Let's Play VtM: Night Empire

[a cut of domestic sheep prime]

The motive behind your idea is sound though - Turkov is our main threat (along with the Archon's threat to get rid of us if we don't prove useful) and he knows we know that, so playing nice isn't going to get us anywhere. We need to turn this situation into an opportunity to both prove Tony useful to the Camerilla and take Turkov down a peg.

I like the suggestion someone came up with earlier about saying we want to use Eddie as an investigator. That would make us seem more proactive than Turkov and would give Eddie freedom to move unmonitored by the Archon etc.

Plus the Archon might view it as a contest between Tony and Turkov. If we find and eliminate the hunters first, we'll have both humiliated Turkov and proven ourselves useful - protecting our barony for the time being.

(Add to that that I am seriously doubting our ability to control the team without Eddie - according to his call, they were getting restless even with him there. All it takes is one of these guys getting loose and tossing someone through a wall with his ghoul strength and we'll have a great big masquerade violation on our hands - all the excuse the other barons will need to get rid of us.)
edit: Random Word: Went back and read it and you're right.

So my vote is that we (P) Horn + B (investigator excuse) + challenge/usurp Turkov's position as head of the investigation - citing our kine connections as making us a better candidate.

Feel free to poke holes in this tho'.

 

[Random Word]

Add to that that I am seriously doubting our ability to control the team without Eddie - according to his call, they were getting restless even with him there. All it takes is one of these guys getting loose and tossing someone through a wall with his ghoul strength and we'll have a great big masquerade violation on our hands - all the excuse the other barons will need to get rid of us.

I don't understand this line of reasoning. I've argued against it before, but I'll reiterate. The SAS and SBS don't deploy every day, or every week, or even every month. They do not go stir crazy on a base and start throwing civilians around during these periods. When Grotsnik says they're getting restless, unless he and I have drastically different understandings of the people who make up the SAS and SBS, he means they're enthusiastic about getting a new assignment, confident about their abilities, and ready to get down to it, not, "If you don't deploy them now they're going to go trash a pub." Right now what they want most is the perception that the brass is on the ball, their intelligence is good, and the moment one of these supernatural threats to the UK appears, they'll be on it. They understand the idea that their talents aren't called for very often, but for morale purposes they want to know that the people running the show aren't blind fools who have made this whole 'supernatural threat' thing up.

 

[laclongquan]

grotsnik, would you update the list of (P) contacts in the first page, please?

 

[Esquilax]

The motive behind your idea is sound though - Turkov is our main threat (along with the Archon's threat to get rid of us if we don't prove useful) and he knows we know that, so playing nice isn't going to get us anywhere. We need to turn this situation into an opportunity to both prove Tony useful to the Camerilla and take Turkov down a peg.

I like the suggestion someone came up with earlier about saying we want to use Eddie as an investigator. That would make us seem more proactive than Turkov and would give Eddie freedom to move unmonitored by the Archon etc.

Plus the Archon might view it as a contest between Tony and Turkov. If we find and eliminate the hunters first, we'll have both humiliated Turkov and proven ourselves useful - protecting our barony for the time being.

Now, because of my hopefully not too far-fetched conspiracy theory about Turcov possibly being involved in this 'Hunter' situation, we need more information on what he's up to. I think Eddie is the best way of going about this. Keeping him as an investigator would allow us to have him on hand for whatever we need, but he is far more useful in a position close to both the Archon and Turcov. I believe that Eddie is solidly in our corner and he realizes that his opportunities for success are greater with us than they are with Turcov. What good is a promise to be Sheriff ten years down the road to him anyways? Turcov could change his mind or find another Toreador in his court that suits him in that time. Eddie's star has risen alongside Anthony's and I don't think he'd leave us for the uncertain promises of some fickle Baron. Let Turcov court him - maybe he'll let something slip. Eddie is most useful in a position where Turcov thinks we are a fool who has given him our best asset without complaint. Eddie has offered himself as a spy, let's give him the chance to shine.

If we were to keep Eddie around as an investigator, I really don't know in what capacity we'd use him in. We're looking for leads on these guys ourselves - what exactly would we have him investigate without any info from our end to follow up on? More than that, our ghoul squad is as ready as they're ever going to be - we just need to find the right time to use them, and since they are almost certainly going to be striking out in the day, Eddie can't really help them there either. Based on that, I really do think he's most useful in the Archon's court.

To reiterate: A) + (P) William Horn, which I had picked for a while but it was a few pages back.

EDIT: If we want an investigator, perhaps it's time to ask Wilhelm Vogler for a favour. He may be Prince of a small city, but that still means the man has some sort of resources at his disposal. He's laid his cards out on the table, so maybe it's time to tell him about Mandrake. Vogler might be willing to send someone from his court (probably a Nosferatu) who is a good investigator over to London for us to help us deal with this horseshit as soon as possible and get to gathering supporters for his campaign. I didn't want to call him because he said something about "not liking phones" leading me to believe that he may not have one.

