Sessions

**See Sessions - Brief for more more snappy stuff. This is a more in-depth telling best used with the "Find" function to find specific info. Each session has their own page as well, which is mostly the same info formatted differently (and with occasional Galleries).**

**Note:** Lis wasn't here until Session 6, and nothing matters before Gatlin, so that's where we're starting. [In all seriousness, I'm going off my own notes, so I don't have stuff for Sessions 1-5.]

## Session 6: September ?, 2022

* **Session Date**: January 22, 2023
* **Locations**: Necropolis (Nosferatu territory)
* **PCs**: Gatlin, Genevieve, Piper, Torsten
* **NPCs**: The Archivist, Some Strix
* **Key Notes**:
	+ Gatlin Introduced.
	+ Archivist introduced...?
	+ This session lasted 4-5 days, given Gatlin was possessed for four days.
	+ The Archivist is aware of the Strix in the archives and leaves it there because the knowledge they gain from the creature makes it worth a few lost Kindred.

Gatlin heads down some old bunker tunnels and through a crack in the wall, entering the Necropolis. Asking around, he's brought to the Archivist, whom he convinces to let him look at stuff, so long as he doesn't take anything out (which he assumes she means physically, thus still takes photos). At some point, he gets lost.

**Gatlin**: *"HELLOOOOOO? ANYONE HEEEEERE? ...I'm lost."*
**Creature**: *\*In the darkness, two yellow eyes appear. It rapidly approaches.\**
**Gatlin**: *"Oh, hello. Thank you for coming to my aid."*

Torsten and Genevieve head out the following night to try to find the missing Daeva. Piper hands Torsten a small, green, folded paper, about the size of a fortune cookie.

**Piper**: *"Hand this to the person who needs help, and tell them to open it when they need it. Don't open it. Only the one it's meant for should open it."*

Torsten and Genevieve visit the Archivist and find Gatlin possessed, his eyes glowing yellow. The Strix took an interest in him because his soul was strangely pure. Genevieve takes out her phone and shines it right under his eyes, making 'Gatlin' screech like a distorted owl with multiple voices. She then Dominates it and they eventually get him free, after asking some questions.

Gatlin comes to his senses, not feeling like four days had passed, and finding an Ordo research paper about fire, which he takes photos of to show to Nina later.

Alone, Torsten talks to the Archivist and she shows him some papers on Lady Nobody.

## Session 7: September ?, 2022

* **Session Date**: February 5, 2022
* **Locations**: Safehouse, Tiergarten, Johann's Penthouse
* **PCs**: Gatlin, Genevieve, Piper, Roxana, Torsten
* **NPCs**: Bismarck, Some Gargoyle
* **Key Notes**:
	+ Piper's real name is revealed on her fake ID: Arioch Gomorrah, born in 1979.
	+ The infamous H.D./I.D. lighter is found.
	+ They learn that a flower shop in Carthian territory is a lead.
	+ Roxana is taken by a Gargoyle and dumped in a dumpster, with a note saying [Don't investigate.]

Torsten and Piper hear that vampire hunters are planning a second attack on Johann, whom Piper is already keeping tabs on. Johann asks him to meet him in his penthouse, but Torsten goes missing.

Piper goes to Gatlin's casino for help, using her real ID to get in, causing a security guard to call Gatlin over. He does damage control, saying it's a fake ID but she *is* of age, and takes her to his office. She tells him she needs help distracting people so she can find Torsten, and Gatlin brings in Roxana as another helper. Piper offers them compensation, with half up front.

**Gatlin**: *"Do you want a new father?"*
**Piper**: *"I don't know. My dad's kinda cool. I used to have a bunch of moms where I was living, but ahhh, I don't know."*

They visit Johann's penthouse, and are greeted by a 7' tall woman named Bismarck and Genevieve, who had already agreed to help. They learn that a flower shop deep in Carthian territory could be a good lead, due to a coupon Genevieve had. Investigating the penthouse, Piper finds a lighter with the initials H.D. and Torsten's phone. When the lighter is lit up, the initials change to I.D.
Checking the cameras, Piper sees a fast blur on the security camera: a gargoyle. Shortly after, the creature returns, grabbing Roxana and shoving her into a dumpster, hard enough to make her fall unconscious. In her hand is a note.

**Note**: *[Don't investigate.]*
**Piper**: *"Fuck you."*

## Session 8: September ?, 2022

* **Session Date**: February 19, 2022
* **Locations**: Flower Shop
* **PCs**: Gatlin, Piper, Roxana, Torsten
* **NPCs**: Henrietta Schnabel, Viktor Schnabel, Markus Spiegel
* **Key Notes**:
	+ Henrietta and Vikor Schnable (grandmother and grandson) introduced. They are vampire hunters who only want to rid the world of vampires that hurt humans.
	+ Torsten is rescued.
	+ Gatlin makes it out with them still thinking he's human.

Gatlin waltzes into the flower shop and tries to go to the back room, but is stopped by a man named Viktor Schnable. Meanwhile, Piper sneaks through the backdoor.

In a downstairs prison, Johann removes a stake from Torsten, waking him up. After a mouse transformation and guard kill that gives him no keys, the two decide to attack the cell door at once, which is melted as an electrical current surges through it. They flee in the direction the now-killed guard was heading, and run into Markus, ready for revenge. They duke it out.

Upstairs, Gatlin makes a deal with Henrietta to buy flowers from them for his casino, and Roxana enters. Henrietta hands Roxana a black orchid that looks like a bat, with a knowing look and a smirk. Gatlin asks what flower he is and gets vanilla: "Gets along with everyone."

Piper's investigating the basement, finding some alchemical symbols of elements: silver, iron, sulfur: werewolves, fae, vampires. Exiting the basement, she goes up the stairs to a normal small apartment, with lots of books on myths and folklore, with accurate information.

