Downtime Post-Session: 13 - Game Date 12.14.1995 - 12.17.1995

Omens

Mortimer Smythe, Stephen Smithson, Constance Carstairs (Lady Seven).

Mortimer looked out of the airplane window at the clouds below, everything had changed and it was no longer possible for him to look the other way. The new master had threatened one without talent in an effort to get at another who had the talent. Mortimer had made a promise to look into things for Malcolm's son and he was a man of his word. When Mortimer had found out where Winston and Jamison were staying, he had tried to reach the boy to tell him what he was facing. Unfortunately, he hadn't been able to reach Malcolm's son, Drake, so now he was on a plane bound for San Francisco. The things one does for the son of an old friend.

The San Francisco airport in was south of the main city and the taxi ride to Drake's estate in Napa Valley was a long one. Mortimer hated taxis. The woman's voice that answered the gate buzzer had a heavy Mexican accent. Mortimer did not recognize it. She said that Drake was not in, so Mortimer asked for Theresa. It had been a long time since he had seen Theresa. It had been right after the birth of the boy, well over thirty-five years ago. He had missed his friend Malcolm, but it had been best for Malcolm and his family that Mortimer had stayed away. But the new master had ignored the rules, so Mortimer was about to speak with a stranger that he had not seen in almost thirty-five years. The woman came back on the speaker and said that the lady would see him. The gate swung open and the taxi headed up the drive. It came to a stop in front of a large manor style house. The boy was living ostentatiously. It was a wonder that the new master hadn't found him sooner.

The door was answered by Theresa. She didn't look like a woman in her late seventies, it was obvious that she had accepted Malcolm's talents and had even allowed him to retard her aging. She looked at Mortimer a look of worry on her face. How could he blame her, the last time she had seen him was when he had told Malcolm that the new master knew of Malcolm's whereabouts and was about to take action again him. This had caused Malcolm to pack up her and their new born son and move to California. Mortimer meant bad news to Theresa and he knew it.

Mortimer asked Theresa where Drake was. Theresa said that he had left with a bunch of his friends and wouldn't be back for several days. Mortimer explained that Drake had told him about the attempt to kidnap her and that he had been following up on some leads that had brought him to San Francisco. Mortimer apologized for disturbing her and takes his leave.

After walking a few miles, Mortimer chanted a short verse and took to the air. Once airborne, Mortimer headed for Smithson's villa to confront Winston and Jamison. Upon arrival at the villa, he sensed the wrongness of the place. An unnatural pall hung over the place, the essence of death but not dead. The villa's master was an abomination against nature, the new master had truly sunk to the lowest level in choosing to deal with a vampire.

The door was answered by the valet. He was tainted by his master's touch but yet was still a live one to guard the day while his undead master slept. Mortimer used a word of power and the valet fell to dust at his feet. Mortimer stepped into the villa, raised his wards and prepared to meet Winston and Jamison. Winston stepped into the foyer. Seeing that he was unprepared, Mortimer again spoke a word of power and Winston was but dust in the wind. Jamison sensing the power used by Mortimer called for him to come into the courtyard. Mortimer channeled all of his energies into his wards and stepped out into the courtyard. Jamison's blast glanced off of Mortimer's wards and knocked a chunk out of the side of the villa. Mortimer channeled his ward outward and embraced Jamison with it. Jamison's shock was apparent as his ribs crack under the pressure of the ward's embrace. Mortimer channeled all of his energies into his attack and Jamison's efforts to resist soon ceased. Mortimer crossed the courtyard to check on Jamison and was sent crashing into the wall by a blast. Looking up, he realized that he had underestimated Smithson because the last thing he saw before losing consciousness was the vampire standing before him in the bright light of day.

The new master looked to Lady Seven and told her that their new ally in San Francisco had reported that Mortimer had killed Winston and Jamison. But Mortimer had been neutralized. The new master asked Lady Seven to go to San Francisco and check up on both Smithson and Drake Moorland.

Constance boarded the airplane bound for America. She had never been to America before, this was going to be an interesting trip. After all, America was "the land of opportunity."