*comment this file should at least cover 1893-95, and the arc of the panic. It will also cover the Chicago World's Fair. *comment TODO this file needs a reference to West that everyone sees. Currently, it's possible to go from baseball_origins to fair_opening without really hearing about him. *hide_reuse *advertisement *set wealth +(income * 2500) *temp west_prob false *temp imposter "the imposter" *if m_sib and patricide *set west_prob true *if stl_heard_of_wotton *set imposter "Wotton" *temp cops_murdered false *temp schnaiders_just_closed false *temp annie_returns false *temp annie_she "she" *temp annie_her "her" *temp received_warning false *temp hyphen false *comment panic_begins *comment 1893-02-20 The Philadelphia & Reading Railroad is put into receivership by a judge. Thus begins a wave of counterparty redemptions that ultimately results in the shuttering of five hundred banks and over fifteen thousand businesses across the country. Much of the blame for this panic is placed on the shoulders of the Silver Purchase Act and those speculators who took advantage of the arbitrage between the value of silver and gold. *if income > 50 *set income round(income * 0.8) (Your own investments take a notable hit, despite their diversification.) Later that summer, the newly-inaugurated Grover Cleveland will lead the push to repeal the Silver Purchase Act in order to staunch the run on the Treasury. In August, the Act is repealed, and the price of silver declines precipitously. *if stl_vda_drama or (sporting_goods > 1) *label new_sportsmans_park *comment 1893-04-27 The New Sportsman's Park opens on a Thursday evening with a game against the Louisville Colonels. The Browns win, win again the next day, and again @{browns_sundays_moved the day after that|two days later}. The [i]biergarten[/i] is full before, during, and after the game. Von der Ahe's new venture looks like it will be a smashing success. To commemorate the occasion, he erects a statue of himself to mark the entrance to the park@{((sporting_goods = 2) or (sporting_goods = 3)) , a choice which you question as to whether it is the best use of company funds|}. There, holding forth his trademark cigar and wearing an eight-button suit, his stone figure welcomes all comers. *page_break *if (false) *gosub columbia_exposition *if ((laborvscapital > 65) or (laborvscapital < 35)) or (stlouis_enterprise = 1) *gosub pullman_strike *page_break *if (shepherd_credentials > 40) or (stl_merchants_bridge > 1) *comment 1893-07 The Merchant's Bridge corporation announces its bankruptcy in July. With the decline in freight due to the financial panic, the corporation is no longer able to service its debt, and it was already struggling due to its lack of facilities. *if stl_merchants_bridge = 3 Jay Gould had anticipated this very eventuality; his representatives activate a clause in the operating agreement allowing them to purchase the outstanding debt at bargain prices, while simultaneously bypassing the bankruptcy courts. *if stl_merchants_bridge <= 2 *set wealth +(municipal_debt * 0.13) *set municipal_debt 0 Gould's representatives petition to purchase the debt of the bridge in bankruptcy court at pennies on the dollar. The corporation tries to fight for a better deal, but the business was failing even before the Panic. The courts approve a paltry payout. Within weeks, the Merchant's Bridge is consolidated under Gould's banner, traffic is flowing over the bridge once again, and the arbitrary has been reinstated. There may be two bridges, but once again the monopoly reigns—with the lone exception of the Wiggins Ferry Company. *if (schnaiders_closed = false) and (slba_formed or slba_subjugated) *gosub schnaiders_closes_1893 *if (anachronism > 35) and (stl_electricity > 5) *page_break A gasp of delight—horror—excitement goes up throughout the city. A young man, John Perry Lewis, having recently returned from a trip to Paris, has built a "horseless carriage." The carriage harnesses electricity to drive the operation of its wheels. While not as fast as a horse and carriage, amid the traffic of the city, the device is able to hold its own. Soon, crowds begin to gather every time Perry Lewis takes the machine out. Young people chase after him calling his name, begging to be taken for a ride. *choice #I persuade him to take me for a ride! *set discretion %+5 *if (charm > 2) or ((income > 100) or joined_kkk) *if technology > 1 *set anachronism %+3 You are of two minds with regard to the experience. On one hand, it is little different from a regular carriage ride. Perhaps a little less jostling—and certainly fewer odors—but not as fast as the traditional means of transportation. On the other hand, you know when you first dash down Cass Avenue that this is the future. It is both terrifying and exhilerating all at the same time. *else The experience is not all that remarkable. Yes, there are not the usual smells associated with following a horse around for hours at a time, but the experiece is otherwise surprisingly mundane. *else Unfortunately, Mr. Perry Lewis declines to let you skip the proverbial line. Frustrated by his insolence, you leave before he can insult you again—and before you tear his jaw from his skill and use it for a game of horseshoes. *if wealth > 100000 *selectable_if ((technology > 2) and (anachronism > 50)) #I wish to make one for myself! *achieve horseless_carriage *set wealth -25000 *set anachronism %+3 *set exposure +4 *if male = false *set exposure +1 *if (ethnicity = "african") or (ethnicity = "choctaw") *set exposure +1 *set local_fame %+20 *set coupe "horseless carriage" Everyone in town now knows your name; you're ${given_name} ${surname}, who made the second horseless carriage of St. Louis. Of course, not everyone is thrilled with your activities. The whole court—with the exception of Eliot, who demands that you take him for a spin—gives you the cold shoulder for years afterwards. *set memeskia_rapport %-10 *set bailey_rapport %-10 *set aichinger_rapport %-10 *set becard_rapport %-10 #This technology is dangerous. I want nothing to do with it. *set anachronism %-3 *set shepherd_credentials %-5 *if temperance_movement or ((shepherd_credentials > 55) or ((compassion < 50) and (male = false))) *gosub colorado_suffrage *if stl_met_tilles *gosub madison_track *page_break *if stl_vda_drama *gosub vonderahe_arrested *page_break *if schnaiders_just_closed Aichinger relocates his base of operations to the Eurydice, an underground theater-saloon that makes use of the natural caves under St. Louis to dramatic visual and acoustic effect. The court of St. Louis reëstablishes itself there. *if (received_warning = false) and ((exposure > 9) and (eliot_rapport > 50)) One of the first nights there, Eliot takes a moment to chastise you. *gosub eliot_warns *if columbia_coterie = 2 *page_break "They're all dead!" Bécard exclaims one evening at @{schnaiders_closed the Eurydice|Schnaider's}. She has just arrived to court. "Who's dead?" Bailey replies. "The Columbia nest!" "Was it West?" Aichinger asks. Bécard grows somber. "I believe so. A grocer with an underground keno parlor was burnt to the ground in the conflict. Witnesses described a wolf-man emerging from the rubble." A pall falls over the room. The Columbia nest was an imagined bulwark against the destruction of the vampires of St. Louis. With it gone…who will succumb next? *page_break *if (ethnicity = "german") or ((((stlouis_enterprise = 1) or (stlouis_enterprise = 4)) and (shepherd_credentials > 75)) and speaks_german) *gosub gerecke *gosub arsonist_returns *gosub what_to_do *if (werewolf_hysteria >= 5) and (west_widow = "wiped") *gosub clinical_lycanthropy *if (stl_met_slattery = 4) and (exposure > 9) *page_break *set exposure -1 *set received_warning true About this time, Judge Cranch arranges a meeting with you. He expresses some concern about your activities in the city. He points out that he's tried to cover for you where he can, but that a lot of people are asking uncomfortable questions. For example, why do people only seem to see you at night? You can see he wants to ask the question himself, but restrains himself—the two of you have a tacit, "don't ask, don't tell" policy on many topics—and why would this be any different? You do nothing to satisfy his curiosity, instead thanking him and excusing yourself. @{(discretion < 60) You resolve to be more circumspect in your actions.|As you return home, you brush off these concerns like crumbs after a teacake.} *gosub panic_worsens *gosub valet_child *if schnaiders_closed = false *gosub temperance_v_aichinger *if (stlouis_affair > 7) and (stlouis_affair != 10) *gosub annie_returns *page_break *comment 1896 *if (annie_returns = false) and (werewolf_hysteria > 5) *gosub ozark_werewolf *page_break *comment 1896-04-06/15 In the grand spirit of the fraternity of mankind, the Kingdom of Greece hosts an international competition proclaimed the rebirth of the Olympics, to be organized and overseen by the International Olympic Committee. One of the main venues for this competition is the Zappeion Olympic building. A Frenchman, Pierre de Coubertin, is a leading organizer of these Olympics, having been inspired by earlier attempts at the resuscitation of the Olympics both in Greece and England. From the moment in 1892 when he first proposed the idea, he has argued from a variety of public platforms that peace and civilization would be advanced by the games: "Let the conflicts of the world be resolved on the field of sport, where nations great and small may present the pinnacles of their nature, and where men can decide their differences in amity!" Of course, much of the project of reviving the Olympics is for the benefit of French prestige and imperialism; upon completion of the first olympiad, Coubertin immediately begins preparing for the 1900 games to be held in Paris. *if (stlouis_affair = 13) and ((received_warning = false) and ((exposure > 8) or ((male = false) and (exposure > 6)))) *gosub annie_warned *if stl_met_slattery = 4 *gosub slattery *gosub plessy_vs_ferguson *gosub valet_strife *if (shepherd_credentials > 35) or ((stl_merchants_bridge > 1) or (stl_coal_smuggler)) In June of 1896, a tornado strikes St. Louis. It devastates Lafayette Square, continues into downtown, and thence into the Wiggins Ferry Company grounds. Some call it an act of God, others sheer misfortune. Regardless, the company is devastated. *if stlouis_haven = "lafayette" *set wealth -200000 Your own haven is severely damaged; you are forced to relocate while repairs are made. *elseif stlouis_haven = "downtown" *set wealth -50000 Your own haven is severely damaged; you are forced to relocate while repairs are made. It will take six years, but with Wiggins Ferry incapacitated, Gould's vision for St. Louis is finally on the verge of flowering: the entire US rail system radiating south and west from St. Louis will be at the mercy of a single corporation. *if stl_coal_smuggler (Notably, your coal smuggling operation also benefits from the chaos and disruption.) *set wealth +25000 *temp heard_of_bryan false *if (finance > 0) or (shepherd_credentials > 60) In July, a Nebraska politican by the name of William Jennings Bryan gives a fiery speech at the Democratic National Convention where he makes the case for bimetallism. He concludes the speech with the line, "you shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold." The speech is so powerful and the advocates for free silver so organized that Bryan secures the nomination. *set heard_of_bryan true Bryan soon becomes a household name among Democrats for his opposition to the bankers and financiers that held power along the East Coast and who depended on the "sound money" philosophy of gold-backed money. *page_break *if egans_rats_plot > 1 *comment 1896-09-20 *temp snake "Snake" *temp baldy "Baldy" *if egans_rats_plot = 5 *set snake "Baldy" *set baldy "Snake" *page_break The rivalry between ${snake} and ${baldy} over the Kerry Patch finally reaches a head in September. The two encounter each other outside of ${snake}'s saloon. Words devolve into fists, and finally ${baldy} pulls a knife—or so ${snake} will later claim. ${baldy}'s ensuing death is therefore declared "self-defense" during his subsequent trial. With ${baldy} out of the way, ${snake} is able to consolidate his power over the Kerry Patch and the Third Ward; the death of a constituent at the hands of his elected representative does nothing to diminish ${snake}'s rising political fortunes. @{((egans_rats_plot = 3) or (egans_rats_plot = 5)) A fine outcome, as far as you're concerned.