Mayday Plays - 🧛🏼‍♂️ Vegas By Night | Episode 24, "P-P-P-Poker Face" | Vampire: the Masquerade

Episode Date: January 25, 2025

Further preparations are made by Nexgen to ensure the heist goes off as planned. #vampirethemasquerade #vegasbynight #worldofdarkness CAST Amanda as Jackie Santana (Banu Hakim) Eli as Niles (Caitiff) Lev as Mal (Lasombra) Zakiya as Sybil Geier (Gangrel) Sergio as John Burrows (Ravnos) Vince as Raguel (Salubri) Caleb Miller as The Storyteller -- 👕 MERCH: http://ko-fi.com/maydayrp & https://mayday-merch.printify.me/products 💵 Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/maydayrp 📰 Join our newsletter: eepurl.com/iIVUjo 🎙 Listen to us: 🟣 Apple Podcasts : https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mayd…ys/id1537347277 🟢 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5vdTgXoqpSpMssSP9Vka3Z?si=97a6a19d71cf4be0 🟠 Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/mayday-roleplay 🌟 Other Socials 🌟 🐦 Twitter: http://twitter.com/maydayroleplay 📸 Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/maydayrp/ 🔴 Website: http://maydayroleplay.com/ 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@maydayroleplay 👾 Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/maydayroleplay 🔵 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maydayrp Thanks for your support!

Good morning, Kindred, and good night. Welcome to Vegas by night. May Day Roll Plays Vampire the Masquerade Chronicle, and welcome back into our little Elysium. And I hope that you're ready for the worst remake of Oceans 11 you've ever seen in your entire life. If you're not familiar with season one of Vegas by night, don't fear, you can still check it out on Spotify, Twitch VOD,

and our YouTube channel as of right now. If you're wondering how you can get more May Day in our life, in your life, you can catch our stream here every other Saturday for our main show. You can follow us everywhere else. The main thing is you can donate to us on Patreon and join our Patreon Discord. On our Discord, we run one-shots for you. Our patrons run one-shots for each other, and we all get together to discuss some of the great games that we put together every week. We'd like to give a shout out as well to our handler-level Patreon contributors. It's because of their involvement in our content that we get to do all of these huge things that we plan on doing.

So special thanks to Advance Wars, Sammy, Bimblewart, Brandon C, Cameron S, Jonathan M, Kirby's Double, Matthew J, Moira, OJapan, R.E.V., and Tony D. We are so proud to announce that we also have a new published writer and contributor in the TTRPG space among us. Vince recently had the opportunity to write for Delta Green's latest release Dead Drops and is featured in its release. If you get the chance, please check it out and see his hard work. And I'd also like to announce that Vince will be coming back to us during our next release of vampires in two weeks from now. After some some personal reshuffling, he's coming back to us, thank God, and we're very happy to have him. He'll be just in time to do

some crazy shit with us. Other than that, we want to shoot a big congratulations over to the finale of Doom to Repeat and the ending series finale of our beautiful Orpheus gang where we said goodbye to the gayest ghosts we've ever met for the final time. If you haven't seen them already, please check them out. They're available on VOD now, but before we get started today, I just want to remind everyone that Vampire the Mascarate can be a dark setting, and as such, there are content warnings for any watching. Please be advised that there may be violent themes, plenty of adult language, and the exploration of darker subjects, please take care of yourself and be aware. I don't have any exact triggers for this session, but I will in two weeks. We'll talk then. Let's get

started. Humanity was cursed, and in that curse, some ganggirl still craved civilization compared to the wilds at their thresholds. The ancient Greeks brought about a split in the bloodlines of the most feral tribal clan of our kind. Dividing what was once our most unified pack into a new sect, one likened to the coyote, able to interweave itself in and out of the natural and concrete worlds as easily as it tread ground.

Their interwoven lives with the mortals meant that their bestial selves were commonly kept at bay. But beneath the veneer of patient control, that wild death still brimmed with untamed malice. The lone, stalking gangrel of the countryside would grow to resent their skyscraping cousins for their presence as wolves and sheep's clothings. But few saw the streets of Constantinople bleed like the dog at mortal sides. Civil wars are petty and unfounded when we are all brothers under my curse. And all while so much more is coming your way. Humanity was cursed, but we still set boundary lines. We will divvy up the winds and losses, draw with sticks in the sand where yours ends

and mind begins. We will live forever fighting over dirt. We will live forever fighting over blood. We will live forever fighting over words. We will kill our darlands. Welcome to Vegas by night. Perfect. Welcome back, everyone, for another little life in Vegas. We have Burroughs back with us after the harrowing duel last week.

There was a lot of hair involved, yes. So much hair. So much hair, so much grease. And thankfully, we're going to get started with some beautiful transgressions against Fremont Street. But before we get to all of that, let's introduce our cast. My name is Caleb James Miller. I'm going to be your storyteller tonight. Hi, I'm Amanda.

I play Jackie Santana. Hi, I'm Eli. I play Niles Ames. Hey, I'm Lev. I play Mel. What's up, gang? I'm Sergio, and I play Burroughs. Hello, my name is Zach and I play Sybil.

Perfect. With that, we have a recap from Sybil this week. Okay. CEO slash C-O-O-Lock, Chapter 5, session six. The coterie is fully incensed. Focus I've seen from our group these past few days is impressive to say the least. A little concerning how much it costs to get there, but fuel is fuel, and we are at my favorite part of the plan.

Planning. I'll start with everyone else. So Mal, Mal is 19 earth years old, but they spent most of their time going on a date with bride, keying in a graveyard, I heard. However it went, they came back a little bit more evanescency than they were. I don't know if that's good or bad, but I know that it was a lot.

So, wake me up, baby. Yeah, fingers crossed. Do we actually have to meet Bride as a coterie? Do we have to ask them what their intentions are with Mel? I don't know. And I'm afraid to ask because then it becomes my job. So on to Jackie. Jackie just hung out with us a lot of the time.

They live in the basement now. I don't know. I like Jackie. She's very weird. And I think I don't need to add to the intensity of what's going on over there. So the fear that I'm getting from Jackie, I'm going to interpret as respect. And if we do double-cross the Camarilla,

the way that I'm pretty sure we're going to, it'll be nice to have them around, basement or not. Niles went off to meet with Hugh, I think is his name, and is officially out of my bed, which is a logical decision, because they don't need to be in my bed. So if they're not, they don't need to be there, why would they stay there?

And I've been looking to redecorate. So it's actually a very good thing that they got out when they did, because otherwise it would be a problem. So we can start redecorating now, give that Felix later. Actually, I owe Felix a one-on-one this week. I gave them kind of a task, but we'll get to that. We'll get to that. Niles also had the good idea of telling us to go see Sylvie in their nest to get a target off of their back, which then gets a target off of ours.

If we clear out the silver dollar for the Anarchs slash gang roll, then that's one less thing to work. That's one less thing to worry about. Which you would think would be a good networking activity, right? Sort of a way to connect the gangles together. That's wrong. Sylvester's a little bitch, which makes that basically impossible. He accused me of being domesticated, which is a joke.

Because honestly, honestly, and the root word of domesticated, coming from domesticate, a French word, a Latin word, actually, domestic cuss, which relates to a house. So he's really just saying I have a house, which I treat as a compliment, because I guess it's cool for gang girls not to. Dirt is not a brand, as much as Budweiser makes me want to think so.

So. And since it seems like people are confused, I am a gangrel. I'm earthy. I'm natural. I'm nature-ish. I've been on a hike, okay?

Because I like things to be clean, and I like things to have an outline, and to have Ariel or Calibri font. you know, point 12, that doesn't mean that I don't have my ear to the streets. And if one of the most ruthless and calculating people I've ever met in my life, Teresa, one day, RIP, can see something in me, then it doesn't matter what some crusty gangrel thinks. Sylvester doesn't know what he's talking about, and I'm plenty gangrel. More importantly, I need him to get to the silver dollar because it's flooded with Ventrue money and Ventrue paranoia.

So I don't know how we're going to handle that But I assume I'm the most capable person for the job Because I've never met another gangrel before So I'm the best one I've ever met I think I think I hope that Sylvie and Lucius, the gangrel that owns the silver dollar

Are giving us the same advantage that N-Gen has always needed And that's that they don't think we can do shit But I've seen this group and our particular methods, as long as it doesn't kill us, we're going to get thrown into the right place at the right time over and over again. It's how we got our silver dollar recon, it's how we got the club and how I got the carry-on and house in the first place, and it's how I'm going to make Teresa know the girl who crawled out of that parking lot that night will be the same one waiting for her when she's back from Seattle, which all of Washington is a masculine.

violation now. I know what that movie has done. So I think I think we have this in hand after a few things. We need to go to Elysium and play nice and actually Siri schedule a meeting with Felix tomorrow at 12 because he told me that he could open a club in two weeks with 20 grand and I'm thrilled that he told me that but I think he can use a lunch and learn just to make sure. Yeah. That's it. Nothing to prove you're not too civilized, like explaining the root word. Good stuff.

Etymology is of the people. Thank you. Absolutely. You came off very of the earth there. Beautiful. Thank you, Sybil. Could I hear from anyone that would like to declare any major changes to your sheets? If you would not like to declare them now, you can reveal them.

at a very dramatic moment later. I made a change, but I'm not telling you. Oh, beautiful. Well, I told you. I'm not telling the royal you. You had to know. I asked you two minutes before we started this stream. So, but everyone else.

You hate our audience and you don't want them. No, I want to be dramatic. Caleb. Okay, so you basically hate everyone who listens to the show. That is exactly what I said. No, it's just the theater major. That's so true. Okay, rude, but true.

We know who we are. Listen, it is the same night as the casino recon following all of the information that we have learned of the Silver Dollar. The recon was successful enough that you all learned a string of highly montaged information that in a very Ocean's 11, appearing in six tabs on the camera frame, way, we discovered many different things when it pertained to heisting over the Silver Dollar Casino in North Vegas. Following that reconnaissance, the four of you headed back to Club Canaan to discuss

what was left over. And you come back to find that posted up at the bar there, probably with some very greasy food, if we know him well enough, is a returned burros seemingly from out of nowhere. In that same Rabnos away, he is come and gone and came back again, however and whenever he likes. But the group of you have returned back to Club Canaan once more. with this newfound information and the return of your favorite Elvis impersonator in the center of the bar. Well, hey, kids. How's it going?

Going. How are you, Burroughs? I'm good. I just got something to eat. Anybody got the ability to eat? Above table questions, sir. That's your. Yeah.

Wrong good. If you have Iron Gullet, can you eat or do you have to have that specific thing to eat food? I believe there's a dot of Iron Gullet that allows you to eat, but let's look that up. It's mostly for blood, right? It's mostly for blood. Yeah, no. You can feed on cold, rancid blood or fractionated plasma. Yeah, so it's more so that you can eat dead blood, dying blood, gross blood.

And less so that you can eat food. Yeah, I don't have blood. I just have curry. Oh, no. So the reason why Burroughs can eat food is because he's actually betraying a myth that is true of vampirism. He has a version of the curse that defies what you all have, essentially, so that he can eat peanut butter. More curry. Yeah, more curry.

It's worth whatever the experience. B. I burnt. If there's some O negative plasma in that curry, yes. But if not, I'm sorry. Listen, I'm sorry. I couldn't follow you. You know how passionate I am about this idea of ours. I'd be curious

to find out what to learn. Actually, we learned quite a bit. Is it going to be hard or is it going to be impossible? Impossible. Prepare for impossible. It's not the worst.

now, but with the correct planning and a lot of prep, there is from impossible to slightly possible. All right, well, you know, I realize I'm trying to add a little bit of a wrinkle to this whole thing, you know, me trying to attach the Hakata to it to get them in trouble. So I understand if that's not going to work out, but I'm going to try. But I think maybe the more important thing is we got to. come up with a real good alibi. We're doing something that night. We're somewhere that somebody sees us. That can kind of guarantee that we're not attached to it.

