The Garrison 1403

A middle aged man covered in battle scars wearing a mish mash of scavenged armor enters. After a moment he is gone and there stands Isaac.
"Hello Finn. Congratulations on your new position! As I am already Scourge I haven't come to join up as a deputy but I have come to discuss an important threat to the city."

Izra'll strides through the doors, a pair of swords hanging from his hip, one of his homeland and the other a more European design. He wears very layered set of armor, a buckler on his left arm and a quiver with what looks like a Welsh long bow across his back.
"Warden, I have come to lend my sword arm as well as any knowledge I can pass onto other members of the court, especially those who have the will to fight but not the means." He cast a glance around the room, giving a fang fulled smile to Cybele and Isaac, "how wonderful to see others have answered teh call to war."

"Through research and connecting ancient tales I have determined that Amsterdam once had an earthbound here that the populace made sacrifices to. It's entirely possible the being still resides here and is the source of many of our troubles. For any who do not know an earthbound is a true demon. Not merely a creature of hell but a fallen angel that exists in our world by being bound to a relic. They have varying levels of power up to the 6 strongest who were Lucifer's lieutenants in the great war. Since the rise of Christianity has starved them of the worship they require most have fallen into slumber but some few are likely still awake. I don't know for sure if the one that made this its domain in ancient times is still here but I believe it likely that it is tied to the fomori and others in the tunnels. It's even possible their goal is to wake it up. The Prince has advised me not to follow my original plan to trust to my stealth and infiltrate alone to find out what is happening down there. I propose instead we prepare an expedition in force to rout out this corruption from our city if possible and if not then to at least thin their numbers and gain information on their capabilities and goals."

"The Prince seems wise Master Scourge. Infiltration will only get you so far, and is risky. Reconnaissance by Force does seem like the best option." Izra'll crossed his arms, turning his attention to Cybele, "If they are just people then they should die just as easily. Have you faced these creatures in battle yet? And if so do they have any weakness that we can easily exploit. I'd like to read anything that has been compiled, if anything has. As my Mentor said, if it bleeds we can kill it."

"If it bleeds we can kill it may apply to the fomori but not the earthbound itself as it will be bound to some kind of reliquary. Demonic possession of a living being is a different matter entirely. Our best hope for the demon is that it's still sleeping and we can keep it that way or if it's awake we remove its cult and starve it until it slumbers again. "
Isaac directs his attention to Tiresian.
"Skill in finding hidden things and secrets may very well be key to the success of any such endeavor. Don't sell yourself short just because you lack strength of arms. I myself am no warrior but I do whatever I can to help my friends. We will need the help of everyone we can get. I don't believe we have been introduced. My name is Isaac."

Isaac immediately signs the paper.
"I agree trying to reason is always a good first step. I am a firm believer that everyone would be better off if we all tried talking things out more instead of killing each other. I don't know how much use that will be with the tunnel dwellers though. The price Cybele mentioned that the fomori wanted for us to pass when we went to rescue you was abominable. They wanted us to go bring them an equal number of victims. We should try talking if we have the chance even if only to find out more of what they are trying to do but we should all be prepared for a very nasty fight. Demons and their ilk have great power to manipulate and destroy. Everyone be mindful of any attempt to influence you. "

Izra'll gave the new comer an amused look, "You are ether a Toreador with a wonderful sense of irony or something else entirely.." He looked the Lion over, circling him like a sculptor would circle a finished work, "regardless you have innovated on a rather classic design, I am impressed. The metal work is magnificent, I must assume you forged it yourself?" The Child of Haqim was enamored for longer then he would like to admit. "My apologies sir, Izra'll of the Banu Haqim, I do not believe we have met but I do assume that was your message pinned the the Abbey's walls. And I cannot wait to spill blood along side a potential Son of Carthage."

The Tunisian remains still while his appraiser finishes his circuit, and then inclines his head slightly to answer. "I forged this armour myself, yes. And rest assured, more than sweat and time went into its creation."

Eyeing the lighter garb and versatile selection of armaments on the man, Aserymus continues. "I see you are no stranger to battle yourself. A scout or a skirmisher, if my guess is correct?" He bows ever so slightly, showing respect but never taking his eyes off the other in the room. "Aserymus, called the Lion of Tunis. I look forward to seeing your talents put to use, Izra'il."

A moment later, at the sound of familiar laughter and an even more familiar face, the Lion breaks into a smile for the first time since entering the building. As Finn sets an aged hand on his shoulder, his expression changes to one of warmth. "Revered mother. It is good to see you again as well. As to my whereabouts...perhaps we can discuss that at another time, as I long to hear how you have fared as well."

As she sets herself in a chair and motions for him to do the same, Aserymus removes his helmet and rests it in the crook of his arm, listening intently while she finishes explaining the situation. Her proposal is direct as an arrow, and lacks the subterfuge and machinations that had so sickened him in his previous time in the city. Truly, it was good to be back amongst friends, though the circumstances were less than relaxed.

