#01<Jill> [London.  January 16th, 1240.  10:15 p.m.]
#01<Jill> [Moriel is looking for one Jill Leftherder, supposedly "east of St. 
Edmund's".  The directions are kind of frustratingly vague, but fortunately for 
him, a lot of people seem to at least have heard of a Jill - she's quite the 
beauty, apparently, but tends to stay secluded.  So after some searching, he finds 
himself on a dirt road a couple of blocks down from the shambles.  The buildings in 
this area are common for the time: wooden and two to three stories tall.]
#01<Jill> [He's standing outside of one of them.  Apparently she lives on the 
second floor; conveniently, there's a flight of rickety stairs up.]
#01<Jill> [Mini Start!]
#06* Moriel climbs the rickety stairs.  Fortunately, he's quite light, so he 
doesn't need to worry about them cracking under him the way, say, Rolf might.  He 
reaches the top safely, tucks the book he's carrying under one arm, and raps on the 
door.
#01<Jill> [Moriel's greeted by silence for a few moments before he hears someone 
working the deadbolt on the other side.  After a moment, the door opens, and he 
finds himself looking at one of the prettiest (or maybe the prettiest) young women 
he's ever seen: she has flawless skin, hazelnut hair tied back in a short braid, 
and wide, vibrantly green eyes.  Actually, he's looking straight into her eyes, 
because she's almost exactly his height.]
#01<Jill> [She's wearing a long tunic and pants, and she blinks a couple of times 
before she asks in English, "Um... may I help you?"  Her accent places her from the 
country.]
#06* Moriel 's expression goes perfectly blank for just a moment as he comes face 
to face with one of the loveliest young women he's ever seen.  Then he gets it 
together and responds in the same language.  His accent, by contrast, is Scottish.  
"I am sorry to disturb you.  My name is Moriel MacRae.  I'm looking for Jill 
Leftherder - I need to speak to Eliana Casale."
#06* Jill blinks again, and her expression shifts a couple of times before she 
smiles and does a passing imitation of a curtsey. "I'm Jill. Please come in." And 
she steps aside to let Moriel into her home.
#06* Moriel steps in hesitantly and lingers just past the threshhold, possibly 
unwittingly making it difficult for Jill to shut the door.
<Moriel> Thank you.
#06* Jill shifts nervously for a moment as Moriel looks around. Her home is simple, 
with all of the furniture necessary for cooking, cleaning, studying, sleeping, and 
dressing crammed into one room. Things of decent note: sewing supplies on her desk 
(covering what's possibly a book), a half-eaten loaf of bread and butter on the 
table, and a rosary hanging on one bedpost. There's a tiny alcove in back that 
looks like it probably holds a chamber pot and basin, and two currently shuttered 
windows. Her home is lit by the hearth fire and a candle.
#06* Moriel looks around very little, seeing Miss Leftherder's discomfort.  Instead 
he returns his attention to her.  "Ah...will you carry a message to her?"
#06* Jill blinks again, possibly startled out of her own thoughts, and nods. "Yes, 
Lord Moriel. Of course." She hesitates for a moment, on the verge of asking 
something, then apparently gives up on that.
#06* Moriel flinches.  "Don't call me that."  And then, belatedly, "Please."
#06* Jill 's hands fly up to her mouth, and she really *looks* horrified. "I'm 
sorry! I didn't mean to offend you! I just-" She gestures. "I was just trying to be 
polite, I-" She sighs. "I'm awful at this, I'm sorry."
#06* Moriel 's eyes widen.  "Oh, no.  You're perfectly fine."  Moriel tries very 
hard to be reassuring without coming on too strong and terrifying the poor girl any 
more.  It's not easy.  "I am not at all offended.  I just...don't like to be called 
lord."
#06* Jill nods, still looking down at the ground. "Okay, um... Mr. MacRae?" She 
glances up. "Is that okay?"
#06* Moriel smiles at her with kind eyes.  "That would be excellent, thank you."
