Shade will be notified that Prince Carter needs to meet with him urgently. If agreeable, Carter would visit Shade in his own haven.

The elder malkavian never uses the phone himself, but seems to speak through a proxy. Probably one of his ghouls. If Shade will be seen, and denying the prince is never wise Carter will arrive within the hour.

"The Prince of Sanfield is of course welcome in my home.  My ghoul is also here at the moment, if you wish I can dismiss him before You arrive Your Highness."

Shade will straighten up a few things in his warehouse loft.  He will quickly inform his new ghoul, who now goes by the alias Sky, what is about to transpire.

"You will remain completely silent, the prince will not hesitate to kill you at a moments notice for insolence.  You will show proper accord as you would to any royalty.  You are new, and he will understand this, but it will be in your best interest to maintain yourself in a manner that befits your position as my subordinate."

Michael will not in recognition and will go about the loft helping Shade to tidy up.

Carter arrives in usual fashion. A black luxury vehicle with two pale faced ghouls who will wait outside like statues.

Carter removes something from the trunk of the vehicle. A large black duffel bag about six feet long. It looks heavy but he carries it easily.

Carter enters shades Loft Haven. He wont waste time with formalities, everyone here knows there place.

'I have brought payment for your continued service to my Domain.'

He announces, setting the bag down with a thud.

'Inside you will find the torpid form of one Randolph Carter, former primogen whose blood hunt you partook in.'  

"This one has caused much trouble Your Highness, and I thank You for this gift.  Though I assumed his Final Death would have come at the hands of the one who finally secured this...man"

Shade will look up respectfully, but inquisitively at the Prince.

'That right was declined by his captor and he was delivered to me. I know he eluded you but since we have a retainer for services...'

Carter shrugs, pointing a hand at the bodybag like it were full of cash.

'Randolph claimed to be of elder blood. I have my doubts and would taste him myself if he were of any clan but my own. If you do not wish his blood I can simply leave him out for the rising sun...'

"My Addiction would not allow that Sire.  Thank You for the gift.  As always You are welcome to remain and witness the final death of Randolph Carter, however if you have to leave I understand."

Shade will walk over to the body bag and unzip it revealing the torpid corpse of Randolf Carter, faux elder, and Malkavian Primogen.

Randolph looks pretty worn out these nights. His arms and ribcage have obviously been crushed. Whoever caught him did a number on his torso, he looks like someone drover over him with a car...

'I trust you wont be reviving him.' Carter says; in reality he would know the moment Randolph meets his final death. Malkavians death screams carry far and wide through the cobwebs... And Carter doesnt want to be anywhere near it when it happens.

But since he figures Shade wont start the biting right here and now Carter doesnt leave just yet.

'We have some New Arrivals in the city i would like you to look into as an independent agent...'

Raising an eye Shade will look back up to Carter..

"New Arrivals?  I'm surprised new Kindred are making it into the city in these nights.  The Sabbat seem quite adept at sealing your borders against "travellers"."

"My I ask who these people are Your Highness?"

'The sabbat on our borders seem to be thinning out. We have more parasites right in the heart of the city than on our flanks these nights...'

Carter picks at something on the shoulder of his jacket for a second.

'It has recently been revealed to me that both Necromancers and Serpents reside in my domain. I am less concerned about them for obvious reasons than i am about the sudden influx of Kindred from Port Lussuria, a Domain that is falling to the sabbat...'

Carter straightens up, his eyes focusing on Shade.

'What i would like you to do is take note of anyone hailing from that domain at the next Elysium. Follow them, spy on them and report any unusual activity or possible ties to the Sabbat to the sheriff.'

Shade is obviously a much more discreet and sneaky than the Sheriff, but letting an Assamite decide who could be Sabbat would be worse than just letting Zaine go after people...

"Port Lussuria you say.  I have noticed more nightly activity amongst the Kindred as of late, I suppose the sudden influx of Kindred, as well as the revelation of the Necromancers and Snakes could account for all of that.  I will be diligent Your Highness, and make note of any such occurrence that would threaten Your Domain.."

At that moment something touches at the back of Shade's mind, something familiar yet distant.

