A Little Coterie Goes A Long Way Options

[Necrom]

Howard's mood darkened when Kiernan introduced himself. "Malkavian..." he thought distastfully, though he kept his face still. He could only hope the Kindred was here for other reasons than the Ventrue's, for he found Lunatics completely impossible to work with.

Snake then made his grand entrance. Howard was startled, but as the filth covered vampire sat down, recognition dawned on him. This was that chainsaw wielding Malkav from the graveyard! Yes, he remembered now...there was him & that delusional Ravnos who told them she could see ghosts. Howard would of been happy to never see this madman again. He'd heard gossip he was the Primogen's right hand man & the 2 were claiming to be a married couple. Ridiculous...

But here he is...talking about "kicking Sabbat ass". "Oh hell..." Howard thought. "What the fuck is the Prince thinking? Does she want this taskforce to fail?" Before he could think anymore on it, the Sewer Rat introduced himself with what was certainly an alias. Then the biker spoke up.

John looked at Snaker & seemed to recognise him. Howard looked at each of the gathered Kindred in turn & was secretly horrified, though he couldn't show it. "This simply cannot be the coterie the Prince had in mind. There must be a mistake." he consoled himself. "Two Malkavians, at least one of which will be utterly uncontrollable & a Gangrel biker. Things aren't good if the most tolerable person in a coterie is the fucking Nosferatu."

The Ventrue decided to not get worked up about this, the Prince will sort this out, even if she is Tremere. He simply gave his fellow Kindred a bland smile. "Meeting cannot start soon enough." he finally thought.

[Prince Tessa Bis...]

Gabriel put the phone back in its cradle and turned his hazel eyes to the Scotsman beside him. "I'm going to take the coterie members up to Tessa's office, man, I'll be right back." Derrick nodded and went back to cursing under his breath while he sorted through the invoices for all the contractors. "Like the fokkin space station," was the last think Gabriel heard as he exited the office and didn't bother to hide his laugh.

Winding down the corridors, he greeted the staff he passed with a nod and a smile before finally emerging in the huge chrome and glass lobby. Heading towards the motley crew who sat in the waiting area, he could sense the tension in their small talk before he was even close enough to be noticed. Nothing out of the ordinary for a mélange of clans, but Tessa sure was going to have her work cut out.

"My name is Gabriel Diaz and I am here to show you up to Ms. Bishop's office. Please follow me. Turning towards the elevators, he led them past all but the last one. Stopping before it, he worked his magic with the security, doing all but giving it a drop of DNA. Finally the doors opened and he stepped aside while each member entered.

A short ride later, he was leading them through a maze of corridors until they stopped before a heavy wooden door. Pressing the intercom button, he announced their arrival to the Prince and the Sheriff. Turning to the crowd, he nodded with a smile. "Have a nice meeting," and disappeared silently.

Once the group had been admitted, Tessa made her way to the front of the room. Standing patiently as they settled, she motioned for Aryn to activate the Smart Glass and began to speak.

"First of all, I would like to thank you all for coming to this meeting. I will keep it short and succinct, but I felt it paramount we all begin on the same page. As you know, threats and speculations are running rampant with regards to the bombings, both of the former Prince Michaels and of the Blood Farm. Thanks to a couple of vigilantes who decided to make things worse by making sashimi out of the Archbishop, we are in desperate need of a war time coteri . Now please do not take that to mean I will be shouting WAR from the rafters, but I'll be damned if I sit here like a shrinking violet and let the Anarchs, Sabbat or anyone else march over us."

"Keeping this in mind, my idea is to start things off with some heavy surveillance. I want to know what the Anarchs and Sabbat are doing and who they are blaming for what. Only then will we have an accurate idea of how angry our enemies are and the level of retaliation they may be looking into. In addition and most importantly, we need to know how we can use this to our advantage."

