Re: Bearer of Bad News

[Donna Sangiovanni]

After bidding farewell to the Prince, Donna left her haven and began to head back to the city, where she would meet up with the Koigen. She didn't quite know what to expect, but she was sure she'd need to keep on her toes, stay alert, otherwise she might end up in trouble.

[Claymore]

The Prince didn’t know offhand where Koigen Amshel was at the time, but she did have his number. After a brief call, he said you were welcome to meet him a nearby art gallery, where he was looking to pick up a few pieces at auction.

And she did permit you to look more into the journal, since you may as well have already read it anyway. But only on the conditions that you keep any details and conclusions discrete until their real impact could be weighed, and that the journal does not leave her haven. But if you ever needed to look at it again, certain parts of her haven would remain open to you, provided you called one of her Ghouls before coming to make sure it was an appropriate time, and that one of them would shadow you while you were in the house. Even she admitted though, her occult library wasn’t as extensive as the Koigen’s, so starting with him is probably a good idea.

[MILLANDSON]

Donna stepped back into the room for a moment. "Where would you suggest I locate myself, my lady? And where would I find the Koigen of the Dragons?" she asked, thankful for any suggestions the Prince would give.

[Claymore]

Just as you were about to exit the room, with the door open, the Prince called you back. Donna... She waited for you to turn around. "You might want to set up residence here, and talk to the Koigen about sharing territory first."

[Donna Sangiovanni]

OOC: Sure, I can roll with it

And sure, I guess I could meet up with the Dragons to try to get into their good books. After that, I'll probably try to research the book some more.

[Claymore]

OC:

Well first of all, the character Jade is being retired. I'm not going to NPC her, but I am going to replace her with an NPC who can fill that role, at least until I can get a PC to do it. The transition might be a little awkward though, so for continuity purposes, I'm enacting the all-powerful ST 'just go with it' rule. But one option is to get in touch with the local Dragons and see about setting yourself up with them. Victor is still on loan to you until you get settled. Another possibility is perusing the story about that journal. Could score some points with the Prince if you give her some information about that she didn't already know, it's a pretty big deal. And you haven't actually left the Prince's office yet, so you're still free to ask a few more questions.

And when you made your character, you had a few goals for her, right? Pick one, and run with it. I can give you advice if you give me a specific question. Or you could just drop the Archbishop a line for a 'mission accomplished' and see what else she has in mind for you. If you're still at a loss, just leave her room and wait for a moment, and I'll send a story out after you.

[Donna Sangiovanni]

OOC: Not really... where would you suggest? Wasn't there something else the Archbishop wanted me to do?

She maintained a polite smile as you spoke. But tilted her head slightly at the comments that could be taken as backhanded, revealing the smile to possibly be misleading. "She already knows, she stated bluntly. "If you have no more questions, you may go", she said in a light but dismissive tone.


_{OC: If you're done here, do you know where you'd like to go next?}

[Donna Sangiovanni]

Donna nodded as the Prince explained her decision. It made total sense, given the situation going on in the city, and she wasn't sure she'd have made a different decision if she'd been in the Prince's position. A smile crossed her face when the Prince divulged her secret, however. She hadn't expected her to be quite as sly as that. The fact that her sire had spoken to Ciara knocked her back a little though, as she'd been told that no one would really know of her allegience. Not that it mattered much, Donna thought, it wasn't as though many Kindred would have a clue what being a member of the Sangiovanni actually meant.

"I would be a fool to refuse such an offer, my Prince. I accept with heartfelt gratitude. I must admit, my briefing of you from my elders might have been a little off, I wasn't told quite how... cunning you were." she replied, glancing in the direction Victor had gone to indicate what she meant. "I can see how much of a pleasure it will be to work with you. That my bloodline decided to tell you of my allegiance to them, that they decided to talk to you at all, shows your power, and I am not one to ignore things like that. You have my fealty, my lady." Donna added, dropping to one knee and bowing to the Prince.

"As a show of that, I will ensure that the Archbishop does not catch word of your... friendship, with Victor. You have my oath that she won't hear it from me."

"I didn't want the most well established, and difficult to uproot Kindred in our ranks, but one with potential. Someone who wouldn't be seen as too much of a threat to the Ordo Dracul who already hold some of that territory. It's only an experiment, and if it fails, it's not going to reflect poorly on the Lancea Sanctum or Ordo Dracul. The effort alone strengthens our relationship.

You are new here. But you're not so new to the Covenant that I can't see what your capable of. And your Sire, of course, spoke of your mind for business and why you were brought into the Sangiovanni line to begin with. All that remained was to sort of see it for myself. So I'll tell you a little secret. She leaned in closer and whispered, "Victor doesn't work for the Archbishop", with a slight grin on her face. She leaned back and spoke seriously again. "That's how I knew about the discussions and insights on city politics you've been having on the way over here.

You're free to refuse of course, or take some time to decide. But please let me know soon. You can pass the message along through Victor."



OC: I figured out why your avatar was adding so much extra space. Should just be able to copy the code from your last post there now.

[Donna Sangiovanni]

Donna was struck dumb at the offer, so surprised was she that she had to actively stop her jaw from dropping.

