Let's Play VtM: Wild Nights - Chapter 10

[SCO]

C, its obvious, and will not burn any bridges. Maybe a small reward for services proffered would be wise too.

A and prob B wont work, generation wise. If you think you can risk it, use B to find out about the setite. Flatter him, about his info that he already knows you didn't know.

Next move, find out who is deceiving the prince, call the nosferatu and inform him of this little twist of the job so he can't come saying there was nothing and wasting more time.

The secret in the sewers is prob sabath/baali shit you don't need (alienating the nosferatu even), and the russian mob seems singularly ineffective. Warn them there is a "secret" too, and who passed that info on (so they can watch).
C, fucking email the nosferatu.

As for the setite, i'm unsure. Though I'm pretty sure than as soon as his presence or a baali one is confirmed, you should confer with Samantha Eames right away

btw:

The in-game history has the Assamites, Followers of Set, and Salubri waging wars against the Baali. The Salubri and Assamites in particular had a deep seated hatred for the Baali. The Assamite warriors' blood addiction can be traced to a curse leveled by the Baali. Partially as a result of these wars and having been hunted by both the Camarilla and Sabbat, the Baali were almost extinct in the modern era of the game.

 

[Black Bart Charley]

I am embarrassed by the pics, bro. I wanted to make her look ugly. And ended up with a model... Leave em be.


B - the man obviously likes to talk
A - no such thing as not enough muscle


Do we actually want to be the Man the town? Ah, silly question.
And how many points do we have in DOMINATE? I guess all mortals are free game but how to figure out if you can take a vamp?

 

[Erebus]

I was hoping there'd be some Followers of Set in this story.

He seems to know a lot and we might learn more useful things from him. Pretending not to be interested might work... but playing along seems a safer bet.

Hired muscle might be useful... or dangerous if Du Marchais gets that card. Subtlety is all well and fine, but brute force shouldn't be underestimated. Unfortunately, I'm just too curious to pick the sensible choice.

I vote B - B.

On a different subject, don't we know anything about this centurion guy ?

 

[SCO]

Do we actually want to be the Man the town? Ah, silly question.
And how many points do we have in DOMINATE? I guess all mortals are free game but how to figure out if you can take a vamp?

It goes by dice roll, but higher generation is immune.

 

[Black Bart Charley]

Thin blood is all we can mindrape?...

 

[Esquilax]

Thin blood is all we can mindrape?...

Not if we diablerize someone of lower generation...

Given the choices for the first part, I think (A) is a very bad idea. It isn't in character (far better is to be more subtle about it), it's extremely heavy-handed and worst of all, our bro is probably too much of a next-gen popamole vampire to mind rape Karthik, who is likely of a lower generation. Getting upset and leaving angry (D) or even worse, going all EXTREME and threatening him (E) are even worse because we will burn bridges and piss this guy off. Say goodbye to a useful contact.

So that leaves us with B and C. Is Presence tied to generation the same way that Dominate is? It's pretty clear to me that this guy is quite arrogant and loves hearing flattery. He also loves hearing about how great he is at his job. Look at how he reacted when we said "Karthik, you know a lot about what happens in London". Maybe if we give him something nice, for example some info about the cargo container the Cathayans brought in, that he'll be forthcoming. We can play a war of words with this guy, I am confident in our bro's speech skills.

So for choice #1, I pick B. But if Presence works like Dominate does, then I go with C.

I'm torn on the second choice. I think the mobsters will be ineffective and whatever is in the sewers might harm us just as easily as it might aid us. We are already in a little bit of shit with the Prince for showing up late, I just don't think that it's wise to completely go rogue like this. Yeah, he might not ever find out, but judging from the vague details Karthik made, this "help" is very difficult to control and might give us more enemies along the way.

C, I don't trust this guy. We'll get some muscle elsewhere.

So, in summary, BC.

 

[Serious_Business]

I vote B - B.

If our guy is charismatic enough, he should be able to pull off flattery without him feeling insulted. "On croit quelquefois haïr la flatterie, mais on ne hait que la manière de flatter". Our guy is kind of being a pampered angry little cunt right now, not very likeable, I'd like to see him pull of the social strings a bit without resting on his laurels so much

And B because it sounds like a terrible idea, so we should get to it

 

[Erebus]

I don't expect we'll get a chance to diablerize anyone anytime soon, but even if we did, it would likely be a terrible idea. Unless I'm very wrong, Diablerie is a sure way to make yourself lethally unpopular (and anyone with Auspex can detect it).

