Part 50: L - We Live for the Night

experience every time you are awarded three or more experience. Saulocept may or may not have other effects.

So that's what we missed in the Giovanni mansion. Fairly useful, since it's more experience, but it comes in fairly late, limiting its effects.

Anyway, let's recap for a second. The Ankaran Sarcophagus was to be shipped into LA on the Elizabeth Dane, but the crew "completely deserted" the ship, and it looked like it had been opened, as an investigation by Melissa revealed. It was then moved into the museum, information which was then given to both the Giovanni and LaCroix by Gary. The Giovanni ended up being quicker and stole the sarcophagus from the museum before Melissa got there, which prompted LaCroix to send Melissa on a wild goose chase all over Hollywood, those god damn sewers and Chinatown before she finally got Gary to spill the beans on the Giovanni stealing the sarcophagus, and she then went and stole it right back because fuck thieves. And after this entire clusterfuck it turns out that we can't open it, so now Melissa is going to the Society of Leopold, who stole the one guy that knows how to open it from us, and she's going to steal him right back because fuck thieves. But before that, we have some loose ends to tie up.



First off, I'm dropping a point in Dodge, with the plan to get another one once we have the experience, then read the book we have to boost it to 5. Melissa is turning into quite the defensive wall here - I'm considering saving up for Fortitude 5 for maximum tank status, because that would mean that together with the best armor in the game (which we're getting in this update), she's going to end up with 10 Combat Defense, 11 Bashing Soak, 10 Lethal Soak and 8 Aggravated Soak.



Secondly, we still have our final side quest loose end to tie up with Pisha before we can move on to the "true" first endgame mission: Society for the Preservation of Professors. I'm personally more of a fan of the Society for the Preservation of Spanish Rice. So, it's off to the hospit-



...gatz, did you not unlock the quick way back to Pisha? I thought you had to leave through that way. Well, shit, now I need to go through this entire place again.



Ugh, that took longer than I wanted it to. Especially since I couldn't remember where to go. Let's get this shit sorted out so I never have to come back again.



Here's that book you were looking for.
The Voce del Morte. The Giovanni never willingly share their secrets... and I've had little success infiltrating their strongholds. How did you obtain this?
They were a little distracted, so I was able to slip in under the radar.
It will take some time to translate and unlock the secrets of this. I will have to move on from this city to evade any Giovanni seeking it. Take this. This will complete the terms we agreed to, and I think it is adequate compensation. It is the Key of Alamut. It instills dread in those that would har you and makes it harder for them to strike you. Make no mistake, our dealings do not make us alies. If indeed we meet again, do not ask me for any favors. I will give you this final advice, however. Leave this city. These are its final nights. Discord looms heavy, I've felt this before.
What do you mean?
In November of 1938, I was translating documents in Leipzig, Germany, written by a purported Crusades-era necromancer. There also, I felt a sense of impending chaos. Soon after was the Kristallnacht - the wellspring of a new World War.
Thanks, but I think I'll stick around. Goodbye.

You mispronounced both Kristallnacht and Leipzig, the latter particularly bad. I hate you now. Go visit Bach, he'll show you how to do it.



If you noticed that my defensive numbers for Melissa a bit earlier were a bit off, it's because they had already taken this into account. Also, we now have 9 experience, which we dump into another point of Dodge...



...then read the book we found for 5 Dodge. More defense!



We then leave through this ventilation shaft...



...come out again a few seconds later...



...and end up exactly where we started from. Handy shortcut!



Next up, we're going to be heading to Mercurio's, which once again necessitates whipping out the console - I'm drawing attention to this because of one particular line you can see here: "AttributeError: '__main__' module has no attribute 'heatherHaven'". I believe this is pointing towards my theory as to why Heather got broken - she's somehow stuck in a dead state where you can't really interact with her unless it's being overridden by story dialogue sections. Oh well, not like I really need her anyway. Off to Mercurio's!





I don't need no bullets; let the motherfuckers burn.



GIMME! Fuck the Rötschreck, I'm gonna go burn some bitches!



And with that, we're ready to go - let's go kill ourselves some hunters and rescue a professor.



