: Tom will allow Daiyu to keep pushing him further down.

Daiyu held the non-struggling Tom under the sea. Even when his breath was running out, when panic grabs people to force them back to the surface so that they can live, Tom remained still. Confident that his Shifu didn't intend to end his life. And even if she was, that drowning wouldn't be a permanent problem.

But when his lungs were empty and reflexes took over, he breathed, and his lungs were filled with air again.

Though Tom trusts Daiyu to a reasonable degree, wild thoughts still flit through his mind, whispering that he’s a fool to trust anyone in such a life-threatening situation. Still, having conquered his fears, he now finds himself flooded with amazement. He isn’t drowning! In fact, he seems to be able to breathe normally underwater!

He laughs, sending up bubbles of air, and gives Daiyu a thumbs up sign.

Daiyu returns the thumbs up sign, returns to the surface, and swims back to shore.

"How do you feel?"

“Surprised,” he says, once he’s back on the shore. “I wasn’t expecting to go all Aquaman down there. It seems like there’s quite a bit more to this than just fighting with swords. What’s next on our training regimen?”
This message was last edited by the player at 20:32, Wed 29 Jan 2020.

Daiyu looked around. The beach was empty. "Feel the Quickening within you," she says. "Listen to the Quickening surrounding you. Draw upon it. Do you feel it?" She was moving her feet in the sand as if she was a bull preparing to rush a matador. "Do you feel it? Run. Run. Run!" And she started to run.

What? Tom looks at Daiyu in askance, but when she starts running, he takes off after her. The Quickening? He's not sure what she is talking about, but he isn't going to take any chances.

OOC: Ruuuuun!

As you run down the beach you soon catch up with Daiyu and as she increases her speed, so do you. Keeping in step with her. Soon running faster than you have ever run before. Faster than you ever thought possible. It's exhilarating. You see the wind blowing through her hair, making it billow behind her.

You return to the house and get ready to visit the Salk Institute.

The Salk Institute seems pretty classy, but Tom doesn't have much in the way of business casual wear. He does have a pair of chinos and a button-down shirt, so he changes quickly. He practices summoning his sword and hiding it again. Unreal. A card trick compared to coming back from the dead, but it still blows his mind that what he can only think of as magic is really possible.

He goes downstairs to the main lobby to wait for Daiyu.

The Salk Institute is housed on 27 acres. The two original mirror imaged structures have four levels and flank a grand travertine courtyard with a stream of water flowing in the middle. They have clean lines and are built with simple, strong, and durable materials that are as maintenance-free as possible. 50 feet by 25 feet lightwells provide sunlight for an additional two levels underground.

On the way to those structures, you pass through a citrus grove containing several orderly rows of semi-dwarf Valencia orange trees.

Kim Winchester, Senior Vice President of Finance and Administration shakes hands with the both of you and introduces herself. She is accompanied by man in a suit and sunglasses that seems to be a bodyguard.

"Welcome to the Salk Institute," she says. "We are looking forward to having you spruce up this place."

She gave you a tour inside.

It was very open. Few, if any walls in the laboratories. Facilitating quick and easy reorganization of space. Even the lights could be moved on rails in the ceiling.

On the higher floors, glass walls were used to the various offices. Sunlight illuminated a large portion of the place through windows or lightwells.

Most of the place was very sparce.

During your tour, your phone rang. It was John Baldwin, your maternal grandfather.

Tom follows, intrigued by the architecture and the layout of the institute. The place seems like an idea place to work. The place seems built to last and yet flexible, nimble--qualities that a successful Immortal might embody.

"Quite a canvas you have here," he says to Daiyu. "What do you think so far?"

Then Tom's phone rings, and he checks the screen. Grandad Baldwin. "Excuse me, Ms. Winchester, Daiyu. It's my grandfather. Is it okay if I take this call?"

OOC: If it's okay, Tom will move away and answer the phone.

"Of course," Kim says and you step away and answer the call.


"Hello. What is my favorite grandchild up to," your grandfather asks. You know that you are not the first of his grandchildren he has called his favorite. It seems that the youngest of you, walking in his footsteps to become an Air Force officer, is always his favorite.

"Hi, Grandad," Tom says. "Not too much. I have an internship this summer, and I'll be headed to camp in August. How are you? How's your summer going?"

"The summer's good. Slow but good. I wish Alabama was as good at spring sports as they are in football, but I can live through the loss. Football season is only a few months away, so that's good too."

"You come from a family of heroes. A family that serves their country. You made the right choice."

"So an internship. What is it you're working with this summer?"

Tom moves away from Daiyu and Ms. Winchester so he doesn't distract from their conversation. "Ha!" Tom chuckles. "Football's year-round, Grandad, what with recruiting and spring training. You still listening to Paul Finebaum? That guy's better at stirring the pot that anyone else I've ever heard."

