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I love how close this vote is AND that we get to see all three choices! Kill him!
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Jun 6, 2014 16:07
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Aesclepia posted:I love how close this vote is AND that we get to see all three choices! That's the greatest thing - we're going to get all three anyway, so we're just voting on what our "canon" choice will be on something that will never come up again (I'm pretty sure of that) and are running this so close I'm expecting the losing side to start filibustering until somebody else can gather enough support any moment now.
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Jun 6, 2014 16:10
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Somebody's going to be sitting at my computer reading green eggs and ham aloud when I get home, stalling for the peace party to gain the majority vote. Is that what you're saying?
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Jun 6, 2014 16:24
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It's either that or the phonebook. I'd take Green Eggs and Ham.
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Jun 6, 2014 16:37
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Squash him like an overgrown mosquito
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Jun 6, 2014 17:12
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I'll come out of lurking to say spare him because I haven't seen it. And because I think it's funny 
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Jun 7, 2014 06:52
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Don't matter if you call it the Masquerade or just common sense, kindred cannot go around revealing themselves. The guy is completely out of control, let's put him down.
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Jun 7, 2014 09:57
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Kill him. While I think talking him down is maybe more humane, it's not like this guy has a society to rehabilitate him, and it felt a little odd doing it to me.
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Jun 7, 2014 21:44
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What I want to know is who sired this clown and why HE wasn't publicly executed.
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Jun 7, 2014 21:52
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Pvt.Scott posted:What I want to know is who sired this clown and why HE wasn't publicly executed. Sabbat? Apparently, the Gangrel (which I'm pretty sure the serial killer is) left the Camarilla in 1999 when the Sabbat invaded the East Coast (which I think has already happened - at least Bloodlines plays in 1999), so it would make sense if some Sabbat Gangrel sired a guy with a grudge and told him to go nuts.
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Jun 7, 2014 21:57
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TheMcD posted:Sabbat? Apparently, the Gangrel (which I'm pretty sure the serial killer is) left the Camarilla in 1999 when the Sabbat invaded the East Coast (which I think has already happened - at least Bloodlines plays in 1999), so it would make sense if some Sabbat Gangrel sired a guy with a grudge and told him to go nuts. You can still play a loyal Gangrel Camarilla and nobody makes a fuss about it, but the clan does have a large representation among the Sabbat, too.
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Jun 8, 2014 01:05
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Right, they officially became an "Independent" clan. It's not like they all joined the Sabbat.
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Jun 8, 2014 01:18
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Pvt.Scott posted:What I want to know is who sired this clown and why HE wasn't publicly executed. The game's done a pretty good job showing us that the prince's iron grip on the city isn't what he wants it to be. Look at the thin bloods - you've got Lily and whoever sired her, and E all running amok, along with the others. I'm presuming her sire was some Toreador rear end in a top hat, and that the Camarilla's influence come across as more a suggestion everywhere but within sight of Lacroix's loyal few. That said, oWoD vampire politics were one of the parts I least understood, with about half of my information coming from how this game portrays them. So, take this with a grain of salt.
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Jun 8, 2014 14:55
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KaoliniteMilkshake posted:The game's done a pretty good job showing us that the prince's iron grip on the city isn't what he wants it to be. Look at the thin bloods - you've got Lily and whoever sired her, and E all running amok, along with the others. I'm presuming her sire was some Toreador rear end in a top hat, and that the Camarilla's influence come across as more a suggestion everywhere but within sight of Lacroix's loyal few. Nah, you're pretty much right on the money. The Cam's grip on LA is so tenuous they can't do anything without getting involved personally, which is crippling in the extreme.
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Jun 8, 2014 17:25
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Stroop There It Is posted:Right, they officially became an "Independent" clan. It's not like they all joined the Sabbat. Well, a lot of them followed Xavier into battle against an "Antediluvian", which was just a mindwiped vampire with a powerful artifact jammed into his eye socket. They got WRECKED when this guy tore open the earth and tossed around all sorts of crazy powers. When Xavier returned to the Inner Council to request that they draw manpower from the defense of the east coast, everyone else balked. In his anger, he withdrew the Gangrel from the Camarilla. Some stayed, but many went independent. Few went to the Sabbat, I think.
