Time passes quickly as they cover the basics. How this had happened? if they had not been "bit" (or if they had been and not remembered it?). What, besides the sun of course, would kill them?, did they age? and how often they would need to feed?, and how this had all been kept a secret? (mostly secret. Everybody knew about Vampires of course, just in the fictional capacity).

Dean tries hard not to waste De Vega's time, and to appear confident, respectful and capable. He does not bother asking things like if they could "go back", or if they could ever see the sun again. This seems depressingly obvious now.

So after the basics he moves on to more practical matters. Where can they sleep? (If they still needed to?), from who they could feed (and how often they would need to?) and if the victims would remember it. What happens if they did not, or could not feed? Who could they call or come to with more questions?

Once Dean feels they have a handle on the basics, he moves on to more personal matters. If Vampires created other Vampires, then who had created him? And why? What were werewolves and why were they at war with them? Would they be targeted by them in the street? Were there other "enemies" like the "Hunters" that had been referenced?

If De Vega was the "Price" how had that happened? And how was the rest of the heirarachy structured? And were other beings such as Sparrow beholden to it? What else existed our there?

And finally, if he had any personal advice for them to help them integrate into their new existence?
This message was last edited by the player at 13:04, Fri 08 Nov 2019.

Baron De La Vega took the time to answer your questions, not all answers were positive. Having the Baron answering these questions was likely not the norm, but he didn't seem to mind nor was he rushing things along.

To become a vampire, most of your blood has to be drained from your body and you must then ingest a sufficient amount of vampire blood. The vampire whose blood you ingest becomes your Sire and you become one of that clan.

In addition to sunlight, you can be killed by heat/fire, supernatural weapons, such as werewolf claws and vampire fangs, and any strike to the heart. Some claim holy attacks are lethal too, but in all my time, I have never found any basis for that claim. Going to church is not an issue.

You no longer age.

If you want to be satiated or camouflaged, you need to feed nightly. Learning how to use makeup can be a vital survival skill.

Shadowland is secret because we keep it a secret. Lapses have permanent solutions, one way or another. We find it easier to do many things if we maintain a mundane identity and hide in plain sight. Stoker was a vampire. And rumors that Meyer is a Daywalker can't seem to die.

Your need for sleep hasn't changed. It's still eight hours. But many chose to sleep all day and stay up all night, for obvious reasons. Most will wake up at sunset.

We generally don't turn homeless people, so if you don't have a place to stay, you have to figure out your sleeping arrangements on your own. As your Sire is dead, we will assign someone from your clan to take that role, they might have some suggestions. And will be the one you can turn to for answers. They will also take care of all your feeding related questions.

As they didn't have permission to do so, I suspect that your unbirth was an accident. Considering how much of their blood you have to ingest to be infected, accidents are extremely rare. But based on what I've been told regarding your situation, it's not an unlikely scenario. Who is impossible to say for sure, unless only one member of your clan was present at the strike.

Werewolves are shapeshifters, they have been our enemies since time immemorial. If a werewolf knows that you are a vampire and they can attack you without exposing Shadowland, they have sometimes done so. How likely that is, I cannot say.

There are not very many Hunters. They are the rarest of Shadowlanders and all they want is our heads. And their blades do kill us. Others are friends or enemies on a case by case basis.

I am the Baron of San Diego because I took it. And I remain the Baron because I'm good at it and those that have tried to take it from me have permanently failed. I am the leader of all vampires in the San Diego area. Other Shadowlanders have their own power structures. I have a working relationship with Sparrow.

I am also the Batran of the Cravat clan in San Diego and as such, I am a member of the Council. And the Council controls vampire affairs under my command, as the Baron.

There are Demons and Angels. I wouldn't expect them to conform to any specific religious traditions for those terms.

As for personal advice, listen to your Sire. More than anything else, they can help you stay undead. Find a place where you can sleep safely. And figure out quickly what works for you in the feeding department.
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:03, Fri 08 Nov 2019.

Dean is "drinking from the fire hose" so to speak, and is trying very hard to retain everything the Prince is saying.

He suspects, must like the aformentioned amputee, that the full weight of it all will come when he is alone and left to process everything on his own terms. To keep his mind from straying into how his life was over (as well as prospects of career, family, safety...) He focuses on the present.

"Sir, I'd like to try and find out who my Sire was, or at least which Clan I belong to now so I can follow your advice, try to find a coach as soon as possible" it was the most applicable word that came to mind, Dean added. "A mentor" to make it sound more...educated.

