Part 52: LII - Auf Der Flucht

So, now we're out to play messenger, negotiating an alliance between two basically warring factions. Yeah, that can't possibly go wrong.



On the way, I go and pick up some money, and notice that the turnstile is still gone despite the downgrade. Really not sure just how exactly the maps work in this game/Source in general. Then again, the turnstile is almost quantum-like in that with every new patch, its status is only determined once you check. And ignore the dead blood doll there. That was TOTALLY a mistake. Yeah. So now, back to the Last Round...



...at least until we run into Beckett on the way!

You don't look yourself.
Don't open it. Whatever you do, do not open the Ankaran Sarcophagus.
But you said there was nothing to worry about.
Well, eh, despite what I said... if that sarcophagus is opened, there will be disaster. In what form, I cannot be sure - but after studying the evidence, I'm convinced now that it is better left undisturbed. And anyone who'd pursue any other course is deserving of the consequences.
Why did you change your mind?
There's an intangible sensation I haven't been able to put my finger on since I came to town. I still don't know where it seeps from, but if the sarcophagus is a possibility, to eliminate that chance, it should remain closed.
What happened, Mr. Skeptic? I thought you didn't believe in that ancients crap.
I never said the danger came from an Antediluvian, did I? It's merely a possibility, a fraction of a percentage chance. My instincts tell me something is wrong here, and that sarcophagus seems to be the nexus. I'm distancing myself from it - you do as you see fit.
Thanks for the warning, Beckett.
I thought you deserved a chance. There's a good possibility we may not meet again. Goodbye, young one.
Goodbye, Beckett.



And there he goes. A few seconds later, we hear a wolf howl. Anyway, the Last Round.



Jack's gone, which is kind of a shame, since I wanted to talk to him. Oh well.



As pleasant as ever, Damsel.

I need to talk to Nines. The prince wants an alliance with the anarchs.
LaCroix... an alliance with us? Ha! Has he- The Ca- You're fucking with me, right? Do I look like a goddamn source of amusement to you?
The bloodhunt with Nines is off. Xiao killed Grout - she's a shapeshifter.
WE TOLD HIM NINES DIDN'T DO IT! That son of a... And that Kuei-jin bitch! If I ever get my hands on her, I'll tie her eyelashes to her ass hairs and bowl her ass into a car compactor! Demon... whore!
Now you see why I need to talk to Nines. Where is he?
Okay... alright... I'm fine! Nines... yeah... I can't believe it's come to this, but, ugh, I hate those goddamn devils even more than I hate that fascist dandy prince! Goddamn Xiao! If Nines hadn't told me to watch this place, I'd be over there right now making skank sushi.
I get it. Where's Nines, I need to see him tonight.
Nines is... oh I still don't know if I should be telling anyone but... Nines is hiding out in Griffith Park. If Nines agrees to the alliance, guess that means that me and the Cam'll be on the same side. Think I'll go eat something so I can vomit!
Griffith Park. Thanks, Damsel.

Right, so we've got a location, but we're not going there right away - we still have to drop in with our very best friend, Mercurio, for he has another toy for us to play with.



Note - if you ever get into a position where you have to changelevel and can't give the game a specific location to warp to (the command technically works as follows: "changelevel map landmark", where the landmark are specific spots on the map where you can land at), noclip before you changelevel. If you don't, you start falling in the void, and it gets a lot more annoying to find the actual part of the map.



I'd like one of those. Let me see it.


phosphorous munitions in populated areas is prohibited. This sawed off shotgun fires them nevertheless.

This little number is pretty nice. It fires pellets that don't do a lot of damage initially, but do a lot of damage over time. I still prefer guns that kill people right away, though. I also stock up on ammo again and blow about a thousand bucks.



I also drop by the Asylum to get a bit more blood, and find a gold ring on the second floor in front of the door to the Voermans' room. Vendor trash, yay!



Alright, now, let's do this. Off to Griffith Park!



We end up at some house with a parking lot...



...and that leads to a tram.



Nothing else to do but ride it up, then. During the ride, we get locked into position - I guess being able to walk about ended up being buggy, since the tram is stuttering like hell.



Anyway, we make it up the hill to some sort of observatory, and run into Nines.



