Battlecry [Note Inside]

[Azraeth]

[OOC: This is for all non-Broussard, non-Blood Thief characters. I know there's a lot of really good RP going on, but that's not my area of strength so I thought I'd offer something else. Rather than have everyone post their thoughts in individual journals, I think it would be cool to have the collected thoughts and memories of what's going on posted here. It's open to those who have died, who have lost someone, and so forth. First person format, from your character's perspective.]

Here we go, a whisper on the wind that will carry with it a sort of revolution.

I can offer everything, but even that is only so much. I won't lie. My nerves are getting to me. I realized that tonight in the meeting when I was perhaps a bit harsh with Gyrwolf. I do not mean to be tense, but there is so much to plan, so much to organize. It will take all of my time down to the very moment we make our move, and yet I do so gladly. One of my blood lost her life in this little mess. I don't think I ever even spoke to her and that's my fault. I've been distant these past months. It's been easy to let things run themselves, to stay out of it. Neutrality is simple when you believe in no evil, no good. When you do only what is needed. I find I like the path I have taken. Perhaps one day I will offer up mediation services to other lineages or factions. I'm about as biased as a cucumber to the nonsense of today's politics, and my natural inclination is to see people getting along.

However, that's not why I'm recording in this voice journal. Gosh. Only three days ago things were different. I was reading a book and enjoying myself. I wanted nothing to do with this whole blood thief fiasco. Why should I? The Dragomir didn't go knocking and asking for war. It was foolish of me, in hindsight, to think that we would be allowed to hold our peace when the rest of the city was in the grip of chaos. I've learned not to rely on people in that way. When I most need someone, that is when they tend to be least available. And so the moment my blood was slain, I was planning. Nix was an unlikely ally, but she and I think alike in a lot of ways. I suppose where I have more a mind for dealing with people (ironic yes), she has more a mind of strategy. Strange as the pairing has been, I have come to rely on her judgment in this whole affair. I was not sure I could trust her again, but I think she has proven, to me at least, that her intentions are pure. Maybe on some level, she's seeking redemption. Maybe she's just in it for the fame. Maybe she just wants to kill ****. I don't know. I don't care. She has my back and I therefor have hers.

Yet as we get down to the wire, I can feel the vultures beginning to circle overhead. I have died before. I have lost my way. I have been cast into the shadow realm and become nothing but ash floating on the wind. I crawled my way back from that abyss and into the body of a woman; something that was disorienting and difficult in its own ways. But I have pushed past those road blocks because it's just another journey that I am being tested with. I have come to learn that about this world; this life. It's nothing but a series of challenges and the grace by which we overcome them or crumble under them. In this time near death, I feel alive again. I spoke with Zachariah for the first time in ages and he was surprisingly complimentary. Perhaps that old man has more charm than I gave him credit for. Amaranthia. That one was hard. Even after all this time; it wasn't easy seeing her. And so many new faces. I have been buried too long.

It just sucks that I rejoin the world on such terms.

Like my words to Serenity, I find myself pondering responsibility. I told her that she represented the leadership of a lineage, that every action she took reflected back on those associated with her. She opened a fade portal in the Necropolis, and for that I am thankful. I will have to send my thoughts on that to her later. But for now I have come to realize that the same thing I charged her with, I feel. For once, I see lines being drawn in ways they never have been before. Previous enemies working together, putting aside past differences so that we can take down a greater enemy. I do not want glory. That's not in the nature of my particular beast. I am simply happy to facilitate and organize, to make everyone else's job easier. And yet, I feel responsible for everyone involved. Docere, Deux Corbeaux, Dragomir, Worthington, Vedarian, Noble and more. The peace that we have may not last long after this war, or it may lead to a whole new order. I don't know. I can't see that far. What I do know is that for now, they are all my Dragons. For now, I have every intention of seeing them protected.

I cannot lie and tell these people there won't be more casualties. I cannot lie and say that there won't be more heartbreak. I think Prudence's death hit me harder than I would like to admit. Maybe because I see a lot of myself in her; her unwillingness to give in even when the odds were against her. I respect that. I hope Cliff knows she'd want him to keep fighting, to ruin the ones who did her wrong. I don't like martyrs and I don't think I'd normally like how 'mouthy' she was, but damn that girl had balls.