|} *if ((anachronism > 60) and literate) or (stlouis_enterprise = 1) *comment New York Times drops the hyphen, 1896-10-01 *comment *page_break *comment *set hyphen true *if heard_of_bryan William Jennings Bryan narrowly loses the presidential election to McKinley that November. While his appeal to farmers and miners was clear, his call for "free silver" did not persuade the urban working class, who were angry at the outgoing Democrat Grover Cleveland and hoped that McKinley would bring a new direction for the country. *if (received_warning = false) and ((exposure > 9) and (eliot_rapport > 50)) A few nights after the election, the court gathers at @{schnaiders_closed the Eurydice|Schnaider's} to discuss this outcome. Eliot takes the opportunity to upbraid you. *gosub eliot_warns *comment 1897 *gosub magic_silver *if stl_met_slattery = 8 *page_break *gosub slattery_v_valet *gosub dracula *if ((heard_ragtime = false) and (justice < 55)) and ((feeding_style = "drunks") or (feeding_style = "gamblers")) *page_break *set heard_ragtime true With the world on its side, some find the opportunity to break old rules and make something new. So it is with the arrival of ragtime: a new syncopated sound invented by the black pianists of St. Louis, most notably Scott Joplin and Tom Turpin. Whether you like it or not, you cannot escape the sound. The supper clubs of Chestnut Valley@{exodusters and the Reach|} thrum with it. *comment TODO add opportunity to help Joplin publish the sheet music? *choice #@{(creation > 0) I sit at a piano and try mine own hand at the sound.|I want to soak up the sound as much as I can.} *set anachronism %+5 *if creation > 0 It breaks every musical rule that you know, but you eventually you adjust your thinking to the style. It has its own logic, one which you soon begin to appreciate. *else *set discretion %-3 You listen attentively, doing your best to understand this new sound. Of course, it's all Greek to you, but you enjoy yourself nonetheless. #I endure the sound only as long as I must; its rule-breaking offends me. *set anachronism %-3 *set justice %+5 You try to tune out the sound as best you can. #Scott Joplin? I use the opportunity to feed from him while he is in town. *set fed_from_joplin true *achieve fedonjoplin Scott Joplin actually lives in Sedalia, but he comes to St. Louis one week in September. You seize the opportunity to drink his blood. *finish *label columbia_exposition *comment 1893-05-01 With much fanfare, the World's Fair: Columbia Exposition opens in Chicago on May 1st, 1893. @{heard_of_white_city |Celebrating the 400th anniversary of Columbus's arrival in the New World, the massive World's Fair is a display of the young nation's accomplishments and optimism for the future.} The exposition park is anoited the White City, for the buildings were constructed and painted to have a gleaming white sheen that do an excellent job of reflecting the gas lights that illuminate the streets. This White City is a promise to the people of the United States: believe in the beneficence, vision, and exceptionalism of the wealthy, and every city will gleam with light. Compared to the grime and dirt of the pollution-covered stone or brick tenements that are otherwise the height of design throughout the country, the White City is a glorious utopia. *page_break *return *label pullman_strike *comment May 11-July 20 1893 The depression deepens through the winter of 1893. In response to declining revenues, the Pullman Company fires some unskilled workers and lowers the wages of those still employed. Most of these unskilled employees live in Pullman, Illinois, a model community owned and managed by the Pullman Company. When the company cuts the wages, they do not, however, lower the rents on the homes. Of course, this is in addition to the extortionate rates for utilities charged to the renters, as well as the monopoly on commercial outlets in the community. Eugene Debs appears on the scene with several union organizers from the ARU. They set out signing the workers up for a union. With sufficient members, Debs demands that the company sit down to negotiate. They refuse. In the face of intransigence by the company, Debs calls for a strike by the union. This is risky, because the unskilled workers are not part of the same union as the skilled workers. When the strike begins, the skilled workers and the American Federation of Labor refuse to join in. The AFL has long hated Debs and his firebrand rhetoric. They fear losing control of the unions, and rather than help the unskilled workers, they sit on their hands. Moreover, the strike is opposed by the newspapers; the preponderance of news coverage depicts the workers as foreigners seeking to undermine the American way of life. "Unions Today, Anarchy Tomorrow" is the general sentiment of the coverage. Over the course of the first six weeks, the matter stays relatively contained. The strikers slow down work in Chicago, but do not halt it entirely. The two sides jockey for position with one another. Eventually, the company brings in black strikebreakers, highlighting the ARU's racial uniformity while also inflaming racial tensions. On June 26th, however, a wider boycott of Pullman begins. Throughout the country, members of the ARU refuse to handle trains that contain a Pullman car. This causes train traffic to grind to a halt. In response, Attorney General Richard Olney orders the US Army to protect the "mail cars" that happen to be part of the same trains as the Pullman cars. The governor of Illinois attempt to prevent the deployment of the Army in his state, but the Attorney General overrides him. Once the US Army is unleashed, the violence begins to spiral out. From Sacramento to Detroit, there are clashes between strikers, strikebreakers, recently-deputized Marshals, and the Army. *return *label schnaiders_closes_1893 *comment 1893 *page_break The tide has finally turned against Aichinger. For the past few years, Schnaider's has seemed more and more desolate each time the vampires of the city gathered there. The performers played to fewer and fewer patrons; the [i]bierfrauen[/i] and cooks stand idle. The patrons that do visit—entranced by the advertisements around the city—frequently demand ${budweiser} rather than Schnaider's own brews. The tastes of the city and its people have changed, even if those of Aichinger have not. Aichinger has the resources to keep the doors open, but the longer he does, the more suspicious the matter becomes. *if slba_subjugated Anheuser-Busch finally *elseif slba_formed The St. Louis Brewers Association—which is technically the owner of the property—finally *else Anheuser-Busch finally makes Aichinger an offer he can't refuse. The closing is announced to little fanfare. A final soirée is held there in the spring of 1893. *gosub reaction_to_schnaiders_closing *if perception > 1 *page_break *set met_aichinger_scion true *comment Dieter is 14 here. Most curious of all is a brief encounter you have as the evening is drawing to a close. Taking a break from the others of your kind, you take a moment to step out to garden and listen to the performance of the evening. You take a seat at a recently-vacated table while an omnibus boy works nearby. The star of the operetta has the physical comedy of the role down quite well. What little