"Now, your coterie leader will be Mr. Howard Smythe. Howard, come up here if you please." Smiling softly, Tessa gestured to her left side. "Howard will report directly to my Sheriff, Aryn MacNaughton, and she will fill me in on what's going on. Right now, I would like Howard to present his ideas for discussion."

[John Doe]

When the guard enters, John levels his gaze heavy upon him. The skin around the corner of one eye crinkles, a tic setting it off. He squeezes the eye shut, as a little grubby insect crawls out from the corner of his shut eye, and wriggles down his cheek. When it reaches his mouth, he snaps at it, biting and spitting it out. He scoops up the helmet, and follows the guard to the lift, without saying a word. In the close confines of the elevator, the rank sewer water that's dampened his clothing reeks. Not to mention his sheer size makes the lift a touch 'cosy'.

When he's ushered into Tessa's meeting room, he snaps to attention. Large meaty hand gloved, and clenched into a fist as he bumps it over his heart in salute. Helmet tucked smartly under an arm, listening intently to his Prince's orders. Treating the gathering very much as a 'mission brief'. Paying attention to rank and file, looking across to nod in greeting to his Sheriff, Aryn. Shifting his stance, to swing his attention around onto Howard.

Tessa's staff are NOT ghouls. Please see here: TESSA'S STAFF

[Drew Cadan]

Did the Nossie just eat a bug? No he just spit it out. Drew thought, he wasn’t entirely disgusted but it brought back memories of his induction to the ‘Brothers of Vengeance’ where he had to eat all sorts of strange things in ordered to become harder. The guard opened the door to lead the group to another room. Drew hopped off the comfy couch and followed the behind the nossie. If he breathed, Drew might have coughed at the rank smell.

Inside the new room Drew found a suitable chair and plopped into it. He leaned back and placed his hands behind his head as the Nossie came to attention and saluted. Drew merely rolled his eyes at the formality. When the prince spoke he hung on every word carefully trying to size up his new employer. When she motioned to Howard Drew turned around in the chair to face the venture. His face showed a hit of disgust but only for a second.

Venture’s shouldn’t lead a war, he thought, they might get their suits dirty.

[Necrom]

Howard was relieved that someone had come to collect them from the waiting room. "Now we can get this sorted." he thought as he followed Gabriel. When in the elevator, the Ventrue was careful to not brush up against the Nosferatu & get sewer slime on his best suit.

As they entered the meeting room, Howard noticed the Sheriff & gave her the slightest nod of acknowledgement, then looked the Prince over. He'd not met her previously. Howard sat & they listened as Tessa gave her introduction speech. It soon became clear to Howard the gathered Kindred was indeed the coterie that the Prince had in mind.

Stunned, he gave a quick scan of the room taking in each of them in turn. Pausing at the one calling himself "John Doe", Howard watched in horrid fascination as the tall vampire chewed & spat out the bug. "That's just disgusting." he thought to himself. "Bad enough they're hideous, but to have such a lack of personal hygiene to allow for insect infestation..."

Still dumbfounded over Tessa's choices, Howard didn't immediately process that he was to come & stand beside her. A couple of seconds of expectant silence later, he regained his composure & quickly moved to the front of the room, a little embarrassed.

Howard looked at those in front of him, cleared his throat & began to speak: "First, I would like to thank the Prince & Sheriff for this opportunity, to be part of this initative to make Los Angeles safer for all Camarilla." Howard glanced at Tessa & Aryn in turn with a charming smile he wasn't quite able to pull off.

"Now abit about myself. Before moving to LA, I spent the previous decade in Seattle. There, I was part of a coterie much like this one - though more specific in dealing with the city's Sabbat problem - so, I have experience. I'm certain the Sheriff will have some documentation about my past in this area for you to examine should you wish to do so."

"Onto what Prince Tessa has advised: Surveillance. What immediately comes to mind is we find out what the latest gossip & rumours are. A safe place to start would be where members of all 3 sects gather publicly. I've heard a club called the Shroud is such a place. Next, we could try Sabbat- or Anarch only places, like bars. Of course we'd have to go in keeping our allegiances to ourselves, plus there's additional danger going into enemy territory."

