First of all, I'd like to thank grotsnik for being a bro and making a new thread as well as writing that abridgement for intervening events, not only is it a joy to read, as always, but starting a new LP thread with Sommers gives me a reason to login to the Codex again, which I haven't been doing regularly for months now- thanks bro.
Alright, in the old thread I had stated I was vacillating between A and C- not much has changed. To speak to a few points, as Esquilax did, and with some fine additions:
> Edgar Fellowes may be enticed to another, more powerful baron? I highly doubt this possibility. When Fellowes and Sommers were stuck together for days on end during the Angelos plot, they grew close. Fellowes, I'm willing to bet is still loyal to Anthony above anyone else in the London Camarilla, even if he were enticed by another baron, it's entirely possible that would work in Sommers' favour, were Eddie still a die-hard.
> The Camarilla wants an external Prince in London. This is not necessarily the worst possible outcome. Sommers, from day one of this LP, has not been a low enough generation to become Prince, even if that was our ultimate goal. The passage of time from when Sommers first opened the elaborate correspondence from du Marchais way back when, can't be more than 9 months to a year, if not much less, given grotsnik's narrative pacing. Sommers has built up a power base and grown from patrician of Whitehall to a baron earning grudging respect, but this does not make him Prince material. Our immediate/long-term current aim should be to earn the right to the barony of Westminster and to *hold* it permanently. Sommers' strength is in his connection to the kine political structures and his ability to manipulate and exploit them against other kindred, once we secure that barony, we'll truly secure Sommers' long-term future within the London Camarilla. That brings me back to the opening of this point: a foreign Prince is not a terrible outcome. Prince William of Orange, King George I of Hanover are examples of foreign monarchs transplanted into the British state - a foreigner, as an unknown quantity, may bring stability to the Camarilla precisely because the barons won't know the extent of his/her power or their ability to challenge it. Sommers has been seen, since his triumphic entry into a barony following the defeat of Angelos, as a dangerous maverick, so in the short-term he needs must prove his loyalty to the establishment.
> Whereas Turcov once embraced Anthony Sommers, he is now our main rival, our nemesis as it were. London is not big enough for two politick kindred and Turcov as the lower generation will doubtless see Sommers as an upstart who has risen well above his station in too short a time. With Earnes out of the picture, Turcov will be making new allies; we need to circumvent this, however, that won't be achieved by more petty displays of power in essentially folly forays into Sabbat held South London. Sommers needs the barons to come to him -- by going to them, at best he'd be humiliating them in their own territory, and at worst, breeding resentment when they begin to see him as vainglorious. Turcov is not going to spend his power unwisely reclaiming territories none of the central barons care about, and, referring back to my second point, Sommers will set play his trump card to secure the shaky loyalty or the begrudging debt of the southern barons while Turcov secures his position as Camarilla king-maker? I think not. Anthony needs to become the power behind the throne, the local kindred who can act for a foreign Prince, not a possible rebel.
> The Camarilla in Vienna/Venice is concerned about anti-Tremere backlash in London. Rather than wasting Operation Wistman on the Sabbat, perhaps Sommers can prove his worth by preserving the Chantries and moving against any kindred that tries to instigate a witch hunt or pogrom of sorts against the remaining Tremere. That would prove Sommers to be a much more valuable Camarilla asset than showing a few shovelheads what a sunrise is.
With those points made-
I am voting AExplore Witanhurst. The new campaign is only just beginning. There's no rush, but time is short. Let's take a look at Sommers' new home, we might turn up something useful or valuable, and it won't hurt to shore up any holes in SECURITY. Even if we don't find any buried treasure, at the very least we should make certain there are no secret passages through which a rival baron's assassin might gain entry, and more than that, who knows what kind of dusty tomes or bargaining chips we might find?
As to Esquilax second suggestion that we (P)hone Costello and request information- might I suggest a subtle tweak, Esquilax, my good bro-we now have a Nosferatu bodyguard (of sorts), Mr. Cripps. I assume he's more than just a hideous face. He's a Nosferatu, perhaps instead of a phone call, we just just ask him to seek the information on our behalf. grotsnik has not fully fleshed out whether Cripps is a bodyguard (muscle) or, if personal safety means "information gathering" and "surveillance", if it is the latter, then as a sewer rat, I'm sure he'd be a better source on the Sabbat than the Harpies. The second reason I suggest a tweak is that Costello is sometimes "difficult to reach" and as she's just attended Sommers' residence, she may not like receiving a call on the same evening. Cripps, if he's still connected to the Nosferatu as a whole, and if their information gathering networks are recovered from the post-Angelos backlash, may be able to find out much more useful information than anyone else in Sommers' pay. So if we're allowed a "phonecall" action or a "delegation" type action before we undertake a narrative one, then that would be my suggestion.
Post summary (tl;dr):
- Sommers' short term goal: to become London kingmaker; to retain and consolidate himself as Baron of Whitehall.
- Secure his position within the Camarilla without revealing his hand to other barons too early.
- A Explore Witanhurst; (P) (or just ask) Cripps to gather or seek information on the state of the London Sabbat and their leadership.
We dont want Edgar to think we like Nos better than Tore, right?