audience there is laughs uproarously at the slightest eyebrow-raise or twist of her wrist. It even manages to bring a smile to your face. "Excuse me, ${sir}," says the omnibus boy @{(speaks_german) in German|} as he moves to clear your table. You look up and are shocked to look at a young Aichinger. Or, what Aichinger must have looked like as a youth. The omnibus boy looks at you expectantly. After a moment, you nod, and he begins. "You…work here?" "Yes, ${sir}." "Are you…related to the Schnaiders?" "Mama says we are." "What's your name?" "Dieter Aichinger, ${sir}." "A pleasure, Dieter." You take the opportunity to interrogate the boy as he clears the table. Apparently, he hopes to be a performer one day, like the performers at Schnaider's. He is only fourteen, but has dreams of performing in New-York one day. If his mama will allow him, that is. How curious. *return *label reaction_to_schnaiders_closing *set schnaiders_closed true *set schnaiders_just_closed true Bécard attends, as does Quaestor Harding and Senator Partridge from Louisville. You can't quite tell if the gathered vampires are there to laugh at the sentimentality of it all or if they secretly foster a certain jealousy that Aichinger had something he cared so much for that losing it still mattered. *label harding_bigot_loop *choice #Such sentimentality is absurd. I leave as soon as is decorous. *set compassion %+5 *set independence %+5 *set aichinger_rapport %-10 Why must vampires attempt to cling to these mortal trappings? Do they wish to be weak? Do they seek to expose themselves to their enemies? You shake your head sadly; you know what sort of vampire Lothar Aichinger is. *return #I offer a few words of consolation to Aichinger. *set aichinger_rapport %+10 *if revolutionary_credentials < 40 "@{speaks_german Bah,|[i]Ach,[/i]} all these fools, they think that a few smiles in this moment will save them when Adonis reasserts his authority over these shores." "None of it is genuine?" "@{speaks_german No.|[i]Nein.[/i]} I do not believe it for a moment." You pause. "Not even @{(eliot_rapport > 55) Hiram|Eliot}?" Aichinger wrinkles his face, which causes his bushy mustache to to bristle outwards. "Hiram has not figured out that he is dead yet. I am not surprised that he would be so…honest." "Until Adonis's return," you say under your breath. "Until then!" he rejoins. *elseif aichinger_rapport > 65 *set revolutionary_credentials %-5 "It is @{speaks_german good|gut} of you to come." "I would not be anywhere else, Lothar." "We may have our differences, but I @{(status > 1) respect you, ${mr} ${surname}|recognize your sense of honor}." "Tonight is not about me, but about you." "Yes. Let us hear the music once again," he replies, wistful. *else Aichinger eyes you suspiciously as you approach and begin speaking, yet he listens patiently to your platitudes. You are unsure whether or not he is moved by those words, but he does not cut you off from speaking them. Perhaps you have achieved something this evening. #I opine on the wisdom of such attachments, the better to make Aichinger look like a fool. *set independence %+5 *set compassion %+5 *set revolutionary_credentials %+5 *set shepherd_credentials %-5 *set aichinger_rapport %-10 *if status >= 2 *set harding_rapport %-10 *set bailey_rapport %+10 *set partridge_rapport %+5 The gathered vampires nod in agreement—the whole affair is tacky. By the end of the night, you've even made Quaestor Harding out to be something of a fool for having come all this way. But she pays Bailey and Partridge little mind, doing her best to comfort Aichinger in his hour of need. @{harding_bigot_known It stings a little, seeing her able to express such empathy to a white man, when she could not be bothered to acknowledge you existence.|} *else *set bailey_rapport %-5 *set eliot_rapport %-10 *set becard_rapport %-5 Unfortunately, your criticisms are not supported by your standing in the Society. To go on such an attack—even an oblique one like this—requires more social clout. After a short while, you drop the matter, as you are making little headway with it. *if (knows_hardings_plan) #I'd rather use this opportunity to confront Harding over her intrigues at the Memphis caucus. *set independence %+5 *set discretion %+10 *if status >= 2 *set harding_rapport %-15 "Quaestor Harding," you begin. She turns, squares her hips, and—tipped off by the tone of your voice—prepares to do battle. *if met_harding *if trans *set harding_rapport %-10 "Have we met?" she inquires. "Yes, formerly. But my name now is ${given_name} ${surname}." "I see," though it's clear she's still trying to understand who you are. *else "Yes?" *else *set met_harding true "I don't believe we've met?" she replies. *if harding_bigot_known "Yes, because you refused to acknowledge my existence." "I can't imagine why I wouldn't have wanted to speak with you," she says with a roll of her eyes. *else *if (ethnicity = "african") or (ethnicity = "choctaw") "Though, do keep it short." You've never been spoken to quite so rudely before. "Yes, well…" "Short, I said." *else "We did not have a chance to meet in Memphis, no…" "No time like the present," she quips. "I am ${given_name} ${surname}…" "Yes, I've heard your name. What do you want?" "I want to know why you prevented Senator Partridge from casting a deciding vote in the Memphis caucuses," you say. When you do, the rest of the room grows suspiciously quiet. She laughs. "And this is how you go about getting your answer?" "I would like to know, yes." "I have no answer for you, ${mr} ${surname}." *label friend_interjects At that, @{(eliot_rapport >= becard_rapport ) Eliot|Bécard} appears at your side. "Let's go for a stroll in the garden," @{(eliot_rapport >= becard_rapport ) he|she} says. Frustrated, you allow yourself to be lead outside. *elseif ethnicity = "african" *goto rebuffed_by_harding *else "Quaestor Harding," you begin. "Oh, I do feel I should take a page from our new governor," she says to Aichinger. "How do you mean?" he replies. "Quaestor…" you persist. "Do I hear a mouse squeaking?" she says to the room. "Squeak, squeak!" she says. Despite themselves, Bailey and Partridge laugh. "Now, who's going to bring me my axe?" she continues, playing to the room. "Elinor, I do not think you should mock our governor…" "I am simply following her lead, Lothar," she says, turning to glare at you. "When a mouse tries to rise above their station, they need to be put in their place." "Yes, but you have no axe, nor any right to use one here," Aichinger replies. "Dear Memeskia, do you have an axe I could borrow?" she says, raising her voice needlessly; Memeskia is aware