Well, how are you supposed to be in two places at the same time? Well, that's why I have six beautiful minds in front of me, or four. How many of there are? The dog is here. The very decrepit German Shepherd in the corner. Yeah. When did we last feed him? Technically.

Tach. Girls, give him some of your curry before he fucking dies. Yeah, I'll drop something to his bowl. Well, technically. Awful sound of old 16-year-old German Shepherd, no-tooth, sloppy curry eating happens in the back of this. Oh, he's going to have the shins in a little bit. Oh, that's, you're cleaning that up.

I'm not talking about. Okay, so the thing is, is if we have to be doing the cram, we need somebody who will basically vouch for us. Technically, we just, what we could do is we could be seen, but just at least for a moment, but that doesn't mean we have to be at that location, we'll be elsewhere. And we are in, uh, Sybil.

No, I was going to, we should do it the night we opened Club Canaan. I mean, I like that cover for sure, but we need to talk to a kindred that is willing to put their neck out on the line for us and admit or tell whoever asked them, yeah, they were with me or whatever. I mean, we got the boons from who. I don't know if that's what we want to use it on. Bugsie. I don't know if that's who we want to use it on, if that's worth it. I mean, I don't know if we can do the heist without it. That's fair.

There... Hmm. I also don't have to be the ones necessarily starting the problem as long as we're there to clear out the vault. Right? Like if someone else could, I think there's evidence of using the Second Inquisition to do these sorts of things and it going very badly. It usually blows up in our face, but the Cam's done it before. Could you explain for me what you mean? How would we use a second inquisition?

It's like, um... Have them come in and raid the place or something? Exactly. Exactly. Or maybe it doesn't have to be the actual inquisition. It could just be people that look like them. Like a play? Like a play?

Like a play. But a little bit more immersive with real bullets. And real fire. Oh. A larp, if you will. That's not okay. I mean, I don't mind a little chaos, especially if it's happening up on the casino floor, but we'd have to get down into the vault and then get out while all the chaos is happening.

Well, we have to go up and then down, because we can only get in the elevator from the third floor, and then we have to go down from there. So we've got to hit up and down. Also, not all of us have to be at the highest, I feel like, if we want to have, like, one or two of us here opening the club and just saying the rest of us are working. I mean, I hate to not be there and help out, but I got to be honest, you guys have a lot more special magical powers than I do. Just have a winning smile. I mean, that's saved our ass on more than one occasion.

Ventrue like that sort of thing. Actually, that could, what if Burroughs, because this is an opening night, decides to do a special performance, therefore at least you'll give an alibi. A special performance at the silver dollar? Not silver dollar. Co-Ocanan. I mean, I'm not saying... I'm just saying there is a lot of, you know,

probably you have a lot of fans within. Why would I have fans? Nobody knows who I am. Right. So listen, you know, the other thing is, I actually like this idea because then I'm not there. The most obvious person who hates the Hakata wants to see their entire legacy burn.

Yeah. But I don't know. I feel bad not being able to help you all. I mean, here's my thing. If I want to try to pin it on the Hakata, the only way I can think it's going to work is I got to leave a Hakata goon in the vault. For it to be obvious that it was one of them. And he'd probably have to be dead, you know, shoot them up a couple times.

But I don't know if I can ask that burden of you all to bring in a dead body. And we don't necessarily. need a body per se. If there's any kind of calling card of the hekata. Do you know a calling card of the Hakata? I'm asking you. I don't. That's the thing.

We got to figure that out. Blood magic. Blood magic, right. Can any of us do blood magic? You can, Jackie, right? It doesn't have to be successful. It has to look like it was. Is that so there's like blood magic vapors in the air?

So when somebody comes in to test to see if any magic's been done, they can tell blood magic? A pin of fucking sigil on the wall or something. You could just, I was going to say, if anything, I can give you like images of fake, but, well, I could give you just what a ritual symbol is. But unless you actually know the process, it's just finger painting with blood. Which is why they'll fail and why they'll be dead. Isn't there someone else we can use? I mean, we got a whole town we can use.

We just got to figure out who's willing to do this crazy favor for us. have to be willing. I do feel like Bugsie's the closest we have to a friend, but it's a hell of a thing to ask of him. A little too. Is there someone that even owes you guys? Is there someone that... The person I immediately think of, this guy named Jude, I met,

he's kind of already helped me a little bit. Kind of saved my life, but I don't know. Who's Jude? Judy, he's a guy that works for... Caleb, what's the head of... Ellis. Ellis. He works for Ellis. He said he helped me open up the midnight gospel. You'd know he's also technically a baron.

Okay, yeah, Baron, it's a big deal. Interesting. He seems the most interested in helping me out. I mean, I don't quite got his read yet, but he's about the most powerful person I know. Well, Mao. Yo. Would Bride help us out? No. Oh, God.

She's just so deep in the Camarillo as crazy as she is. She's not. She's like in everyone's. Oh, John, I didn't tell you. I had a date with Bride. Oh. Forget the heist. Let me hear how this went.

Now is a groom. Now's a groom now. I think I did really bad. I think I did really bad. She looked really pretty and like ready to go to a club and I took her to a graveyard. So. And then I tried to give her. Yeah, I know, I know.

I don't think so. I was like, hey, let's look at the stars. Here's some like cool blood that Sybil got for me. And she can't, she couldn't drink it. So we just sat outside for a couple hours. Yeah. Well, I couldn't even call a taxi.

It was, it was bad. It was really bad. And I think, and I think the fact that we're opening a club and she's got a club, she might take that as a slight too. I think I'm really fucked. guys. So basically damage control that we

got to get a bride to do, correct? I don't think she'll do anything like that for her. No, no, no. You. Oh, that's a me problem. That I'm not going to put my messy shit on you guys. That's my problem. How could we use it to our advantage?

You could cut her into the club. She does not need to be. I, she has clubs in different states. she doesn't need our rinky dink little club. Unless we have something to offer her, I don't, I don't think she needs us.

No, I'm going to look pointedly at you, technically. All right, hold on, hold on. As shitty as the date went, which I think is really half your intention anyway, let's be honest. I don't think you're that intentional to be Brad's best girlfriend or whatever. I mean, no, but I have a vested interest in her.

Okay, yeah, continue. All I'm saying is, maybe we could ask maybe we could offer them like I don't know where I'm going with this honestly I guess we have like she doesn't need it like she I was gonna be like we have places you can hide shit

she has a whole club that she's in charge of she doesn't need anywhere to hide shit you said she's not that much of a Camarilla what do you mean by that is she just kind of she's just kind of in everything So what's the chances that she wouldn't mind getting to cut and all of our favors if she agreed to be the person that said, hey, I was with these folks on that night. Or what if you did a second date to recover at opening with bride since, you know, you could take her to a club this time? It's actually very good that the date was bad because cutting her into the club is something she doesn't.

need, but you've also already given her like two things she didn't need. But do we want bride in our business moving forward? No, absolutely not. No, I just meant like as a, as a second date, as a makeup, I know, but what I'm saying is making her at the heist. Oh, sorry, co. No, I'm just saying making her our alibi means that she gets into our business. Yeah, yeah.

That's fair. It goes to show you how desperate I am. Yeah, I know. I know. And if we need me at the heist, I can. I can't stand her up on a date at our club. And no offense, but I think I'm more useful at the heist than anywhere. That's probably true.

But, I mean, if we find a way, I'll, look, I'm already, quote, unquote, in bed with her. So, like, what's one more thing? I have a feeling. You know who would be really down for chaos? and sometimes likes me occasionally. Slow. Slow. Last slow.

We all struggle to remember who slow is. Slow is the man. Actually, above the table, slow is the person in charge with the circulatory system. Torridor freak. Primogen. The painter.

David Bowie looking model, you know, bizarre dresser, painter. He thought Burroughs was pretty. He pressed his little cheeks at Elysium. He's a proper freak. And honestly, if we tell him everything, if we don't tell him everything, I think he'll be entertained at least.

And is very Camro. That, but so we're taking stuff from Cam is the thing. That's the thing. So won't he be pissed? Honestly, I don't think he would. be because something something about the way that he speaks to me makes me think that he wants me to cause trouble but I don't I can't interesting man I want to meet someone like that shit wait wait wait is he looking to move up in the ivory tower is that what it is he's about as

up as he wants to be gotcha we can't really do anything for him other than entertain him and this would be entertaining interesting okay so it's entertaining for him but there's got to be be some realistic incentive for him to go through with it because it's putting his neck out on the line.

At the very least, we'd all have to commit to help him in some serious way. I think I can figure that out. Well, it's about as good as lead as any.

I mean, I don't want to double down on Jude and have even more that I got to owe the man. So I don't mind spreading it out a little bit. All right, so we got an idea

for an alibi. Wait, sorry, this is a question for me, because I'm not politically minded. If we're taking something from the Camarilla and we're using an anarch as our alibi, doesn't that make it seem more

like we did the thing that is against the Camarilla? Yes, Slow is not an anarch. No, I'm talking about Jude. Yeah, yeah, all the more reason why we shouldn't use them. Okay. No, I wasn't trying to poke holes in our plan in a shitty way like I usually am. This was a genuine way.

It's all good. Okay. Should we try to resolve that alibi first before we start actually figuring this out? Yeah. Hear me out really quick before we even do that. How's it? How's, we can just get the building plans. We do still need to do that regardless.

We get building plans to see which, if there's ventilation, like air vents that we can go through, anything that can circumvent being seen or anything like that. I mean, that can at least get the ball rolling to see honestly what we're dealing with because it's before we approach people about definitely a heist and owing anything, any favors exchange. We should actually know if, like, actually know the layout. We might be able to do that with Ellis. Ellis owns Fremont Street. He might have access to buildings all across his technical domain.

Would he find it suspicious that we ask for a blueprint? No. Ellis was kind of there when the silver dollar was put on the table. Gotcha. Thank you. So that's an ask. It is an ask. It's not a horrible ask. Jackie, I can go with you because I'm pretty good with them.

Oh, I was supposed to take you to Silver Dollar any, to the Belvedere anyway, so we both can go. Sib, can I ask a question? Yeah. Are gang girls, who are gang girls in with? Well, technically, gangrel is an anarch group, but there's some that are still involved in the camera. Camarilla and a lot of them don't like to pick aside at all.

Okay. But the Camarilla made it very clear that they don't really like the gangrel. Not too long ago. Gotcha. Yeah. I don't remember why I asked that question, but I needed to know it for some reason. No, it clears things up. The thing we're doing for the Silver Dollar is for the Anarchs,

but because we're Camarilla on paper, we have to. to be careful and it's important. And the gang girls are basically like third party. Third party and our cleaning. Okay. Yeah. Okay. Except for me and, yeah, except for me.

No, but it's still, I understand, personally, I understand like Camarilla alliances and then maybe we should definitely make a stopover, Sibyl. Just to, yeah. We could go, we, I need to go to, Elysium anyway, but I also know if you want to go to Ellis in Fremont Street. Like, we can do Anarch Ayrins and Camarilla errands in one swoop and then come back and see what we have. Honestly, that would be good.

Yeah, whichever you would prefer. Who would like to do it first? I'm going to see Slow, and I'm going to Elysium. I think if somebody wants to go to the Belvederexia. I'd rather go to the belvedere than poke my face in Elysium. How about I go with, let me go with Burroughs and Niles to get the plants and all that and keep me in touch because therefore you in Sloke can get your business solved and we link up and then we'll go to Elysium.

That sounds good. Mal, do you want to come with me to Elysium? Um, I probably, I should probably show my face there at some point, again, to prove I'm not causing trouble. So, yeah. I'll go with you. And also, I want to meet slow. Say hi to Cisco. And also at some point I need to rest. Because these burns are kicking my ass. Oh. Do we want to do this tomorrow? Yeah. Yeah. We can do that. Okay. Actually, what time is it right now? Storytell? I would say that there's still some daylight here. We'll say it's rounding midnight. Oh, then I need. Oh, we got worked on early.

