Alain sat upright. Each Yakuza Lord kneeled before him. All of them had fallen into line. Their old leader had been disgraced; he had been using outside influence to maintain his strength and, furthermore, he was now dead. His head rested on the table next to their new leader. Each of the lords that had remained true to Alain were rewarded. Those that had not, were not. Neither were they punished. However, they were warned. The corpseless head was a good reminder. Alain now informed them that no change in structure was to take place. Furthermore, he would actually take less, a token profit, from each of them. The amount they were required to pay was far less than what had been expected from their old ruler. Even now they were getting richer. Furthermore, Alain had released funds to them in order to rebuild part of the quarter that had been destroyed. They knew him as Ryu. More important was Onikage's reaction upon hearing the news of Alain's connection to the Yakuza, and that he was the last remnant of the "House of Leaves". "That's impossible!" Onikage had shouted. Pounding his fist upon the Go board. Alain had smiled, then recited. Onikage had listened in wonder. No-one, not even of the Kindred, except those born into (or in his case married into) one would ever have known the words of the Houses. Alain's credentials were now beyond question. Alain sipped saki, Onikage and his daughter opposite. He smiled; for the first time in years he felt at home. No-one would ever have understood why he had gone "native". Yet the answer was very, very simple. In this culture his privacy was respected. They did not ask questions that he would never answer. Furthermore, they kept secrets secret. Already, his power had been consolidated. No-one without Japanese heritage would be able to enter this quarter without his knowledge. He knew more names: Fredrick Frost and Rand Windrunner. But still he remained anxious - no word from the Primogen or the Prince. - End of post. Alain Roche, Tremere. In the darkness beneath the streets of New Chelsea, a solitary Brujah stood, rubbing his hands together, deep in thought. This was Rutger Leick's Haven, one that very few Kindred knew about these days. At one time, Brujah all over thie city would come here daily. Now, there were none. None except that elusive Airegon. Fredrick Frost knew about the place of course. Though he didn't like to admit it, Leick would worry about the Caitiff coming back to finish him off. The Primogen wanted to move, but there was a connection here. Something about the place that kept him living here, unable to move. That Frost was a troublesome little anarch, but might not be for long. Rumor had it that he was tailing the mutant Nosferatu - and that he had not the protection of the 'official' hunters, led by Rand Windrunner. This could work to Leick's advantage - right now he had his Ghoul, Trini Hiroshi, trailing Frost. She would tell Leick of his actions. Maybe the Primogen could lead his Clanless nemesis to his death. Wouldn't that be something? And Windrunner... There had to be something Rutger could do to him. The Prince was relying on Rand. If Leick could corrupt him or, should it come to it, kill him... - There is a way - What? Who said that? - There is a way - Leick spun round on his heel, searching the darkness for a source of the whispering. But there was no-one. A chill ran through Leick as he began to realize the voice had resonated within his own soul. It was internal, not external. But he had not spoken the words... - Yes - A memory came back to Leick: the voice. He had heard it before, when searching for the Great Crystal. But he had assumed it was connected to the crystal itself. Could the gem be back? Unlikely; he would have felt its re-emergence. Then what? - I am here - Where? What? Who? How? But the voice was silent. A bloody tear dripped down Leick's cheek as he dropped to his knees. He knew not why he was frightened so, only that he had never before experienced such a chill in his soul. But the power! The voice commanded obedience, exuded authority. And it was in him! Somehow, he had this voice within his spirit. Not for the first time, Leick wondered what his future would bring. - End of post. Rutger Leick, Brujah Primogen. She was sitting in her favorite place. On a large boulder in the middle of a clearing in the woods. Airegon stared silently at the ground. She was different after Laplace had nearly killed her. She wasn't even sure if she was grateful to Karl for saving her. Her life would have been so much easier if he hadn't. A crimson tear trickled down her face as she jumped off the rock and ran off into the woods, hoping that maybe something would happen and her life would come to an end. - End of post. Airegon, Brujah. Men and women were walking briskly past the Bezoar Complex to return home to their families, or not. Milling mindlessly about the dark corners of the Gothic City, every one ignorant of what sinister forces gathered inside the building. "Wraiths..." the Nosferatu ancilla sighed, looking at the form beside her and shaking her head. "I hate wraiths". Lilith had failed to perform one of her