"Is there anyway to tell who he was? Or which Clan he belonged to? It all happened so fast, I think I'd have a hard time describing him, but I can try."
This message was last edited by the player at 15:41, Fri 08 Nov 2019.

"That's one of the things we will do this evening," the Baron says.

Dean wants to know more. He wants to know about all the Clans, he wants to know how old De Vega is, he wants to know how to protect himself against werewolves and where beings like Sparrow come from. But his mind is full to the point where he feels like he can't retain much more.

He also senses that he wants to stay in the Princes good graces, and so he holds back from straying from the truly important things.

"Thank you, again"

With the promise that they will learn more  tonight, and that they are not just going to be thrown out in the street, he sits back in the generous office chair and let's Jack satisfy his own curiosity.

Abe considered the answers Dean had been given.  "I won't waste your time on things Sparrow is likely to tell me about later anyways, so I'll just ask this: why are you investing any time in us?  I would expect that person in your position has plenty of other things that need a great deal of attention.  A few Shadowland newbies who haven't even demonstrated the ability to survive 24 hours on their own - and who have in fact already almost died at least once.  It seems strange, from my admittedly limited perspective."

"You are here," the Baron says. "In my casame. In my Domain. Dean and Jack are Sireless Younglings and newcomers to San Diego. By the Second Tradition, a newcomer's first duty is to present himself to the Lord of the Domain. And you have done so in the proper place. By the Fifth Tradition, they need a Sire. It's still daytime. Everyone else is sleeping. There are still hours before any prospective Sire can be selected, informed, and then travel us. The buck stops here. I could have placed you in holding, but what fun is that? Besides, you are my latest cohort. Shouldn't I take this rare opportunity to do something about that?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 11:41, Sat 09 Nov 2019.

Abe nodded.  "Thank you.  How many capital-T Traditions are there, and what are they, if they're not too numerous and you don't mind?  Also, are there customs to which everyone in Shadowland adheres - other than the super obvious first rule of fight club?"

Tom listens, fascinated, as De La Vega explains the inner workings of being a vampire. Obviously, none of the information is directly related to Tom, but if he is apparently part of the Baron's cadre or whatever it is now, it's important for him to pay attention, especially if part of his job from here on out is to continue to keep Jack and Dean alive. He smirks a little at the idea that his two companions will need to learn how to use makeup.

Not many Hunters. Tom shifts slightly in his seat. Sparrow had mentioned that Tom needed to find a mentor, but if Hunters kill one another and other supernatural creatures on sight, the odds are slim of Tom finding someone who can teach him more about who he is and how to deal with all of this.

The Baron also mentions he's someone called the Batran of the Cravat clan. More titles, Tom presumes.

Demons? Angels? Curious. Does this mean that God is real, too, or is Tom just leaping to conclusions?

Cohorts. Traditions. So many new things to learn. The Baron has turned on the firehose, and Tom tries to absorb as much of it as he can.

"Thank you for accepting me into this cohort, sir," Tom says seriously when he gets a chance. "I know my nature seems like it could be a threat to you and yours, and I'm grateful that you've spared my life and given me an opportunity to show I'm trustworthy."

"Each community has its own rules," the Baron says. "There is no committee that rules all of Shadowland. Even the rule of secrecy was made within each sub-community."

"Of course Tom," the Baron says after he turned from Abe to Tom. "Sparrow was right. I've never met a hunter before. That unfortunately also means that I don't know where to find one that can help you to unlock your powers."

As the meeting continued Dead felt himself beginning to lose focus. Had he slept? Was the condition he was in prior to coming here anything like sleeping? The sheer volume of information, the changes to his body, and the enormity of what was occurring looming over him.

"May I stay here? Today? I know you said I need a place of my own, and I intend to find one, but...just before we meet the others." That was also daunting. He had to present himself to the rest of, well, to a group of Vampires, and he was in essence trying out for a team. He had to impress them, at least one of them, if he was to have any chance of finding somebody to take responsibility for him. He tried not to think about what would happen if he failed to do so.

This could lay the foundations for many years to come. He needed better clothing, a shower, he needed to get his shit together before he faced them.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:56, Sat 09 Nov 2019.

"You don't have to worry about that," the Baron says.

You continue to talk, the Baron makes more than an effort to get to know the four of you and around 6 PM food is brought up for Abe and Tom, who hadn't eaten since their late breakfast at the spa.