Piper meets back up with the others, and Gatlin mentions to the Schnables they have runes in the basement. They lead the three to a hidden door in the wall, while Henrietta explains that they do work together with deplorable people, and not by force.

**Henrietta**: *"No, but if you rub together with people they don't like, you do it."*
**Viktor**: *\*From his face, Viktor doesn't like who his grandma is talking about.\**

— I don't fully understand what this means, but it might be important, so QUOTED.
They enter the fight, and, figuring he's still supposed to distract, Gatlin dances and squirts his squirt gun into the air. His "distraction" works, and he's punched by Markus and catches him on fire, while Johann and Roxana fall into Torpor. Viktor successfully puts Gatlin out before he suffers major damage, though Roxana ends up scarred.

Eventually, Markus is taken out, and once Torsten sees Piper, he hugs her, and tells her she means the world to him.

## Session 9: September ?, 2022

* **Session Date**: March 5, 2023
* **Locations**: Safehouse, Car Ride, Count Arno's Place
* **PCs**: Genevieve, Piper, Roxana, Torsten, Gatlin [but nothing of note; he just goes to a bar]
* **NPCs**: Count Arno
* **Key Notes**:
	+ This was a short, disjointed session. Not much happened.

Piper gets a PC game in the mail and plays it in a sandbox computer.

Roxana goes to Torsten for her payment, and they fight in the car. In the end, she refuses the money. Later, Torsten talks to the Count and Arno says if Torsten tries to mess with Roxana, he's dead. Torsten gives the same back: if she messes with the person *he* cares about, she's dead.

Guinevere drinks some really powerful blood [Critical Success] and gains a dot in Blood Potency.

## Session 10: September 5-6, 2022

* **Session Date**: March 19, 2023
* **Locations**: Lady Nobody's Tomb, Various
* **PCs**: Piper, Torsten, Gatlin
* **NPCs**: Elise, Count Arno, Lady Nobody
* **Key Notes**: Lis intentionally joined this session 40 minutes late, so the first 40 minutes aren't covered.
	+ Torsten and Piper find Lady Nobody.
	+ Piper first meets the Shadow Creature, and loses both her arms to it.

Torsten and Piper find Lady Nobody's tomb. Elise and the Count tag along. At some point, Piper sees tall people and walks into a large room, introducing herself to a creature she sees. Torsten tries to find her in the darkness, and Piper can hear him calling from 50+ meters away. She asks the creature if it's cold or hurt. It slowly approaches. She hands a snack bar out to them and it vanishes from her hand.

**Piper**: *"Cool. That's awesome."*

— Piper, on the super scary shadow person that will later kill Gatlin's Sire
The creature touches her wrist. She says it tickles, and tries to offer Vitae to the creature, but when she tries to bite her thumb, there's nothing: only a stump. The other is the same. The creature seems pleased.

The darkness slithers off and Torsten and Piper can see each other again. When Piper looks at her hands, they have a shadowy tone. She thinks it's cool.

Torsten gives Lady Nobody some of his Vitae and she regains some of her youth. As she leaves, she asks Torsten where she can find him.

Gatlin searches up "Arioch Gomorrah" for a photo for an ID, but doesn't find her, instead just finding the meaning of the words: "A gathering of power" and 'Rebellious."
He procures a derringer illegally with the cash Piper paid him previously, as well as finds a place to make a fake ID. He texts Piper, asking for a photo, and she gives him one of her with fresh wounds covered in bandages, with dirt and soot hastily cleaned away. Some of her hair is burned and she has a hand on each shoulder, to keep her staying still. Gatlin says he can hopefully see her soon to give her his "special surprise," but she says it won't be soon, because she's grounded for going outside.

**Gatlin [Text]**: *Do you want a new dad?*
**Piper [Text]**: *Sure. Usually I have a few moms laying about. Sometimes they kiss.*
**Gatlin [Text]**: *Good for you. :) ♥ [He's so confused.] I'd be in it for you, not them. ♥*

## Session 11: September 7, 2022

* **Session Date**: June 25, 2023
* **Locations**: Casa del Sino
* **PCs**: Gatlin, Genevieve, Torsten
* **NPCs**: Lady Nobody, Anna Marie Katsen is mentioned though I have no idea who she is
* **Key Notes**:
	+ Lis purposefully joins an hour late, so the first hour isn't covered.
	+ In order to get into Invictus Archives, Torsten and Piper need to find a Carthian named Krauser. He was last seen at Gatlin's casino about a week ago.
	+ They learn that Lady Nobody can read minds.
	+ Gatlin learns Kurt is potentially involved, and panics.

Torsten wants access to the church's archives, but they want them to find their friend, Krauser, first, who went missing, with his last place being seen being Gatin's casino. Torsten and Genevieve arrive on scene and ask for Gatlin's help, with Gat and Gen checking archives, while Torsten makes rounds. They learn that Krauser was here a week ago and won quite a bit.

Torsten stumbles upon Lady Nobody gambling with a vampire with the same bloodline as Gatlin, and Gatlin walks up to her, intent on hitting on her, but is distracted by her lack of Blush of Life and casual mentions of 'dead muscles.' He instead jokingly ships Torsten and Nobody, to tease them.

**Gatlin**: *"How and why do you know about 'dis?"*
**Lady Nobody**: *[Paraphased] "I read Torsten's mind."*
**Gatlin**: *"'Den I have another question: does he liiiike you~?"*

Torsten and Gatlin check the bathroom and notice a broken sink and a badge, with a "K" on the front. When Gatlin hears it's Kurt's, he poker faces hard, and mentions that the guy's a father (*his* father; his Sire). He panics in his office, not wanting to deal with Kurt or his potential death.