We got time. I was going to say, if you do want to rest for some above-the-table mechanical stuff, I got to go see my human anyway. That should be quick. Yeah, I guess I could visit Ricky. I got to tell him some news. I mean, I'm just going to take over the basement in the meantime. That's...

Oh, so Burroughs, I decided to run the downstairs area as my office and lab. That seems strangely appropriate. So too. I'm going to be working whenever you guys are ready to head to go meet Ellis. I am going to be prepping Burroughs. I'm going to look to you. I have something for you that I am going to be working on. But just come back, come grab me whenever you guys are ready.

ready to go. We'll come sweep you up, yeah. Jackie. Yeah. Before you mess with the book, will you let me know? Yes. Okay. I just want to see.

I'll let you know. Okay. If I can get it open, I will let you know. But I do intend to try to read it, but not until we can safely do it. Yeah. Well, be careful, because last time someone opened a lock, she lost, like, a bunch of fingers. And I did give one of them as a present to pride. Interesting.

Wow. Yeah. Fun. Amanda remember that. I remember that. Sorry. Yeah. Not joking.

I remember. Yes, yes, yes. Beautiful. It looks as though we have two plans for the following night. One team going off to Elysium and the other going off to a different Elysium with the Barrens on the other side of town. Really playing both sides of the coin this night, something we've intended since the very beginning of this coterie. And we'll be exercising it especially. But before we do that, let's exercise some demons.

Sybil, let's start with you. You said you had something to attend to with your humor. Yes. I want to go find Felix because I promised I promised I would meet up with them after the silver dollar. Okay. So are you texting the Slack channel to find his location? Are you going back to the carry-on house? Which I wanted to clarify for our listeners, because I keep forgetting.

It is the carry-on house, not the carrion house, which I keep. It's a fun little pun. Carry-on that Zach wanted you to have, and I'm not giving it the justice it deserves. The carry-on house, are you going to be? straight to meet up with them there? Is it a message out there? How do you declare communication? I definitely don't want to meet them at the carry-on house because I want that space to be for other blood dolls, which means I don't want to bite anybody in there. Okay. So I'm going to meet, I'm going to just text

them on the Slack channel and ask where they're at. Yeah, you go into Slack and you see that their status has been changed from the little quarter emoji that they had put where they had put at the silver dollar on business. And now the status has been changed to retiring for the night and little ZZZs, but you hit that private line and the DM and you ask for a locale. and you can tell that the messages have been slept for just about everyone else. Do not disturb for the rest of the carry-on house for as small as your house is. But almost within a few seconds of you finishing your message, there is already a typing message on the other side of the slack.

You can see that Felix is responding to you almost immediately. They give you the location of their home. It's an address in the east side of Vegas. It seems to be an apartment complex. A one-bedroom in some small local residential, far off from the strip. It is like a condo property, essentially. Very corporate and gray and steel.

One of those apartment complex is where the entire first floor is a gym you can see straight into. You can see everyone who lives there and how fit and skinny and popular and rich they are. The front desk has a receptionist, but it's purely unmanned. It is a desk with a buzzer, and he is quick to buzz you in before you. you can even think to have to. And you're called up into the elevator to the fourth floor where he houses his apartment at the end of the hall. It's a corner apartment, so he does have a pretty good view of the rest of Vegas looking out towards the California side. And you are basically approaching the door, you know, to his apartment.

If you were a different beast, you might have to ask for, you. your way inside. I have to ask, do you have Felix's keys, his room card? Do you have access to his house already? Or is this the first time you're meeting up with this new Felix? How developed is this routine? I don't think this is the first time Sybil has been here, but I do think that they do not have the keys. Okay. So there's, yeah, there's a knock on the door. It's almost like he's trying not to seem too eager in the eyes of it all. But there is an answer. And then on the other side, that same individual entering into what you can imagine is his early 40s or just about just right on the cusp with this light caramel skin.

tattooed largely up the right arm. But in a very, like, non-descript cookie cutter kind of way, like, in the most vanilla way that you can be tattooed, there's a blackout forearm and there is a rose and, you know, his mother's name and just a series of things that you would get if you had to write down what a tattoo was on a sheet of paper. But he has this neatly trimmed beard and his hair is tucked up under the beanie. You don't know whether the beanie is to hide maybe some early onset balding or some receding

hairline or if it is to just keep his hair tidy. But he's never been without the hat itself. And he has these cool, almost amber eyes. But he looks calm in your presence, but also overeager. It's familiar to you. It feels the same way that F did in a different way. It is the same need. the same requirement.

He is absolutely tied in every way, in every breath to who you are as a human being, as a creature, as a curse. And you can never quite tell if it's him or if it's what you are. But here is who you used to know, but now you know is Felix. Hi. Can I come in? Of course, yeah. Come on in. Let me just, I'll get the big light off and we can sit at my dining table. And he goes through the process setting on six different lights in his dining room. It's clear that he was sleeping up until the point that you got here and it was in a rush that he even turned his apartment on.

He's turning off kitchen lights and he's turning on appropriate room lighting. and he's setting out a place for you to sit at his dining table. It's a small but tidy and incredibly cookie-cutter apartment. Gray, fresh out of the... It's like he just bought the place furnished a week ago. But he sits you down and he sits opposite you, and there is an uncomfortable silence with the background of Vegas. I guess out of this panned out, shuttered window, the two of you are just sort of patiently eyeing each other for those first few moments.

As you can hear the thrum of his heart beating like hummingbird wings beneath his chest. You can't tell if it's fear or passion, elation, or all of them mixed up in some sort of slurry that you put together for him. Are you nervous? Yeah. Why? You're here? I see. Well, uh, thank you for coming by the silver dollar. I appreciated it.

Of course. I hope you got my notes. I put together a PDF. I dropped it in the Slack channel if you saw it in resources. I did. It was very helpful. Um, it will come in handy for what I'm trying to do next. It was extremely helpful. Good. Yes. No, you can ask. Why? What are you doing? Trying to acquire some property.

I think that's smart. I think it could help out carry-on house. It's good to diversify. Exactly, exactly. It's not for me to use. It's really a project I'm going on with some friends. But for your safety, you probably shouldn't go there again. Okay, I won't.

If you needed me to work a little later, I was just, I was just getting up right now, so I could be, I could be ready to go in about 15. I'm not here for work. I'm here to uphold my part of the bargain. Oh, oh, oh. Really? Yes. Okay, yeah. Yeah, yeah, cool. Cool, cool. Yeah. Like, right here?

We can do it here if that's fine. Is there a place that you would prefer it happens? I just, I didn't know if it, do you, I don't, the first time we were, I didn't know if this was a bedroom sort of thing. It's not. Okay. Not if I can help it. I actually don't like, I'm not a big fan of the biting as much as sort of. distanced as it can be is ideal but I understand that that helps so here to help well yeah um

I don't have to you know bite I just got to drink I mean um it just gave me such a rush last time you you let me and I have been itching for it ever since I want to do a better job of taking care of this position, of taking care of you. I think you've been a great employer so far. I mean, I didn't think I was going to work past retirement, but I'm enjoying the freelancing. Good. There's, I appreciate the not prying. I think that that's a key to this staying as healthy as possible. And as she's talking, Sybil is scooting closer, um, not in like I think it might inherently look a little intense just because of the person that they are,

but it's not it's not hunting as she's truly trying to get more comfortable. So I noticed and he he's kind of fitting himself too and he's kind of inching himself over the dining table as he's getting ready, sort of looming over your forearm waiting for whatever it is that you give him access to your blood. I noticed that the longer I went without you, the more I started to hurt, the more it started to go away. The wrinkles started coming back and my knee started acting up again. And I was just wondering, I mean, that's you, right? That's...

That's... Yes. Yes, that's the blood. That's how it works. And so if I just keep drinking from you, that that all goes away? It stays away.

Forever. As long as we keep this up. It slows things down. You don't quite age as fast and you feel really good. And that's really great. And so what you and you don't have to tell me.

But you do this? I do this for you. There's no one who answers slacks for? Not directly. It's complicated. It's complicated. There are fish bigger than me,

and I interact with them often, but it's not like this. I don't bite anybody's wrist. Okay. Okay. Yeah. So I keep doing this, and I keep doing everything you ask, and you and I make things happen. Exactly.

Now, is this all you want to have your wrinkles go away and your joint pain go away? Yeah. Uh, yes. Yeah. I am dying. and I'm thinking it's the only way. Dying because you're human? Or dying because of something else?

I think it's pretty human to die cancer. I see. Sybil bites their hand and offers it to them. Stuff saves lives. And he leans in and he drinks deep, from the hand. And it's almost too much by the end of it. He's taking quite a lot from you, Sybil. But we'll say that he slakes one hunger away from you, making you hungrier. But he becomes a little stronger and a little farther away from whatever it is that's chasing him.

That's enough, Cameron. Thank you. Um, Felix. Felix. Okay. Cool. Um, this was nice. This was nice. Thank you, uh, boss. Thank you, ma'am. Um, yeah. You, you can, you don't have to call me, boss. What should I call you? Is there, is it like a, is there a term?

Faster? No. Sybil is fine. Sybil. Is that like Felix or is that you? I'm trying to make it both, but it's me. Okay. Perfect.

Sybil. Good. Good. Good. Good. This went well. This is good. Yeah, yeah, it's great. Okay, I feel great. All update the slack, probably nine in the morning tomorrow. Tomorrow's snack Wednesday, so I will be stopping into the carry-on house about 11 a.m., getting the team fed.

Do you want me to bring you anything for the night shift? Yes, actually. And if you could, I'm missing some. supplies elsewhere. So if you could bring some more, have the dolls or whatever gets donated, honestly, depending on how they feel. Just some extra. Have it ready to go. Absolutely, sure. I'll get in contact with your connection. Great. She's been really handy in making all this happen. Good. Good. I'm glad.

Okay. Uh, is there anything I can get you before you leave? Uh, some water or something? No, no, I'm good. I'm good. Thank you. Um, probably best that we don't, you know, involve the bedroom stuff going forward. That feels clear?

Yeah, yeah, I just wasn't sure. I didn't know. Usually I'd watch Francis Fort Coppola. Um, it's no big deal. Okay. I wasn't sure. Okay. Not a necessity, not a thing I was expecting.

I wasn't sure. Cool. It's weird. I've been there. It's just the boss employee thing. Yeah, well, you know what? Let me write up some guidelines. I'll include it in our workplace culture document,

and I'll make sure it's updated in the HR. Damn. Yeah, that's actually very helpful. Okay. Well, we'll see what happens then. Good night. And they pat their shoulder and turn to leave. Perfect.

He does escort you out. And there is this weird, you can see him sort of flexing his forearms as you are leaving out. And you can see that there is this noticeable lift in his spirits. a change even just to the way that he walks as he takes you from the dining room to the door. Already you can see that your influences has changed him remarkably. Good, good. Perfect. Welcome back. We are moving over to Burroughs into the night,

as Burroughs has some very important information to impart onto some very important people. in Las Vegas. Burroughs, where are we going? Yeah, I'm going to just kind of cruise the familiar parts of town that I know that Ricky frequents. I'm looking for him. I got some unfortunate news to share with him. Yeah, it takes some time to find him, but eventually you do in a not unlikely place,

but unlikely state. You find him in the back alley of a local bar. where the slots pay out higher to get them to drink more. But he's in the back and he looks pretty strung out. You don't think on alcohol, probably on some form of amphetamine. But he's in the back with his head against the brick wall of the bar. His knees splayed out, his hands between his eyes staring up at the stars. of Las Vegas and just sort of lost in the drunken high days that takes over a lot of Las Vegas locals when there's nothing else to do.

Y'all approach and kick his chair and sitting down next to him. Well, hey there, Ricky. Oh, shit, man. Fuck. Not you, dude. Not right now, dude. Oh, come on, man. Listen, uh, I want to talk to you.

