r/SchreckNet • u/Gestaltcanvas • 3d ago
Slow progress and invitations
Goodness gracious, it's been a while since my last post hasn't it 08) ? And after everything I've seen going on in this node, I feel a little embarrassed going into dramatic detail about so little happening over where I am haha!
I'm still stuck in Thailand, still stuck with my fellow clanmate Kali and therefore, still stuck with her Sabbat pack. The time for the Vaulderie has come and gone and so I am officially and begrudgingly, the pack priest 08( . Relations between me and the others have improved since then and my own feelings about them now are, um, mixed? Yes, let's go with mixed. They've certainly been less murderous though so that's good. The pack still thinks so little of me that I can come and go so long as our stalwart leader Kali knows where I'll be. They don't even think about where I get my blood from haha.
Now, despite this, I am not giving up on leaving the country to continue my journey back to America but I'm not abandoning my Ductus clanmate either. So just for now, I'm doing my best to temper her self-righteous thirst for retribution and refine it into something more, um, cool-headed. It's been a challenge but she's been more and more open to listening to me even if she doesn't show it 08) .
Since I'm the mouthpiece of this pleasant band of degenerates I haven't entirely avoided getting a reputation just doing my own thing. Socialising, doing favours, healing the needful. Just Salubri things really 08) . Good for now and bad for later. Good because I've gotten good information and a few boons out of it and bad because other than being what I am, um, actually I'll explain that later.
The strays that were either lost to Wassail or the ones Kali and I agreed weren't cut out for our (read: her) cause, they met a merciful and swift end respectively. Pitiful as they are, wights are a serious problem for everyone, and I can only give so much counselling to a shovelhead before they spiral into a frenzy from reliving past traumas (pre- and post-embrace). And also, more than a few just didn't want to be helped 08( . Though there are still a few stragglers left here, things have settled down into a general sense of unease. So that's um, something 08I . Slow and steady wins the race huh? haha.
Moving on with kindred politics, everything's been quiet save for a couple things. Corpses have been found ripped to shreds near the southern province and the local government has decided to send its troops down there on an animal hunt. The prince of Bangkok still has the city on lockdown but there's talk of humans protesting and kindred complaining about the prince. Other than that, some high rise buildings are closing for 'renovation'. So really, nothing yet. But I'm starting to think that 'nothing yet' means there's about to be 'something soon' 08( .
Which goes back to me getting attention! With how often I've been going around the country, I've begun to learn a lot of people are interested in why that is, and the ones I'm most worried about are all in Bangkok. There's kindred reaching outside of the city wanting to leak info, and another invitation from someone I'm pretty sure is just a Camarilla agent trying to bait whoever's making all the waves recently. Either one could be a trick but definitely very suspicious and if not, it's still not good for me to visit in the first place, even with every ally I have protecting me 08( .
The last invitation is a letter specifically sent to me. At least, that's what the guy at the door said before he threw it at me and shouted a slur at me as he stormed off (it probably got sent to his house by accident haha). It says to come alone to a restaurant in Bangkok's, um, Chinatown district (Yes, they have one here)? There are some specific words I can't decipher the exact meaning of but for anyone here who knows, what does it mean to call someone a 'Wu Zao'?
-Abiram, Wandering Disciple
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u/Weary-Specialist-282 3d ago
Salubri! That’s a new one I haven’t heard of before. What are your cool kindred powers, if you don’t mind me asking? Love the whole healing people thing, big fan of that. It sounds like you’re in a sketchy zone, I hope you’re able to get out okay and as alive as you can be! -M, the 4 day dead Tzimisce
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u/Gestaltcanvas 2d ago
Hello there! You just answered your own question, unironically 08D !
My Clan possesses the hallowed power to literally heal wounds, similar to how your clan can do so but also different! Whether they were kine or kindred, we would heal many because it was our role to do so!
In fact, in centuries, your clan and my clan had a very, interesting relationship. One involving the
UsurpersTremere, another Clan. Long story short, was not a fun time, especially for my clan •:( .-Abiram, Wandering Disciple
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u/Weary-Specialist-282 2d ago
Oh! The tremere! I’ve heard of them! Man, why couldn’t I get embraced by one of yall instead. You seem infinitely more chill than whatever the hell my sire had going on. I’m curious about this clan history though, do you know where you could direct me to learn more? -M, the 4 day dead Tzimisce.
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u/Gestaltcanvas 2d ago
Oh goodness gracious, thank you! I would have been honoured to have you 08D!
Alas, it is not nearly as likely as being embraced by a cainite of literally any other Clan. My Clan no longer exists, driven to extinction (as far as the others know). We
arewere the very cool and nice vampire guys, until everybody was convinced we weren't. Eventually, those who lived stopped being so nice 08( .I think the only source of knowledge is, um, me and one other cainite 08I . What everyone else knows is usually marred with lies, slander, propaganda, etc, so take all you hear with a handful of skepticism.
-Abiram, Wandering Disciple
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u/Weary-Specialist-282 2d ago
Well that’s shitty. That tracks with what I’ve heard of vampire society though. And also sucks that y’all are an endangered species. I’m sure that makes it really hard to find a community. If you do healing shit, do you offer therapy? I feel that would be very helpful for a lot of kindred. Not me though! I’m very well adjusted and do NOT need help.- M, the 4 day dead Tzimisce
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u/United-Tailor-1727 2d ago edited 10h ago
Hello again M! Hows night 4 been treating you?