## Session 12: September 8, 2022

* **Session Date**: July 9, 2023
* **Locations**: Kurt's Safehouse
* **PCs**: Gatlin, Genevieve, Piper, Roxana, Torsten
* **NPCs**: Kurt, Krauser, Roxana Clone, Gabriel, Worm Lady
* **Key Notes**:
	+ They confront Kurt and send him to prison.
	+ Roxana sees a copy of herself and kills it.
	+ A lady controlled by a worm who Kurt was working for visits them and asks if anyone wants to join her and eat vampires for the sake of power, by first eating the current body she's in. They all refuse, though Gatlin is interested. Torsten and Roxana kill the worm.
	+ Gatlin "adopts" Kurt's Ghouls (about 20 of them). They'll continue to live in Kurt's safehouse.

They arrive at a rather large house in the wealthy region of Berlin. Piper uses Obfuscate and sees the Shadow Creature again, and she gives it a cupcake. They non-verbally talk, and it asks her for her sight, which she gladly gives up, leaving a darkness where her right eye once was.

**Piper**: *"Well, if it's for a friend, sure!" \*She nuzzles her head into its hands.\**

— RIP eyeball

Torsten casts a ritual to see inside the house and sees Krauser being beaten by a human that looks like Roxana, then healed in seconds.

Meanwhile, Gatlin becomes the distraction again and walks up to the front door, trying to keep things lighthearted by jokingly saying he's here to confess his love.

**Gatlin**: *"Oh! Hello, daddy!"*
**Kurt**: *"Are you on drugs?"*

Kurt tells him he was planning on visiting him soon, wanting his "allowance" doubled.

**Kurt**: *"Some of your associates might want to know about your liking of 'red wine.'" \*Holds knife close.\**
**Gatlin**: *"Is 'dat a knife or are you just happy to see me?"*

Kurt takes Gatlin upstairs.

Genevieve tries to sneak in, but [Dramatic Fails], the door hitting her face. A guy [Gabriel] sees her, but she Dominates him and flirts. He asks her if she wants to see a secret and takes her up to see Kurt and Gatlin.

The two flirt instead of taking things seriously, causing Kurt to grab them both by the throat and toss them down the stairs. Gatlin takes out his gun and threatens to shoot, while Genevieve Dominates Kurt, only to be Charmed back. Gatlin is shot.

Roxana wakes up and, with Piper's help, finds her sword and an unconscious her on the ground. She raises her rapier and kills it.

Gatlin argues that they can't kill him because they need his money, and Kurt threatens that he doesn't need his leg. This snaps Genevieve out of her Charm and she slaps him, snapping him out of her Dominate.

He hits Genevieve and runs, but Torsten catches up and knocks him out in one hit. He's sent to prison.

A lady comes by and says she needed Kurt, and asks the others if they want to hunt their own kind in exchange for power and the inability to be controlled by Blood Bonds. Gatlin's interest is piqued, but is a little off-put when she says they'll have to eat other vampires (Amaranth).

**Worm Lady**: *"I won't manipulate you to do what I say. I'll just MAKE you."*
**Gatlin**: *"That's even worse!"*

Torsten can see there's a worm coiled around the woman's soul.

Roxana asks the Worm Lady a tete-a-tete and the lady and her fight, Torsten later joining in, while Genevieve and Gatlin talk outside. The fight continues, until it decides to hand Roxana a note and vanishes, but Torsten uses magic to find it and kill it.

Once everything is settled, the Ghouls are "adopted" by Gatlin, half against his will. He has to take them over so they don't decide to pick up Kurt's blackmailing where he left off.

## Session 13: September 9, 2022

* **Session Date**: July 23, 2023
* **Locations**: Casa del Sino, The Count's Place, Necropolis Archive
* **PCs**: Gatlin, Genevieve, Piper, Torsten
* **NPCs**: Felix, Lady Nobody, Count Arno, Archivist
* **Key Notes**:
	+ Lady Nobody has 5 Blood Potency.
	+ The Archivist and Count are married, but their relationship isn't close.
		- They learn Archivist can't leave the archives.
	+ They learn Piper is not the only Arioch Gomorrah, and she's a "nuke" some are hoping to use to let vampires be the monsters they are.
	+ Gatlin reads about a fake cure from a book and believes it, and drinks Solace to become human, thinking it's permanent.

Gatlin sees Felix and Lady Nobody together, the latter not having Blush of Life again. He's annoyed. [I couldn't take notes on this because I was roleplaying, but] for *some* reason, Lady Nobody lashes out with her Competitive Beast. Gatlin fails (3 to 10) and gains the Competitive Condition for 5 nights.

They head to the Count to get permission to go to the archives, him asking them to tell the Archivist to stop by sometime, and from there, they head to the Archives, where they first met Gatlin.

**Count Arno**: *"Tell the Archivist to come by sometime."*
**Gatlin**: *"Ohhhh? Do you liiiike her~?"*
**Count Arno**: *"Of course. She's my wife."*
**Gatlin**: *"Ohhh, you really really really like her~!"*

Gatlin acts like his normal chaotic self, threatening Torsten with a squirt gun, which Torsten doesn't approve of, but Genevieve finds amusing. They gain access to the archives, learning that the Archivist might be literally unable to leave the archives. The group splits up, looking for different information.

**Archivist**: *"I'd love to [visit your casino], but work. I'm kind of tied to the desk."*
**Gatlin**: *"Are you married to the desk?"*
**Archivist**: *"Sometimes, it feels like it."*

Gatlin searches for vampire cures and finds a tome that offers Solace mixed with human and supernatural blood as a solution. He's excited to try it.

Genevieve finds Vampirism 101.

Piper finds a small box with her given name on it, and learns she's not the first Arioch Gomorrah.: there are lots of crone members around the same age with the same name. There's stuff about a ritual to 'birth god,' but all previous attempts were failures.

There's a mention about an only survivor of a bombing found in a convenience store in Japan with no memories of mortal life. They remained in Japan for a few years, then was moved to Berlin. The goal is to let vampires be the monsters they are, not caring about the Masquerade.

