[Tremere Chantry, London, February 3rd 1262, 10:00 PM] [Gravina swoops into the Chantry, her cloak billowing behind her and she swiftly walks past everybody without saying a word and walks directly into the library where, incidentally, Eliana is doing research. Gravina sits down on the other end of the table, removes a tome from her robe and slams it down on the table, opening it and beginning to pour through it for something. Without looking up, she asks Eliana, "What have you found?"] [Begin.] 06* Eliana starts slightly at the book slamming. She looks up to glare at the offender. Upon seeing it's her clan elder, she tries to soften her expression with only partial success. "Which would you like to hear about first?" [Gravina continues to browse her Tome. "What have you discovered about the ritual? I would like to know if you discovered something that I did not."] 06* Eliana blinks a couple of times as she recalls Gravina's exact words before leaving, so as not to confuse one ritual with another. "It requires two sacrifices. The first is powerful blood, at minimum that of a fourth generation kindred... though I do not believe it *has* to be a kindred. A werewolf or similar may well suffice. The second is the sacrifice of innocent lives - purity is key here, as the more pure the soul, the more potent their sacrifice." 01 We found a third requirement is necessary, as well: some sort of 'corruption' or 'profane' element. This is considerably more vague. I find it likely souls must be turned to the worship of Lucifer or this otherwise Great Beast, or perhaps the defiling of objects, locations, and people considered sacred. Regardless, the ritual has never been completed, and even successful completion would take, at minimum, several centuries. 06* Eliana adds, "Perhaps Moloch is attempting to speed this process by throwing baptized infants to his altar." [Gravina nods and then shrugs at the final comment. "I would not put it past him. I, too, discovered much of that. Though the corrupting element is interesting, given where Moloch has chosen to relocate. If our theory about the Vatican is correct. The inner council has launched an investigation. We cast many spells while I was there to try to find the location of Moloch or his ritual. What we did discover was that there have been more disappearances than normal in the vicinity of Vatican City. We also got some brief images of a cave with an alter of flesh and bone surrounded by demons... and I don't mean that as a reference to Baali, but actual demons, which is concerning."] 06* Eliana mmms softly. "More than normal. If related to the ritual, he is sacrificing safety for speed. Given it is said to take a number of centuries..." 01 He likely believes the time is near. [Gravina nods absently as she flips through her book. "Yes. I agree... What have you discovered about the Fang?"] 06* Eliana keeps her hand on her scroll, maintaining her place while her attention remains fixed on Gravina. "Kali's Fang was forged before the Fall of Carthage by a mage who was later embraced into the Assamite clan in the first century AD. The name I have for him is al-Ashrad. It is presently in possession of a Tzimisce named Lambach Ruthven, who resides in Transylvania. The Fang can kill any kindred upon piercing his or her heart." [Gravina stares for a moment in thought and nods. "I know this Lambach Ruthven... He is a lord of some status in the east. I was not aware he had such a powerful weapon in his possession. It is unfortunate, since the Tzimisce are sworn to aid Carthage. He has not personally sworn such things, that I am aware, but he is in a constant war with Lord Jurgen, a Ventrue lord in southeastern Hungary, who has pledged his loyalty to Mithras."] 06* Eliana hms. "There are portraits with the Fang in his possession, so it is clearly dear to him. He may not realize how deadly it is, however." [Gravina nods. "I am curious of how he obtained it. This is a problem. Both the Fang and the ritual are serious concerns... Mithras is expecting us to throw are weight behind a course of action, though. We have limited resources, after all... " She thinks for a moment and then shrugs... "What do you believe is the greater threat, Eliana?"] 06* Eliana snorts. "The greater threat, or the more immediate threat?" [Gravina smiles slightly. "A fair point of differentiation. I suppose the more immediate threat. Where do you believe we should focus our efforts?"] 06* Eliana immediately answers, "North." 