"Should those options not prove fruitful, we could capture & interrogate one of the enemies. Alternatively, we could infiltrate the other sects & have a mole report back to us."

Howard paused, then continued: "Those are the first thoughts that come to mind & obviously would have to be expanded upon to make into a workable plan. I'm also open to any ideas the rest of you may have." Howard looked at the rest of this laughable "war coterie".

[snaker]

As they all walked through the corridors that twisted and turned, Snaker took in the surroundings, kept studying the other members from time to time, but was more interested on the way the Prince's ass moved. Her ass resembled Velvets. This is what initially may have attracted his attention. Her hair was begging to be pulled and like Lily, he could sense that deep down maybe this woman longed to not be in control but rather had fantasies about a certain scruffy preacher man bringing that toned body one step closer to God. He felt his old cold lifeless heart almost make a beat. He then shook it off as they got to the destination.

He recognized almost everyone on the team and raised an eyebrow as he thought he saw the nose ferret pull a fly out of the air with his tongue. What the fuck?.... The guy in the alley the fireman dude, he reminisced...then cracked a slight smile as he remembered the whole fireman getup and the the sounds the guy made when he was getting his ass kicked in the alley before his neck snapped like a toothpick. The sounds bounced around his head for a while...Ahhh memories.

That sharply dressed, smug little prick was the same pretentious little cock from the cemetery..that's gotta be him. . what the hell was he doing there and why the hell is he running the show Snaker mulled over as he studied the leader.

"Those are the first thoughts that come to mind & obviously would have to be expanded upon to make into a workable plan. I'm also open to any ideas the rest of you may have."


Snaker wasn't in the right frame of mind to come up with ideas or change the world so he chose to remain silent and take in the others reactions.

[John Doe]

He looks at the rest of the motley crew. Snaker looks back, but remains silent. He swivels his head, looking over to the other malkavian, who's so far keeping quiet as well. So, John takes a deliberate step forward, and clears his throat. It sounds more like a choking gurgle, a death rattle.

" We need a list, names and descriptions of all members of our camarilla. This way, we'll know right away friend from enemy. If they're not with us, they're against us. Pure and simple. So, we'll need a list of names, also any and all known havens and other establishments. That goes for us, as well as them, if we know any of that. We'll also need to know the names of any members that have had dealings, or have any kind of relationship to our enemies, no matter how trivial. Also, if there are any known sympathisers in the ranks, we'll need to know and keep an eye on them too.

Equipment? We'll need arms and armours. Some fast vehicles too. And any surveillance equipment or permission to commandeer and, or acquire such. Do we have permission to engage if discovered and hostilities ensure? "

He speaks with a grumbling baritone, using short clipped sentences. Just his manner and stern demeanour speak military experience, and rigid dedication. For all his brute size and less than pleasant appearance, he seems level headed enough. If a little jaded.

[Drew Cadan]

Drew listened as the Venture spoke, and liked what he heard. A decade experience fighting the sabbat showed the man had balls, ever so necessary in a war. Intelligence is crucial in an urban warzone; it’s often the difference between victory and defeat. If the venture was hot-headed and ready to rush into the fray without knowing all the facts Drew might have left the room right then and there. But because the man showed some knowledge of the art of war Drew became more comfortable accepting him as the alpha male.

Drew looked over as the Nossie spoke. The idea seemed sound, but in principle drew didn’t like it.

“What’s next id badges and registration papers?” he spoke under his breath. He wasn’t too sure that anyone had heard him but he decided to back up his insolence with some constructive ideas
“Hunting grounds,” he said loud enough this time as he leaned forward and put his arms on the table, “we are, though many don’t want to admit it, creatures of habit. I say we go along with fireman here and find the major areas where sabbat and anarch like to feed, and observe who decides to chow down. Get some pictures and get a real idea of the numbers we face.”