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Jun 8, 2014 18:21
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Could anyone list the clans in the Sabbat and maybe a short blurb on them? Or are they just the same clans as in the Cam and Anarchs driven to an extreme?
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Jun 8, 2014 18:48
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Vagon posted:Could anyone list the clans in the Sabbat and maybe a short blurb on them? Or are they just the same clans as in the Cam and Anarchs driven to an extreme? They're different than Camarilla clans, but you do have some people that cross over from both sets of clans, 'antitribu' being the term for them. The game actually does a pretty good job of introducing the Tzsimice, though I certainly can't spell their name. The Lasombra are one of the other big movers and shakers, and the WESP patch tries to add them in. The implementation is a little :WESP: but it's a neat concept, and the introduction does them enough justice that I'll let the game have its punch, with a brief description in spoilers: The tsizmice are known for fleshcraft, which allows them to manipulate and re-form the bodies of themselves and others. They've got their own alternate morality, and an idea that they're becoming more than human. We'll be seeing them soon. The Lasombra work with political machinations and have control over shadows. They show up briefly in a plus patch I honestly don't remember if there are any other major Sabbat tribes. I know there are a whole host of 'independent' tribes, of which only the Giovanni make a major appearance in the game. Once again, the game does them justice with their section. They're necromancers. And assholes. The game nails both.
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Jun 8, 2014 19:41
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KaoliniteMilkshake posted:They're different than Camarilla clans, but you do have some people that cross over from both sets of clans, 'antitribu' being the term for them. The game actually does a pretty good job of introducing the Tzsimice, though I certainly can't spell their name. The Lasombra are one of the other big movers and shakers Yeah, Tzimisce (flesh-warping freaks) and Lasombra (shadow-weilding manipulators) are the two main Sabbat clans. There's also Ahrimanes (female ex-Gangrel spirit shamans), a few remaining Cappodocians (corpse-like death fetishists), and some Kiasyd (alien-looking elf types). But there's also traitor (antitribu) members of every Camarilla clan to be found in there too (and antitribu of all Sab clans in the Cam). They call their Caitiff "Panders", after a militant guy in the 50s who united the cast-offs.
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Jun 8, 2014 20:07
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The Cappadocian remnants, by the way, call themselves the Harbingers of Skulls, there's only a few dozen max, and they're all dead Cappadocians who clawed their way back into unlife. They are super pissed at the Giovanni for wiping them out.
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Jun 8, 2014 20:10
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There's Ravnos, In post-1st edition they're split into two groups, Hindu-esque rulers of India locked in a cold war with the Kuei-Jin, and rebels against the former who mostly adopted and/or were adopted by Roma clans, leading to the Eurocentric kindred to assume that was the Ravnos' whole deal. Also Assamite, pretty much historical Assassins with a caste system and a philosophy dedicated to diablerie. Lastly, Setites, who are basically stereotypical evil cult guys dedicated to ruining everything that's pure, good, and holy. Their history is complicated, Set ties in to the Mummy and Werewolf metaplots. There's Giovanni too but the game will give you a better introduction to them than I can.
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Jun 8, 2014 20:21
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Tehan posted:There's Ravnos, Hell, gypsies got their own book with special magic powers everywhere as well in first edition.
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Jun 8, 2014 20:46
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To be fair to White Wolf, gypsies have magical trickster powers in real life. I bet they sued over trade secrets.
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Jun 8, 2014 20:55
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Pvt.Scott posted:To be fair to White Wolf, gypsies have magical trickster powers in real life. I bet they sued over trade secrets. Who was the Devil's advocate? 
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Jun 8, 2014 21:05
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ulmont posted:Hell, gypsies got their own book with special magic powers everywhere as well in first edition. Later on WW was on record at being regretful of ever writing and publishing that book. Keep in mind they have no regrets or compunctions about keeping clanbook: baali or a bunch of their other Dark Ages stuff around, and that says something.
