City of Shadows Mux City of Shadows Mux

North Praxis August Court
Players Caleb, Velathrix, Cumani, Faith, Haliburton, and Lilith as ST	North Praxis Elysium 21 August, 2022
+----+ Cumani +----------------------------------------------------------------+ Probably the result of living directly downstairs, it is damn near to the minute that Court is supposed to start when Cumani arrives, literally. Immaculately put together and in a scandalously revealing but tastefully covered up Zuhair Murad haute couture gown the color of blood covered in gold embellishments with matching Louboutin heels in gold, the red-soled shoes' straps covered in gilded spikes as they wrap across the toe and around the ankle. She looks around at length, then goes to a corner of the bar where the person serving apparently knows her by name already from frequent visits no doubt, ordering up a glass of lacrima before proceedings are set to start officially to have in hand. +----+ Velathrix +-------------------------------------------------------------+ Entering with two large instrument cases, Velathrix is required to stop at the entry to have them checked by staff at the door. Cases removed from his person, Vel still wears a shorter sword near his hip, the hilt tied to the scabbard with a rather intricate knot of heavy leather cord, a silver emblem caught within the corded knot. The man himself wears a silk shirt of dark grey that has a very slight shimmer, black suit trousers adorn his legs with the bottoms loosened to cover the tops of his combat boots, leaving only the shiny, meticulously polished toes shining in the electric light of the room. His dark eyes sweep the room while stepping into the meeting area proper. Approaching the bar, Velathrix gives the already arrived Cumani a nod in greeting, merely a pleasantry as he studies the lists of Lacrima for something specific. +----+ Lilith +----------------------------------------------------------------+ Early bird gets the worm. Must be tequila night. The doors of the top floor elevator open and Enrico arrives, dressed in a sharp suit that costs most families half a year's worth of rent. Flanked by two sets of twins, all four hot, blonde, and moving like they can handle themselves in a fight. Dressed in muted black, tailored suits, two of the four stay by the elevator. The other two pace to Enrico's unhurried steps towards the head of the huge boardroom table where his black calfskin throne is. A far cry from Tillo's throne of rebar and bone beneath the city, but still a throne. He seems the youngest of the three by appearance, groomed to modern standards. "Evening. How is everyone tonight?" Brilliant smile, charming, practically hear the *tink* off his sparkly white teeth. +----+ Haliburton +------------------------------------------------------------+ In his arrival, Haliburton makes things understated. It's easy to miss him unless you're looking. He's chosen a black pinstripe suit with a green silk tie, looking sharp but simple. His walk is unaccompanied by arm candy or a soundtrack or any of those things, although he does have a Faith alongside him. Up until they crossed the threshold he was even chatting quietly with her, though he goes silent once they're inside. Rather than find a place to sit or perch or become one of the resident carrion birds, Hal politely waits for Faith to find her seat or standing spot first. +----+ Caleb +-----------------------------------------------------------------+ And then fashionably or egregiously late, Caleb slips in and waits by the entrance, new, stranger to it all and still unsure if he can be there, let lone should be there. All alone but the look on his face isn't one that shows his uncertainty, or the smirk is there to hide it. If any look he lifts his right hand to give a little wave that comes with a nod. +----+ Faith +-----------------------------------------------------------------+ Faith, is not dressed like Faith usually is. For once, there's actually /no/ hood. Hoody, jacket, or otherwise. The sunglasses are present, and a broad brimmed hat is set upon her head. An elegant satin black ballgown is the outfit she's chosen for the night, along with a little white clutch purse to accessorize with. She finds a table, upon Hal's waiting, rather than heading to the bar, glancing across the way at Cumani, and the less familiar Velathrix. "Good evening, your Grace," she greets the Prince politely in return, no smile for the Nosferatu, and her gaze just habitually becoming ever so slightly downcast. +----+ Cumani +----------------------------------------------------------------+ Once she sees where Enrico has chosen to enthrone himself, Cumani stands from her place at the bar, dipping into a graceful curtsey, carefully measured to the Ventrue, before rising, and taking her glass from the bartop again, then gliding over toward a chair to the right of his and not far off it at the boardroom table. "In anticipation," she murmurs in answer, "Of a chance to see whether or not there is proper support in my bid for Priscus, Your