Searching the Sewers (ATTN: Sunshine, Jayant, Arnold, Konstantin)

by **West** Thu May 14, 2009 9:12 pm

Bella stands outside of the sewer entrence by the Grindhouse waiting for the others to arrive. Ishani had informed her of Arnold and Konstantin joining them and as far as she was concerned, the more the merrier. She half hoped they found the jackass killing their people and half hoped they didn't. Would they really be able to hold their own against a kindred like that? Maybe they'd find out.

Searching the Sewers (ATTN: Sunshine, Jayant, Arnold, Konstantin) Bellabanner

Searching the Sewers (ATTN: Sunshine, Jayant, Arnold, Konstantin) Bellabanner

by BloodiedClaws Thu May 14, 2009 9:18 pm

~~Sunshine~~

Bella hears the manhole lid slide back with a loud metallic scrape and Sunshine pokes his head out. He's got a big feral smile, like a wild animal about to be let loose from a cage to go hunt.

"I'll be down here whenever everyone is ready."

by Premsyl Thu May 14, 2009 9:25 pm

Arnold and Konstantin come out of an alley across the street, crossing over to where Bella stands waiting.

Arnold's wearing muddy combat boots, muddy cargo pants, and a black tanktop. Hanging from his belt is a large combat knife.

"Evenin, Miss Orchid."

by **West** Thu May 14, 2009 9:34 pm

Bella smiles. "Evening Mr. Culler, Konstantin. I hear you all came for the fun.

by Premsyl Thu May 14, 2009 9:38 pm

Arnold shrugs, a smile creeping onto his face as well. "I just hope it won't be too boring. What are we looking for tonight?"

by Forn Clakes Fri May 15, 2009 2:23 am

Jayant arrives at the Grindhouse, his attire practical. He nods to them each in turn and stands waiting, his focus on the mission paramount.

by **DaevaDude** Fri May 15, 2009 10:26 am

Konstantin nods and smiles in response to Orchid's words. "I come because I am so ordered, but fun is good also."

His clothing is sturdy and well-maintained, with patches and obvious repairs visible in a few spots, but not at all new and bears some road dust. His boots have obviously seen a good bit of wear, and bear along the seams some stains suggestive of very old blood; similar stains are visible along the cuffs of his coat. He unsheathes the Bowie knife at his side and then fastens his longcoat.

Konstantin introduces himself to each of those present he's not yet met. As he takes a look at those present, he is pleased to see by the way they carry themselves that these Kindred are all capable of handling themselves. He then stands with his hands in front of him, left hand grasping his right wrist, right hand holding the Bowie kinfe, attentive and awaiting Bella's reply to Arnold's question and, like Jayant, wanting to know the mission's goals.

by **West** Sat May 16, 2009 9:33 pm

Bella looks Konstantin up and down and smiles. Putting a hand on his shoulder she pats it gently. "Sir, when this is over with, we are so taking you clothes shopping."

Then, she turns to Jayant with an appreciative nod. "Mr. Nagaraj, would you nplease inform the boys what we'rte doing this evening?"

by **DaevaDude** Sat May 16, 2009 10:41 pm

Konstantin smiles at the woman's touch and nods, but says nothing. For the life he's led over the past few decades, his clothing was quite functional - durable, easy to maintain, sturdy enough to provide a modicrum of protection and with plenty of pockets and lining to hold the various simple tools and weapons he carried - but he realized that his appearance did not meet local standards of either kindred or kine.

by Forn Clakes Sun May 17, 2009 5:29 am

Jayant nods to Bella before starting, slightly taken aback by her assurance in his duties to explain the situation.

"Thank you Miss Orchid. It seems that the killer may have emanated from underground somewhere. Mr. Sunshine here," he indicates to his fellow Acolyte, "is unparalled when it comes to the sewers, and will make this search swift." He looks down, trying to think further before continuing.

