The Arrival
The Domain of Vencel Rikard
Prince of Buda-Pest
April 15, 1198
7:00pm, DuskIt is early spring - the 15th of April, 1198, just past the seventh hour of the night. Buda-Pest itself is coming alive again after the quiet of winter. Daring traders arrive from the East and West, having braved late-winter storms and treacherous crossings through newly cleared mountain passes. After a tiring and uncomfortable journey, the characters arrive outside the main gate of Pest. Clouds cover the sky and the ground underfoot is soggy with chilly rain. The walls of Buda-Pest rise before the characters. The smells of livestock, lime and smoke hang in the air.
The sun was still up when the 6 enclosed wagons arrived, gathering together at the base of a hill before the city. After having conversed with each other, the six drivers hopped off of their steeds and went inside their masters' abodes, waiting for them to wake.
SylvianSylvian, first to rise, is greeted by Aldric, Odi and Luke (pronounced the french way). Odi speaks, while Aldric and Luke lie with their heads back, seemingly having dozed off.
"Glad to see you're awake sir. We're finally here, and we're not alone. Five other enclosed wagons, each containing one of your kind - actually, two of them have two of you. 8 vampires total, counting yourself sir. One of them has these two real ugly bastards, their driver, a none-too pretty greek girl, says they both have something nasty on them. Can't touch em' or we'll get sick. You should be fine though.
Another has this grim, religious guy with a monk and a massive black horse. Don't like him, a lot of things seem off with him - you'll get what I mean when you see him sir.
With him came a slim, lordling-type fellow and his unsettlingly polite servant, Carnus or something like that.
There's also this guy who looks a lot more like a girl than a guy, long hair, the works. A lot like Luke over here. He's got a ghoul with him, ugly as sin, mutilated like you wouldn't believe, and there was also a big, good-looking vampire with him wearing chainmail and carrying a greatsword.
Lastly there's this huge white-haired guy. His driver seems to treat him like shit, but it might just be because he's asleep. He's got a few servants with him, but they're nothing special."
SteepleSteeple finds himself rudely shoved and shaken into wakefulness.
"Get up you shiny lazy shit, we're here!"
"Oh my" Prince Maurice says.
"Right in the morning too. I do say, perhaps he should learn some humility? I give you permission to feed, Steeple. You haven't had much to eat on the road, after all..."
AntonAnton's wagon is quiet. He rises to find brother Joseph praying.
A black cross hangs off a string of beads held in Joseph's hands - Anton almost immediately recoils in horror - but manages to keep himself somewhat calm, for now. He feels the Beast rise to the surface now, as he hungers. It has been weeks on the road, and there has not been much in the way of sustenance.
KirilKiril wakes to find Carinus sitting quietly, his hands patiently resting on his lap. He faces Fernando, who appears to have dozed off. The driver has been working at it very hard the past few weeks, staying away to keep driving the wagons forward.
"Good evening Kiril, it seems we have arrived. I have gathered what small amount of information I could in the time we have been here, which I estimate to be about one hour. When we arrived all of us, clearly knowing and understanding that we are part of the same envoy, stopped and waited outside of the city gates. We had to, the guards appear to be searching any caravan that enters the city, and it would be quite the undignified end to us all if the guards found you resting within your wagons.
Along with your brother Anton we appear to have met up with 6 other assorted vampires. Two appear to be travelling together in the same wagon, both suffering extreme deformations. One is named Heldric, the other Andreas. Andreas seems to be mute, and is bound to Heldric. In addition, they are both extremely contagious, carrying a disease that weakens and kills mortals such as myself. They carry a white reptile, I believe it is called a crocodile - an exotic creature from the south - in their wagon with them.
Another two, one a very feminine and delicate looking man with two slaves, one a very capable-looking vampiric knight and another a horribly deformed war-ghoul, I believe the Tzimisce call them
Schlatza. The feminine one is called Lucien, his slave Ennius. The
schlatza told me he no longer has a name.
There is also a painter, named Sylvian who is, if you ask one of his servants, an artist sent from god himself, and if you ask another, a self-absorbed fool who nevertheless pays well, travels with a small number of retainers.
Lastly, there is a comically tall, white-haired and one-armed man who has quite a disrespectful driver, along with three other retainers. The driver spoke very harshly of him, saying that he was lazy, oafish and a simple source of income. His name is Steeple."
HeldricHeldric wakes at the nuzzling of his pet albino, Andreas still sleeps like a stone.
His driver, Marla, is (unlike everyone else's driver) not in his wagon. Because, you know, disease.
LucienThe schlatza wakes Lucien, his rough, broken voice filling the enclosed wagon.
"Master, we have arrived."
Opening his eyes, Lucien sees that Ennius has already woken and donned his armor while he slept.
