Part 20: XX - A Plague For the Angels

We've got one more lead in our quest to end the plague infecting LA.





That is to talk to the homeless people. Right outside the last round, there's a collection of them. In particular, there's a woman to talk to.



Eugenics must have taken a wrong turn in the world of darkness. She looks like a reptile/human hybrid, with that snake-like skin.

I need to ask you about the sickness that's been plaguing the homeless.



You can see that if we didn't have access to dialogue skills, we would have to bribe her. As to which one we'll pick here, well she's a homeless woman. She probably has a hard enough life as it is.

[Persuade] What? You don't remember me? I'm your friend from the homeless shelter.

O-okay. Alls I know is that old Tin Can Bill, he's been jabberin' about some kind of monster that took him somewhere ands got him sick. And that's all I know, okay, and that's all I'm sayin.

We're probably not dealing with a Toreador, then.

Where's this Tin Can Bill?

Why, you can usually find him down in his alleyway, just across from that bar over there.

Thanks. See ya.



We find him, like the woman said, down an alley across from The Last Round.



If his vision is that bad, we could be dealing with any vampire clan.

It's not Betty, Bill. I heard that you can tell me why everyone is getting sick.

Yeah... I might be able to. But I'm awfully thirsty tonight miss. Could you spare five bucks for a man who's been down on his luck?

[Persuade] Uh, sure. I'll give it to you right after we talk.

Heh, heh... thank you, much! I'm going to have to go pick up some hootch. For medicinal purposes, you know... heh heh heh....

The medicinal purposes of escaping from your awful life.

Now I know you ain't going to believe old Bill, because I been tellin' my friends and the cops and everyone since it happened, and people just say that it's the hootch talkin', and nothin' more.

It's alright. I'll believe you, Bill.



Could it be a Nosferatu? A Tzimisce, maybe?

So? What happened?



Don't remember too much after that; blacked out and woke up here in my alley. *cough cough* Haven't been feeling too well since then.

Shit, that probably means he's got the plague. That explains the coffing, just like Hannah. We better get information out of him quick.

Bill! I need to know where the monster took you.

*Cough, cough, cough, cough* Came up through the sewers, he did. Just around the corner there. *cough, cough, cough, cough* Don't want to go back to the bad place, friend. *cough, cough, cough, cough* Don't let the monster come back and take me there....*cough, cough, cough, cough*

Bill! Stay with me! Everything's going to be alright!



Alas, poor Bill.



Someone's gonna pay





We've entered an alternate section of the downtown LA sewers, one that's not connected to any of the other hotspots in the city. Up ahead is a locked door which leads further into the sewers. We're going to take the longer way, heading left around the corner.



Uh, actually we'll go right instead.



And through a pipe.



Which leads us to this wide open area.



This doesn't reek of boss fight, does it?



Wait, who's that strung up on the wall?

Suddenly, something materializes before us.





So it was a Nosferatu. But this one looks excessicely weird. Are those piercings on the lacerations on his head? Does he have red makeup around his eyes?

What's going on down here? This is a madhouse!

The doors have been opened, the seals broken, and the final steps into the abyss; the terrible mysteries of the Ninth Circle!

We heard about the Ninth Circle from Jezebel Locke. Maybe we can get more information out of this guy.

Ninth Circle? You mean the Brotherhood of the Ninth Circle?

The Brotherhood of the Ninth Circle! The darkest dawn is almost upon us! Come! Join us in these last nights, spreading our disease upon the earth, sharing this unholy communion with our human herd!

That little speech doesn't tell us anything that we didn't already know.

Why are you feeding on the homeless?



Brother Kanker, they call me... High Lord in the diseased halls of the dead. Look around you! The blood, the bloated bodies, the maggot-ridden mortal shells.... These are the signs, the coming of a new age!

I'd rather have a canker sore than talk to this guy any more.

I don't know what you're talking about, but I've heard enough.



Do yourself a favor and listen to that last line:


So overdone.

Come get some, Brother.

