You quickly get your bareings and determin that the truck you woke up in is located on the Cosmoball course. You figure it is unlikely that you went to far while out of it, which should make retracing your steps easier. You spare a quick glace to Spot and determine that she will likely be out for awhile longer, so you decide to leave her where she is and figure out exactly what happened.
You quickly track down the Spiker's tattoo artist, a man who goes by Ink. He explains that you posed so that someone named Carp could have your image engraved on his skin. You also find out that you spent a good 30 minutes explaining how a vampire's regeneration works to Ink, and debating weather or not it would 'cure' a Tattoo. He seems only slightly skeptical of your identity.
Deciding to save judgement for Ink until later you head to the Tent where he told you Carp would be. Carp, as it turns out, is one of the three thugs who jumped you in, but not the one who nearly killed you. A few quick words confirm that the earlier proceedings were only an initiation ceremony, and that he bears you no ill will. He is reluctant to retell the story of what happened while you were on your trip, but you apply your powers of persuasion, and eventually he sings like a bird.
Carp was approached by Spot and yourself to help dispose of a body. At first he demanded sexual favors in return, but through what you can only assume was the use of your persuasive powers you bargained him down to posing for a Tattoo that he could 'remember you by'. He did overhear you vampire discussion with Ink while the Tattoo was being applied, but mistook it for the deranged ramblings of someone who was higher than a kite. He then mentions that after you got the Tattoo you went off with somebody named Goaltender.
Goaltender, the word you wrote on yourself, perhaps as a reminder of something.
"Who is this Goaltender, and where do I find him?"Carp shrugs. "He lives off site, with his Bugeyes brother and a handful of brave spikers. He is in charge of making our explosives, and we don't want him doing that on the lot where most of us live. I can't say I know exactly where his place is."
You stiffen. 'Bugeyes' is a mortal term for the Dredswarm, who due to their unsubtle tactics tend to be well known by whatever mortals they happen to live around. You relax as your training in Vampire Sociology kicks in; you know very well that a Dreadswarm who is living peacefully with a mortal is very unlikely to have anything to do with his kind's hateful rulers. Goaltender and his brother may not necessarily be enemies or even rivals.
Feeling that you have retraced your wasted steps to the best of your ability, you return to the truck and wait for Spot to wake up. Once the teenager comes around, you pop the question.
"So would you be interested in joining me in undeath's embrace? I am the progenitor of a new Bloodline, and you would be my firsturned. That would automatically make you one of the most powerful beings to exist?"Spot shrugs and looks at you sheepishly. "I don't understand why you would want me. I'm just a punk kid who happens to be good with a wrench. That said, I'm not one to look a gift vampire in the mouth... So if Greg will allow it, I accept your offer."
"Wonderful." You say with a smirk.
"I was planning on turning him as well."The teenager laughs. "What are you planning? Do you intend to turn the whole damn gang?"
"Not yet. A group of vampires as large as the Spikers living in plain view in the middle of a ball court would be detected and dealt with rather quickly. I'll leave that option on the table for when the Spikers move up in the world and earn a better home."The pair of you hunt down Greg, who takes the whole vampire announcement in stride. When you inquire about turning Spot he pulls her aside for a private discussion and the pair return several minutes later.
"You can have her on two conditions." He announces with tears in his eyes. "The first of which is that you take damn good care of her. I plucked her from the streets on the Duskbolt's last voyage while she was just a kid, and have grown rather attached to her since then. Second, I want her to remain at least semi-active as a Spiker. I'm not sure I can relate to all these damn kids I'm leading without her aid, and she is invaluable in helping me restore the tank."
You pause for a moment to consider his terms before turning the tables on him.
"Who said you had to be separated? I want you as well Greg. When we last met you said you were going to rule this ship. I can give you the power to do just that."Greg is taken aback. "Wha... me?" The large man pauses briefly to let the shock of the proposition pass and compose his response to your proposition. "I don't know... It sounds great... I think immortality would suit me fine... but I founded the Spikers because I wanted to be my own boss. No offense, but I'm not sure I'd be comfortable answering to some chick half my age."
You sigh. You could turn your powers on Greg and make him comply, but once you turn Spot and she gains instinctive knowledge of the Bloodline's powers, it is likely that she will deduce what you have done. Not wanting a displeased firsturned you weigh your options and begin to consider convincing arguments and reasonable concessions to win the man over...
Potential Goals/Tasks:Urgent:
-You are currently trying to sell vampireism to the Spiker Leader Greg...
Semi-Urgent
-The Ratline you drained is not going to recover without a mortal to bleed dry
-If the other factions are building up numbers, you may want to start turning mortals sooner rather than later...
-A progenitor such as yourself requires a meal everyday. It is never to early to line up the next victim.
-You are not sure if that shopkeeper is to be trusted... perhaps you should have him turned or killed...