Also, I'm not too hot on the idea of asking him to commit one of his people to help us on something unrelated to his becoming Prince before we've managed to obtain something concrete in terms of support for him.

 

[grotsnik]

When Grotsnik says they're getting restless, unless he and I have drastically different understandings of the people who make up the SAS and SBS, he means they're enthusiastic about getting a new assignment, confident about their abilities, and ready to get down to it, not, "If you don't deploy them now they're going to go trash a pub."

Yurp, basically. I imagined more that now the squad is vaguely aware of the existence of something dark and horrible beneath the surface of their own country, a hitherto unknown threat to their loved ones, they're eager to get at it and a little broody about the consequences, and they've started jokingly asking Fellowes when it's time to go, who doesn't really know how to banter with them. It wasn't meant to a warning sign, just a reminder that they're there and sitting fallow.

grotsnik, would you update the list of (P) contacts in the first page, please?

Sure thing. To what, though?

 

[ironyuri]

When Grotsnik says they're getting restless, unless he and I have drastically different understandings of the people who make up the SAS and SBS, he means they're enthusiastic about getting a new assignment, confident about their abilities, and ready to get down to it, not, "If you don't deploy them now they're going to go trash a pub."

Yurp, basically. I imagined more that now the squad is vaguely aware of the existence of something dark and horrible beneath the surface of their own country, a hitherto unknown threat to their loved ones, they're eager to get at it and a little broody about the consequences, and they've started jokingly asking Fellowes when it's time to go, who doesn't really know how to banter with them. It wasn't meant to a warning sign, just a reminder that they're there and sitting fallow.

grotsnik, would you update the list of (P) contacts in the first page, please?

Sure thing. To what, though?

I think he wants you to update the contacts to include people he would like us to get in touch with but that are completely extraneous to the current narrative, ie:

we should be able to contact Erika eventhough we don't know where the fuck she is
Oscar should be happy to hear from us eventhough he fucked off and turned traitor
we should be able to contact Don Jameson somehow???? maybe using necromantic magicks the Giovanni give us for free
we should be able to commune with the pixies and get a reach around from Kirkbeck and du Marchais any time we like?

 

[grotsnik]

Well, there's Vogler. I've stuck Vogler in.

...also, since when can we edit ancient posts? I thought they timed out after an hour or something. This is great news - I can make a chapter index like a civilised LP.

 

[laclongquan]

I mean the phone contact list. Who can we contact by phone?

I know some of these fellows think my request redundant. Bah. They have some strange notions.

Who do they think we are? We are motherfucking Ventrue, manipulator extraordinaire. If we dont know anyone, cant contact anyone, who the hell will be manipulated by us?

This portion contained phone number in our little black book is as precious and as dangerous as a Barret to a sniper.

 

[ironyuri]

I mean the phone contact list. Who can we contact by phone?

I know some of these fellows think my request redundant. Bah. They have some strange notions.

Who do they think we are? We are motherfucking Ventrue, manipulator extraordinaire. If we dont know anyone, cant contact anyone, who the hell will be manipulated by us?

This portion contained phone number in our little black book is as precious and as dangerous as a Barret to a sniper.

Bro, there was already a contact list on the first page of the LP, with just about everyone except Vogler & the Archon that we are 'welcome' to contact for non-extraordinary circumstances.

 

[laclongquan]

Would you like to read my statement again, Mister ironyuri? I mean, I repeated the key word in the first line. At first I thought it's redundant "Our fellows here are . Such monocled fellows would naturally be literate and read my statement as I wrote. Etc and etc..."

@_@

 

[Hellraiser]

Well, there's Vogler. I've stuck Vogler in.

...also, since when can we edit ancient posts? I thought they timed out after an hour or something. This is great news - I can make a chapter index like a civilised LP.

It has been like that for as long as I can remember. Personally I just stole removed the index code from the inventory of Cassidy's HoI2 LP opening post for my Emperor LP. And that topic is over 3 years old now. So a long time indeed.

Still an index would be much appreciated bro, I find myself often re-reading the previous chapters to dig up of vital details you weaved into them. I am sure the others do so as well.

 

[CappenVarra]

Editing posts was only allowed for 5 mins or so immediately after the switch to XenForo, but I guess people complained enough and DU changed it to something more reasonable.

 

[Running Fox]

https://sites.google.com/site/vtmnightemipre/

Fit to width...
If someone want to add formating aside from <pre>, go ahead, make my day, punk!

grotsnik, dude, I made that contents list with new links for the old thread and ya didnt even include it in the first post...

 

[Computer Gamer Refugee]

Sheesh, I go away for a few days and miss about 5 pages of scheming.