We are venturing into the unknown. Even with a plan in stone and a map to guide the way, I can't predict how things will turn out. But I will die before letting more people lose their lives needlessly.

Because I am dragon.
Because you can push me, but I will only go back a single step.
Because you can hurt me, but I will heal.
Kill me, and I will rise again.
You can rip everything from me, tear away my body and twist my mind.
But you can never get rid of me. I am vampire.
The blood runs thick, and through it I am bound.
Their enemies are my enemies. And I will not falter.
This is my silent prayer, my battlecry.



ave progenies meus, morituri te salutant



And now I have made my peace.

[Zachariah Staus]

(OOC: Just reminding no one can read this IC this is private thoughts)

War is the opposite of everything I strive for, since the moment I crawled forth from the darkness I have wanted nothing but law, nothing but the radiance of logic and yet the dark mother forces me to witness this. She forces me to look on how far we have fallen. He can't be allowed to live, this Emanuel, and whats more he can't be allowed into the hands of dogs. I must have him I must bring him alive into the labs he has done something terrible and I must find the cure before more of my kind grab for the forbidden fruit.

I have not uttered the words to any but the blood cannibalism has returned, Emanuel in his ignorance has opened a Pandoras box... I adore Sophia but she made many mistakes, I may have been willing to look past it but Emanuel has broken far too many creeds. I dont think any of the other elders yet grasp it, Mircea speaks like he does but does he truly know?

For the first time since Cobb I curse my choices, I focused too much on the sciences and not enough on combat, I wield anima and the mind better than any alive but my body remains only a few steps ahead of man. An apex predator never fit my description. Eternal Philosopher, Widow, idealist but Predator? Why must my species worship their most primal undertakings?

Why must I be forced to build while so many others look on craving destruction... Azraeth, odd to see him in the form of a woman, funny though I treated him like one the moment my eyes fell, it was natural, males I presume violence and stupidity, women always seem naturally more attuned to the subtle things. I have always gotten along better with the fairer sex, such strange change. How unfortunate I cannot trust them. Phoenix is too much a cunning vulture and even if they do temporarily bring us together in the pursuit of death, it is so very temporary. I saw this with Cobb, we wont remain united.

Something much bigger is coming none of them know what is going to be wielded against them yet... I have so many plans and I grow sick of giving them democracy... Before I am done some may hate me more than they ever did Emanuel.

[Elizabeth]

I love my family, even if I do not show it through warm embraces and loving smiles anymore.

I think Etienne's seemingly final death has changed so much within me. At first I was bitter and angry at his betrayal of the family we created and of myself, but as time progressed, and the unexpected trip to Vathia claimed my mind, I came back different. Changed. I awoke with new eyes and saw what was before me. Two options. To grow stronger and wiser to lead alone, or cower behind the notion of no longer having two, but one leader. As you and I both can see, my companion, I became stronger. No more could I depend on his strength to carry this family or myself. I had to change. I had to become a leader. The leader. I had to plan and care for my large, and usually happy family.

They have not been happy lately. We have been threatened by a family that I was more than fine with leaving alone if they left my family alone. Instead, our house has been targeted by the leader of the family himself and we lost a member of my family last night. No more can I turn the other cheek when our happiness and their lives are at stake. No more can I pretend that this family does not jeopardize our very existence with the thugs they bring into the city. I must act and I reflect on what an old friend told me about being successful in battles. He is not the first, nor will he be the last to tell me such things. Emotions do not exist, they cannot. It makes you weak and impairs your judgement and decision making skills.

There are only a few important factors during this time of war with the Henchman. See everyone safe for as long as possible and kill as many of them as we can in as short of a time as possible. Our numbers are depleting each evening with each death notice, this is true, but we as a city have perseverance. I have no doubt we will be successful, nor do I doubt there will be more deaths. Some which are my own and some to which are my extended family, but I feel it in my very being that we will be victorious. Perhaps I should be worried because I feel it to be true. Feelings cannot be part of the equation in this. Not until the very end. This is war. Many will die and then we will ave the time to let our hearts feel what it is we did not afford them to feel during this war.

