Activity Log, February 14-15, 2001 After learning that the other young vampires believe them to be "ass-kissers", in Parker's eloquent words, the group had decided to join their age-mates for a party this evening. At the beginning of the evening, the group decided to meet before visiting Freight, the club where the party was being held. Ari, Parker, Ethan and Hannah were present; I imagine Cliff was busy with his clinic. Ethan mentioned to his friends that he recalled the Sabbat mentioning giving Cliff to someone named Brick, and that he knew an individual with that name. He suggested that the group investigate Brick as a possible lead on Sabbat activity. This Brick appears to be a liquor-store owner in Southern Corona. I was quite dismayed by how devastated the area is, but his store appeared to be not only untouched, but thriving. Ethan seemed to have an arrangement with Brick to use his back room. After calling on this arrangement and passing Brick some cash, they were able to entice him into the back room, where Ari put the man to sleep. Ari suggested that he taste Brick's blood, as the easiest way of determining where matters stood. It seems that he has been studying the strange magics of the Tremere and he has gained their uncanny knowledge of the blood. I would give a great deal to capture one of their kind, but I have learned my lesson from Jenner's fate! I will leave the warlocks be, at least for the moment. Upon tasting Brick's blood, Ari announced to the group that Brick was, indeed, a ghoul, but not of the Sabbat as they had perhaps expected. Brick served a Setite known to him as Gran'ma Toad, and he had been serving her for more than ten years. (He claimed not to know of her as a vampire, but only as the person who "brought Mama her medicine." Foolish mortals!) It seems that either the Setites and the Sabbat have an accommodation, or the Sabbat were no more aware of the Setite presence than I believe the Camarilla elders to be. If the elder vampires were aware, I believe they would be equally excited about stamping out the Setites as they have been about fighting the Sabbat, as precedent would have it in Saint Louis. The subjects were unsure what to do about the information they had learned. Ari suggested that they gain political credibility by bringing the matter to Julia or even to the Prince. Parker was quite thoughtful and suggested that perhaps there were other powerful Kindred in the city who did not wish to present themselves to the Prince, and mentioned that it was likely this Gran'ma Toad was quite powerful. The group considered approaching the Giovanni for aid, but realized that this was not likely to prove fruitful thanks to their bad relationship with them. Ari agreed to ask his Tremere superiors, but he warned the group that he might not be able to learn much, since he was in disgrace and had been evicted from the Chantry. He reported that he was only able to learn that the Setite involved was not Sabbat, but might be working with the Sabbat for personal gain, or even using them. This did not aid the group in making a decision about what to do. The matter was complicated by the fact that Parker and Ethan had evidently been using Brick's store as an easy way of creating some illegal servants. (Blood in the wine seems to be a tried-and-true method for this.) Brick's knowledge of this made it dangerous for them to bring him to the authorities. Ari explained that his skill with the mind was insufficient to protect them from Brick's guilty knowledge, should any elders choose to investigate the matter. Ethan seemed to realize the consequences of this and argued for not reporting the matter; Parker, on the other hand, seemed inclined to take Angel's protection. However, they also seemed quite nervous about antagonizing Gran'ma Toad by interfering with her business. Eventually they decided to wipe Brick's memories of that particular evening but leave him alone otherwise. They claim that they will monitor him and attempt to make contact of some sort with his mistress, something I am most interested to observe. After manipulating Brick's mind, the group realized that they were late for the party. They drove into Brooklyn and entered a converted factory, now a club called Freight. The group greeted Slant and Hill and went up to a small bar area, where Stephen and Jamie were sitting with Stanislaw and Larry. Stanislaw seemed to be talking of some embarrassment he had delivered to someone, causing general laughter, but he broke off when Parker arrived. Stanislaw seemed extremely hostile to Parker, though the others were warily accepting (and Stephen was quite effusive). Stanislaw asked Parker to leave, and in response, Parker hit him. This led to a short scuffle between the two. The others present watched cautiously but chose not to interfere at the urgings of various observers. When the fight seemed about to escalate, Jamie and Ethan intervened to prevent them from losing control. Stanislaw managed to calm himself, but Parker punched him when he was not looking. At this, Stanislaw seemed to lose all sense of himself, bared his claws, and bore Parker backward through the window. The two of them fell ten feet to the ground, bringing Hannah accidentally with them and landing in a heap. Ethan, Stephen, Ari