2018.03.29: Suddenly Vampire

Suddenly Vampire
Hushed Blaze leads some of her pack mates on patrol, and they run into trouble.
IC Date	March 29th, 2018
Players	Brooke, Cheeto, Sasha, Sergei
Location	Deep Forest - On patrol around the Bawn
Spheres	Gaian Garou

Out for a routine patrol, the group assembled heads outside the Caern, and just beyond the bawn. It was a warmer day than it has been, and good for a run. Now it is evening, the sun is just setting, and it is time for this routine patrol to head back home.

Running with her pack is a thing Sticks and Stones really, really enjoys doing. it's nice to get out and feel the wind on her face. It also allows some nice inter-pack connectivity to happen, which is always a good thing. She's got that road-eating pace that the Garou are known for, and her tongue lolls out as she moves. <Quiet today.>

Hushed Blaze assembled some of her pack mates, since it is always fun to be out with them on these runs. They have had an uneventful patrol, and she is at least eager to return home. <<Yesterday, I ran with some newer Cliaths. We ran into something small then. They were so excited. I just thought - oh great! Glad today is quiet.>>

Howling-Wind is not so much a fan of the warm part but at least it's not so hot out that its uncomfortable. Giving a woof of agreement Sergei asks >>What did they find to cut their teeth on?<<

<<Vicious rabbit? Wyrm-tainted deer?>> Sticks-and-Stones teases playfully, rocking over to bump Howling Wind with a whuff.

Hushed Blaze grins, as she pads along, <<Little metal Wyrmy spiderlike thing. Going after some stupid hikers. The three of them pounced on what it only took one of them to deal with. Overkill, but pleased them.>>

Howling-Wind is clearly amused >>I suppose their enthusiasm is commendable. Should we sweep the area again just to make sure nothing has come back?<<

<<It is on the way.>> Sticks-and-Stones huffs as they make their way down the trail. <<It would not hurt to look, and if we did find something, better to take care of it now before it gets bigger.>>

<<Yeah, we should go by it again. It seemed odd. I made sure it was cleaned, but it seemed suspicious to me. Let's swing by there.>> Hushed Blaze replies to Howling-Wind and Sticks-and-Stone. <<I sent Howls-with-Blood-Rain to keep an eye as well with Luna's Arrow. But they are new, best for us to check as well.>>

Howls with Blood Rain is perched not far from where the creature the day before had been taken down, The large wolf laying in the underbrush beneath a stand of thicker grown trees watchful of the trail that the creature was taken down upon and the hikers had been spotted. Storm grey eyes watchful of the world around him as he remains there doing his duty of the day.

Howling-Wind sniffs the air looking for one of the Garou that Hushed-Blaze mentioned and turning in that direction.

Sticks-and-Stone catches scent of Howls with Blood Rain on the breeze, her tail wagging as she trots forward.

As the patrol arrives, they will all stop - as there is a sound all the wolves should be able to hear.

The scent of another on the air and the notice of what comes with that scent is enough to bring Howls to begin to raise though he stops when he notices that shifting in the ground ahead on the trail. A lower growl leaving him that raises as he calls out the warning in lupus in those low growls and primal sounds, >>Movement. Walk soft.<<

Sticks-and-Stone is very good at stopping and does so, her lifted paw slowly lowering to the ground as she sniffs, her ears cocking forward towards the ground that's subtly moving.

Hushed Blaze stops short and sees the movement of the earth, and hears the low growl from Howls with Blood Rain. <<Stealth mode. Who knows what it is. Be prepared to ambush.>> She crouches lower to the ground.

Howling-Wind peers ahead and slows his pace >>Want me to send a decoy forward and see what happens Beta?<<

<<Yeah, do that Howling-Wind. If nothing else, it will be a good distraction for us to take whatever it is out. I have a bad feeling about this.>> Hushed Blaze responds.

Howls with the Blood Rain begins to move, The large black wolf looking to be mingled with a pit bull given the size and muscular form moving just a little closer before resuming his crouch and watch of the burrowing ground as it is roiled up.

<<Like Star Wars show with the Crinos and the man with the black legs!>> Sticks-and-Stones relates to Hushed Blaze's off-handed comment, tail wagging. Still, she crouches down and waits, watching, moving to a flanking position as easily as breathing.

Howling-Wind concentrates on the gift of his ancestors and then exhales a fine icy mist that coalesces into a duplicate of himself and then one of them continues forward. Nodding in agreement he adds >>Never speak of the odds. He was a wise warrior.<<

Dirt begins to fly up, and suddenly a man appears out of the ground. Hair is long, and fingers have talons. The man's skin is dirty, but obviously pale...very pale. His fangs are descended, and he is obviously thirsty for blood. He sees the lupus moving toward him and he considers the distance to jump at it and quench some of his thirst.

Howling-Wind snarls when he sees the man shaped thing come up out of the earth and he gets low and moves to the side, keeping a tree between him and the target as he shifts to war form and readies his tusk carved blade.