Perhaps this war will bring forth a strange unity that I did not think would ever exist. Working with families I did not think I ever would. It would be nice to see the city back to where it once was when we all first escaped and there was no strife or underhandedness going on. I am, perhaps sometimes too idealistic for my own good, but it would be nice to see. I am even working with Phoenix, though I have to admit I never had a problem with the woman in regards to myself. She is a worthy adversary to have in a time of battle, no one can deny that and she is intelligent. Even if at times she is seemingly manipulative for her own advances. We shall see. It is certain some will die. It is possible I could die. That thought does not bother me. What does bother me is seeing a city crumble beneath the shoes of men and women like these. Those that practice the dark arts of blood for the abuse of power and greed. If that dark art is ever revealed to some of our younger generations...I fear what may come. I fear for us all then. Now is not the time to let fear drive anyone. Now is the time to prevent that possible secret from slipping out amongst our kind. I will see that such a thing does not happen any time soon.

[Sophia Moretti]

[IC Journal Entry that no one has read or known. It's actually in italian, but I was to tired to do the translation needed lol. ]

Rivista di Pensieri 1
Excerpt: 1 day before Battle

I played the fool.

Only here in this, can I admit that. I, the plotter, the manipulator, was played.

A blow I haven't felt in many years. Perhaps a well taught lesson. Even planning something to death does not insure its finality. I planned every aspect my killing him. The location, the time, even the amount of ammunition needed.

Yet I miscalculated. The creature outwit me. Perhaps his claims have some validity that I am arrogant. I admit, much success has brought this nature on me. But then even my mistakes in the past have been so minor to this.

Now. I am sire when I did not want to be. Sire to creatures that dare to claim innocence. Sire to generations of these things. It brings the rage boiling in my veins. I have not felt this enraged in ...ever.

The disappointment I feel is great. I wanted to kill the head of the snake, save the city from its presence and only made it worse. I expect Zachariah will kill me. In fact, I hope for it even as I wish for it to wait until this creature is dead. Only death can cure this sin.

What is curious to me. What honestly confuses me. Is that in a way this has brought me closer to Zachariah. I admit when he sired me, we both used the other. I was using him for a better deal, and he was using me for his own purposes. However he has stood by me where he could have easily cast me off. Though it is true, we are much alike in our personalities. Ambitious, cunning, devious and always looking ahead. For example the meeting we attended earlier. I did not even need his whisper to know we both stood there and called the plan foolish. No attention to detail and a lack of focus. Azraeth I admit was a pleasant woman, who was clearly brought down by her companion. A simple look into Zach's eyes and I understood we both felt the same way.

[.....A few hours later]

I know I am not an easy woman to get to know. In fact since becoming a vampire, I have been withdrawn, cold even distant. A defense. I know how to be the charmer. The woman who everyone likes and chats with, even when they know nothing of her. However, since becoming a vampire, I feel to much. But to show it would be a weakness and foolish.

I can only thank god that I had the training to understand, when blood is leaked into the water, all the sharks will swirl around. Even this mistake, caused the sharks to close around me. But even as I am weakened, I am not defeated.

When no excuse can be given, stand up with the obvious.

My apology to the Docere's was true. For they are the ones who truly suffer from my letting our blood being tainted. However to the city? I admit it was some honesty and some ploy. I could have easily been strung up to dry. Killed the minute they discovered him made. Whether I wish Zachariah to have that privilege, I would not let these others take me down willingly.

Yet I was honest in my rage of this. At myself. At the blood rapist. However to keep the city focused and off the trail of wanting my blood, I used that honesty, the events to make sure my life would not end up sacrificed.

However, I must settle this rage. Fighting tomorrow, will be no easy feat. I must focus on making sure that creature ends up dead. I will not have it alive and in my city. Once that is done. Then I will consider the future.

God grant me the strength as mama would say.