and Jamie leaped after them and between them managed to restrain the combatants in time to prevent too great a shaking of the Masquerade. At this point, Alice flung open the door of the bar and saw Stephen and Jamie, who in turn fled out the back, followed by Hannah. By the time Alice reached the back of the bar, the two of them must have been gone, since Alice and Hannah returned to the bar together. Alice faced down Stanislaw and sent him out, and reprimanded Ari for using his mind-control abilities to make things more suspicious in an attempt to cover up the near-breach. As Alice and Ari arranged free drinks for any suspicious onlookers, Slant and Hill cautiously approached the others. They explained that Alice's job was to pursue any illegal immigrants in Jan's domain, and that they wished nothing to do with her. Alice, in turn, approached the group after completing her duties. She explained that she had come to the club looking for them, because she had information to give them. It seems that the Sabbat had insider information about the doings of the city: they knew that Cliff was Julia's childe, and more important, they had known where the subjects were going to be on the night they fought. Alice emphasized that she was telling them this on the quiet. I imagine that the Prince does not know she has betrayed his secrets to her friends. Alice also discussed the issue of Stephen and Jamie with the group. She claimed to be responsible for bringing them before the Prince to present themselves, and explained that she would have to kill them if she caught them. Parker and Hannah raised the possibility of them not accepting the Camarilla's laws, and Alice noted that she only required them to come with her to speak to the Prince, not to swear their allegiance to the Camarilla at large. Alice seemed quite upset with the party for allowing her to catch them with Stephen and Jamie. I suppose the group is fortunate that they were not tarred with whatever tainted brush has caused the two to be pursued so strenuously. Odd that Alice has not managed to catch them yet, however; they seem to be making no effort to remain hidden. Once Alice had departed, Hannah told the group that she knew where Stephen and Jamie had gone. They drove out to a house in eastern Queens, where the two fugitives were huddled in a small, steel-doored room in the basement. Stephen seemed quite drunk, and Jamie appeared quite depressed. They both felt that if they were to present themselves to the authorities, they would simply be killed. While Hannah tried to explain that their connection with Alice meant they could have a safe-conduct, the two would have none of it. Jamie claimed they were trying to find someone, and there were many who wanted to stop them; if the elders knew where they were, they would be killed, but if they didn't find the person they were also likely as good as dead. The group offered to help them. While Stephen and Jamie were not sure what help they would require, they asked the subjects not to speak to anyone but Alice on the matter. The following night, the subjects arrived at court. After the usual socializing -- unfortunately, little of substance was discussed -- Jan entered court. Three individuals presented themselves to him: Ibrahim Hadad, Quentin Harris, and Sandro Zinghare. Quentin raised quite a fuss when he exclaimed that he only planned to follow the Prince's laws as much as he had to, just as the others did, but they were not honest about it. He was quickly quelled by Julia -- I imagine he is of the impetuous Brujah blood. Jan asked if there was any more official business, and Winter stepped forward. Winter offered the services of the Tremere to help Jan catch Mobea, since he clearly could not do so alone. When Jan was ready to take them up on their offer, the Tremere would be glad to do the Prince this favor. Jan seemed rather upset at her temerity, but thanked her graciously and instructed her to step back. He announced that Isabella's party would be taking place in the Guggenheim Elysium the following night, and that all present were invited. While Jan seemed to want to end court at this point, Winter did not allow him to do so. She stepped forward again, claiming that tradition dictated that the first Elysium of each year be held in the Cathedral. Most of the people in the room seemed to know what she was talking about, but I admit that I am mystified. Jan seemed dumbfounded for a moment, but then responded that others in the city had not completed their bargains, which meant the Cathedral was not yet in the hands of the Camarilla. At this, Anastasia burst forward, claiming that the help the Nosferatu had been promised had never been received. Julia responded in anger, crying out that her child's life was not a worthless sacrifice to the cause of the Nosferatu. Jan intervened, and I must say that he was able to leave the Nosferatu appearing in the wrong for not fulfilling their debt. I do wonder if the aid the Nosferatu were promised was ever delivered, and why the Nosferatu would require aid for entering a cathedral. The group seemed not to know what the meaning of all this was, but I shall be watching them closely in hopes that they will discover it. Transcribed and maintained Elizabeth Kent