There's a snapping of bone and stretching of skin as Sticks and Stones moves to the side, stealthy, despite her size, shifting to Crinos, her claws at the ready. She watches and waits for the thing to make the first move, to charge, foolishly, at someone, so she can flank and slaughter it.

Howls with the Blood rain continues to move those claws beginning to rake through the ground to sharpen as he makes his way closer only to be spotted by the Gangrel breaking through the earth.

Hushed Blaze moves over to be opposite of where Stick-and-Stone went, so they can nit from both sides. She keeps off to the side, and shifts to Crinos, ready to go...including that black belt around her belly.

The dirty vampire sees one lupus, and then two, as Howls with Blood Rain moves as well, He lunges toward them, landing right on where Howling-Wind's ice echo is with a THUD.

When the Gangrel slams into Howling-Wind's ice echo, sticks and Stones starts to move, claws digging into the dirt. It's a classic pack tactic - hit them while their attention is elsewhere, and that's exactly what she does. With the vampire's attention on the ice echo, Sticks and Stones, her claws very near the ground, slams into the thing's legs, trying to sever sinew, bone, and muscle, making movement that much more difficult and the pack's ganging up that much easier. Kick someone while they're down? when they're a vampire, all's fair.

Hushed Blaze follows suit and attacks with Sticks-and-Stone, and goes after the other leg. She slices right through it, taking the foot and ankle off...SLICE...the sound of bone crunching is obvious.

Howling-Wind is still watching from concealment as his patrol mates fall on the creature and he takes a deep breath before he steps out and proves his name. A loud how >>WEEENNNNNNDDDIIIIGOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!<< and a cutting, icy wind slams into the vampire with the cold of deep winter now clutching at its joints.

Sticks-and-Stone Stops her rush and changes direction, claws digging in for purchase. She runs, full speed, at the helpless Gangrel and hits, but her claws tangle in his clothes or something, because no satisfying gush of blood happens.

As the others launch their attacks of claws into flesh beginning to rend and tear into the ground busting Gangrel like some Leech based Kool-Aid man who had sprung from the ground. The Shadow Lord watches momentarily before launching himself in, The Russian in his Lupus form moving quickly muscles tightening before springing him forward to leap at the vampiric threat. The wolf's teeth sinking into the creatures throat tearing into the flesh seeking a firm hold as Howls takes the vampire by the throat using that momentum to force the thing down to the ground not letting up on that bite just yet.

Howling-Wind grins as his patrol mate gets the vampire in a clinch and held down, moving closer to cut up its guts. His knife digs into the creature's dead flesh viciously.

Howls with the Blood Rain stands atop the body of the vampire with his maw locked to the creatures neck and throat, The low growl showing that rage brewing beneath the surface and the draw of the full moon upon the Ahroun. The stance one meant to allow the others to still attack, When that knife slips beneath to cut into the creature's gut tearing through the dead flesh with that vicious twist and pull of the blade the Shadow Lord's body tenses only to relax seeing it was a friend. Howls right clawed paw moving down suddenly and forcefully to dig into the things ribs, claws hooking into the flesh to begin to tear the things chest cavity open dealing that last final blow as his other paw moves down to hit the dirt a miss of clawing into the creatures side.

Sticks-and-Stone pauses, gore glistening on her claw, the Gangrel's shirt on the other, to watch the final shredding taking place, blowing out a soft chuff. <<Stupid dead thing>>

Hushed Blaze steps closer to the death and says, <<Good job team. What the hell a vampire was doing out here sleeping is beyond me. I knew I needed to go see George again and learn more about leeches. Congrats Howls with Blood Rain. We all got in on this and worked well together.>>

<<I missed.>> Sticks and Stones says with a frown, crouching. <<Need to fight better>>

Howls shakes the thing a few last times before chomping down one last time sending the vampire's head to roll free before lifting his head to begin to paw at his maw as he growls out in Lupus >>This is now..twice in 24 hours there has been threat on this trail.<< His gaze turning between the ranking trio of Garou as his head dips respectfully adding as his blood stained form pads away from the fallen vampire >>This needs to be reported and the area should be watched and searched for more threats<< The Shadow Lord's words in lupus more in opinion and observation than anything leaving it to the ranking Garou to decide.

With the Gangrel sent to its final death, Sticks-and-Stones takes a few moments to prepare for the rite of cleansing. There are several ways to do it, of course, but with the night rolling in, Cheeto makes some time to collect fresh boughs of leaves, passing one to each of the members of the pack. These branches are used to brush the dust into a central location, all the blood collected in one spot. <<Dance with me, pack>> she says, before the Glass-Walker begins to dance, soft yips and howls emanating from her as she does. And as she does, the blood starts to sink into the ground, a soft hiss of smoke rising as it returns to the earth, the blood on her hands vanishing into thin air, the vampire slowly sinking into the earth.

Hushed Blaze slips back down to lupus form, and will dance along with her pack mate...Howling-Wind following suit in his own Wendigo way.

The large Shadow Lord moves to join with the dancing of the rest of the patrol as they enact that ritual of cleansing over the area. The Shadow Lord giving a loud howl mid dance showing his enjoyment of giving into that call within his blood from the moon.