Hmm, nothing around here, looks like the place is pretty remote.



Ah, there we are. The area is pretty well guarded, so let's go have some fun.



Boom, just look at that damage! I really love the sniper rif-



OH SWEET FUCKING JESUS WHERE DID YOU COME FROM



Well, he's dealt with, let's hope that nobody else show-



Ah, crap.



Suffice it to say that being sneaky doesn't work that well when you're using a really loud sniper rifle. So about half a dozen more guys file in and get mowed down with four 30~40 damage shots from the Deagle each.



Then I try to get into a decent position for sniping the guys at the front door, only to have to pull off a snap shot when I realize that there's another guard homing right in on my location.



A lot more sniping ensues in an attempt to clear the perimeter while taking minimal damage...



...and at the end, one guard is nice enough to come by for a snack to top off health and blood. I love it when a plan comes together.



We could enter through the front door, but I have the sneaking suspicion that that's not the best plan.



So some more sneaking around this monastery ensues, complete with more sniping fun times...



...until we make it to the back door. See, it's locked, that means it's the better entryway, whereas the unlocked front door is for non-lockpicking amateurs!



So, we're inside. Note the lasers - they're connected to explosives and will damn well blow our ass up if we touch them.



Also, there's a hunter praying here. There's a lot of dialogue between hunters strewn about the area, and most of it I didn't hear because it requires sneaking through the area and listening in on people, whereas just popping Fortitude and #YOLOing all over the hunters is the much easier option, what with Melissa having become such a defensive powerhouse. Here's some of the conversations, copied from the original files and edited for spelling mistakes, starting with the prayer:

"Lord, I pray now that you give me strength in battle. That I might overcome the hordes of Satan and his children. That I might wield the flaming sword of the archangel and defend myself with your shield of faith. And that my victories are many and my wounds few. That I might further your kingdom here on earth. And if I meet death tonight, then let it be first that I cast a mighty host of demons back into the lake of fire whence they came. And then rest finally in the light of your glory. Amen."

"Are the stories true, about him I mean?"
"Brother Grünfeld?"
"Yes."
"What stories have you heard, young brother?"
"There are many, some say he saw his own mother eat alive by a coven of witches. And others that he once killed an elder vampire with his bare hands. There are even whispers that he is the resurrected St. Leopold, come to lead his armies into the final battle against the armies of darkness."
"Hehehe, not all stories you hear are true. Brother Grünfeld is a good soldier just as you'll become if you have faith in God and the discipline to stand in his army."
"It is also said that he once killed a man of the brotherhood because he refused to follow orders."
"Hmmm, some stories you hear are true, young brother."

"Brother Grünfeld seems particularly uneasy this evening."
"Yes, LaCroix has begone to move more openly, and Brother Grünfeld grows impatient."
"Ah yes, LaCroix. As always Brother Grünfeld focusses only on his old nemesis. Let us hope his fanaticism best serves the interests of our order, and not merely his own unresolved grievances."
"Shhh, are you mad? Brother Grünfeld will not tolerate such insubordination, hold your tongue! You know upon whose direct authority he acts?"
"Yes, I know. Far be it for me to question the ethic of the Holy See."
"You would do best to remember your place! Brother Grünfeld is a faithful warrior. He's battled Satan's spawn for longer than you've been alive!"
"Then I pray the Lord grant me the same years to fight in his army!"
"Amen."

"Greetings commander."
"Greetings soldier."
"Anything to report? The Gladius Dei has told us to keep a sharp eye! He thinks we may have some visitors this evening."
"Of course, sir. My duty as always is to protect the brotherhood! All seems quiet for now."
"Good, good."
"Did he mention... ah, what kind of visitors, sir?"
"The only kind that matters soldier."
"Yes sir, of course, sir. Carry on!"

"The Gladius Dei, he looks like a hard man."
"Don't you know who that is?"
"No, should I?"
"That's Grünfeld Bach."
"The name sounds familiar."
"How long have you been with the Condotierri?"
"Not very long, I was sworn in just last winter."
"I see. Are you enjoying your service into the brotherhood?"
"Of course."
"Then I recommend staying clear of Brother Grünfeld."