of everything that transpires in his presence. *if ethnicity = "choctaw" "No." "That's too bad," she says, pouting. *goto friend_interjects *else Memeskia does not deign to respond. You doubt he would even blink if everyone in the room—except Bécard—commenced mudering one another. "Come, Lothar, let's go find one. Perhaps this mouse will be gone by the time we return." She links her arm through Aichinger's and urges him out the door. *if ((ethnicity != "african") or (harding_bigot_known = false)) #I'd like to try and acquaint myself with Quaestor Harding. *if (ethnicity = "african") and (status < 2) *label rebuffed_by_harding *set harding_bigot_known true *set aichinger_rapport %-10 *set harding_rapport %-20 You try to angle your way into Harding's orbit, but somehow she consistently maanges to box you out of her conversations. Doing your best to remain polite, you try to engage with her, but only belatedly do you realize that she never even deigns to look at you. Finally, you lose your patience and seek to interject. "Excuse me…" "You are not excused. And you interrupted me. Dear Lothar, will you…" Aichinger shakes his head and tries to steer you away from the conversation. Baffled, you let him lead you away. "She does not wish to speak to those like you," he offers. "Like me?" you reply. "A vampire?" Aichinger, embarrassed, shakes his head. "No, black." You are stunned. "We're all vampires here, yes? And yet she—" "It's petty, I know…" "And you indulge her?" "I cannot remonstrate her, she is a quaestor…" "And yet you keep company with her, like bosom buddies." He looks at you, lost. "I cannot risk—" "Risk what? Angering her? What are you so afraid of?" you press. He just gives you a sad smile and shakes his head ever so slightly. You want nothing more to do with these individuals; you turn on your heel and leave. *return *else *set harding_rapport %+5 *if met_harding "${mr} ${surname}," she says as you approach. "How have you been since the Memphis caucus?" "Better for not being there!" she exclaims dramatically. *else *set met_harding true "Pardon me, Quaestor Harding…" "Yes?" "Allow me to introduce myself. I am ${mr} ${surname}, previously of Memphis…" "What a wretched city, that." *choice #"Yes, I quite agree." *set harding_rapport %+10 #Nod along politely. *set harding_rapport %-5 She clearly notes your lack of enthusiasm for her position. #Disagree. *set harding_rapport %-15 "I wouldn't call it wretched at all, Quaestor. It has a beauty all its own." "Beauty!" she snorts. "It is a cesspool. The best period for that city was when it did not exist! But now that's over." She must be referring to the inter-municipality period of Memphis—when it did not legally exist and instead was governed by Confederate generals under the nominal supervision of the governor of Tennessee. Her loyalties clearly lie with the Confederacy. @{(compassion > 60) It is strange that she would hold mortal concerns so dear.|} "And do you find St. Louis more to your liking?" "You know, this is a matter on which I disagree with our dear host. Lothar here thought the Great Divorce was the right decision, but I have to disagree with him. Ceding control like that will only result in barbarism, as demonstrated in '77. Mark my words, when you give the peasants a taste of power, they demand more until you kill them." Lothar grumbles. "You have a very narrow view of what's best for a city, Elinor." "It's best when those who were born to rule, rule, and those who were born to obey, obey." @{(perception > 1) Aichinger bristles at this assertion.|} *choice #I attempt to smooth this over with empty platitudes. *set aichinger_rapport %+10 *set harding_rapport %+5 *set independence %+5 *set eliot_rapport %-5 *set becard_rapport %-10 "And how fares Louisville? No separation along those lines, I suspect?" "Not at all! There was a small disruption when we were occupied by the Union and later when the 13th Amendment was ratified, but we simply imprisoned the former slaves and kept them working in slightly different conditions." "How…" "Clever, yes, I know," she beams. "That little clause, [i]except as punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted,[/i] was a glorious loophole. I should like to thank whomever came up with that." "Well, if you'll excuse me," you conclude. *if (status >= 2) #I make it clear that she is unwelcome in St. Louis. *set independence %+10 *set compassion %-10 *set discretion %+10 *set eliot_rapport %+20 *set becard_rapport %+15 *set bailey_rapport %-5 *set partridge_rapport %+5 *set shepherd_credentials %+5 "It's really quite unfortunate." "What's that?" she inquires. "That you would think you were welcome in St. Louis." "Excuse me?" she replies, aghast. "No one here wants to indulge your crude insights about human nature. For someone invested with the authority to administer a city, you have precious little observation skills." Harding's eyes boggle. She turns to Memeskia. "Are you going to let this whelp speak to me this way?" "It is rather…" Bailey begins, but @{(perception > 1) Partridge squeezes his hand and|} he lets the sentence go unfinished. Memeskia looks at squarely at Harding. You can almost see the thoughts in Memeskia's mind; he'd kill everyone in the room except @{(ethnicity = "choctaw") you and|} Bécard without regret or hesitation if he could; whatever Harding is complaining about means nothing to him. "Elinor, perhaps now is not…" Aichinger begins, his arm on her elbow. "Oh, shove off," she says, wrenching her elbow from his grasp and storming from the room. *page_break When the dust has settled, you find yourself in conversation with Eliot and Bécard. Eliot offers an admiring nod, while Bécard outright congratulates you on telling Harding off. "Be careful, though; she will not let this go unanswered," Eliot admonishes. #I egg Aichinger on. *set aichinger_rapport %-10 *set harding_rapport %-5 *set eliot_rapport %+10 *set becard_rapport %+10 *set bailey_rapport %+5 *set partridge_rapport %+5 "Do you think that those born to privilege are destined to rule, Herr Aichinger?" you inquire. Aichinger shifts uncomfortably. "No, certainly not. A man must earn his way." "And you would sully your offspring by having them—" she nearly spits this next word "—compete with their lessers?" "If they cannot compete, then they do not deserve their position." "But how can you compete with an animal?" Harding says, her voice getting shrill. "Please, Elinor," he says. "No! I cannot believe that you would say these things!" she continues. "But…" "If you will excuse me," she says. "Quaestor Memeskia, I thank you for your hospitality, but I'm afraid I must