#06* Jill blushes slightly at the smile. It's quite fetching. "Okay. Would you... 
would you like to have a seat?"
#06* Moriel glances around quickly and then takes a seat on whatever seems least 
likely to upset her, maintaining the reassuring smile.  "Thank you."
#06* Jill closes the door after Moriel, deadbolting it again. She paces around, 
tidying up a bit until Moriel says something.
#06* Moriel rests the book on his knees and makes himself as quiet and nonthreating 
as he can.  Given that he's naturally quiet and nonthreatening (most of the time), 
this is fairly easy.  "...I have no idea where she lives, and she's likely 
busy...will you please just ask Mistress Casale to come see me, at her 
convenience?"
#06* Jill glances over from folding the tunic she must have been working on. "Of 
course." She smiles. "I'm pretty sure Lady Eliana will be happy to. Is that the 
whole message?"
#06* Moriel considers.  "Yes, I think so.  I'll speak to her about the rest of it 
when she comes."
#01<Jill> I understand.
#06* Jill places the now-folded fabric on her bed before turning back to Moriel.
#01<Jill> Is there anything else?
#06* Moriel rises and gives the girl a shallow bow.  "No.  Thank you very much, 
Miss Leftherder."  If he had a hat, he would tip it.  Since he does not, he simply 
nods and bids her goodnight.
#06* Jill curtseys back. "It was nice meeting you, Mr. MacRae." And Jill sounds 
like she means it. She moves to the door, unlocking it and opening it so he can 
leave, since that looks like what he intends on doing.
#06* Moriel is doing that!  But he smiles at her one last time, and says, "And you, 
Miss Leftherder."  And then he's gone.
#01<Jill> [Moriel's not gone for a few seconds before the door closes behind him 
and the deadbolt slides back into place.]
#01<Jill> [Blipzoom time skip!]
#01<Eliana> [London.  January 19th, 1240.  6:00ish p.m.]
#01<Eliana> [Moriel is returning from feeding to see a familiar, cloaked and hooded 
figure waiting for him to one side of the church, out of the mud.  At least she's 
not standing in the snow this time, as there isn't any.]
#01<Eliana> [Start a second time!]
#06* Moriel smiles faintly on seeing Eliana waiting for him.  "Ah.  Good evening, 
Mistress Casale.  I was wondering when you would appear."
<Moriel> Come in.
#06* Moriel walks past her to open the doors to St. Raphael's and gesture her 
inside.
#06* Eliana nods to him. "Moriel MacRae. Thank you." And heads on in, pushing her 
hood down as she does so.
#06* Moriel looks up at her, sobering.  "I...well, I have something for you.  I 
didn't know when you would come, so..."  And he pulls a book from the satchel he's 
carrying.
#06* Eliana looks back to see that. "A book?" she asks.
#06* Moriel does not hand it over to Eliana immediately, though.  He looks down at 
it, seeming oddly reluctant to let it go.  After a moment, though, he holds it out 
to her.  Unlike the translation she gave him, this one is fully bound, with a green 
cover.
#06* Eliana takes it between two gloved hands. "You don't have to give this to me," 
she says, reading his reluctance.
#06* Moriel smiles a little at her expression.  "I have another.  I copied it.  I 
just...well.  It's helped me...keep the madness at bay."  He looks away for a 
moment, then back up to her.  "It's an herbal."
#06* Eliana looks at Moriel curiously, then her new book. She runs one hand over 
the cover before opening it, flipping through the pages. "You even copied the 
illustrations?" she asks, and then before he can answer, "I have nothing like 
this."
<Moriel> Then it seems I chose well.
<Moriel> And yes, I did.  Admittedly, I am not so skillful as the original 
artist...but they are good enough for their purpose.
#06* Eliana looks up at Moriel, and she smiles. Like - a true, genuine smile, not a 
smirk, that crinkles her eyes, and she almost doesn't look like Eliana when she 
does that. "It's lovely. Thank you."
#06* Moriel smiles, his eyes lighting up.  "You're welcome."
