View source for 8/14/12 - Istanbul take one

There be pirates here....  Or at least that's what we were planning, but that didn't happen till quite some time later. Almost 2 full months from leaving greece. We first planned on our entrance in Istanbul. After much deliberation, it was decided to speak with my nosferatu contact, and get the lay of the land before making our splash as pirates. We met her in an old abandon bath on the barest edge of town. She told us who the major people were who we're looking for help from each faction. She also told us that my goal is in one of the contested areas of the city, and may very well BE the reason that it is contested. This is troubleng. If it was unknown, we may have been able to get out of there with the information intact. Now.. Not likely.

Bruno and I go back to discuss. In the course of discussion, I let loose the fact I in ow far more about Istanbul than just it was once constantinople. I know many of its guarded secrets. This causes discussion, and a fair bit of distrust on my side. Who is this guy? Yes he looks like Bruce, acts like Bruce, but is not the same person I have known for over 300 years, and had so many trials with. Can I trust him?  This let me to ask that very question. I know he doesn't harbor betrayal now.. But what about when the lasombra truly get their claws in him after he matures a bit? What will my secrets be worth at that time? I needed a way to make sure he couldn't tell. I suggested a blood contract, mutually assuring each other cannot reveal that which they should not. He balked at the idea, and was rightfully offended. He invoked his sire as surety, and after finding out it was our old pal Don Alonzo! I agreed that would be satisfactory. He wrote a letter, and I thought it would be settled, alas Don Alonzo wanted a meeting. One week many plane flights, and we sit in the small town of fort Collins, speaking with the man don Alonzo. Sum it up to not a pleasent expirence, and I owe him a small favor because he decided that we need to fly all that way, and a letter wouldn't suffice. I HATE lasombra. Though I believe that any elder of the high clans would have had the same arrogance. Given the fact I run around with his childe, I can probably give Bruno a tidbit of info, and call it even. I will have to look for that chance.

Once that was mostly settled, we setted back on the road to piracy. It was fairly simple on the island we were staying at, to look for a crew, and buy a fishing boat. Then it was only a matter of taking a more sutible vessel, and poof "pirates are we." scarily it actually was almost that simple. After setting out, and watching radar, a small cargo ship came into view. With Bruno and myselfs special skills, it shouldn't be to hard to take the ship. I went and claimed up with the rope, and secured it, using a few rituals I have for that very purpose, and the rest of the men followed with Bruno in the lead. Bruno paper toy encountered resistance, as he used optima ration on himself, and walked around in a dark cloud, but I get the impression that is lasombra speak for I screwed it up, and didn't want to say it, as most of the crew was on the bridge, or below decks. I went quickly to secure the bridge and radio, I couldn't wait for the men to board, as our cover was pretty much blown. A small little crossing of space, and I am on the bridge, surprising two of the crew. I quickly knock out one, and proceed to kick the other in the face, as he is waking up. However he must have had a harder head, or is used to hangovers, as that didn't put him down. Another crewmen opened the door, and I know have to decide who to attack, and how to deal. I know that none of my people is near me, and in this small space, numbers could add up, and things will have to get lethal, I choose to put down the man I have already kicked, by causing him to sleep in deep slumber. However, by this time the other has decide the bridge is a lost cause, and he hot foots it down below deck. It is at this moment that I hear my men scream that the water cannons are powering up, and I can hear the pumps below. Looking down from my vantage point I see the situation. Short of shooting the people tarting the cannon, it is unlikely my men will have much choice but to go swimming. I use a bit of magic, and plug the hole with solid water. Problem solved, but another created. That cannon is now an explosive, unless I can turn the pumps off. I hop down a few decks, and shut it off. Hurray for vampiric stamina. It's at this moment that Bruno tells us they are all below decks In a room with only one door. It appears we have caused the crew to go into their panic room. As the lot of us run down the stairs we hear the crew start screaming and pounding on the door to get out. From the darkness leaking around the edges, I can guess that Bruno has made their lives  a bit more terrifying, in hopes of slowing radio contact. As we near this solid metel door, I think about ways to get through. Easiest in my mind, is to melt it. So I do so. This surprises one of our Merks, but he quickly gets back to business. After some knocking out, shuffling and a bit of dominate we learn who is who, and have the right people talk to the coast guard to "convence" them that it was a rogue radio operator, that had a bit to much sun and solitary. "We are all fine here, how are you?"
We'll it seems we were as convincing as Han was because the coast guard decided to escort us in. One of the people we hired on as ship crew, was actually a smuggler captian, and he had contacts to people in Istanbul. Problem is we had to shake the coast guard. Some "smoke" bombs, and a bit of enjoin malfunctions and viola you now have a disappearing cargo ship. We are now landed in stanbul, in some seedy motel, and on our way to meeting with the tremere to arrange for some mercenary work.

[[Mina's Story]]