Tales of Past Glories. Not Very Past, But Still Pretty Past.
Contents
Roman Summer
So, the summer pretty much flew. After the week of festivity, the first surprise was the Orphans of the night packing their collective shit and hauling ass. I think someone had a vision of just how badly it would turn out once the full attention of everyone was focused on making the Transtiber safe. At least that's the most likely option, as they were pretty dedicated to being a pain in my ass and showed no signs of slowing down. The second surprise is that my brothers aren't dead-dead; courtesy of our big sister Eletria. From what I understand, she was able to appeal to the Caesars' childe in some way. And she is thankfully training them in what they're gonna need to know to survive in a more relaxed environment, as opposed to my own "Get in, siddown, shut up and hold on" training. Which also helps me as my old disciplines have fully come back into their own, making me officially the more badass brother. As a side note, I do slightly regret not being able to share their wonder at seeing halos for the first time. But at the same time, the full telepathy is back up, and I can talk to, well, I haven't tested, but if memory holds I can get as far as Augsburg without too much trouble. That's going to be interesting if/when my brothers find out. That said, I have a standing invite to Eletrias' parties, of which there are many - my usual donation to the cause is a piece from my collection (and if that doesn't bring a moment of discombobulation, I'll let you think on it for another few moments) and my personality. A lot of the people at these things are merchant-class, not nobility. Which means I am networking like a madman, and getting more contacts for trade. Life is good.
Anyway, with the loss of the Orphans, the transtiber had nobody really taking care of the less-legal aspects of the city. It wasn't a hostile takeover by any means, they just started paying the Tiber Rose instead of the Rat King. Unfortunately I'm running into difficulties with the sewer system. To wit, there ain't one in the transtiber. The explorations were not fruitful. That said, I'm still gonna work on that, because the plague is a thing. Still, the statue collection has been parked offsite, which gave joy to the servants who were bumping into them. The lady of the house is now also under my purview of blood, as she was wailing a bit about my plan to open trade routes to Constantinople. I chilled her out, but she kinda sorta would like more "her time". Work, work, work. So I'm throwing coins at getting a boat to Ostia and use it as a centerpoint, and then also having to look at other opportunities for infrastructure investment.
But, with this comes that, and unfortunately, the pageant has in fact found my ass. They want me back. Badly, because something bad is coming. I, uh, kinda have to opt out. I have massive other plans, that don't involve the pageant. However, they're insistent. So...I contacted Astarte, and we made a deal. I get her a ring, and I get a year for me and Songul. Astarte is shockingly astute about my ambitions, and made no small comment regarding them, but, y'know. Stuff gonna happen sometimes. It was a crap deal on reflection, but it means I can bargain harder next round. In short, we're getting a ring. But noooo, it's not a milk run. It was presented to us as a shared dream from a horrifying D&D module from back in the day. Which frightens me to an unseemly degree, because I lost 4 elves, a dwarf, and a half-orc to that godless thing. Damnable thing. But once I got that little bit sorted, it was all about gearing up and getting intel. and some silver weapons. Fortunately I have silver in decent quantity because there's no damn banks.
So...we're geared, and hopefully I can get a few shots in before the plan goes to hell. And then I can lay ground-work for getting me, Songul, my princess, and my horse free. I like my horses, what of it?
Not quite the One Ring...
So here's a dilemma. I hate to say it, but I was too goddamn quick on the draw with the deal. She was the one with a time crunch, not me. Admittedly, I had people after me, but it's my turf, and my people. It was not by any stretch of the imagination a milk run. I damn near ran myself dry with celerity and beefing myself up for the fight, but that comes later. First is the part where Marconius managed to talk to us and make us rethink our strategy, to the point where we were going to pull out. And then I re-rethought it over with Vulo; he's down for the retrieval, and...well, hell. It felt good to ride with the man one more time. It's all very much a jumble of swords, sacrifices (Note to self, do not sacrifice loaded dice to someone dedicated to truth) - and I have to find a new bow and a new Second Horse, because I'm giving up my previous horse to Dis Pater. Overall, a dungeon crawl worthy of an epic module, but the hardest part came at the end. I faced...well, all the people I'd dislodged with time hopping. It was an epic shouting match-insult fest, and with the magic of hindsight, I believe it shows how far I've gone. So now with hindsight, ever-glorious, I write what I couldn't say.
I'm sorry. I wish that you could all accept and see what I see, that your lives were crossed with mine by chance, not malice. Your lives most certainly are not lesser, and indeed in many ways are greater than mine. I wish you all had looked at my memories as I looked at yours and saw the horrors of my past; both the ones I would atone for and the horrors wrought by the Giovanni. I'm sorry you're gone, and I'm here. But you can't forgive me, as the true forgiveness will only come from within myself. With that blanket bit out of the way, to the specifics.
Cengiz - you've given me what I need to survive in this time, the skills, and the general knowledge of all the things that would have tripped me up and gotten me killed, maybe not outright, but soon. I am pleased that your soul is free from the Pageant, but I'm afraid the exchange was unequal, and we did not have time to balance things. You live on in my memories, as you ever will.