depart." Memeskia grants the barest of nods; if she burst into flames at that moment, you would be surprised if he would even spit on them to save her. #"Have you killed many peasants in your time, Quaestor?" I inquire, delighting in the thought. *set shepherd_credentials %-15 *set compassion %+10 *set discretion %+10 *set harding_rapport %+10 *set memeskia_rapport %-5 "Many, ${mr} ${surname}. I've killed peasants that just squinted at me wrong." "And have you suffered for your hubris?" "Never," she says with a smile. "Humans are made to serve." "And serve they shall," she returns. *comment TODO should I create a plot around the Lothar-Elinor relationship, where they can be driven apart over her bigotry? He did fight against the monarchists in late-feudal Germany. *comment TODO if Jesse James was a tool of Harding, then there should also be an opportunity to discuss him with Harding here. *comment TODO flag embarrassing Harding, and use that to set off a new revenge plot? *page_break *gosub gould_revelation *return *label gould_revelation *set gould_plot 3 As the evening continues, the conversation turns to the latest gossip among the Society: it seems that Jay Gould did not, in fact, die of tuberculosis. Rather, he was turned by @{heard_of_lefferts |a young vampire of New-York,} Edwin Lefferts. Lefferts is the broodmate of Siobhan Malloy, *if heard_of_malloy the erstwhile senatorial candidate for Memphis. *else *set heard_of_malloy true who was apparently one of the senatorial candidates for Memphis. *set heard_of_lefferts true *temp support false *fake_choice #This is a terrible violation of the Rule of Reserve; Lefferts places us all in danger and should be punished! *set independence %+10 *set discretion %-10 *set memeskia_rapport %+5 #@{met_lefferts I wonder who has the upper-hand in that relationship.|What sort of vampire would do such a foolish thing?} #Perhaps Gould can sojourn in the West for a decade or two, while the mortals who knew him die off? Some night, he could be a valuable member of the Society. *set discretion %+5 *set shepherd_credentials %-5 *set support true *if (eliot_rapport > 65) #I try to comfort Hiram; he seems particularly distraught by this news. *set compassion %-5 And so he is: he fears what this portends for the human race. This might be the first time you've seen the entire court of St. Louis in agreement@{support —other than you, anyway—|: }this was a reckless action on the part of Lefferts. *if sire_name = "Padre Carlos" You wonder if your dominus will be tasked with hunting him down. *return *label aru_strike *comment 1893-08 *return *label end_baseball_season *comment 1893-09-30 The baseball season ends with the Browns near the bottom of the league. The novelty of New Sportsman's Park continues to carry the venture forward, but you have to wonder how long that will last, with the star attraction failing to attract. *return *label colorado_suffrage *comment 1893-11-07 *comment following a popular referendum, women's suffrage is enacted in Colorado. This is the first US State to grant suffrage via referendum. To the surprise of citizens across the country, the November election in Colorado includes a referendum on women's suffrage. The vote wins a majority, and for the first time ever, women have won the right to vote at the ballot box. The WCTU and NAWSA celebrate the victory as a significant advance in their campaigns. *return *label madison_track About this time, you learn that Cap Tilles and his business partners have purchased another race track, this time across the river in Madison, Illinois. The Madison Track will run daytime races, however, and not nighttime ones. While some question the reopening of the Madison track—why should Tilles compete with himself?—the additional track opens a whole new circuit of contenders. Horses are, after all, considered freight, and shipping them by train to St. Louis—and over Gould's bridges—is not without cost. But the Madison track makes it easier for breeders and owners in western Kentucky and southern Illinois to participate. In addition, the factory workers of East St. Louis now have a source of entertainment on their side of the river. *return *label vonderahe_arrested *comment 1894-?? Von der Ahe foolishly decides to visit Pittsburg for a business meeting. Unfortunately, the judgment against him is still valid, and he is arrested upon his arrival there. A friend bails Von der Ahe out, but rather than staying and fighting the judgment, Von der Ahe flees back to St. Louis. The friend, William Nimick, is now on the hook for both the bail money and the money owed to Baldwin. *if (sporting_goods = 2) or (sporting_goods = 3) Unfortunately, all this controversy is doing little for ${spalding_sporting_goods}; your income from the venture has declined notably. The precarious economy is no help in the matter, either. *if sporting_goods = 3 *set income -4 *elseif sporting_goods = 2 *set income -1 *choice #I counsel Von der Ahe to settle this dispute immediately. This conflict is damaging the reputation of ${spalding_sporting_goods}. *set discretion %-5 At your request, he promises to pay the judgments. However, two weeks later he still has not followed through on the matter. #As long as the checks keep coming, he can do whatever he wants. *set shepherd_credentials %-5 Von der Ahe's antics certainly keep the gossip columnists busy; surely that doesn't hurt the bottom line of the business. #I offer to give Von der Ahe the money to settle the judgment. Von der Ahe is offended at the offer. "Vat do you zink iz happening here? I have zhe money; but I vill not pay it to these criminals!" You are unable to persuade him to accept your assistance. *return *label gerecke *page_break You find yourself in conversation one evening with Arthur Gerecke, the general manger of the German-language [i]Westliche Post[/i]. Against the backdrop of a beerhall, he is grousing about the atrophying of the German language in the region. Proportionately fewer immigrants are coming to the city, and the children of those who came after 1848 are increasingly inclined to speak English. Besides the [i]Post,[/i] there is currently another German paper in the city, the [i]Anzeiger des Westens,[/i] as well as a third in the nearby town of Hermann, the [i]Hermanner Volksblatt[/i]. Gerecke gesticulates with a sausage, demanding to know what he should do about this degradation of German culture. The way the sausage wags in your face is almost lewd, and it makes a strange picture in conjunction with the grease dripping off his whiskers. *if speaks_english = false "You understand!" he exclaims. "You speak