"I'm working with an interior decorating company this summer, actually. It's funny the kinds of internships that are available, and this place is cool, though it's not something I'd normally think about. A lot of antiques, some very cool swords. We have a project to work on this place called the Salk Insitute, a scientific research lab. We're actually touring the place now. Very state of the art."

"I'm also doing a lot of physical training, running, hand to hand combat. There's a dojo here I've been working out at. Hopefully I can be ready for camp when it gets here."

"He's the best. Of course I'm still listening to him."

When you mentioned Salk Institute he got deathly quiet.

When you had told him about the dojo and the camp, he continued.

"You're busy. I should call later. See you, bye." And he hung up.

That conversation quickly turned strange. Your grandfather never acted like that. Or hung up that hurriedly.

Tom's grandfather's silence puzzles Tom. Was it the interior decorating? The Salk Institue? Jonas Salk, Tom knows, developed the polio vaccine. Why would the name bother his grandfather? Or had something happened at the Institute that his grandfather knew about? Very weird.

Slipping his phone into his pocket, he rejoined Winchester and Daiyu on the tour.

The tour continued. There were mostly office spaces, but you were also shown some laboratories.

All of the desks in the labs had wheels and they had been gathered in a few groups in each lab. The lights were fastened on rails in the ceilings that allowed them to be moved all over the lab. Most of the lights had been moved to the various clusters of desks, where they were doing the most good. There were a few lights in the rest of the room too, to make sure those parts weren't left to darkness.

The tour took a few hours. After which everyone said their goodbyes.

[OOC: Is there anything else you want to do here?]

The workspaces of the Salk Institute intrigue Tom, and he follows along, content to let Daiyu and Winchester do most of the talking. He feels guilty about telling his grandfather he was doing an internship and training at a dojo. Though in a broad sense, what he said was kind of true from a certain point of view, Tom knows this isn't a formal intership at al. He knows Daiyu has more to teach him than just how to be a better Immortal, but the main reason he is here with her is to hone his skills and avoid getting killed.

At the end of the tour, Tom thanks Winchester for her tour. "Very impressive place here, Ms. Winchester," he says. "I'm looking forward to what Daiyu has planned."

Daiyu and Tom returned to her place and spent the next few days in training.

At first, the pace Daiyu had kept up left Tom nearly exhausted. The older Immortal seemed to have limitless reserves of strength and energy, and it was all Tom could do to keep up with her, and even then, only barely. Still, his ROTC training had served him well as a foundation, and each day he felt himself becoming a little faster, a little sharper, a little stronger. He devoted himself to learning how to use his sword as an extension of his own body, to feel it organically integrated with himself. Daiyu was still quicker, still more perceptive, but he knew this training was a process, and each day he felt himself becoming a little more confident.

While you were training, a pillar of small blue and white orbs of light appeared in the dojo. A jingling sound emanated from the orbs that descended slowly.

When the bottom of the pillar touched the floor, the orbs changed into a female dressed in simple black shoes, jeans, and a white hoodie. The text on the hoodie said: "Saving People Hungint Things The Family Business" and in smaller print "Supernatural" and in even smaller print "Join The Hunt" everything was perfectly legible.

When the orbs appear, Tom pauses, and he swivels to face the being who has just appeared. His sword is raised defensively, and he is poised to defend himself or Daiyu if need be. The feeling that washes through his mind is different from what he has experienced before, but he doesn't need the lukewarm glow to tell him that this visitor is supernatural. Not Fae, Vampire, or Immortal, he reckons. Based on the light, he suspects this being to be an Angel, and if so, his blade is likely no threat to her.

His eyes still on the visitor, he asks Daiyu, "Friend of yours?"

OOC: Defensive stance.

"No," Daiyu said while readying a defensive stance with her longer Chinese blade. "She is not."

Daiyu was an attractive Chinese female, with black hair down to her chest on her left and back, but completely shaved on the right side of her head with strange tattoos where the hair would have been.
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:13, Thu 19 Mar 2020.

Cailin nodded to the two in front of her, her eyes showing a marked interest when she noticed the swords. “Hello, sorry, I didn't want to startle you but… There's no way to do that appearing like that…” She frowned. “At least I don't know how…”

Shaking her head, she turned to Tom, “I am Cailin. I have… Hmm… Been assigned to watch over you and your cohort, so I wanted to introduce myself.” She tilted her head to the side, her eyes falling on the blade then opened her mouth to ask something but thought better of it.

"Assigned? Assigned by who? The Baron?" Tom gauges the woman. If she could teleport, she no doubt has other abilities as well.

"You know, you could have just knocked," he says, shifting slightly and lowering his weapon, though he does not stow it away. "I'm Tom. This is my shifu, Daiyu." Turning to Daiyu, Tom says, "My cohort are my friends that I told you about."

