Full Tides and Full Moons [Closed]

[Lucius Servius]

“Well said architect ”. Lucius responds coldly. It irked him to have a brujas ancilla lecture to him, and Falco for that matter – two venture who predated Roman rule of Brittan on the historical origins of the baths. The words ‘im sure you know’ were perhaps even more annoying, especially as the incompetent Brijah got the deity’s in a muddle and then looked too bloody Dukes of all people for answers. You know, rather than the rooms actual Romans?! Warrior scholars indeed…

“Achille Audley please see to it that I am brought red wine. The swill that is served these days is too strong for my tastes so bring a carafe of water along with the bottle. My brother will like whiskey, neat.”

“Lady Grace. The goings-on under the city is the responsibility of the Nosfruatu and none of our concern, the ritual in the woods is something to the Gangrel, frankly, none of our concern and a storm is a metrological phenomenon that occurs when high atmospheric pressure develops around a front of low atmospheric pressure, frankly, out of our control. Do you have any evidence to suggest these three seemingly unrelated phenomena are related beyond the coincidence of timing?”

[Captain J. Aubrey]

Jack's expression had developed a rather glazed, melancholy quality. He listened to the conversation unfolding around him but his interest seemed quite captivated by Valentina's dimpled smile and the goings on of the servants next door. His spirits seem to lift with the prospect of a good scotch but realising that the suggestion had come from Elder Lucius, his frown deepened into a stubborn glower again.

"You aren't boring me, Architect." Jack sighed, ignoring the question about naval feasts. He didn't need another reason to feel sorry for himself while landlocked. "Though I am a little taken aback by the depth of occult knowledge you all seem to possess - saving our reliable Miss Audley, of course."

Jack greeted her with a warm smile as she returned but anyone would have been forgiven for assuming he was smiling at the prospect of a drink.

"I am not sure if I should be impressed - or mildly alarmed. Lady Grace in particular... I did not know you were acquainted with such obscure details of mythology. I expect such knowledge from our Roman elders present, I suppose, but it is unusual in an Ancilla, no? Is this usual in your domain, Sheriff? And what's this talk of monsters on the roads?"

[alanwrotethis]

"Ah yes, my good Archon. Ancilla Grace was accosted by an unusual beast on the road to Reading some time past. Perhaps she will elucidate, if you require? "

[Valentina Audley]

Valentina slips back into the room followed by a serving lad carrying a large tray. He swiftly sets out an array of alcohol laced bloods, whisky, gin, wine, sherry, port and brandy. There are also bottles of straight alcohol and as requested the carafe of water for Lucius to complement whichever wine he picks.

The lad quickly and effeciently serves everyone with a drink of their choice bows to the room at large and retires, taking the tray with him but leaving the decanters behind.

Valentina reseats herself in the group, now equipped with a glass of gin laced blood and smiles sweetly at the assembled Kindred.

"Did I miss anything?"

[Lady Grace]

Grace takes a large swig of Brandy.
It's odd such a short time if drinking with Jaques over this busy rushed months had made it a drink she favoured.

Grace looks directly at Valentina and smiles,
"Thank you for arranging the drinks.
I have just been asked to relay something that happened to me on the toll road from Bath to Cirencester."

Grace takes another drink, yes there was no way of avoiding this. Here goes,
Grace takes a entirely unnecessary breath and begins,
"The Prince of Cirencester attended Sulis Court and in talking with him he invited me to sing at his Court. I soentva month making the proper arrangements for attendance and so found myself in a carriage on the toll road from Bath to Cirencester.

I distinctly remember looking out on how bright everything was under the full moon and the carriage halted abruptly, the driver made a noise of revulsion and shock, which was cut off in a hiccup of surprise but I could smell his fear.

Given how suspicious it was I didn't look out but as I called to question why the carriage had stopped I could already see it through the tinted interconnecting glass.

"A huge thick black animal, not quite wolf but it shifted and flickered like a absence of the world, like it didn't belong in this world. It had two enormous twin peaks rise from its head, like ears but the ends taper and fade into smoke. The eyes were sunken in shadow but I know they were eyes because they glowed like embers."

Grace takes another long draw of Brandy.
"It’s paws were all wrong, dinner-plate sized but shaoed like a raptor with glossy black fur. It was about the size of a shire horse. It had a whiplike thing where a tail would be but it vanished at the top like it just disappeared out of the world.:

"It was bent over something on the road, a lump of
meat and blood but otherwise no one else on the road or in sight. Then my driver shouts in horror and it rushed towards us. The 'thing' moved like shadow and ink and it hit the carriage like a train, throwing the carriage up and onto its side. It was so fast."

"I remember hitting my head hard against the window, feeling the glass crack as it met the road. The driver cried out there was wet ripping sound."

"Then the rest is a blur, I got out if the carriage just before it was ripped apart by the creatures jaws luckily that ripped the struts freeing one of the horses. I just about jumped onto one horse and it bolts. I managed to get a look back and the carriage was in pieces, driver and one horse dead and it watches me leave but doesn't follow. I got the feeling that I wasn't the target, which is lucky as if I were I am sure I wouldn't be here.

We got a few miles away, I found a mill with a flour cellar that was appropriate and took time to sleep and heal and eventually walked back to Sulis.

I checked the news in the area, the carriage was found upended and destroyed but no blood or remains were found.
I visited the police station to report the attack on my carriage by thieves and they believe the story I put forward and are not investigating," Grace smiles, "they even returned my belongings."

"I gave the details of all of this to Sheriff Dukes and to Archon Knox at the first opportunity that I had which was the Reading Salon. Since then I believe there has been another attack of this nature on a member of the Bristol Court travelling to Bath."

Grace looks around the room just waiting to be called a liar.

[Lucius Servius]

Lucius breaks the silence that followed Lady Grace’s speech by sighing audibly. “Thank you, Lady Grace for so comprehensively, if a bit defensively, reporting to events that have taken place outside of this city. I don’t quite see the necessity to provide such a full report if this information has already been communicated to Archon Knox, but then again, I also don’t require evidence that storms, Gangrels meeting in a field and a Nosfruatu farting too loudly aren’t related either.”

“Now, at the risk of being named a conspirator alongside roadside horse killers and an overly flatulent Nosfruatu, could we possibly change the subject?”