The Gathering

Godfrey's carriage pulls up. The driver gets off and opens the door. Godfrey walks out and crosses his arms behind his back. He makes his way to the doors. He nods to the caretaker taking coats and awaits to be seated.

Gwynne lingers in the general area outside, anxiously counting off those who have arrived and those yet to show.

There are no carriages or attendants announcing Isaac's arrival. There is no fanfare at all. To most observers he is simply not there one moment and the next he is handing a patched cloak to the surprised servants. He leans in close to the servants.He enters smiling at the assembled guests and waving to all his FRIENDS. As it would be rude to start anything before the host arrives Isaac contents himself to sit quietly in a corner and bury himself in his own musings.

A smallish man with Turkish features wearing well made but simplistic clothing was first in the door. He glanced around for a moment before unfurling a scroll and clearing his throat.
"And now announcing Abdul Wasi, of the Bannu Haquim, Emissary of The Mountain, Servant to both Allah and His Glorious Sultan Bayezid First of his name." The crier stepped aside as the door opened, Abdul wearing finer clothing then usual, flanked by two more servants, one carrying a small scroll on a velvet pillow. The were followed by the sight of twelve men, each wearing what could only be described as ceremonial uniforms of golds and greens, their turbans white as snow with a jewel in the middle of their forehead and their ornate scabbards noticeably empty. they moved as units of three, continuously instep despite the large chests that were balanced on the palanquins they carried.
Abdul bowed to The keeper, "Gifts for her Excellency, as is tradition." There was a slight smile, "Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh. Gifts that can be traced back in both of our Religions as a symbol of cooperation and respect." As he rose and straightened his finery Abdul took the sealed scroll from the pillow, "And a message for the Prince's eyes only, I trust you will see it delivered seal unbroken most Honorable Keeper."

Duccio's carriage arrives at the "abbey" and slowly makes his way out of it and up the walkway adjusting his fine robes and satchel while leaning heavily on a new looking cane with an ornate silver handle and tip. Upon reaching the the entryway Duccio kindly rejects the offer to take his bag before approaching the the Keeper, "Sorry I am running a little on the late side but Champion Leonarduccio has arrived."

Godfrey sits next to enki and crosses in legs and fold his hands over his lap. A warm smile always upon his face.

There is no loud announcement when Aserymus strides through the doors of the Prince's Gathering. No boisterous music, nor personal seneschal pronouncing a litany of titles to the other Cainites. No, his appearance and alone would suffice tonight.

Gone was the golden breastplate and crested helmet, though the bracers and greaves remained. On his torso is a tunic fine Damascus Silk, black and deepest purple, with gold filigree woven into the fabric. Across his broad shoulders is the cloak of a leonine predator, the soft fur dotted with darker spots in contrast to its golden hue.

Both ears are pierced with golden jewellery, as is his nose with a ring of solid gold. His fingers, too, are adorned with more of the sun-coloured metal, the wealth an obvious display of opulence to those in attendance. And now somewhat more visible without his armour, his arms of corded muscle are covered in foreign tattoos, with easily over half the skin proudly displaying symbols and ink of one meaning or another.

Pausing inside the doors for but a moment, the Lion of Tunis moves to take his place among the other guests.

*A man in a dark coat and his entourage come though the door. The party remove their cloaks and reveal aristocratic finery.*

*The leader is a tallish man, equipped with a stylish cane and wearing a masquerade mask that covers the upper half of his face, revealing a well groomed beard below it.*

Callum, *The Regent instructs the man dressed like a butler next to him* Go inform the keeper that clan Tremere have arrived, and ask how you can be of assistance.

*The Regent, the Large man wearing a Bavarian dress uniform, and the huge obvious Bodyguard, go take a seat as they wait for the event to begin*

In the wake of Abdul's panache and fanfare, Karim sulks into the room. Dressed in his general attire of dark coloured rags, he looks almost as out of place as the street-rat feels. He makes a tokenistic gesture to any who bothered to notice his enterance, before slipping away to one of the walls, trying to avoid any unnecessary attention.

After Karim arrives, Gwynne gives one last worried glance around the area, follows him inside, and makes her way to her seat.

When the Prince arrives and summons them forward, she stands and joins the others nervously.

Isaac steps forward and puts a hand on Gwynne's shoulder.
"I...hi...I wasn't officially tasked with inviting people but Gwynne asked me for help so I helped....so I guess I am among those who were inviting people....your highness."
He bows deeply.

"I'm sorry Your Highness. I didn't realize how strict orders were to find everyone or I would have coordinated better to ensure everyone was here. I made contact with everyone I had a way to make contact with just trying to help Gwynne out with her duties. I was unaware that I would be failing you and I beg forgiveness for this failure. If there is some way I can make this up to you please let me know and I would be pleased to do so."

Isaac approaches the throne hesitantly.
"My Prince i just wanted to say thank you for having us for such a nice party and also thank you for acknowledging me in your city so readily. From what I have heard many places aren't as accepting for caitiff."