After the archive visit, Gatlin looks for drugs, and Genevieve tags along to keep him safe. He drinks it and indeed feels human. He thinks he's cured, not knowing it only lasts 24 hours.

**Gatlin**: *"Oh my god, Genny! It worked!" \*He shakes her around\**
**Woman he drank blood from**: *"Do you need a doctor?"*
**Gatlin**: *"No! I'm just on drugs!"*

## Session 14: September 10, 2022

* **Session Date**: August 20, 2023
* **Locations**: Casa del Sino, Safehouse, Amusement Park, Commercial Shoot
* **PCs**: Gatlin, Genevieve, Piper, Roxana, Torsten
* **NPCs**: Lorena Fraticelli, Lukas Klassen, Yana [werewolf mega-fan]
* **Key Notes**:
	+ Lorena Fraticelli is introduced (only to Torsten)
	+ Yana is introduced (to Genevieve and Roxana)
	+ Torsten gets info to build his magic garden.
	+ Gatlin and Piper hang out at an amusement park, because Piper needs to get away from the grandmothers. Gatlin is 'human' until he throws up the drugs after they ride a rollercoaster. He's depressed and hopeless for the rest of the night.
	+ Genevieve accidentally finds a werewolf that Roxana then drinks from.

Torsten finds Lorena Fraticelli to teach him more about plants for an enchanted garden, specialized for his magic.

Gatlin is asleep as a human, when Piper calls, asking if they want to hang out, because she needs to get out. They meet a few blocks from Piper's safehouse, Gatlin driving his car.

**Gatlin**: *"What happened to your eye?"*
**Piper [phone text to speech]**: *Oh, I had another visit from the spirit things that took my arms.*
**Gatlin**: *That sounds horrifying! ...Why?*
**Piper [TTS]**: *I just got really lonely.*
**Gatlin**: *"Well, I won't ask you for anything—except... your happiness."*

They go to an amusement park on the outskirts of Berlin, but are soon approached by Lukas Klassen, a blood brother of Torsten. He asks Piper if Torsten knows she's here and she asks him not to tell anyone. He tries to follow them, but Gatlin refuses, but does allow for them to take a photograph, which Piper stays out of.

They head to a roller coaster called the Devil's Spiral, both very excited.

Genevieve is on a stroll when she falls into a beer commercial shot Roxana is a part of, but they make it work for the ad. Afterwards, the director cuts his finger on a piece of paper, and Roxana frenzies, but rides the wave. Genevieve finds some blood for Roxana, which ends up being from a huge fan but also a vampire (Yana).

Torsten gets a text from Lukas with the photo of Gatlin, as well as a stealth photo of Piper drinking soda with Gatlin deepthroating cotton candy.

**Lukas [Text]**: *I didn't know you had a friend in the Carthians who you trust enough to send him with her.*

Torsten tells him not to tell the grandmothers. Lukas says they should tell *everyone*.

After the rollercoaster, Gatlin immediately pukes into the trashcan, but with it, the solace comes out, and he can feel his vampirism return. Piper drags him into a portapotty and he panics for a bit, mentioning how he already made plans in the sun tomorrow. Once he calms down a bit, they play some carnival games, and win each other prizes: a big gorilla for Piper, and an inflatable baseball bat and a bear with a Hawai'ian shirt for Gatlin. He still feels dead inside, but he's trying to act cheery. It's not a good act.

**Gatlin**: *"Piper, am I okay...?"*
**Piper**: *"You will be okay." \*Piper hugs him. He hugs back.\* "Thank you for being here today. It means a lot to me."*

**[They talk more in a Text Roleplay, and ride the Ferris wheel together.]**

During a moment alone, Gatlin opens his fortune cookie that Piper made for him in Session 6.

**"Fortune" with a phone number on the back**: *[Sometimes the little things can provide us the greatest solace.]*

## Session Interlude: September 10, 2022

* **Session Date**: September 3
* **Locations**: Small Nightclub, Lady Nobody's Comfort Place
* **PCs**: Gatlin, Torsten
* **NPCs**: Lady Nobody, Drug Dealer
* **Key Notes**:
	+ Lis was only here for the first half, thus the super streamlined Torsten section.
	+ Gatlin buys more Solace.
	+ Torsten and Lady Nobody start dating.

Gatlin calls the number on the fortune cookie, asking for Solace, and he's finds it in a small nightclub on the outskirts of the Circle of Crone Territory. He's texted to sit down and order the usual. He does. A lady with long, brown hair with streaks of blue and heavy makeup enters.

**Dealer**: *"So, you're looking for some Solace for your night life?"*

She tries to convince him to buy the pure stuff, but he refuses. She hands him a small syringe with golden liquid, and he injects it, becoming 'human' again. He buys a second for later, then returns home and sleeps. His dreams aren't pleasant. He sees himself standing in a lake as the color leaks out of him and spreads across the lake like an oil spill.

Lady Nobody invites Torsten to her comfort place, and they talk and end up dating [but I was not here for that, as I had to leave for Pittsburgh.]

## Interlude 2: September 11, 2022

* **Session Date**: September 23, 2023
* **Locations**: Police Station, Casa del Sino, Kurt's Prison
* **PCs**: Gatlin, Piper
* **NPCs**: Ghoul Cop, Pepper, Felix, Kurt
* **Note**: I liked this session and felt it meant a lot for the characters, so I added a *lot* more details to this one.
* **Key Notes**:
	+ Gatlin gets arrested for drunk driving.
	+ Piper gives up her voice to the Shadow Creature.
		- Piper gains a new 'luck' power from the Shadow Creature, and shows Gatlin. Nina is suspicious.
	+ Gatlin worries about her losing her voice under his supervision and offers his Sire's legs to the Shadow Creature, so it won't take Piper's later.
	+ Instead of just eating his legs, the Shadow Creature consumes Kurt whole instead. Gatlin and PIper fail a Detachment Roll. [G: H5, P: H6]
	+ Gatlin calls the creature Pepper, to go with "Piper."
	+ **SHADOW CREATURE NOTES:**
		- It can only take from the undead.
		- It doesn't remember much about what happened to it ahead of time. It remembers fire and dead who walk.
		- It says Kurt "didn't have a face."
		- Kurt's shadow was left behind, and could be seen in the light, though it left when they left the cell.