"The Fates rarely afford one the leisure to go where they may, in their own time. Rather they tend to set your course where you are destined to be, and it is up to you to make the most of the opportunity." A dangerous light enters his eyes, but his smile is one of mirth. "Alright. The Spear I will lead then, but on two conditions. First, I do so to see to the protection of the people of this city, Cainite and mortal alike. I do not care for the political aspirations of the would-be elite, so they had better help or stay out of the field."

After a moment's pause, the Brujah carefully surveys the others in attendance. "The second is that I will need you all to agree, of your own volition, to see this through to the end. There will be moves and counter moves, like pieces on a chess board. But there will also be violence, and orders that may be unpleasant to carry out. If you question what you are capable of, you should leave this undertaking to those ready to commit themselves fully. I will accept no half-measures."

Returning his gaze to the wise face of Finn, the warmth is gone, replaced only with cold resignation. "Is this acceptable to you, old friend?"

Izra'll looked to Finn, his voice even and cold. "While Abdul was another son of Haqim we are not ofnthe same ilk. His kind should leave this sort of thing to those who are trained for it. Locked away in their Chantries and labs, perfecting their art for when the D'uat require their unique talents. A man who could not pass the ultimate judgment as our Father instructed has no right or place to pass out lesser sentences." His voice and features softened as he turned to the Tunisian. "This is how I have fought only for the past two decades or so, as the Deserts of Anatolia and the harsh mountains of Iberia do not treat heavier arms well. But should the need arise my Shield and spear arm are as sharp as they were all those years ago. Perhaps I shall even get the opportunity."

Aserymus regards Balthazar for a moment as he speaks, hand on the hilt of one of his blades. When he is finished, the slight smile curls the corner of his mouth, but the same warm courtesy does not extend to his eyes.

"I do not have the time nor inclination to massage your ego with scented oils. And do you think this will be a gentle walk amongst the gardens? There is every chance that you, or I, or the people here will be in danger. For one so well-travelled on the battlefields of the world, you sound like a raw recruit, ready to cut down the enemy but paling when he realises the enemy may do the same to him."

The Lion stood from the chair, never allowing his gaze to waver from the other Cainite.

"If all men questioning that which they fail to understand prevented them from action, we would all be dead of lethargy. Question, and I will explain as I may. But if you are unwilling to accept the personal risk in this endeavour, the road to another city may be more to your taste."

Isaac holds his hands up in a conciliatory manner and looks back and forth between Aserymus and Izra'll.
"I'm sure Izra'll didn't mean anything like that from his words my friend! I'm sure we all understand that on such a dangerous outing it's important we all follow instructions when there is no time for discussion. I may not be as experienced a warrior as our Banu Haqim friend or as storied a soldier as The Lion of Tunis but I know that when led into danger the best way for as many as possible to come out the other side is to follow the orders of those who have been selected to lead. "
Isaac's diplomatic smile hardens and no longer reaches his eyes.
"I am not a fighter. I have discovered myself to be a learned man and I hope my expertise in this area can be helpful. But a man does not need to be a fighter to fight for his friends and his home. I will use what powers and skills I DO have for all of us as I have done on the front lines of every conflict since I arrived. "
Isaac looks Aserymus full on in the face and makes unwavering eye contact.
"While as Scourge I do not intend to join either the Spear or the Shield know that I stand with you. I am not afraid to die. I don't wish it. I don't welcome it. But I do not fear it. If my story comes to its end standing between the Lion of Tunis and Izra'll of the Banu Haqim fighting for this city and my friends, fighting for those who don't even know the dark things we fight, then I will call that a good death. If all our deaths are the price we pay to end the threat of the earthbound then I call that a fair bargain. "
Isaac shakes himself and his smile returns in full force.
"I apologize if I am sometimes.....intense. I feel very strongly about these matters especially since Kristophe died without me even knowing he was being attacked. And then I saw Abdul die mere fight from me. It's not that I can't endure the loss of friends its that such things always have a weight and a cost."

The Lion nods once, and speaks plainly. "Respect then. Given and received."

At Finn's words and her retainers appearance, Aserymus breathes deeply, as if tangibly allowing himself to refocus on matters at hand. Taking an offered stein, he turns to her, as well as regards the others gathered in the room briefly.

"Two days time is enough to muster our strength, but we will need to apply it judiciously. When last I was here, I knew of 3 threats to this city. The Werewolves outside it, the otherworldly denizens below it, and the Inquisition within it. All three of these will have to be dealt with, and quickly."

Taking a sip from the stein, the Tunisian continued. "I need to know location, numbers, and temperament. Tell me everything."

