Two very small general Gehenna spoilers
GOOD TIMES / DEBATE
or "Hardestadt's Gaunlet"
Rafael de Corazon, one of the founders of Camarilla, is sitting in an old study. Out on the street a rabble of thinbloods and Anarchs throw rocks at his windows. Hardestadt enters, looking depressed
HARDESTADT
It's not pretty out there, Rafael.
DE CORAZON
I know. We have to go and talk some sense to them, calm them down a bit.
HARDESTADT
We? Couldn't someone else...
De Corazon slams his fist into the table
DE CORAZON
There isn't anyone else! Madamoiselle Banes' head exploded last week and Madame Fanchon melted into a puddle of goo! We're the last members of the Inner Circle! We have no choice!
HARDESTADT (Sighs)
I guess you're right. I just wish...
DE CORAZON
What?
HARDESTADT (Shaking his head)
It's nothing. It just, when we started the Camarilla, I wanted...
He starts to sing in a wistful, blues-y tone
HARDESTADT
Vamps of ev'ry manner
Under one big banner
So I
Made all the Anarch's cry
Yes, I:
"The Camarilla guy"
He takes a vitae-filled whiskey glass from the table and looks into it, spinning the liquid around
HARDESTADT
And that was my intent
I always thought it went
So well
Now it's all gone to hell
Oh well
Let's hope that they can't tell
He downs the glass in one gulp. De Corazon walks to him
DE CORAZON
But think of the good times we had
Was Camarilla just a fad?
500 years, that ain't half bad
Old Hardy Senior would be glad
If he saw the good times we had
Hardestadt walks to the window, looking down at the vampire demonstrators
HARDESTADT
I saw Childe fighting Sire
And started a cease fire
So sure
That I had found the cure
Oh, sure
I thought it would endure
De Corazon pats him on the back
DE CORAZON
A speech! For old times sake
I think there's time to make
Oh boy
They'll sit back and enjoy
Old boy
As we present our ploy
They make their way towards the door
HARDESTADT & DE CORAZON
Let's think of the good times we had
Was wanting stability mad?
And if we've failed, we won't be sad
We'll show these upstarts who's their dad
And honor the good times we had!
They step outside on the stairs of the building to face the hordes of demonstrators. Leading them is Tyler, the quintessential Brujah Anarch. Hardestadt walks up to her and pokes her chest with his finger
HARDESTADT
I've been through a lot of shit
And most of that's because of YOU
I'm not worried, not a bit
So c'mon, girl, let's see this through!
Tyler looks him in the eyes and grimaces
TYLER
Lately, weird things have occurred
Like this whole global Withering
Hardestadt spreads his arms
HARDESTADT
Really folks? That's quite absurd!
Why, I for one feel like a king!
He throws an impressive pose and the crowd goes "Wow!". Then, all of a sudden, he starts coughing and spitting blood. He recomposes himself and grins
HARDESTADT
Excuse me, everyone, I have to go to the little Elder's room.
He points at a random neonate
HARDESTADT
You seem to be no one of importance. Come and FOLLOW me inside. Rafael, hold the fort.
He goes back inside the building. The neonate, his eyes glazed over, follows. De Corazon steps up, looking stern, and addresses the crowd on the subject he knows best
DE CORAZON
Even in these trying times
We must the Masquerade uphold
Yes, in fact for all the crimes
The punishments should be tenfold!
Tyler doesn't buy it
TYLER
You can stand there smirking
We'll give the Masquerade last rites
We heard that Brussels's working
On "The Bill of Cainite Rights"!
There's a scream from inside the building. Hardestadt returns, wiping his mouth and looking a lot healthier
HARDESTADT
So... Where were we?
Tyler resumes her rant
TYLER
"Ancients aren't real, they're just
A myth", you said, "Or dead, at least"
Yet it's somehow hard to trust
When on the streets the ancients feast!
HARDESTADT (Shrugs)
I really don't know what to say
Such crazy thoughts run in your head
I swear that everything's OK...