After Gatlin takes his 'human' drugs, he starts driving Piper back to his office, but rear-ends a police car and has to take a few tests. He succeeds, until he's asked to pee in a cup, proving he has drugs in his system.

**Police Officer, a Ghoul, pulling Gatlin into a quiet corner**: *"I know you Kindred think you're above the law, but even Vampires can't drive under the influence. I'll have to take you with me."*

Gatlin apologizes to Piper, and she writes on a note that she wants to stay with Gatlin.

**Piper's Note**: *[Gatlin is my guardian. I'd rather stay with him.]*
**Police Officer**: *"You can go home."*
**Piper's Note [Paraphrased]**: *[I don't want to not be with him. I don't feel safe at home.]*
**Gatlin**: *"It's not Stockholm, I swear."*

They take them both into the car in the end. Gatlin's miserable. Piper's excited. Gatlin's taken away for thirty minutes and has to pay a fine, while Piper sits in the waiting room, feeling watched. When she looks around, the room is suddenly empty, and she sees the Shadow Creature. It has a single eye and arms composed of light. They sit next to her.

**Shadow Creature**: *"We are getting more powerful because of you."*
**Piper, smiling**: *"I'm just glad to be of some help."*
**Shadow Creature**: *"We need more."*
**Piper**: *"What happens when you become whole."*
**Shadow Creature**: *"We do not know, but we wish to. We have tried before, but our friends always left us."*
**Piper**: *"What will you do when it becomes done?"*
**Shadow Creature**: *\*They stay silent\**
**Piper**: *"Will you stay my friend afterwards?"*
**Shadow Creature**: *\*They nod\**
**Piper**: *"Cool! I won't stop being able to be me, will I?"*
**Shadow Creature**: *"We are... I'm sure."*

Piper holds out her shadow hand. They shake it.

**Shadow Creature**: *"If you wish to aid us, may we ask something? We are in need of a voice."*
**PIper**: *"Oh, well, that's easy. I don't use mine much, so you can have mine."*

That takes it off guard. It puts a hand on her neck and takes it. She can no longer talk, but she's fine with that. It thanks her with its new voice.

**Shadow Creature**: *"We thank you, Herald."*

When she blinks, the people are back, and Gatlin is shaking her. When he learns her voice is gone, he panics about what Torsten will do to him when he finds out.

They make it to his casino and see Felix, whom Gatlin chats up, asking if he ever got arrested. He learns that Felix used to riot, cause arson, and deal drugs.

**Gatlin, asking what drugs he dealt**: *"Okay, but not Solace, right? Do you know people that tooken it?" [Yes, 'tooken.' He's high.]*
**Felix**: *"I don't anymore. I'll be perfectly honest: The distraction this does isn't worth it."*

Gatlin learns Felix Turned a lot of his friends, but they agreed to the embrace willingly.

Meanwhile, Piper is watching Nina do roulette, and she uses a new power the Shadow Person gave her, but the power fails. Gatlin sees Piper doing weird 'air guitar'-like motions, and asks about it. Piper writes on a piece of paper.

**Piper [Note]**: *[My powers are different than usual. I think my shadow people gave me something new.]*
**Gatlin, after dragging her far away**: *"Powers? What kind of powers?"*
**Piper [Note]**: *[Usually I can make myself lucky, but this time it did something else. A bunch of cobwebs. That's usually what it does.]*

Gatlin is curious and takes her to a slot machine and asks her to try, and she ends up winning the jackpot, making him panic, but he proves it's not rigged by doing it himself and still getting a minor win.

**Gatlin**: *"No, it's not rigged, I swear! Why would I rig it again when showing you?!"*

This drags people who were starting to leave back, thinking the machine is rigged for *everyone.*

They go to his office and Gatlin asks her to call upon the Shadow Person. It appears on the window, and Gatlin can see it. He asks about its stealing of Piper's body parts, and offers up Kurt as an alternative.

**Gatlin**: *"Why are you stealing from my friend? She is very giving and you are taking advantage of her."*
**Shadow Creature**: *"The Herald has given its body to us."*
**Gatlin**: *"She is not an it! And... what's a 'Herald?'"*
**Shadow Creature**: *"It aids us."*
**Gatlin**: *"So what exactly ARE you?"*
**Shadow Creature**: *"We are us. We are..." [silence] "We will take from the Herald, yet we do not have to. We can take from other things."*
**Gatlin**: *"There is this guy in this prison, and his name is Kurt. You could take from him."*

Piper and Gatlin stop by a store to buy roller skates, then skate over to the prison Kurt's being held: an apartment building near the center of Berlin, in a quieter area. They are welcomed in, guided by Ghouls to Kurt's cell. Once in, all their supernatural powers are suppressed by magic sigils. Gatlin feels truly dead for the first time.

**Gatlin**: *"Oh, wow, Piper, I hate this. I want to go home, but since we're here, we might as well do this. Oh my god, I'm dead."*

Kurt is in handcuffs.

**Kurt**: *"What do you want, Gatty?"*
**Gatlin**: *"Oh, it's not what I want. Summon your person."*
**Piper**: *\*Calls out to the Shadow Creature\**
**Gatlin**: *"I just thought maybe you could be its friend too?"*

The Shadow Creature reaches for him. Kurt struggles, but he can't escape his handcuffs. Piper puts washi tape on his mouth to muffle his screams. His legs vanish into shadows, and it slowly works up his body. When he's no longer corporeal, he slips out of the handcuffs and tries to run, attempting to bang against the walls to make noise, but he can't. It completely envelopes him, until he's gone, aside from the light still casting his shadow.

