World of Darkness: Balance of Power - [Fic]Setting a plan in motion

[Daven_OOC NPCRM #1]

Jan 21st, 8pm

Natalie Price nodded to the priest lighting the candles. The Arch Bishop insisted the lights in the church be kept low at night. He felt the church just brought out more of the spirit in people if it was mostly lit by candle light and he was right. It was still too early for the York to be awake. Decon was already out on patrol. Henry would be guarding the door to the Arch Bishop's chamber. That left Natalie and Lavinia. She had not yet seen Bishop Foscari tonight but already the woman had managed to put her in a bad mood.

Just after she had woken and fed, a man had come to the church and delivered a letter. Now Natalie waited as the rest of her night hinged on Lavinia. Not to mention she just wanted to get out of the church. To the mortals she was just a young nun. She was not allowed to wear her priest robes as that would just raise too many questions. She considered just Obfuscating but York looked down on pointless discipline use. The room seemed darker tonight then usual and it felt like people were in the shadows whispering. Then she saw the Bishop entering the room. Quickly walking over she handed her the letter.

"This was delivered with instructions that it was for you alone as harpy."

She waited a moment and then quietly walked away. She was ready to begin the nights festivities and get her own duties done quickly. The letter read:

Harpy Lavinia Foscari,

My name is Sammuel, a kindred new to this city. I wish to announce my self formally and in person but I am afraid I am recently awoken from a long torpor and am finding it difficult to yet get around. My ghoul has located you as harpy in the hopes I could invite you to my place to share a drink and so we could talk. My hope is to have a great relationship with you and Prince Gregor. My ghoul will be waiting outside to bring you to my current haven. I do request that you come alone as I am currently weak and without the protection of the city laws. I assure you that I have no intention to bring harm to you as the Invictus would never allow it.

Awaiting our meeting

Baron Sammuel Trevian of the First Estate

[Lavinia Foscari]

Lavinia held the letter in her hands not drawing a single breath while her mind searched for details that could give her some more information about this Baron Trevian. She never heard the name before and it was still too early to request some information from Lord Ezekiel... or Michael for that matter.

Lets see how much of a pressing matter this is. I'll look into it but on my conditions.

The beautiful Daeva of italian origin retreated to her quarters taking a fine quill and ink to write a letter in response.

Esteemed Baron Sammuel Trevian,

your request honours me although it is not my station in this beloved Parish of mine to welcome you in this city. I do have the necessary means and influence to speak on your behalf and thus improve your chances to be recognised as a valuable member of this Domain, though.

As much as I'm flattered by your invitation I must humbly decline to come to your place to share a drink and talk. All I can offer is an invitation in return. If you're familiar with the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art I'd be delighted to make your acquaintance there.

Semper Serva

Bishop Lavinia Foscari of the Lancea Sanctum

Harpy of our most highly esteemed Prince Gregor

Elder of the Daeva Clan

Considering her next move Lavinia carefully sealed the letter with wax and stamped it with the Lancea's Sanctum ornament. Then she sprayed some of her perfume on it - a tender fragrance of roses and ordered one of her servants to take this letter to the waiting Ghoul. A brief smile flashed across her face, this Baron Trevian intrigued her. He definitely knew how to catch her attention.

[Daven_OOC NPCRM #1]

Outside the church a man stood next to a car patiently waiting. When the letter was delivered he opened it and read it. Tossing the letter in to the open window he stood there thinking. After a minute he walked in to the church and located the servant.

"Please inform Lavinia Foscari that I request an audience. I will wait here for her to be available."

Taking a seat in the back row the man waited.

[Lavinia Foscari]

The message got swiftly delivered and Lavinia was actually surprised for a moment. This kind of determination was... unexpected.

She waited a moment before she decided to meet the stranger. The man was sitting in the back row, just as her servant reported and she carefully approached the man.

Briefly nodding at the man she took a seat next to him folding her hands as if she wanted to pray.

"I must confess your audacity is quiet disturbing. I am willing to credit this to your masters urgent desire to meet me.", she didn't add anything more and instead started quietly to pray in latin awaiting the mans answer with impatient curiousity. He better had a good excuse or she was tempted to fall back to old habits to kill the messenger of ill news.

[Daven_OOC NPCRM #1]

The man did not look at her. He seemed more interested in the people walking around.