Seppel and Dice - you are a future I could not face. Given the choice, I might have spent more time with you to learn the world as you saw it. I have the will to shape reality, but not in your way. It frightened me to have that ability. Perhaps running toward Helenas' embrace was a cowardly act in a way, because I could not understand or grasp the power the two of you wielded so calmly. Science I understand, but your science was beyond measure, and not giving myself a chance to explore it further will be a regret of depth.
Jason - Centuries of a shared horror; being given the chance to remake ourselves as human, and now this...I feel myself throwing away the soul you nurtured for the expediency of life in this time. Our suits were not mere cloth, they were the armor of a dark creature attempting to shed past sins and attract a greater future. Our computers were connecting to a greater whole we once saw ourselves above. Our guns were the final defense of that whole, that future.
Vanitas vanitatum, omnia vanitas.
But now, I have to move forward. I bring the ring and its' bearer to Astarte to fulfill my end of the bargain. Astarte may need it more now, as she has sacrificed much to have the ring as close as it is. And face the coming centuries as a new being, with a new name, but never forgetting all the sacrifices that make the now possible.
Business and Balance
So after the exceptional things happening with the temple of the Dei Inferni, it was time to settle up. I went to the racetrack, and sacrificed a horse there. The trip in was annoying as hell as I had to pass through the redlight district where folks were propositioning me to pay for acts so vile that decorum prohibits listing them here. And then just the straight up refugees; they were looking to me for Christian charity - it was awkward in more then a couple ways, because I couldn't give them enough to stay alive, and I was here to sacrifice a horse to the not-christian gods. But, it did give me an idea. But, fortunately I was able to get to a nice place and give my horse a quick death. I really liked that horse. And the refugees around me were ready for a meal, right up until hands from below grasped it and pulled it under. At that point, they were worried, but they left me alone. Replacement horse needed. Annnd I sent Brenda's very favorite smith on a quest from God to go get my horse from the pageant back. Not everyone handles telepathic communication well. So that's a thing. Also, I have a new sword. So awesome my first thought upon seeing it was that I would in fact be in my bunk.
That done, it was time to start doing more things. The harbor at Ostia is in definite need of repair. So me and a lot of merchants started in on dredging the harbor and getting the refugees, well, work. Because, well...refugees don't have money to buy anything. Give 'em a job, they have money, they buy stuff, the government gets a cut, and the circle of life continues, as it were. And once it started getting real, everyone started falling all over themselves for a slice. And thus we had to sit down and write up some freaking contracts. And then we have everything going on, and well...it's a boom town. Brenda gets to be the medic, and I am the "good boss". Hell everyone got shoes for christmas. And the mud we're dredging is baked to bricks for building and roofing. Yes, I'm diversifying and ensuring revenue even during the runup. Side note,
And even better, I can talk to my ship in Constantinople. They're going to be back in a few months, with...passengers. And this is where I have a philosophical moment. The passengers are important to the runup to the Crusades. If they don't get there, maybe the Crusades don't happen? But then what? Personally, I think that the geopolitical structure of the times demands that the Crusades happen. If not the crusades, then something else. Look at Augsburg. 12 families constantly at war with each other and collectively inhibiting progress. As much as I hate it, I think the crusades happening is a horrible thing that has to happen.
On a more personal note, my squire is a problem. Well...my squire has problems. First off, my squire is in fact a girl. I discovered this when he brought my sword back and was bleeding from...yeah. Anyway, we're maintaining the fiction for now, and I think I'm going to kick her to Songul once the fiction can no longer be maintained. Second, my squires father was killed by Eadwulf. A long night of dominate and we...may have blamed her fathers' death on the Eastern Alliance. (Seriously, we're just ruining their reputation.)
Now, the truly annoying thing is nigh - we have some necromatic thieves muscling in on the transtiber. I am not pleased. They've killed 6 of my crew so far, and I think the time has come to have a discussion about just who the hell is in charge here and just what their limits are. Maybe I can toss them Godivas' way, and she can keep them entertained for a month or two until we can hit the catacombs for a long walk for a box.
Protomafia fun
So, time passes and things begin to come together. Eventually the Triga Consortium (See also, necromancers and thieves) have made enough of a nuisance of themselves that the rest of the crews decided to do something about it. I got my invite, and it was a bit of a thing. So, my bodyguard Bolverk (the Ventrue Formerly Known As Eadwulf) and his sire Erik the friggin Red along with Frick and Frack to tote some spiked wine - yes, I'm playing a little dirty with these guys, but I damn well want shit going my way. If that means my 'equals' are more inclined to listen to me, so be it. Inefficient shit needs to be cut right the hell out. The ride was...annoying in ways. Spring has arrived and with it Carnaval, aka the last week before Lent. The idea being that if one is going to repent for sins, one should have some sins to repent for. Not minor sins that are sins on a technicality, but not the big ones either. That nice middle ground where you can recognize you're a sinner, but you've got that safety blanket going on.