**Gatlin**: *"Okay, Piper, I might've screwed up."*

Gatlin and Piper both lose a point of Humanity [Gatlin 5, Piper 6.]

After consuming Kurt, the Shadow Creature shrouds the room in darkness, then retracts into itself, now more solid and white. A small bell is struck every time it steps on the floor.

**Shadow Creature**: *"You have made me. I am."*
**Piper**: *"What now?"*
**Shadow Creature**: *"I will be."*
**Piper**: *"But what do you do?"*
**Shadow Creature**: *"I exist."*
**Piper**: *"What are your hobbies?"*
**Shadow Creature**: *\*It doesn't know.\**

Piper hugs it, saying she can help them. She asks if it needs a name, and Gatlin offers "Pepper." Meanwhile, Kurt's shadow is still there, walking around, panicked.

**Gatlin**: *"So first of all, where did my abuser go?"*
**Pepper**: *"It isn't."*
**Gatlin**: *"Okay, so he's just dead."*
**Pepper**: *"No."*
**Gatlin**: *"He's non-existing, and he gets no superpowers like Piper did."*
**Pepper**: *"It has become one of them."*

Gatlin's scared of walking out the door, but in the end, the guards don't care if Kurt got spirited away.

**Piper**: *"Kurt's gone now. He was fed to Pepper here."*
**Guard, confused and concerned**: *"Kurt was a shitbag. He got what was coming to him."*
**Gatlin**: *"Note to self: Do not get on these people's bad sides.*

Gatlin points inside, and mentions there's a shadow in there, only to notice it was gone now.

They rollerblade home, Piper taking Pepper with her.

## Session 15: September 11, 2022

* **Session Date**: October 1, 2023
* **Locations**: Casa del Sino
* **PCs**: Gatlin, Piper, Torsten, Roxana
* **NPCs**: Felix, Krauser, Lady Nobody
* **Key Notes**:
	+ A third of all vampires in the city are Gangrel.
	+ Felix asks Gatlin to host some homeless vampires (mostly Gangrel and Nosferatu) in his casino for a few hours, while they sort them to send them elsewhere, to try to prevent homeless vampires from being so easily kidnapped. Gatlin doesn't want to, but agrees, with some grumbling.
	+ Torsten, Roxana, and Gatlin all come to the sorting, talking to various people.
	+ Roxana causes a scene downstairs in order to get the paparazzi on her as a kidnapping safety net for herself (keep eyes on her).
	+ Piper, meanwhile, looks into Felix and Johann, noticing that Johann has Status in both Invictus and the Carthians.
	+ Torsten gains a dot of Blood Potency (2 total).

Gatlin gets a call from Felix, asking to use his casino for an impromptu event in two hours, to host a bunch of vampires—mostly Nosferatu and Gangrel. He begrudgingly accepts, offering two large conference rooms on his top floor. He'll have to move the Administrative staff out for a few hours so they don't see.

Roxana gets a call from Krauser about the Ordo working with the Carthians on something. She's invited to the same event, and after hearing about the kidnappings, she intentionally causes a scene, spreading rumors about herself to use the paparazzi as 'protection.' Can't be captured if people are watching.

Now in the conference room with the bunch of homeless vampires, Krauser approaches Gatlin, asking him to help find leads on these kidnappings, knowing he's closer to humans, thus might be able to find something. He offers compensation.

**Gatlin**: *"Oh yes, because I am so hurting for money."*
**Krauser**: *"You would be doing the Kindred a great favor."*
**Gatlin**: *"Haha, I love Kindred."*
**Krauser**: *"I know you're resentful of your vampire status."*
**Gatlin**: *"If I WAS one."*
**Krauser**: *"Some people are just people."*

As Gatlin is begrudgingly walking downstairs to find the others he's supposed to work with, he's surprised by Roxana making a huge drunk scene on the first floor of his casino. He asks her what the hell she's doing, worried she was going to out herself, but once they're in an elevator alone, she drops the act and tells him to relax and she knows what she's doing.

Piper looks into Felix, finding he spent jailtime on the same crimes he told Gatlin about earlier (drug dealing, larceny, arson). He's been running the bar for the last 50 years.

She looks into Johann next.

* 2 Status in Invictus.
* 2 Status in Carthians.
* Go-getter. Recently embraced (decade ago).
Torsten drinks some blood and gains a point in Blood Potency.

## Session 16: September 12, 2022

* **Session Date**: October 15, 2023
* **Locations**: Johann's Office(?), Flower Shop, Streets of Berlin, Women's Shelter, Torsten's Pack
* **PCs**: Gatlin, Piper, Roxana, Torsten
* **NPCs**: Johann, Henrietta Schnable, "Ogre" (Changeling), Beyhan (embraced half a year ago)
* **Key Notes**:
	+ Invictus is one of the smaller Covenants in Berlin. It doesn't plan on helping with the kidnappings.
	+ Johann is actually a member of the Lancea, planted into the Invictus. His real name is Harald Döhl.
	+ The Lancea want to keep Invictus from doing anything against the kidnappings.
	+ The Null Misteriis is a vampire 'hunting' faction that's more interested in research than killing.
	+ The H.D. lighter has some sort of soul or spirit inside of it.
* **Overview**:
	+ Torsten talks to Johann, while Piper hacks. Learns Johann's real name and that he's been planted into the Invictus by the Lancea.
	+ Gatlin and Roxana revisit the Schnables to learn more about vampire hunters. There are multiples: The Union, the Lawless Thule, and the Null Miseriis. They go on a patrol with her and meet a changeling ("Ogre") and a vampire they're protecting/working with (Beyhan). They meet Torsten's pack too.
	+ That evening, they learn Beyhan has been kidnapped, and run into Piper and Torsten. They search the area and learn that she's been taken to a Bayer lab.