Grace." She offers Faith a little wiggle of her fingers in greeting +----+ Velathrix +-------------------------------------------------------------+ At the arrival of the Prince, Velathrix's gaze lifts from the Lacrima card to the man of the hour. Eyes settle, beast roiling as it is forced back down while his lips curl upwards slightly at the edges revealing the tips of long fangs there. Lacking breath, Velathrix then points to something almost at random on the card for the server and waits for the moment it takes to receive his drink. Halibruton and Faith, along with the late Caleb get a glance from the military cut man before he notes his other barmate moving towards the board table. Pursed lips ever so slight, he accepts his glass and then moves as well, measured steps cross the distance to the table and Velathrix will simply stand behind a chair nearer the middle of the table as it appears that he is either early, or their numbers will be light this evening. "Twould think a city such as this would have established such lines already, though it does provide opportunities for all, does it not?" he replies to Cumani's statement as well as the Prince's question. +----+ Lilith +----------------------------------------------------------------+ "Excellent, excellent." Did he even listen to the replies? Unbuttoning the jacket, Enrico gets comfortable on his seat, studying each in turn. "It IS a good evening, isn't it?" Saccharine. The sort of peppy bullshit tone that management uses before firing whomever they're speaking to five minutes later. "Things have been interesting of late. Shifting sand getting in all the unpleasant places. It's good to see people organizing again." He turns that charming smile on Cumani. "You're not one of mine. Who are you again?" Speaking while beckoning for Caleb to come and sit, with a vague finger flutter towards the bar. Get comfy, get a drink. Stop lurking. +----+ Caleb +-----------------------------------------------------------------+ Caleb, ever the wall flower, pushes off from the wall and the shadows and approaches. Glances around, he knows no one and he knows he's completely unfamiliar and he uses that as he cloak. "Yes Sir..." he offers in reply as he beckoned over, there weren't words to him, but still he replies. Then he finds a seat, settling in quietly, still at the edge of things, the student who comes to the lecture late but still wants to be by the door to slip out if he wants to. Then he turns to watch the goings on, people watching if nothing else. +----+ Haliburton +------------------------------------------------------------+ Once he's gotten a nice seat, Hal steeples his hands and leans forward on his table. "Your Grace, on behalf of the Spear I offer a blessing upon this night's proceeding." Nice little thing to say. It doesn't really mean a lot. Haliburton isn't here with a mitre on waving incense around or anything. Thoughts and prayers. +----+ Faith +-----------------------------------------------------------------+ Faith watches the Prince, setting her purse down on the table, and her hands coming together in a loose clasp after adjusting her hat for just a moment. Content, there's a thin smile forming on her lips as those dark glasses regard Enrico, and shifting to Cumani of course once she gains some attention from him. She's quiet as Hal offers a blessing, just watching the proceedings for the moment. +----+ Cumani +----------------------------------------------------------------+ "I'm not?" Cumani asks. "I swore an Oath of Fealty to you," she says, "If you should care to double check with whomever keeps records, Your Grace." She does not seem remotely put off by Enrico's manner. If anything, all it does is shift any manner of friendliness back into a veneer that says 'business first and only', neutrality. "I should not be surprised, though, if you had not been informed, as I was also waiting on the feeding grounds my Oath of Serfdom should have granted, and so I can only conclude you have a very lacking go-between, Your Grace." Her politeness never waivers for a moment, and she lifts the glass of lacrima to sip from it. "Cumani Bellecourt, or Lady Cumani Bellecourt, I'm no Notary to understand if Titles are included in Oaths recorded." +----+ Velathrix +-------------------------------------------------------------+ Velathrix's gaze shifts ever so slightly from person to person as they are called to the table and join the Prince that earns a narrowing of Velathrix' eyes as the man appears to miss things, intentionally, or not. "The Spear, most interesting, I'd curiously wonder the Second's thoughts upon the intermingling that happens to such a degree in this city... Praxis aside, I refer to the unclean and kine," he muses to Haliburton's blessing before he casually reaches down and crushes the left armrest of his chair, popping it off the chair like an offensive loose hair on a pristine uniform. Casually turning, he offers the crushed piece of furniture to a nearby servant. Once relieved he shifts the sword at his hip, and