I have an unresearched theory that Lent was originally conceived by a bunch of priests with massive hangovers. Either way, there were people in the way, some beggars looking for alms, some I knew were hucksters on account of I get a percentage, and then some people just looking for that last couple coppers to get them to a mug of the good stuff. In any case, masks were the thing. And I had one, but it wasn't helpful. Overall, we got to the Blackened Unicorn in good time, and rented a room. Once there, it was time to check the place out for suspicious bullshit. And there was, because the plan can never go smooth. Shoulda named myself Mal. Bigass raven, tall goth chick with all the veils that I couldn't see through (impressive as hell, just sayin) who called herself Domina Ludi, and imparted some information. To wit; the portents were clear that were we to find Hecate, the weapons of the titans would be ours. Also a question about the light or the dark. I did after a moment indicate I was on Team Light, because what else can you really say? Ooookie-dokie. Note to self, hit up Eletria for info. Once I did that, Bolverk did the same, and he had a similar experience, from what I understand. But nothing was watching us or acting odd. Okay, there was a homicidal guy in the corner. But that I could sort later, as homicidal guys are bad for business meetings.
So I went down, talked to the bouncers, and they didnt recognize the guy...and then he was gone. Great. That I need like a kick in the teeth. He's gonna show up at an inconvenient moment. Then the meeting time got there, and weirdly, they didn't shut down the bar for the night, they just gave all the patrons a cup of spiced wine that had a nice hefty dose of opium in it. And everyone had some. Including the bartender, the frightfully buxom wenches, and the bouncers. And the only ones conscious were me and the other meet-and-greet fellas.
Fortunately, these guys aren't big on minutae, as we got right down to it. What to do about the Triga Consortium - overall, there were mixed thoughts. The screw em they ain't hurting our business was loud and proud, as were the kill 'em they are hurting our business ones. I was firmly in the latter camp, and dispensed information to let them know that the Consortium was in fact necromatic and that they would take over if something wasn't done. Then I wheeled out the big guns of presence and speechifying.
This is how the Camarilla got started, FYI. after that, they were convinced, but as far as what to do about it...there was division. Eventually, we settled on hiring our own necromancer to deal with the situation. Fortunately, I know a couple. Also of note, Bolverk saw something necromantic going on apparently, and did some weird shit to keep the group unsullied. Well, no more than they already were. It was weird - these guys straight up rob, murder, extort, and in general treat the commandments as a to-do list. But necromancy and hiring one of it's attendant practitioners? Oh, we can't cross that line. That's just not right. Eventually it was hammered out that we'd go there, because allout war is bad when the enemy can kill you in your sleep and has no problems doing so, and kidnapping for ransom/actions is dicey at best. So me and few others stayed behind for an afterparty (funny story, offering folks wine when they're in a room full of people who just got roofied doesn't go over well. Alas, I have to take the slow first) where we got to the nuts and bolts. I eventually admitted to knowing a guy who knows a guy, and I could vouch for the legitimacy of the one I knew. And then after kicking around looking for something, I did find a guy who's uncle is one of my business partners. And because I'm a gormless pansy, I finally got his ass across my saddle so we can drop him in a safe-ish place.
Brief digression here - Erik and Bolverk were quite possibly a bit miffed, or more than likely confused that I rode the hire a necromancer plan hard; and really that comes down to ethics. I mean, I'm still a humanist, and...well, I'mma hang on to that party as long as I can. It's hard to do, and it's going to keep being difficult, but - I want to carry something from each of my time-wrecked others as long as I can. It's a personal thing, and yes I'll make fun of my own morality as long as I can. It may be that I don't have the strength to do it, but I'm not giving up. As harsh as it is, this feels right. Expensive, annoying, but right.
Good times, and now to see if we can find Hecate in 5 hours.
A philosophical interlude
So I have time on my hands, and with that comes memories. Primarily of being something...different. It seems odd, but I think I'm wrong somehow. Incorrect? Like even if I restore the timeline to what it should be, it still won't be as it should be. But is that necessarily a bad thing? I feel like I should walk my own path, but in doing so does that give those who came before their proper due? Those whos' lives I touched, maybe with the passage of years I'll be able to revisit them. But will I be able to make that same effect in a thousand years? Perhaps...perhaps I'll be able to do something different. Some of the things I recall doing were the result of chance. Is it the same if I cause a similar act out of intent? One thing is certain, I want to have the choice. Among other things, I do also wish to craft history. After some consideration and thought, I feel like I should focus in the merchants' trade, creating inns, and then seize Monaco at the proper opportunity in a century or so. I can leave the transtiber to my brothers and let them enjoy life. Meanwhile I feel an opportunity arises with the Crusades. I could establish trade there, and undercut the Giovannis' interests there. It would weaken them, and lessen their ability to pursue dalliances. Meanwhile, we continue to watch and learn. And in addition, Monaco becoming a jewel of the idle rich and luxurious makes my inner art-nerd swoon.
I digress a bit with my plan, because it still doesn't answer what may be the deepest question of all the bugs me during restless days. Who am I? It's a conundrum we all face at some point. I have memories on top of memories, that overlap and intertwine. If I'm the sum total of my experiences, and memory is the reservoir of experience, then I am all of these things, and yet at the same time I'm none of them. Distant important and altogether painful, as I try to sort out who I am and what my job is, what my duty is, and in truth what road I should walk. I know that I have to defeat the Giovanni. I know that to do that I must give my coterie all the aid they need. I know that I have to keep myself humane. But after that, it becomes complex. Still, I am all of the things I was, and I will walk in the footsteps of myself. Maybe I'll even take Christinana as a childe. Again.