[Liam Goodryke]

A dark day we witnessed last night. The Broussard, the stealers of blood, are dead. I did not want this, and others of us did not either. Yet, as usual, the young give in to their lust for blood and death. Once more war is breaking out between humanity and the undead.

The young, they are fools. They do not see, they do not understand. The say this and they say that about protecting the masquerade, killing those who appear on the list Crow provides us. Why must it always be about death? Why must killing be the only method allowed to teach? There is so much more we could do to help those that struggle to keep the secret of our existence. But by taking this path, the one thing they hope to avoid, the second holocaust, the first only twelve of our kindwitnessed first hand, is what they are helping to bring about even quicker.

Vampires were around for so many centuries, maybe millenia, I do not know, I should talk to Zachariah Staus, or maybe even Mircea Grigori or Isabella Drake, to get the details. Then through greed for power, a select few revealed our existence to the human race. And so, one hundred and ninetynine years ago, I died the same night I was created. In the last year, since we twelve escaped the inescapable realm of shadows, the humans have already become aware of our existence once more, either through carelessness, or through bounty hunter groups hunting in public. Hell Hounds were first, they never did find out why I joined them, some knew, but they never did. They might have still been around too if personal contracts had not have been getting accepted, and then of course Asher's attempt to steal control, which he managed, but he couldn't hold on to the power. Then came Tytonidae, who I truly believe had the right mission statement when they started out, but they have lost their way. It was agreed many months ago that none shall be killed in the Quarantine Zone in Gambonville, to give those trying to lower their bounty that oppurtunity if they were over there doing just that. But that agreement seems to have been forgotten, for several of late have been killed while over there busy killing zombies, maybe stopping for a minute or two to have a quick rest before going back to the fray, and that is when they are attacked, and killed.

I used to like the idea of Tytonidae, but then they broke in to my home, killed my friend Jack without even teleporting him out first. They turned my home in to their own personal war zone. That is why I now hate them the way I do. That is why I was invited to Fifth Column.

Fifth Column, that is what started this for me I suppose. It was there I realised that the blood thieves, the Broussard, were not the goons the others of our kind would have us believe, for they never attacked us, unless we attacked them first. They could have come after us in gangs, in numbers, overpowering us and draining us dry for our blood and give us no money. But that wasn't what they did, they offered us money, and if we said no, they did not attack us. It was always vampires who struck first. It has always been my wish since learning more of what happened two centuries ago to find a way to bring peace between our two races, and during my time in Fifth Column I truly believed that the Broussard were the key to the peace I sought, and with Fifth Column wanting to ally themselves with the Broussard, I felt I was truly in the right place. We were betrayed, Asmodeus spying on us and giving our names to Velveteen, allowing Tytonidae to kill Hariasa and anyone else on that list they wished. Fair enough, the statement was made that the members of Tytonidae should die repeatedly until they gave up and disbanded, reason enough I suppose for anyone to want to go after a new group like Fifth. What amused me though, they never once hit me, never tried, and I was the one who said it, not anyone else in Fifth, me.

So, when Mircea announced that Emanuel had reached out to ask for peace, to stop the bloodshed on the streets, I contacted Emanuel Broussard, I offered him my services, my allegiance. He never replied. War was called for, and I tried again, just a few nights ago, and again, no reply. I wish he had replied. It was after the first email, after I'd began to lose so much, my relationship with Elizabeth, all my childer but Dulce, my home at Deux Corbeaux, cast out from Worthington for the second time, but I still had Noble to call home, still do, that I decided to leave Fifth Column. I need to try and fix things with those I brought in the world of the night. I need to try, I don't think I could stand eternity with them forever hating me. They don't hate me for being in Fifth, they hate me for something else, but that's why I left, so I can concentrate on regathering my family again. My family. I stayed long enough though to learn of Killian's plan to attack Prudence, the wife of my childe Cliff, and I emailled Cliff, warning him of the threat against his love. I asked him to not mention my name, to not reveal that I was the one who warned him. He has to have done somewhere because Killian knows what I did. But what is done is done.