De La Vega was a gracious host and the fact that the sun sets late in San Diego wasn't even an issue. Talking about sunset, you could perfectly time it with the Baron's change. It was like a sun suddenly became a black hole. His gravitas and charisma literally caught and held you at his event horizon.

It was easy to see how someone could follow him into rebellion or excommunication and he wasn't even trying. Impressive was an understatement!

A couple of hours later, the door is opened again and nine individuals enter the conference room. One of the MIBs opens the door for the rest and a very beautiful Indian female enters. She wore an exclusive sleeveless, indigo dress, and a blood-red dragon tattoo wraps itself around her left arm.

A Native American male in an even more exclusive, dark blue, three-piece suit, white shirt, and black tie in a knot you haven't seen before follows her inside. He moves like a tiger, seems to see everything, and radiates the same impressive charisma as De La Vega does.

A male shimmers into view where there previously hadn't been anyone into the third position. He is dressed all in black and can't be described as anything other than a monster!

The beautiful blonde behind him, had stopped before entering, perhaps to let the monster pass her. She was wearing a full sleeve, red gown with a collar that reaches the top of her ears while the voluminous hood rests on her back. And she is just as impressive and magnetic as the two men you have already seen. Despite having milky white eyes.

A Caucasian male dressed in a black suit with a black shirt, the two topmost buttons unbuttoned, follows her and impressive and magnetic seems to be a common trait among vampires. This is the fourth you have seen today.

An African American female, taller than everyone but Dean, follows in her green outfit. Looking like a model that could arm wrestle Dean or Tom and win. She is paying more attention to the screen of the large tablet in her emerald green leather cover than to her surroundings.

The final Council member is an African American male in black cargo pants and a nice looking black multi-pocket vest over an olive t-shirt. He is the only one of the men with the physique of an alpha male.

Most of the newcomers paid more attention to the four of you than anything else. But before they could do more than that, the Baron sent you away, escorted downstairs by the two MIBs.




[OOC: If this had been a TV series, picture these seven vampires portrayed by Priyanka Chopra, Eli Santana, Jason Momoa in a monstrous makeup, Yvonne Strahovski, Brad Pitt, a 6'4" Oluchi Onweagba, and Mike Colter.]

[OOC: Writing this post, which mostly was getting the appropriate visuals for the seven vampires took much more time than I had hoped or wanted. And with another eight on the way, I really need to split the "introductions" up.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 04:56, Mon 11 Nov 2019.

Dean, although obviously young, had been somewhat accustomed to being in the company of physically powerful athletes, demanding coaches and eagle eyed fans and media. But nothing he had ever experienced had prepared him in the slightest for the panoply of predators that had filed into the conference room. Although he was taller than all of them, and at least appeared stronger, it really meant nothing. At least that was the impression he had come away with.

He was simultaneously relieved and a little confused when they were shepherded out of the room and back down the stairs while the "adults" conversed. He had assumed something like an admissions board would have taken place right there, but it seemed they had other business to discuss away from the new blood.

Although he did not have to, he let out a long, slow breath, let his head fall back, and his eyes close as he mentally prepared himself for what was about to come. When he opened them he was glad to see the others, friends he could say, his "cohort" as they had been called. His team. At the very least they were all in this together.

The expression on his face told them he was nervous despite his efforts to hide it. Abe had Sparrow, it seemed like a done deal, and poor Tom seemed to have nobody else to relate to. Not even rumors of people like him. So it could be worse, Dean thought.

"That's a fuck ton of Vampires." Dean said just loud enough to carry within the group as they navigated the staircase down.

Going almost all day without eating, Tom had dug into his meal with gusto before realizing that only he and Abe had eaten. Oh, right, the whole blood thing. The vamps still had to eat, but their diet was much more restrictive now.

When the nine vampires entered, Tom could feel them coming first, but seeing them in person was even more striking. These people radiated power, and they all seemed so different. Some were magnetically charismatic or beautiful. One was monstrous. Another seemed like he was either military or former military. And the last two - maybe they were underlings or something? For some reason, Tom had imagined vampires to be pretty much homogeneous, but these nine were quite diverse, well, except for their two escorts. He wondered why the other two felt more muted than De La Vega and the rest of the council.

Now, Tom nods his head when Dean put into words what Tom was thinking. Then, Tom asks their escorts, "Are you guys vampires, too? I kind of feel from you what I feel from the Baron and the other council members, but it seems muted somehow."