OOC: I'm not sure if we've established how much Tom has told Daiyu. He would have described what had happened to him during the drive, his death at the diner, who his friends are, and what he owes Baron De La Vega. He would have also emphasized how fearful Vampires are of Hunters, that Sparrow thought Daiyu was a non-supernatural mortal, and that he wouldn't divulge who Daiyu was to the other supernatural denizens of San Diego.

Abe figured out that Daiyu was more than what she seemed, but I don't know if Tom knows that Abe thinks that. He would have told Daiyu that it was a possibility, though.

Daiyu nodded and lowered her sword too. She was still ready to use it though.

"And why did they assign you," Daiyu asked.


[OOC: Cool. If we hadn't established it before, we have now. So let's go with that.]

“Not… Technically.” Cailin seemed to think about that for a moment. “I was first assigned to Mr. De La Vega.” She pointed a finger to the sky. “Who told me that if I wanted to help him, the best way to do it would be to help you. As in you and your cohort.” She squinted. “Apparently, the powers that be agree.” After all, her map was all the evidence she needed. “So,” She stretched her hands to the side. “Here I am.”

“As for knocking, I'm not sure I can do that before I appear but I'll try next time.” She paused, obviously amused, then added. “I targeted you, I had no real idea of where you were. And I'd rather avoid appearing like that in the middle of the street. That'd be pretty bad…”

She turned to Daiyu. “Well… Apparently, new Angels - that's me for the time being - are handed difficult tasks, that way the next ones seem easy. Or so I was told.” She shrugged. “Who knew hazing was a thing even up there, uh? Though it comes with perks, so…” She shook her head. “Anyway… Hmm… Would you mind teaching me when you have time?” She looked at both when she asked that, obviously not sure who was doing the teaching. If anyone was…

"You want to know how to fight with a sword," Daiyu asked.

“Well…” Cailin shifted on her feet, uncomfortably. “When you think Guardian Angel, you think flaming sword, right? I don't have the sword of course…yet…I hope but it can't hurt to learn, right? I'm not supposed to fight anyone else's battles, but the way I see it, it doesn't mean that others won't try to prevent me from helping… Worst case scenario, I learn something new that I can't really use, so…”

"You were assigned to the Baron?" Tom considers this, a quizzical expression on his face. If Angels were real, then how did they get assigned to Vampires? "I would have thought that your team and De La Vega's would kind of be on opposite sides."

He has more questions, but he figures they can wait for another time. "So you're new, huh? So am I, but I guess you probably already know that. If you want to learn how to fight with a sword, Daiyu's a superb teacher, but that's her call." He's sure what he's seen of Angels on television isn't completely realistic, but those Angels often had blades, so it makes sense that they need to know how to use them. "So, are Angels more like they are on Lucifer or Supernatural?"

“So did I.” Cailin stretched her hands to the side. “But I'm not the one making the rules, so…” She shrugged. After a second, she frowned. “Wait, you're not on his team? Aren't you a vampire too?”

“As for Angels… No wings…” She seemed pitiful. “Other than that…” She grumbled. “I was told that I was a Guardian Angel, I met one of our leaders, was explained a few of my new powers and sent here so…” She shrugged. “Ask me again another time…”

Nodding, Tom says, "No, I'm part of the Baron's cohort, but I'm not a Vampire. I'm what they call a Hunter. I can detect other supernatural beings, and I'm training to become a weapons expert. When you came in, I felt this kind of lukewarm blue-white light in my head."

As Cailin reveals more about herself, Tom nods. "I guess you have to earn your wings, then," he says with a wry smile. "My powers didn't all manifest at once. In fact, I'm continuing to discover new ones." He bows to Daiyu. "Daiyu has been helping me with physical conditioning and weapons training. She's a friend, so you're safe around her."

“Oh. Sorry.” Cailin grimaced. “I assumed that you were all vampires…” She shook her head. “I shouldn't have done that I guess.” The girl tilted her head to the side. “A Hunter, eh? Well… If you happen to hunt demons, I'd bet that'd give you some brownie points. Could come in handy at some point.” She winked. “Just sayin'.”

She smiled mischievously for a moment, then sigh. “Well, for the wings it seemed to be pretty definitive. Which is weird when you think of it: everyone thinks angels have wings, surely it comes from somewhere, right? Anyway…”

She grinned, amused. “I'd say I'm pretty safe from anyone who knows what I am and who's not a demon.” She frowned. “The problem is that while most would at least hesitate before attacking an angel, it's not necessarily the case with attacking her charges. And there, what I can do at the moment is a bit limited, even if won't fight their battles for them…” She shrugged. “There should be a middle ground of sorts. Hence the sword idea. Plus, it's cool.”

"If you get yourself a sword, I can teach you," Daiyu said.

[This thread is now closed.]