<@Dreol> [Court of Love, Paris, France, June 12th 1261, 10:00 PM]
<@Dreol> [It has been nearly six months since Mithras sent you out to the continent 
to find Moloch before the Carthaginians do. In April, the Garou began their attack. 
News of the war is that they are at least causing serious problems for Carthage, 
who has had to pull back some of their search parties in order to help defend the 
city. The Garou have not yet breached the city walls and there have been plenty of 
casualties on both sides, but not much news has come to you in the last two weeks, 
because you have been away from London. You have just arrived at the Court of Love, 
where you are expected to stop for the night. Matriarch Salianna's servant greets 
you. "Matriarch Salianna is expecting you. Allow me to show you to the long 
gallery." He leads you upstairs and opens a set of double doors. "Matriarch, your 
guests have arrived." Salianna's appearance has not changed since you last saw her 
(shocking, being immortal and all) and she smiles and nods to you from the other 
end of the room. The room itself is an enormous, wide, hallway-like room, there are 
several beautifully designed windows that overlook the countryside around the 
manor. From one of the windows, the city of Paris is visible. On the walls hang 
tapestries and paintings. There are sculptures in the center of the hall, and at 
the end where Salianna stands she has been admiring one of the paintings hanging on 
the wall at the end of the gallery. It is a painting of the annunciation of the 
Virgin Mary. She is dressed in dark blues and her face, while calm, is shown with 
more emotion that is generally true of people in paintings. It is quite eye 
catching. Gabriel is shown in an almost golden light, and shares the same level 
calm mixed with joy. Matriarch Salianna sighs. "I trust your travels here have been 
uneventful?"]
<@Dreol> [Begin]
#06* Rolf nods his head slightly and growls out a, "Yes, m'lady, we haven't had any 
troubles in yer land."
<@Dreol> [She nods. "Glad to hear it." She turns towards the painting she was 
admiring. "This is my latest acquisition. It is the work of a young Florentine 
artist. He is very talented for a boy of his age. In ten years, he will be the most 
talented artist in Italy, I can feel it. Do you like it?" She turns back towards 
you all.]
#06* Moriel looks at the painting for a moment, tilting his head.  He says in a 
quiet voice, "It's quite lovely."
#06* Eliana shrugs. "Art appraisal isn't my specialty," she says, as politely as 
she can manage.
#06* Cosimo regards the painting, nodding thoughtfully. "indeed"
#06* Rolf scratches the back of his head a little awkwardly, but doesn't speak up 
immediately.
<@Dreol> [She nods. She seems pleased. "I have arranged rooms for you, of course. 
Is there anything else you will be requiring? There are several kindred who have 
arrived in the past few weeks who are also staying here in the manor. Many of them 
have chosen to stay here for the summer. They are socializing in the great room 
down stairs."]
#06* Eliana shakes her head. "Thank you, Matriarch."
#06* Moriel glances at the others before shaking his head.  "No, thank you."
<@Dreol> [She nods. "You are welcome to enjoy the long gallery as much as you would 
like. Geoffrey will show you to your rooms when you are ready, and I will join you 
all downstairs in the great room in a few moments."]
#06* Eliana bows. "Thank you," she says again.
<@Dreol> [She nods and returns to looking at the painting.]
#06* Moriel looks around at the others questioningly again, then glances at 
Geoffrey.
#06* Rolf looks back and says, "Well, a night in a bed will be, uh, good for some 
of you. Let's get a drink?"
#06* Moriel nods.  "Certainly."
#06* Eliana snerks. "Don't find beds comfortable, Rolf?"
#06* Rolf shrugs and replies, "Kinda grew out of them."
<Cosimo> refreshment would be good.
<@Dreol> [A servant, presumably Geoffrey, is waiting for you when you arrive at the 
door to the long gallery. He motions ahead. "Right this way." He leads you down a 
long hall to a set of six rooms with no windows. There are what seem like very 
comfortable beds in the rooms, as well as a vanity with mirrors and draws and such. 