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Jun 8, 2014 22:17
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Vagon posted:Could anyone list the clans in the Sabbat and maybe a short blurb on them? Or are they just the same clans as in the Cam and Anarchs driven to an extreme? The Sabbat started after the Convention of Thorns, a big vampire society-wide diplomatic meeting in the wake of the Inquisition. There, a majority of the clans decided to band together to form what would become the Camarilla and continue to exist in secret as opposed to the undead masters of the night that they'd been until then. The Lasombra and Tzimisce said gently caress that and went on to form the Sabbat to continue the fight against the elders and the Antediluvians pulling the strings. Some of every clan went with them, but for the most part you had 7 Cam and 2 Sabbat clans with 4 others remaining independent. The reason the Sabbat is dominated by the two clans is due to more than just their numbers. They "actually" killed their Antediluvian founders. Not really. [Tzimisce] was able to take over the body of the guy trying to diablerize him and [Lasombra] had shunted his/her consciousness into the Abyss. Several others had gone missing, as well, but only Cappadocious was confirmed as being killed and ate by Augustus Giovanni, who became the new "antediluvian" founder of his family-clan. The Lasombra are more or less the dark reflection of the Ventrue. They crave control and domination, but lack the finesse to achieve it subtly. They have both Dominate and Potence as clan disciplines, making them very powerful adversaries mentally and physically. Their unique gift of Obtenebration (shadow control) is also a deadly psychological weapon. One of the things that makes them unable to operate among mortals as the Ventrue do is that they do not cast a reflection in a mirror. In fact, mirrors are uncomfortable for them to touch at all. As such, they have to do a lot of their work, ironically, from the shadows, or go through great pains to make sure they can't be found out for the monsters they are. Tzimisce are basically Dracula from the 1992 movie. Which makes sense, since canonically, Dracula IS a Tzimisce. The younger shovelheads are just as much punks as you might see in, say, Blade, but the older "ruling class" voivodes are like the old eastern European barons of peasant villages. They invoke just as much fear as their movie counterpart among their 'subjects', since they pick and choose their prey like a human farmer would choose from his herd. And you'd best hope they only want you for sustenance because Tzimisce are, as it was pointed out, fleshcrafters. Masters of Vicissitude (  ), they can sculpt meat and bone like clay under their fingers. And while not all of them are alien monsters, many of them adhere to the Path of Metamorphosis, seeking enlightenment through experimentation of form. Others seek to simply understand death and their inability to succumb to it despite having died.
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Jun 8, 2014 22:20
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Vicissitude posted:Tzimisce are basically Dracula from the 1992 movie. Which makes sense, since canonically, Dracula IS a Tzimisce. The younger shovelheads are just as much punks as you might see in, say, Blade, but the older "ruling class" voivodes are like the old eastern European barons of peasant villages. They invoke just as much fear as their movie counterpart among their 'subjects', since they pick and choose their prey like a human farmer would choose from his herd. And you'd best hope they only want you for sustenance because Tzimisce are, as it was pointed out, fleshcrafters. Masters of Vicissitude ( I would like Tzimisce more if they had a better exit from OWoD than Oh hey, the Tzimisce antediluvian is taking control over a substantial chunk of life on Earth. It really felt like they rehashed the storyline from the Dark Hand book. Which is pretty bad as is The Tzimisce as active monsters creating more monsters is a pretty interesting concept. Anything beyond that gets cheesy as hell.
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Jun 8, 2014 22:33
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The Tzimice meta-plot got awful after awhile, gently caress you Dirty Secrets of The Black Hand.
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Jun 8, 2014 23:01
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Luckily the whole "alien virus from another dimension" crap got thrown out in 3rd edition. The whole invade the biosphere thing got relegated to [Tzimisce] itself having mastered Vicissitude and trying to understand life by experiencing all forms of it.