"Baron Trevian gave me very specific instructions. He said to deliver the letter and if you did not come I was to talk to you. His eminence has been asleep for some time. He would not want me saying this but I believe this modern world intimidates him. You seemed the best choice for a first meeting. It would have been insulting to request the prince. At the same time he does not feel comfortable staying here without announcing him self to someone. Protocol dictates that you as the city harpy would be the best one to introduce him self too after the prince.

Harpy Foscari I apologize for my bluntness. The Baron is trying to be courteous but is still in a state of adjustment. If you are willing to meet him then the location should not matter. He is a lone Kindred with only my self to keep him company right now. Go and see him please."

With that he stood. Waiting her response before heading back outside.

[Lavinia Foscari]

Lavinia remained silent for a while, almost to a point to make the servant doubt she had listened to him. Her mind was evaluating the risks and the benefits she could sow from this opportunity but it had quiet a lot of unknown variables and that made her nervous.

"Very well...", she quietly answered. "I'll meet him in a more secluded place. There's a small Chapel called Hope's Refuge in the west of KC. I'm waiting for him there in one hour. You'll have to take my word on this. My servants will guide him to my quarters there, no harm shall be done to him and I will honour his request."

Without looking to the servant Lavinia got on her knees and finished her prayer, then she stood up and slowly retreated giving the servant one last chance to be audacious.

[Daven_OOC NPCRM #1]

The man nodded. "One hour, his eminence will be there." With that he turned and walked out.

One hour later, almost to the minute, the same black car pulled up to the Chapel of Hope's Refuge. The same man got out of the driver seat and walked around the car. Opening the rear passenger door he nodded to the man inside. A tall muscular man stepped out of the car.

"This was not what I sent you for."

The ghoul nodded. "This is what I was able to arrange. Nothing needs to change."

Sammuel Trevian looked the man up and down. He wasn't as sure about this. "Make sure nothing goes wrong."

"Nothing will your "eminence"."

Sammuel walked inside. A woman was waiting for him. "Take me to her please." The woman lead him in to the chapel proper. There, kneeling in prayer, was the Harpy. Sammuel approached quietly. Stepping up next to her he went to one knee and prayed quietly. She could hear it was not a Lancea prayer. It had the styling of a eastern culture but she could not follow it. Once he was finished he stayed down but lifted his head.

"Thank you for seeing me Harpy Foscari. It is an honor to at last be able to meet you face to face. This is not the first time we have seen each other. I doubt you would remember the last time though it was a couple centuries ago in France. You and then Bishop York were visiting."

[Lavinia Foscari]

Lavinia tensed as she heard the man's voice. Something about it was familiar but she had trouble putting a finger on it. The slender woman slowly got up offering a hand to the Baron who in return took it briefly abiding to the rules of etiquette with praciticed ease of centuries.

Then her eyes set on his features and she instantly froze. She knew this kindred... she knew him all too well. "What do you want here?", she hissed at him quickly retracting her hand and stepping backwards defensively. Her mind quickly checked her options for any escape route. The last time she met this man he almost destroyed her... but that was over 500 years ago...

[Daven_OOC NPCRM #1]

Sammuel sighed and stood up. "There is hardly any need for such animosity. I came here peacefully Bishop." He glanced to the back of the chapel where the ghoul was now standing. He seemed slightly shocked to see him. Lavinia could not recall hearing the man enter. "Is it done?"

The man nodded. Sammuel moved to a seat and sat down. "Besides neither of us are capable of leaving the building at the moment so we might as well sit down and have a chat. What I want here Lavinia is to talk. Perhaps even to offer you some answers. I am sure that you have some questions, I believe right after that visit to France you and York were attacked by a group of Kindred. Wouldn't you like to know why?"

[Lavinia Foscari]

His words didn't do anything to reduce her tension - if not she felt even more threatened now. Lavinia kept her distance to the unwelcomed guest but straightened herself squaring her shoulders and showing her defiance by posture alone. If this should be her last night of her requiem she'd face it proudly.

"And you have all the answers? Why should I listen to you if this is not another attempt of murder? What is it that you want? I highly doubt you're offer for answers isn't without a price. Or is it just gloating before you move for the kill?", the Harpy was visibly angered by this kindreds audacity. She should've known better, she cursed herself but now it was too late. The only chance she had was to buy her some time and maybe Mathew would wake sooner tonight and seek her out... maybe...

[Daven_OOC NPCRM #1]

Sammuel rubbed his chin as he thought. Dealing with Kindred was a chess game and he had just captured a powerful piece. Now what he did with it was everything.