orders, to protect Kenshiro Shimata - or so she had thought. It seemed, though, that someone had other plans for the slain Jap, as he had returned... mostly. Now, in the Prince's throne room with Sarah and Sonya, they faced the Prince as an unholy quartet. Bodyguards flanked the seated Prince while another pair of guards bordered the entrance. Two videoconference screens were also situated to the left and right of the Prince, wheeled in here for the purpose of this meeting. Kenshiro Shimata's wraith hovered beside the three Nosferatu who innocently looked like three business women in suits. "My death was never part of the bargain..." Kenshiro shouted. "The Giovanni necromancers promised me eternal life... to be Embraced. The Yakuza... with a Gaijin in a position of authority... intolerable!" The video screens to the right of the Prince sprung to life. On the screen was an olive skinned man in an Armani suit. Ironically, the sun was shining brightly behind him... a Ghoul. "We promised you eternity on this plane of existence. We have kept our word." The man pushed his glasses up with his finger. "As for Ryu Kassiguru, he is well suited for the upcoming tasks... and the Camarilla could use as many allies as can be gathered Mr. Shimata". Kenshiro Shimata fumed while he floated but kept silent. Not all of the Gangrel have abandoned their lives and duties but many had begun their exodus from the cities. Originating from Baltimore, the news spread like wildfire throughout the rest of the Americas. Only time would tell how the Gangrel throughout the rest of the world would react to the news. Nevertheless, the decree made by Justicar Xavier had thinned the Camarillan ranks of Gangrel in the US. Another screen flickered on, this time an 8x10 photo of Sarah Michelle Gellar showed up. A female voice chuckled, "Even if we are forced to call for help from human mages... or wraiths? Alexander, some of your Primogen are tardy this evening. Jack, Dia, Rutger and whore mother Iliana are all present but where are the others?" The Primogen all nervously glanced at their Prince who did not return their intrusive stares. Iliana cocked her head to side and whispered, "Pig farmer." Laplace finally spoke, "That is none of your concern... my old friend. We have more pressing matters to deal with". The Prince shifted his gaze to Lilith and glared at her for a brief moment, his eyes deep and glassy. Was he able to penetrate Lilith's mind shroud? Even if he couldn't, Prince Laplace was almost certainly able to see through Sarah's and Sonya's illusions. "Lilith... Sireless, formless, slaughtering Kine left, right and center. Demolishing entire sections of my city and threatening the Masquerade." He briefly paused to scratch his left eyebrow. "At least you did not send any of our kind to their Final Deaths... though YOU tread that precarious path with your actions." "Prince Laplace of New Chelsea of the clan... Toreador?" Lilith grinned ever so slightly. "I have given you the reasons for my actions and where my orders have come from. Remember that they come from a higher authority." The Prince remained still. "So I have heard. Where are these Sabbat hooligans Lilith? Surely they would send more than one pack to attack. That is, if their intention is to conquer the city as you claim." "They have Prince Laplace. In fact....", a shadow in the shape of a cow caught Lilith's attention at that moment, and it was flowing gently, sliding into a 'smiley face' form. "ASSASSINS!" Lilith was barely fast enough to grab her two Childer by the arms and fling them underneath one of the videoconference tables. A bright light encompassed the throne room and Lilith was forced to cover her eyes. The pain was immense. Eventually it faded. Lilith stood up to see how many had died in the attack, but was unable to see anything. For now at least, she was blind! - End of post. Lilith, Nosferatu. The heavy-set Brujah was slouched against the wall of the Throne Room. To be honest, Rutger Leick was having trouble deciphering exactly what the heck was going on. For some reason, Laplace had arranged to meet with the very monsters he had sent his trackers to hunt down, and he had wheeled out some video display units Leick hadn't seen used in a couple of years. There was a vague disturbance in the air above the three Nosferatu, but Leick supposed it was an offshoot of the Obfuscation powers being used in the room. Or, he thought that until the disturbance started to speak. A wraith! They had brought a wraith into the complex! Why on earth would they do such a thing? While it was true that wraiths could have no physical effects on a corporeal environment, it was dangerous to have one around. Leick wasn't a superstitious person, but everyone knew that where a wraith went, trouble was sure to follow. At this point, it looked like the meeting was actually geared around the dead man. An Oriental Ghoul was conversing with the shade via television. Apparently he was responsible for the current nature of the wraith's existence. How strange... But what was this? Another person had joined the conversation, using a still picture of some blond bimbo as a