Events from “A Tremere Hello”
Notes by Anthony
Zachary closed the notebook. He’d reread their journal entries a dozen times, and he wasn’t going to find any new clues or insights there. He walked over to Ty and Desirée to discuss what they could do next. They had two options, and neither seemed particularly promising. One: find Nikoli on the docks in Georgetown, a sprawling and potentially dangerous place to be skulking about at night without a single clue as to where to start. Two: find the mysterious “artkal” or “oughtcal” in Old Town Center. One of the bodyguards brought out a map of Alexandria from the car at Desirée’s request, and Desirée and Zachary began looking for all buildings labeled “Old Town Center,” but found only a smattering of civic centers and tourist traps.
As they poured over the map, Zachary noticed something funny with Thaïs. She looked rattled. Zachary didn’t know what he looked like when he had his visions, but it felt similar. Like she was rapidly processing disturbing information from some invisible source. She excused herself and walked into the bathroom and closed the door. Desirée also appeared to notice but gave Ty her space. Zachary did the same. It sounded like a bad idea to confront and interrogate his newfound allies about something Ty clearly didn’t want to share. He feared doing or saying anything that would jeopardize their goodwill towards him.
There was a loud bang, and Zachary found himself standing protectively in front of Ben before he had even processed what happened. The bathroom door had been ripped off its hinges and was held aloft only by Ty’s clenched fist. She quietly apologized to Desirée and promised to fix the door while Zachary tried to calm his racing blood and relax his muscles. There was a knock at the door, and Desirée told Zachary and Ben to hide in the back room while she and Ty investigated. Zachary and Ben left the door open a crack and watched as Ty carried in George. Zachary ran out to him. George looked awful. His suit was a bloody, soaked mess. One eye was swollen shut and crusted over with blood. His arms and legs were broken in numerous places. Zachary had no idea how he had managed to get to the art gallery, let alone survive the beating.
George explained that his Camarilla government handlers no longer recognized him, and thought he was a Malkavian impersonating a Tremere. They’d beaten him and tossed him into the Potomac to die. George had wandered the streets of Del Ray looking for them until he recognized the drivers in front of Desirée’s art gallery. As George spoke, his wounds slowly knit back together until he was able to stand on his own, looking alive but drained. Guilt hung heavy in Zachary’s gut. He knew now that he had made the right call to go with Desirée and Ty, but George had nearly died doing what he thought was right and hadn’t given up Zachary to save his own skin. If he had, wouldn’t they have come after the actually illegal Malkavian? Desirée and Ty still appeared skeptical, but they seemed to accept George’s story for now.
The group was still left with the question of what to do next. Desirée wanted to go back to her club with Ty and have George, Zachary, and Ben stay in the car or make their own way to the docks. As none of the latter wanted to split up, they offered to wait in the car. When Desirée and Ty went upstairs, Zachary made the decision to trust George and revealed to him everything he had experienced in the visions and mirror conversations. George had given up his position, allies, resources, and even his very identity for Zachary and their mission to save the world. Even if George had some hidden agenda, Zachary had to have faith that George would make the right call when the time came.
When Desirée and Ty returned, Ty said she had received Nikoli’s phone number from a contact and called Nikoli about a business proposition to link her trucking company and his docks. They were to meet him at 5am in Building 1227, a warehouse in the Lincolnia Industrial Park in Arlandria. He’d be there for 30 minutes. Desirée spoke up and said she had other business to attend to, but that one of her bodyguards, Sebastian, would drive them over in her car. In the car, Ty, George, Zachary, and Ben discussed their plan. They thought it unlikely that Nikoli would respond well to the direct approach, so George would pretend to be a Ventrue named “Henry” and lead the business negotiations, while Zachary would pretend to be a Nosferatu masked as a human. Zachary would have his spectral vision trained on Nikoli and study his emotions during the conversation. George borrowed Sebastian’s suit to replace the pleather jacket he had worn over his ruined one.
In the warehouse, a large Russian man sat in front of two empty leather chairs, flanked by three individuals. He introduced himself as Nikoli, and his associates as Nadia, Sergei, and Teras. Zachary could tell with his spectral sight that Nikoli and the two former associates were kindred, while the later was probably a ghoul. The three associates read as resolute and vigilant, while Nikoli was equal parts confident and suspicious. Nikoli offered Ty a Cuban cigar, and while she initially accepted, she could not approach the flame once it was lit. This power play amused Nikoli. Ty introduced George as Henry, and Zachary and Ben as Z and B.
George took the lead on negotiations, offering the trucking company as a way to move Nikoli’s wares inland while protecting them from the wolves. Zachary could tell that Nikoli was not buying the story, and reacted with anger towards offers of money and power, but with suspicion and interest when George offered knowledge. They spoke in Russian for a bit, but Zachary could tell immediately that Nikoli was surprised when George bluntly stated that they were interested in Artkal. Underlying Nikoli’s shock was a vague mixture of fear and hope. Nikoli lied about not knowing anything about it but said that such curiosity might get them killed. Nikoli mentioned the Grand Revolution in Moscow and how he was saved by certain people – something about a Yaga, but that now wasn’t the time to discuss it.
Zachary must have been studying Nikoli too intensely, for Nikoli locked eyes with Zachary and his emotional state became suffused with glee. Nikoli asked who Zachary was, and Zachary tried to play it cool by saying he was “Z, for tonight,” but Nikoli saw right through him. Nikoli said he was thrilled to finally meet Zachary. He asked when Zachary was from, and if Zachary had the Temple. Zachary didn’t have an answer, but George said they thought that the Temple was a place, and Nikoli agreed. Nikoli said that Zachary was one of the Travelers and should, or would, know more soon. Nikoli had known that important things were happening, and had spoken with Joan, but didn’t think he would be part of it so soon. Nikoli confirmed that he had access to Samal, and Samal would know what to say and would tell them about the Temple and the Gateways. Nikoli promised to take the group to speak with Samal tomorrow.