He proposes an alliance with the anarchs to get rid of the Kuei-jin.
Does he, now? You know, we just ended a war with them and we lost a lotta people - too many. Does he expect us to do all the fighting while the Camarilla throws mean looks from the sidelines? Or are they ready to go toe-to-toe with those goddamn devils?
They'll fight. The prince wants the Kuei-jin dead just as much as you.
I still don't trust LaCroix. But then again, the Camarilla didn't wholesale slaughter us upon arrival. Goddamnit... I'm stuck between a rock and a son of a bitch.
[Persuasion] Your people need a leader right now. More than ever.
Hmm... it seems strange, LaCroix wanting to go to war against them all of a sudden. Something's not right...
I think the prince sincerely wants to protect the Kindred of the city.
Not what I mean, kid. Smell that? Smells like smoke. We gotta get outta here.
What do you mean?



It's just a little fire, we'll be fine.
No, kid, you don't understand. The fire wasn't set to kill us. Come on, we gotta get to the tram.
What are you talking about? What's the problem?
I didn't hide out here because it was a nice view. I did it because no one would come lookin' for me in these parts. This is werewolf country.
So what?
The wolves are gonna be out for blood for that fire. C'mon, move!
Can't we tell them it wasn't us?
Werewolves don't talk to us - werewolves don't care. They kill on sight. Now let's move.
We can take them.
No. No, we can't. You don't understand what these things are capable of. Guns are useless and getting close is suicide. The only thing to do is run. Now let's get to the tram - we can't waste any more time.
Alright, let's go.



Shit! It's leaving. C'mon, kid, we've got to get inside that building until it comes ba-




Oh shit.



So, we've got four minutes until the tram comes back.



Well, this sucks. We couldn't make the alliance, and Nines is probably dead now. This can't get much worse.



OH SHIT.



So here's a bit of a diversion - we've got a motherfucking werewolf on our ass, and he's very much willing to slice us into ribbons. We need to avoid him for four minutes and then make it to the tram. Well, that's not quite true. We can kill the werewolf - in two different ways. For one, I've heard stories of people playing Gangrels, maxing out Protean and Fortitude, grabbing a whole bunch of blood packs and going to town on him, which actually worked out. He's not unkillable, just very very strong. More pedestrian characters such as Melissa have an alternate solution, and it involves a bit of running around.



First of all, you head through the observatory or around it to a shed in the back, where you turn on the power.



Then you try to get back inside, which may prove harder than it sounds, given that the werewolf can leap across certain borders with ease.



After that, you flip this switch inside the observatory...



...which opens this part.



From there, it's simply a matter of luring the werewolf...



...inside the opening...



...and flipping the switch again!



That squashes the son of a bitch, and nets us some nice bonus experience.



I celebrate the occasion by getting Fortitude 5. Tankiest tank that ever god damn tanked.



And we take the ride back down without incident. But as we arrive down there...



...Jack's here, and he's in a hurry!



We arrive back in our Santa Monica haven. A few things to do here.



First of all, the news. I'm going to try and fit every news story we haven't heard yet in here. First of all, quest-related stuff about our recent exploits:

A shootout out a popular Chinatown underground club tonight left several dead and wounded after shots were exchanged between a local gang and an unidentifed assailant. The club, Glaze, was a known hangout for one of Chinatown's largest street gangs, but was also a popular hangout for local club kids. One witness stated that the lone assailant acted like quote 'something out of a an action movie. I couldn't believe one person could do that' end quote. Police suspect a rival gang may be behind tonight's violence.

Professor Anders Johansen, the archaeologist responsible for the discovery of the Ankaran Sarcophagus, issued a brief statement today, imploring the parties responsible for the Ankaran Sarcophagus' robbery to return the relic, saying that it is a valuable piece of human history that rightfully belongs to the entire world. Johansen went on to add, 'this theft is not just from the museum, but from all of mankind'. Johansen, a professor of archaeology at the University of Oslo, is in town to speak to his peers about his recent dig in Turkey, and coordinate examination of the artifacts found at the Ankaran site, including the sarcophagus.

The story of the Ankaran Sarcophagus took an even more bizarre turn when Professor Anders Johansen went missing from his hotel room earlier today. Evidence of a struggle in the professor's room at the Empire hotel, indicate to investigators that Johansen was abducted. Johansen's family has received no demands yet, and there is speculation that his disappearance and the earlier theft of the Ankaran Sarcophagus are related. Police officials have gone on record as saying that it's too early to confirm or deny any possibilities regarding the case.

A terrorist attack in Los Angeles has left several dead and many more wounded. The Venture building was the sight of an armed assault and bombing that has many city officials worried that more are likely to follow. Security tapes show several armed men enter the building around midnight - shortly after this, cameras went dead when a bomb was set off on floor ten. The terrorists responsible were killed in the explosion. No group has taken responsibility for the bombing yet. This is the first time a terrorist attack has taken place in Los Angeles. More on the Venture building attack, as it breaks.