Why don't you come with me in the car? Look, man, I've been doing what you want, man. I've been following those Italian fucks, you know. That's good. That's what I want to hear. I'm going to reward you for that, but I need you to come with me. Okay, okay, yeah, yeah. I'll lead them out to Baby Blue, help him get into the side.

I've been feeling like, shit, you're going to give me some more than I fucking drink of that old man blood. That fucking sticky red. Keep your fucking voice now. Hold on. I'll start driving us out. I won't go very far probably to the next quiet dark neighborhood or, you know, construction site or something that doesn't have a lot of eyes on it. Yeah, you find a pretty easy to find a half-built, you know, retail yard that they're going to turn into like an outlet mall that hasn't been constructed yet. They're starting on that big main building.

And these security fencing has been caved in from when the last drunk driver took it out. It's pretty easy enough to drive Baby Blue into the center of this construction yard and kind of overlooks this central pit they have going on, surrounded by these concrete squares and the foundation of this place. But it's very well secluded and it's far off from anywhere people will go looking for the two of you. and there's a nice view of the great big full moon and the sky over the head of the two of you and the convertible look kid uh i got to tell you some bad news okay and uh i need you to pay attention so i'll kind of slap him around a little bit to make sure that he's looking at me look dude if you're just

gonna fucking kill me can you just fucking do it rickie when have i given you the impression i'm gonna fucking kill you man i every fucking time i talk to you dude it's just because you're always so damn Ah, it's, you know, I gotta get your attention. But listen, this is important. Okay. It's about your mama. What? You know those Italian fucks I've been telling you to follow?

Yeah, yeah, I've been doing it. I've been doing it, I swear, I swear, they don't do shit. They just drive around in circles. I think they know who I am. Well, it's good to know, but, well, I think they caught on to us. They took your mama. They have her. I looked into it

she's still alive but she's in trouble and she needs your help man okay we gotta get her back yes exactly we gotta get her back but listen we gotta be careful about this because they're smart sons of bitches

and if the word gets out or you get rowdy you're gonna ruin everything yeah but you got your fucking powers man you got your fucking powers and if you give me some and we go in there to get we can fuck him up right you and I are on the same page man I'm gonna give you what you're asking for but I need you understand she needs you to listen to me

last time I spoke to her the last thing she said was Ricky needs to listen to you you talk to her briefly just understand that if you want to get her you got to what I say okay man this is some serious shit these people are involved in. I need you at the top of your game, and that's why I've agreed. And I'll kind of put out my forearm. Yeah. Yeah. Okay, man.

Yeah. Okay. What do I got to do? You just... Fuck, man. What do I got to do? First, let's get your focus in gear, all right? And I'll...

My fucking mom, dude. I'll just kind of push through it. I'll cut open my forearm. And I'll say, drink slow. Drink slow. He disobeys almost immediately and drinks deep and ravenously and takes as much as he can. You almost have to pull him free. I mean, it is a blood potency of two now, so I'm curious if it's even better than the first time.

It's fucking, it's better than anything he took before this. Yeah. I'll eventually yank him off. I'll let him kind of come down from what I assume is a new kind of high. And it is a melancholic high. It's good, but it's awful. He's crying and blubbering and sort of curdled into the bottom of your passenger seat in this fetal ball and is just sobbing for the first few minutes.

Eventually, I don't think Burroughs can handle it because I think he's doing everything he can to suppress the grief. and so I think he kind of angrily grabs him and kind of puts him back up in the seat and it's like listen man focus I'm fucking trying man all right listen listen we're gonna go for a big job here

we're trying to blow over the the silver dollar you know that place yeah that shitty fucking casino off Fremont yeah yes exactly I might have you help me but what I really need you to do is to keep your tabs on these uh these uh fucking pudaneskas okay i know that they probably know you so stop following

them start asking people i but i introduce you to my man jude right yeah yeah yeah he's talking to jude tell him that whatever you need it has to do with the putanescas you're in get yourself involved learn about what they're doing this is a long-term game okay we're not going to see mama for a little while because we got to we got to get to these people and they are high up they are connected, okay? Okay. This is a long game, but we're going to get her. Fuck you.

Okay, so I talked to Jude, and I find out what the Pudaneskas are doing, and I follow that. Yes. We need to know what their business is, how they make their money, because that's how we hit them, okay? And that's how we get her back? That's how we get Mama back. That's right. Okay. Okay.

I'll fucking do it then, man. I'll do it. I think Burroughs will take him and probably forcefully kind of put him in his chest and give him a hug, you know, a bear hug. He is like wetting your shirt with the amount of tears that are falling down his face. And he just keeps murmuring into your shirt, mumbling over and over again, her name and begging to get her back and, you know, sort of writhing against you. Yeah, and I think Burroughs makes that decision at the last second to tell him that his mother is still alive because he sees the way he's breaking down and the death would only make it even more impossible to make him be useful.

So very selfishly, I think Burroughs just continues the lie that we just have to get Mama safe and it's going to take time. That dude, that fucking Jude dude, he told me about that girl at the steakhouse. Yeah. We could do fucking something with her, right? They took mama. We could take her. Let's not get hasty. You got a good point about her. She might come into play. What I need to know about is their money. Where does their money come from in town? What do they do in town that would hurt them if it got interrupted or, you know, I know they're kind of isolated up on that hill, but there's got to be some connection to the town. Okay. In fact, better yet. You wouldn't.

Never mind, never mind. No, no, tell me. I want to fucking help. Tell me. Look, the first time we came across and we went to their mansion up in the hills out there in the desert and they were up to something, some kind of freaky shit. Okay. I do need to know what ritual it was that they were up to because we got there late. This is a little bit above your pay rate, so don't sweat too much about it, okay?

But if you hear something about Hakata, rituals or, you know, strange shit like that. I'll talk to that weird fuck. That Jude guy seems to know a lot of shit. Look, Ricky, now's the time to think about getting clean, about getting sober, for mama. For mama. Yeah. All I need is you.

That's right. That's right. You're right. All right. All right. All right, where do you want me to drop you off? drop me off back home I want to sleep in her bed

good that's good I'll put her in gear and drop them off at the trailer park and you can see him stumble out of baby blue he barely can get his keys out quick enough to get the front door open in fact you probably have to get out of baby blue

to shut and lock the front door after him but he does indeed crawl into that very far back left room of the stationed trailer foundation house that they share the two-bedroom. And he crawls into that familiar bed that you once shared with her. But now he has sprawled his drunk high and now goaled mind into, sprawled the sheets and comforters across his sweating, crying, lost body. as you can sort of look over him before you leave the house and back into baby blue. Yeah, I think I might before I leave just kind of grab a piece of her jewelry or something.

Maybe she's got a necklace that I got her or something, and I'll probably take it off her little vanity, take it with me, put it in my pocket and get on my way. Absolutely. Leaving the house as you get back into baby blue, can you give me a wits plus awareness? Hmm. That I can. Blitz.

Should we say that I maybe gained a hunger from his feeding? Yes, yeah. So that's wits plus awareness, which is not good for me. I don't think. Oh, no, it's okay. Your reason. One success. One success.

You get back in Baby Blue and the night is yours. Yep, I'll head back to the team. Okay, we are ending the night. I believe that Mal is healing. Yes, please. I have some aggravated damage, too, that I'll heal. I believe that Burroughs is healing. Burroughs, I also need to know where you're sleeping for tonight

because we've exhausted some Ravnos locations. We've got to make sure you're not sleeping in the same location. There is a warehouse. No, okay. There's a, there's a, there's a mortuary that all, that I've got a friend there that all, I'll stay in one of the coffins that night. Beautiful. Sleeping with a grave digger. I like it.

So anyone who is healing aggravated damage, I believe it is three rouse checks to heal one. And I believe you can do that one per night. Let's, let's confirm that. You can restore one level. for three rouse checks at the beginning of the next night. Yes. So you can remove one level by rolling three rouse checks right now. Go ahead, Lev and search.

What about, it turns out it's not aggravated. It's superficial for me. Oh, superficial, you're completely good. You're restored completely. So it's just three. I got three successes. Three successes. You are not hungrier.

So you restore one aggravated damage. You do not become hungry. because of it. That's great because I am at hungry. Now I need a traditional rouse check from everyone on whether you become hungrier at the start of the event. Now else gets hungry. Okay. Burles gets hungry.

What if I rolled a skull? That is hungrier. But it doesn't... No, not on a rouse check. Great. I am at 100.4 though. Yeah, four is bad. You should feed.

Mm-hmm. That means going to the asylum. If you would like to just make a feeding roll, we don't have to make a scene of it unless you would like to make a scene of it. For the purposes of what we're trying to do this episode probably shouldn't make a scene of it. Okay, so then go ahead and make me a charisma plus persuasion role role, and we'll see how well you... Can I argue etiquette because I spend time in the asylum? Yeah, charisma plus etiquette. Two successes.

You meet a bachelorette party. And you get really close with the bride who talks to you all night about her husband and how excited she is to be married and how in college she always wanted to experiment. And then within a few hours, you're feeding on her in the restroom of the asylum. Great. You slake three hunger. Hell yeah. Okay, would anyone else like to do a hunger roll just to see if we're capable of killing some hunger?

I'm on two hunger, so I'll be okay for now. Okay. I'm on one hunger right now. Burroughs, you're muted. All right. two hunger. Okay, Sybil, you're good? I'm at three hunger, but I'm also getting some bags soon, so I'm okay, I think. Beautiful, beautiful. We'll say that Felix does indeed. You probably wake up to bags, honestly, with as efficient as Felix is. Okay. It is Wednesday snack,

so they get delivered. We'll consider that you have three bags slaking one hunger each. Beautiful. It is the new night. Which Elysium team's should we start with? Who would like to go first? I would like to note for the record. Jackie would like to go to both areas. So whoever grabs her first, I think that would be.

We can time it out in such a way that we'll chronologically say that they happen at different times so that Jackie can be a vote. You want to roll for it? Roll for it. Let's do roll-y. Sure. When did that, roll for it?

Who rolls what? What? Let's elect leaders of the two Elysium teams and then we know Zach's going one place and Amanda's going a different place. No, Amanda's coming both places. So Jack is team Camarillo, Niles is his team Ann Arnd. Okay. Let's go, let's see. Then rollies.

We actually want to roll numerical dive because I can do that too. Let's roll a 10. Yeah. Okay. I rolled a nine. Oh. Okay. I guess we're starting with the Anarchs.

Yeah, roll the seven. I was late to meeting Sybil because they're making out with a bachelor's vet party in a bathroom and can't tell them. Oh, bored. It is always a good night on Fremont Street in the Strip, and it is no exception at the Belvedere tonight. Niles, Burroughs, and Jackie, you arrive at the Belvedere. You notice that there is increased security today. More bouncers of the mortal variety, you assume. Two more of them out front and then a handful of them on the first floor.

But walking in, it is, again, that two-tiered, beautiful Western-inspired exterior. And inside that almost lantern lit vibe staircase up to the second floor. floor veranda overlooking all of Vegas. You clamber in and at this point the two of you, not the three of you, are known personalities

and welcomed within. So much so that Burroughs is actually something of a welcome site, a personality amongst the faces. People are excited to see them. I imagine that people are

even, you know, trying to get his attention or joking with him already, trying to buy him a drink, whatever it may be. I think I will kind of casually ask, you know, what's the deal with all the security in that? One of the bouncers looks to you and says, well, Alice is upstairs. He was having a meeting with Lydia. Some of these guys are hers. So then the three of you, I assume, are moving up to. the second floor. Oh, yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. Good, good, good. Perfect. So up on the second floor, you do find that tonight is a good night to be at Elysium with the Barons. As many of the Barons are in attendance. Ellis is at his usual place in the corner,

sort of Elbe booth in the back of the veranda, sitting in that perfect corner with his big furred hunting jacket on big high Levi's tucked into Vana cowboy boots that hunting knife perched onto his big cowboy belt with a huge buckle you know straight straight out of Hollywood cowboy young beautiful rugged it looks like he had lived a life before becoming cursed, definitely someone who had been a ranch hand and not just looked like one, but had definitely been loved in his day. Next him is Hugh, the tatted-up EMT that Niles goes home to every night at his right hand, and they are in whispered conversation as they usually are.