Under Rome
So, having dropped off the excess luggage, I've got a couple more things to attend to. Mainly, getting ready for the under the city thing to find a box that's going to be theoretically part of the long night ritual. So...get to the house, and there's a nice scroll waiting for me. (Note to self, design seal. Design 2.) Get thee hence and go. Fortunately, Shadowfax knows me quite well and is willing to go home on his own. We were not in the nice part of town. That done, I got my gear ready and everyone else showed up. And...in the inn, there was a lot of dead bodies. The way Bolverk was acting, he might have had something to do with it. So, whistle up my two favorite sailors and tell them to grab and come help with a little arson. Plague may be a bad thing.
Madam Cloaca was willing to spot us 5 grand each in credit but if we make it, she gets paid. Maybe I can suggest a few investments if she's seriously into the gold. That detail done and dusted, it was time to go to church. Unfortunately, the omniscient good lord has decided that we are kinda-sorta-seriously assholes, and that we need to go say all the hail marys. It was...annoying and frightening at the same time, as we're getting whipped in time with someone who wanted to be punished for his sins as some saint did. The worrisome part was at the end of it said saint was beheaded. I didn't think they'd go that far, but I was seriously not about to find out. And through the church we boogied to the back end and hefted a stone out of place to get away from that damned praying. Okay, damned praying is what I do, but still. It was annoying to a degree unforseen but unforgettable.
That done, we started looking for a latch in behind a saints' dead body. Saints have a bad habit of dying horribly, and this one took her daughters with her. Which means it was especially bad karma when we found them and had to trip a latch without touching their bodies. Godiva ex Mortis thought it would be a good idea to just turn them to dust like she does with the messy dead bodies.
Oops.
God got miffed, to put it mildly. Explosions, fire, all bad things, and Godiva bailed out of the shitstorm. I can't blame her, really. But I did have to haul ass back and catch her. I did find her at the entry point, and there were a few more redrobed annoyances who were going to get to stow away with us. Bastards. Seriously, I gotta pay, they gotta pay. But it really didn't get annoying until they started shooting at me. Guns cannot get here fast enough. I chucked Godiva into the antechamber as gently as I could, and thankfully she wasn't conscious for what turned out to be about a 50 foot drop. Business then ensued as I had to latch the door and scramble down. And this is when shit got annoying, as there were some seriously feral Nosferatu hanging about. We were silent as quietus, obfuscated, but we still could be smelled. And we were. Through that to some kind of koi pond from the nightmares of HR Giger. Very not fun. Arrows, shooting and annoyances. But, at least we're past that, and on to stage 2. St Peters. With a couple red-robed vampires all up in our ass.
This gon' be fun.
This is the opposite of fun.
After a hell of a lot of scrambling, scurrying, and loss of Atremisia to a I-Dunno-What-That-Was after she freaking dwarf-tossed me over a wall of energy...we made it to the catacombs. Deeply annoying. Heading into the vatican catacombs proper, Madam Cloaca bailed on us. On the one hand, annoying. On the other hand, that was her job. Godiva freaked the hell out and ran her ass away while me and Bolverk managed to get ourselves in. Things were not looking good for the visiting team, especially after Gandalf the White showed his ass up and said this was a bad idea. Of course it was a bad idea, but he wasn't listening to us as we laid out the arguments in favor of letting us just do the thing and keep the box where it needs to be kept. To wit; not there.
He was nice enough to heard us in the right direction, and my little inner scout said to go in a certain direction. We did,and that was when the first bit of bad things started. The ballista was not there as a warning. Bolverk wrecked that, and I went to town on the wizard with a cross quite nicely until some kinda godforsaken catholic ninja legit flipping paralyzed me. I didn't see the rest of round one, on account of being unable to move. However I was able to get up in time for round two. With another ballista behind us. I did in fact kill that one just in time for Godiva to show up. It was some kinda chaos, but when it was done, we went all Skyrim on 'em, looting everything we could, and mayyyybe a little more.
Then came the sad part of the night where there were traps, annoyances, and then as everything started settling in, skeletons coming out of their hideyholes to irritate the hell out of me. Yes, I came out of it all the worse for where, and it was not helped by another ninja chucking a knife at me and then doing some come at me bro shit.I was highly annoyed, right until bolverk mostly settled his hash. After that, it got marginally easier - in need of blood, I had to take a few from the old boy who was way healthier then he should have been - after that I found out that Godiva was in the shadowlands, and someone was giving him their life-force. Damned if they're not bound and determined to have a shitload of martyrs after this. But I tried to keep the martyrs to a minimum. Bolverk, on the other hand was not - I guess he was wanting to fill heaven up. It was weird, because I kinda got the sense that he'd rather have sent them to Valhalla as honorable enemies.
I however was more...gentle? I mean I aimed for shoulders and knees so I could get them to live and consider their life choices. Shoulda been doing that myself, as what manner of idiot goes one on one with a goddamn stone golem?
This idiot.
It was not fun, but I had a moment of clarity that only happens in moments of stress, that I needed to change the forehead engraving to destroy it. I did, but not without a fair amount of damage to my poor mortal self. Yeah, it threw me against the wall and I made a dent in the wall. Bet that'll never be on the tour. But, after a lot of chipping I wrecked it.