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Jun 8, 2014 23:10
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Vicissitude posted:Well, a lot of them followed Xavier into battle against an "Antediluvian", which was just a mindwiped vampire with a powerful artifact jammed into his eye socket. They got WRECKED when this guy tore open the earth and tossed around all sorts of crazy powers. When Xavier returned to the Inner Council to request that they draw manpower from the defense of the east coast, everyone else balked. In his anger, he withdrew the Gangrel from the Camarilla. Some stayed, but many went independent. Few went to the Sabbat, I think. Just to build on what's been said, here are the descriptions of each Sabbat-only clan discipline level from the Revised edition (shamelessly snatched from the WW wiki): Obtenebration (Clan Lasombra)
Vicissitude (Clan Tzimisce)
Also, while most antitribu in the Sabbat have access to the same Disciplines as their Camarilla counterparts, there are some variations:
1 They are out for revenge against the Giovanni for diablerizing their clan founder. In the Guide to the Sabbat/Camarilla, there are little blurbs representing the stereotypes/general opinions other clans/factions have about each clan or bloodline. They have one of the funniest. 2 Have we talked about the Salubri and/or how much of an rear end in a top hat Saulot was? Can't remember. Stroop There It Is fucked around with this message at 01:47 on Jun 9, 2014 |
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Jun 9, 2014 01:45
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Stroop There It Is posted:[b]City Gangrel[/b Stroop There It Is posted:2 Have we talked about the Salubri and/or how much of an rear end in a top hat Saulot was? Can't remember. Saulot is both Vampire Jesus and the biggest rear end in a top hat what ever was an rear end in a top hat, yeah - we've touched on it a few times but it's always nice to see it repeated.
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Jun 9, 2014 04:33
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Stroop There It Is posted:Haha, I actually don't think I ever read this story. It sounds typically hilarious. What sourcebook is it in? Clan Novel: Gangrel.
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Jun 9, 2014 04:55
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Stroop There It Is posted:Haha, I actually don't think I ever read this story. It sounds typically hilarious. What sourcebook is it in? Yeah, it's not in a sourcebook for the game, it's in the Clan Novels series. Speaking of which, it's actually a drat good series to read. The Malkavian book (late in the series) is actually a pretty interesting look at how the most preeminent Malk sees the world around him. Stroop There It Is posted:[*]Tremere antitribu: Prior to 1998, they had access to something called Dark Thaumaturgy (very creative, WW). As of the events in Mexico City in 1998, there was literally one of them left. Kind of.[/list] Also, kind of a HUGE deal in the novels. Just saying. Vicissitude fucked around with this message at 06:59 on Jun 9, 2014 |
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Jun 9, 2014 06:57
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Vicissitude posted:Their unique gift of Obtenebration (shadow control) is also a deadly psychological weapon.
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Jun 9, 2014 07:58
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I've been making my way through this thread since just about last week and it looks like I caught up at an interesting time, drat. I have no idea if this is really going to help sway the vote, but I'm all for talking the guy down. Maybe I'm too optimistic for this game, but I have faith we can help him out! ... Right?
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Jun 9, 2014 18:14
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Ephemeron posted:It's also a deadly physiological weapon once they get enough dots to summon tentacles. (We all know where those are going) Those tentacles are going to get put straight to work cleaning this haven. It's been disorganized mess for far too long!
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Jun 9, 2014 23:52
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I vote for talking the guy down. He doesn't know what the hell is going on and the beast took over, but that doesn't mean he can't change. Even Lily killed the medical guy when the beast took over. Giving him a little education would probably set him straight and he could be a useful ally in the future.
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Jun 10, 2014 07:05
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The next update is delayed until my father gets out of the hospital. I'll reopen the thread when the update is complete. Right now I really just don't feel like making it.