cover. "Alexander," she spoke, her voice husky, "some of your Primogen are tardy this evening. Jack, Dia, Rutger and whore mother Iliana are all present, but where are the others?" Leick frowned at this. The mysterious conversant had recognized him but he had no idea who she was. That made the Brujah feel uneasy. He glanced over at the Prince for a reaction. None was forthcoming. He must know the woman pretty well to take such flippancy so well. The Brujah also stole a look at the Nosferatu Primogen, Jack Lewis. The ugly little Sewer Rat was cowering in the corner, obviously unnerved by recent events beyond his control, but well within his domain. Leick couldn't keep a grin from creeping across his face. The Prince had turned now, and was addressing the Nosferatu rebel before him, chastising her for her recent actions. The mutant (who seemed currently to be a rather attractive young woman in a fashionable gray suit) seemed nonplussed at the verbal lashing, and merely smiled as she gave minimal defense for her actions. "So I have heard," Laplace replied to one of Lilith's comments. "Where are the Sabbat hooligans Lilith? Surely they would send more than one pack to attack. That is, if their intention is to conquer the city as you claim." The Sabbat? When did they arrive in the town? Suddenly, Rutger's mind began to race. He had encountered the Black Hand in the past, he knew of their methods. And something in those memories resonated with recent events. He had been involved in a struggle with them in San Francisco at one time (a fight he was ashamed to say he had lost) and remembered a specific pattern of destruction. Much like the methods of the anarch Fredrick Frost. Could he be Sabbat? It seemed unlikely, but his randomly destructive methods seemed to point in that direction. Anyway, it was something to think about. "They have Prince Laplace. In fact...." Lilith trailed off, staring at one of the blank walls of the throne room. Suddenly, her eyes went wide. "ASSASSINS!" she yelled, throwing herself and her Progeny beneath a heavy oak table. Rutger Leick began to panic. An Assamite? Here? As his eyes searched the room, a brilliant flash of blinding light covered everything. The pulse shot through his eyeballs and burned the back of his brain. The light may not have been sunlight, but it was possibly more intense. He fought to control the rötschrech, the intense fear of fire and sunlight, and kept his cool. What was going on? But in a moment, the light had faded. Leick glanced around, and was faced with a horrifying realization. He was blind! The Brujah rubbed his eyes with his hands. Nothing! He could not see. Now hysteria began to creep in, but something in the back of his mind fought it, a part separate from the rest. Almost another voice. Listening to its calm rationality, Leick let the Blood flow to his eyeballs, healing them. When his vison had returned, the Primogen took in the sights around him, and was amazed! Alexander Laplace was no longer seated, but standing now, his legs spread apart in a powerful stance. Though Leick had no Auspex of his own, even he could see Laplace's aura at this moment. The Toreador had projected the aura into a nearly solid form about him, which had captured the powerful light in its grasp. The Prince's arms were raised above his head, and the captured light gathered into a ball in his hands. With a show of great strength, Laplace squeezed the ball to miniscule size, until it was absorbed by his aura, and the aura faded from view. Leick had never seen anything like it! The Prince had not shown his power for a long time, and the display was both wonderful and terrifying. It was a reminder that they were safe, and a threat of destruction all at once. As Leick looked arond him, he saw that the other Kindred in the room had regained their sight and were also staring in awe at the Toreador. A fire burned in his eyes as Laplace stepped down from the dais to stand face to face with Lilith. His face contorted into a snarl that may have caused even Lilith to shrink back (though it was hard to tell). "You would bring assassins into my Domain?" he growled. Stammering slightly, Lilith replied, "No, no Sire. It was not..." "Regardless of whether or not you invited them here, it is plain to all here that you are responsible for what transpired here today. Go. Take your Progeny and leave this building, never to darken its doorstep again. I will permit you to stay in the city, but you shall not destroy a single human under my sky. Neither shall you beget Progeny, lest my wrath destroy you. And if your name is mentioned to me in the same breath as word of destruction, I shall not hesitate to have my enforcer bring about your Final Death. Do you understand me?" The shocked Nosferatu could do little but nod. "Leave. Now. Before my temper gets the better of me." And she made a hasty retreat. Leick was thoughtful as the guests left, the wraith vanished from view, and the vid screens went blank. Today had been enlightening, in many ways. Of course the Nosferatu would not listen to Laplace's orders, and the Prince would likely not follow through on his threats (Leick would be surprised