And then the thing brought the roof down in a death-throe that crunched me under a metric ton of rock. It really could have gone better, and while I was weighing my options regarding the effects of this most recent life choice gone horribly wrong, Gandalf showed the hell up. Not a great time. And while reading me the riot act and utterly ignoring my rebuttal, he ensconced me in a ton of rock. This was not going to end well.
That said I still had a few cards to play - and I did. Unfortunately, not a damn one really worked. In short, I was hosed - many charges laid against me, and never once was told my rights, offered counsel, or even shown evidence. Apparently, my no-kill policy worked in my favor, as I am currently in what appears to be Catholic Azkaban. Telepathy doesn't work well, there's wards renewed daily, and I get just enough animal blood to keep me alive. I've been told I'll be here for a mortal lifetime, but I'm thinking I have earned myself an early release. The prison itself has an odd architecture that utterly screws my mind, and my fellow inmates are a combination of the worst humanity has to offer and a couple of people who made bad bets in the power structure. The warden's not nice, but they're somewhat accommodating to my needs. I don't get to read, but books can be read to me. And I get to work on my singing.
Prison food sucks.
At the end of the day, I'm still calling this a win. We got the box, and despite the massive ruckus it's caused, we've got a piece of the ritual. What we'll do with it is uncertain. Hopefully, the right thing.
Meanwhile, I appear to have some time to kill, so - todo list is nigh. Working on my singing, perhaps even developing some sort of painting. A three part series, Abel and Caine as brothers, the death of Abel, and then the sorrow of Caine. Sidebar, recreate when Photoshop becomes a thing. Exercise - I mean, sure there's a lot of people who go to prison, work out, and then come out beefcaked. Memory exercises, I'll have a lot of work to do as the future reels itself toward me. And keeping Mr Cremesci apprised of what we need to do in order to make some serious coin. Unfortunately, I can only reach as far as Constantinople, so...I'mma have to find a way out of here within a year. I can't travel the astral well, so I'm going to have to work out details with everyone else.
Escapin' Azkaban
Well, upon further review, my blockmates are assholes. Seriously, there's 8 of us, and maybe one that has a decent excuse. Other than that, we got an bunch of hedge wizards, a couple actual wizards who don't worship Jesus enough, and a straight up infernalist. Side note; whatdafuck. Who legit wants to be someone elses' permanent tool? I mean I'm sure the toys are very nice and shiny, but they're not yours. They're someone elses', and someday whoever gave you the toys is gonna retire your ass. I'm sure for some servitude is an optimal condition, but...I'm not a fan.
I digress a bit. The nights were long, but filled with an insane amount of study and discussion, mostly with Eletria. However, after I was accused and convicted of breaking and entering by the prince, I kinda got the shaft, along with the siblings - they got booted out, and I can return and regain the trastevere upon a full blood oath with the man. I'm not a fan of giving up my freedom, so I'm going to be finding new digs. On top of that Bolverk got banished, however Artemesia is still sort of in the good books. As I understand it, she's still AWOL, and her Senatorship has been stripped pending her showing up. Madam Cloaca also got the boot, so...overall, I think it was a population control move, particularly since a lot of people are dead and-or dying. Godiva's under house arrest. I wonder if I can give the transtiber to someone else. Hopefully I can, or not. Either way, may have to circle back to it later.
For now, escaping - it was not easy, but I finally got the jailer to look at melng enough to get his ass presenced well enough that he was willing to come play nice and unlock the door for the horde. Eletria had some people waiting in various places (bless her for watching out for her idiot younger brother) so when we got out we would have a place. Fortunately, everyone did their parts and in a depressing moment, someone killed our escape-helping jailer. That does in fact make my ass want to take a dip of snuff. But for all that, we escaped relatively cleanly and as soon as I got clear, clalled everyone with a position and a route. Then it was hide and seek down the road to the Tiber and to my boat where we took a nice pleasure cruise to Constantinople. That said, nerves are fraying, as each port passes, and I do remind these assholes that they're free to leave the boat at any time. God knows why they wanna be here.
So, now, working on my chess game and hoping like hell I can figure out my next moves. Constantinople isn't quite the trade hub, but it is directly on the land route for the First Crusade; I may need to gather coin to bring in crops and other goods. Shipping my family might be difficult, but it's a doable thing. That said, the way the Muses acted when they were in town frightened me to no small degree. When they spoke of Michael, it was like they were talking about their own personal jesus. I may want to tread lightly there. Maybe just be a small merchant with big dreams. I know, it's odd that a childe of Helena would be considered small.
I keep thinking on the cost of what we're doing. Certainly I'm willing to sacrifice a lot, but at some point we may have to tell others who are getting caught in the splash damage what's happening, because telling Eletria "It was done because it had to be done" rings hollow. Hopefully I can come up with a sufficient explanation as to what needed to be done, and...crap. I keep kicking myself. There was a better way. There had to be. Or it's just I'm looking at the cost to others and deeming it to be too much. At this point, unfortunately she's out of range. I may have to send an invitation to...somewhere. Maybe after the First Crusade I can ship myself to Monaco and then we can have a night of watching the Med and talking. I feel guilty as sin about them paying for my actions.