Victoria, who is also there, yawns and, when she finds her room, instantly leaps 
onto the bed, but tosses about a bit and shrugs. "It's too soft. I'll just sleep on 
the floor." After declaring that, she heads out into the hall and back towards the 
stairs. Pierre disappears, like a proper servant.]
#06* Moriel glances in the room designated as his, but has no real need to enter it 
yet.  He turns back to the group and raises an eyebrow.  "Shall we socialize, then?  
Or at least get a drink and listen?"
#06* Rolf chuckles a little and thumbs at her, then makes a hand signal set asking 
the rest of them, "Nothing to look into, right?"
#06* Eliana smirks and nods.
#06* Cosimo nods. <not that i am aware of>
#06* Moriel signs back, <Nothing save the usual, I believe.>  It is somewhat harder 
to be formal in sign language, but he tries.
#06* Moriel starts for the stairs, since they all seem to be in agreement that 
that's the place to go.
#06* Eliana heads on out!
#06* Cosimo follows
<@Dreol> [Downstairs you find a large hall where several kindred are gathered. 
There are probably about a dozen of them. They are in various states of sitting and 
standing and have metal goblets full of blood. Matriarch Salianna has not yet shown 
herself downstairs, but Victoria is busying herself by partaking in some 
refreshment while lounging out across one of the benches.]
#06* Rolf goes to partake of his own refreshment, giving a nod to Victoria and 
growling out a low, "Anyone you know here?"
#06* Eliana looks around.
#06* Moriel does his usual thing at this sort of gathering, i.e., snag a goblet and 
drift to a place where he can listen unobtrusively.
<@Dreol> [Victoria shrugs. "Nah. They're all boring. Concerned with like politics 
and fashion and stuff. I think most of them are Toreadors, or pretending to be."]
#06* Eliana murmurs, "Seems logical." She removes a glove and grabs a goblet for 
herself, swirling a finger in it before she drinks.
#06* Rolf chuckles and growls back, "Yeah. High clans."
#06* Cosimo takes a goblet for himself and sips it quietly as he observes the 
crowd.
#06* Cosimo wanders throughout the hall, remaining towards the edges of the room 
and hanging back a bit as he surveys the room, catching bits and pieces of 
conversation but staying largely independent and unaligned to any particular group 
(imagine that).
#06* Eliana weaves through groups of wampyrs, sipping her drink and listening in. 
Occasionally someone asks what she's doing there and she introduces or excuses 
herself as necessary, but she can keep up being a proper lady at least short term 
and doesn't generate any real suspicion.
#06* Moriel listens for a while from the sidelines, considering what he hears, and 
then he makes his way over to Eliana at a moment when she's alone.  He says quietly 
in Gaelic, "<Apparently the court historian has been disappearing a great deal, 
investigating something in secret.  Did you hear anything about it?>"
#06* Eliana blinks, then shakes her head, responding in the same language: "<Did 
you find out what?>"
#06* Moriel shakes his head, smiling faintly.  "<No, unfortunately.  That is why I 
came to ask you.>"
#06* Eliana frowns. "<Shame.>" She looks around, then says, "<We've met him before. 
Perhaps we could ask to see him again.>"
#01<Eliana> <We are looking for something for which his expertise might be useful.>
<@Dreol> [Victoria nods to Rolf and sits up. "Anyway... where are we going? Have we 
figured that out yet?"]
#06* Moriel nods.
<Moriel> <Perhaps we should discuss it with Master Rolf, as he is the leader of 
this expedition.>
#06* Eliana nods, heading to Rolf and Victoria.
#06* Moriel follows.
#06* Rolf shakes his head, and sits down next to her before growling, "Nobody knows 
where to find this guy. We're going to have to get some sort of scent, or stumble 
around blind like everyone else."
<@Dreol> [She nods and then looks up noticing Eliana and Moriel and waves, 
grinning.]
#06* Moriel takes this segue, as it doesn't really get any more opportune.  "We 
might speak to the court historian here.  You remember, he gave us some direction 
in the matter of Troile."
<Moriel> And it seems he's been conducting extensive research lately.
#06* Rolf looks up to Moriel and Eliana's approach, nodding slightly. When they 
finish, he says, "Sounds better than stumblin' around. Let's find him instead."