-You know a Dredswarm lives at a Satellite Spikers camp
Non-Urgent
-You know most of the Blushface that lived on Earth IIV. If you can track down where they are staying on board you can reunite with old friends and potential allies
-If you can find the Railbone, and the means to pay them, you may be able to hire them before somebody else dose
-The Dredswarm are not to be trusted. Tacking them down and keeping an eye on them would not be a bad idea
On Hand:
Revealing Spiker's Outfit: x1 (Worn)
Wallet: x1
-Shop Key
-Elevator Key
-Hovercart Starterchip
-Debit Card (
Credits)
Jetblack Hovercart: x1 (Driven)
At Apartment:
Office Terminal: x1 (Fully stocked with office supplies)
Sleeping Bags: x20
Wardrobe: x1 (Stocked with many outfits)
Gallon Jug of Holy Water: x10 (Used to harm Railbone or Ratline Vampires)
Silver Spike: x10 (Used to harm Vampires of your Bloodline, or the Dredswarm)
Snakeskin Whip: x2 (Used to harm Blushface vampires)
Empty Casket: x3 (Used to put Vampires into hibernation)
Laser Defense System: x1 (Disarmed)
Unnamed Bloodline:
Leader: Countessa Camilla Von Nekratos (You!)
Holdings: See Other Tabs
Description: This bloodline reproduces via blood pact. Members of this bloodline are supernaturally persuasive towards mortals, and can steal the living form of a corpse. Members of this bloodline can be destroyed in a matter of seconds by burning sanctified oils, and suffer from the all to common Vamperic aversion to silver.
Bloodline Railbone:
Leader: Unknown
Relationship: Tense
Holdings: Unknown
Description: The Railbone are a bloodline of Vampires that originated on a small colony of the New Spartan Empire. The Railbone are deceivingly thin and scrawny looking, but are strong enough to wear power armor and wily enough to cast dark magic. The upper echelons of Railbone society behave like a traditional vampire cult, however the lower ranked and impure of blood are organized like an army. The Railbone are more interested in material wealth than they are in power among vampires, so they often lend themselves out as mercenaries in inter-bloodline conflicts.
Bloodline Dredswarm:
Leader: Unknown
Relationship: Tense
Holdings: Unknown
Description: The Dredswarm are a brutal race of vampires that originated on a highly irradiated doomed human colony. The resemble insects more than they do humans and have great agility and natural weapons. Despite the implications of it's name Dredswarm society is poorly organized, they band together to fight other bloodlines and important leaders may retain a small entourage of guards, but other than that the Dredswarm tend to be loners. The Dredswarm are highly aggressive, and will wage war against any human or vampire faction with little provocation.
Bloodline Blushface:
Leader: Unknown
Relationship: Friendly
Holdings: Unknown
Description: The blushface were originally a human supremacist faction on a multi-racial planet who embraced Vampireism to gain the upper hand in a war of ethnic cleansing. The Blushface are unnaturally adorable, with large round eyes, smooth faces, and braided blonde hair. They have the ability to turn into cute creatures such as puppies, ducklings, and rabbits. Blushface leaders appear as small children, but are more naturally drawn to acts of wickedness than almost any other specimen of vampire. The Blushface prefer subterfuge, sabotage, and propaganda over combat when dealing with their enemies. You were groomed to be a leader of this bloodline, and know alot of it's members.
The Spikers:
Leaders: Greg (Supreme Leader), Spot (Head Mechanic)
Relationship: Allied
Holdings: 1 Ball Court Camp, 1 Tank, About 30ish human members
Description: A human criminal gang, their colors are purple and red. Most of their members are young, in their teens or early twenties. You are accepted as a member of this group.
Posh Basement Apartment: The ancient and long severing colony ship Duskbolt is generally considered a space-faring slum. Under orders of the Dark God however, the other Bloodlines saw to it that you received one of the few nice pieces of real estate aboard. The apartment contains personal quarters, servant's quarters, a full service kitchen, 3 bathrooms, a heavily shielded panic room, a large meeting room, and an personal direct elevator to a rundown general store on the street level deck. The apartment is located just above the star-ships engine block, so it is well heated and has no windows to let in the pesky light of nearby stars.
Slums of Duskbolt: Mortal colonists and crew bolt through narrow passages and poorly maintained streets. Seedy and outright criminal businesses operate here. The fact that the general population area is covered by a large transparent dome means that should you ever develop a weakness to sunlight the slums could be dangerous should the Duskbolt visit a star-system for a gravity push.
Cosmoball Court: A run down area orignaly intended for sports and recreation. It is now home to the human gang known as the Spikers. It's only defenses are a chain link fence with several guards at the gate. It is capable of housing up to 40 individuals comfortably, and is currently near that limit.
Ratline Handmaiden: 15% Health
Ratline Handmaiden x3: 100% Health
Ratline Eunuch x4: 100% Health
(Ratline servants are 4 generations separated from their long dead progenitor, and thus incapable of infecting mortals. They are instinctively drawn to tend to the physical, mental, spiritual, and supernatural needs of more power vampires such as yourself. The only wage they ask is the opportunity to die in your service.)
Ratline Spawner: 50% Health (In Hibernation)
(The Ratline were all but destroyed in part because of their vermin like breeding habits, any human a 3rd or lower generation Ratline so much as laid fangs on was quickly turned. 3rd generation breeders such as this one are a rare and finite resource, as all 1st and 2nd generation Ratline were killed. Awaken this wretched creature if you need more humble and expendable slaves created, but be prepared to handle a population explosion should he get out of control)
Author
Topic: Vampire: New Colony, New Bloodline (Read 6793 times)