Torsten visits Johann, talking to him while Piper hacks into his systems. Johann claims the disappearances aren't all bad, because it lets him hire/promote new people, including himself. He's the manager of a small department now.

Piper learns his real name is Harald Döhl. Hacking another folder, there's info on the Lancea et Sancta about the Wrath of God: end times for vampires. It's telling Johann to look into it. Johann is actually a member of the Lancea, planted into the Invictus. A final folder shows instructions for Johann, telling him to keep an eye on the disappearances and make sure the Invictus doesn't do anything against them.

Roxana and Gatlin visit the Schnable's flower shop, asking about other hunters. She gets out a diary of a hunter from the dark ages, explaining that they try to get on even footing by any means necessary: magical artifacts, advanced knowledge, tapping into the spirit world. When asked about the kidnappings, they say they're partially responsible, but not exclusively. The disappearances are removing targets AND informants. She fears it might be a more zealous group.

* Their group is the Union, which is almost worldwide. Blue collar and decentralized. People trying to do the right thing.
* In Berlin, there's the Lawless Thule and the Null Misteriis.
	+ Null Miseriis: Rare. Wish to study the supernatural more than hunt it.

She takes them on a patrol shift with her, and they meet a Changeling guarding a small woman's shelter. They meet the vampire inside, Beyhan, working on talismans for the organization. So long as she's she's working on something, she can pull an all-nighter (or 'all-dayer'). The talismans are slightly curved and could be used as a makeshift stake, and they can each sense different supernatural beings. Gatlin takes one of everything.

They visit Torsten's pack next, which sometimes works with vampire hunters and meet three werewolves, but don't really talk.

Once they make it back to the shop, she gives them a coupon; if they show it to her grandson, they'll get in contact with the organization at large. Gatlin takes it.

A few hours later, they visit again, only to hear Beyhan has been kidnapped. They rush to the shelter, and converge with Torsten and Piper.

Torsten does some Spirit Channeling, while the others look around. They learn that footsteps started from outside out of nowhere, go towards the window, then inside, from the other side of the window. Using his Talisman from Beyhan, Gatlin feels that the unfinished tailisman and lighter have a ghostly presence. He drops the lighter, spooked, and Piper ends up taking it.

Henrietta believes someone using magic used the Twilight as an entry and escape route, which is why everything is undisturbed.

On the camera feed, Piper sees a blurry shape go in, grab Beyhan, then almost steps on the talisman and gets sucked in. Afterwards, the room slowly smooths things out to make no evidence left behind.

From questions:

* Multiple creatures
* Lighter: [Locks and bars]
* Is Lancea behind this: [Blind priest being handed money]
* Who controlled the spirit: [Human]
* What did they want with her: [Blood in a syringe]
* Where is she: [Twilight and an image of an eggshell in a glass case]
* How do you get there in the Twilight: [Unfinished Talisman]
* How to get there in the Physical World: [Bayer Pharmaceuticals]
* Piper Dementation: Is there something inside the lighter: [Yes, but not physically. More like their soul or spirit.]

## Session 17: September 13, 2022

* **Session Date**: October 29, 2023
* **Locations**: Bayer Facility
* **PCs**: Gatlin, Piper, Torsten
* **NPCs**: Henrietta, Viktor, Beyhan, the *real* Harald Döhl, Bruno (researcher's dog)
* **Key Notes**:
	+ I forgot to save my notes for this session, so my only 'notes' are my retelling a few days after the fact.
	+ They break into Bayer from the second floor and Torsten kills a bunch of creatures, while Piper finds three kidnapping victims: Harald, Beyhan, [and another I don't remember].

The group breaks into Bayer from the second floor, Torsten entering first, and fighting off some zombie-like infected corpses, and later, a lead researcher (vampire) with a dog. Piper drags Gatlin in, but due to him still being on 'human' drugs, he was pretty useless, being unable to see once Pepper cut the lights.

Piper finds three prisoners, one of which was the real Harald Döhl. Beyhan is also there, along with another woman [which I regrettably don't remember anything about].

Gatlin asks some questions [post-game] to the researchers they found cowering in one room, and learn that Bayer was trying to turn Vitae into a wonder drug, turning people into Ghouls to cure them, while also making them dependent on the company. The Chimera Virus was going to be used for military purposes, creating shapeshifting super soldiers. The scientists have no grudges with vampires and either wanted money or genuinely thought this could help people.

## Interlude 3: September 13, 2022

* **Date**: November 12, 2023
* **PCs**: Gatlin, Torsten
* **Key Notes**: Not a real session since only Lis and Phex showed up, but we did some non-roleplay research with our characters.
	+ Torsten learns the facility they attacked isn't very high up. There's another near Crone territory.
	+ There's a sub-section of hunters that are white supremacists/Nazis who use blood of vampires as enhancements.
	+ They're researching a virus called VLAD that makes vampires not be able to do vampire stuff, and it's transmissible. They want to both find a cure to sell and also to weaponize a non-transmissible version to shut specific vampires down (the latter being more for the Tula Society and Brotherhood of Blood).
	+ Gatlin asks the researchers about Solace. They are working on manufacturing it and want to distribute it among vampires that want an out.
	+ VLAD - Disease that shuts down Disciplines and other vampire stuff
	+ Chimera Virus - Shapeshifting virus that replaces a vampire's cells
	+ Noctuku Strain - Nosferau-exclusive cannibalistic disease
	+ Blood Mold - Last of us zombie mushroom
	+ Solace - Drug that turns vampires "human" for a time
* **Politics Overview:**
	+ **Ordo Dracul**: In charge. Whole city is their territory. Margrave is Ordo.
	+ **Crone**: Outskirts of Berlin and Night Clubs. Use them as a cover for their ceremonies.
	+ **Carthians**: A lot were members of political parties in East Germany. Lots of Communitsts/Socialists.
	+ **Invictus**: One of the smallest covenants, looking to get more influence. One of the suspects behind some of the disappearances.
	+ **Lancea**: Not much different form most other places. Religious. Slightly more power than in most Ordo cities since the Margrave is traditionalist, thus religious.
	+ **Watchful Eyes**: Margrave's Secret Police that looks into the disappearances.
	+ Most vampire here are Gangel or Nosferatu and don't have much political power. Nosferatu allied with Mekhet to get more votes in the Council.
	+ The Margrave himself is a Daeva, but he judges Daevas more harshly to avoid accusations of favoritism.
	+ Ventrue are pretty rare. Most that exist support the Margrave and initiatives to feed hunters info to have hunters deal with their problems.