"I do not believe I am lying to you when I say that I really do not wish to stumble across Mr. Bethem down there for he is surely a being of great age and power. I nominate stealth first before any action is taken. Call me a coward and I will only laugh but I would say that getting information back to the Prince is priority over any direct confrontation. Thoughts?"

by **DaevaDude** Sun May 17, 2009 8:40 am

"Who has light?" Konstantin asks, focused on practical matters. They weren't all Shadows, after all, and while Kindred can see somewhat better in the dark better than can the living, sewers were often very dark. He assumed this Sunshine probably had developed Auspex or had some other ability that made him good in sewers, but that wouldn't help any of the others very much, and past experience had taught Konstantin the difficulty of fighting when one can't see.

by **West** Sun May 17, 2009 11:57 am

Bella smiles at Konstantin, liking this kindred already. "Good thought, however there are lights on down there at regular intervals. So, while Jayant and I will be ok for sight, you and Arnold should be fine as well. It may be dimmer then you are used to, but there will be sufficient light to fight by should that become necessary."

She looks at all four men. "Any other questions? Or shall we get started?"

by Forn Clakes Sun May 17, 2009 12:12 pm

Jayant nods, his eyes turning to small black voids as he focuses his blood to illuminate the darkness around him. He also moves his kukri to a more convinient place for easier access.

{Spend 1 Vitae for Night Eyes}

by **West** Sun May 17, 2009 12:16 pm

Bella's eyes also change to match Jayants and she looks down into the sewer entrance. Taking a moment to orient herself, she slides down into the hole.

((Spends 1 blood for Night Eyes))

by BloodiedClaws Sun May 17, 2009 1:25 pm

((OOC: Sunshine, ironically enough, doesn't have Night Eyes))

Sunshine smiles at Jayant's description of his skill in the sewer, though personally he isn't sure if it is an apt description.

"Let's get on with it Madame. The sooner we retrieve information the better."

by Forn Clakes Sun May 17, 2009 1:52 pm

Clasping his comrade, Sunshine, on his massive shoulder, Jayant whispers "Into the belly, my friend," before sliding down after Bella.

by Premsyl Sun May 17, 2009 2:52 pm

Arnold's bones grind and pop as he squeezes his massive bulk down the hole.

by **DaevaDude** Sun May 17, 2009 4:09 pm

Konstantin follows as well, silent for the moment. He resolves to watch for any places where the lights set in the sewers have been broken or are otherwise not functioning, as that be a sign they are approaching a lair or a trap of some sort. Once down, he again draws the Bowie knife. As they walk, he takes out a worn, two-foot length of boot lace, ties one end around the handle of the knife, near the pommel, and then ties the other around his wrist. That way, if anything happened that caused him to drop the knife or need to grasp something, he wouldn't risk losing his knife in the muck.

by **West** Sun May 17, 2009 4:53 pm

~~Narration~~

As the group makes their way down the tunnels of the upper level of sewers, they do see regular lighted intervals. It is much dimmer down here then one might want, but there is sufficient enough light to notice the rats and other vermin scurrying around.

After about a forty-five minute twisting, turning walk, the group comes up to a fork in the path.

(Need Perception for all)

by **DaevaDude** Sun May 17, 2009 5:14 pm

Spoiler:

In addition to trying to be alert in general, Konstantin looks for any recent signs of passage, any unusual marks or anything else that might lead the search one way or the other.

Spoiler:

by Premsyl Sun May 17, 2009 6:27 pm

Arnold stops at the fork with the rest of them, a smirk crossing his ragged lips. "These things are rarely easy, are they?" He tries to peer down both of the forking corridors. He wonders which one leads to what they're looking for and which one leads to final death and, if after everything, they find both of those things at the end of the same corridor.

Spoiler:

by **West** Sun May 17, 2009 7:02 pm

Bella laughs, shaking her head at Arnold. "They are if you've lived down here long enough."

She also looks around, seeing if she can decipher where they came from and where they are going.