German, and you do not sully yourself with these degenerate Englishmen. That's all their language is…a messy, unclean, imprecise dialect of German." *choice #It's time for retrenchment: Germans should move to Dutchtown or Hermann to be with other Germans. *set anachronism %-10 *set anti_german_sentiment %+10 *set justice %+10 *set stlouis_business_climate %-5 *set local_fame %+5 You @{((literate = false) or (charm > 3)) deliver several passionate speeches|write several passionate editorials} in favor of separatism. *if charm > 3 *set anti_german_sentiment %+10 *set stlouis_business_climate %-5 *set local_fame %+5 *set stlouis_race_relations %+5 Your supernatural charm suffuses the crowds, energizing them in your favor. Over the next few years, the scores of German families relocate to Dutchtown or Hermann, consolidating their presence there, while those new households stay within the community. New businesses spring up to service the needs of the community, and German is the language heard in the streets of both places. *if (stlouis_haven = "dutchtown") and (renter = false) *set haven_value +50000 Notably, the value of your haven increases as Dutchtown land becomes scarce. *if (stlouis_enterprise != 4) *selectable_if (speaks_english) #It is time to assimilate; the [i]Post[/i] should transition to English. *set anachronism %+5 *set anti_german_sentiment %-20 *set justice %-20 *set local_fame %+5 *set stlouis_race_relations %-5 There is an uproar in the German community, but after many soothing speeches and editorials, the German residents begin to see the advantages to unifying with the Anglo-Dutch community. #Perhaps a compromise is in order: Gerecke could publish a dual-language newspaper, that would help with distribution while also helping to teach young ethnic-Germans the language. *set anti_german_sentiment %-5 *set laborvscapital %+5 The results of the experiment are mixed: it makes publishing the paper more expensive, but also increases distribution. There's not noticeable change in the use of German among the populace, but at least the German culture doesn't feel quite so "walled-off" from the English-speakers. It also helps to unite some socialist and trade-unionist groups previously separated by the language barrier. *if (finance > 0) #I don't particularly share Gerecke's concerns, but this does seem like an opportunity for consolidation: the [i]Post[/i] should buy the [i]Anzeiger[/i]. *set laborvscapital %-10 *set discretion %+5 *set income +(finance * 2) In the process of the consolidation, you manage to acquire some shares in the new entity. Because of course you do. *return *label arsonist_returns *temp noticed_fire false *if ((ethnicity = "african") or (stlouis_haven = "chestnut")) or (stlouis_arsonist_investigation > 0) *set noticed_fire true In April, a freedman's church @{exodusters in the Reach|in Chestnut Valley} burns to the ground. The black community both within @{exodusters the Reach|Chestnut Valley} and beyond comes together to help the church rebuild. The matter is exacerbated when—at the pinnacle of a party to fundraise for the church's reconstruction—three men in white hoods arrive to expropriate the donations. Though they are heavily outnumbered by the attendees, the attendees dare do nothing in response. "Touch us, and you all die." The hooded men vanished into the night. *return *label what_to_do *temp tick false *if ((stlouis_enterprise = 1) or (justice < 35)) or ((ethnicity = "african") and (justice < 50)) *if (stlouis_enterprise = 1) or ((stlouis_enterprise = 5) and (wealth > 200000)) *set tick true Since her skirmish with the Tennessee Supreme Court, you have continued to keep tabs on the career of Ida Wells. Recently, she has traveled not once but twice to the United Kingdom on a lecture tour to illustrate and inform the people their about the horrors of lynching and the Jim Crow laws generally. Before this second trip, she signed a contract with a white newspaper in Chicago, making her the first black international correspondant for a white newspaper. She uses the opportunity to explain the shock and horror the people of Britain feel when they learn about the travesties of justice occuring through the United States. She has since returned to Chicago, married, and continues writing, lecturing, and agitating for black liberation. Amid this chaos, you are trying to decide how to direct your efforts. In the streets, preachers are warning that the world is going to end with the close of the century; at moments like this, you wonder if they might be right. *choice *if (tick) #I want to arrange for Ida Wells to have a column in the ${post_dispatch}@{(stlouis_enterprise = 5) —though it will cost a tidy sum|}. *set stlouis_race_relations %+10 *if stlouis_enterprise = 5 *set wealth -(40000 - (finance * 2000)) You have to buy quite a lot of advertising space in order to convince the ${post_dispatch} to carry Wells's column, but they eventually send her a contract. She accepts the offer immediately. *if stl_chinese_soul_food *set income +2 Finding yourself with many column-inches of advertising space, you decide to use it to promote Ma Wang's, which means the money is not squandered. *elseif (sporting_goods > 1) *if sporting_goods = 4 *set income +2 *if sporting_goods = 3 *set income +1 *if sporting_goods = 2 *set income +0.5 Finding yourself with many column-inches of advertising space, you use it to promote ${spalding_sporting_goods}, which means the money is not squandered. *else The editor sends a contract to Wells, which she accepts immediately. Soon, her column become the talk of polite society. *if (sporting_goods > 1) *if ((creation > 0) or (finance > 0)) #I spend some time devising promotions for @{(sporting_goods < 4) New Sportsman's Park and ${spalding_sporting_goods} in particular|the ${spalding_sporting_goods} location adjacent to New Sportsman's Park}. *if creation > 1 *if sporting_goods = 4 *set income +4 *if sporting_goods = 3 *set income +2 *if sporting_goods = 2 *set income +1 While not your forte, when you put your mind to it, you do not find the work impossible. You see some improvement in your dividends as a result of the campaign. *else *if sporting_goods = 4 *set income +2 *if sporting_goods = 3 *set income +1 *if sporting_goods = 2 *set income +0.5 You hate every minute of this endeavor. You see some small success, but in your opinion, it was hardly worth it. *if (stlouis_enterprise = 1) #I encourage the newspapers to offer more positive coverage of Von der Ahe and New Sportsman's Park. *if sporting_goods = 3 *set income +4 *if sporting_goods = 2 *set income +1 Articles extolling the foresight and character of Von der Ahe regularly see the light of day. Not enough to turn the tide entirely, mind you, but enough to lift the sagging fortunes of ${spalding_sporting_goods}. You see a notable uptick in your dividends. *if noticed_fire *if ((stl_met_slattery = 4) or (joined_kkk)) #@{(stl_met_slattery = 1) I reach out to the police; surely they know more than they're letting on.