Rob's notes

Random notes from the first session, Monday 5th - Tuesday 7th September

 * The mages are summoned to a large house in Dore, Sheffield's wealthiest suburb. There they find their mentors and meet each other, though Daniel and Jake know each other from school. They're given an investigation to pursue and access to the Dore sanctum for their own use.
 * Ghost hunting with Neil Hardy and co at Hyde Park.
 * The basement has seen a lot of death, a tall multi-limbed ghost(?) buzzed us in a corridor.
 * Jake, Daniel, and Herbert meet Steve the vampire.
 * Swan meets Yasmeena Djalil and Serena Carson.
 * The building has odd spirit realms in it, ruined rooms.
 * Steve has a haven in a slum area north east of Hyde Park in an end terrace house, with 4 other vampires. The basement has a TV and 2 coffins, camp beds, and a student-y feel.
 * The basement - nasty vampires, but also an evil(?) force. Steve almost killed someone. The thing in the basement makes you do things.

Scenes from the future, approaching midnight Wednesday 7th September

 * Swan went into the room first and saw a message in blood on the mirror "They won", she picked up a portable drive.
 * Jake collected a file from a laptop which had a list of names and places.
 * Also a personal message arrived for Jake and Daniel, there was nothing for Herbert or Steve.


 * 1) September 11, 2011. Keep your eyes and ears open.
 * 2) Dr Samantha Weir, Global Energy Solutions.
 * 3) The Eggbox, October 10th 2011, afternoon.
 * 4) Dr Holiday, morphic fields.
 * 5) Female, early 20's, blonde hair, blue eyes, slender, 2' 10". Could be a model or actress. Slow exsanguination followed by postmortem crucifixion. Sheffield cathedral, November 17 2011. Probably visited or passed through the area frequently beforehand.
 * 6) Benedict Jones (alias?).
 * 7) Father Simon/Simeon, St Jude's/Christopher's church.
 * 8) For Jake, "Find Jessica Talbot before the Black Hats get to her. p.s. this time watch out for the lorry. Follow the white rabbit."
 * 9) For Daniel, "Save Maria if you can, she doesn't deserve what happens to her."

A night in the Black Spiral, 2am Thursday 8th September
Eager to learn more from their new friend the mages arrange to meet Steve and head to a vampire controlled club around 2am.


 * Squeezing into Jake's car Jake, Daniel, Swan, and Steve the Vampire head to the Black Spiral to meet the rest of his coterie.
 * In the alleyway behind the club 6 thugs appear from the shadows and attack, seemingly trying to kidnap Steve. They are easily repelled, mainly by Swan. When questioned the thugs leader revealed they'd been sent by a tall swarthy vampire.
 * Once inside the club rules were explained, don't cause any trouble and be deferential to other vampires. There are coloured wristbands for 'pets' and people to be fed on. It seems like only 'down and out' vampires feed here, and in general they can get cagey about their slightly unfortunate circumstances.
 * The club's ground floor is open to the public, the basement is private. There's a bar and dance floor, some booths, and some private rooms.
 * In one of these rooms Steve introduces Karen, Paul and Kelly (Alatheus and Sisperia). They aren't too surprised about the attack on Steve and wonder if someone they know is behind it. Another vampire arrives, Bill, who appears to be a devout catholic and has been punishing himself with a crucifix.
 * Swan decides to help the vampires by giving them blood. She leaves the room for an adjoining alcove to pray to the goddess in Gaelic, returning with a punch bowl full of her blood. The vampires take ginger sips, except for Bill who sticks his head into the bowl, and the blood has a strong affect on them. Slowly they divulge what they know about vampire society, which isn't much, and recount some of their history.


 * The Cambridge massacre


 * 4 of the vampires were students at Cambridge, Paul studied English literature, Steve maths, Bill natural sciences, and Kelly art history. In 2006 they attended the Cambridge Summer Ball with Karen, Kelly's younger sister. The first signs of something wrong pointed to drugs in the food or drink as party goers started acting crazily. Shortly after a gang of strangers arrived and began slaughtering and feeding on the guests, eventually turning some into vampires. The coterie woke in the hospital morgue, confused, horrified, and starving. In a panic Karen killed a security guard before they fled to an abandoned building. They stayed in Cambridge for a short time before running afoul of another vampire and being forced to leave. Gradually they were drawn back to Sheffield where they've found themselves at the bottom of the resident vampire society.


 * Following the tale Swan proposes an exchange, she will provide the vampires with blood if they help to protect the area around Hyde Park. She suggests they move there and claim it as their domain.
 * After the initial meeting and discussion Paul, Kelly, and Karen head out of the VIP area to dance and socialise while Swan and Jake decide to explore the club properly using mage sight. Almost immediately Jake discovers a secret passage to a hidden area in a sub basement level. Curious, he covertly Apportates a surveillance bug into the area via an unsuspecting staff member. Still in the basement, in the main club area they spy hidden passages behind several booths and a trapdoor behind the bar. Some of the staff are vampires, a few have strange life essences. Jake places another bug near the bar.
 * On returning to the VIP area Swan is forced to physically rebuff the sleazy advances of a vampire, who is reproached by staff. The mages and vampires leave the club soon after, agreeing to meet the following night.
 * Investigating the club


 * There has been a club of some kind at the location almost since the birth of Sheffield. First as a pub, then a working men's club, a jazz club in the 1930's, pop music in the 60's, and finally a Goth club in the 80's. It changed ownership in 2001, changing from the Midnight Room to the Black Spiral. The current owners are _______.


 * After dropping off Daniel and Swan, Jake returned home to check on the bug transported into the secret area in the clubs sub basement. He scrys a room with a tall swarthy vampire present, reading from a large tome written in a foreign script. Shortly after another vampire enters the room, "My masters suggest an exchange of information." Some discussion follows, then the visitor leaves and a second, seemingly more important vampire enters and they discuss the fight in the alleyway outside the club.


 * 'He froze initially.' ' And then he did take action.'
 * 'He froze initially.' ' And then he did take action.'


 * It appears they were testing Steve. They discuss the possibility of threatening Karen as a way to motivate Steve into further action, before moving on to the other members of the coterie. Kelly is responsive but still shows some morality, Ben's delusion has some potential use for them. After this they mention the 'pets'...


 * 'The blonde girl was surprisingly effective in the fight.'


 * The meeting ends with the visitor saying they'll continue to observe.