"One of us should take some food down to the prisoner."
"Johansen? He is no better than they, if not for his meddlesome diggings the artifact would never have come here."
"Yes, this complicated matters, interesting turn of events. Do you think it holds... something?"
"I care not, if it does then with Gods help we will send it screaming back to hell!"
"Bruder Krüger says it may be him, the son of Adam, the brother killer."
"Hmmm, if this be the end of days, then may the Lord give us strength to see them through."
"So? Shall we take some food down to Johansen?"
"Here, take mine, I'm no longer hungry."

There's a few interesting things strewn in here. First of all, it seems that Bach is as much a badass as he is a hardass. He also, as we've already heard from the target himself, has an unhealthy obsession with LaCroix. Furthermore, some of the hunters are also pondering the possibility that a return of Caine is impending, read: Gehenna is due. Also, a few subsections of the Society got namedropped here, so let's give a short rundown on the four sub-orders of the Society because I spent way too much time reading a WoD sourcebook for the Inquisition for me to not get my time to ramble a bit:

First off, the Condotierri, sourcing their name from the medieval mercenaries that worked with Inquisitors back then, are basically the military order wing, tasked primarily with the protection of the Society. The sub-order of the Condotierri was founded when the practice of hiring mercenaries was drawn into question, as they do not really work for God, but for money. As a result, the pay for them was drastically reduced, and while most mercenaries left the Society for more profitable endeavours, those that stayed were accepted into the Society proper. Most of the hunters in this monastery are part of the Condotierri, as their job is to protect Johansen from the things that go bump in the night, namely Melissa.

The Gladius Dei are the elite of the Society. Membership can only be given by the big dog himself, the Inquisitor-General, and it's basically the equivalent to knighthood. Members of the Gladius Dei are essentially the perfect Inquisitors: Loyal without fault, zealous, courageous and capable. They operate as a kind of strike force, and whenever the Gladius Dei gets called in, they succeed. Critics say they only get called in when they know they will succeed, though, so they're kind of padding their record. Still, there's a reason they're the elite force, and every member is a force to be reckoned with.

Then there are two more sub-orders that didn't get mentioned - the Office of the Censor, as far as I can tell, is a group dealing with internal corruption. Membership is once again only bestowed by the Inquisitor-General, and they investigate individuals or sub-divisions of the Society for corruption and take steps against them if necessary. Essentially, from what I can tell, they're the NKVD, except more holy. Finally, there's the Order of St. Joan, which is a sub-order of the Society in name only. They operate autonomously, but still work towards the same goals as the Society and cooperate with them. They're an order run entirely by women, essentially created in response to the male-only leadership of the Society, and they're mostly shrouded in mystery. In recent times, the Society has been allowing women to higher positions, and the necessity of a female-only order was drawn into question, but the Order of St. Joan was all "fuck y'all, we're gonna keep doing our shit" and nobody can really convince them otherwise, with the Order having repeatedly turned down offers of official incorporation into the Society.

Also, the Society has multiple sects, which, while not accepted as official subdivisions on the level of those above, are still encouraged for the sake of diversity. The major ones are as follows:

The Brethren of Albertus: Inquisitors that follow the teachings of Albertus Magnus, who believed magic was evil, but one must study it to learn how to best combat it.
The Children of Lazarus: Believe that vampires are the greatest affront to God by claiming to have overcome death itself (when only through Jesus you can actually overcome it) and want the Society to particularly concentrate on wiping out vampires.
Fathers of the Good Death: Believe that vampires are evil spirits from before the Flood and that they're responsible for the spiritual decay of humanity.
The Sanbenito: Inquisitors that follow the beliefs of Rafaelle Renzi, who thought that one shouldn't try to destroy supernaturals, but instead help them. This sect is considered to either not exist or to be a poison to the Inquisition depending on who you ask.
Sisterhood of Saint Claire: Inquisitors that take vows of extreme poverty and concentrate on improving their healing capabilities. The medics of the Society.
The Order of Saint Michael: Inquisitors that concentrate on wiping out the diabolic and infernal directly.
The Order of Saint Peter: These guys concentrate on wiping out the magical - witches, warlocks, mages, vampiric mages et al.
The Sons of Tertullian/The Sect of Saint James: These two concentrate on wraiths and other spirits, though the Sect is a lot more radical than the Sons, and there's a fair share of discord between the two.