01 New Carthage is closest both in proximity and danger. You know as well as I that the enthralled garou can likely be freed or neutralized by eliminating the source for their ritual, and our clan is in a unique position. We stand to gain both by eliminating the source and, in the process, discovering how the ritual was originally enacted. It is knowledge we could easily employ in the future. 01 Kali's Fang is concerning, I suppose, but if it isn't being used by New Carthage yet, it likely won't any time soon. And... 06* Eliana frowns. "I must say, I find Moloch's ritual worrisome. His is certainly the *greater* threat, if there are demons already near this altar. But the more immediate threat is north." [Gravina nods. "I am extremely concerned by the ritual. Especially since we have no way of knowing how close it is to completion. I see your point about Carthage, though. Especially if we can harness the control of the Lupines, it would be beneficial... Of course, we would likely need to face Troile in the process... What is your assessment of her from your experience with her?"] 06* Eliana blinks a few times, recalling the fight, and says, "If Troile were more aware of the discrepancy in our skills and abilities as compared to hers, she would have slaughtered us all." [Gravina nods. "If we decide to move north, then, we must find a way to deal with her... It is possible that some advantage lies within our magic. Troile knows nothing of Thaumaturgy or the Tremere. Does she have any weaknesses that you observed?"] 01 In a skirmish, Troile is flawless, or so close to such that the distinction hardly matters. The only weakness I can extrapolate from that point is that this likely results in her being extraordinarily confident, which would do nothing to temper the emotional weakness she has passed on to her her children. [Gravina nods. "It is possible that we could find a strategy for dealing with her, then... It is also possible that acquiring the Fang, if we could do so, would be of great benefit, since she would not expect to be killed so easily."] 06* Eliana nods. "Agreed." 01 The question is one of time - concerning all possible branches and all methods. 01 I have difficulty estimating how much time has been bought by the garou attacks to the north, just as there is difficulty ascertaining how long the ritual would take, and the fang... 06* Eliana trails off, thinking. [Gravina nods. "The lupines are, for the moment, keeping Carthage at bay... I believe that they will continue to do so for as long as it would reasonably take to deal with either problem to the east. The real danger is that, on our return, we may have no help from the Lupines as they will be too few in number. Not a huge loss, but it would make the fight much more difficult from a tactical standpoint."] 01 May I suggest an alternate course of action, Elder Gravina? [Gravina shrugs. "Of course."] 01 Perhaps we should advise sending the bulk of the forces either to New Carthage or the Vatican, whichever the Tremere deems most important, and send a much smaller group to Transylvania in an attempt to retrieve the Fang. If we were to march there, I believe that would simply mobilize the more neutral Tzimisce in the area to act, and the loss of a few kindred on a mission to gain a powerful artifact is not as tremendous as falling to either Troile or Moloch due to misappropriated resources. [Gravina nods. "That seems wise. I will consider our options, but which do you believe we should send the larger force towards? The Vatican or Carthage?"] 06* Eliana shrugs with one shoulder. "The more immediate threat is New Carthage. The greater, and less known, threat is Moloch. At the risk of sounding impertinent, Elder - where do you feel we should send them?" [Gravina nods. "I believe we should focus on Moloch and the ritual. If he succeeds we do not get a second chance. The lupines are fighting to the north, and that should be sufficient to keep Carthage from making progress south, it also means that they will have fewer forces to stop us while we work to attain the fang and stop Moloch."] 06* Eliana relaxes slightly. "I agree." 01 We may have to impress the danger on the other clans, however. Many of them are focused entirely on New Carthage or Kali's Fang. The Toreador are particularly interested in the latter. [Gravina nods. "Then that is what I will suggest at court and we will do our best to convince them of the danger. At the very least, our own forces in Vienna can work towards stopping the ritual, if Mithras does not agree to send forces to do so." She nods. "We shall see how things play out in court. You are dismissed, Eliana."] 06* Eliana bows to Gravina, picks up her scroll, and leaves to read in another area of the library. (She was here first, after all.) [Gravina is fine with that. She doesn't look up from her book.] [Session End]