"I do not have all the answers. I can fill in some things. As to a price. There is no price for this information. The price you are going to pay tonight is not for these answers. It is for the fact that you are a abomination. Lets not discuss that right now though."

Sammuel turned and looked back at the man still standing there.

"Go take care of who ever else is in this building. I assume you can see to it no one ever hears from them again?"

The man nodded and stepped out.

"The truth is I have no wish to gloat. Even if I did I don't think there is much gloating in spending half a millennium to track down two kindred. Maybe in the dark ages but certainly not now. As to murdering you we will get to that eventually. Perhaps a couple weeks. Maybe two months, my current plans require you stay alive as long as York lives. You are probably one of two things in this world that could stop the Arch Bishop from simply turning me in to ash. As I do not have the grail sitting around anywhere I have to make do with you.

As soon as my friend takes care of anyone you have here and is ready we are going to move to a building. I have set it up for you to be comfortable while my plans unfold. Assuming you do not cause me too much trouble you may even be allowed to leave this city once I have taken out the majority of older Kindred.

So any questions?"

Although his words suggested a smugness there was none in his voice. He was perfectly calm as he sat there and waited.

[Lavinia Foscari]

Lavinia's mien became stone hard and her glare was cold as ice. She had no desire to hear anything this... this Baron had to offer. He would have to kill her and that would probably be Mathew's only salvation. If she was dead she wouldn't pose any threat to her beloved Arch Bishop anymore - a sacrifice she was willing to make if the time came.

Crossing her arms Lavinia wordlessly made clear that she had no questions and no desire to talk with this man whatsoever. He would have a hard time holding her prisoner and she was ready to die for her love. No retreat, no surrender.

[Daven_OOC NPCRM #1]

Sammuel seemed content to just sit and look around the room. As the minutes ticked by it almost seemed like he had forgotten that Lavinia was even there. After a half hour the other man entered the room and cleared his throat. Sammuel looked over.

"Have you taken care of everything?" The man nodded and Sammuel stood up. "It is time to go Bishop. I trust you are not going to make it necessary to stake you?"

Rather than answering Lavinia turned and followed the man out to the car. As they left she noted that Sammuel had not followed them. The man who had claimed to be a ghoul did not even glance back, he simply walked to the car and opened the back door. Lavinia also saw there was no passenger side front door. Inside the car she could see the back door that should be on the drivers side was also gone.

[Lavinia Foscari]

Lavinia hesitantly approached the car, her eyes searching for an escape, for any way she could disappear and reach Mathew but this situation smelled too much like a trap. As if the Baron wanted her to fight and resist. Maybe it would calm his conscience, justify his actions even more if she resisted him. But she would deny him this satisfaction. Reluctantly she entered the car and waited for her fate to unfold...

[Daven_OOC NPCRM #1]

As the door closed Lavinia watched as it disappeared. A moment later the driver door opened and the man got in. Starting the car and closing the door he headed out. For ten minutes there was silence as he made his way to the highway. He did not even glance back at her. Without any warning he spoke up. His voice held almost no emotion, only curiosity.

"Tell me, is Lavinia Foscari the name you were given at birth? I only ask because it seems strange to me. I have heard vampires do not change their names through out their long lives. Do you all really go by your true names across the centuries?"

[Lavinia Foscari]

„Why should I answer any of your questions?“, Lavinia answered defensively. She was a prisoner and not in the mood for this kind of small talk. It never ocurred to her to change her name over the centuries, her contacts to the world of the living was long severed and only a selected few actually dealt with her. She wouldn’t answer any question that could provide her captors any kind of advantage. Determined Lavinia stared at the back of the seat in front of her, eyes calm but brooding. They would make a mistake if she was patient enough and then she would have revenge.

Folding her hands she quietly started to pray, the mantric chant granting her some security until her destiny would be unfold.

[Daven_OOC NPCRM #1]

"In truth Bishop Foscari I do not care if you answer or not. I am sure you have gathered by now, I am no ghoul. I am simply a mage who has struck a deal with this Sammuel. You may call me Pestilence. If you wish to treat me as your captor and be defiant to the end that is your choice and one I can respect. Just know I am no pawn meant to get any grand information out of you. Right now my only job regarding you is to not let you leave. If you wish I will not even carry conversation with you while you are captive."

With that he drove in silence. They made their way down the highway heading north. When he exited she could see they were in a industrial area. He turned down a street with a line of large warehouses to either side. Pulling up to one near the end he turned off the car.

"We are here." Getting out he walked around the car to her side and the door again appeared. He opened it and held out his hand to aid her out of the vehicle.