Isaac sits and politely nurses a stein.
"We have polite if somewhat cold relations with the wolves outside the city. The truce holds with them staying in the woods and us staying out of the woods except when invited. They continue to dislike us for our nature and I don't think that will ever change but we have been able to deal with them cordially. It was they who healed Finn of her catatonic spiritual possession in exchange for me doing them a favor."
Isaac settles deeper into the chair and looks thoughtful.
"I have also had run ins with the hunters and Inquisition though they are not aware I was there. I have seen a group of well equipped hunters led by a man named Siegfried investigating possible supernatural rumors in the city. Siegfried himself seems to be a famous hunter and knows what he is doing. It is this group that has been buying up the silver in the city. They seem focused on the wolves for now. Separate from them is the inquisition. They have at least one priest who seems to have great power in his faith and it is this man who collected the rock from the sky. They are based from a castle nearby and seem unaware of our presence. "

"Anything the Lupines have done to assist in this matter more then likely was to further their own goals. So long as they stay out of our business then we should just let them stay to their forests and rituals, and if possible tell this Siegfried where they are located, let our problems deal with themselves." Izra'll shrugged politely declining the offer for a drink with his hand. "Do enough of us have the ability to detect the enemy through their Obfuscate?"

"A whole Chantry on his own? That is, impressive for lack of a better term." Izra'll cast a glance to the Tremere, "But he must be put down once this demon problem is handled, he is a threat to us all, especially if he is just a Mortal which I am starting to doubt."

Aserymus listens to the details carefully, noting each summary in time, one after another. At long last, he addresses the others in attendance.

"So we have the Wolves outside the city, but they can be reasoned with. And stand to lose as much as we if the Inquisition or these overambitious actually focus their initiative in one place. They also seem not aligned with the ones in the city who absconded with Finn, from what you've said. I doubt they would much miss the presence of their misbegotten brethren."

Pausing for a moment, the Lion takes in the group as a whole before speaking again.

"Our situation has improved. The first threat is the...'Demonic' presence under the city, as you say. In 2 days, as Finn has said, we go in force, and we remove them. This will be quick, and done with conviction. No quarter asked or given. For this we array ourselves however best we may.

Once this is done, we focus on the Lupine outside the city. We have a common enemy, so I believe we can come to common agreement with them. I will need someone to make contact with them, preferably someone who has already done so. This will be under a banner of peace, so I will need a volunteer."

Isaac raises a hand.
" I volunteer to make contact. I have been in contact with them off and on since we made our truce and had previously warned them about Siegfried. They are the ones who actually gave us his name and they had told me they will hunt him for a change. So I believe they are already working on that but we could see if we could coordinate better. I have also made a deal with them in the past to heal Finn and accompanied the Prince to negotiate with them so it seems I'm the natural choice to continue being an emissary. I wouldn't go so far as to say they like me but we have dealt fairly with each other."

"Do you require an escort Isaac? Even if they tolerate you, it's still inherently dangerous work. It would be a shame if something were to happen, seeing as you appear the be a rather gifted diplomat, a Venture who missed his calling perhaps?" Izra'll laughed, "But in seriousness especially now I do not believe anyone should travel alone."

"We can discuss the logistics and specifics of any negotiation with the wolves if we live through the tunnels expedition. One thing at a time my friends. Let's focus on that for now."

With renewed vigour and a quick last glance at the assembled group, Aserymus takes up his spear and shield from where they rested on the floor.

"Excellent. 2 days then. Array yourselves and steel your souls. In 2 days time we meet here, then we venture below to cleanse whatever remains and send it to the Underworld."

With a quick last glance, his eyes alight with grim resolve, The Lion done his helmet once more, and turns to the door. With the rhythmic clamp of greaves, he ventured out into the night.

Izra'll nodded, "Two nights. May Allah guide your heart and Haqim your sword arm." He headed for the door, turning to face the assembled Kindred, "And just so you know, I will put the success above all else. Your lives and my own." And with that he strode off into the night, vanishing into the darkness.

"I should go make preparations."

"Well, that was an expedition, how many more do you think will be required?" Izra'll seemed to step out from behind a chair, helmet tucked under his arm, swords sheathed and bow unstrung. "It was an honor to spill blood with you, I see the city is more defended then I originally though."

The warmth and light inside the sturdy walls of the building contrast sharply to the cool night air outside in the city streets, and the Tunisian feels immediately more comfortable within the space. Seeing others here already embroiled in discussion, he smiles and bows his head in respect, before looking to the two large, simply-dressed figures flanking him.

"The Garrison, where we gather to discuss and plan actions to deal with the various threats to the city of a more actionable nature. It also seems certain of the more martially-minded of our kind are already discussing matters, so we should not disturb them. For yourselves, know that these chambers and all within are under the care and watchful eye of Finn Volkova, a revered and deeply compassionate woman. She carries herself with respect and dignity and expects the same of any who enter, but she is also very much capable of violence if the need arises. Do remember that, and you will have no issues from anyone here."

Turning away from the other assembled Cainites in the Garrison, Aserymus stops briefly to complete a thought. "Note that I myself lead a group for her called The Sword, which concentrates on more aggressive strategies to root out threats. As such, your candor here reflects greatly on me, and I consider her a friend. Make of that information what you will."

With that last thought concluded, he nods once more to the others deeper in the building before again leading the trio outside to the streets of Amsterdam.