<Moriel> Perhaps I shall copy another for you, after this.  I'll need another 
project, after all.
#06* Eliana smiles again and looks back down at her new book, flipping through the 
pages.
#06* Moriel looks down, the light in his eyes fading.  He tightens in on himself.  
"I...have a favor to ask of you, as well."
#06* Eliana looks up from her book to Moriel and her whole posture changes: she's 
now tense, a little on guard, and any hint of the smile is gone from her face and 
eyes. She closes the book. "Oh?"
#06* Moriel looks up at her sharply, guessing at her thoughts.  "I did not give you 
the book in any expectations of favors rendered.  I've been working on it for 
months.  This..."  He shakes his head and drops into a pew.  His fingers lace 
themselves together and tighten around themselves.
#06* Eliana remains standing and rigid. "What is it?"
#06* Moriel looks up from his hands.  He looks suddenly pained on seeing the change 
in Eliana, and he shakes his head.  "Never mind it.  I should not ask it of you."
#06* Eliana sighs. "What *is* it, Moriel?" she asks again, annoyance creeping into 
her voice.
#06* Moriel looks at her steadily.  "I do not want you to believe I wished you 
indebted to me."
#01<Eliana> Clearly, hence wringing your hands.
#06* Moriel laughs.  "Do you believe me?"
#06* Eliana smirks. And changes the subject (or so she thinks). "You didn't show up 
to Thalaba's meeting a few nights ago. She was waiting for you."
#06* Moriel twitches a little.  "Yes.  I was...waylaid."
#01<Eliana> I promised the others that I'd fill you in.
<Moriel> Ah.
#06* Moriel tilts his head, waiting.
#01<Eliana> Thalaba claimed she had a vision, and an unknown cloaked man who 
brought a chill with him told her to share it with the rest of us.
#06* Moriel blinks.  "...an unknown cloaked man?"  Really, it should just be a 
coincidence, but...he looks increasingly disturbed.
#06* Eliana closes her eyes and takes a moment, so she doesn't see Moriel's 
expression, then does that... thing, where she imitates someone else's inflection. 
In this case, Thalaba's. "We were in a tomb and we were surrounded by armored 
kindred soldiers but they were protecting us from something in the darkness. It was 
fast and vicious... it killed several soldiers before anyone had a chance to 
react... it gets blurry after that.. Just before it ended though I saw the 
shattered remains of a crystal dagger on the floor."
#06* Moriel frowns in thought now.  "The one we stole for Jenny?  Damnation.  I'd 
worried that that would prove more than it seemed."
#06* Eliana opens her eyes and snorts faintly. "Why else would she go through all 
of that trouble for a crystal dagger?"
#06* Moriel rubs at the frown line in his brow and sighs.  "Well, it *might* have 
just been priceless.  And even if it weren't it might not have impacted on us 
later..."
#06* Eliana shrugs one shoulder.
#01<Eliana> We'll see what comes of it, one way or another.
#06* Moriel sighs and leans forward to rest his head in one hand.  Then he sits up 
again abruptly.  "This cloaked man.  Did she say anything else about him?"
#06* Eliana looks like she might say something else, then Moriel does that and she 
starts slightly. "No. I asked her for a better description, and she just said that 
he hid his face and there was a strange chill when he passed her." She smirks. 
"Frankly, he sounds a bit like me."
#01<Eliana> Except for the part where he knew someone had a vision without their 
telling him.  That is unfortunately not me.
#06* Moriel gives Eliana a sharp look.  "Yes.  I...think I may have met him."
<Moriel> In any case, I met a cloaked man with his face hidden, who knew far more 
than he ought to about me.
#06* Moriel 's jaw tightens as he remembers the encounter.
#06* Eliana raises an eyebrow at the jaw tightening. "He made you uncomfortable," 
she comments.
#06* Moriel snorts and says dryly, "You should be familiar with the phenomenon."
#01<Eliana> How I recognized it.  Well?