Spoiler:

by BloodiedClaws Sun May 17, 2009 9:37 pm

Sunshine stays at Jayant's side, though large and horridly deformed, he easily slinks down the sewer with an ease that can only come from years of practise.

2009-05-17 20:34:59 Sunshine rolls 4 to Wits+Composure (10 Again) 8,10,8,10,1,4 4 successes

by Forn Clakes Mon May 18, 2009 3:17 am

Jayant stays low throughout the trek, hugging the walls as he goes.

Spoiler:

by **West** Mon May 18, 2009 9:59 pm

~~Narration~~

As the group looks around, they notice it is a little bit darker down the left corridor, as if maybe some bulbs had blown out further down.

Konstantin also notices some strange carvings in the left corridor, but cannot make then out from his current position.

by **DaevaDude** Mon May 18, 2009 10:31 pm

Noticing the carvings and the fact that the left corridor is dark, Konstantin moves close to Bella and whispers. "Carvings, there." He points to them with his knife. "Darker, too... like where something would hide." He gestures again with the knife, pointing to the light bulbs, then down the corridor, shaking his head.

by Forn Clakes Tue May 19, 2009 3:54 am

Jayant stays quiet. He listens and waits. He's no leader but is a dutiful soldier, a warrior of the dark. He smiles, finding solace down here.

Once more, Jayant feels the fear of immortality in the balance, and its a guilty pleasure.

by **West** Tue May 19, 2009 7:52 pm

Bella frowns.

Who the fuck is Martin Carpenter?

Shrugging to the others, she responds to Martin. "Is this the same well mentioned in the chapter house by the Prince?"

by **DaevaDude** Tue May 19, 2009 9:01 pm

While Bella is on the phone, Konstantin pays careful attention to the corridors, especially the darker one with the carvings. He recognizes the risk of an attack when someone is engaged in a phone conversation and distracted, having used that strategy to feed on campers many times in recent years.

by **West** Tue May 19, 2009 10:12 pm

~~Narration~~

As Konstantin looks down the tunnel, he does not detect any movement. Looking at the symbols on the wall, he somehow knows it is some sort of language, but cannot read it.

Sunshine has never seen this carving before and knows it was not there when he left to meet the group top-side.

by BloodiedClaws Tue May 19, 2009 10:31 pm

~~Sunshine~~

"Hey, umm... that shit wasn't here when I came to meet up with you guys, if thats not a sign then I dont know what is..."

Sunshine says, pausing and looking at the carvings on the tunnel walls.

by Forn Clakes Wed May 20, 2009 2:40 am

How intriguing Jayant thinks, his hand hovering near the handle of his blade as he watches Sunshine inspect the carvings.

Without turning his head away from the carvings, he whispers to Bella, "Carpenter. Primogen."

by **DaevaDude** Wed May 20, 2009 8:00 am

"Is language of some kind, but not language I know," Konstantin says, still keeping his voice low. Though gifted in learning to speak languages, his skill with written language is very limited, though usually enough to allow him to allow him to get the gist of something written with a lot of effort, or to recognize something written in a language he can speak.

by **West** Wed May 20, 2009 7:59 pm

"I believe it will, thank you Mr. Carpenter. I am going to let you go now so we can move forward. I will let you know if we find anything interesting. Have a good evening."

Bella hangs up.

"Ok guys, that was Martin Carpenter. He says the filled in well was somewhere in this area. I am thinking if we find it then we find where our friend came from. And no, I don't know that language either before you ask, but I am with Konstantin. I think we should go left."

by BloodiedClaws Thu May 21, 2009 1:36 am

"I agree, let me slip into something more comfortable before we head on though."

Sunshine says with a smile, before his knuckles begin cracking and his fingers extend into razor-sharp bone shard claws.

(burn one vitae for Pro-Claws)

by **West** Thu May 21, 2009 7:47 am

Bella nods to Sunshine. "Not a bad idea. If anyone else wants to ready themselves, now is the time."