if the Toreador even remembered about them come tomorrow) but a new struggle had begun. One that Leick might just be able to take advantage of. But what wasn't clear was: what exactly was the bright light that had invaded the throne room? Elsewhere in New Chelsea: The olive-skinned man turned from the camera before him to face the unusual being that had hired him. Cray looked at the Ghoul and smiled. "Was that okay?" the semi-immortal asked of his employer. "Perfect," the dulcet tones of the man called Cray responded. The Ghoul had performed admirably. All concerned actually believed the Giovanni had been responsible for turning Kenshiro Shimata into a wraith. And there was no way they could find out otherwise. Cray had not allowed for any mistakes. And the best part, he congratulated himself, was bringing that energy assault into the throne room. The events set in motion tonight might be enough to bring about Gehenna. With a little help, of course... On that note, Cray made the choice to contact Them. He knew They would be pleased with his work. Smiling gently, he retired. - End of post. Rutger Leick, Brujah Primogen. Alain Roche grabbed a little time to overlook the reconstruction of the Shinto temple. Much of his spare time was spent, as ever, reading tomes on the occult or training. His greatest strength lay not in being an assassin, although he had been trained as such, but in what humanity called Magick. Again it was only in Japan where he learned that he had always been a Mystic. In his youth the visions, nightmares and the multitude of extra perceptions had terrified him. He had never dared to speak of it while in England. He had never intended to end up in Japan. Fate had played its part there. Setting sail, he had been making his way to China when the tsunami ship-wrecked him off Miyazaki, just along from Okinawa. He remembered pulling himself, half drowned, up from the rocky beach only to come face to face with a Samurai. The man was shouting at him, then came the interuption of a calm, commanding voice. Turning, he saw another, dressed in silk. For some strange reason Alain bowed, then collapsed... Weeks had gone by before he realised he was imprisoned. Nevertheless he was treated well. Much to the suprise of keepers, this Gai-Jin showed manners, and washed regularly. Something that Europeans were known well for avoiding. Alain's behaviour, so uncharacteristic of a Westerner, caused his captors problems. He was a barbarian by birth, yet showed an uncharacteristic subtlety of behaviour and absolute self discipline. He even meditated! Alain's mind, accademic in nature, allowed him to learn quickly. He was begining to learn Japanese, yet he kept it quiet. He knew that there were wheels within wheels, and that for now he had to listen and learn..... Then came the fateful night. The attack. Very few people would ever be able to comprehend the fear induced by an assassin. Their stealth, silence, total efficiency in killing. He remembered: it was only the Japanese who had made fighting into an art. He had been lying awake feeling uneasy. He rose from his mat, and made his way to the garden. His bare feet must have ensured his silent movement. There before him was the assassin. Slowly he had followed it; for some unknown reason, it had not detected him. The discovery would have seemed to be pure chance, had it not been for his dream. Only when the assassin stopped and pulled out his blade, ready to enter a room, did Alain react. Quickly, and without hesitation, he grabbed the assassin's head from behind, and screamed. By the time the guards arrived, Alain was close to death. More, importantly, the assassin was dead. The assassin had come for Nikko; her father Lord Kassiguru of the House of Leaves now owed Alain a debt of life - his daughter's. The House of Leaves, the Eleventh House, the smallest of all the Houses, had one speciality. They trained the Emperor's Assassins..... The one that had come for Nikko had been Yakuza, a poor substitue for a Ninja trained by Kassiguru. Many died that night, they had failed their duty to protect the House. What Alain would only understand later was the great shame of their House being saved by their prisoner and a Gai-Jin. Alain was renamed. No longer a barbarian, but Ryu Kassiguru. His training would now begin, all the secrets of the House: assassination and magick. But that was a long, long time ago. He had even married Nikko. She had aged, he had not.... Alain Roche stirred from his musings, and went back to training. He would wait for orders. - End of post. Alain Roche, Tremere. Rachelle stood at the doors to Laplace's throne room. She had seen a small but steady stream of Kindred heading to the Bezoar complex and had followed them. She had overpowered the single guard that was watching the door, rendering him unconscious, and was now staring into the throne room. She could see the man she assumed was the Prince sitting in a large ornate chair. Near him were some video screens. She couldn't see who was being displayed but she assumed it was some Kindred who felt they needed to be at this meeting to discuss... well, whatever it was they were