Buffy: The Vampire Slayer (IC)

[Prustan]

"Demons are much like humans - there's good, bad and indifferent ones. You humans only tend to see the evil ones though, which makes it harder for those that aren't. I'm helping because I believe myself to be one of the good ones.
I have no idea when the new Watcher will arrive, when I can return to helping from the shadows - the people who assign the Watchers don't exactly trust me.
As for the Watcher, I had some people keeping an eye out for his arrival, to make sure that he made it here before it was too late. Unfortunately, he met a couple of 'friends' of yours, and they had some help along to make sure that he died. At least they didn't decide to turn him..."

He pauses a moment, before continuing. "Now, there isn't much time because some rather obscure, and potentially disastrous prophecies are about to be fulfilled - unless you stop them. The first step in that is preventing a vampire Harvest that is going to happen sometime in the next couple of days. I don't know exactly when, but you all need to prepare quickly.
Anything else?"

[Yawielas]

"I'm guessing a vampire harvest doesn't mean we all go get our buckets and ladders and pick vampires from the trees..." Jenna looks to the others. "What exactly are we preparing for, and how do we stop it?"

[Prustan]

(Just for your information, we are preparing to wrap up the first Episode of this Season - which means experience points and the possibility of spending them. Probably when the conversation with Archer is finished. The second Episode will begin once experience awards and expenditures are finalised.)

[Prustan]

"A vampire Harvest is quite simple really. A master vampire chooses and marks one of it's servants as it's Vessal. The Vessal goes out and drains as many people as it can during the night of the Harvest, with each victim incresing the power of the master. To stop the Harvest, kill the Vessal - the quicker you do so, the less power the master gets. The good news is that Harvest night are relatively rare, once every century or so."

[Yawielas]

"And ain't we lucky that there's one on our watch....OK, lots of people...As many as they can during one night. Then they might be looking for a place where many people gather. Like a concert or a club or something." Jenna looks at the others. "What do you think?"

[Adlan]

Harry

'I think we need some way to track it. There must be some way to find it. Unless we do somthing classically Stupid. Like Bait.
Speaks Harry

[Prustan]

(Everyone, you're probably going to hate me for the next little twist... )

[Yawielas]

"Well, we can't track it if we can't find it." Jenna turns to Archer. "Is it like the movies, where vampires hang out in creepy castles or crypts? Cause then we could start looking in places like that."

[Prustan]

"Really depends on the vampire. Some still hang out in the traditional crypt or creepy castle/mansion, but more of them are starting to 'live' in regular places - just modified for they're particular needs. Not knowing who exactly the master is, I couldn't make a guess as to where it'll be staying."

[Yawielas]

"Oh....So basically, we're looking for the needle in a haystack. I guess the best option is some heavy patrolling then..."

[Truwar]

A very worried feeling starts to creep over Bastion.

Could they perhaps hang out at a secret base with biometric security, located behind a bar? Just to pick a completely random example out of mid-air...

[Yawielas]

Jenna looks perplexed at Bastion. "Then the guys could be in serious trouble! We need to interrogate them....subtly, of course..."

[Prustan]

(Now that idea would be just too evil Hadn't even thought about doing that! No, the evil twist is waiting on Adlan's reply to a PM, and how Harry is going to act...)

[Yawielas]

(Just a heads up: I'll be away Wednesday and part of Thursday.)

[Prustan]

(Just to give a large hint on how the twist will be revealed...)
Archer pauses in his thoughts and looks at Harry, concern on his blue face. "Are you okay? You look like you're having a monster of a headache."

[Adlan]

Harry, cradeling his head in his hands, issues forth a sound almost like a dog whimpering.
'Seven Hells..... he mumbles through the pain.

It's a vision, but he does not recognise it.
'The two Vampires from before.... at a stage....

[Truwar]

Bastion takes a prudent step away from Harry, in case whatever is happening to him is contagious. What about the two vampires? Are you all right?

[Prustan]

"Two vampires? What two vampires? Have you Seen something?"

[Adlan]

Harry

Breathing hard, harry felt the pain worse than any before his visions had brought.
'The Two. We Saw. Before.... His muscles were twitching across his body
'The Two Vampires from the Ship. Talking to another at a Stage...'

[Yawielas]

Jenna looks concerned at Harry, then looks to Bastion. "What is he talking about? Is he psychic, or something? If so, well...there's not that many stages in town."

[Prustan]

"Psychic? Maybe. There are stories of humans that receive visions of what is happening, or what will happen. Anyway, Harry, calm down, and tell us exactly what you saw.

[Adlan]

Harry

Taking a Deep breath, and drawing himself up to his full height, harry speaks
'Them Two Vampires what ran off, I saw them with another vampire. and the knelt down, and he was carving, or painting or something on them. And I saw one of them on a Stage, with lots of Instruments. and I saw the other is watching telly. Films.

[Prustan]

(Can anyone guess the evil twist yet? )

[Yawielas]

Jenna thinks. "A stage with lots of instruments...I can think of a couple of places like that. The place where the auditions were, your pub, Harry, and there's probably more. I guess you'd recognize it if it was the pub, though. By the way, did you get the feeling this was something that's going to happen, is happening, or has happened?"

[Truwar]

Bastion thinks for a moment, then a worried expression crosses his face. Uh oh… I think I may have a theory… unfortunately. Bastion grimaces as he goes on. Ok, lets say you are a vampire and you want to conduct a harvest, drawing the power from as many humans as possible. This means you are going to want a lot of humans in one place at one time… say for example a musical events. This isn’t going to be a “Battle of the bands” it is going to be a “Slaughter of the bands”.

[Adlan]

Harry
My visions have never come true...
he paused.
'Well, I don't think so, untill the ship.

There was a moments silence as the thoughts scrolled across his mind.
'It's gonna happen soon.'

[Yawielas]

"Then...I suggest we get going." Jenna starts heading back into town. Turning around she calls back:" Oh, how do we recognize this vessel?"

[Prustan]

"The Vessel should be easy enough to recognise. It will have a symbol drawn in blood on it's forehead."
(Anyone who remembers/has Buffy Season One, Episodes 1 and 2 should know what I'm talking about here.)

Archer thinks for a minute, then says "Be careful. The link between Vessel and Master flows two ways. While most of the power taken goes to the Master, the Vessel still recieves a portion, and will also be stronger for each life it takes. Although, once the Vessel is destroyed, the Master will be weakened somewhat..."

[Truwar]

Bastion thinks for a moment. When is the Battle of the Bands again?

[Yawielas]

"We can find out. Come on. I'm guessing this is kind of urgent." Jenna starts jogging back to town.