IC Werewolf:TA-Chicago

[CowMasterTrojan]

Soft Paws
Spray Can smiles at Soft Paws suggestion. "Well that would be nice. I haven't had much in the way of friends since my first change, other than todd. And friendships really shouldn't be based on one friend being the only person willing to tell the other friend that he needs to take a shower."

"You're 16 right? I'm 17 myself."

Lifa
Lifa's diagram appears to be in order. Are her scalpels made of silver?

Exploring the umbra becomes a bit of a frightening experience. Of the area she's explored so far, they all appear to be pattern spiders. What's odder is that they seem to congregate around the building frequently.

Laugh
His explorations find a power plant two miles from the apartment.

If he decides to go to the public library, roll intelligence+politics

[hayabusa]

"I'm convinced," Jason says at Lifa's explanation of why they should choose the bear as their pack's totem. He turns to Laughs. "What do you think?"

[NotScaryBats]

Softpaws laughs and says, "Yeah, I'm 16."

Assuming the pack has some downtime, Softpaws will spend it with Spray Can, talking, going out, and helping out the others as needed.

[daelrog]

Spoiler

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Laughs has no dots in politics, so he automatically fails. Won't stop him from trying though!

Laughs's head slumped onto the table of the library. Nothing of all this place made sense. To think that this confusing place was supposed to be one of the good places that man had built.

[CowMasterTrojan]

As the group begins to explore their area better, they also try to get a better view of the Umbra. Inside the dark spirit world is a frighting place of hollow buildings covered in web blankets. There is light, but the sun truly never shines. And occasional bursts of emotional sounds spew from random place. Juts of laughter, mixed sounds of sobbing, moans of ecstasy and pleasure, or sometimes the isolated voice of someone very angry.

Many of the buildings in the city have no floors. To everyone's relief, the packs new home has all four floors. Oddly the building is not blanketed it webbing, but rather it's walls reinforced with it. In addition it appears to be well guarded by a hunting pattern spider, who usually remains on the roof and watches the garou carefully as they come and go. But somehow it can sense they live there, so it never disturbs them.

The thing that catches their attention however, is the spirit of coyote. After nearly two weeks of living in your new place, everyone who has been in the umbra for more than a few minutes has seen a coyote sighting. However he is always a decent distance away, so none can converse with him, and he always leaves when you attempt to do so.

So around six PM on a thursday evening, the pack sits around their den and the subject comes up. Spray Can and Soft Paws have spent all day making a nice meal of two roasted chickens, two bags potatoes that have been skinned and mashed, corn, and biscuits.

[NotScaryBats]

Softpaws grins, proud of the meal she has prepared. "So, why don't you just try talking to it? I met Coyote before, and he was pretty chatty," she says. Her stutter is well under control while within the confines of the den.

[BananaPhone]

Lifa sits quietly in the corner, her eyes threatening to sink into the thick, dark bags below them.

In recent weeks the Theurge seems to have added thickness to the muscles on her frame: her shoulders and arms look look strong and healthy, while the muscles across her stomach imprint against her T-shirt when she sits down. She looks like she's spent the past few months strangling people for a living.

Stranger still are the sounds that emit from her room at seemingly random intervals. The repetitive slich! of a blade against a whetstone, before a muffled, pained grunt and yelp. Conicidently, patches of the Theurges skin appear to be scar tissue, their outlines faintly visible as the Garou's regenerative properties swiftly return them to their native hue.


"Underbart. Mycket bra." Lifa uttered softly to herself as she sampled the meal Soft Paws and co had made.

Her bowl crowded with chicken and potatos, the Theurge offered Soft Paws and the other one a friendly smile. Seems as she looked like she hadn't slept in a month, the smile was...strange.

"It's fantastic. Perhaps you missed your calling as a chef?"

[daelrog]

Spoiler

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All right, back in business. Let's give this a shot: Intelligence = 2

(2d10)[5][10](15)

[hayabusa]

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Haven't lost me, I just forgot that it had moved back to the group as a whole. Sorry about that.

Jason looks hungrily down at the roasted chicken breast on his plate, the smell of the cooked flesh and spices racing into his nose. "I certainly hope this tastes just as good as it smells," he laughs. In the past two weeks, an advance had come to help with the new bills, but it wasn't quite enough that was needed, and he's been spending a lot of time in his makeshift office, writing.

[CowMasterTrojan]

Soft Paws
"Sounds like he's making a point not to talk to us. Could we have done something to offend him?" Spray can mutters softly, so quiet in fact that Lifa can't even hear them over her crazy ramblings.

Laughs
Success. You have found the blue prints. They appear to be rather outdated however.

Lifa

Spoiler

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In regards to that thing I told you that you need, I cannot easily find it for purchase. If you can provide a link for where to buy it, she may have one. If not, she may not because she lacks the dots in things she would need to acquire it.

[daelrog]

Laughs was proud of his accomplishment, but the paper in his hand seemed old, and he knew that city's changed often. He copied everything down before leaving. His next stop was to actually scout the location itself.