"No," one of them says. "We are not." There is a finality in his words. As if he isn't going to elaborate. As you approached the second floor, music becomes louder and louder. There are people here now. The spaces that before only had been primed for bottle service is now earning the club money.

The MIBs continue down to the first floor, the dance floor is filled with guests, but you only skirted around it, and then you go through another private door that you know leads down to the garage.

When you enter the garage, eight individuals are waiting for you.

“They are not mine,” a woman to the left wearing blue jeans and a long-sleeved shirt says. Like one of the vampires above, she looks like a monster. She and the air around her shimmers and she vanishes.

In the center, two beautiful women had been talking to each other when you entered. The Israeli, oozing an aura of command, wore a sleeveless tan jacket and matching tan pants of the same material.

"So, two of you are younglings," she says.

The other female was an elegantly dressed redhead in a sleeveless top and pants. She is alert and ready to go.

To their left was a Korean female, fit, strong, explosive, in a light blue jeans jacket and tight, dark blue pants. And next to her a Caucasian male in his 60s dressed in a gray sweater and pants.

To the right is an African American woman, her features hidden in the shadows of the garage, and what she’s wearing it making it easier for her to be lost in the shadows. Next to her is a man of mixed heritage in his 50s, with the beginnings of a beard and dressed in a fine black suit, black shirt, and tie. And he’s wearing round glasses.

Further away on your right, a final female is seated on the hood of the 6x6. She’s Pakistani and barely seems to be paying attention to what’s going on.


[OOC: So, in order of appearance, these vampires are portrayed by Sonal Chauhan in monster makeup, Gal Gadot, Emma Stone, Mia Kang, Liam Neeson, Alfre Woodard, Keanu Reeves, and Sophia Ali.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:10, Mon 11 Nov 2019.

As the group descends the staircase, Dean continues to try and process everything they were learning. Any one of these things would have been earth shattering, but taken as a whole they were almost impossible to comprehend. He was, in a way immortal. He could technically live forever.

There had been somebody up there, a creature unlike the others. What did that mean? How had that happened? Could it happen to him? to Jack?

One had been wearing military style clothing. Did these creatures have their own police? Their own military?

Croatan would be looking for them eventually, his family, the police. They had probably already called.

These thoughts and dozens more flit through Deans mind as he walks, down around the club and its music, back down to the garage, where to his surprise, were even more strangers in the know.

It occurs to him now that they had seen him, have all seen him, fresh from the road trip and the Jade Dragon, which already feels like a lifetime ago. Unshowered, in his under-armor shirt and workout shorts. There would likely be no chance to collect himself, to have any time alone with his thoughts. It was likely just going to happen all at once, and he tried to make peace with that.

Dean slows as they round  the corner and see the assembly in the garage, his eyes flick across the strangers before he focuses on the one speaking.

"News must travel fast" Dean replies with more confidence than he really feels. He glances to his friends, then back to the group. "I'm Dean, one of the ah...younglings." the word sounds odd to him so he follows up quickly. "I'm new, like brand new"
This message was last edited by the player at 06:16, Mon 11 Nov 2019.

"That's what we've heard," the Israeli says. "But we were also told that there were only two of you.

"Nah," the black-dressed male says. "Pascal told you that there were two younglings. He didn't say that they would be alone."

She looks daggers at him. "In any case," she continues. "Who are the two of you? And why are you here?"

If he were someone else, Abe might have been caught like a deer in the headlights and either blabbed or gotten defensive when the woman directly questioned him.  However, he had experience as a man under authority.  He'd had to deal with similar situations, refusing to allow brass to pass on the basis of higher authority, or even with a lack thereof, orders originating within his chain of command.  Sure that brass couldn't have ever actually ripped his head off... but then neither could the people he had the orders from do so to them.  He doubted they would dare to kill people that the Baron had just

So instead of being cowed, he responded easily, "We are being recognized by the Baron as part of the newest cohort in his service, along with these two gentlemen.  We just spent the afternoon learning the ropes from him.  I'm Abe Griffith.  Who are you all?  You seem like too special a group of people to be sitting in a parking garage."

"I'm Keren," the Israeli says. "Our various Batrans told us to come here and test you. Or them." She looks at Dean and then at Jack and Tom as if trying to figure out who the second vampire is.

"We will be your Sires, because your Sires are dead. But before we can figure out who that will be, we need to figure out what clan you are a member of. As that procedure is one on one, you each pick one of the seven of us, we will test you and you will switch until you find your match. Any questions?"