Hugh right now is in a leather jacket over some scrubs, as it's clear that Hugh has come from a lamp-light shift at the hospital. Also in attendance are the heavyset tweed-wearing gentleman, that three-piece suit man that you all know is Dufrain, with the thin wire-framed glasses, the middle parted, thin brown haircut, shaved at the sides and sort of graying at the sides that are shaved. And then Jude as well, the illustrious, mysterious, thin-blooded baron. All of them seem to be in...

Oh, I'm sorry. And then finally, the subject of conversation and the subject of extra security. Lydia, who all of you have seen before, but only as a subject of antagonism to Alice, the beautiful platinum blonde, absolute movie star of a woman who, you know, Burroughs might recognize as Burroughs is the most well-versed with fame and film, I would say. But definitely has graced movie screens and was big on the indie scene and was on posters in interviews before mysteriously disappearing, but is now just beautifully poised up here on the Belvedere in a very beautiful black dress. It seems as though they've been holding court for some time and it's come to a bit of a lull. at which point they have fallen to their own conversations.

Lydia with Dufrein, Jude in his own little corner, and Hugh and Ellis with themselves talking with Dufrein. Cool, cool. And you all seem to walk in, and there is a pause as they all sort of look in your direction. And the conversations don't inherently change, but they do, they do, draw attention to your presence immediately.

I mean, I think we'll probably err on the side of politeness and like let them finish as opposed to kind of budding into their meeting, but certainly, you know, recognize them and follow their lead more than anything. Yeah, the nature of Elysium is so odd because it is half meeting, half dinner party, because as you, you know, make yourselves known and burrows you put a hand up, Ellis does stand up, clap you on the back, and put a hand up to all you, say, well, if it isn't our newest transplants, come to grace our Elysium with some bright new ideas. Hello. We want to introduce you to a new friend of ours, and I'll make way to gesture for Jackie.

Oh, no introductions needed. This is our new Banu Hakim in the city, huh? Yes, sir, indeed. Jack is going to, I'll extend my hand out. Let's see if you'll shake it on that. I've heard some rumors about a new judge coming to town to deliver some, we'll call it frontier justice. He puts out a hand and he clasps you at the forearm and shakes you with a very sincere handshake and meets your eyes.

He has these crystal blue eyes that are almost shockingly ice-like as he meets you. I can't tell you that I'm not. nervous that you're here but you know maybe this city needs a little bit of extra judicial presence now but now nowadays you know i i'm kind of i'm glad we're on the same thinking process i agree with you too well i'm ellis i'm baron of fremont street i don't want to say i i head up this little organization but sometimes i speak and people listen so you're the hell you're definitely one of the people I wanted to at least meet personally and get to know,

especially since I've been with Niles and Burroughs. They've been really great to kind of get me into all these nooks and cronies in the city. Oh, really? They've been licking my ass behind the scenes, huh? Nah, maybe. Speaking of kicking ass, you heard of what I did of the Hakata?

I may have heard a thing or two through Great Fine. I may have heard a few conflicting reports on how a certain duel went through with a pair of barrel-chested, half-naked, horse-drawn men. I think Burroughs will probably retell the story for everyone there, give his side of it, certainly embellish it to favor him. But he's really just looking to kind of entertain everybody, get a smile out of them, and kind of make at the end of his story he's going to impress that he's basically moved on he feels like he got his satisfaction

and he's going to kind of continue everything else that he said there was just kind of showboating you know what I mean? He wants to give the impression to everybody there that he's ready to move on. Could you give me a charisma plus persuasion when it comes to wowing the crowd with this little story here?

charisma persuasion. I am absolutely 100% lying about not wanting to destroy the Hakata, so could I add my gaslighting? Absolutely. Okay, six die. I don't like to roll all my dice at the same time

because some of them knock each other out. I know what you mean. I just want to point out that you have a specialty in gas lighting, and that's one of my favorite things that you've ever said about John Burroughs. Yes. That's four successes. And I don't even think that Sergio gave himself the gaslighting.

I think the book gave him a cleaver, I think. I got it as a cleaver. Yeah, that's not a Sergio original. No, no. That's the world of darkness. I barely know how to roll play being gaslighter. That was four successes you done? You're doing great, Sergei.

Four successes. It looks like you're winning the room by all intensive purposes. I am going to take my little coffin, though, and roll for no reason. I mean, somebody's following me from Ricky's place. I know that for sure. I think while Burroughs is telling that story, I'm going to kind of nudge Jackie and be like, the guy in the tweed, that's your guy.

Just to clarify, the one that was searching for the book. Yeah, I'll just nod at him. Excellent. Okay. you find burrows that the blonde in that little black dress who is just one of the most gorgeous women you've ever seen in your life back in the day this is a woman that would be on your arm at least four of them and your wife would be at home and 14 sorry but now she's across from you and she is positively focused, laser focused on your story. In fact, in the entire time that you have held court in this room, and Ellis is laughing at you,

and Hugh has put an arm around Niles and stood over by them and is enjoying the story at this point. And Dufrein is even partaking in some of it. And Jude from over in the corner has his arms crossed and is listening intently as you're describing your oiled body He's lifting each other into the ground and the grenade going off and the embellishments of everything going on and the weeping sorrow of having to bury her body afterwards. And all of the disgusting grotesqueness that is Burroughs, you can see that she is laser focused on you. And there is this small half smile on her face is her index finger sort of trails the edge of her chin.

And you can see that she has a unique awareness that you are complete bullshit. But it doesn't seem that that dissuades her. It seems almost as though she is amused by the circumstance. I mean, if we're both who I suspect we are, I would probably just read that as like, you know, she, she's on my level. I might even kind of offhandedly just say to her, hey, don't I know you from someplace? And I'll just give her a wink and go back to my story, you know, or, you know, engage. But just being flirtatious.

Like we're on the same level kind of thing. She looks to you and she does say, I don't think I make the same waves that you do. Yeah, I think he'll register that. But yeah, I think he's mostly trying to lay the groundwork for the Anarchs to feel like I've gotten out of my system what I needed to in that fight. And I think I'll let Jackie, you know, kind of get some work done speaking to Dufrein. Yes, Jackie wasn't thinking Grace Kelly. like literally kind of looking like kind of just like that reckoning like Chris Kelly's in this Maryland like trying to figure out maybe who that is but kind of

gets distracted um Jack is going to kind of like kind of step away because since Burroughs got the room but she will make her way too different kind of like in a casual way but since he's engaged with the story is going to like reaffirm anything with she could be like yep wrapped his arms too like that, kind of bolstering, giving it an extra effect to hopefully get Dufrein's attention, but we'll wait to slide in. Yeah, if you're sort of feeding details into Dufrein from the side, sort of playing color commentary to the story, Dufrein does lean over to you.

And he goes, you know, it's the Roman Coliseum, it sounds like. And all the hikata were playing the pasty-faced. Roman emperors waiting for the poor to shed blood for them. Honestly, I just felt like it was a ridiculous old WWE stupid fest of people just like playing tough guys. Welcome to the whore Poudaneska. Oh, that I will say Pudaneska has definitely. made an impression. He's a...

It's the only way they know how. Their bloodline was cursed with stupidity while the rest of us were cursed with eternal life. Oh, good. You're not a fan of them, I could tell. No, I'm not a fan of anyone who spends the rest of their life on vengeance. It's such a pity.

I don't know. why you spend the rest of your life, wasting it on something as small as another person. Pragmatic. I like that. Yes, in a word. So what do you do in the meantime? Like, for you? Well, I'm a bid to do whatever the cowboy tells me. And when he is not. I mean, when we're not on the clock.

I read Like many people who look like me I read I am a fan of what came before us Because all we have is what's in front of us That's what everyone before us said Respect that Thank you

Your name was Jackie You're the judge Yeah Jackie Santana Good And you are... Dufrain. Gotcha.

It's nice to meet you personally. No, I can get that. I've... I don't know how much is known. I know there is one Bono Kemin in Camarilla, but we're not just... Idris? Idris, yes.

I'm aware of him. He runs the private security firm. Mm-hmm. What I could say is, we like to not just like how you said useless violence is not all that learning educating and also

always looking at any whispers because whispers turn into truth and therefore you can reveal a whole bunch of things absolutely what is said in confidence often becomes what is said out loud no

question the hecatra and all that have you was it I've been hearing different rumors and insights into hold on pause really quick above table I just realized

above table guys was there anything you guys before we discussed that wanted me to say to Dufrein before because I don't want to segue sorry yeah what are we talking to Dufrein about yeah there was a I remember the book right

this book you found or no. It's the book. It's the book that I took from the Kotta, which was like he was looking for. Yeah. So, I mean, I don't know if we want to outright say that we have. I don't want to, no, no, no, no.

Okay. I mean, you could just put the hypothetical. You know, what if I found a book for you? What would, what would you do for a book if you give a mouse a book? Oh. Yeah. Hypothetical book, not a real book.

Thank you. Thank you. Back to the thing. Below table. question now. I appreciate. Interesting. Are you a collector in the mean?

I just had a... Since you read a lot, do you collect? Oh, you could say so. My house is very new to its existence, and so our archives are burgeoning.

And so house Epsomis is notorious for its need to catalog. Interesting. No, I only say this because Bono Keme possibly may have heard or became, you know, acquisition a piece of evidence that is very interesting and up your alley. I can't say that I'm very familiar with your texts. I don't work very often with the Middle East. Okay. Something more about the ritual and magic since you, something about, something about, it's kind of intriguing where it's just a little locked away.

And I know my resources, but it sounds like we could be in alliance, or you might know something that could. Um, hmm, go ahead and roll me a manipulation plus subterfuge. Oh, thank God for that. Jackie's also kind of out of her element. It's kind of like very, like nervous. Doesn't want to admit because it's like their first big source. loaf type thing. Okay, we roll and one success.

Oi, willpower, we're doing too. Remember, you can use willpower at anything that's not a hunger die. Yep. Three successes, think of it. Worth it was. He narrows his eyes down at you. And there's a clear clocking, as though he's picked up on something. But he does speak up.

He says, are you being deliberately obtuse? Or is there a sentence to follow in which you tell me what you think you have? I've come in possession of something that I don't quite even understand. Now, there might be a possible collaboration. And I just wanted to kind of gauge your interest. working with Abanoa Keem, gauging my interest. See, I'm new in town. I'm looking to establish roots, connections,

and why not start off with Anarchs where honestly you guys at least say what you do and do what you say, and I feel like we could get... There's a lot of common ground. he looks over to the others as there is obvious conversation going on and the sort of motion has turned to what Elysium usually is, is this sort of play that everyone puts on. And the play currently is, oh, how charming Burroughs is. Oh, how cute he is that he wrestles the Putanesca and how silly it is that they think they can fight like this. and Dufrant puts a hand behind your back, not touching, but guiding more.

And he steps you away further from the corner that Jude is currently occupying as he sort of soaks and takes you further from the whole of the conversation. And you feel as though the rest of Elysium falls to silence, the two of you continue the conversation. He says, be the first to tell you that you're wrong in the assumption that the anarchs are straightforward. Don't ever trust these people. So they would be trust.

They will act as though they are telling you the God's honest. They will act as though they are the quickest, simplest route to the easiest answer, but it's only because they think they're the better option than the Camerilla. There's no better. option. It's only a different answer. Listen, I can help you, but only if you can prove to me that you actually have something of worth, do me a favor. You think you have something

worthy of House Tremere, of House Epsissimus, bring it to me. If you have it, give it to me on offer. I will consider it a sign of trust and we can continue our partnership. Again, taking your advice into consideration of not pressing everyone, which I agree. Since I haven't been here too long, I've heard a lot of talk. The thing is talk doesn't mean anything until action. And I agree.