So Emanuel ignored my two attempts to contact him, and feeling that perhaps I had been wrong in my feelings that the Broussard could help bridge the gap, I joined up with Noble, Docere, and believe it or not Tytonidae, for the final assault on the Broussard compound, the Seigneur de l`Azur, which when translated from French is roughly Lord of the Azure. I was meant to come in at the fourth floor for the final assault, but I was kept back for the fifth, allowing Mora to join Regan and Gaijin instead. I got hit by a poison trap (which I promptly disable and stole) right before another of the team found the card to the 6th floor. Up we went, Nathaniel and I working together in our area, Tytonidae in theirs. Countless times he and I were thrown out, and then Kacee brought me back in, her last possible summon before having to call in the next summoner for the final assault. I moved, I saw one of Emanuel's Lieutenants, and I killed him. Never did I truly expect what I found. The security pass for the Penthouse level. Of all the people, it was me, the one who had tried to ally with Emanuel twice.

I won't lie, part of me still wanted to help them, still wanted to protect them. I came so close to either just keeping quiet, or even using the power of celerity to get out, to take the card with me, stop them getting up there to the Broussard family, vie for more time to try again for peace. I choose instead to save my own skin, to be a coward. I knew if I ran I'd be hunted by my own kind, branded a traitor. Perhaps I should have stood up for what I believed in more. But I didn't. Instead I gave the card to Velveteen to allow for the final assault, so Emanuel could be killed for what he did to Zachariah's daughter. So was I a coward? I never met Emanuel, only ever Batman and Blaine Walsh as far as blood thieves go. I choose family over people I didn't know, I choose family over what I believed. When I say it like that, I don't think there was ever a right option that could have been made the moment we declared war against them.

Now the war is over, all but one or two of Emanuel's family are dead. One was still too weak to be fighting us, and so was spared, the other, an eight year old child. If anyone harms her I will kill them myself. She is just a little girl, I don't care who her family is, I don't care if I had been wrong about them the whole time, because I still think I was right about them, she is just a child. We are not gods, we do not get to say who lives and who dies. So what if the Broussard were ******** hybrids of human and vampire together? As the saying today goes, **** happens, get over it. I saw one up there defending the family, one not of their blood. Momento I think her name is. I will be looking for her when she returns, I have questions, and I think she has answers. I made a mistake, again. I need to put it right, I need to put them all right.

We could have worked together, they didn't want to work together. We could have been one, they didn't want us to be one with them. We could have had peace, they didn't want peace. They wanted war, they wanted bloodshed, they wanted death. And they wanted it out of greed, for none other than vampires should ever possess our powers. Temperance, my own childe, uttered those words to me not so long ago, about the time I found out from Killian what he had planned.

They really think it's over. They couldn't be more wrong, for it's only just starting. Do the younglings really think this enemy they made for themselves only has one head? The Broussards are, were, a crime family, a mafia I suppose, and if there is one thing I do know about them, is that families like that always have more than one head.

A new darkness approaches, and we just opened Pandora's box. I fear the old teachings of the hunters are about to be learned once more.

Yet I still hold hope, and if Emanuel's family and Momento come back from the realm of shadows, then that hope could shine, if they will hear me. If.

[Wendigo]

Ending the Blood Thief threat has created the first respite I've had in months. When the first Blood Thief appeared, I asked myself what their goals must be. The answer was simple: power. They would consume our blood to become like us, while trying to maintain their humanity and live as humans, to lord over humans. Eventually, even that power would not be enough for them... no one with the power to slip the leash tolerates that leash longer than it suits them. So it is with me, and so would have been for them. Their power, our power, would have turned against us. It may have taken months, years, centuries... many of us would have "lived" to see the night we regretted siding with them, even if we would have had short term peace.

A little harm for a greater good: a philosophy of medicine, but also a philosophy of war. The Blood Thief enemy fell faster than I'd have considered a best case scenario... they scored a few early casualties, but little by comparison to the ten-fold destruction wrought on them. And even their destruction is small compared to what damage they might have done to our community as a whole.

Some have said that they will not return: that they dabbled in some dark forces which will bind them to the Shadow Hell for eternity. I will not lower my guard. I cannot lower my guard. Our kind will always face threats. If not the Blood Thieves, then another. I must be ready. I am a soldier of our kind, even if many would reject me as such. Success is the only vindication I need.