[OOC: Ask questions if you have them. Otherwise, you select who you want to be tested by. As we are doing this pbp, you can give me one individual at a time or you can give me the entire ordered list. This way we can post as it happens or we can post everything at the same time even though it chronologically happens in sequence.]

Abe nodded his understanding.  "Well, Keren, it was nice to meet you.  While this will no doubt prove to be interesting, it's got little to do with me currently. Jack's the other one you're looking for."

He looked at one of the MIB.  "Is it possible for me to speak with Sparrow for a while as they are tested?"

After hours of conversation with Prince De Vega, Dean feels significantly more confident than he had at the beginning of the day. He looks at the assembled, left to right as he tries putting things together.

So the ones upstairs were the "Batrans", and these were the ones trusted enough to take on trainees. Students. "Younglings". Dean figures that they all must be fairly respected in that case.

Before him are examples of money, sex, power, and potent charisma. There are parts of him that desires all of these, but it's not him, and in all this chaos he was looking for him hint of familiarity.

He looked at the Asian girl. Practical clothing, well built, and not trying to show off. It took self discipline to get a figure like that, and Dean respects that. Of course there would also be an irony if he was paired with the most petite among them. That was not to say that he thinks any less of her for being small of course.

"Alright..." He takes three slow steps towards the Korean woman, and nods to her. "How does this work?" clearly indicating that he would like to start with her.
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:32, Mon 11 Nov 2019.

"Right, and I'm Tom," the young Hunter says. "Like Abe said, we're part of the cohort, although I'll be honest, I don't really understand what that means." He looks at Dean and Abe and then back at these other vampires. Although he's here with Dean, Abe, and Jack, Tom feels a keen sense of being alone, out of place, like he's swimming through the depths of the ocean and can't clearly see, all while being surrounded by sharks of all stripes and colors.

"The Baron seems okay with us sticking together," he offers. "All four of us were changed somehow, and we're kind of in this together."

The MIB looked at Keren.

"Of course," Keren says. "Both of you can go if you like. Or remain here."

"If you had a chance to be transformed into a bird," the man in the glasses said looking at Tom. "Would you be a lion, the Brooklyn Bridge, the color red, or a rippling creek?"

The MIB escorts Abe upstairs. If Tom is accompanying them, the MIB waits until Tom is ready to go.

Dean approaches the vampires and the Korean female in particular. As he gets closer and gets a better point of view, he notes that four of the other five females are actually smaller than the Korean and that the Israeli has the same height, but is slightly heavier.

"As a Lupator you are strong," she says and introduces herself as Ha-yoon. "Stronger than other vampires. Call upon your Saenge and show me your strength."


[OOC: The Baron explained that Saenge is the power of your vampiric blood. Your Blood Pool or Energy Reserve, if you will.

Dean, in this case, make a Will roll. And do whatever you feel like doing to demonstrate your strength. Lifting things, hitting things, throwing things, jumping, or anything else that requires strength, whether it requires ST or not.]

Lupator. Dean rolls the word over in his mind. It sounded Spanish maybe? In any case he feels a wave of relief wash over him when Ha-Yoon asked him to show her his strength. That he could do.

"Alright" Dean nods a few times, looking confident. He settles on one of the cars in the garage with a sturdy looking bumper, something with a tow hitch or steel eyelets in the front. Anything he could get a good grip on.

He rolls his neck with a few muffled pops, then his shoulders, obviously phyching himself up for the challenge, then took a position at the end of the vehicle and dropped into a solid deadlift stance.

Don't fuck this up he tells himself, then gets his grip and stares straight ahead with a focused intensity.

When he lifts and hits resistance, the veins in his neck splay out, and his face flushes as he exerts maximum effort to impress those watching.

13:13, Today: Dean Mason rolled 8 using 3d6.  Lifting.

13:08, Today: Dean Mason rolled 5 using 3d6.  Will.

"Good," Ha-yoon says, but there is no emotion in her voice or in her eyes. Her left hand touches his right bicep, she puts some pressure on it as if to test his strength. In some ways, it reminds you of Carter nearly touching Captain America after his transformation. But in others, this is completely different. Ha-yoon takes what she wants, but there is no foreshadowing of emotion.

"You're strong. For a human." Then she repeats what you have done without effort. "Sometimes it takes a while. Sometimes a different exercise will work better for you. Show me your strength."