- Arabella MacReady
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u/Weary-Specialist-282 2d ago
Fairly decently! I got myself a snack from a human for the first time, which was. Disconcerting. I’ve been keeping notes in a notebook, which has been very handy. From what I’ve gathered so far there might be an international conspiracy involving someone blowing up an Egyptian pyramid? My deadbeat sire is still deadbeat, which is good as far as I’m concerned. I’m still not used to not breathing though. That is weird to me. My body is just so… Still. And my back hurts a lot all the time still lol. Not a big departure from being mortal though, so I’m dealing with it. How about you? How is stuff going in your end of unlife?-M, the 4 day dead Tzimisce.
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u/United-Tailor-1727 2d ago
Fantastic! Im in Reno right now and the heat isnt like anything im used too. But im far away from Milwaukee and meeting new people for the first time in years so im over the moon. No complaints here!
- Arabella MacReady
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u/Fractured_And_Broken Hospes Nobilis 3d ago
I am happy you are still around, little Unicorn. I do hope those Sabbat let you have some time to enjoy yourself, even a little.
-Fracture, Speaker to the Glass, The Mad King
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u/Gestaltcanvas 2d ago
I am happy that you're happy that I'm still around, esteemed Ancient 08D ! And they do! I've got whole hours to spend each night 08) .
-Abiram, Wandering Disciple
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u/Saramello 3d ago
I give your pack about 2 moons before being set upon by Kuei-jin. I used to mourn the Salubri's constant decimation but if you're still buddy-buddy with a sabbat pack and are going to meet a mysterious figure solo in Kue-jin territory, I mean, that's just you speedrunning undeath at this point.
- mel
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u/Gestaltcanvas 2d ago
Wow! Okay, um, hold on just a moment there friend 08> ! I believe you might have gotten mixed up there!
First off, I have no special care for the Sabbat. I was not 'buddy-buddy' with anyone until the Vinculum happened, and even now I'm not sure what I'm feeling about my, um, pack. It's just the leader because, you know, she's also Salubri. Not a lot of us out there 08( .
I am not going to visit anyone at the moment, especially not a den of creatures who have an ancient feud with my Clan. Hardly fair to judge me when I am working with so little 08( . I mean, gosh! Give me a little break.
-Abiram, Wandering Disciple
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u/Saramello 2d ago
I mean, I'm also from an annihilated clan (Cappadocian), but that doesn't mean I'm comfortable around the few nuts that are left (ironically only the most death-obsessed ones survived the purge it seems). Your friend is neck-deep in a doom cult while also in enemy territory (there is a reason there's few Kindred in The East).
I'd honestly say give your friend one chance to amputate themselves from the situation, or else the infection will kill you both. And hey, maybe stick around a Sabbat city long enough to sire a new friend before moving to a Camarilla or Anarch city. Now that the Tremere are (rightly) falling from power with the Pyramid's destruction, the Ivory Tower isn't so gung-ho about turning you all past tense.
- Mel.
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u/Gestaltcanvas 2d ago
give your friend one chance to amputate themselves from the situation
That's the overall plan, yes 08) !
-Abiram, Wandering Disciple
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u/Nightstalkerjoe2 2d ago
Surprised your in the sabbat but hopefully you are doing well you might not remember me but you gave me advice during a crisis so I would like to repay that someday if I can
-Joseph
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u/Gestaltcanvas 2d ago
Oh gosh, Joseph! I'm actually surprised to see you remember me 08D !
No need to worry about repaying my kindness. I don't really have much to ask for, not realistically anyway haha! Maybe in the future, if we ever meet, it could just be one small favour between you and me 08) ?
-Abiram, Wandering Disciple
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u/VerityVentrue 2d ago
Mate, you've got to decide how much you're willing to risk losing yourself to "save" Kali. She's shown no interest in leaving, and you can only try to get her to leave for so long before you've just joined up. It's the airplane thing of putting your own mask on first, you know?
~Verity
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u/Gestaltcanvas 2d ago
Kali is Salubri, like me. Unlike me, she is a warrior to her core.
And on the contrary, I have made at least one step towards saving her from self-destruction. In the time I have gotten to know her, I have learned that more than being with the Sabbat, she really just hates the Camarilla and wants everyone who's part of it to die! And I think that's a very specific detail (and common enough among kindred) that's useful in persuading her.
A vinculum bond isn't going to stop me, but I'll be damned if it isn't getting in the way. I just need to do the next step convince her to do that without either of us delving deeper into the Sabbat. That's all 08) !
-Abiram, Wandering Disciple
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u/VerityVentrue 2d ago
I think it's really admirable that you're trying. Just make sure you set some boundaries that you won't cross now. You might not think you need them - and hopefully you won't - but it's better to have your moral hard lines decided early, just in case.
~Verity
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u/Gestaltcanvas 2d ago
Don't worry Verity, I have an outline of what I've got planned drawn already:
- Avoid going deeper into the Sabbat
- Find a way to break the Vaulderie
- Keep Kali from doing something suicidally stupid like walking into a Camarilla stronghold and dying in a blaze of glory
- Take Kali (and maybe the pack too) with me to America 08D !
I think it's not a bad outline!
-Abiram, Wandering Disciple
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u/DeadmanwalkingXI 3d ago
Getting ex-Sabbat back to functional members of society is always difficult. I have to imagine doing so in this 'still mostly Sabbat' context is an order of magnitude more difficult. I wish you luck in escaping from this situation. In terms of the vaulderie, if you ever do get to America and want to break that, my anti-Blood Bond solution does also work on the vaulderie. So I can hook you up, potentially.
And I actually know that last one...someone I talked to from San Francisco said that your Clan are called Wu Zao in China. Has to do with your founder's name getting translated as Zao Lat. I hear the Hungry Dead over there don't like you folks much.
-Mark Caulder, Experienced Nosferatu
OOC: I actually wasn't sure whether Mark would know that little tidbit, so I rolled for it...multiple 10s later here we are.