[I will deal with PC-Sire interactions via PM / IM as appropriate. For the remainder of this scene, ghouls and retainers are not permitted]<br/><br/>After introductions are made, Vencel invites all of you to follow him. He turns to the richly dressed man you saw at the slave auction. "I believe that my guests require refreshment, Roland. You make convey us to them." he says airily. The richly dressed man bows deeply.<br/><br/>"My lords, ladies, and gentlemen, please follow me"<br/><br/>The vampire majordomo leads you into a seemingly nondescript house. He leads you down a series of stone stairways that twist and turn about on themselves. The steps are old and in places crumbling - the architecture is apparently Roman. At the bottom of the stairs, Roland leads you through a maze of tunnels and dark passages. Cellars give way to crypts, and then to a natural cavern, and then into a large chamber made of dark, heavy stone.<br/><br/>A series of heavy wooden chairs are arranged in a circle, and to one side is a large stone sarcophagus.<br/><br/>"Before we discuss business, I would ask you please to refresh yourselves"<br/><br/>He gestures towards the sarcophagus. Inside are three young women, servants judging by their appearance. They appear to be oblivious to what's going on around them. Anyone familiar with the effects of vampiric disciplines will recognise the effects of dominance in action.<br/><br/>He watches your actions careful as you decide if and how to feed. Once you are done, he gestures to the chairs where your sires are already waiting.<br/><br/>"My young friends. I and your sires have common goals, common ambitions. Well, decidedly uncommon, but we are united in the pursuit of this agenda. We have need of agents that we can trust. Your sires have assured me that you will be happy to assist in our endeavours and in doing so earn yourselves  a comfortable future. We wish for you to travel to the eastern border of Hungary, to the region known as 'The Land Beyond the Forest' - Transylvania. There, high in the Carpathian mountains, beyond the city of Bistriz, lies a natural gateway called Tihuta Pass. Our request is simple, but it is one that needs to be carried out by trusted hands. It is this: travel to the Tihuta Pass and erect a fortress there to guard this important trade route. You are of course right that mere trade is not something that would or should normally require such powerful agents to acquire. We each have our own reasons for sending you and it is for your sires to tell your theirs. My own is that it will solidify Hungary's claim to this land, will secure the dominance of Buda and Pest on this remote land, and will bring order to a chaotic but prosperous land."<br/><br/>"I am of course not expecting you to build such a thing by hand. I am willing to advance to you certain sums of money to cover the cost of hiring guards, workers and the like. My allies assure me that you are resourceful childer and that you will have enough skill and sense to complete the work yourselves. Since you are taking charge of the lands and nearby villages, you will have the right to tax the peasantry and use their labour as well. There are also certain caravans that make us of the pass. Luckily, the foundation is already in place, as an old wooden tower once stood there. You should be able to use the stone foundations as your first step. We shall expect you to have the first floor, at least, completed in time for winter."<br/><br/>"There is one further thing - a personal favour that I would ask of you. It has been rumoured that among the ruins of the tower, there might be some old writings - documents or tablets in an ancient tongue. Should you locate them, I desire them for my collections. Frivolous I grant you, but such pastimes often alleviate the occasional tedium of our existence. Please advise me if you find these things and I shall send an agent to collect them from you. Should you hear of other such materials, I would also offer my gratitude for that information"<br/><br/>"Succeed in these tasks and I and your sires shall be pleased to offer you as candidates to rule several fiefdoms in Transylvania. Four of the seven cities known as the Sibenburgen currently lack a guiding, princely hand. Young Cainites that prove their loyalty, intelligence, and ability to rule shall find that we are not miserly in our rewards to you."<br/><br/>"I would urge you to visit the city of Bistriz and visit Radu. For a Tzimiscie he's almost normal. His castle should serve as an excellent inspiration for your own little tower"<br/><br/>Roland speaks up:<br/><br/>"Your patron and his allies have been gracious enough to provide these sums. You will also find a number of wagons and guards awaiting you in a few days time. The guards are handpicked men and will serve you well."<br/><br/><em>There is a moment of tension as Jumanus and his childe exchange quiet but heated words. The phrase "Insolent, ungrateful childe" echoes around the room, followed by a back-hand slap that cracks the silence. With that the Ravnos elder drags himself and his childe out of this story.</em><br/><br/>--<br/><br/>You now have about a week to kill in Buda-Pest. While this is not your home-base, it is the last major city in the area. It would therefore make a good place to put down at least some roots.<br/>