 

[ironyuri]

I'll go with B - B.

Leaving works fine and Karthik may even tell us more as we leave, but he has already mentioned a coming war with du Marchand and that is what we should be looking to become more informed about.

If he knows everything that goes on in London, he would have known a) that we were there for info regarding the kidnapping and b) he already told us that Rannigan was not kidnapped in Whitehall and that there is a war with du Marchand in the making. Those are two pieces of information that prove useful, he also told us about the Setite (all for free with no exchange).

So B works because it would probably serve the business relationship, and if we leave without playing his game we may insult him; for us to a) flatter him, b) give him some info in return, or the promise of it and c) we may squeeze out more clear information regarding any of the above tidbits.

Edit- And the B one in the sewers sounds pretty cool. Do we need to investigate it personally though? If so I'd prefer C

 

[ironyuri]

we'll take fellowes

Yes, but a Ventrue slopping about in the sewers beneath London? What filth, old bean! Sewer tramping is work for disgusting underlings, not prestigious Ventrue gents. I mean, what if we drop our monocle in some pile of excrement?

Also, if we diablerise anyone it should be an Antediluvian who then takes over the character and visits destruction about London

 

[Esquilax]

we'll take fellowes

Fellowes is a Toreador, he's probably even more prissy about walking around sewers than we are. Oscar would be the best choice for this, but considering the situation, he might be very fucking pissed at us. He doesn't need to know.

I'm not going to lie, sewer-lurking is the most interesting option, but is it really the option that will allow us to get a favourable outcome? I don't think so. As entertaining as the whole scenario sounds, it seems like a very bad idea. Whatever we find will most likely be associated with the Sabbat, we will have to hide its existence from the Prince (who btw, already is pissed off that we showed up late last time), and worst of all, Karthik has implied that this thing, whatever it is, is extremely difficult to control. It could backfire on us horribly.

Also, it doesn't seem like something that a monocled Ventrue would do.

 

[laclongquan]

Gahahahahahahahaha

Dominate is for fucking low class ventrue who dont know anything about getting things done. Dominate is a brute force approach.

Style here is getting him to speak on his own volition, without coercion or mental tricks. That is the true Ventrue of old. And Karthik just gave us quite a few morsels: Sheriff fear the Centurion, the info prince gave you is incorrect. He's a valuable source we need staying friendly with us. But what do I care about that. Style is all that matter.

IT's BBBBBBBBBBBBBB, old chap.

As for force the Russian kines sound promising. We can provide the brain to direct them, what we need is muscle. Fellowes is good but we need disposable muscle.

Curiousity is well and good but we are Ventrue, not Torres or Malks. Curiousity do not get things done.

We leave the sewer option for the old impotent baron to pick up. As he's desperate he will. Then we tattletale about that to the Prince. Ooooh what a scandal. This battle could might well win before we need to use the Russians, leaving them a reserve force.

So it's AAAAAAAAAAAAAA

It's a golden bee-ah, folks. :beer:

EDIT: the logic is sound but my brain run haywire for sometime. I blame the lack of nourishing blood.

 

[ironyuri]

Gahahahahahahahaha

Dominate is for fucking low class ventrue who dont know anything about getting things done. Dominate is a brute force approach.

Style here is getting him to speak on his own volition, without coercion or mental tricks. That is the true Ventrue of old. And Karthik just gave us quite a few morsels: Sheriff fear the Centurion, the info prince gave you is incorrect. He's a valuable source we need staying friendly with us. But what do I care about that. Style is all that matter.

IT's BBBBBBBBBBBBBB, old chap.

As for force the Russian kines sound promising. We can provide the brain to direct them, what we need is muscle. Fellowes is good but we need disposable muscle.

Curiousity is well and good but we are Ventrue, not Torres or Malks. Curiousity do not get things done.

We leave the sewer option for the old impotent baron to pick up. As he's desperate he will. Then we tattletale about that to the Prince. Ooooh what a scandal. This battle could might well win before we need to use the Russians, leaving them a reserve force.

So it's BBBBBBBBB

It's a golden bee-bee, folks.

I think you mean B-A, bro.

Since you just voted for the sewer option

I still want to know what's down there, but I don't want our prestigious ventrue sullying himself to find out. A postive dilemma old chaps!

 

[Esquilax]

I think you mean B-A, bro.