Perhaps you are of Malkav's get?
TYLER (Furious)
Time to drop the act, you fake
I'll say this once, and not again:
We KNOW the Ancients are awake...
HARDESTADT Cutting her off
Where is the Ventrue founder, then?
Tyler is about to respond, but her voice is drowned by a horde of Camarilla Yes-men, who emerge from the building to mock the crowd with a limerick
CAMARILLA YES-MEN (Nyah nyah)
You always said: "Blue-blooded clan
Is part of some big masterplan"
Well, that was untrue
The first of Ventrue
Was nowhere when shit hit the fan!
Hearing this, an Assamite neonate in period clothing jumps up
PRINCE MITHRAS/MONTY COVEN
What about MY 3rd gen Sire?
Was he just a stinking liar?
Hardestadt looks at him sneakily
HARDESTADT
Perhaps you've done diablerie...
A gale of wind blows past, carrying a voice
HAQIM'S VOICE
He has! Because he's friends with me!
The wind blows through the crowd, exsanguinating vampires by the dozens before calming down. Tyler looks at Hardestadt and laughs
TYLER
I think I have all the evidence I need now.
She turns to leave, but Hardestadt grabs her arm
HARDESTADT
One word about this to anyone and I'll pull Resources on you!
TYLER (Incredulous)
Resources?
HARDESTADT (Furious)
YES! AND INFLUENCE! I could have your contacts unemployed and your haven reposessed just like that!
He pulls out a cell phone
TYLER
Umm... You do realize that global infrastructure has just about collapsed completely?
HARDESTADT
Silence, wench! Shaking the cell phone furiously "No signal"? Damnable machine, I ORDER you to get a signal!
TYLER (Sigh)
Fine, I'll do it the old fashioned way.
She pulls out a pair of archaic pistols, pointing them at Hardestadt. He blinks and looks at the weapons
HARDESTADT
You... You saved those, Patricia? I'm touched!
TYLER (Blushing)
Well, you know, it's not every day a girl gets to shoot a strapping teutonic warlord...
HARDESTADT (Chuckle)
Come now, I'm not that special.
De Corazon just looks at them, his mouth hanging open. Tyler lowers the guns and grins
TYLER
You know, H, now that I think of it, the Brujah Antediluvian hasn't turned up, either.
HARDESTADT (Slaps himself on the forehead)
You're right! That's something we have in common! He offers his hand Friends?
TYLER (Takes it)
Friends!
They walk off. De Corazon just stands there
DE CORAZON
Say... You all didn't just do a bunch of drugs, did you?
Meanwhile, orbiting the Earth in a giant space station, two Antediluvians, namely Troile and Ventrue, have watched the entire scene unfold on a huge monitor. Troile is rubbing Ventrue's neck. She leans to his ear
TROILE
I have to say, when it comes to manipulating the fledglings, you're still the stud!
VENTRUE
I know, babe! Dominate 10 rules! Not to mention that everyone still thinks I'm dead!
TROILE
Dominating the writers of Gehenna into writing you off like that was a true masterstroke of Jyhad! Starts to nibble at the back of his neck And damn sexy, too...
VENTRUE (Pushes her teasingly aside)
Easy there, tiger! There will be plenty of time for that after we... Say, what's that?
A red light is flashing in the control panel
TROILE
Crap! Our orbit is decaying! Someone's been tampering with the power source! We're doomed!
VENTRUE
Who was it? Can we get a visual?
TROILE
I'm working on it! A smaller viewscreen blinks on There! It's the core surveillance data from half an hour ago.
On the viewscreen, a hooded figure can be seen tampering with the space station's engines
TROILE
Say... Is that the Capuchin?
VENTRUE
If you ask me, all these fucking hood-heads look the same.
The figure turns, notices the surveillance camera and waves cheerily, taking down his hood
It's Set
TROILE & VENTRUE
Fuck.
NEXT in Act 12:
A medley!