[NotScaryBats]

Softpaws laughs uncertainly, scratching her head. "Thanks, everyone. " She looks at Spray Can and shrugs. Guess they don't want to talk.

[CowMasterTrojan]

[CowMasterTrojan]

And so the pack continues on day to day activities for a tad longer.

Lifa continues to stay distant from the others, always having odd marks on herself without good explanation.

Laughs continues to scout out his new found target, often during the night. However security seems unusually high for some reason, and he hasn't had the time yet to make a break in via the umbra. The spiders are high in number in the area after all...

Jason tries to let himself relax, not toiling with the stresses that have been plaguing him. Of course the dreams that remind him of his vision continue to return, but without his rivalry with Deep Fang he manages to handle them in stride. In fact he has just finished his first draft of what he's been writing for weeks.

Soft Paws and Spray can continue to do day to day activities that young girls who don't have to go to school would likely do. (IDK). To their disappointment, two weeks after leaving Deep Fang, the totem's blessing finally fades. Yet the time has been peaceful and everyone has been preoccupied, so no pack totem has officially been established. Everyone has just been too busy to make things official with a pack vote.


June 28th, 2012. 9pm. Some of the pack wearily loiters around the household, having just turned on the TV to switch through channels. Lifa is in her room, doing ... no one's quite sure. Laughs has been gone on a 'walk' for hours, but should be back any second. Spray can sits upside down on the couch, flipping through channels much too fast for some to follow. But it is Hour Tales that grabs her arm, forcing her to stop. On television, the president of the United states is making a address.

The speech most of you have read

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"...And so it is with great regret that I must inform the country that a great change is about to occur. But we, as Americans, have always banded together in hard times. We have always done what is required of us to carry on, as a nation. And I am sure that this time will be no different."

"Now most of you at home are wondering what I'm talking about that could warrant such radical changes. I will show you, but first I must warn you that what you are about to see is graphic in nature. If there are children in the room, or individuals with weak hearts, please have them leave the room."

The president pauses for a moment, clearly giving time for children to leave the room. After a moment, she nods for someone behind the camera to roll the video.

Several video clips are quickly played. On it are several different scenarios where a vampire is killing a person. In one, a man's arm is ripped off with the vampire's bare hands. In another, a vampire is drinking a woman dry. In another, a man punches a kid's skull through like it was cardboard. Then the video changes to vampires who have been caged, and their appearance is much more obvious. They're being poked and prodded, and they raise their fangs in a defensive position. Then the video changes to a giant man-bird (a corax), who is trapped in a shark cage and seems to have gone a bit hysterical. The final video is security camera footage. In an alley, it shows a man fighting a werewolf in Crinos form (that looks absolutely feral) with a knife while a person off camera peppers it with bullets. After that, it cuts back to the president.

Spoiler

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Hour Tales and Soft Paws recognize the crinos form. It's Jackdaw, the pack mate they believed dead in the parks nearly a month ago.

"What you've just seen is not fake. It is real footage, collected from around the world. What's been hiding in plain sight all along is that humanity is not alone in this world. Existing side by side with us, hiding among us, are two different breeds of infected species that used to be human. But they aren't any more. They've been secretly responsible for countless deaths and crimes through history, and they have survived because we didn't want to believe they existed."
"The first kind is what we historically have called Vampires. Initial autopsies indicate that are animated dead. At this time we only know for sure that they do indeed hide during the day, and feed on humans at night. If they attack, they may drink a human dry of all blood given the opportunity. If you see a suspected Vampire, call the police and avoid them at all costs."

"The second of the infected types is much more varied, known as shape changers or Lycanthropes. The infection appears to bond them to animals of a various degree, but at this time it appears wolves and birds are the most common. Lycanthropes are even more dangerous because they can walk among human society even less noticed, have a tendency to eat their human victims, and produce a pheromone that makes those nearby unable to remember what happened. If you see one of these creatures, find the nearest object of silver and use extreme precaution."

The president slams her fist down onto the oak desk.
"From this moment on, I am declaring a official war on those infected. For those that wish to turn themselves over so we might study a cure, you will quarantined but otherwise unharmed. For all others who might not be so cooperative, know that we will find you. We will hunt you for as long as it takes, and we will give you no quarter. We are not your prey any longer."

"From this moment on, I am issuing an executive order that suspends habeas corpus until this war has ended. In addition, I am announcing the creation of a new Bureau that specializes in the hunting and identifying of those infected. The Supernatural world Organization of Required Defense, or S.W.O.R.D. Over the next few months, SWORD will start in major cities throughout the country and work their way through other smaller cities."

"Begining tonight, they will start locking down the following cities looking for the infected. Washington DC, Boston, New York, Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angelos, and Seattle. But this will quickly move on. The infected will be found, and decontaminated. Do not be alarmed if you live in these cities, as traffic may be slowed by road blocks and mandatory checks. It will be inconvenient, but it will also be necessary for your safety. Please cooperate with the random house checks that may happen. If you're not infected, you have nothing to fear."

[hayabusa]

"Oh, son of a bitch..." Jason says as he hears the report and watches as Jackdaw battles the man on television. He hadn't seen his packmate and awhile and he has to wonder if this is why. What's more important, however, are the words that the President is saying. Hunting for vampires and werewolves. Locking Chicago down.