Fires broke out early this morning throughout Griffith Park in what fire officials are deeming a mass arson. The fires have been raging since around daybreak, and several fire crews from all over California have joined local firefighters to help contain the deadly blaze. The Griffith Park Observatory, a historical Los Angeles landmark featured in such movies as "Rebel Without a Cause", was one of many buildings consumed by the fires. Residents in the hills surrounding the park have already been evacuated, and several other neighborhoods are on alert. Investigators say that the fire was the work of an arsonist or arsonists that started the fires tactically in areas that would maximize the spread and range of the flames. We'll be providing up to the minute coverage as information becomes available.

Now, other things going on around the world.

Mobs of villagers in New Delhi, India stoned a policemen to death after mistaking him for the "deer man", a creature locals say has terrorized them for weeks and is thought to be responsible for the mysterious deaths of several village children. The deer man is reported as a seven foot creature with horns that ambushes villagers at night. New Delhi has also been host to the monkey man, the bear man, and the killer UFOs, all of which were later dismissed as mass hysteria.

Weeks of protests against the European Union and rioting in several Eastern European countries has led to a block of nations dropping out of the EU, causing exchange rates for the Euro to plummet. Detractors of the EU in its founding countries are holding rallies aimed to remove its biggest supporters from office, arguing that the EU's inclusion of less politically stable countries will cause extended economic recession.

...Huh. This sounds kind of familiar.

Several members of congress are protesting the presidents refusal to disclose details of meetings his staff had last year with the heads of several energy companies. They say measures agreed upon will increase air pollution and give large tax breaks to energy companies. An official statement issued by the president states that these meetings were meant to assist in the draft of a fairer energy bill that would cultivate enhanced pollutant tolerances and relax energy production risk burdens.



Next, the radio. It's finally time for the last part of the Deb of Night show, and it has two very interesting segments.



Let's take a bit of a look at those two:


This part gives more credence to the theory that Deb is most definitely involved with Kindred somehow, at least I think it does. The nonchalant attitude she gives that guy that very clearly is in some serious shit just judging from the tone of his voice is exactly what you want Kine to think about the idea that vampires exist. Also, that guy is definitely getting a visit from the local Camarilla sooner rather than later.


And finally, there's Gomez again. The resident conspiracy theorist has another one of his theories, and... he's completely and utterly correct. Now, this brings me to ask several questions:

1) Is Gomez fucked? As in "Gary is on the way to his house as we speak" fucked? This seems like the same thing that ended up happening to Mitnick. He knows too much, so he's going to end up with the rest of those that did.
2) What does this mean for Gomez's other theories? The Atlantis stuff, the alien stuff, was all of that right too? Was this just a case of a broken clock being right twice a day or is there something bigger at work here?
3) Is Gomez in on this? As an alternate theory, we could say that Gomez is making these calls on the behest of the Camarilla, throwing out crazy conspiracy theories, making a name for himself as the crazy guy, then throwing the truth out there as just another crazy theory, so that when somebody else comes up with something similar think "oh hey, I remember, that crazy guy on the radio came up with that" and not giving it any further thought. Is "hiding the truth amongst lies" a concept?

You see, this is why I love Deb of Night. It's just this small side-thing, but it throws up so many mysteries on its own that it turns out to be really interesting.



Finally, we still need to check our emails. Only one new one...

quote:

<Subject> The master
<From> a friend

A true master has played the entire game before the first move.

Huh. I guess that makes sense - this is WoD, we can expect some sort of grand puppetmaster having set up this entire thing. But who could it be? Also, as somebody that recently finished writing a small paper on AI in Settlers of Catan, I'm very suspicious of the idea of anybody playing the entire game before the first move, since, y'know, the options for the game increase exponentially the further you try to look ahead. You can't just assume that your opponent will just act exactly the way you think he will, you have to be able to adapt quickly - Melissa in particular is the wildcard in this entire situation, she could have done things in so many different ways. I guess we'll have to continue on and see where this takes us. Now, Jack.