Tradin' goods
So I should expand a little more on the escape and subsequent trip - I have the time. With the Robes of the Church coming after our collective ass with a purpose, I sent word ahead that my ship would be leaving the docks upon my arrival, and whatever's still on the dock is gettin' left when I get there - sailors included. We cast off with a few seconds to spare, and the winds were gentle - we're at sea, and next stop was Naples. After the initial relaxation of getting out collectively alive, thoughts turned to surviving to tomorrow. Difficult because my sleeping options were a barrel of wine and a mass of loose cloth. Cloth it is, as I didn't want to smell like a drunkard all the way to naples. We'll get an empty there and then make our way further. Each spot does have its' particular joys. Interestingly, I could see Pompeii from a distance and picked up some instruments to play before utter boredom takes over. And we were chased out by the Robes. Not good. On to Messina, where life was good, right up until the pirates showed up. They came after us, and we dissuaded them from trying any more shit with a few arrows setting their sails on fire, and a nice rousing round of trouble for them but not us. That was pretty much the story all the way down and around, and finally I made an executive decision around Gallipoli (the 5th stop, actually) that this was enough bullshit. We skipped across due east to Corfu, as the Popes' navy is kinda weak. Of course the captain was wailing like a toddler at the thought of open sea, but me and the helmsman from the north laughed and told him to put his big-sailor pants on. Seriously, we've outrun a dozen ships, Saracen pirates, and sank a couple of the papal navy. 100 miles of open water ain't gonna do us in.
My mouth, however, might. Corfu's a serious Venetian haven, and to dock there were oaths involved. I back and forthed with the marine a little, on account of there was an oath and a flag involved. Eventually I gave in, as my penchant for mischief was not helping, and then the erstwhile captain finally got his manbag together and agreed that we'd fly the Venetian flag (the alternative was being declared a pirate and bad things happening) at least for the duration of this gig. Meanwhile, I pulled a few more ships to my colors, which...does that make me a commodore? Either way, kinda cool. So we bounced port to port, making a rather tidy profit and securing goods that'll be necessary - and then we hit Athens. So far, the trip has been good, and nobody from jail has jumped ship. I think it's partially because they know if they split up, they get run down, and apparently I'm enough of a personality to keep them all in check. At least enough to keep them from killing each other.
Not gonna lie, I love me some Greek food. and after a bit, I met the who's who, mentioned who my sire was, and life was damned fine. Contacts, getting ready to rev up for the next port, and then one night a voice I half-feared and half desired was heard. Mother. Fuck me gently with a chainsaw, she had found me and wanted to...shit, I dunno. Didn't care either. The rest of the night was a blur, and then next day there was a path of rose petals to a bath of milk where Helena was lounging and paris was guarding.
Milk. It does a body good.
The up side of having Helen of Troy as your sire is that you can trade on that more than a little in certain places in the world. The down side is that Helen occasionally shows up in your life for her own purposes. And so the next few days were filled with glorious nothing but being by her side with Paris occasionally staring at me while me giving absolutely zero fucks, because Helena was introducing me as her childe. Seriously, this is...this is unreal. It's hard to fathom my good fortune, but this party is gonna end eventually. The other down side of having Helena as your bed partner is that every other woman in the world rapidly becomes a butterface. Still, I think I can learn a lot here, and then hopefully make my way to Constantinople before being wrapped around her finger until 1200. AD.
Traveling and singing
So it was an interesting week. Clothing and armor were procured, and tailor made for me. Badass as hell, and I looked pretty good. Leather armor for riding, and at the same time there's a few other things of no small import. Apparently Caesar Constantius advised all the local princes that I was a naughty naughty boy. He's not wrong, but at the same time it was a minor spot of bother. So I did appropriately abase myself before the Prince and promise to be a good lad. Then he stared at me and there was a surprising realization, in that he was a Cappadocian. Usually they don't deal with such things, but we appear to have an exception. And he has a childe from the Giovanni branch. Ohhhhh this entertains. But, after all the standard introductions, we went to a feast. People were there, and we mingled. The odd thing was Helena was acting like...a sire. A few times she was testing me to see where I was at. I admit to nerfing myself a bit, but during the testing and back-and-forth, there was a bit of revelatory information about one of the local nobles. Apparently he was planning to kill his wife, who was currently in a tower after having given birth to his latest. The story he told was that he was possibly cursed, all of his wives dying such untimely deaths. He was half-right, however I was going to have to dispense some justice. Plans were made, the boat was prepped, and I brought Boudica along because, well...it felt right. The plan was to get to the tower, bring Boudica in and replace the latest wife with Boudica, and let the fun begin.
The plan was great up until I got onto the boat for the ride to Corinth. In the captains' cabin were Helena and Prias, both wanting to know what wee Mercuzio was up to. I filled them in and they felt it was a great plan to come along. It was odd in a way - Eletria didn't prep me for this. This is intriguing, but we'll play the hand we're being dealt. Over the trip to Corinth, we had some discussions and it felt on the one hand awkward, but on the other hand it's what's supposed to happen. Helena was pleased to hear of my plan, because rescuing a princess may have brought a little bit of memory to the fore.