Anyway, as usual, I completely agree with Esqualix. Frankly, Turcov offering Fellows as a bodyguard is just foolish (on the order of land war in Asia). Even if he did not bring it up, I think it would be a fantastic idea. Think of it, our most charming brotastic motherfucker hanging out with the Archon night in and night out. If he does not win him over through sheer charm I’ll be highly surprised, but even if he doesn’t, he will him impress the Archon by showing the loyalty we can inspire in such competent underlings. Even better, since Turcov was the one who forced poor Anthony to make the offer, he will think he got one over on us AND it won’t look like we are trying to curry favor with the Archon, so he will be less wary of the charm of Edgar. Turcov spent political capital to do Anthony a favor (oops).


We then go to the ghoul team and tell them that “Edgar has been called away on temporary duty (happens all the time) and while we understand they are excited to see some action, I want to make sure that we find the right target, with the right intelligence, so you can properly operate. We absolutely will not commit you to some half-baked scheme because a politician wants to show he is tough.” Just because Edgar is not too good at small talk does not mean that Anthony cannot charm (presence) the ass off these guys.

As a precaution, if it is feasible I think that moving the squad to a new (also secret) location might not be a bad idea, just in case Eddie does get mindraped. In this way, the fact that we have not had as much contact with him the past few months is a good thing. It means that he knows less about our current operations that he could leak (e.g. nothing about the deal with Vogel).


As for the phone call, I agree that calling Horne is the right idea. Keeping track on the kine is both low profile and doing our fucking job, so is right in line with keeping our heads down and still looking impressive.

Just to be clear, this puts me in (A) accecpt the offer to have Edgar bodyguard, with a (p)hone call to Horne.

 

[grotsnik]

grotsnik, dude, I made that contents list with new links for the old thread and ya didnt even include it in the first post...

You're quite right, my bad. Done.

Looks like A took this one, and I guess phoning Horn?

 

[Esquilax]

Looks like A took this one, and I guess phoning Horn?

Well, from looking back at the thread, it seems that me, Computer Gamer Refugee, Lambchop19, and Hellraiser have agreed to (P) William Horn. Nobody really objected, but of course it's up to you whether that constitutes a sufficient amount of support.

On another note I remember Онега / Running Fox saying he was thinking about doing a proper portrait for this fine saga. If he's up to it, I was thinking of maybe something inspired by this picture:

Sommers, decked out in a kickass suit, sitting in an ornate chair, a goblet of blood beside him. The stone blocks of Witanhurst are seen in the background, as well as a fine fireplace. The look on Sommers' face is one of dissatisfaction: he might be Baron of Whitehall right now, but that's not enough.

EDIT: ironyuri: Sommers looks nothing like Al Pacino, but I think the photo has a very appropriate mood and the facial expression is perfect.

 

[Kz3r0]

Fine for me.

 

[ironyuri]

I always saw Sommers more as a mature Brideshead Revisited Jeremy Irons:

 

[Smashing Axe]

 

[oscar]

I never really imagined Summers as some super suave James Bond figure or a classy aristocrat. More a traditional stuffy English bureaucrat (who while not ugly, is definitely very formal and a little pompous). A "behind-the-scenes" fellow who quietly rose through the ranks by putting in the long hours and not noticeably messing anything up. ironyuri's picture precisely nails how I imagined him.

Though of course his new 'life' and recent rise in power may have refined him.

 

[Kz3r0]

How about Colin Firth, a little younger?

 

[Esquilax]

Nah, Sommers is blonde. grotsnik said he envisioned him as looking like a young Charles Dance. I'd say it fits the bill, as does ironyuri's:

Spoiler

I initially saw him as kinda similar to Daniel Craig in Layer Cake, with Sculptor Angelos functioning as Dragan, the crazy Serbian drug lord in the movie. I had Eddie as somewhat similar to Tom Hardy's character in the same movie:

Spoiler

Don Jamieson is Ted Nugent on the cover of Cat Scratch Fever, but with shorter hair:

Spoiler

Vogler is the Big Lebowski. Black Bart Charley pointed this out much earlier:

Spoiler

 

[ironyuri]

Vogler is the Big Lebowski. Black Bart Charley pointed this out much earlier:

Spoiler

The Prince abides.

 

[Esquilax]

The Prince abides.

Peeing on Vogler's rug will get you staked out for the sun. Especially if you're a Kuei-jin Chinaman. Now that we've mentioned The Big Lebowski, here's Esteban du Marchais:

Spoiler

 

[grotsnik]

I think I suggested Dance mainly because (Smashing Axe's frankly terrifying Aryan supermonster pic aside) he's always had that awesome, cold-fish, dead-behind-the-eyes, closed-off aristocrat thing going on (which is probably why the poor fella gets typecast so often).

Spoiler