What? What's going on?
Get ready to run. Take everything you need. You're never coming back here.
Why? What happened?
LaCroix put out the word - he says you're in league with the Kuei-jin, Ming-Xiao's puppet, that you're the one who set up Nines for her. See, he's figured it all out, and now your death is a big bullet point in his new unity campaign. There's a blood hunt on you.
I'm in league with the Kuei-jin?
He had to turn things around on you real quick since you found out about his deal with Ming-Xiao. This is his Plan B. Plan A was to kill you and Nines in Griffith Park. Now LaCroix is playing the victim. The way he tells it you were like his own child, he entrusted you with so much... and you took full advantage, sold out to the Kuei-jin and cost the people their hero. They're saying Nines is dead and you killed him.
Why would he...? That doesn't make any sense.
I know that. C'mon. Look, I'm here to help you - again - but damnit, it's time!
Time for what?
Time to make a choice.
Did Nines make it out of Griffith Park?
I hope you live to find out.
What the hell am I supposed to do?
You're gonna have to stay off the street and stay on the move, cuz it's open season on your ass. Vampires are gonna be bussin' in from Sacramento to join in on this hunt.
Bring 'em on.
You need backing; you need the protection of one of the factions. Friends are the last thing you want to be without right now. But you have to get outta here.
And I'll leave a trail of smoking ashes behind me.
I got a driver who can get you where you need to go. Interesting guy, you'll like him. But this place is bein' watched. He's across Santa Monica, by the junkyard. Get there and he'll get you outta town.
Sounds good.
Alright, get runnin'. Hope you make it outta Santa Monica at least - I'd like to see how this turns out for ya.
Me too!



Alright, let's do this shit. There's a blood hunt on us, but like we give a shit. We killed a god damn werewolf! How are some pansy-ass vampires supposed to stop us?





This plays quietly throughout this section. This song was originally supposed to be for Nines, but since it's named "Open Season", WESP put it here. Sure, why not.



One interesting thing is that all the vampires out for your head are other potential player characters. Here we have the male Brujah and a Gangrel.



I take the Dragon's Breath out for a spin, and like I said, it's fairly good, but not great. The damage it does is fairly slow, and I'd much rather just use the Steyr or the Deagle. It's got that spread, though, which makes it great for this situation.



Right, so like Jack said, we've got to make a choice. So let's go over the other potential options we've got.

My opinion on siding with Nines:

Pro: The anarchs are kind of the closest thing to "good guys" we've got (though that's a very tenuous idea). They have been very open with us so far, haven't really cheated us. Nines saved our life twice, too. Jack is on their side, too, and Jack seems like a good guy to have on your side.

Con: We're Ventrue. Supporting the anarchs really wouldn't be right. They're still vampires, and therefore backstabbing assholes. Just because they haven't quite shown it as much doesn't make it less true, and this predisposed hatred can very much come back to bite us in the ass. Furthermore, they really seem to have an ideology problem going on regarding just who their "leader" is or if one exists, and if you can't get that right, odds are you can't run vampire society in a city like LA.

Personal verdict: Not a fan. Maybe with a Brujah, but the fact that we're a Ventrue clinches it in favor of "no".



We could also sign up with LaCroix again.

My opinion on siding with LaCroix:

Pro: We're Ventrue, and so is LaCroix, so there's some increased compatibility. We've done so much for LaCroix and done it well, I'm pretty sure he owes us at this point, and Ventrue are big on paying back favors. Given some persuasion (which Melissa is really good at), we could guilt him into giving us a great position in exchange for support in this conflict. If we come back to him after him having called a blood hunt on us, he's got to realize that it might be a better idea to cooperate than try to kill us again, right? He's very vulnerable right now, and is desperate for any advantage he can get. Having one of his most successful agents on his side might be worth a lot to him.

Con: He's tried to kill us several times over, becoming more and more blatant, and has disowned us openly. He's a backstabbing motherfucker. In fact, he's probably the biggest backstabbing motherfucker in this entire mess. He's just as likely to have the Sheriff stab us in the back than acknowledge we're actually trying to help him.

Personal verdict: This isn't as stupid as it sounds, but it's a massive gamble on LaCroix acting kind of rationally, which isn't even remotely a safe bet. Still, I don't think you'd have to be insane to think this isn't completely stupid. Then again, I might be insane.

Alternatively, we could decide to side with the Camarilla, just not with LaCroix - we would be going to Strauss in this case.

My opinion on siding with Strauss:

Pro: We're Ventrue. Going with the Camarilla is the right thing to do. Strauss has been a pretty good guy so far, but that might just be because he's keeping his head down.

Con: We might just be heading into a "meet the new boss, same as the old boss" situation where we could have just as well sided with LaCroix, because at least we've done some work for him. Strauss is a Tremere, and Tremere are sneaky bastards.