#06* Eliana looks at Moriel with a small measure of surprise and approval, then 
nods to Rolf.
#06* Moriel nods.  "Perhaps we can ask after him with the Matriarch, when she 
appears."
<@Dreol> [As if Moriel's words had the power to summon, Matriarch Salianna makes 
her appearance, emerging from behind the curtain that is the backdrop to the raised 
stage in the hall. She smiles and waves as she approaches the front of the stage. 
"I hope that everyone is enjoying themselves. I am sorry I am so late this evening, 
as I was arranging some art in the long gallery, which I encourage you all to 
appreciate later." She smiles and nods and then takes her seat. Immediately upon 
sitting, she is approached by a servant who brings her a fresh goblet, which she 
takes.]
#06* Moriel looks at Rolf.  His show.
#06* Rolf lets her sit down, at least, before standing up slowly and taking a deep 
breath. Then he strides across the room to where she seated.
<@Dreol> [She looks up at Rolf and nods. "Is there something I can do for you, 
Monsieur... Rolf?"]
#06* Rolf bows his head slightly, then says, "M'lady, I was, uh, hoping to speak to 
your court historian, but I don't see him here. Can we meet with him?"
<@Dreol> [She pauses for a moment and then nods. "You may, Monsieur... He will 
return tomorrow night, perhaps you can speak with him then. I will arrange a 
meeting."]
#06* Rolf bows his head slightly again, before saying, "Thank yah kindly, m'lady. 
Uh... enjoy your party."
<@Dreol> [She nods. "You as well."]
<@Dreol> (Change the servant's name to Geoffrey)
<@Dreol> [Court of Love, June 13th 1261, 11:00 PM]
<@Dreol> [You have just been informed by Salianna's servant, Geoffrey that her 
historian Pierre de Faintaine will see you now. So you have been shown to his room. 
As you open the door, you are greeted by the sight of the historian seated at a 
desk that is covered in scrolls and a few beaten up leather bound books and at 
least four maps. He looks up. "Yes. How may I help you?"]
#06* Eliana glances at the maps and books on the desk, trying to get a read on what 
he's up to without being too obvious, while Rolf answers.
#06* Rolf steps up, doing his best to loom in a friendly manner before saying, 
"We're looking into another, uh, kindred to find, much like the last time we 
talked."
<@Dreol> [He nods. "And how might I help with that search?"]
#06* Rolf replies, simply, as his eyes glow, "Moloch. Got any idea where to look?"
#06* Cosimo spits at the mention of the name.
#06* Moriel lets Rolf do the talking and follows Eliana's gaze to the papers and 
books on the historian's desk.
<@Dreol> [He pauses in silence for a few moments and nods. "A lot of people seem to 
be looking for him. Myself included. Well... I am not so much looking FOR Moloch. I 
am attempting to prevent the enemy from reaching him. You see, we believed that he 
was entombed beneath Carthage; however, we also believed that about Troile, and 
clearly that turned out not to be true."]
#06* Cosimo spits again.
#06* Rolf refrains from asking Cosimo if he needs a drink of water, and nods. 
"Right... so how're you stopping 'em?"
#06* Moriel glances at Cosimo, and apparently thinks better of suggesting he not 
spit on someone else's floor.  Instead he listens to hear the historian's answer, 
as he's curious to know himself.
<@Dreol> [He shrugs. "I have been trying to find information about the body being 
moved, so that we can keep it hidden. I have arranged a ship to travel to the 
location of the ancient city of Carthage. The Carthaginians must have been there, 
or are there now; but, I cannot think of a better place to begin. If you would 
like, you may accompany me. I imagine, I could use some protection."]
#06* Rolf pauses a moment, before nodding slightly. "Think that'd work for all of 
us."
<@Dreol> [Pierre nods. "Perfect. We leave in one week. Until then, enjoy the 
court."]
#06* Moriel nods, his calm expression hiding his lack of enthusiasm for the court.
#01<Eliana> Would you like assistance in your research?
<@Dreol> [He shrugs. "If you would like, Mademoiselle Casale"]
<@Dreol> [Session End]