Once we landed, ass was hauled and the manse found. It's quite beautiful, really. Olives, workers, and all the things a manse needs. However, the tower was forboding from the get-go. I was prepping to launch an arrow and rope combination but Prias took a longer look and pointed out climbing was an option. I didn't want to go walkabout for more intel, so it was done and done; up and over and to the top trapdoor. Handy things these. Dropping down and sword out to see what was up - what was up was she had a guard who bumrushed me even though my sword was pointed at his meaty chest. Fortunately, Prias knocked his ass out before he could seppuku the shit out of himself. Upon further inspection several things were apparent. No tongue, no manparts, a signet ring identifying him as a scion of the house, and he was not burdened with intellect. He got set aside for the time being while the princess was unshackled and brought downstairs past the remains of the counts previous wives. And that's a smell that's gonna linger. And if I needed more reason to open a can of whoopass on the count, there it was.
After the lady of the house found a place of safety (To wit, not far from Helena) Boudica was brought up and placed in position. It didn't take long for the happy count to rap on the door, which was my cue. I brought him up, and he paused to speak lovingly to the dearly departed. Seriously. Me not running him through from behind was an exercise in delayed gratification. Psychotic and noble - it's a combination that doesn't bode well; and when it's discovered, the family named is trashed. And thenwe finally made it to the top, and that's when he met Boudica.
He took it well, all things considered. However, Boudica advanced and chanted, and he went for his sword - until she turned him into a cat. A black cat. I admit to suppressing a snicker, but hey - he's Boudicas' problem now. I can only hope that he's housetrained. Note to self, make sure the cat gets neutered. After that, the task of cleanup. Oddly, about 80 percent of the plan was heard without discussion or suggestion from Helena. Though she did mention the tower could be converted to a fine haven if needs dictated. It was already decreed off-limits, secure door, and people would know to be quiet. There was a burial without a priest, and the doors are opened to air that thing out. Meanwhile, dawn was approaching and so final orders were granted before we sacked out in the wine cellar. The lady was to be given comfort and care, the count was suddenly taken ill and went to Athens to see a physician, the simple one was to be sent to the counts' apartment in Athens to be cared for for the rest of his natural life, and from there we'd have to find a way to legally keep things as they are. Failing that, I'll have to do some nasty things.
After that, Helena mentioned that her childhood home was a nights' ride away, so the boat was given orders to meet us at a harbor nearby. It was interesting, I'm not sure if Helena meant to do it, but I saw two scenes - one as it is, and one as she remembered it. It was chilling and quite instructive in many ways. Helena is...regretful in some ways. She executed her plan, but she Embraced me rather abruptly; for that she was sad and this is at least a partial way to make it up. I have no problems with that and then she told me her story. Tragic in several ways, and most importantly she was rescued a few times by Prias. She spent about a decade under her sires' blood bond, until she was rescued by Prias pulling Minos into the sun.
Which brings a question or five, as I'm pretty sure our generations would indicate that there was some hanky-panky involved; however it's not something I'd care to unpack on the road. So we road I being a really interested childe (dammit why haven't I learned Greek. It's been 2 whole weeks and I'm just putting together the basics.) and she was having a reminiscence trip. Her old palace, the theater, the many things so changed. She was a little sad, and so I thought mood music was in order. Prepped up the lute, and went through my rather substantial collection of songs before I hit on one that seemed right; Hurt ala Johnny Cash. A song about a lifetime of regrets and decisions made that would have gone better had one or two things changed. For a two-thousand-year old Toreador. While it wasn't the best, it was passable. Okay, it was really good.
And then Helena started crying and having the vacant look of the Rose Enraptured. I didn't mean to. But in Argos there's a well that was used in (more) ancient times by artists seeking inspiration. It was dry when we were there, but Helena sorta corrected it by...summoning a fourth of the village to fill it. From there, I waited, and drank from it - I may have been enraptured a bit myself but it's more of a thought. Am I moving Helena to another future, where she simply stops chasing Meneleus through eternity? Is it worse? Am I going to be tied to Helena as her muse or something? Really, there's a bit more here. I still have a year for a merchant fleet to get rolling, but for now this does wonders. I really feel like I'm making a difference.
Rhymin' and (Stories about) Stealin'
So we've gotten a few things done. A small merchant fleet of 9 ships, ready to ferry goods and get the first wave of crusaders across from Constantinople to the holy land. Meanwhile, other positive changes are happening. My estate in Corinth is flourishing, and the people there are decent enough. The crew arrived, thankfully so they can certainly help there. The down side is the princess. While certainly beautiful in her on right, does she really compare with someone who was legit worshiped, and lives up to all the reasons for being worshiped as a goddess of beauty? Part of me wants to introduce them, but the other part of me says it'll end badly.
Part of that is me being greedy. It's weird, but I'm getting used to having Prias and Helena around. When I'm rolling solo, I'm only half there, mostly I'm thinking about getting home soon and being wherever Helena is. This is disturbing when I think too long about it - it goes against my self-reliance. The solution is that I don't think too long about it, because I know things will change and we'll part ways for awhile. Again, the solution is to not think about it. But I know I have things to do, and so does she.
All that time means I'm learning a lot about her, though - at least from her point of view. I see why she doesn't want me ruling a city, though; after watching Carthages' descent into a place you would give maybe half a star on Yelp, she flipped to the Roman side and was given Pompeii as a reward. However, that didn't end well, as Meneleus had a slight case of Volcano to give her. Side note, they DATED. Among other things. And that is why the phrase Greek Tragedy is especially poignant. As we keep going, I keep thinking something's gotta give. I mean, a Greek Tragedy that never ends is...incomplete. Being with her...we stalk people and kill them, quite frankly. But they doom themselves by their deeds - I don't want to think of myself as Batman, and I am definitely no hero. She's training me to do something. But what - it could be that having expressed my desire to rule, she's teaching me the things it will take. Harsh but true. Something to mull over when the whole crew is back together.