discussing. She had just come in, so she couldn't be sure. "So I have heard," Laplace replied to one of Lilith's comments. "Where are the Sabbat hooligans Lilith? Surely they would send more than one pack to attack. That is, if their intention is to conquer the city as you claim." So Lilith knew about the Sabbat. This was a twist. To add insult to injury, she had told the whole city about it. When Cochrane found out he wouldn't be pleased. Not at all. Rachelle looked away from the door. Soon she would have to get out of there. She hadn't been formally introduced to the Prince yet and this was probably not the best time for it. She knew what Cochrane would want to know anyway. That Laplace and the Primogen knew of their plans. She began to walk away. Suddenly she heard what she thought was th word "Assassins". She pivoted on her heel and, as she did, a bright flash caught her in one of her eyes. Her right eye seared with an intense pain. She closed it relying on her other eye to see. She turned again, heading towards the stairs. She pushed the door opened loudly. Whatever had happened, she wasn't about to stick around to find out. Once she was half-way to the bottom of the building, her eyesight was fully functional again. She had to tell Frost and Cochrane about this. She wasn't sure how Frost would react to this news but she could almost guarantee Cochrane's reaction. The next twenty-four hours were going to be interesting. - End of Post. Rachelle Proulx, Caitiff. Tempest stood across from the Bezoar Complex. He had noticed after all of the strange events occured that the Kindred of the city were getting ready for something, something big. Tempest walked around to the back of the complex and climbed the wall slowly. When he got to the roof, he walked over to the center and kicked open a door he found, which led down into the building. It splintered open, and the Gangrel began to walk slowly down the stairs. When he got to his destination, he heard the word "ASSASSINS!" shouted loudly, then saw a flash of bright, intense light, followed by someone running from the door. She had been spying. He decided to follow. She slowed down eventually, about three blocks from the complex. Tempest also slowed; he would continue to follow her, but he needed some time to gather his thoughts and decide his next move. There were so many options tonight. This spy he was tailing was intriguing. He was also interested in meeting the Frost character he had heard so much about. In addition, he thought about the summons he had received from the Gangrel Primogen. Why go? It's just a waste of time. Primogen! Cowardly pigs, too lazy to do their own work. Perhaps I'll go and tell this to his face... - End of post. Tempest, Gangrel. Sheilina sat on the cold dungeon floor, wondering what all the racket was about upstairs. Her Auspex told her another mystical force was in action. She began to concentrate harder on her powers; she must figure out what was going on. Sheilina seemed to drift into a trance, closing her eyes, until all thoughts of everything around her was gone. She flopped back onto the hard floor, still not moving and not opening her eyes. Guards came in and called for her to get up: she had a visitor. They let Airegon in. "What's wrong with her?" asked Airegon, concerned at the sight of her friend slumped on the ground. "Who cares?" the guard shrugged callously. "I do! Help her!" she commanded, as crimson tears began to trickle down her face. Airegon began to wonder what was wrong with her. Ever since her dealings with Laplace she was different. Actually the changes had begun to take place after the only one she ever loved left her without a word. Frost. Airegon ran out of the castle and into the darkness, not stopping until she reached Frost's mansion, and collapsed in sobs in front of it. - End of post. Sheilina/Airegon, Caitiff/Brujah. Lilith couldn't help but to turn all the lights on in her domain. The less shadows tonight the better. She recalled only having one encounter with a Lasombra and that was enough for her. As far as Lilith was concerned, all debts owed to the Giovanni were paid in full. Lilith walked over to her seated Progeny who were resting. Patting them both of them on the shoulder, she stared at the pools of water outside and surrounding her lair. The Prince's power was astonishing to behold (after using a minimal amount of blood to heal her blinded eyes). Lilith wondered why she would use the term "sire" for Laplace. She shivered... Lilith would definitely stay away from the Prince's palace but no more Kine slaughter? What would she and her Childer feed on... cows? They would have to invent more devil worship cults and alien visitor crop circle stories to cover up the bloodless cow corpses. "Neither shall you beget Progeny..." echoed the Prince's command in her mind. Maybe the Prince should have given her a box of condoms too. She shook her head and grunted a short but loud "HA!". "Sarah, Sonya... come here. I have a question for you." Both reacted to their Sire's command instantly, staring into Lilith's eyes as they waited. "Do you like animals?" - End of post. Lilith, Nosferatu.