Robert’s Missions
Hong Kong[]
Robert was sent to Hong Kong to retrieve a magical artifact of some interest to the Tremere. The item, an ancient, powerful blade, was linked to several grisly murders. After several days of investigating the deaths, during which Robert meets an Eastern Malay vampire and helps her on her path, things seemed to be looking up for Robert when he learns a local chantry of Akashic mages have recovered the sword. However, when he goes to retrieve it, he finds many of the mages dead or dying, and one of the normally-peaceful masters clutching the blade, mad bloodlust in his eyes…
Robert uses an ancient Akashic Rote called Peace of the Buddha to attempt to calm him down (2 mind, 1 correspondence). Robert looks for an to disarm the master, hoping that lack of contact with the blade will improve his disposition. Unfortunately, Peace of the Buddha does nothing at first, and the master lunges at Robert with the cursed sword.
Dodging back, Robert uses mind, trying to get a gage on his intentions, and also using prime to get a reading on the sword and maybe an idea of what it does. Robert’s experience with the sabot run in actually changed his direction on how to approach the problem... so instead of a more direct confrontation, he learned to utilize his other strengths.
And to take advantage when one is present to him, rather than attempt to force a situation.
Buddha doesn't connect, it just sends out a wave of peaceful thoughts. Once that didn't work, Robert started really looking into what's going on. Using Mind and prime to try and determine the nature of the sword - which hopefully would give him insights on how to deal with it.
As the Master attacked, his mind is giving off waves of hate/murderous intent. Sword seems to grant power, but requires you to act on it.
Marshall: Ok. I am definitely trying to tell (using Prime 1) how the sword is altering the pattern of Masters mind, and if I can, I'm going to use Prime 2 to temporarily disrupt that connection (I.E. shut off the sword).
DM: Sword is definitely altering the pattern, shutting down reason while boosting emotion (rage) and the part of the brain that controls muscular movement and balance.
Marshall: ok, I am going to try using Mind & Prime (Prime is to help counteract the magic from the sword) together, and slide a mental shield onto Master in an attempt to block the swords effects.
DM: It's a slight disruption, but the magic of the sword is so powerful it's like using your hand to stop a river.
Marshall: ok, well then taking advantage of the slight effect it had, I'm going to rush Master, sword out and attempt to disarm him!
DM: The Master definitely looks ready to kill kill kill, but the disruption did make him pause for a fraction of a second, during which you strike!
Marshall: and for reference, I have dex 4, melee (sword spec) 5 and I have a sword of my own.
Marshall: which is a talisman (magical) itself.
but, nothing that would help me here, so it's just a sword in this case.
DM: Since you have a Spec the diff is 1 lower.
Spending any WP? ;)
Marshall: what's the difficulty?
DM: Since I don't have the book in front of me, we'll say 6-1=5
Marshall: Wow. WP succ + 10 + 10 + 9 + 8 = 5 successes!
DM: OK. The sword gives the old master powerful sword-fighting ability, so Robert has to strike hard and continue to press his advantage. If he hadn't struck during that slight hesitation from his Jedi mindtrick, he'd be dead, but by getting first strike and keeping his advantage pressed, after a long, dramatic fight he manages to disarm the Master w/o killing him.
Marshall: So he pretty much calms down immediately then huh?
DM: Yeah. I mean, it takes a moment for the effects to wear off completely, but he's stunned during that time from the connection being broken.
disarm Windows restart music
Marshall: Ok, well while he's stunned from not having the sword in his hand, I'm going to basically knock him down just to make sure whatever is effecting him can where off before it compels him to try and get the sword again.
Robert stuns Master, uses Buddha trick to calm him, and then questions him as Robert tends to the injured, using Life to see who can be helped and who is too far gone. When the Master recovers, he uses his own Life magic to help heal the injured, and uses Mind to show Robert what he’s learned about the sword. Together they come to the conclusion that once the sword is drawn, it cannot be re-sheathed until its drawn blood, but since it’s obviously fulfilled that requirement, it SHOULD be OK to pick up now.
With the Master ready to disarm him immediately if Robert gets taken over, Robert picked up the sword and retrieved the sheath – to no ill effects. Contacting the Hong Kong Tremere Chantry, Robert has the sword and sheath sent back to the Dallas chantry separately, with strong warning not to sheath and unsheathes the sword without powerful precautions. Mission accomplished, Robert headed back to the US.