2008-08-11 12:07:02 Shade  rolls 7 dice to deflect 6,4,2,2,3, 9,8 (3 successes)

A shatter, a tearing of curtains as something flies towards Shades chest.  With a speed that surprises his new Ghoul a gleaming silver knife sprouts from the sleeve of the shirt Shade is wearing and into his hand and moves to deflect whatever just flew through the window.  

Shade will move with great speed between the Prince and the window and grow silent, listening, waiting.  

2008-08-11 14:09:39 Carter rolls 7 dice to Mask of 1000 faces (Diff 7, used willpower) 6,5,6,5,9, 8,6 (3 successes)
---------------------------------------------------------------

No sooner did the shattering sound than Carter was no longer Carter. Instead he appears as an exact duplicate of Shades Ghoul down to height, weight, facial features, and even matching clothes...

As Shade moved to put himself beetween Carter and Whatever caused the noise Carter stepped to put the Ghoul beetween him and whatever caused the noise as well.  

--Last edited by Radiationjunkie on 2008-08-11 16:37:29 --

Sky is undoubetedly perplex and frightened by all of this.  Suddenly his Domitor is seemingly instantly behind the man that Shade was talking to, and then instantly there was a doppleganger of Sky standing there.  

Shade will hold up a hand to Sky, signaling that things are alright.

Upon turning around Shade will grin slightly.

"You're abilities never cease to intrigue me Your Highness."

Shade will replace the knife and retrieve whatever projectile shattered his window.

"Sky, please call the hardware store two blocks over, they are open 24 hours.  We need this window replaced as soon as possible."

Walking over to the wall where the object is currently embedded, Shade will pull out a black bladed short sword.  To Shade, this sword means more than words.  Attached to a thong on the end of the sword is a military grade flash drive.

"Your Highness, I know who threw this, but it wasn't done maliciously, at least not to you."

Theres a flicker as Carters features reform from Doppleganger back to his usual self. His eyes are narrow, pupils blown to almost dominate whats visible of his eyes behind his lids. His jaw is tight and he does not look pleased.

Suprises are very bad these nights. Carter points at Shades ghoul, but doesnt break his eyes from Shade.

'You stay put.' He says, in a firm tone. 'You, make that make sense.' He tells Shade.  

--Last edited by Radiationjunkie on 2008-08-11 22:23:33 --

Shade will deatch the USB Key and lay the sword almost reverantly on the desk next to a modern PC set up in a corner.

"That sword belongs to my Sire Your Highness, I am absolutely sure of it.  He told me that he would be keeping an eye on me from time to time.  I suppose this is his way of communicating.  As I'm sure Your Highness is aware, one of my clan never makes himself known unless necessary."

Shade will insert the USB Key into the computer and open the secured document contained within.

********

You need to be aware of whats coming.  I likely won't be able to make contact for a great while.  You have done well Shade, Rafiq.  This was sent to all active cells.  Be vigilant and may the Eldest watch over you.


Return-Path: <localuser@sb50-a7.black-veil.il>
Date: Sun, 20 Dec 1998 01:11:34 +0200
From: Anonymous <anonymous@black-veil.il>
Reply-To: anonymous@black-veil.il
Organization: none
X-Accept-Language: en
To: <recipient list suppressed>
Subject: [BROKEN STONE] 308A

I had the right authentication and your PGP keys. Here is where I establish my bona fides as a daughter of Haqim, not as a piece of technology. My name is Sarah Schneier and I hold the Seat of Copper and Lightning in the Council of Scrolls, and yes, this is important enough to require me to expose myself.

Alpha passed the order down for me to get the word out to all cells. You have to know what's on the Throne.
On 08 November, we opened the Vault of the Pillars. The records there confirmed our suspicions as to the identity and nature of the new Eldest.

You already know about the Baali Wars, and about the Second City, and the parables of how the Ancestor made the warriors to serve as the world's first police, and how the sorcerers were made as demon hunters because the Ancestor did not trust Saulot.

The problem, at least before the sorcerers came along, was that the Baali and all their cultist followers were too disorganized for the warriors and the first sorcerers to strike at. It was like trying to fight a swarm of wasps. So the Ancestor gave them something to unify them. He found someone who was born with a soul already destined for corruption — a ten-year-old shepherd — and Embraced that child. Then Haqim took his childe to the pit that Saulot said had spawned the Baali and he threw that shepherd into it. And the blood of the Ancestor and the power of that soul turned that child into the leader that the Baali needed.