Prias...I see part of myself in him, there's a sense of she's not good for him and he knows it, but he can't pull himself away. When it's a Boys' Night, we talk a lot about fighting, techniques, and other things near and dear to the warrior heart. I'm not sure if he feels comfortable around me, but we definitely have common ground and enough for debates. My fighting style throws him a little, mainly because I don't roll with a shield, but also because I have my archer/shooters' footwork - which does not keep me from getting walloped with the practice swords. That said, I'm so totally training with him as much as I can.
Now the rest of Athens is freaking glorious. Hanging out with luminaries-to-be, and not just to say "I was there when they were wet-behind-the-fangs pups" - we're debating, arguing, and I'm rabble-rousing a bit. The story of me as the Thief of Golgotha has spread, and people want to know what it was like. So, the story gets more and more heroic every time. Bolverk, hewn from the very glaciers of the northlands, Lady Godiva the very shadow of death to those that gaze upon her beautiful form. And me, archer and swordsman in equal measure, all banding together to steal...something. That part changes every time, because well, gotta be honest here, I have no idea what exactly we stole but that makes for a lousy story. Stealing holy relics is way better. The vestments of John the Baptist, the silver coins given to Judas now melted and forged into a holy weapon, wrapped in the rope he hanged himself with. Forbidden documents speaking of the lives of the sons and daughters Jesus had with Mary Magdalene. All of which makes me a bit of a bad boy at court. The high-tops don't hurt either.
The three Brujah and I have some serious discussions as well - not to put too fine a point on it, but I may be stoking the fires of the Anarch Revolt. Drunken rants about equality and wherefore does power devolve are keeping the Brujah of the town arguing spiritedly until dawn takes us all.
Boat trip!
So time...I mean really there's not a lot of action happening. Not to say I'm not busy; being the Count of corinth isn't exactly a do-nothing job. Getting some things done and actually paying out a boon to Prias to get a contract negotiated with the Empire, basically ferrying cargo and people all around. Pretty nice gig, actually -if my ships' in port and the goods are there to be moved, we're moving them. Also, when the future becomes present, we're moving people across a strait or two.
Meanwhile, Helens' palace is always...odd, relaxing possibly. I have rooms, and Helena painted it herself. It's beautiful, really. The whole thing is a scene of Augsburg, almost a distant memory in some ways, but then in the midst of it all, Astarte. Naughty little fairy, but still. Things are happening, and it is important to not forget the past, really.
A safety tip for those reading this, if Prias comes at you with a bronze sword, fucking run. He got me a good one with it and after 2 nights of trying to get it done myself I had to go to Helena to get some notes on how to heal it. It was awkward - kinda like our whole relationship. At the same time, part of me does feel like I might be her favorite. Or not. Helena fogs things up. When she's not around, I feel incomplete and on a level that really really bothers. Like with my brothers. A couple of the Quorum showed up, Erevard and Hasek, and their dynamic is very different than Berengar and Katze. Less rivals and more cooperative. And because I gave us a little defense against the blood bond, we were three badass brothers painting the town whatever shade we damn well pleased.
Meanwhile, in mortal affairs, the Cremescis are in force. It's nice to have them installed at Corinth, it makes things easier to manage. And the Younger Cremesci is getting a shot at Constantinople. He did good, and on his return had an offer. well, he got severely possessed courtesy of the ventrue dockmaster and he wants...half.
HALF!? Seriously, shades of the Yakuza again. I rather lost my calm for a minute, and flipped a telepathic channel open to negotiate faster. He wasn't far away, so...weird. But negotiation was fast and I was able to get him down to 30 percent of the gross. Funny thing, the Ventrue knows the difference between the gross and the net. Also knows I can probably hide money in fees and repairs so that his portion would be minimal. Skeezy. That done, we put Junior to bed and had a great time celebrating his good work. I like this. It's coming together, and...it feels good. The rest of it is more personal, it's hard for me to really focus in with the rest of my princess. It's awkward, while I see and empathize, I just muster up the joy. Still. This doesn't end well.
On the up side, we're on the move. Sort of. Me and the brothers were out making a ruckus and found ourselves at the docks, and then in a fairly aged byzantine ship was Helena and Prias, getting ready to head out. There was a moment of jealousy(?!) when Helena blew by me to talk to the brothers first. But hey I'm not furniture, and eventually hellos and what's happening happened, and we're on the move. Seriously, it's gonna take a stronger man then me to say no to Helena. Woman is a medieval jet-setter. A few songs later that enraptured damn near the whole crew, and then a week of being on a ship...we're in Constantinople. And for once, I was struck mute by the city. It's whole architecture, it's...majesty, really. Fine, I'll pay 30 percent for this.
And now it's...scary. I know Michael disappears in a century-ish, so I may be...witness to a fall. I don't know that I can keep my head down, but I'll be damned if I won't try to find out more. Frankly I've given up on trying to not mess with history. But first, I need to get a place for base.