“Guns and ammo are paramount, if you don’t want to foot the bill,” he motioned to the Prince, “in case you don’t want to appear mixed up in our little party, we can always steal them. Gangs always have some hardware we can pick up. Might raise a few eyebrows, but if it looks like another gang war, whose going to ask questions?”

[James Forscythe]

The bus got off at the inner city, about half a mile from the pharmaceutical companyy. Los Angeles was big...really big. He'd never quite made it to a city this big, and it was a bit...intimidating. He rarely strayed from the bars and piers that he was wont to travel, but this was big. He'd only met the Prince one other time, and at that point, he was fearing for his life. Now he had a chance to prove himself.

James was wearing a nicely pressed suit, about a size too small for him...it was technically a gift. A gift from a random mortal falling sway to his powers. Normally, James would have felt bad about such a thing, but he could hardly afford to get a suit on his own, and that man seemed well-to-do enough. It was all sacrifice for the greater good. James's hair was finely combed, though no products were put in. He did his best to try to look good, but lacking a reflection, there were some obvious oversights. His hair was bit off to the left, for instance.

As he walked down the streets, he felt blined by the flashing lights and those passing around him. Almost getting lost, he finally came upon the large building. He took a moment to gaze upon it, taking in it's majesty. He felt dwarfed, but not quite intimidated. This was it...

He looked over his invitation, hastily thrown into his pocket. Just as quickly as it was withdrawn, it was put back into place. A man was calling several people to come with him. He wouldn't have given it more than a look-over if not for...yeah, that was a Nosferatu...a fireman Nosferatu. The rest must have been kindred as well. With a moderately fast pace, James went over to the reception, feeling as if it were his first day of school and he didn't know where his classes were.

"James...James Forscythe. I'm here to see the Prince, ma'am," James spoke hastily. The receptionist responded, "Oh, well, that would be them leaving right now," the finely-dressed woman responded. Fuck, it was about to leave. Without much thought, he ran towards the door, in what almost became a "hold the elevator" moment. James barely made it in, pushing his way towards the railing once inside. He looked over those inside...there were a few suits, a biker, and a Nosferatu. The Nosferatu was the only one he could immediately identify by clan. The other two had their fair guesses, but he couldn't be sure.

Topside, they were lead down winding halls. James took note of every turn they made. He might need to remember this one day. He trailed from the back, not wanting to draw attention. He looked over each door and anything else that was interesting. This, being where the Prince lived, was sure to have interesting things to take note of.

"Have a nice meeting." Well, this was it...

The Prince was very pale, indicating her age. If only she weren't the Prince...she could probably take out Victor...if only she wouldn't just sit here out of fear...not that James could blame her, but how dearly he wished to have a powerful ally to alleviate his worries. He shook the thought as she spoke.

"Thanks to a couple of vigilantes who decided to make things worse by making sashimi out of the Archbishop, we are in desperate need of a war time coteri . Now please do not take that to mean I will be shouting WAR from the rafters, but I'll be damned if I sit here like a shrinking violet and let the Anarchs, Sabbat or anyone else march over us."

The idea of a Coterie struck James minded for only an instant as it was flooded by her mentioning of the Sabbat. Instantly, he felt his hatred swell. Could this finally be the chance to strike back, to rid this city of their menace once and for all?

"Howard will report directly to my Sheriff, Aryn MacNaughton, and she will fill me in on what's going on. Right now, I would like Howard to present his ideas for discussion."

So...we this is our man leading the war against the Sabbat? He hardly looked like a fighter to James, but you could never be sure with Kindred. He glanced between each one present. The Nosferatu might be of some good...as might the long-haired guy. The biker...probably. All in all, the leader looked like the only one who might not be able to deal a punch.

"Onto what Prince Tessa has advised: Surveillance. What immediately comes to mind is we find out what the latest gossip & rumours are. A safe place to start would be where members of all 3 sects gather publicly. I've heard a club called the Shroud is such a place. Next, we could try Sabbat- or Anarch only places, like bars. Of course we'd have to go in keeping our allegiances to ourselves, plus there's additional danger going into enemy territory."