When the Baali assaulted the Second City en masse, the Ancestor was off on one of his mysterious disappearances. He made it back just in time to stop his childe and tear the demon out of the body that it rode, and when the battle was over he claimed that he had found the child dying on the battlefield and the Embrace was the only way to save that innocent victim. Then he watched the child to make sure that it was safe to have around.

I guess he did not watch long enough. Some sort of spiritual seed stayed in the child, and that soul was never truly clean anyway, no matter what the Ancestor did. And it woke up last year, and now it is the Eldest. It is not Baali, and it is not possessed, and we do not think it is not working with or for anything infernal, but it is a case where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, and it is not one of Haqim's Children any more, not really. It is something more, and it is something less.

Every scroll and tablet we found in the Vault of the Pillars, every test we can perform without arousing its suspicion, everything we have points to ur-Shulgi as that child. It is close enough to 100% certainty that Alpha ord

Power out, generators are up. It knows already, and it's moving. File attachments have all data that is in our hands as of tonight, and the mirror sites will contain it for download as long as they stay up. You have all that we have. Use it.

Go with God, and may He be merciful. ^S^Csend^Cquit  

--Last edited by Shade on 2008-08-11 23:04:10 --

There is a distinct shift in the air as Carter finishes reading. The typical camarilla prince would dismiss it all as lies. Noone has seen an Eldest since before even Carter was embraced. He should even have Shade hunted for his heretical lies...

Belief in the eldest is something the Sabbat use to scare young ones. Belief in the eldest is what drives the elders mad...

'Lies, lies lies.'

Carter will swat Shades Monitor like a bug, the offending device flying across the loft haven and making a rough landing... Without another word Carter turns and storms out of Shades haven.

Shades demeanor will not shift, this is not the first outburst he has seen from the Prince.  And this demented Camarilla Prince, who keeps Shade on a leash like a fucking puppy, will some day be judged by the Council, but for the moment, his slate remains clean in the eyes of the Assamite.

Shade will call Sky and tell him to pick up a new monitor at his earliest convenience before going and sweeping up the remnants of the old one.  And now that he is along he will deal with Randolph Carter.

Walking over to the open bag Shade will kneel down and sink his fangs into the torpid body of the lying Kindred.

Beginning to draw the Vitae from his system Shades body is invigorated at the taste of Kindred Vitae.  It is his addiciton, his candy, his ultimate payment.  After draining the husk that remains, Shade will begin drawing the soul of this torpid Kindred into himself.

2008-08-11 21:39:29 Shade rolls 4 dice to Diablerie (Diff 9, used willpower) 8,6,6,6 (1 success)

2008-08-11 21:39:41 Shade rolls 5 dice to Diablerie (Diff 9, used willpower) 4,7,4,3,8 (1 success)

2008-08-11 21:39:59 Shade rolls 6 dice to Diablerie (Diff 9, used willpower) 4,2,7,3,9, 4 (2 successes)

2008-08-11 21:40:14 Shade rolls 7 dice to Diablerie (Diff 9, used willpower) 8,5,7,6,9, 4,1 (1 success)

2008-08-11 21:40:24 Shade rolls 8 dice to Diablerie (Diff 9, used willpower) 10,1,7,5,7, 7,6,9 (2 successes)  

--Last edited by Shade on 2008-08-11 23:43:45 --

Randolph's soul is resilient and battles Shade with every pull. As Shades addiction is fed the world fades from him. A shotgun could go off next to his head and he would not hear it.

As he draws Randolphs soul into himself Shade will hear the voices. Little glimpses of the madness that ties all Malkavians... These voices are not happy, they are not welcoming... They hurl curses, threaten and screech in the back of Shades head.

When the deed is done Shade will be overcome by the addicting euphoria that makes the best drugs look weak and any orgasm seem minute and unfullfilling. His head will pound with the rush of the consumed soul, or whatever passes for it.

This feeling will dull but linger for at least a half an hour. The voices calming to irritating whispers. Randolph was neither the Elder he claimed to be, nor demented enough to cause any lasting effect good or ill to Shade.

But the feeling of Diablerie itself is just as potent, as will be the renewed black streaks in Shade's Aura.