I hope I didn't fuck this stuff up majorly. Let's move on then, shall we? Let's see if we can't jump over that laser and sneak up on the praying hunter...



SHIT.



FUCK. Well, that didn't turn out so well - the explosion pretty much entirely drained our life bar, while a few bullets from a hunter did the rest. Let's try that again, shall we?



Every set of explosives has a computer nearby - and we can do a few interesting things with it. Both options are locked behind a password... "soc". Yeah. That's the password. Genius. We could either turn off the power for the lasers and just pass by, but that's no fun. Instead, we change the heat signature the laser looks for from "vampire" to "human", so that we can pass by just fine, but if a hunter runs through a laser, he gets blown the fuck up. Sadly, nobody ever does. Pretty much all of them have ranged weapons, so they always retreat backwards, to a place where I haven't been yet and couldn't change the lasers yet. What a shame.



Just look at these assholes, just standing there and shooting at me. Party poopers.



Oh well, back to lead salad for you.



After everybody on that floor's been taken care of, we can start looting. First off, we find some sort of armory behind more lasers, which has a Steyr for us to take, if we somehow didn't already buy one or get one off the bodies we've left so far. Another room has a MAC-10 for us as well, if we were still using that.



In another room, there's something a bit more interesting - a journal. Time to read!


This is basically a retread of the major events going on recently, as told from the point of view of Bach, though there are a few interesting points here. It's reinforced that the church thinks the end of the world is nigh, which is pretty foreboding. Also, I'm curious as to who the vampire Bach mentioned he ran into was. It could be Melissa, but I'm not sure why Bach would want to spin the story of her telling him that Grout was dead in his own journal.



Next up, we get to head upstairs.



More shooting ensues.



And all in all, it's no big deal. Now, on to the looting.



We find an interior key that's basically useless since we can just lockpick shit instead.



We also find another book, which is probably the one Bach mentioned in his journal. Time for more reading!




There's also this piece of art depicting the Ankaran Sarcophagus. Seems like the Society has been doing quite a lot of research on this matter themselves.



And finally, there's the best thing out of the lot, a book that boosts our Firearms from 4 to 5. More murdering!



Our next destination is the wine cellar.



It also has a set of dudes hanging around waiting for their fair share of lead that are dispatched easily. Most notably, there was a hunter that tried to attack with a katana whose attacks just pinged off of Melissa. Tankiest tank that ever tanked.



After clearing out the area, we find a hidden passageway behind a barrel.



And further down, we find a door. Seems like this operation has just begun.



Behind the door we find some sort of cave system with a really, really deep drop. It's so deep we can snipe the guys down there from up here without them noticing.



The path then splits in two - let's head to the left first.



This area is guarded by a pair of dudes, but they quickly regret standing near what looks to be either a dozen of missiles or massive shells. Either way, it blows up real good.



We find that they've been guarding what looks to be holding cells, and in one of them... Ash?



Jeez, man, what happened to your face?

Ash?
You... They've ruined my face. The fire... I can still feel it in my wounds. They'll kill me, they'll come back with their brands and it will burn!
Keep your voice down.
I wouldn't talk, so they burnt me... again... and again... and again. Their eyes... they - they enjoyed it. Before they come back, I'm begging you... let me out!
I've got something that might help you heal up a few of those wounds.



I'm getting some serious Limbo of the Lost vibes all of a sudden. Anyway, let's get him out. His door is locked with a difficulty 10 lock, but we've established that that's no obstacle for Melissa, Master of Unlocking.



Good luck in Canada.

And that nets us a bit of experience. Every bit helps. That's it for the left wing of that cave system, on to the right.



Over here, there's a bunch of dudes. You know, let's take the flamethrower for a spin.