"I don't know if they can tell us apart from normal humans if we don't shift," he says, "but this could be very, very bad..."

[NotScaryBats]

"Is that bitch really the president?" Softpaws says, slack-jawed. "C-can they do that? What do we do?" She asks the room, but her attention is on Hour Tales.

[CowMasterTrojan]

Spray Can initially falls off the couch as she tries to sit up correctly when she hears the news. Tumbling to the ground she sits up and becomes slack jawed for several moments.

She laughs nervously at Soft Paw's question. "Ya... I try to forget that fact." With a gulp she adds "Well this will be okay, right? Humans still will panic in our true form, right? And it's not like they have a way of detecting us. In our breed form, we're not harmed by silver." She then makes a face, realizing that doesn't apply to Soft Paws. "Err... Nevermind."

[daelrog]

They can hear Laughs at Blood coming in. "More humans killing each other again over nothing?"

[hayabusa]

"Worse. They found out about us. Vampires, too, and they're going hunting..."

[daelrog]

Laughs blinked dumbly. "Funny. So what is..." Laughs read the headline at the bottom of the screen. A dark glint went into his eyes. "Guess it's war then."

[CowMasterTrojan]

"Does it have to be a war? Because I think they may have us beat on numbers" Spray Can says meekly.


As the presidential address ends, the screen switch to news anchors. Being typical news anchors, they repetitively review what little facts they have. Although it doesn't bring much comfort, it appears that not everyone is bracing what the president said as fact.

[NotScaryBats]

"S-so do we call the Elders and see what the plan is, or...?"

[daelrog]

Laughs was in homid form, but his human face was contorted in a snarl. "I know we can't defeat mankind as things are, but we can still make them afraid of the wolves, make them leave us be." He listened to Softpaws. "I already have a plan. We take down the power of the city. I've already scouted ahead, I just need one more look at it in the umbra, and we'll be ready."

[hayabusa]

"Take out the power? Interesting idea, but I don't think it's all that great. People are scared now already and a large power outage the very night of this announcement would frighten them even more. It would galvanize them even more than they already are."

[BananaPhone]

"A city-wide power black-out would instigate widespread riots and looting." Lifa's calm voice drifted in from behind the group.

"The temporary chaos may serve us,but ultimately it would play to the advantage of the Weaver and the Wyrm."

[daelrog]

"And how is that? The Wyrm and Weaver will only be made stronger in the long run, always the argument that the cautious use. What would you do instead? Sit and wait for them to come? Try and set a truce knowing the only truce man will give us is a leash at best, a lab table at worst? Why does a predator kill the young from the herd and not the alpha male? It is because the predator chooses the softest target.

"Let humanity know the cost for fighting us. Give them the chance to turn back. It's why I say cut the power, and not their soft, lying throats."

[BananaPhone]

Lifa shook her head gently, "The cost of fighting us is annihilation. Humanity is too entrenched upon this planet and no one creed of the supernatural can dislodge it.

Have you not read of the wars humankind has fought? When have you seen them intimidated? Humanity is relentless. During the Dark Ages they nearly wiped out vampirekind with just a small percentage of their population mobilised with religious fervor and armed with only sharp sticks and fiery arrows.

Destruction cannot be destroyed: such carnage would only fatten the wyrm and weaken us to the point of impotence.

The US government has gambled heavily and left themselves vulnerable. These type of images can be created by any hack graphics design student - there are enough constutitional nuts who're right now sitting in their compounds, jerking off to the latest edition of guns and ammo and "gun grabber" literature while grinning at the sight of this - grinning at the sight of their vindication that the evil government is finally employing insane excuses to rule openly like kings. The population believe us to be phantoms and should we rescind into the shadows they will grow impatient and violent with their government. But if we race out to meet this effort with force, it will confirm everything the authorities have stated and the country will descend into a paranoid warzone from which only one victor will emerge - and it will not be us and by extension, it will not be Gaia."

[hayabusa]

"People have seen better visions of our kind and the bloodsuckers in movies and television," Jason says. "Of course this is real, but there are many who will, like Lifa said, see this only as a mad reach of power by the government. Others won't believe it because it's simply far too weird. Humans are so capable of deceiving themselves. We go and cut the power, we add to the hysteria that is already there, for just enough will believe this. Too many will say 'I told you so' and go on their own hunts. Remember who would have been waiting for us after our excursion to the park? There are more like him, and some are much more effective."

[daelrog]

"Ah, I see." Laughs nods knowingly. "Very well, so while they go on a mad hunt for wolves, going after our kind door to door, what will be doing instead?"

[hayabusa]

"Well, if you're so intent on attacking them and letting them know we're not to be trifled with, I'd say go for the attackers, not the supply. These S.W.O.R.D. goons we heard about? The checkpoints? Quick and surgical strikes on them if we're itching on going the offensive. I'm not fully convinced on that, but this is a threat and it could be a serious one." Jason looks around to the others, gauging their reactions and waiting to hear their opinions.