Grasping the blade (Rosalyn, pre-dawn Wed. 4/4/07)

[Detritus]

((I'm just assuming that Rosalyn follows Gwynnis once she leaves the parlor. She'll certainly be assuming that...))

Gwynnis ascends the first set of stairs in silence, and does not speak until you are both on the stairway between the second and third floors.

"I don't think this will take very long. The Councilor will want to have some of our blood put on Jocelin's blade, and then she will perform the enchantment, perhaps contributing some blood of her own. Then you will be somewhat properly armed, although the replacement will not be as potent as Rhongomyniad, of course." Gwynnis lets out a sigh.

"No, that will have to be won. I have already tried calling the spear to hand, but it will not come. Sidana already possesses it."

[Kalzazz]

"It should suffice . . . the purpose, after all, is not to annihilate Sidana. Her big bad wolf friends however will prove interesting"

[Detritus]

"Sidana will not be bound by the same constraints as you or any of the others going after her, though. You should impress upon the others just how dangerous she is with Rhongomyniad."

After a few more steps (and Rosalyn's reply, if any), Gwynnis asks, "What are your impressions of the newcomer, this Jake fellow?"

[Kalzazz]

"Unfortunately not . . . and she will take full advantage of it. I let them know Sidana with Rhongomyniad can conjure fire as I did with Jocelin's blade, and that it would be fierce in the extreme. I also said she was exceptionally gifted with it"

"Jacob? His connections make him very useful to come at this time, and he certainly has the proper look of our clan . . . . he doesn't yet seem to understand how to swim in the night fully, I hope he avoids piranhas"

"I don't know how much help he will be in a fight . . . the musketeer seems quite serviceable, but no more able to meet Sidana directly than I, so, I hope Jacob's lifestyle where he met arms dealers also perchance lead through a lot of shadowy gladiatorial arenas"

[Detritus]

"Yes, that was my impression as well." Another brief silence passes, and then:

"A young buck, eh? Well, there's something to be said for baptism by fire. Or blood, for that matter. Speaking of which, we are there."

Gwynnis leads the way into a large bedroom. Meerlinda is seated on the floor, and you see arrow-straight Caledfwlch and Jocelin's slightly curved weapon meet about two-thirds of the way along the blades. Jocelin's katana has strips of wood bound to its sides from the top of its hilt to near where the two blades meet, very much in the manner of a splint.

"Excellent. All is in readiness. If you would, Justicar." Meerlinda indicates the junction of the two swords and one of the strips of wood. Gwynnis grasps the intersection, and then smears some of her vitae on the wood indicated by the Councilor. The blood on the blades seep into the metal until there is no trace left of your sire's vitae.

"And you Rosalyn," Meerlinda says, once again gesturing at the junction of the blades, and then to the unstained strip of wood.

[Kalzazz]

Rosalyn takes the intersection in hand to cut herself, then smears the vitae along the wood

[Detritus]

Her vitae sinks into the metal of the blades just as Gwynnis's did. Meerlinda begins intoning words in a strange tongue, one that you vaguely recognize from a distant memory as something called Hermean, though you don't recognize the words.

Caledfwlch begins to glow, and then the wood along the blade of Jocelin's katana begins to stretch, and the blood stains on the wood begin to spread. Soon the wood has enveloped most of the blade, until only a few inches a naked metal remains. The sword moves away, and the wood continues to stretch, now enveloping the katana's hilt, until a black-hafted spear six feet in length floats before the Tremere Councilor.

Gwynnis takes hold of Caledfwlch, and Meerlinda rises and grasps the new spear.

"Your weapon," she says, holding the spear before her on upturned palms, "I hope you find it satisfactory."

[Kalzazz]

Rosalyn takes the spear "Thank you councilor"

She makes a few passes with it and nods, "It will suffice"

[Detritus]

As soon as you've finished with the "test drive" of the spear, Gwynnis suddenly yells En garde! and approaches you while brandishing Caledfwlch.

((Can I get a Combat Paralysis roll or authorization for me to roll it for Rosalyn? If the roll is made, a Parry roll will be necessary immediately thereafter.))

[Kalzazz]

((You can roll for me))

[Detritus]

((Roll = 15, Combat Paralysis FAIL!))

You nearly drop your spear in surprise, and can only manage to shut your eyes tightly and to start hunching away from the blow of your Sire's sword. When the sword doesn't make contact, you look up to see the flat of the blade inches from your face before Gwynnis withdraws Caledfwlch.

"Your reflexes have dulled," she says, "especially for you to be taken unawares by a blind woman." Gwynnis lowers her shades, and for the first time you see her gaping eye sockets.

[Kalzazz]

Rosalyn winces, "Sire . . . what . . how?"


" . . . . . I do not know what happened, I shouldnt . . . not be able to"

[Detritus]

"I expect that inhabiting flesh not of your own could have certain... complications," Meerlinda says, looking at you thoughtfully.

"I suppose that may be, and it's certainly better to learn it now than during a crucial engagement in the field. You'll still have to take the field, I think," Gwynnis says, turning to you, "if you think you're still equal to the task."

[Kalzazz]

"The girl Jocelin's flesh seemed up to the task, whatever else might be thought . . . but, it is not mine true"



"Equal? I wasn't before. Now, teamwork simply becomes an extra level of even more important. I wont fail you sire"

[Detritus]

Gwynnis makes her eye sockets move in a squint that conveys a hint of skepticism, but otherwise makes no comment.

"As for the other, you must recall the way of Annwn, yes? Appearance is malleable to some extent there, in the direction of an idealized form, normally. You saw the eye there, you said you felt it inside the girl, do you not recall my ever having done this before?"