"I am... speechless, my lady. Given the short period of time I've spent here in your city, I could not have dreamed of the sheer generosity you have expressed towards me. Of course, I will accept, and I hope I will not let you or the city down." she replied, still gobsmacked. Her elders in Venice would probably be equally surprised when she informed them of her new position.

"Can I ask what I have done to deserve such a generous position, my lady? No offence intended, but I find it hard to believe that every new Kindred is given this level of responsibility." she said warily.

She nodded. But from her expression, it was hard to tell what she was really thinking. Maybe it was deliberate subterfuge, or maybe she was just so old that the ability to really display emotion had been forgotten. "Serenity may very well be about to slip into civil war. This Covenant has decided that it's time to show some gesture of unity with our Dragon neighbors to make sure these islands don't share that fate. For the moment, this information doesn't leave this room", she explained, and hesitated a moment for you to take that in. "The Ordo Dracul has selected Jade to represent them in a kind of psudo-joint-regency of the second largest island in this domain. The area is small, but this is only an experiment. And she already has a good deal of influence there. I'd like to offer the second position to you."

Donna thought for a moment, trying to figure out how best to answer the question the Prince had asked of her. "She seemed alright. She was friendly enough, and assisted in my getting here. She did seem to be one to put her loyalty to her covenant first, and her Prince second though. The way she talked about the situation of the city seemed to me to carry across the feeling that she wasn't entirely supportive of you, my lady." she replied, sowing the seeds of mistrust, and equally getting herself into the Prince's confidence.

The Prince nodded. "I don't need assumptions Donna, I have Primogen for that. But thank you for your service." She closed the journal and set it aside. "I am interested in your opinion of Jade LeClaire though. I understand you spoke with her some about Serenity. What did you think of her?"

Donna looked confused, "I'm sorry, my lady, but I don't recognise that name. The evidence we had did not incriminate any specific person, but the Lancea knows that the Kindred responsible for this drug is either one of our own, or one who has been taught our rituals. Other than that, we know little. As I have said, I am new here, and so I have very little knowledge of the Kindred of this city, other than those few in the Lancea I have met and, of course, yourself. This is why the esteemed Archbishop sent me, not only because I was the one to discover this information, but because it is only right to announce oneself to the Prince as soon as possible. To do otherwise would be disrespectful." she replied, trying to keep the pressure her Beast was exerting on her under control, which was hard when she had been thrown into the lion's den as she had been.

When you mentioned the book, Victor quietly stepped forward and placed it on her desk. "Thank you love. You can go now", she told the ghoul in a soft voice with a slight Irish accent. She waited until you two were alone before moving on. "You think Dr. Rinkov is responsible for 'Red Steel'? Why?"

Donna was awed by her new surroundings, not seeing such a place since she had been training in Venice under the elders of her clan. However, architecture was not why she was here, and the Prince needed to be informed of the developments the Lancea had made.

"My lady, I bring most dire news from Archbishop McBride. Recently, the Lancea Sanctum has discovered a journal written by a heretic follower of Longinus, one who has not only been in contact with the Brood, but has also engaged in diablerie. This, linked to the new Vitae-laced drug that has begun to spread through the city, suggests that either this heretic has returned, or one of his disciples, or even a member of the Brood who has learnt the secrets of my covenant. Needless to say, the Archbishop sent me not only to introduce myself as a new member of this court, but also to send the journal and myself to you in order to assist with the situation." Donna explained, as briefly and formally as she could. Just being in the same room as the Prince had riled her Beast and made it want to flee, but she had experience in engaging socially with her betters, so she held her primal side in check with a little effort and with little outward agitation.

[Claymore]

With Victor close by your side, you took the private ferry out to the last of the five islands. The captain was a pleasant young woman who introduced herself as a Ghoul of the Prince. She got into some smalltalk with you on the way there, and before you knew it, you found yourself standing before an estate fit for royalty. It had started to rain during the ferry ride, and by the time you got there, it was coming down in sheets. The estate stood tall in the face of the darkness, and even though the light from the external floodlamps that illuminated the mansion and glowing windows seemed to get snuffed out by the darkness almost instantly, the house still couldn't be missed.

It was at least four stories tall with a steeply pitched roof. It's overall shape was more of a trapezoid than anything, with the two front corners marked with circular walls that extended out from the house a little ways, and came to a point at the top. Stone masonry could be found everywhere, including a fountain in the center of a circular driveway.

You couldn't see any security, but you had the definite and somewhat unwelcoming sensation of being watched. The doorman, a tall skinny man in a black suit, escorted you in. Everything was hardwood, and your footsteps echoed off the Romanesque walls and columns, a sound that felt as out of place as shouting in a library.

The Prince's room was also circular with a crystal chandelier and gold doorknobs. Fine paintings lined the wall, and the desk was large enough to not seem out of place in the relatively empty room. Behind it was wood chair with a tall back, and in that chair sat a blond woman in a green dress that looked fit for a ball. Her eyes were cold, but she offered a smile. After introductions were through, it was time to explain why the Archbishop had sent you there.

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