Duccio smiles at the collection of Kindred in front of the prince glad that he was not caught up in such annoying kind of busy work while he idly rubbed at his bad knee taking in everyone present. At the mention of the absent Delcamp Duccio furrows his brow thinking back to that slightly odd fellow before his attention is grabbed by the announcement of the Master of Harpies position opening up. Smiling Duccio nods to the Prince as she makes her exit before slowly getting up to head towards the Keeper, "Well Torston I would like to formally place my name for consideration of this position opening up, I feel my talents would be best put to use in such a capacity in this city."

Abdul waited a moment before standing and approching Auzuille.
"Your Highness, if it pleases you I would respectfully request an audience." He said with a deep bow.

Godfrey stands up and leaves.

Even as Abdul raises from his seat, Karim remains at his post, standing by one of the walls.

Isaac positively beams as he watches the prince leave.
"The prince likes me!" He says to noone in particular.

Isaac approaches the group from clan Tremere and gives a polite little bow.
"Hello! I'm Isaac!I don't think we have met. What are your names?"

Duccio smiles and makes his way over to Finn in a casual manor, "You have a very energetic and throughout retainer dear Finn, I am thankful for you having him inform me of the gathering. It is also good to see that a single missing Kindred did not cause you too much grief from our most illustrious Prince."

Gwynne approaches Enki. "If you are going to resume the search for Delcamp, I would offer my assistance," she says flatly. "I believe our efforts were focused inside the city before, maybe that was the issue. If he is hiding outside of the city... He will be found now."

Gwynne ponders this for a moment. "Perhaps, though I was hoping more for a small group that could move quickly and quietly if need be." She pauses, considering. "They won't spook easily, or make a racket?"

"Hello The Regent and Marcus! I try to be helpful. Its important in such dangerous times to be neighbourly and work together!I have heard a bit about clan Tremere from others. Alot of it wasn't very nice but I'm a big fan of hearing both sides of things and not judging people based entirely on their origins or family so I would like to hear you out as well. "

"Perfect," Gwynne nods, "I'll be in touch to coordinate."

That seems to be a reasonable way of thinking about things Isaac. The local Tremere mostly want to focus on our research, and to protect ourselves from the many threats that surround us.

"That's what I mostly do! Have you been to the library! Its very nice there and they have alot of books on alot of subjects! You don't owe me any explanation in particular but I would be curious to hear your side on these accusations on usurpation, kidnapping and dark transformations of captives. Perhaps this party is not the appropriate place for that conversation though?"

Next, Gwynne approaches Aserymus, though her steps falter a bit as she approaches this relative stranger. The scent of thyme, as always, clings to the air around her.

"I... um..." She starts falteringly, struggling to make eye contact, "I'm going after Elias Delcamp, and I thought that... well, maybe that you might also want to go after him too?" She fidgets a bit, nervously. "I'm pretty good at, um, tracking in the wilderness, but once I, uh, find him, I could probably use some, um... Muscle." She winces a bit at her own choice of words.

The woman standing before him had a pleasant aroma about her, spices that reminded him of the bazaars back home. Though her manner was somewhat subdued and lacking the outward confidence of others at the Prince's court, her words were straightforward.

"I understand this...Elias Delcamp was it? Has been avoiding the city, and the Prince's court especially, for some time. If the matter is serious enough to require a tracker, I am pleased to see they have an experienced one at hand." With this Aserymus smiles slightly, doing his best to set the woman at ease. Sizing her up for a brief moment, he continues with another approach, absentmindedly rolling his shoulders so that the pelt around them shifts with the movement.

"I have limited experience with the tracking of prey in the wild, but once located and cornered, dealing with them is a much more direct matter. Perhaps we might be able to learn something from one another on this endeavour? In any case, I would be happy to provide the "muscle" you seek. I will be ready whenever you see fit to embark."

Gwynne nods. "Good... good." A slight smile appears through her nervous demeanor. "Enki has provided two of his retainers too, um..." Gwynne trails off, realizing she didn't stop nodding, before correcting that and continuing, "That should probably do it, for dealing with him, I think..."

Gwynne glances around the room briefly. "Well, um... the trail isn't getting any fresher. I'm going to go get a head start now. I'll send word when I pick up the trail."

we will likely talk another time then isaac

" Alright then Mr. The Regent if you ever want to have a more private discussion just send word.I hope you enjoy your evening!"

Isaac bows, gives a friendly wave and a smile to everyone then exits.

Duccio makes his way over to Aserymus with a bright and sunny smile on his tanned face, "Why hello Aserymus I believe we have not been formally introduced I am Leonarduccio Esposito and it is great to see a great warrior such as yourself as an active member of this city. I would also like to extend my thanks for your help with those in the sewers, it allowed me to deal with another pest within this city with one less thing to worry about."

Taking in the man in front of him, garbed in fine robes and weighing slightly, strategically even, on an ornate silver-headed cane, Aserymus quickly passes a scrutinizing eye over him. His words were polite and his manner friendly, though the Lion suspects the timing of this meeting was also carefully planned. Someone so impeccably dressed could hardly be expected to wait for convenient opportunities to arise by themselves.