I have not shown anything to show on that. Same vice versa. How about, if you will? a middle ground. I will present something maybe at a future time, maybe not tonight, but soon, if you're willing. But please note, I came to you for collaboration to start a dynamic.

I am not in need of you. Give me... You are not my only option. Give me a manipulation plus politics. Oh, thank you. God, yes. Rolling another willpower. Because I got two, but I want this one so bad.

Sorry. Oh, four, four. He looks to you and he says, the issue with middle ground is that as you said, you are new to this place. And so I have leveraged. You are leveraging my established presence in this city.

my knowledge of the other people in this town, of their relationships, of their powers, of their placements, of everything that I already know, and perhaps already know of whatever it is you think you can bring to me. The problem is that I don't actually need anything from you. So, you can bring it, drop it at my doorstep, I can tell you whether it's a book or it's bullshit. And we can be friends.

or we can go our separate ways. I think that I've given you a very honest option in a place where that would not be offered very simply. That I can 100% agree. I would like to shake his hand. I do want to let it be known, though, that I am purposely going with my nail. I will kind of poke my hand to have a little bit of my blood.

Because I want a little bit of my blood to just, I mean just like a little, not even barely, when I shake my hand just so it can connect, so you can just touch it. That's it. Okay. Go ahead and make me a dexterity plus stealth roll. And we're going to break out the coffin for this one. Yes, we are. Oh, and I also have, forgive me what it's called, like, Injuun, or basically, I look very completely

innocent and blameless. Basically, I am, yes, Anjune, where I'm looking like I'm having true good intentions and I'm not giving it away, and then I can add two dice to that role. Okay. Okay. With, I had to burn a willpower, but I have a sick success. You, you're just putting your own blood and your palm into his. Yeah, like literally a speck or maybe like a fingertip like one of those, just like a little cut and nail just so I marked him with that.

You put out your hand to shake his and he goes in to take it. And just before he takes your palm, you can see the flick of his nostril and his eyes flare as he looks at you and he says, You understand that any attempt of blood ritual would be a disruption of Elysium in front of six barons, correct? Not the best move for someone brand new to the city, especially someone so revered as a judge of the Banu Hakim. Should we have a discussion with Ellis? Or perhaps I should just find you in the street later. Or maybe. you should apologize now.

And that's a... Ooh, that kind of gets her a little bit, too. Okay. Jackie, I am sincerely apologize for my misconduct. She'll button up her jacket, like kind of tight. We should talk again. And then we'll turn and walk away.

If he follows me, that's fine. It's for the best. right now. Dufrein comes back and joins the group, but immediately, even as Burroughs is sort of charming the crowd and the two of you, Niles and Burroughs are enjoying the crowd, and Jackie sort of slinks off. Dufrane comes back and goes straight to Lydia and whispers something into Lydia's ear. Lydia looks shocked, returns his gaze, furrows her, Brow takes a look in Jackie's direction, then back to DeFraim. Then she moves to Alice.

It says, I'm so sorry, Alice. It looks like we're going to have to end our night early. It's been such a pleasure holding Elysium with all of you. It's been so lovely seeing the newest members of the Anarch territories and their presence here at Elysium. and she makes calculated contact with each of you eye contact. It's clear that they are going to make a firm impact on our politics here within the city. I wish you the best with the Poudineskas boroughs.

Oh, I'm done with those folks. Don't you worry about them? Of course. If you ever have need, you come by the college, and you see me personally we'll discuss. I hope to do that. Jackie's going to go to Burroughs if you like ask about plans. Yeah.

It's almost like a slow motion for Burroughs where he's making the crowd laugh. They're all laughing in slow motion. He sees Dufrein and Jackie come over and he can just tell on Jackie's face something has gone wrong. And he's kind of like taking everybody in and I don't know.

I think there's a part of Burroughs that realizes In order for this plan to work, he needs the people who are most obviously close to him as ignorant as possible about what's happening. So I actually think Burroughs realizes in that instant the anarchs are not our lead when it comes to anything to do with the heist. Now, as to do with Jackie's plan, the problem is that if I say, hey, can I have the plans of the silver dollar? and then a week, two weeks later, the silver dollar is hit up. But Ellis knows about the silver dollar. Ellis does know, so I think we should, yes, that's fine.

I think maybe what we'll try to do is get Ellis away from everybody to bring up. Yeah. Because I still think it's okay if Ellis takes the silver dollar. Who cares who takes the silver dollar? We just need to knock it up, and I would love as much as possible for the Putanetskas to be implicated. So then I guess, yeah, as soon as we're alone with Ellis, when we find the time, I think I'll bring up to him with Jackie and Niles nearby. Now's about the time. It's the three of you, Hugh, Ellis, and Jude in the background.

So everyone involved has an awareness of the Silver Dollar. Hey, listen, man, you know about that job. Which one? You guys got a lot of balls juggling. You know, the thing that werewolves hate. You know, I'll kind of like gesture towards like some kind of metal. Hey, that's pretty good. That's pretty good.

So listen, you know, what would make our laugh a lot easier is if, you think we could get some hands on a map or a blueprint of that place? Floor plans. Floor plans, yeah. Oh, hell. Yeah, yeah, I could probably get you that. It's a shame. Lydia is the one that could have got you that. She just left.

Here's shooting. I'll give her a call, see if I can get you those plans. We'll see if we can get through to the city of Las Vegas, get some copies. Do you think it would be worth it for us to go talk to Lydia ourselves and make a good impression? Oh, by all means, Lydia's essential if you're going to be in this part of town. She's a hard case, and she's a second. town. I mean, if I wasn't here, it'd be her. I am here and it's her. She's a, she's a scary one, so it's good to know the scary ones. So it'd be a good thought to be in her good graces, and she can get you the plans. She can get you the plans. Jackie, what do you think? Do you think we

should go straight to her and let Ellis pertain to more important business? Absolutely. Yeah, don't worry your head about it, Ellis. We'll get it from her. Okay. I don't, I don't mine, it's a quick ass for me. We do plenty of fighting ourselves, so it'd be no problem. I look at Jackie and I can tell we need to do some damage control

and I feel like doing it with her in person is better. Yeah, yeah. So you're finally going after the silver dollar, huh? Looking forward to when a real man knows how to run the place. I'll give him a wink.

Yeah, yeah. That's a hell of a thing, right? You're going from putting down Champagne Poudineska and picking up Lucius. That's a hell of a switch of an antagonist there. What do you know about Lucius? What do we need to know? He's a fucker. I mean, he's old Ventrue. He's got lineage up the ass. He goes on forever. He's old blood. About as classic as you can get with those Excel sheet motherfuckers. he runs a lot of Vegas. He runs their Elysium, owns about half of South of Vegas.

He was the one that arranged for the property for Aloysius to take over in the south when he immigrated into the city. And he was, well, the fucker I chopped off his head, he was his favor. Hmm. How's he involved with the Hakata? Anything? Lucius? Yeah. None that I know of.

If he's doing any private dealings, it's not something that's known. Trust me, if I could get some hands on that. Those juicy details, I'd be using them against them. Now, Lucius is his own vehicle. The problem is he runs his own empire. He doesn't need anybody like to Haecada. He loves that child of his, though, the one that runs up the silver dollar. He's real attached.

A-Don. A-Dong. Anybody got any other questions? I'm an open book here. I mean, me and Hugh, we've been here a lot longer than y'all, so we got the lay of the land. Well, go ahead, Jackie. You got something to say. Oh, I didn't want to interrupt, but, um, yes, I would love to know more lay of the land, but I'm backing off.

What do you want to know, kid? I'll help you out. The Pudan, what do you know more about the Poudanaska specifically? Well, I know their name for the whores, not the pasta dish. I know that they're a big old crime family. That's how they got started in Nevada anyways. I mean, they've been here almost long as I have. Got in with the 60s when Vegas was mostly mafia.

So they've been indebted to the city for a very long time. You think they own property? Oh, no doubt. I mean, heavy into the casino scene. I mean, they run quite a bit of the money that runs through. I mean, I don't know how much of that still lives on that side because they run anti-tribu. I mean, they're not Camarillo.

They're not anarchs. So their business, not mine. It's hard to find. But the Putanescas have hands in just about anything that makes money. And the casinos have been making money since the 60s. So I wouldn't doubt it that they've been running something. Reason is after witnessing, I offered my services to Burroughs to help ratify some justice that unfortunately was. Well, it's my understanding that Burroughs gave it up on the Poudanaska.

So I think that's a dead lead at this point, isn't it? Oh, yeah, yeah. We're just asking questions, you know. Yeah, yeah, just getting the lay-o-l-lan. Just to clarify to make sure everything. doesn't blow up even more. Yeah. Yeah. We wouldn't want that with you guys. No. Thank you for your time. I don't want to take up your whole evening.

Hey, I got the rest of my life. We'll let you know when the thing happens. Yeah, yeah, you pull that trigger so Sylvie can get off my fucking ass and sit in that casino and shut his damn mouth. Where's, is Niles here, by the way? I don't know. Yeah, I'm here. Oh, okay. I just didn't know if you were. in the corner or something like that. I'm going to politely just walk towards Niles. Like I don't want to let you two wrap up.

Yeah, I think I'm done too. I just, I think it's a bad idea to invest them in this. So I actually think we need to do some, we have to do something where the anarchs feel that we were not the ones that were able to complete the job. Like, I kind of feel like, especially with, this feeling that like he's probably being followed burrows we might want to play that they got word of this before we were going to do it and they did it instead of us kind of a thing you get

what i'm saying the putaneskas heard about what we were planning yep and took the job from us is what i'm thinking no no i got that i like that the anarchs are aware that we're going to do this so we have to spin it in a way that makes sense anyway I like, yep. Yeah, unless Niles is more business, I think we're kind of done what we need to do here. I think the only thing I need to do is just thank Ellis for the giff he gave me earlier. A few weeks back, haven't had a chance to do that. Yeah, yeah.

You know what? I've been meaning to talk to you about it anyways. Burroughs Jacket, do you mind taking a while? Thanks. Appreciate it. And once the two of you are out of earshot, and it's just Alice and Hugh, he kind of turns on his knee. And it becomes this bizarre sort of trio that the three of you are sitting in in this booth where Hugh is in the corner. I'm sorry, Alice is in the corner, armed around Hugh, and then Hugh next to you, and possibly

close to the three of you. And you can tell that Ellis is very extremely comfortable with Hugh in this regard and Hugh the same. And Ellis is sort of like man spread on the subway on that booth in front of you. But just sort of measuring you up for a moment. Niles making you sit in this awkward sort of tense silence as he watches intently as the others leave. And he just starts to nod at you. So you, uh, you found it? Yeah, followed your instructions to the tea. Good. You've been drinking?

I have. Keeping yourself fed. As fat as I can be, running with points over to the door where Burroughs and Jackie left. Yeah. I can't imagine there is something sort of a flight risk. when it comes to operate. You just been telling me that you've been operating quite a bit later. It's picked back up since the summer cooled off, but with everything going on, yeah. You can see that Hugh is noticeably quiet in the presence of Ellis.

It's always sort of like this. It's the way that a bodyguard will get around his target, but even more so with the proximity of the three of you here. It's almost like Hughes' personal life is now blending in with this bizarre boss father relationship. And you can see that Ellis's hands sort of gripped the outside shoulder of Hughes' shoulder and kind of massage in not intimidatingly, but almost like lovingly. Like this slow massage into Hugh's shoulder as he talks to you idly. Yeah, yeah, he's been saying you've been really burning the midnight oil.

And I guess the midnight flesh is if that corporate park off the south of Vegas is to be believed. Yeah, just satisfying both sides to keep in the good graces of the prince. Yeah, yeah, you took down that lemia, which I think is some good, points on the board. What did the Camarillo think of that? You get a chance to. I think some of the rest of the coterie is going to go talk about that. Good, good, good.