#06* Moriel looks up at Eliana, his eyes dark and wary.  "That was the favor I was 
going to ask of you, earlier.  He told me to seek the writings of Saulot, and he 
said the Tremere might have some of them."
#06* Eliana takes an involuntary step back. "He *what*?"
#06* Moriel takes a breath, but his voice is quite steady, all things considered.  
"He told me to seek the writings of Saulot."
#01<Eliana> I understand that!  Why?
#06* Moriel looks away.  "I..."  And then his hands tighten around the seat of the 
pew, knuckles turning white, and his lips pull back from his teeth.  He stares 
fixedly at some point past his knees.  "He said he found it amusing that I so 
loathed my present existence and yet did nothing to change it."
#06* Eliana 's eyes flash. "Did he."
#06* Moriel declines comment for a moment in favor of clenching his teeth (and his 
fists) tighter.  Finally he grits out, "Yes."
#06* Eliana 's fingers tighten on the binding of her book. "I see."
#06* Moriel finally registers the anger in the tightness of Eliana's voice and 
looks up, surprised.
#06* Eliana looks back down at Moriel and considers him, silently, then says, "So. 
Why Saulot?"
#06* Moriel shakes his head, looking suddenly tired.  "He didn't say much.  He just 
said...Saulot had found a way out.  That he didn't feel the urgings of the Beast 
any more, didn't need to feed."
<Moriel> Golconda, I think he called it.
#06* Eliana frowns.
#01<Eliana> And you want to... achieve this golconda?
#06* Moriel leans forward to rest his head on the back of the pew in front of him, 
closing his eyes.  "I don't even know if it's possible.  He was mad.  I saw it in 
his soul."
#01<Eliana> But you want to know more.
#06* Moriel looks up at Eliana again, his face tight with pain.  "Yes."
#06* Eliana looks at Moriel for a long moment, then sighs, closing her eyes. "All 
right."
#06* Moriel twists to face her, but otherwise hardly dares move or say anything.  
After a long moment he breathes, "Thank you."
#06* Eliana looks Moriel in the eye. "But."
#06* Moriel sits up.  "Yes?"
#01<Eliana> You must understand.  What you are asking for is dangerous and 
bordering on taboo.  I don't know how much information I can get for you, nor do I 
know how long it will take.  I will *try*.
#01<Eliana> But I cannot promise anything.  And if I do find something, you will 
have to rely on my memory.  Nothing written.
#06* Moriel nods.  "I...understand that."
#06* Eliana nods once and shifts her weight. "The Tremere," she adds, "have no love 
for the Salubri."
<Moriel> ...so I have heard.  Though only rumors of why.
#01<Eliana> Your guess is only slightly worse than mine.
#06* Moriel laughs softly.
#06* Eliana smiles a touch at the laugh.
#06* Moriel pulls himself to his feet and looks down at the book still in Eliana's 
hands.  "I hope you like it.  I do not have any mathematics texts, and I did not 
know what else you might like.  It's...one of my favorites, in my library."
#01<Eliana> I do.  And I will.
#06* Moriel smiles up at her, almost shyly.  "I'm glad."
#06* Eliana pulls the book away to look at the cover again, saying, "I own no books 
dedicated to flora. It will be a new subject." She smirks, looking back up at 
Moriel. "Though I have always been awful with plants."
#06* Moriel laughs.  "Really?  I quite liked them when...I was still human."
<Moriel> Well...I still do, but I have no garden to tend any more.
#01<Eliana> Yes.  Well.  I didn't attempt farming until later in life.  And now, 
well...
#06* Eliana waves a gloved hand. "I kill any plant I touch."
<Moriel> Oh.  Dear.
#06* Moriel covers his mouth to try to hide his smile.  "I hadn't thought of that."
#06* Eliana chuckles. "It's fortunate I don't need to eat them anymore."
#01<Eliana> [And so Eliana stuck around a little longer, talking to Moriel about 
murdering vegetation.  At least he thinks it's funny.]
#01<Eliana> [Mini End!]