Personal verdict: Eh, this could go either way, but it's a fairly good choice. It's the safe option out of the batch. Not rocking the boat too much and trying for some stability by ousting the unpopular prince.



Of course, like we've already seen, we have the option of siding with Andrei back at Hallowbrook Hotel.

My opinion on siding with Andrei:

Pro: An outside bet - we should have the element of surprise on our hands. All things considered, Andrei seems like a fairly reasonable guy to deal with when you're on his side. The option to take if we just fucking hate LA, and I'd think Melissa would have enough of this entire shit at this point.

Con: This sounds stupid as hell. LaCroix might be the most backstabby of the bunch, but that's only because the Sabbat aren't that subtle. They'll probably brain Melissa with the sarcophagus in the end.

Personal verdict: I have no fucking clue. To me, there are so many things wrong with a Ventrue siding with the Sabbat that have tried to kill her repeatedly that I can't even process it. Then again, you could say the same about LaCroix. Eeeeeh.



Finally, we could just say "fuck it" and reject the idea that we need assistance.

My opinion on going independent:

Pro: Well, we know Melissa is badass and gets shit done, and she gets no respect most of the time. It could very well be time to take what is rightfully ours. This is another good option for the "fuck LA" crowd. If we're assuming that everybody is just going to backstab us, going alone seems like the logical choice.

Con: Odds are that Melissa still isn't badass enough to take on the Kuei-jin and the Camarilla on her own. Jack said we need allies, and we can probably trust Jack. He's been around quite a bit.

Personal verdict: If you think Melissa is badass enough to basically take on the world, then this is the option for you. But if you think we're still far from it (I mean, we're weaker than Jack, and if Jack could topple this city, he would have, right?), best steer clear.



At the end of the day, that's for you to decide. For now, we've made it to the cab. And hey, we know this guy!

I don't know. Just drive.



I'm having a hell of a night, let me tell you.
The night has not been kind to you?
Nothing I can't handle.
[Listen] Yes, this blood makes us tenacious and fearless, if we will it so... but to what purpose? Surely, an end will come one night to the struggle... but will there be a victor?



...well, I don't know. Where to, boss?

Exciting thread vote time!

Alright, folks, this is it. The big one. Melissa can't do this alone (or can she?) and it's time to decide just how this is going to go down.

To be a bit clearer, I will show off all the endings, obviously, but this vote is to decide which one is first and "canon". Basically, you're deciding what Melissa's fate will be. Not sure if you really care in the end, but you really cared about what to do with the Southland Slasher, and that had WAY less impact on the bigger picture than this, so hey, let's do this shit.

Note: The ending will lead to whomever we side with having control of the sarcophagus, and in the independent ending, that means Melissa. Therefore, the option for going independent is split in two - "independent, open it", and "independent, don't open it". Votes for F-1 and F-2 will be combined when it comes to deciding which ending we're looking at first, since it's the same ending, just with a different choice.

Also, if I could make a suggestion - I would like it if you voted based on in-character thoughts, not meta thoughts like "I already know the endings and want to see the Sabbat ending" or "I really want to see what kind of retarded shit WESP added, let's go with the Sabbat ending" or basically most things that will lead to a landslide victory for the Sabbat ending. I haven't seen it myself yet and can hardly wait to see it, but still, this choice is massive as far as roleplaying is concerned, so let's motherfucking roleplay! Imagine this was a tabletop scenario where anything within the DM's (well, ST's, if we want to be correct) imagination could happen, not a video game where the path is already coded. Now, here's the options:

A) The system is corrupt to the core and must be wiped out. For the Anarch Free State! - Side with Nines and the Anarchs

B) It's time to find our purpose in unlife, and the Priestess will help us on the way. - Side with Ming-Xiao and the Kuei-jin

C) At the end of the day, he is the rightful ruler. Vive le prince! - Side with LaCroix

D) It's time for a new boss, the current one really isn't getting things done. For the Camarilla! - Side with Strauss and the Camarilla

E) FUCK EVERYTHING. - Side with Andrei and the Sabbat

F-1) FUCK EVERYTHING AND BY EVERYTHING I MEAN EVERYTHING. - Side with yourself, go in alone, ignore the sarcophagus

F-2) FUCK EVERYTHING, I'M GOING TO RULE THIS FUCKING CITY. - Side with yourself, go in alone, open the sarcophagus

You have... a couple days? I'm not in a hurry, all things considered. If it's a runoff, I'll end it early, but if you guys and gals get some good discussion going as to which side is the right one to pick, I'm not going to just jump in and end things.