Since you just voted for the sewer option

I still want to know what's down there, but I don't want our prestigious ventrue sullying himself to find out. A postive dilemma old chaps!

Yeah, but who would you get? The only real choice is Edgar. But I still don't like calling in a favour right now when we could be in much deeper shit later and need him. I don't like spending good will frivolously.

If the sewer romp option takes it, we absolutely must go there personally regardless of who we delegate. We need to know exactly what the fuck this thing is, talk to it, and see how it can best serve our ends. If we are to maintain some sort of control over it, we need to establish some kind of relationship to it and see how it reacts to us. This shit is too important to leave up to somebody else - we have to take care of it. If you go EXTREME, you have to go all the way. Go down there, take Edgar and some of his Brujah thugs with you.

Besides, a real leader commands from the front.

 

[laclongquan]

I mean precisely B-A

Curiousity is for cat and mad Malk. We are Ventrue, we got the brain, we dont need mysterious force in the sewer. And should the old baron tooo desperate to choose them force, we will backstab him politically.

That's why I advocate to choose hiring the Russian muscles.

EDIT: Braaaaaaain! Moaaaar Braaaaaaaaaaain

 

[laclongquan]

Le fuck? What's wrong with my eyes?

I blame the lack of coffee.

 

[Storyfag]

B for keeping a good relationship with Karthik. Perhaps use the same wording as we used when talking to Oscar. "A Kindred kidnapped", not "Terrance Rannigan kidnapped". This may yield surprising results. Otherwise, we should try to mine him on the Setite info.

B for investigating the secret sewer thing. I'm waaay to curious to pass it up.

Also, keep in mind that Karthik may be simply lying about any of the things he mentioned. Tis' vampire society for you - everyone's trying to play everyone else for fools.

Finally, I support root's motion to diablerise someone ASAP. I love the smell of Methuselah vitae in the evening. We can join the Sabbat while we're at it

 

[ironyuri]

B for keeping a good relationship with Karthik. Perhaps use the same wording as we used when talking to Oscar. "A Kindred kidnapped", not "Terrance Rannigan kidnapped". This may yield surprising results. Otherwise, we should try to mine him on the Setite info.

B for investigating the secret sewer thing. I'm waaay to curious to pass it up.

Also, keep in mind that Karthik may be simply lying about any of the things he mentioned. Tis' vampire society for you - everyone's trying to play everyone else for fools.

Finally, I support root's motion to diablerise someone ASAP. I love the smell of Methuselah vitae in the evening. We can join the Sabbat while we're at it

I think grotsnik, in his very good storytelling way, i nformed us in the first chapter or the second that the kidnapping was very strange, especially as our Ventrue had not heard about it and has his ear to the ground in Whitehall.

Makes no sense that a prominent kindred is kidnapped and our patrician knows fuck all. Perhaps the minutes of the meeting that were missed would have shed clues and we wouldn't be here now... perhaps there is no kidnapping.

PERHAPS THIS IS C&C BITCHES OH SHI-

 

[desocupado]

C) Leave, of course. He’s already told me everything I need to know.

C) Neither. I just can’t trust him

 

[Esquilax]

I honestly have no idea why so many of you are going for the sewer romp option. It's completely fucking insane, out of character, and may just be Karthik trying to dick us over somehow to boot.

 

[laclongquan]

Yeah. the more I think the more I suspect this seem to be a test of some sort. A trap set by Prince and Baron? Nevertheless, we will proceed to investigate this to the root.

And all the more reason to stay leery of the sewer. Full of unmentionables and mysterious results. No. Like I said, curiousity is for cat and mad Malk.

 

[Esquilax]

who cares if it's the stupidest option? i'd rather have an exciting but short story instead of a long and boring one.

B it is.

Says the guy who brutally slaughtered our Space Marine Chapter after we consistently picked "exciting" options.

I see your point tho, it is a tempting option.

 

[Rod Rodderson]

For the first option, B. I don't have much to add that hasn't already been stated, though I'd shy away from using Presence unless crucial. It's entirely able to backfire horribly.

For the second option, A seems safer, and still useful. I am curious as to what the sewer thing is, but it seems like it might not be particularly wise.

 

[laclongquan]

B is not using pure Presence but a combination of good old charismatic skills and smooth talks. Diplomatic option, dontchaknow?

 

[zool]

B: let's try to extract as much information as possible from him while we're here.

and

A: can't hurt to have some brute force on our side just in case.