2012.07.11.Meeting.Markus
Mount Hope Cemetery
The grave yard continues to be shrouded by an aura of death and decay. The former bucolic California green space is rapidly being turned into some sort of gothic, southern necropolis. Graves have been dug up here and there emitting fumes. Grass grows over fallen stones. Mounds of indeterminate origin lay shadowed under overgrown trees.
The eye of this whirling chaos is the Shambling Horror of Prospect. Like a modern day Pythia, the Horror stands on the marble stairs of its crypt and looks deep into a smoked glass plate. At what is anyone's guess.
Strolling through this place of darkness is LaVey, wearing the face of Piotr tonight. The man carefully picks his way through the fissures and over fallen gravestones until he arrives at the crypt. "This place becomes lovelier every time I visit, what is your secret?" the man asks, sweeping an arm to indicate the rapid changes that are occurring in the cemetery.
Mary wanders into the graveyard, wearing a white flowing dress that comes to her ankles tonight. Her hands are covered in opera length white gloves. A black veil is worn over her face, giving her a very monochromatic appearance. In her hand is a boquet of white lillies. She places one at each stone as she approaches the Horror. "Hello there. May I visit you tonight?" she asks.
The Horror looks up from its glass and replies, "Yes. Welcome to my Necropolis." It offers the leathery smile filled with strange teeth. "How may I be of service to the Sword of Caine this evening?"
"I have at long last received word from higher-higher," LaVey says as he reaches into his pocket. Out comes a piece of vellum covered in fluid writing. The paper is offered to the Horror first, then on to Mary. "In short, it says a crusade will soon be brought against Shady Grove. We, the Cainites of Prospect, are to be the vanguard. Specifically, I have been ordered to gather a small contingent and go with them to meet the black hand agent that will be our handler. Apparently he works out of dive called Smoke Jumpers. We are to present ourselves to him, then let him guide us in our objective."