James smirked. He'd already done so with that, though...moreso on his own accord. He could help, but honestly...he didn't want to be that guy. He didn't want to use his friendship to win an allegiance or to spy. He would certainly try to help Zake see things from his point of view, but he wouldn't do it on an order. Still, he was in the most advantegous position of them all.

"Should those options not prove fruitful, we could capture & interrogate one of the enemies. Alternatively, we could infiltrate the other sects & have a mole report back to us."

The Lasombra's smirk grew wider. Who else could be better at inflitrating the Sabbat than a Lasombra? He hated the Sabbat, however, and the propsect of getting close to them disgusted him. His smirk faded. Why could we not just kill them off now? He'd gladly tell them all of the secrets of Obtenebration and the little he knew on the Fiend's work just to avoid getting close to them. Still, anythign to eliminate the sect from the area.

"We need a list, names and descriptions of all members of our camarilla. This way, we'll know right away friend from enemy. If they're not with us, they're against us. Pure and simple. So, we'll need a list of names, also any and all known havens and other establishments. That goes for us, as well as them, if we know any of that. We'll also need to know the names of any members that have had dealings, or have any kind of relationship to our enemies, no matter how trivial. Also, if there are any known sympathisers in the ranks, we'll need to know and keep an eye on them too."

The Nosferatu seemed paranoid. Perhaps that was useful to have around. James listened to him, nodding, but not having much else to say. Though...James confessed to himself that he was an Anarch sympathizer. But a Sabbat sympathizer? He'd sooner die.

“We are, though many don’t want to admit it, creatures of habit. I say we go along with fireman here and find the major areas where sabbat and anarch like to feed, and observe who decides to chow down. Get some pictures and get a real idea of the numbers we face.â€�

That plan sounded too slow. If we have them, we should take them out. Plus, how would you divide them out? Ask them their names? How do you know who belongs to who, and what if you're caught.

When there was a moment of silence, he thought to speak up. He began to open his lips, but nothing came out. What the hell would he have to say? He wasn't much for offensive, he'd been evading his whole time. All he had to offer was unique knowledge on Lasombra that no one else had...which he hoped was enough.

[Prince Tessa Bis...]

Tessa stood silently as she waited for Howard to join her at the front of the room. The Ventrue was clearly caught off guard by the Nossie's Venus Flytrap mouth, but remained composed nonetheless. She always thought the Ventrue would be ideal for antiperspirant commercials. "Never let 'em see you sweat... even when the dude standing next to you eats a bug." She could see it now... And a slight smile teased the corners of her red lips.

Howard threw a glance at Aryn and her that was somewhere between a smile and constipation and thanked them for being allowed a part in this group of merry men. Nodding her acceptance, she remained quiet as he began with a severely truncated verbal resume. 'Nice move,' she thought to herself, because without a doubt, every one of the people seated at the table was wondering why she had chosen such an odd-looking crew. 'Let them wonder for awhile,' she figured. Time was short and if they didn't trust her or her intellect, the Camarilla had far worse problems than the Anarchs or Sabbat.

"Onto what Prince Tessa has advised: Surveillance," said Howard and Tessa listened carefully as she watched the body language of those seated around the table - and that of the Ventrue next to her. It was painfully clear he thought everyone at the table, and probably Aryn and she, were all beneath him, but she couldn't hold him to fault; it was simply a flaw in their clan she had come to understand and tolerate. Just. The Nossie, on the other hand, seemed eager and ready to get down to business. What they lacked in beauty, they made up for in aptitude when they were called upon for important matters.

The snide comment made by the Gangrel, which she clearly wasn't supposed to hear, didn't ruffle her feathers either. She would rather them get it all out of their systems and on the table now rather than take it into the field. One thing she did not need, nor would she tolerate, was a bunch of whining and foot stomping when the wellbeing of the city depended on this coterie's success.