BURN, HOLLYWOOD, BURN, I SMELL A RIOT GOIN' ON

The flamethrower is a motherfucker of a weapon - whatever it touches, it kills. It also does some pretty devastating damage to bosses. It also kills you, should it hit you. Don't fuck around with fire, kids. It easily takes out the enemies, but also sets off several explosions and leaves me near death. I decide to reload, save on the expensive ammo and instead go with the more conventional Steyr.



Past that, we're already at the boss's room. Let's get ready for the best boss fight in the game.



GRRR ANGRY SNEAKING



But somebody is watching...



And Melissa apparently awkwardly dodges a bullet. Literally.



You missed!
I knew Johansen would lure the servants of Satan. But I set this trap for the archfiend himself - where is LaCroix?!?
LaCroix? You think LaCroix would come here alone?
Perhaps when LaCroix runs out of minions, he will show me his face. And God will guide my shots through it. Before I send you to eternal damnation, any last words?
When I get done with you, even St. Peter won't recognize you.
You should have begged for God's mercy - I will show you none.
You'll be begging me to kill you after I rip out your guts. C'mon!



Watch Boss Fight:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXMjqPDS9wU

Shit's on now! Welcome to the best boss fight in the game - Grünfeld Bach. This fight is so much fun, mostly because it's a gimmick battle that works really well, regardless of how you decide to tackle it.



Bach's accuracy with his sniper rifle is deadly, so if you want to engage him in a sniper battle like I like to do, you've got to be quick on the draw and have good aim in order to nail him on the reload.



A lot of the cover is destroyed if Bach takes a shot at it, so you fairly quickly find yourself scrambling for new cover while Bach tracks you perfectly across this training area.



If you try to get close in on him, you'll have to sprint from cover to cover, trying to dodge his really powerful attacks, and if you make it close to the staircase, he'll toss a firebomb down on you that also does massive damage.



And if you do manage to get in close with him, he has a katana he can slice you up with, he can also use a cross and his True Faith to blind you, and he has a spell to temporarily make him invulnerable for a bit. He's a real all-rounder that can deal with whatever you throw at him, which makes this fight very much different from the rest of the game, and the arena is expansive enough to make multiple options possible.



Eventually, he does go down.



Upstairs, we find a little house...



...and inside is Johansen!