## Session 18: September 14, 2022

* **Session Date**: November 26, 2023
* **Locations**: Safehouse, Fraticelli's
* **PCs**: Astrid, Gatlin, Lucy, Torsten, minorly Piper
* **NPCs**: Count Arno, Elise, Italian Chef(s)
* **Key Notes**:
	+ Lucy Hargreaves introduced.
	+ Astrid Westergard introduced.
	+ We had seven Dramatic Failures this session: 3 from Astrid, and 4 from Gatlin.
		- Five were in close succession (Molotov igniting, Gatlin failing to dodge, Astrid losing her weapon, Gatlin rolling into the Kitchen, Gatlin failing to run away).
	+ The group visits the Executive Branch of the kidnappers, which happens to be Fraticelli's, an Italian restaurant.
	+ Astrid and Elise make it first, and Astrid decides to argue with the chef.
	+ Lucy Astral Projects to scout the place, but gets trapped. Torsten tells Gatlin to cause a distraction, so they can sneak by, which they do, aside from Astrid, who fails and finds one of her Molotov cocktails lit up from an open fire.
	+ Astrid throws the cocktail at the diners (and Gatlin). Gatlin accidentally catches it and it explodes. Astrid frenzies and starts attacking the chef, while Gatlin tries to escape, but instead rolls into the kitchen with Astrid, and his escape is blocked off.
	+ Meanwhlie, Torsten and the Count make it downwards and reunite Lucy with her body.

Torsten talks to his Sire, then looks for more help to take care of more kidnapping stuff. Yurei gives him a number, which ends up being Astrid's.

Astrid wakes up low on Vitae and needs blood fast. Finds a dying dog and drinks it to death, only to later realize it was a werewolf.

Gatlin wakes up with a huge beard and he panics, texting Piper a picture with the caption of "What." He also sees a text from Torsten asking him to meet at a safehouse, so he decides to *not* shave his beard, so it could be used as a much-needed disguise instead.

They all meet up at the safehouse, Lucy entering with the Count. Torsten introduces himself to her, and when Gatlin overhears that Lucy is well-versed in the occult, he immediately asks her why he has a beard. She informs him she's more well-versed in any supernatural beings *but* vampires, but says it might be a Bloodline thing, and she'll look into it. She asks for his number, and he says fine, but never text him after that, claiming he's just a homeless person—only for the Count to step in and use his last name, reminding them they've used his casino for a while now. Gatlin claims he just pretends to work there, but nobody's buying it, due to his distinct accent and demeanor.

Meanwhile, Torsten moves over to Astrid, smelling werewolf blood on her. He questions why she drank a werewolf to death, and she says she had no idea. They butt heads, but when Astrid hears their destination, she speeds off ahead of everyone else, with Elise.

Astrid and Elise arrive at the Executive Branch, which happens to be an Italian restaurant: Fraticelli's. They enter and Astrid starts arguing with the chef, and once Gatlin arrives, he excitedly pops into their argument, asking, in Italian, if their restaurant was a genuine Italian experience or a fake. The chef responds back in perfect Italian, saying they were from Italy. Gatlin is immediately on their side and tells Astrid to stop arguing.

Meanwhile, Torsten is Divining, while Lucy Astral Projects, seeing Elise already downstairs, trying to get past laser sensors. Regrettably, Lucy's projected body gets trapped.

Astrid is about to beat up the chef, and Torsten asks Gatlin to distract everyone so they can sneak away, which he does *happily* for once, jumping onto a table and starting to sing the Italian national anthem. Everyone but Astrid is able to sneak downstairs, while one of her Molotov cocktails brushes against some fire in the kitchen.

Throwing caution to the wind, she tosses the Molotov into the crowd, which Gatlin regrettably catches instead of dodging, it blowing up in his hand.

**Astrid**: *"GATLIN, DUCK!" \*Throwing Molotov, after a Dramatic Fail\**
**Gatlin**: *"I'M NOT GATLIIIN!" \*While Dramatic Failing on a Dodge roll\**

— Words exchanged before disaster

Astrid Fear Frenzies, then goes into an Anger Frenzy, targeting the chef.

The Count and Torsten make it downstairs, with Lucy's body, which she returns to. Torsten turns into a bird and flies through the lasers, and Piper hacks the door unlocked (but the lasers are still there).

After screaming some, Gatlin tries to stealthily roll away, but Dramatic Fails into the kitchen instead.

**Chef**: *"Another one of them."*
**Gatlin**: *"What? No. I am just another Italian!" \*Tries to roll away\**
**Chef**: *"You are a traitor."*
**Gatlin**: *"I am not." \*Starts singing the Italian national anthem again\**
**Chef**: *"You better stop singing that right now."*
**Gatlin**: *\*Sings the German anthem instead.\**
**Chef**: *"Not that one either."*
**Gat**: *"That's the only two I know!"*

Gatlin tries to roll away again, but Dramatic Fails, and the chef knocks him in the head. He's thrown back, exit blocked.