Stepping forward as Drew mentioned the hunting grounds and weaponry, she nodded slowly and looked into the eyes of everyone in the room before responding. "Yes, Drew, I agree that we are creatures of habit, however, you must remember that the veins of blood run thin here in LA because of the bombing. As such, the lines have been blurred between hunting grounds as kindred are forced to feed where they can. You will never be certain what sect you are surveiling based on that alone." Turning slightly away from the crowd, she removed a sealed envelope from the back table. Sliding a long, pale finger beneath the flap, she broke the seal and pulled out a list. Handing the remaining pages to Aryn, she asked, "Aryn, would you please hand these out to everyone?" and thanked her before re-addressing the group.

"What Aryn is handing out is a list of known Anarch and Sabbat hangouts. In addition, the second section lists areas where all sects are known to frequent, The Shroud being a prime location. I would suggest that these locations be your first port of call. I have also provided a list of names as suggested, but I doubt they will help very much. Kindred aren't the name-dropping type, but you can derive a lot of information from overhearing general conversation and body language. Secondly, while I do authorize you to take action if necessary, I would prefer this coterie to be kept as secret as possible until it is no longer feasible. This brings me to the last point I wish to impart upon you. I have arranged to have all your weapon, machinery and armory needs satisfied by Jake at Jake's Military Surplus Store. If he doesn't have it, he can get it and the funds are taken care of. However...." Stepping forward and resting her palms on the table, she looked deadly serious. "I am not about to let this turn into a street war. Guns, hi-tech weapons and custom vehicles draw the attention of the media and the police. The September 11 crisis and especially the recent attempt to bomb Times Square has left every kine with the jitters and the creeping paranoias. If you go out there and turn it into Gangland, we're finished before we start. I insist that you keep your use of weapons to a minimum and, instead, rely upon the gifts you all have been given.

Most importantly, you all must be loyal to one another. We cannot fight against the enemy if we fight amongst ourselves. I'll leave you with a thought before I turn the meeting back over to Howard:

'Things fall apart; the center cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.' William Butler Yeats. Howard?"

[Necrom]

Howard nodded in approval while listening to Tessa speak on being subtle & working as a team. After she recited a poem he never heard before (but recognised the author), looking at those seated he spoke: "To expand upon what the Prince has just said: The longer the other sects are unaware of this group's existance, the better it is for us. Eventually, our activities will be noticed & very likely invite retailiation. Until then, we must be very, very sneaky. We'll be handling sensitive material & for our own safety, no one outside of this room should know what we're doing." Focusing his gaze on Snaker, Howard added: "That includes your Primogen."

Addressing Tessa's 2nd point, Howard continued: "Teamwork will be essential for success & survival, especially out in the field. So listen carefully, this is how it's going to be: off the field, we're all equal. You don't like something, you have a problem, that is the time to bring it up. We all have a say & we all have a vote. On the field though, things will be different. We can't afford to be questioning & debating everything, that will cost us. On the field, I'm in charge." Howard paused to monitor reactions, then said: "So, no macho ego bullshit. No button pushing. We have a job to do, don't put your ego in front of our task. We'll need to get to know each other, get along, learn from each other. Become a team. Anything less & we're guaranteed to fail."

[John Doe]

..((..kickin' it 1st person style..))..

The biker speaks up, Drew's his name. I heard his snide remark regarding i.d's, and i think back to his disparaging remark concerning the Prince. Even having his boots on a table for fuck's sake, back in the waiting room. I know the type; no respect for authority. I never cared much for 'free thinking radicals', and my shitty existence didn't help my cynical outlook any. But i don't doubt his presence here. From all my experience, it always served to obey 'management'. If Drew's a part of this, then he's got to be good at what he does. And that's good enough for me.