"Leonarduccio Esposito." he repeats the name somewhat slowly, as if testing the foreign syllables. "Indeed. We had not. The city, and the affairs of those who dwell in it, seem somewhat...frenetic. There is a veneer of order and civility, certainly, but I suspect not quite so strong as it presents. Still, I am pleased if my efforts allowed you to sort out...whatever it was you had to take care of."

Eyeing the "guests" the Prince had brought into the hall, the Lion turns back to Leonarduccio. "Shall we continue this discussion over food and drink?"

Duccio chuckles softly, "Yes this city is indeed very interesting and not exactly as it appears on the surface, and you may call me Duccio if that is easier as it is what most call me anyway." He moves to the side and gestures to lead on to the food with a pleasant expression so he can walk side by side with the larger man.

"Yes there was a non-acknowledged Kindred making some trouble and found out the same time the troubles in the sewers happened, so I took care of one of the enemies the Prince has lurking within these shadows."

The Lion makes his way gradually towards the gathered mortals, likely already being eyed by other Cainites in attendance. Taking the time to assess the veritable buffet before them, he seeks out a woman newly over the cusp of adulthood. Moving close, he speaks softly to her, his tones tempered to reassure as well as command.

"Close your eyes, and think of the warm sun on your face, and cool water at your feet." Moving to feed, he is efficient, but not savage, taking the time to savour the meal while he supports the woman's weight. Once finished, he turns to Duccio once again.

"So, tell me. What truly troubles this city? What things do less-adventurous of our kind truly avoid?"

Duccio seems to study the collected gifts from the Prince before beckoning a strong looking man full of the flush of life over getting the man to sit next to himself. Looking into the strong mans eyes Duccio smiles a whispers before the man slowly closes his eyes and Duccio begins to feed.Duccio feeds slowly but not deeply and has he pulls away it is clear that even if the man paled a little there was still plenty of life left for another feeding. Duccio then turns towards Aserymus at his question a chuckles, "What else is there in cities both large and small, secrets and shadows are their downfall and are always the true troubles. Oh and apparently multiple Zealots." The last words were spit from Duccio's mouth with venom as the ostentatious arrival of this new figure.

Abdul slowly exits the Prince's Apartments with a bow, catching the end of the Giovanni's proclamations.
"Good sirs," He bowed politely to the pair. "Abdul Wasi of the Banu Haqim at your service. I didn't catch your name sir."

Turning his head to the side Giovanni hisses. " the white penitent, the pilgrim, an Italian, GIOVANNI BELLINI!" the light reflecting from the iron mask shimmers as Giovanni trembles.

Gargling and spitting behind his iron face Giovanni chokes out "like all good sheep I come when called, but only the Christ is my Shepard"

"It is always wonderful to see men keep their faith after death. But if you are on a Pilgrimage why did you not go to Rome or Your Holy Land? Amsterdam doesn't seem like a place for traveling holy men." Abdul cast a glance at Duccio, "and Mr. Duccio, I must congratulate you on becoming a Champion of our city, even if it's a tad late."

The Lion's eyes narrow slightly at the recent shouting from the newest figure to enter the hall, and once focused they never leave his movements, like a predatory cat stalking its prey. A madman perhaps? Likely, but if so then certainly a learned one. Such a thing was not unheard of, as most afflictions of the mind and body alike tended to ravage prince and pauper the same.

Aserymus make no move to approach the man, but instead his voice cuts through the din in deep tones, wity no mistaking who it is directed at.

"Thank you Abdul, I am just glad to be of service in attempting to keep this city safer and I do hope your meeting with the Prince went smoothly she can be tricky to get a hold of at time." Duccio smiles a nods towards Abdul while keeping the new mad man Giovani within his view whilst drumming his hand upon his cane.

"The issue of faith is one that can lead people down many a path in search for enlightenment but it is always sad to see those who take the teaching to unneeded extreme. And yes the body of the Son has perished but the Spirit lives on in his believers through the will of the Lord, although I feel you are not one who shares in my beliefs so I will not press on that matter."

"She is a tad difficult but what royalty isn't?" Abdul laughed at his own joke for a moment. "And to the contrary Mr. Duccio, the Sultan encourages interfaith dialogue between all those in his realm, and has even attended Easter Mass on occasion. I would gladly discuss theology with you at a later date if you are so inclined."

"Isn't that the truth," Duccio says with a laugh, "and yes I would love to sit and have a chat if we can find the time it is always eye opening talking with those of different faiths. Although my comment was not originally aimed at you but rather to something good Sir Aserymus said it just seems I have not spoke my native tongue in so long I forgot to switch."

Duccio nods towards Auzilie, "If I knew the noise bothered you this much I would have acted it seems I have been too numbed towards the shouts of madmen." he chuckles towards himself as he gets up to help and follow Gregor towards the basement.

"And I am sorry to leave so suddenly gentlemen but it seems I have some work to do. I would love to gather and chat sometime in the future when anyone has the time." Duccio's voice drifts out before trailing off while the rhythmic clack of his cane punctuated the metallic banging.