But here I stand, and there is no vindication. It is not because I was not present to breach the Penthouse and claw the life from Emanuel with my own hands as many might think: this war was never about me or my pursuit of glory. Quite the contrary: this war was about insuring our secrecy from all outsiders. It is a hollow victory because we did not triumph over outsiders: they turned. They joined our community. By what dubious method? Doesn't matter: I would not think to hold the sins of a human life against a vampire... the hypocrisy would be unimaginable. They were part of us. I had a responsibility to try to draw them over... to unify... to create strength for the next threat. That is my failure.

Perhaps the vampires of their line will return and submit to the community. I bear no grudges. The possibility that they will add their strength to ours may exist in the next cycle. In this cycle, however, it was unattainable. Once turned, they wanted war. I saw reflected late in them the pursuit of destruction I had shown them when they were outsiders. They could not be made to understand, and so they needed to be destroyed. A little weakness created to preserve a greater strength. Perhaps this was the best case scenario. We can never know.

That's what it comes down to, I suppose. War occurs when one has explored all possibilities they are willing to explore, in the time they are willing to take to explore them, and they settle on one possibility to pursue in force. Every time you pull the trigger, you end possibilities. When the Blood Thieves turned, it created new possibilities: possibilities I reached for, but could not acquire. Failing that, I returned to war. Some accuse me of wavering, but the best possibility -- a stronger, more unified vampire community -- was always in my sights.

Few things give me pause anymore. Doubt and hesitation are not hallmarks of a good soldier. I have a sea of blood on my hands now: an ocean of lost possibilities. I am more responsible for this war than any: the Elders mostly watched, Tytonidae plotted the attack and ended the war (both without my help), but the origin of the war was not their design. It was mine. I was vocal about the Blood Thieves, I organized the Blood Hunt, I barked at Mircea until he agreed to a missive of war. I explored possibilities, I chose one, and I forced it to fruition.

I do not need to be proud or ashamed of it. I do not need to be praised, accepted, or liked for it. I only need to do what is necessary. I need to do what others cannot. What others will not. Afterward, I will bear the responsibility, however heavy. Today, it is a very heavy responsibility, and my responsibility is this:

I am the architect of a successful genocide.

And I would do it again.

[Damien LaRue]

****, yo. Y'all go and try to kill me, twice, and y'all think I'm gonna help your *** cuz someone else tryin to kill you?

Can I get a hells no?

Dude tried to make nice. Had a couple agents killed off, wanted to help us out in exchange for a little something for him. But all y'all idiots gotta go shootin first, askin questions later.

Ain't none of the movies had vampires not have souls. Sparkly dude fell in love with a high school chick (it was a date, ok? She wanted to see it, I wanted second base, don't judge me). Gay guy wanted the other gay guy as a friend, and that guy didn't want to see the little sick girl die and he fell in love with her cuz he's some creepy *** half-gay pedophile, and then she died. Same gay guy comes back later, cept he's not gay and not Brad Pitt, falls in love with the freaky chick who's prolly a creeper in real life an hooks up with the reporter lady at the end, after the redhead gives up herself to save everyone's unlife. Wesley Snipes is all being protective and **** and evading taxes tryin to save the humans cuz they weaker. Leather girl falls in love with some werewolf d-bag and nearly gets herself killed for it and something about the other bad guy vampires doing some ****, I don't know, chick was hot.

But all y'all freaks? Lemme tell you somethin, I don't think y'all have souls.

All y'all enjoy killing way to freakin much to have one anymore. Hells, I bet half of y'all won't be able to come back from the Shadow Realm cuz you ain't got no soul TO come back!

****, I bet if y'all go to Honeymead Library and pull out the dictionary, "altruism" ain't even gonna be in there.

Until y'alls first instinct is something besides "Oh, hey, let's kill it dead!" I ain't doing **** for any of y'all.

**** that, suckas. I got a Wii. Me an babygirl gonna be playin fuckin Super Smash Brothers and eatin cookies.