settles into the chair, now that he can. Fingers rest upon the top of the table as he watches the others. +----+ Lilith +----------------------------------------------------------------+ One of the two blonde twins leans down to murmur near Enrico's ear. There's a faint nod, followed by a dismissive gesture. "Right, right." Tone distracted. "Fires are about to drive me bonkers, you know? Got a lot on my mind. Like: should I keep trying to support the neutrality of Central, or should I throw my weight behind Mister Drasche in helping to take it over and drag it into the umbrella of the North Praxis." "Blessings? Why thank you. How is the uh..." Enrico flaps a hand, "the stabbing and impaling thing going? Business good?" "Business..." Chasing his own thought train, Enrico sits up, leaning to the other side in the only properly comfortable chair in the room. "I'm getting tired of cleaning up after Protz's messes. for too long he's held the first place among us, and now look at the damage his negligence has caused the city. Millions in damage. It's going to take months to rebuild, and that's AFTER this thing that slipped it's leash is taken care of. We need to knock him down a few pegs. Getting the Primogen and Priscus counsels rebuilt will help, but I want to pin the tail on the donkey. Do we know where Raul stands?" Failing to bother with titles as a form of insult. When the arm of the chair is torn off, Enrico stiffens, staring at Velathrix a long moment, Beast coiling under the surface - no doubt calculating the cost of replacing that chair. +----+ Haliburton +------------------------------------------------------------+ "Stabbings are up, your Grace. Impalings are proceeding apace." remarks Hal, glancing aside to Faith for some reason and adding a half-shrug along with it. He looks toward Velathrix to add, "The reality of things as they are must be dealt with on its own terms. Intermingling is the nature of the world, the kine are necessary to our existence, and ultimately we are all unclean. Some are just less unclean than others." He does keep his thoughts about subjects that upset the Prince to himself for now, though. Very much to himself. +----+ Faith +-----------------------------------------------------------------+ Faith sits straight-backed, watching Cumani speak with absolutely no expression whatsoever, with only a brief glance at the sound of furniture being destroyed. She glances sidelong at Hal, head tilting just slightly at that, and then sets her glasses once again on the Prince. "Tillo's talking about getting you and all the other leaders," she waves a hand, "into calling down Blood Hunts on the Pure? And he's offering Coins for Pure pelts, so that's pretty much a confession that he can't handle his own mess." She rolls her shoulders, only too happy to offer information to Enrico, though it doesn't exactly show on her face. "Raul on the other hand, is looking for anything and everything he can use against Tillo too." +----+ Cumani +----------------------------------------------------------------+ With a deep, solemn nod of understanding, Cumani looks to Enrico and speaks bluntly, "The other two are consistently playing pin the tail on each other using the Wolves as a go between, and the Wolves are fattening up nicely off of our Coin because they actually work together, and are willing to take from both sides to do so while either one tries to sell the other down the river, in front of anyone who watches." Her shoulders lift in a slow shrug. "Each seems to think the Wolves are helping them to the detriment of the other but neither are getting actual help and it's to the detriment of both, the Wolves are of course following their own agenda and cleaning up, Your Grace." She takes a slow sip of her lacrima again. Oh look, at the right Court, Cumani can actually volunteer information. +----+ Velathrix +-------------------------------------------------------------+ "Quite," Velathrix responds to Haliburton, though he does not appear entirely pleased with the answer, but nods all the same. Hand settling down upon the glass of lacrima he had brought, he raises it slowly to take a small sniff before sipping it, tasting it fully before the glass is politely set back down. His eyes shift though, a subtle, yet obvious widening as his fangs slip past his lips at Faith's announcement of a Blood Hunt for the Pure, "Now there's some Unclean that could properly be dealt with," his smile is nearly sinister in its delight at the prospect. As the conversation continues into the politics of the situation, Vel's delight fades to a rather more neutral expression with each sentence that does not speak of hunting Pure. Another sip from his glass and he looks to the others, "Have the hunters gathered for such things, or do the beasts turn away at such worthy prey?" +----+ Caleb +-----------------------------------------------------------------+ Caleb, there, watching, listening, still and unflinching as things go on, furniture wrecked, he's just the student in the back of the classroom as