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Jun 12, 2014 16:27
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. . . I will root out the bad seed, I will weed out the worst of you, I will prune my dark tree, in the manner that my father, Adam, taught me. — The Book of Nod    Just remember, you made me do this.   The White Flash...  w-what?  Boss Fight! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swkujyHZxiM  As we've already seen, the caitiff decided to show us his final form. I decided to ask Vic what the hell was happening, and this was our exchange: quote:[5:48:31 PM] Vicissitude: I can't think of any mainstream power that might allow that, outside of some sort of twisted version of Protean.  The serial killer causes aggravated damage, but with fortitude activated he doesn't even scratch us. It's an odd fight, almost as if Troika scaled back the difficulty because this encounter happens in Santa Monica, i.e. to have the fight be akin to the other Santa Monica bosses. Since it's later in the game, our stats and powers have improved dramatically, making this fight a cakewalk.  That is, unless we both get stuck on the level architecture. I could've handled this like any other boss fight, using a melee weapon to do the deed. As a side note, bashing weapons do little damage, so the sledgehammer is out. I've gone with the poor man's katana instead, doing lethal damage.  Yet instead of the usual affair, we can see that a wall of fire miraculously appeared where we entered the scene.  Just have to send him flying forward, and...  It's a guaranteed win. He stands there, fanning the air, as the fire decreases his health by bunches.  Cue fadeout, which is predictable because again, a wall of fire spontaneously came into existence barring our exit.  The quest is complete, and we have 2 more experience points in our pocket. But what if we would have taken a different path?  Here we are, at the crossroads; the site where the choice was made. We were free. We had chosen. We danced down a path for joy in the taste of potatoes. But we could have walked a different path, like this: I'll waste no more time on you. Don't be surprised when you wake up staked. Or this: Do you think your family would be proud of how you're acting? [Anguished, breaking down] No - God no! No! It's got to stop. I can't live like this. You're right. Oh God, you're right! I'll never do it again, I swear. Forgive me. Alright. Go. Get on with your unlife.Or even this:  Remember when I said that half the time, this scene doesn't correctly trigger? Well, when it doesn't, we have the opportunity to get a clean shot on the slasher.   Which triggers a boss fight with the slasher's regular form. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiSmENAyQS4  This time the wall of fire doesn't appear, and oddly enough, the slasher does more damage in his regular form than his other, werewolf-like form.  Fortitude negates most of it, though. Without fire to do the trick, we're left with the option of slashing away until his health runs out.  Beats me if Troika included that on purpose. Regardless, we've completed the quest and can now head back to Hollywood.  Away from here. We enjoyed the taste of potatoes.  Earlier it was requested that we go to Vesuvius. If I remember correctly, it was the second most popular choice when I asked the thread where we should go. We might as well take care of it now, before advancing the main plot any further. Maybe that's just me, I like to do all the side quests I can before advancing the main quest. Baldur's Gate 2 went a little weirdly for me.   The Vesuvius theme is pretty memorable. It sounds like Rik Schaffer used an EBow in it.  To the left there's some Vesuvius Swag we can't get our hands on. Too bad, I'm sure that calender would've looked great in our downtown apartment.  Continuing forward, the hallway opens into Vesuvius's main chamber, the main feature of which adorns the center of the room; a stage with two dancing poles, three strippers, and a fake lava pool.  In the corners of the place, the male Toreador PC is getting a lap dance...  A stripper stands around, bored...  and Chunk's more disgusting brother pretends to be a zombie.  As we approach the VIP room, someone interrupts us.  Some kindred must get a hardon for kine. Who are you? I think... we... should get to know each other a little better upstairs, where we can... be ourselves. Come up to my room - just fourteen little steps - I'll make it worth it, believe me. How do I know this isn't some kind of trap? You'd be missing out if it wasn't.  In a world where almost everything is out to get us, it's better to play these types of things safe. Forget it. Why don't we just talk here? I'm not going to force you to come upstairs with me - I've never had anyone refuse - I just thought we might have something in common, you and I. Well, you know where to find me if you change your mind.It seems that we must play her game to know what she wants from us. Oh, alright... let's talk.  We follow this mystery vampire up the stairs,  and into Vesuvius' VIP room.  