She pulls her knife and looks at the others waiting for them to be prepared before she heads off down the tunnel.

by **DaevaDude** Thu May 21, 2009 8:17 am

Konstantin chooses to not yet evoke his bear-like claws, as he can do so instantly as needed, but does take a moment to will his Vitae to flow through his dead flesh, making himself supernaturally strong and durable and giving him a somewhat ruddy complexion.

"Ready," he says, simply, as he follows along, knife in hand.

Spoiler:

by Premsyl Thu May 21, 2009 1:19 pm

Arnold also takes the opportunity to pump blood into his muscles. He doesn't draw his knife just yet. He wants to keep his hands free until he knows the knife is truly necessary. He nods curtly to Bella, signaling his readiness.

Spoiler:

by Forn Clakes Thu May 21, 2009 2:17 pm

Jayant says nothing. This is what he was trained to do and what he was Embraced for. His kukri is in his hand and craves violence, his Beast hissing in its nest, looking to strike out, making his movements glide like the snake of his namesake.

by **West** Thu May 21, 2009 8:30 pm

~~Narration~~

Continuing down the left corridor, the group can see that some of the bulbs here have either blown out or been removed. It is a bit darker down this tunnel then the previous one, but not dark enough to hinder sight yet.

As the group continues to travel, they spot a few more places on the tunnel walls with the strange carvings. They still make little sense to you.

Coming to another fork in the tunnel, the group can go right or straight. To the right it is dim, there are even fewer bulbs then your current tunnel. Straight ahead, it is just as dim, however the party can make out small dark lumps on the tunnel floor. There looks to be about fifteen of them within eye sight.

by **DaevaDude** Thu May 21, 2009 8:48 pm

Konstantin once again attempts to determine whether there is any sign of tracks, as well as any sign of the strange carvings, down either corridor.

Spoiler:

by Premsyl Thu May 21, 2009 8:51 pm

Arnold peers down the path directly in front of them. He points a long gnarled finger down the corridor. He speaks quietly in his deep smooth voice.

"Can anyone make out what those things on the ground are?"

by **West** Thu May 21, 2009 9:19 pm

Konstantin cannot see the walls well enough to detect any carvings from here.

To decern the lumps on the ground, need a wits + composure roll please.

by Premsyl Thu May 21, 2009 9:21 pm

Arnold squints in the dim light, trying to figure out what the items are.

Spoiler:

by **DaevaDude** Thu May 21, 2009 9:23 pm

Unable to make out any fine details in the poor light, Konstantin turns his glance on the lumps on the tunnel floor.

Spoiler:

by BloodiedClaws Fri May 22, 2009 2:46 am

Sunshine tries to make out what the lumps are as well.

Spoiler:

by Forn Clakes Fri May 22, 2009 12:15 pm

Jayant keeps his dark eyes peeled and attempts to make out any detail to the peculiar shapes dotting the tunnel.

Spoiler:

by **West** Sat May 23, 2009 12:56 pm

~~Narration~~

Peering down the tunnel, you all have a difficult time seeing what the lumps are, but concentration finally wins out. Slowly, the forms begin to get detail as your eyes adjust to the light and you can see the lumps are rats. Dead rats. There seem to be at least forty of them strewm about in the tunnel and as you look further down you can make out a great deal more.

Jayant does not take as long to discern what the lumps are and can see there are at least forty little bodies in the thirty feet ahead of you and another twnety or so fifty feet away.

by Forn Clakes Sat May 23, 2009 3:12 pm

"Dead rats. Forty. 30 feet away," he indicates with his knife. He then moves it to another spot, 50 feet away, declaring, "another twenty or so further."

by **West** Sat May 23, 2009 3:53 pm

~~Narration~~

As you all continue to inspect the lifeless forms of the rats, everyone hears russtling coming from the right corridor. It is the sounds of movement, as if someone were moving through the tunnel.

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