the lecture goes on. Then he leans forward and pays closer attention finally. Fingers drumming on his left leg, tapping his thigh and then he clears his throat and raises his right arm a bit, asking for permission to speak before he opens his mouth. "This might be silly of me to ask, and Caleb, Caleb Ichabod Chisolm...." then he clears his throat and adds, "Carthian..." more softly before he goes on. "Is this proposal one with some unity or is this more of a area effort? For thee entire city behind it, no? For as has been said, the wolves work together, so do you? We?" +----+ Lilith +----------------------------------------------------------------+ "Good, good. I love hearing about things on the upswing. Keep up the good work." Enrico encourages of Haliburton's impaling efforts. One of the women by the elevator moves to fetch the ruined chair arm, scowling faintly. No doubt someone's going to pay for that destruction later. "Blood Hunts are interesting. But if he's calling for one on the unAccorded wolves, then I imagine he's going to be willing to make it ~convenient~ for us to agree, don't you think?" Steepling his fingers, Enrico nods. "We should turn efforts towards courting Raul. See if we can get terms of truce out of him and put our mutual desire to see Tillo eat crow to use." "Mmm. The city is layers built on layers. We all dance around the laws of the Accord, we all dance around Territory and Praxis and chase status and footing. In some ways, we very much work together. In others..." The finish to the sentence is just a smirk and a flash of fang behind mostly closed lips. "Tillo cares only about keeping the things in the basement IN the basement. Raul only cares about the human he can save... to fatten for slaughter to fill our bellies. And I? I'm the only one seeking to build a proper empire that will last until the city itself falls. The problem is, no one ever has quite enough clout to overturn a throne..." +----+ Haliburton +------------------------------------------------------------+ "Of course," murmurs Haliburton quietly, perhaps in response to the Prince, perhaps Velathrix. Most likely both. More loudly and for public ears, he adds, "I know how to exterminate the vermin." Beat. "I'm about ninety-percent sure I could present a plan that would work. The plan has two resolvable issues and one major risk." Casually the Sanctified just drops that there about his plan for localized focused genocide. +----+ Faith +-----------------------------------------------------------------+ "He wants a blood hunt and he's offering Coins for Pure hides, I'd say that Tillo is looking everywhere he can for some way out of his situation. So I'd say he's well on his way to making it convenient for us." Faith supplies to the Prince with a nod. She doesn't have that same casual ease as the Prince, but she does sound for all the world like a woman in board room. "If we can get Raul on board for something like this, it would definitely be able to put the pressure on him." She glances aside to Caleb for a moment, considering the Carthian before offering: "No one likes the Pure, but I wouldn't say we're all working together on it. Not yet, anyway. It might happen." She shrugs, then there's a finally a break in her expression, a cruel little smile that finds its way onto her lips and Hal announces that he has A Plan. Long distance to (Faith, Cumani): Lilith >.> I'm so happy that a couple of people are picking up on all the different layers +----+ Cumani +----------------------------------------------------------------+ There is a frown at Caleb when Cumani hears the word Carthian, but a nod of agreement at the question of working together. She tells him then, "I believe it will rest on Prisci and Primogen to work on unification of various subgroups while the boundaries of who calls what Territory theirs change around the people that are actually claiming Praxis over them," she volunteers softly. "There is a reason why the titles are not localized by Praxis, and that is because things would be so fractured that they would be meaningless. Now, Covenant and Covenant are likely to go against one another, but with a strong handle by those handling Clans, Clans might have a chance of doing meaningful work. Though with that said, any effort that requires unity also requires manpower to actually back it, otherwise it is just more meaningless pretense and scrambling for titles." And she looks over at Haliburton a moment, a long moment. Eyes penetrating as if to look through him, before shifting back to Enrico, breaking away with intent from the Sanctified after several seconds. She nods agreement at Enrico, and adds, "Nor would it do any good to upset just one of them. A three legged stool is better than a two legged stool, a two legged stool will fall over. And things will only no doubt grow more vicious and worse on those on the ground when it does." Not if. When. +----+ Velathrix +-------------------------------------------------------------+ "The assumption that three Princes form a stool is one that