Dr. Johansen?
I am an archaeologist! You can't hold me here like this, I am a hostage! I do not need protection! Bring me back to my hotel at once!
Settle down, gramps, or I'll give you something to really be afraid of.
[Listen] I am an old man! How can you threaten me like this? Do you have a conscience? Just let me go... I have a wife and children, I want to see them again... help me.
Answer my questions and there's no reason for me to hurt you.
Ja, ja, okay... anything, just get me out of these caverns and away from these crazies. I think I'm starting to get pneumonia.
Tell me what you know about the Ankaran Sarcophagus.
The sarcophagus? You went through all that trouble for the sarcophagus? Ja, I'll tell you, but, don't you think it would be better to get out of here before those men come back?
I dealt with them. They won't give us any problems.
I guess if you can get all the way here, you deserve the answers - but can I make one request first? After I answer your questions, you help me escape.
Sure.
Alright. Where should I begin?
What can you tell me about the sarcophagus?
Let's start with the history of the Ankaran Sarcophagus. That is a long and interesting legend, lost and found throughout the ages. Tell me, are you familiar with the Assyrians?
No.
Well, the Assyrians lived in Mesopotamia, a region between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Most of this territory is now modern-day Iraq, Iran, Turkey and Syria.
Go on.
They were warmongers, conquerors, a people driven to expand by their kings. Even before the Romans, they migrated their conquered people to the territories to stem revolt, but, uh... I'm afraid I'm getting off the subject.
Go on.
Uh ja, ja, well, the markings on the sarcophagus seem to hint that is from some time between 1050 and 800 B.C., which was a period of fierce expansion by the Assyrians. Oddly, for those years, only one king shows up on the historical record.
Please continue.
While most likely he wiped all evidence of his predecessor's existence or passed the name to his heirs, one monarch, Messerach, the one-eyed king, is given credit for the territory and achievements of this time. But he would have had to have been over 250 years old! Like a Dracula or something.
So?
I find it hard to believe that a sarcophagus with a person as important as Messerach could remain in - oh, what is the word? - pristine or intact condition for so many years, but this is who is believed to be contained within.
Are you sure?
An educated guess... maybe you have not yet heard - it was stolen from the museum before we had a chance to open it. Usually, we use equipment to carbon-date, X-ray, and take air samples before we pry open the lid.
You compared him to a vampire... any reason?
You know, it is interesting that you ask me that. The goddess on the outside of the sarcophagus was Lamastu. In Assyrian myth, Lamastu was an evil demoness who preyed on humans. Many people cite her as the mother of vampire myth, and...
And?
The engravings on, and found around the sarcophagus portray a regal figure drinking the blood of his enemies. Now, this image is found in many cultures, specifically among those of royal lineage... but there is a quite scientific explanation.
Which is?
A disorder known as porphyria. In short, it is caused by a deficiency of the iron in the blood, and in many cultures, for the nobility that could conceivably get away with the cure, the treatment was to... drink human blood.
So Messerach drank human blood?
Perhaps. Drinking the blood of your enemies is, if nothing else, symbolic. It can inspire fear in your foes and dissidents. Don't misunderstand me, I in no way believe it was a vampire. Vampires... that's what caused this whole mess - these maniacs believe they exist!
Enough with the history lesson. How do I open the sarcophagus?
Ah! Quite interesting. There is a surprisingly complex mechanical lock on the face of the sarcophagus. By sheer luck, we were able to find the key not far from the sarcophagus. Why no one ever found it and robbed it - it's perplexing.
A key! Of course! Do you have it?
How strange you would ask. I haven't seen the key since it was loaded into the Elizabeth Dane in Turkey. It was stolen before the sarcophagus, even! I am still hopeful that the police find both pieces before the contents can be disturbed.
Do you have a copy of the key?
No... it's not the kind of key you can copy at the hardware store. It's actually very sophisticated and I meant to study it at the museum.
I answered all your questions. Do you think, now, you could please get me out of here? I don't care who you are or why you've had so many questions about the sarcophagus - I just want to leave this place.
Alright, I'll free you. There's a boat nearby. We can escape on it.
Thank you, my friend. I don't know where you came from, but I will never forget this kindness.

We could have killed him for a humanity loss. Instead, we get a humanity gain, which was a bit of a mistake on my part, since I wanted to stay with low humanity for the rest of the run. Oh well, nothing some hooker killing can't fix. But as we leave...



Bach sets off a bomb!



And we've got only about a minute to leg it!



Thankfully, the boat isn't that far away, though we were still cutting it close.



We appear back at Venture Tower, and it seems like something happened - there's rubble around and cop cars too. But we won't go there just yet, no, we have something else to do for which the time window is extremely small - between right now and talking to LaCroix (which usually is the very next thing you do) - talking to Heather.



Last opportunity to tell Heather to get out. We'll be ignoring that as well. Also, I presume that our low humanity means we can only be a dick to Heather.

Dream on, I'd never tell you I loved you.
Despite your feelings for me, I am eternally yours.
Yes, yes, I know.
I... I got something for you. Here, it should fit you. I hope you like it... I thought it looked like something you'd wear.
I knew I kept you around for some reason.
Think of me when you wear it.
I'm out of here. Later, Heather.



So here's the body armor - the best armor in the game. We've almost reached Peak Tank.



Furthermore, we've got a new email.

quote:

<Subject> The white bishop
<From> a friend

The white bishop falls.

So does that mean the chess game is between the church and Kindred, the church being white and Bach being the bishop?




On the way back to LaCroix, I start on my humanity-loss project. I also go on a killing spree out on the streets, but that doesn't seem to do anything except waste my time. Oh well.





In Venture Tower, we find the signs of a whole bunch of shit having gone down.



But when we get back up to the penthouse, it seems like nothing happened.