We're can try to seduce her, but really, what would that give us? Whoever this is, she's just trying to use her looks to get what she wants. Attempt to seduce her, and we'll only be wrapped around her finger. I knew there had to be a catch. Oh, I forget sometimes the two-faced nature of our blood. It's sad, really... the way we get conditioned so quickly, isn't it?Fake sympathy. Trust nothing she says.  Right. Look, lady, I know you've got some ulterior motive - spill it. Is it very difficult carrying that heavy weight of suspicion around your neck? Isn't it uncomfortable? I'm Velvet - Miss Velour will do. It's been months since I've seen anyone new in here. I was starting to take it personally. And who should finally walk in but a real celebrity. I've heard a lot about you. [playfully seductive] So, uh... wouldn't you like to know about me?Miss Velour is doubtlessly used to being the center of attention, the object of everyone's affection. She has an inflated sense of importance. I'm not sure if you all agree with me, but I had an immediate dislike of Velvet, here. Manipulative and egocentric. If only vampires aged, we could see the day where her looks fade, and consequently her value to those around her, fade away. She would be discarded just as quickly as she discards others who fall into her trap and outlive their use. You're already boring me to tears. The truth can be cruel, but that doesn't mean you have to be. The truth is. Tell me of the hunters. Hunters... yes... they've been staking out Hollywood for several weeks. They've been in Ash's club, mine, a few others. I think they're whittling down their list of suspects. I'm a bit nervous. Until recently I had one right under my nose. That's one tiny hunter. For a few weeks, one of them was working here at Vesuvius, keeping an eye on the clientele. I found a weapon in her locker and I fired her. But she's still in Hollywood, watching my club... and me.Let me guess, now she wants us to handle it. It may be difficult to accept, but you may have to kill her. That's too bad. I had another question. Mmm-hmm...?We can at least use Velvet to get information. Let's throw her a softball, get her to talk about herself. Tell me about yourself. Mmm-hmm....Uh-huh. Very mysterious. So, you're a stripper, huh? I'm a dancer. I can think of a few more terms. Is Velvet your real name? It is now. How did you become Kindred? I'm sorry, I'd rather revel in the present than dwell on the past.gently caress this. What's to do in Hollywood? Mingle, sightsee, chat - and me, of course. What can you tell me about Ash? Ash... Isaac does so love him. We're like step-siblings, Ash and I. But I think Ash is reckless. He's never been comfortable with what he's become... and he's getting careless. Tell me about Isaac. I adore Isaac - he's the father I never had. Why, if anything happened to him, I'd just end it all... but nothing ever will. Isaac's gifted, a saintly patron of the arts, and the most respected Kindred in this city.Alright. If this wasn't a video game, I would tell Velvet to gently caress right off. But this is one, and we get experience for being her pawn. About that hunter... If she's still a problem, I'll kill her. Velvet, trying to be coy, doesn't want to admit that pawning this task off to us was the only reason she was interested in us. Depends, what's it worth to you? I've got a girl, Misti... she's divine, and a willing blood doll for the right amount of money. I'll set her up for you, my treat.That's all we can get. Well, that and some experience. Sounds good. What do you want me to do? You'd really be willing to do this for me? I won't lie, it's going to be dangerous. But if you got rid of her, I'd be grateful... very, very grateful. What do I do? I want you to understand: I don't want any innocents killed on my account. So if there are other dancers or patrons around, you'll have to lure them away from her. Do it as quietly as you can. No witnesses, please. And be careful using Disciplines around the hunter. This won't take long. Be back in a minute.We'll take care of Velvet's quests next time. gatz fucked around with this message at 03:53 on Jun 22, 2014 |
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Jun 22, 2014 03:49
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Also note that this is one of the times the Malkavian PC will explicitly know things. You can pull her old name out of the Madness Network and she absolutely freaks out and tells you to never say that name again.
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Jun 22, 2014 04:11
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Thanks for the heads up. If anyone's wondering, here's the dialogue: How come you hide your true name behind a fabric, Susan? There's only one part of my body I don't want anyone entering, and that's my head. That other name... never say it again, it belongs to a dead girl.Why are you hiding your past from me, doll? [Flustered] I'm not hiding my past... I'm not that girl - she was flawed, she was naïve, she was nobody - and now she's dead. Let the dead rest in peace. My name is VV. Show yourself out; I'd like to say a prayer for someone I used to know.
gatz fucked around with this message at 04:22 on Jun 22, 2014 |
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Jun 22, 2014 04:19
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