The sooner we can get them on our side on that bit. It's major points for all y'all is watchmen, right? You come back, you say this rogue entity out there, you took it out, right? you cut the snake's head off, right? That's good. From my understanding, it would put us back in their good graces since that little stumble before the summer. That's good, Niles.

That's good. You keep that up, yeah? Maybe you ought to be there when they talk about it. I like when you're in the room, Niles. Oh, okay. I think Jackie needed to go, so I guess I can go with them. them. Yeah, good, good. In fact, make it a point that you're in the room when they tell them. And tell the sheriff when you do it. Okay, okay. And see if maybe they got something else for you.

Okay? Anything we can do to make them love you. You've still been working with Cisco? I know you're working with them over the summer. Yeah, since the codery picked up, I've been a little sparse, but Cisco hasn't been in need of me. But I can check in with Cisco when I'm there. At your own pace. Don't think you've got to do anything that I'm forcing to, you know? You do this at your own pace. You're doing good, my else.

I know you had a little setback. You're going to set it right with the silver dollar thing. And I know y'all are a wild card, but hell, I love a wild card. That's why I reward you. That's why I keep you fit. That's why I take care of both of you, no? You two, you're like family. I like looking over at Hugh while he's saying that.

Hugh is tense but comfortable. Like, it's very clear that Hugh is trying to communicate to you that this is a very good thing, that Ellis is treating you well and this is the best case. but, you know, as well as he can do that without overstepping his means. And he is sort of as small as he can putting his hand just above your knee and holding on to you. And Ellis continues, he says, I got one more thing for you, okay? Sure, sure. I think you're going to like it, but I don't like it, but I think you're going to like it, okay?

Okay. We got a problem, okay? I think you heard that there's two tribes of gangrel in the city. Yeah, from my understanding. There's Sylvester, as you're already helping out. And then there's the Red Rock tribes out west. Well, they don't call on us much. You can barely even call us one of us.

It's a wonder that they're us at all. But we got word just recently. Call out to my people through my network. I've got a couple of ranchers that keep eyes on me out in the meadows. One of my ranchers came back and told me that they made contact. The Red Rock tribe is being hunted. By what? By whites, it's hard to explain.

The number that we're seeing from them is unexplainable. Listen, a vampire goes without feeding long enough, it becomes that. It loses itself. The curse becomes the only thing it is. The frenzy takes over, and all it is is the fire. The soul warps and the humanity dies. And you can watch the person you knew fall away like ash after, after wind over a house fire. I've seen it before and it's like nothing you've ever seen.

And it happens out there. It's hard to travel, especially Nevada. Las Vegas, the only civilization. we got. How are you supposed to sleep in the desert? How are you supposed to eat? There's no one but you. But they're coming in numbers and with calculation. Mindless savages attacking with strategy. I don't know why. And I want you to find out. Just go look. Scout it out. Take that bird of yours. Take that other Gangrel yours

See if you can Teach or something Okay I can do that for you I know you can That's why I asked I would have asked Burroughs but he'd just blow everything up

Yeah That's kind of his M.O. Okay kid You're doing good Thank you Stay alive. I'll try. Okay.

And he gets up and he claps your leg twice in a very dad-like show of intimacy. And he stands up, he stretches his back out and everything, and he gives a nod to Hugh, and he steps out of Elysium. Is there anything else that the Anarch team would like to accomplish here at Elysium? No.

Okay. All right. We are at the Echelon Casino, or at least what is the foundation of the Echelon Casino, what passes for Camarilla Elysium. And you are all carrying yourselves up the many, many flights of stairs, the concrete floors with that beautiful site of Vegas

out there with the full moon rising later in that same night. And eventually you arrive at that glass hallway over which you can see the full drop to the bottom most floor of the echelon into the suspended club that houses elysium for all of the Camarilla inside. The club echelon tonight is not nearly as lively as the Anarch Elysium. Tonight, there are but three individuals from the Camarilla in attendance. You have Prince Aloysius seated in his usual booth in the far end. You have Slow Ladislovsabo.

who is posted up by the bar with many of his blood dolls housed around him. And then finally, you are treated by a rare, rare appearance of Amaric, the Mount Cavian. Oh. Who is standing, comparative to the last time you saw him. The old cryptkeeper that he is is walking with a cane today. But comparative to the last time you saw him, he is completely bald. And his eyebrows have been shaved off completely. It seems that since you last saw him, he has contracted alopecia.

Of course. But that is the three you're working with. Oh, I'm sorry, as well as Sheriff Sisks. So the four of them is what you're working with. Slow, Prince Grant, Sheriff Sisko, and Emmerich. I will leave the Elysium to all of you. It seems as though Grant has been working himself in the far booth with Emmerich. They seem to be in conversation.

Slow himself has been feeding off of a blood doll and in close conversation with them. It seems as though slow conversation has ended. Maybe someone has just left as Elysium is very light tonight. And Sheriff Sisko is sharpening that large blade of theirs in the other corner of the bar. Look at Sybil. Yeah. Yeah, everyone's kind of swivels.

Yeah, we're just saying that everybody's here. It doesn't make sense to leave burrows out of it. Sybil, do you mind doing introductions for me? Not at all. Mm-hmm. Do you want... Oh, is this the first time you've been here? Yes.

Is this the first time? Yes. Not at all. Oh, boy. Thank you. Let's do that. Let's do that. Come with me, and this is the first...

I don't think Sybil's ever grabbed someone's hand in the coterie before, but this is the level of nervousness, because you've been here for a few days, and are about to participate in some shit, and you haven't met the prince yet. So, let... I don't know. I'll be like, okay.

Just like him with me. Yes, I will. Okay. Okay, yeah. So I was, I don't have anything inspiring to say. That's okay. We can do this, everyone. I will just, I will just not do what I did earlier.

Yes, I'm together. I would say, I would say not. But can we see the people that are attending Elysium right now before we walk in? Yeah. Okay. You know what? That's it. Yes. I have an in with Slow and Emmerk, and you'll find out who they are. So I would say treat them very gently, but also the prince and the sheriff could kill us at any time. So it's the same for them as well. Also, don't comment on Emmerick's anything. Yes. Got it.

There's a lot of things wrong with him, and none of them were allowed to talk about. We just ignore all of that. And I mouthed to Jackie, to Jackie, and they might not even be real. We don't know. God. I do not whisper it. I mouth it turned away from everyone. Okay. Okay. Yeah. Um, that's it. Anarchs are bad here. Clenched your assholes. We're going to be fine. I left everyone into the Elysium. Walking in, is there anyone in particular you're moving towards first? This is pulling at my Baptist heartstrings, but I'm going to give honor to God and the Lord of this house, Prince Aloysius Graham. And then we're going to go to Slow, because that's my boss, Emric and Cisco in that order.

Okay. So as all of you approach Prince Aloysius Grant, this is, the first time seeing him sense the blood hunt on your friend and the time that he called for your potential deaths if you could not produce evidence that this was a false accusation. And so perhaps the he is tense. But as he looks up from his work with Emmerich, he does. furrow his brow and slit his eyes in surprise as he sees all of you approach, but he does clap his hands together and move out from behind the bar and out to all of you, or out from behind the booth out to all of you. He is shorter than Ellis,

dark-skinned, incredibly dark-skinned, with these tight black curls that are pomated in very tight to his face tonight. A very neatly trimmed black beard, heavy on the mustache. Neatly trimmed and catered eyebrows that have been slit twice on the right brow. He's wearing white eyeliner tonight

that highlight his golden, golden eyes. I mean, shining eyes. They are radiant and almost shoot rays out at you as you are looking. It is hard to look anywhere other than directly at Alloy's eyes. He is wearing a full coat and tails tonight, a 1920s glam, beautiful navy blue suit with black low furs to match or shoes to match. Perfect white gloves as well, and this very large tan overcoat that is furred.

But counter to Ellis's furred hunting jacket, this is the illustrious furs of a man who has known lavish living for a very long time. He wears this long, tight tie under those coat tails, and he looks very pleased but perplexed to see all of you. And he comes out and stands before all of you and waits for all of you to make introduction before he gives any word. Ask trim, Aloysius. Thank you very much, Burroughs. it's good to see you again.

I'll give him a very respectful bow. Before we begin, Prince Aloysius, this is our new friend, Jackie, and just gestures pushes you forward just a little bit to where you're at the same line with them. I am going to go ahead and just like, bow my head a little bit.

Like, I can acknowledge you're like, hello, Jackie Santana. He steps up to you. He extends out his hand and he looks down to you, he says, may I? He takes your hand and he reaches down and he kisses the top of your palm and he meets your eyes with his golden. And as he meets your eyes, he speaks and he says, I trust you got my gift basket. Which? To your home.

Yes, what was that? Bub table. What was that? What are we talking about? When you first arrives at your new place. You'll remember that a very well-dressed valet dropped off a series of gifts. That was gotcha. Thank you.

With a letter. I did. Thank you very much. It was perfect. It's not often that I'm visited by Banu Hakim royalty. I thought to make sure that your attendance in my city was well received. And please, if there is anything I can. do to assist whatever it is that you are doing here in the city. Just know that I am at your

service as much as you are at mine. You and I can work together. Uh-uh. Well, Prince, that is, that is that I'm very happy to hear that and I'm glad that we can at least start a very good uh, partnership because I think there's a lot of potential. Listen, I have a great respect for your clan, for your people. Idris himself has been a great benefit to me and my establishment. The ivory tower has benefited far, far too much from your involvement. And I think with your continued support, that we can find a place for another judge. I look forward to seeing where we go.

For sure, absolutely. Perhaps you could give me some insight into what it is your doing here. Let me see. I was only told that you would be visiting the meadows, not exactly what you would be planting here. I'm here to kind of do a little bit of, kind of a look around to see what, especially not to these people, As you could tell, that ruffled, not just probably a couple feathers here, but that had a rippling fact all the way where I was from.

So they wanted me to kind of get to the bottom why they made such a ruckus. Jesus, our old ball and chain. A little look around. I sense there has to be so much more to that story, but who am I to draw that out of you so early? I know what it is to whine and dine. I was going to say, have you, since you know actually of a little bit of kind, a lot more than others around here, have you been in the Mollies recently? No. It's beautiful.

There is a certain conflict keeping me from there. Not quite so old that I'm feeling it yet. We hope you never feel it. So sweet. Good to see you again, Sybil. Of course. I've been told that your silver tongue saved you from a thorough thrashing. Isn't that right?

Slow. Looks over to slow and back to you. Yes. Yes. We, um, we, we smoothed over some, some edges with, with this coterie, but we are on our way to bigger and better things. Some edges, yes. Two notably shaped edges.

I believe one of those edges is still live if I'm to be. not mistaken. I believe so. However, she's on a different journey, and what's important to recognize is that this coterie is here now. Oh, yes, I consulted with Ferdinand. After some soul-searching, I discovered that some clemency involved was only fitting. I've decided that whatever grudge we had between myself and hers, it's not worth it.

She was young. besides, I think the other one was the issue anyways. We took care of that. And now we can all get on to better business so long as we can all behave ourselves. Well, you know, that's what we're good at, right? Yes, yes. So I've heard, Burroughs, so I've heard. Yeah, he will, I think he infers that that might have to do with the Poudanese

because he's actually going to keep his mouth shut. Yes, but we did want to formally report that, as promised, the issue of the Lemia has been handled. And the price has been paid, as it were. He looks directly to Cisco in the corner, and Cisco has sort of perked up as this conversation has started. And he nods to Cisco and Cisco nods back. And he speaks in their directions as, good, that's one thing off of our. plate, do you think that you could relay that message? And Cisco nods and begins to leave the room.

That is lovely news. I wish I could have known it sooner, but I can't fault you for telling me when you did. The Lemia, did they have direct connections with the Hakata in the hills? Well. Yes. Yes, they did. It was one of the last things they admitted before we blew them away. Yes.

Burroughs. Yes, indeed. Yes, they did. Thank you. I love you, Sergio. Can you make a manipulation plus subterfuge? I'm so glad. This is where I take over Amanda's embarrassment.