should be carefully considered, as I believe it is wrong. We Kindred are few in this city, and spreading our allegiances thin across three different pillars, results in three weakened armies that are outnumbered by all other denizens that wander this city. We shall fracture ourselves to the point of weakness for all the other hounds to come a calling... let us not forget that while some Accords hold, there are still other things out there..." Velathrix notes with a small shake of his head. He looks to Haliburton and gives the man a toothy smile, "I would be most curious to discuss such plans should you be willing outside of this meeting," he offers, giving a nod to the others as well. +----+ Lilith +----------------------------------------------------------------+ "Werewolves aren't your common street walker - they don't go down easy." Enrico quips, drumming his fingers on the table before sitting up and forward more. "It's far easier to sway a counsel than the entire city to a cause." He adds, nodding to Cumani and Faith. "and I'm not sure I can get behind the two legged stool, either. If we can somehow bring Raul's Praxis into the fold, then there will be top and bottom. Much more coin-like. And fitting." "Now, tell me the ideas you have for handling these problems." +----+ Haliburton +------------------------------------------------------------+ "To begin with, according to my friend," here Haliburton indicates Faith with a gesture of the hand, "the nuisance animals in question inhabit a deep part of the Undercity, concealed down there in what we'd commonly consider firmly Nosferatu territory. They're also most likely enjoying the company of what seems to be an aggressive fire-attuned spirit. Given those facts it allows a unique opportunity to borrow a page from our mortal aquaintances, who have pioneered the use of a gas known as H2S, or Hydrogen Sulfide. It's a heavier-than-air gas that sinks and displaces oxygen, going to the lowest point and there settling where it will asphyxiate anything that needs to breathe. It is my understanding that werewolves crave oxygen, while for beings like us it is optional." Here Hal pauses, holding up a finger. "This is where the first difficulty presents itself. Sourcing that much H2S would be expensive and time consuming. I know it can be obtained from chemical plants and refineries, but we'd need contacts far away to obtain that. The next difficulty is not causing friendly casualties. For that we'd need to share the plan with Accorded allies so as not to cause undesireable bad blood between us and those who are not yet enemies. The major risk I mentioned before is that H2S is a flammable gas. There is a chance that this could cause a catastrophic problem should these werewolves and their pet fire-spirit make Very Bad Decisions. I have one possible response to this, however. Those of you who have been here since the 90's at least might remember we had a flood when a disused maintenance tunnel let the river flow directly into our Undercity..." +----+ Faith +-----------------------------------------------------------------+ Faith shifts slightly, glancing back at Enrico with a nod. "There's a Gangrel angling to become Raul's Scourge that's starting to put together some sort of ... hunting party, to go and claim some Pure and Tillo's coins besides, I've been working with on this. It's a start at bringing the two together on some level." She says quietly, then lapsing into the quiet as Hal starts to explain his plan, giving a single nod when she's mentioned. +----+ Cumani +----------------------------------------------------------------+ "I will shortly be assisting my brother in looking into something which will help with the thing that... escaped the basement, so to speak," Cumani says. How she is helping, well, she looks over at Haliburton a long moment, and does not say, before looking back to Enrico, nodding at his use of the coin metaphor before continuing. "I've additionally hired a mortal who is in the know and has military experience and training and a /very/ bad history with werewolves that he has survived to assist me. We have to meet again about things, but that is in the future, and am looking to bring a ghoul to heel as well which can also be used against these... fire loving creatures without the complications that we ourselves face." She lifts her glass for another sip. "Additionally, my brother is looking into acquiring some tanks of liquid nitrogen that could possibly be used with regards to the fire spirit, though I believe he will need to find a new source for that, after some recent issues he's had with one of the employees of the man he was going to use to source it. That said, I believe there is a cryonics company around, so it can possibly be sourced there." She gives Faith a curious glance aside before looking back to Enrico, then. +----+ Velathrix +-------------------------------------------------------------+ Velathrix gives the briefest of smiles as Haliburton outlines his plan after Enrico asks for it as well. There's a