"You may both have to modulate your expectations of Rosalyn's capabilities and recollections while she accustoms herself to her new existence," Meerlinda says. Gwynnis turns to reply, but is cut off when Bonnie opens the door to the room.

"I have brought Anneke, Sire," she says, and then Anneke follows Bonnie through the door, who then closes it again.

"You!" cries Anneke, stumbling backwards into the door. "It cannot be!"

After a stunned moment, she asks of Meerlinda, "Is this your doing?"

"Anneke," Gwynnis says to her childe, "this is Rosalyn."

"Rosalyn?"

"That is correct. She is closely related to Sidana, but not Sidana herself."

"Preposterous! Sidana had no sister, and certainly not a twin. Who are you?" Anneke asks, striding towards you, and you certainly remember the stubborn cast to her jaw that you see after she stops speaking.

[Kalzazz]

"Hold Anneke . . . who I am is easily explained. I am Rosalyn, and what I am, that is more interesting. I'm perhaps . . . a part of the essence of Sidana, split off from her, or a shade . . . now inhabiting this girl Jocelin's flesh. The Sidana who still wears her own form might disagree of course, but this incomplete existence must soon be fixed"

[Detritus]

"Hold Anneke . . . who I am is easily explained. I am Rosalyn, and what I am, that is more interesting. I'm perhaps . . . a part of the essence of Sidana, split off from her, or a shade . . . now inhabiting this girl Jocelin's flesh. The Sidana who still wears her own form might disagree of course, but this incomplete existence must soon be fixed"
Anneke stares in disbelief for a moment.

"Rubbish," she says, "absolute rubbish, and I don't care whether she's holding a spear or not. I was there in Detroit when Sidana fell, when I had to flee the field in order to report on the disaster that befell the city. Now I am to believe that not only is Sidana alive, but that part of her inhabits the girl's body? Ridiculous."

Gwynnis moves to Meerlinda, and they exchange words you can't hear, after which the Councilor exits the room. Anneke fumes, muttering under her breath, during this brief exchange, after which the Justicar turns to address her childe.

"I understand how hard it must be to fathom, Anneke, let alone to believe the story you are hearing, but I fear I have no other answer to give you. You look upon the handiwork of the founder of our line. She it was who contrived a way to restore Sidana, and Jocelin as well, whom we failed to retrieve from the Deep Umbra earlier tonight."

"That girl," Anneke says with poisonous reproach, "she would have to be in the middle of it."

"It is unfair of you to be so cross with her. She was tasked with things ill-suited to her temperament during the investigation of Miss Drake, and it's hardly surprising that she failed as a consequence. If you would avoid following in her footsteps, you're going to have to make an accommodation with reality such as it is, rather than how you imagined it to be."

"I'm nothing like her!"

"Are you not? Is it because you are always the very model of sweet reason when dealing with others? That you make careful consideration of your actions, no matter the circumstances and without fail? Or that you never put a foot wrong regardless of the quality of institutional support you're given?"

Gwynnis looks as if she's carefully considering Anneke behind her shades, despite lacking her eyes.

"Do you remember who helped you with your exfiltration from your adoptive Sabbat pack?"

"That was Sidana," Anneke answers after a moment's sullen silence.

"And would it have worked as well had I sent another agent in her place?"

"I don't think so, no."

"You have no need to think so, because you already know. It was a very dangerous operation, and you had managed to trick everyone else in the pack into believing that you took part in their blood rites.

"But what you had pretended to do, Sidana has experienced in full. She is surrounded by a cadre of competent and extremely violent allies who will wish to keep her on their side. Her need is much greater than even yours was in Detroit. You will give her your full support, though she will not realize it unless we rescue her, and that begins with acknowledging the truth of what we are telling you of Sidana and Rosalyn."

Something very much like a pout appears on Anneke's face, but after half a minute or so of sulking, she looks directly at Rosalyn.

"I apologize for my outburst," she says to you, adding a slightly belated "Rosalyn" to the end of her statement. Dee Dee enters the room bearing a crystal goblet directly after Anneke finishes speaking.

[Detritus]

Gwynnis moves to Dee Dee and takes the dagger from her. A slight frown appears on her face as the silence after Anneke's apology lengthens.

((Wink, wink...))

[Kalzazz]

"Thank you Anneke, apology accepted"

[Detritus]

"Very good," says Gwynnis, "we cannot afford internal strife while facing the trials that lie before us."

Directing Dee Dee to hold the goblet under her hand, Gwynnis takes the dagger and slices into her palm. All eyes are fixed on the vessel as your Sire's vitae fills it.

"We may not have the chance to do this again for some time," Gwynnis says. She heals the wound on her palm, and then looks around the room.

"Anneke first, I should think," Gwynnis says, gesturing vaguely in Anneke's direction. She comes up and takes the goblet almost reverently, holding it before her for a moment before taking her drink. A peacefulness settles upon her that was not there before her swallow. After a glance at her Sire, Anneke turns and hands the goblet to Rosalyn.

[Kalzazz]

Rosalyn will take the cup with concealed eagerness and drink

[Detritus]

You hand the goblet off to... someone, it simply doesn't register at first who. When you've completely gathered your wits once again, you see Bonnie handing the goblet to Dee Dee, who finishes off its contents. Gwynnis hands the dagger back to the Sheriff, the wound in her palm healed.

"I hope we're all feeling better now," your Sire says. "I cannot force you to be part of one big happy family, nor would I dream of trying, but we shall all have our hands full in making sure that New Orleans endures as a stronghold of the Camarilla."

"Has it ever been such a place?" Bonnie asks.

"Perhaps not, under its previous management, but it can be made so once again. Shall we go back downstairs?" Gwynnis leaves the room without waiting for a reply, though Bonnie and Dee Dee both quickly catch up with her.

[Kalzazz]

Rosalyn follows also, taking the spear with her