Work. No, no what? I did that at the Anarchs. You do that here. It's like, it feels right. Once again, you said it's a charisma. Manipulation subterfuge.

Good try. Yes. You've got to play the game. Yeah, that's not good. Time to play the game. Not good. I'm going to re-roll. Yes, four.

Okay. Four success. The best I could manage, yeah. See if you can out with the press. No, probably not. He didn't roll it on the coffin, though, so... He's inclined to believe you, so no need for coffin. He looks to you and he says,

do you think that this was a calculated plot on their behalf, or is the Lemia an outlier? I mean, Prince, you know everything in town. You know that I just had a run in with them myself. I mean, I wouldn't trust that Putan-esque meatball as far as I could throw them. they didn't mention anything about being you know part of a greater scheme but I wouldn't put it past them either

oh this has nothing to do with the Poudinesca's if this has anything to do with the Hikata the Pudan's what I meant the Hikana. Pons Pons Champaign Poudinesca couldn't plan his way out of a paper bag no this is absolutely something the Hikata would put together though so you believe this to be a plot

that they put together that they're making calculated attacks on weapon. Those Faratu, they won Bugsi out of the city. I'll look to my other allies in case they have any brighter ideas as I continue to rant. But, I mean, your guess is good as mine, Prince. Actually, I'd say your guess is way better than mine. You know a lot more than I do.

Folks, what do you think? I think that there's, there's always been fear about the Nosferatu being an underutilized resource, and I believe that this was the Hakata's attempt at exploring that. But they needed control first. What are you implying? I'm implying that it's, sometimes people are afraid when they can't see all the pieces moving at once, and the Nosferatu move in the dark. So you believe the Hakata thought that of my vast empire, the Nosferatu, where the scariest part. More like,

probably, in their opinion, easiest to manipulate. The most neglected. Yeah, the neglected, right. Well, we've been down there. We've seen what they've got to deal with. If you need a liaison or if you feel like you need somebody to talk to Bugsie,

we got a good relationship with him. We want to strengthen up all parts of your empire. Jackie's going to pat for us. I'll keep that in my back pocket. No part of me wants to go down there. and soil my boots. Besides, Bugsie has a particular feeling when it comes to my leadership. Yes.

Many believe that they should be sitting where I am. That is something that anyone could exploit if they view it as a weakness, which we understand all here that it's not, but it could be interpreted that way. think of them as trying to see where the weakness in a potential fence are a vibe check my least so the hikata are checking for chinks in my armor yep

to prepare for what war if they got no sense in them jeez maybe not war and this ritual did you ever discover the effects no we got there late who would we want to talk to if we did want to find out more about what it was. The Heikata.

Which apparently you've made many friends. Yeah, let's just say I'm probably not a good use to deal with them for a while. You've given me a lot to think about, and if any of this is true, then it means that war may be on my doorstep. And with the dead... It's not anything that I would have wished for anyone, but if it's nothing I can help, then I at least know where I should be targeted. Cisco will make some prods. See if any of this has merit. And if it does, your coterie will be rewarded for its wisdom.

Good. This was good. This was all you came for. I won't lie a little bit, Isla. I kind of dragged every... I've been wanting to come personally. meet and Sybil has oh no and Sybil's

mentioned basically how I should have been here sooner and follow their league. I did take it as a slight that it has been so many days that you've been living in the city and you didn't think to come see me but consider it an act of

again clemency I would say in truly no disrespect it is very I would say kind of falling into this coterie has definitely put me in a little bit of a whiplash of catching up and shenanigans, if you will. And for that. Yes. Well, should you ever want to learn the rest of Vegas, Elysium is here at your disposal. Wouldn't hurt to help the others of the ivory tower. I would

I would love to I think I will stop by very soon. I'll see you again very soon. Good. And make sure that the others do well to teach you the rules of this place. I would hate for you to lose your head because of something you didn't

understand. Let's just say cultural misinterpretation and that's no, meant no, it will. But yes, noted. Good. Well, it was lovely to see all of you, and if any of this has any, meat, we'll be seeing each other again. I hope it's not like the last time I was told we had a lead.

Of course not. Good. Actually, I was hoping to speak with Slow for a moment, if you don't mind the intrusion. By all means, I have work to do if this is true. And he steps away. Okay. Sibyl's going to turn around and head towards the bar. Good, good, good.

Is everyone following for slow or is it just a Sibble game? Okay, cool. I will follow Sibyl beforehand. Before, is this contact with what you were talking about with food bagging? Yes. Okay. Before you, I'll let you talk, but do you, I would like to discuss further because I'm, do you want to use?

Oh! Yes, yes. That's wonderful. We can do that. Yes, yes, of course. Actually, and as we get too slow, slow, were they bang it even if you weren't? This, I would like to personally introduce you to my friend, Jackie Santana.

As you grab Slow's attention, Latislav turns on his heels and looks to you and becomes immediate. Oh, Sybil, my darling. And he comes in and gives you the largest sort of looming bony hug. And then turns out away from you and then turns to Jackie as you introduce her. It is an honor to meet you, my dear. My name is Ladislav Zebo. It is my great duty to act as the harpy of this beautiful ivory tower.

I sit at its stop and I view its beautiful horizons from afar. And now you join its landscape so close and yet so far a dot amongst

pointillism. It is beautiful to meet you and he puts out his hand. I will allow, I will give my hand out and I will shake it as well. What is it that brings you to this the meadows you this small one jacky was at first like what you're talking to me

yes yes you do no one i was i i was told to come out to vegas because the and i'm going to Point to Sybil and all this is it's it Vegas has become a very interesting place for the Banu Akim to look and just having me go out and kind of set roots. Yuzima of South Africa. Yeah. Your sire, yes. Uzma is my sire, yes. And I will straighten up a little bit more at that. Long conversations we have had that one. He is an interesting individual.

Yes, sir, he is. When he had told me that he had taken a new promised one, I was doubtful of his decision. He does not pick lightly. I was unsure his last I had grown so fond of. But you, perhaps. some promise after all. Now we are onto business all of you. Clearly you come with purpose. It is not often we talk here in Elysium. This group it is a welcome

sight. Many here they talk, they chirp in Letislov's ear. They speak to me of all of you is the pet project. Is the dog gone around pissing on carpet but they are wrong they see a lack of potential but it is misdirected with proper practice it is appropriated correctly I appreciate somebody who's got a vision who sees that we've got some use on us We're actually glad that you said that. We're here preemptively, preventatively, in some measures, I think. It is a good chess player that prepares for the next move.

We have a feeling. He begins just very subtly touching it, burrows his cheeks, playing at the cheekbones. Excellent. Excellent. He has these long, pointed, sharp. They're pretty and manicured, but they're very sharp, and he's just kind of glazing around as he speaks to Sybil, making direct eye contact with Sybil. Yeah. Please continue. We have a feeling that there are some groups that are not interested in the Camerilla's success that are about to make a move.

Yes. Very soon. We would like to apprehend that move, but we need some help. You are making moves against the enemies of the ivory tower. You will have to be more specific. The unaligned, the independent, free agents. The anti-tribu, they are an interesting element of a city that has lived along. than the tower has lasted.

This is a new organization. This building reflects our organization well, half built, with plenty of views of the future, but none of lasting impression. The anti-tribu have been here longer. Depending on which direction you fire your arrow, it is possible you hit the castle wall. castle walls and not flesh.

Where is it that you aim? Well, we're still figuring that part out. We're in the investigating stages now, but we're hoping to do some work when Club Canaan opens in a few weeks. Oh, the gift to your finally opening, your beautiful gift. Yes.

This is wonderful news to see this property put to good use. Yes. I was beginning to think I would only ever see security fences. No. The opening night is coming soon. You are absolutely invited. The system is absolutely invited to run there. Should they see interested in it?

So then my withered mind, it is split in many ways. voices call me in directions unknown at any given moment, and so perhaps I miss connections between ulterior topics. What then does shooting at the anti-tribu have to do with the opening of a club? We need an alibi. I see. And I think the reason Sybil's being coy is we want to keep you as much out of the fallout as possible. We just need someone to trust that will say that we were with you.

You need someone who will agree to something without knowing what they are agreeing to. Knowing that it's for a good cause and a hell of a good time. I do love a hell of a good time. So I am to attend the opening of a new club. Yes. And I am to confirm that we were all there. Hmm.

I will greet you myself. I see. And this is the extent to this boon. That's all we need from you, yeah. And in exchange, you can have whatever you want from us. Whatever. You can sharpen us.

I shrink. I like pull night. into the shadows a little bit as he says that, just like out of eyeline. Your friends, they shudder at your lips. They don't like what you say, but they realize, well, what they don't realize is that when you speak to people like me, whatever you want is all you can offer. You're smart to offer everything you have. Sometimes it is all I will take.

All amended to say you can have whatever you want from me. They can stand for themselves. But you do this for us, you got me in your pocket. I will not take much, but I do have an ask. It will come after the fallout of this boom. You will report to me, and you will find an answer I have been seeking. That doesn't sound too bad. It is not.

But in a sense, the fate of the meadows falls in your hands. All right. I think I know what he's talking about. He's looking for a door. Well, we will burn that bridge when we get to it. Yeah. One bridge at a time. I lean in denial.

Oh, sorry. I think that what we are negotiating is considered to be a major boom. We would consider a minor, but considering that I am negotiating without understanding what I am putting to stake we are raising the bit

if possible all things are possible I can say if it gives you some easement and you know, Osama. If you need me to, I was about to say, if you need a judge to look into anything in particular for you, I can help give you assistance in something.

Unfortunately, much of what I do requires its own process of justice. No, I sense I will need something much different from all of you. But still, consider this boon granted. As long as you prepare an invitation worthy of inviting the Ladislav Saba, I will be in attendance at the newest club in the Naked District. And I will be naked as the day I was born.

That's not actually part of it, but if you'd like to, that's fine. It's not. No, it is. clothing is embraced. But okay. Thank you. Thank you.

Of course. I think Burroughs will just like make a point where he is repulsed by Lazz Slow, but he will make a point to like, you know, shake his hand and let him be creepy and touch his face. He needs his food. Yeah. Yeah. Slow, you know, takes his hands and does, you know, get overly touchy with the, the, the handshake and probably does the same with anyone who will allow him and does give you another little bony hug, Sybil.

It's loving, there's affection there, for sure. And it seems that he's very amicable to helping all of you. From what you all can tell, although he is Toriador, so who can ever trust them? But he seems on your side. Okay. They always seem on our side. Is there anything else we'd like to accomplish here? Did we want to stop by Emmerich or anything? Nope, that's why I thought of it. I don't like him and I don't want to talk to him.

Is Cisco still here? Cisco left with the prince. Okay. They just were told that the Hakata are planning a war against them. Cool. Then I'll touch base with Cisco another time. Damn, I got to admit, we barely had to say anything. The prince was already there.

This is great. Hmm. Yes. That's... A little push. Now we're going to give it another little push, and shit's going to get rolling. I lean over in denials, and I go, how come when you and I say stuff that's true, everyone assumes that we're fucking lying,

or everything goes to shit? But when fucking Burroughs does it, it's fine. I wasn't made to be liked. Period. Holy shit. It's true. It's never, it rarely happens, you know. Oh, I wasn't made to be liked.

It's important to know yourself. Shit, man. That's a T-shirt pattern. Yeah. Well, we know this quote of season two. Wasn't made. Yeah, Mal doesn't know what to say that and just kind of just stands like, what? Wait.

I think with that beautiful quote, Quote, I wasn't made to be liked. We will leave this group in Elysium with the express purpose of finding the plans to the casino and running it over next session in two weeks. Thank you guys so much for staying with us. Sticking us out. Another great Elysium session. I always love these. Thank you guys.

That was awesome. I'll see you guys in two weeks for our last session. 24. Yep, last one. For now. For now. We'll be back in January, of course. February. In February, of course. Excuse me.

But yeah, see you guys in two weeks. Bye. Bye. Thank you.