Watch Boss Fight:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFfz_Vhbxz4



Kanker starts off by activating Potence, increasing the damage of his attacks. Notice that he causes aggravated damage.



Kanker is a pain to deal with. He has a good amount of health, and also causes a good amount of damage.



You can try to block his attacks, but I couldn't attack him without getting hit myself.



After consuming a blood pack, we eventually do him in.



Ecce Fatso. Chunk died so that others could live. R.I.P.



Turning around, we find this on the ground where Kanker de-obfuscated earlier.



Hmm...

You might notice that the exit now is blocked.



To get out, we have to turn a couple wheels.



Which opens this gate in the floor.



Taking that, we're eventually led out to the other big room.



So... remember that big gap we found when we went to the left, earlier?



We have to cross it. Either jump the distance or fall down and swim, eventually being let out near the entrance. Either way, we get out. I totally didn't fuck up that jump, by the way.

We should head back to Damsel. She might have something to say about that poster we picked up.





Do you know what this symbol is?

Yeah, I've seen this. Pretty sure I've seen it around here somewhere - one of the buildings, I think.

I'll look for it.

What did you just say? Fuck, goddamn Cammies! Ugh, you guys are all the same.

Let me spare you the search. That skull-symbol is one of the walls here downtown.



There.



That must mean that whatever's going on inside this the nearby building is related to the plague.



Or it could just be a shitty movie theater.



I see. They only let people in who have a flyer.

Yes (Give him the flyer.)

I see. Welcome to the brotherhood. The Bishop will see you upstairs.

We head in.



Acording to what the ticket-man said (his name is Jumbles, and don't ask me why) this must be the headquarters of the Brotherhood of the Ninth Circle. The place is really run down, though I'm not sure if I expected a bunch of weirdos who worship some disease to have the best house.



Exploring the area further, we run into this woman. She looks like she's having a really bad time.



What the fuck? Did we catch the plague? Is that what it does to our vision? Only one way to find out.

:reload:



Oh, that's better.

Summoned?

You're n-new to the Brotherhood, huh? Just got... enlightened? I - I've been here a few... days. When the bishop wants to see you, y-you'll be summoned... a-and then you go up these um, these stairs... up to the... the t-temple.

If you're playing as a Nosferatu, she mistakes you for Brother Kanker.

The temple? What goes on up there?



Mm, blood. She said, umm, b-b-blood, everywhere. She um.... She s-saw a few of the s-summoned, t-tried to uh... oh, to talk to them, but they just... just s-stared at her with these, umm... these "wooo" blank looks, yaknow. N- oh, one of them, uh, s-started reaching for her, a-and she... she ran away!

Huh. That sounds different from the behavior of Tin Can Bill or Hannah. So maybe it's something more than just the plague. We should try to get this girl out of here. We're going to stop this, but she should leave now in order to not get caught in the crossfire.

Maybe the Brotherhood isn't all it's cracked up to be.



Don't worry. You won't have to worry about the bishop anymore.

The... the - the bishop? Yeah, I-I s-saw him once. He is be-eautiful... and scary! I-I uh, I dream about him all the time... he does uh, things to me - i-in my dreams? - he does uh, things... I... I don't like to remember.

Ugh, whatever, let's just go.



Up the stairs...





This must have been what that woman was talking about. But why do they look like zombies?



You really don't want to get close to them. One shot to the head is all it takes, and the MAC is a surprisingly good weapon for this.



Look at how many there are. How did they get so many people? Was it all through promises of a better life? Did they target the poor, the disenchanted, and the marginalized?



Who knows. Their attacks don't do very much damage, and they're really slow.



Occasionally one might lunge for you...



...then this happens. It does a lot of damage when compared to their other attacks, so that's why I say you'll want to stay back and stick to ranged weapons.

...



Let me stress that we had to go through a lot of zombies. We're dropping down two floors, which leads us to



more zombies. Say, what's that in the background?



Some sort of painting, but beats me what it's about or who made it.