I notice the late comer smirking a little as others were speaking. I don't see what's so fucking funny. He looks like he's got something to say, but he stays silent. I'm not sure what to think of that. I decide i don't really care. Tessa and Howard later both reinforce the idea of the troop. They speak of loyalty, and i find myself nodding in agreement. This is why i came here, to lend my hand to their war effort. I can't stand peace time, too much fucking 'me time' for my liking. So i need this.

I figure since Howard's spoken a bit about his credentials and experiences, i ought to do the same. I step forward and clear my throat. I tell them about my tours in korea and 'nam. I lay it on thick, so they know i'm a hard bastard. But i make them understand i'm their hard bastard. I also make mention of the different sieges i've fought in under the camarilla. I let them know that i'm ready to begin, right away. I don't have anything else, this is all i've got.

[snaker]

Snaker sat back and listened as the Prince and that Ventrue systematically dismantled Snaker's only known attributes of significance.

The ability to use explosives, chainsaws, shotguns and C4 while having a mammoth size ego in the process. She wants me to only use my special abilities...fuck me....His eyes went dim as he massaged his temples with his index fingers as if to ward away a migraine. He didn't say anything, just took in the directions. He looked over the pamphlet and flipped through a few pages and gave a half smile as he wanted nothing more than to send these sinners straight to hell. But how the fuck am I going to do this without Dragon Breath Bessy? Well he though to himself that there would be times when the rules to this declaration might get a little bent.

He listened to Howard speak,


"Eventually, our activities will be noticed & very likely invite retailiation. Until then, we must be very, very sneaky."

Snaker couldn't help but give a quick snort like laugh which was almost silenced by him covering his mouth as he heard Howard ......we must be very very sneaky....he did a great job controlling his outburst and silently wondered if this guy was actually a brother of his and Velvet's.

[James Forscythe]

Well, the Prince at least had enough sense to know not to spy on hunting grounds. Hell, he barely took enough care of his own territory. Still, this would be long ,quiet, arduous...not much fun, but it'd get shit done. As for the weaponry, there'd be little use for it, unless there was some high-tech new staking crossbow...the ide of that just sounded disgusting and absurd, however.

"To expand upon what the Prince has just said: The longer the other sects are unaware of this group's existance, the better it is for us. Eventually, our activities will be noticed & very likely invite retailiation. Until then, we must be very, very sneaky. We'll be handling sensitive material & for our own safety, no one outside of this room should know what we're doing."

James lacked strong ties to anyone, so this would be easy. Keeping secret? Hell, he'd held alternate identities all over the place for decades now. The more this went on, the more he sounded perfect for the job...but he kept his ego quiet. When discussions were in order, when he could speak freely without grabbing attention, he'd provide his thoughts on how perfect he was for this. Then again, maybe not...it'd be best to not grab attention to himself yet, not make himself seem arrogant in front of the Prince. Perhaps it'd just be best to let his work speak for himself.

[Necrom]

By the looks on some of the faces around the table, the gathered Kindred had opinions - good or bad, Howard couldn't tell - but were keeping them to themselves. The Ventrue again wondered at the Prince's choices - especially Snaker. He'd heard...rumours of the Malkavian, rumours that made Howard suspect he's more likely to do as he pleases, as opposed to follow orders.

"Why would Tessa place a...potentially rogue agent in such a sensitive coterie? Time will tell, hopefully he won't endanger the rest of us before he proves his worth." he thought.

Howard addressed the group again: "Unless anyone has something else to say, I suggest we target the Shroud first. Tomorrow night. This will be strictly reconnasissance. We're going to keep a low profile. Do not draw attention to yourselves. No trouble, no fighting. Gather whatever intel you can. Nothing is irrevelant. We'll sift the useful info from the shit afterwards. I'm sure you all have internet access. Google the Shroud, learn about it. Also, dress appropriately for the place. We need to blend in. We'll meet nearby the club, 20 minutes before the doors open. I'll go over some things in more detail then.

Howard turned to Tessa to see if she had anything to add, or if she was ready to dismiss them.