[Lavinia Foscari]

Lavinia’s defiance was more palpable in her attitude towards the mage, her etiquette remained perfect and she accepted the mans hand to guide her towards her prison.

A mage…, she considered the man trying to make sense of this odd alliance. „At least you keep a facade of civility and hospitality which I appreciate, still I see no reason to tell you anything about me or my kind. Conversation, though – I have nothing against a pleasent conversation although I doubt there’ll be any common topic we could gossip about…“

Lavinia gave the mage a tiniest hint of her fangs as she smiled at him. Patience was her virtue and she’d wait for the opportune moment to strike…

[Daven_OOC NPCRM #1]

He lead her inside the building. In side the warehouse was mostly empty. On the far side she could see what looked to be a lab set up. The middle of the room was carpeted and set up with a nice dining room table with several chairs. There was also a dresser and what seemed to be a fairly comfortable bed. She was brought to the carpeted area.

"If there is something you need just let me know. I spend most of my time in the lab over there." He looked around the warehouse a moment. "The entire building is warded against sunlight coming in. Anytime you need blood I have a large stock here. If the clothing in the dresser is not to your liking it is a problem easily solved. As long as you remain in the carpeted area you will be safe." With that he walked across the room to the lab. Pulling out three glowing vials he placed them on a table and went to look at different things.

"You might be surprised the common topics we could have Bishop. For example, would it surprise you to know I am over three centuries old? I have been I look quite good for my age." Pestilence chuckled as he made some notes. "Now three hundred may not be the most impressive thing to a vampire but I think you must admit for a "mortal" it is quite a feat."

[Lavinia Foscari]

Lavinia regarded the room with a bored look in her eyes. She had no intention whatsoever to grant these Terrorists any kind of satisfaction. At the mentioning of his achievement to have lived for 300 years she clapped unimpressed and with as much disregard she spoke, "I applaud your genius. It will make killing you so much more satisfying.", she gave him a predatory smile and turned away from him to regard the dresser. She would try to challenge his patience and temper - it was the only way to force him to make mistakes.

[Daven_OOC NPCRM #1]

"Killing me?" Pestilence stopped and looked utterly confused for a moment. "Now why on earth would you want to do that? It is not like I am the cause of your abduction. That would have happened with or without me. In fact you should consider the fact that with my assistance there was no real need for harm in your abduction, so I am sure my presence has made it a far more pleasant experience. Some of Sammuel's original plans were just down right cruel. He really does not like your kind, odd given that he is one." The man opened one of the vials and stuck his finger in. Lavinia saw as what ever was in side slowly dimmed and then was gone. The man seemed different now. He seemed more vibrant than a moment ago, as if for the first time that night life had truly washed in to him.

"Now I suppose that is not the strangest thing, I don't care much for my own kind either. They would probably want to kill me for reasons that simple creatures like vampires can't even comprehend. That is one thing I find so odd. You are immortal and yet blind to the truth of creation. We are all seeing yet painfully limited by mortality, at least most of us. I suppose from a very close minded view I can understand why you would want to kill me. I may not be your captor but I am your jailer." He started working in his lab, not really looking over at her at all.

"Still this is horribly off topic. You wanted a point of commonality that we could discuss. Why not our dislike of Sammuel? I find the creature revolting but right now he has yet to show he can not deliver on his promise so I tolerate him."

[Lavinia Foscari]

"You're his slave, you just haven't realized it yet. Don't expect my gratitude for your 'kindness'.", Lavinia forced herself to hold back. She hated that man for his audacity and holier-than-thou attitude. If she kept to her plan she may find a way to get out of this prison.

"At least we agree on one thing - it's horribly off topic. Why don't you tell me how you came to serve Sammuel in the first place? As much misguided he is I'm sure he has found a way to blind you aswell and thus managed to forge this odd alliance with you."

[Daven_OOC NPCRM #1]

"Tell me something, Bishop. Do you intend to spend every waking moment here trying to raise my ire? That suggest that you think I invest any emotion in to you or your kind. This alliance is one of convenience. Sammuel has a problem that he can not handle alone, I have a problem that I can not handle alone. As long he continues to prove he can help me with my problem, I will help him with his."

Stopping what he was doing the man checked his watch. "If you will excuse me, I have a meeting. I remind you not to test the limits of your cage. I was unable to properly adapt a spell that simply acts as a barrier so I am afraid there is backlash to trying to cross the threshold." With that he walked out, leaving her alone in the warehouse.