Not far from there, we find this set of double doors. Heading in...





That woman said he was beautiful. This place does things to you, it seems.

You're the cause of all this disease, aren't you?

[Listen] *Cough* Disease? Sister, you've got to open your mind! One man's disease is another man's sanctity! Here among the Brotherhood of the Ninth Circle, we have shed these earthly labels! Come! Partake of our divine communion.

He does sound like a preacher.

Who the hell are you?

They call me Bishop Vick, Shepherd of the Damned, your midnight guide through our last days here on earth. Do you feel it, sister? The curtain being drawn back at last, drawn back by my hand, by the Brotherhood of the Ninth Circle!

Last days here on Earth... are you talking about Gehenna?

Gehenna? Judgment Day? The Apocalypse? Oh again, sister, you are too indoctrinated into the antiquated beliefs of this material world. There is no rhyme or reason, no all-powerful and terrible gods who watch over their children.



No, sister. There is no god who would tolerate such a thing. And so I have become God, and the diseases I carry to the masses will bring about an end of my own making, until we have all journeyed below into the Ninth Circle.

That's quite the messiah complex.

I understand your feelings about being a vampire, but this is no way to deal with it.

The time for words has come and gone, my sister. You and I will take those last steps together, and see what truth lies behind the curtain. Let the night fall forever on this cursed earth, and let the fruits of my labor bring a long and bloody harvest!

Wait! I know we can work this out.

Watch Boss Fight:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvzrs03jdTA



Vick has a shotgun and a bunch of these zombies to get in our way.



He does a lot of damage.



It's really best to use the fake katana for this fight. Since you do acrobatic moves when attacking with it -- even rolling on the ground at the end of a 3 hit combo, for example -- you'll avoid a lot of Vick's shotgun blasts.



The downside to that is that the katana doesn't do much damage at once.

If you look at Vick, you'' notice that he's activated celerity. He'll occasionally run away from you in order to get a good shot in.



Vick also occasionally has to reload, which gives you time to get some hits in.



These zombies really just get in the way more than anything.



But there you go, just stick with it and he'll eventually run out of health.



Then we're immediately kicked out of the area, appearing back at the entrance. Jumbles is gone, and it's likely that we've just solved the problem of the plague. No way they're recovering from this. Let's go tell Damsel. She might be impressed.





All the plaguebearers are dead.

We don't know that for certain, but eh.



Kindred or kine, I just wanted to help the community.



If you're sold on the anarchs or the camarilla, you can show that here. This is probably too big of a commitment for Melissa right now. She's still seeing other factions.

Maybe.... See you, Damsel.

Let's talk to Jack one more time.



I'm doing more useless bullshit for LaCroix.

We still haven't investigated the Elizabeth Dane, but we act like we have anyway.

Buck up, Kiddo! I told you man, you do what you gotta do.

I know, but I can't escape it.

You were born into this mess with an ounce of fame; that's usually gonna work against you.

What did I do for this attention?



Well, I'll bet he's gonna hold you up one day as an example of what the Camarilla can do for the wayward and lowly. Ah, it's a bunch of crap but, hey - good for you.

It's possible that we've turned from an inconvience to a useful tool in LaCroix's eyes, especially since we've been schmoozing with him.

What am I supposed to do?



Yeah, I hear you. Later.

Speaking of playing the game, we should head back to Strauss and tell him that the plague is over.



Do you have a few minuts to talk with me?

Of course.

I've solved the problem with the epidemic.



Tell me of this so-called bishop.

He wanted to bring about the end of the world.

But not Gehenna. He's got a more unique plan than that.



If you so desire, I can give you a unique talisman that might be of use in the future. If that does not interest you, I can compensate you with hard currency. You decide.

We have enough cash, and this talisman sound better anyway.

I'll take the item you're talking about.



Me too. See ya.



Much more useful than cash. Next time we'll investigate the Elizabeth Dane, and we'll have to head back through Santa Monica to get there. Stay tuned.