pause in his listening as he realizes the scope of such a plan. "Ah, to smoke them out, or to poison them in their own den, an option, for certain, though it does provide its own challenges as you say, not the least of which being that one cannot simply witness the look in their eyes as they realize that for all their spirit fueled strength, they cannot measure up, failing, and falling as each extremity is removed, one after the other..." he chuckles softly, dry and short before he sips from his glass once again. "The plans are varied, perhaps a team should be put together if we wish to pursue such things, for they fall under the Hunt of an outside Praxis..." Vel begins but then realizes something. "Lord Velathrix Mern Henalmite, Hunter of the First, Purge of the Unclean, and one quite interested in seeing this current predicament to its conclusion," he introduces himself for the others, and the Prince as well. +----+ Lilith +----------------------------------------------------------------+ "The Pure don't get the protection of the Accord. They fend for themselves now that Tillo isn't covering for them." Enrico muses, then shakes his head. 'I'm not sure I can condone a plan that needs a spark to set the Undercity on fire again. There are those that think the fire demon has come out of the tear in reality because of the fires after the Black Ooze was destroyed. And an explosion would likely weaken the portion of the city build atop the ruins of what was burned in eighteen-seventy-one. Last thing we need to risk is a partial collapse of the city, or plague from all the rotting rats and vermin that would also die. There's an entire warren of homeless that call it home as well." Not that he -cares- about the cattle so much, but the kine care about kine and that'd be an awful lot of attention. "Agreed. Form a council with goals." "We want to take over the topside entirely, pulling Raul's Praxis into ours. We want to turn Raul against Tillo. Destroy the Pure to collect his coin, and maybe find a solution to the problem in the basement. If we can pull all of that off? Bingo. The city is our oyster." +----+ Haliburton +------------------------------------------------------------+ Clearly Hal has no emotional investment in his suggestion, because he nods along and spreads his hands to admit, "I fully acknowledge the drawbacks and risks. It might bear consideration as a backup plan, should the wolves in question have any unexpected advantage we don't yet know about. What hasn't changed is that their geographic position is very poor, and they are vulnerable where they sit." +----+ Faith +-----------------------------------------------------------------+ Faith nods along with the various threads of thought, leaning back in her chair and considering. "We've got to get our hands on some silver that could be used against the wolves in the basement. For the spirit itself, that one lies outside of my area of expertise," the Nosferatu admits easily enough, glancing aside at Hal for whatever reason there, before looking onwards to Velathrix and considering his introduction. She's not one to let a fellow Invictus' introduction be left alone, and so she supplies, "A pleasure, Lord Henalmite. I am Madam Faith Wilson, Haunt of the First, and Au Pair." +----+ Cumani +----------------------------------------------------------------+ Giving a dip of her head in response to Velathrix' introduction, Cumani offers a soft-spoken, "Pleased to meet you, Lord Velathrix," in turn. She nods thoughtfully, appreciative of Enrico's points about the kine below when they are brought about, expression thoughtful. "I mean, the silver isn't a problem is it? Every pawn shop and jewelry store in the city should have silver in abundance, but that is a good idea about utilizing it, Madam Wilson," Cumani says, with a look at Faith. "I can help fund acquiring as much of it as you like if you wish." She shrugs indifferently to the idea. "The liquid nitrogen I am at least hoping might be of use against a Fire spirit, given it freezes things. But again, that is why I am going to help my brother prod as to whether or not it has other exploitable weaknesses." +----+ Velathrix +-------------------------------------------------------------+ "A council with a goal then. Rid the Pure from the lowers, prop up the Undercity and its head, with the encouragement that it shall form the traditional coinage of top and bottom. Let the last holdout topside be drawn within the fold, or removed from running so that the topside is united under one rule," Velathrix summarizes, while nodding to those whom responded to his introduction, a small fanged smile, "Madam Wilson," he replies. "When dealing with the unclean and those whom their suffer, a bane of a sort is often useful. The Second has often kept records of such things, or so my Grandsire has lead me to believe..." he offers, looking to Haliburton for confirmation. "Silver for the Pure is wonderful, dipping our blades and claws was a ritual we'd often undertake towards the end of the war..." he admits.