Someone made a mess downstairs.
The Sabbat. A pack of shovelheads with cheap pistols was all they could muster. Two got a few stories up, but... I took care of them. And my sheriff brought the rest to their Final Death in the lobby. Sabbat animals.
The Sabbat attacked? Why?
Why else? The motive of every Kindred in the entire city these last few nights: The Ankaran Sarcophagus. They've been misled into thinking the sarcophagus holds a sleeping ancient, their most coveted feasts. Diablerists!
They drink the blood of other vampires?
The Sabbat's infamy is in no small part due to their practice of diablerie - that is, drinking the blood of other Kindred, especially older ones, until they are dead. Diablerists gain the power of those they've fed upon. In the Camarilla, this is an act punishable by death. For the time, we've manipulated the press into reporting tonight's events as a terrorist attack. Their soldiers may be no danger to me, but their threat to the Masquerade is abundant. As my best agent, I'm sure you can guess my course of action.
Kill all Sabbat? Oh, yeah.
The Sabbat have made their haven at the Hallowbrook hotel - right under our noses, here in downtown. Kill their leader; the rest will scamper out of the city. This is the last time they ever set foot in Los Angeles. Before you go - Beckett told me you went to the Society of Leopold. Did you find out how my sarcophagus is opened?
Yes. I did.
What? What did you find out?
The missing crate from the Dane. It's a key to the sarcophagus.
A key? Where? Do you have it?
No. That's all I know. But I have other good news. Bach is dead.
Not only did you infiltrate the Society of Leopold, but you managed to kill their greatest hunter! You are certainly developing a legend for yourself. Superb. A toast to you... and to victory over the Sabbat. And to Bach, may all his progeny meet such fates.
I did you a favor wiping out Bach. Don't you think that's worth something?
Here. Pity you don't have his head - I would've sent it to the Inquisitor-General.

And that nets us 300 bucks. Not a lot, but it sure does help.

Yeah. The Sabbat are next.
The Sabbat must be wiped out before dawn. Then, when you come back, we'll begin the hunt for the key.
Okay.

And while we're at it, let's go talk to Beckett.



The wrong thing for the right reasons? What does that mean?
The Sabbat's goal is to stop Gehenna, which is very similar to my own, though they choose to do so through more violent, fanatic and flamboyant methods. The Camarilla on the other hand, suspends belief entirely... or so goes the party line.
You're not Camarilla?
What I am is Kindred. How others choose to categorize themselves concerns me only where local customs are concerned. Individualism is a path fraught with obstacles, and sometimes angry mobs, but for all its hardships it is the only one worth taking.
Looks like I'm off to destroy the Sabbat of the city.
Well, perhaps, for this pack, it's for the best.
I met with Dr. Johansen.
What did Johansen have to say?
Something about a key and "AHHH, STOP, I'M OLD!!!" Hee hee.



The lock and key. An invention as ancient as greed. I should have guessed. All we have to do is find a victor in this nonsense - they'll be the one with the key.
He said it's the tomb of Messerach, an Assyrian King.
Assyrian origin... glad to see I'm not losing my touch. As for Messerach, I'll have to research that name, see what I can find.
He said the reliefs on the side were of a demoness named Lamastu.
Lamastu? She was a Lilith figure. They represent empowered women and the threat of such women to male-dominated society. Strange she would be engraved on a king's tomb.
That's everything I know. Does it mean anything to you?
It seems to corroborate my own evidence. I'm going to have to study it a little more, maybe dig up some information on Messerach and the Lamastu myth. I'm certain the key will show up in time. Your information is appreciated.
You're welcome. I had some other questions.
Excellent.
Why would the Sabbat attack so openly?
It's simple. Someone's misled them into believing there's an Antediluvian in this very room. They, and I suspect most Kindred in this city, would love to sink their stakes or teeth into its imagined occupant, if indeed rocketing it to the moon was out of the questions.
I better prepare for my assault on the Sabbat. Goodbye, Beckett.

Well, I don't think we've got anything else to do, so let's get going!



Hallowbrook Hotel. However, we can't enter through the front door...



...instead, we have to take this thing. But that'll have to wait until next time.