|I ask Slattery to investigate the theft.} *if stl_met_slattery = 1 *set stl_met_slattery 4 You soon make the acquaintance of Captain Slattery and his mentor Judge Cranch. Cranch clearly runs some sort of racket, and Slattery keeps pace. Slattery acknowledges that several of his men were the ones that robbed the fundraiser; it was just too easy of a target. *else Slattery laughs in your face. "Who do you think did this?" You scowl at him as he continues. "It were my boys! Them darkies been gettin' uppity, what with all their donations and white-painted church. I had to put them in their place." *if ((discretion > 50) and (ethnicity = "african")) or ((justice < 30) and (discretion > (65 + (bloodflow * 2)))) You tear his ugly pig head off of his ugly pig body. *set stl_met_slattery 7 You don't even deign to drink his blood; you simply leave the corpse for his compatriots to find. *elseif (ethnicity = "african") and (compassion < 60) "And how long before you seek to put me in my place, Captain?" "Awww…don't take it the wrong way. You're one of the good ones!" he exclaims jovially. *else You look at him coolly. "I see. Do you often rob churchgoing folk?" "We have to keep ourselves entertained somehow, ${mr} ${surname}," Slattery replies jovially. #I inquire about the arsonist; if that leads to the thieves, so be it. *set stlouis_arsonist_investigation +1 *set shepherd_credentials %-5 Your search comes up short. You talk to anyone and everyone who might have seen something, but the culprit seems adept at covering his tracks. @{stlouis_arsonist_investigation ERROR|You do, however, have a general sense of the scofflaw.|That said, you do have a preliminary description of the culprit.|That said, you now have a solid description of the culprit.|ERROR value: ${stlouis_arsonist_investigation}} *comment TODO make sexier so players don't feel cheated by this plot. #Investigate the thieves; if that leads to the arsonist, so be it. *if (joined_kkk or observing_kkk) It is easy enough to locate the thieves; among the Democrats and former Confederates, they are not quiet about their endeavors. It turns out that two of them are police officers, in fact. *gosub found_church_thieves *elseif (stlouis_enterprise = 2) You reach out to the criminal element of the city; you hope that they have some sense as to the identity of the guilty. As well-connected as you are, the criminals of the city are mostly Catholic, being of Irish or Italian descent. They do not mix with the Protestants that—it turns out—were responsible for this attack. Eventually, however, you uncover the identities of the three individuals, two of whom are bound-and-sworn members of the St. Louis police force. *gosub found_church_thieves *elseif ((charm > 2) or (strength > 2)) and ((streetwise > 1) and (perception > 1)) Through old-fashioned sleuthing, you eventually uncover the identities of the thieves. They are three men—former Confederate soldiers—who apparently reasoned that robbing a black church would be consequence-free. Two of the thieves are, in fact, bound-and-sworn members of the St. Louis Police force. *gosub found_church_thieves *else The thieves have managed to conceal their trail. You suspect that it was some former Confederates, but you are not able to identify who. *selectable_if (wealth > 100000) #I donate enough money to rebuild the church. *set wealth -50000 *set stl_reach_church_rebuilt true *set exposure +1 *set local_fame %+10 *set rationalism %+5 *set compassion %-10 The adherents are overwhelmed by your generosity. *if stlouis_cult *set stlouis_cult_power %+5 (You are able to acquire several more adherents of your own through the process.) They offer you various sorts of recognition, but you do your best to turn them down; you do not need the exposure. *if (temperance_movement) #I @{(missouri_prohibition > 1) continue to|} devote my time to the WCTU and the passage of temperance laws. *set missouri_prohibition +1 *set shepherd_credentials %+10 *set local_fame %+5 *if stlouis_cult *set stlouis_cult_power %+10 It is no easy affair pushing a campaign of temperance in a city riddled with saloons, brothels, @{schnaiders_closed and music halls|music halls, and [i]biergartens[/i]}. However, under your leadership, the ${wctu} makes steady progress with organizing and recruting women and the occasional sympathetic man to the cause. *if stlouis_cult and (stlouis_cult_celebration = 3) Some among ${stlouis_cult_name} wonder why you would push the cause of temperance when you privately lead ceremonies of excess. Amanda explains that those who do not heed your words are not worthy to share in your sacraments. *if (temperance_movement) #I @{(missouri_suffrage > 1) continue to|} devote my time to the NAWSA and the passage of women's suffrage. *set missouri_suffrage +1 *set shepherd_credentials %+10 *set local_fame %+5 *if stlouis_cult *set stlouis_cult_power %+10 It is no easy affair pushing a campaign of women's suffrage in a parochial, patriarchal city. However, under your leadership, NAWSA makes steady progress with organizing and recruting women and the occasional sympathetic man to the cause. *if (literate = false) #I wish to finally learn to read and write. *comment TODO take this out? *set literate true *set anachronism %+5 *set discretion %-5 Though you are reticent to admit it, your lack of facility with text weighs upon you. You spend several months finally applying yourself to the matter. While you still find it difficult to recognize some larger or obscure words, you are astonished at how much of the world opens before you now that you have command of the written word. *if (speaks_english = false) #I wish to finally learn English. *set speaks_english true *set anachronism %+5 *set discretion %-5 Though you are reticent to admit it, you lack of facility with the language of the United States weighs upon you. You spend several months finally applying yourself to the matter. While you still find it difficult to intepret a large number of words, you are surprised at how quickly you learn once you have put your mind to it. *if (exposure > 10) #I want to do what I can to lower my profile in the city. You use every means at your disposal to fade away from the consciousness of the community. You cut off social connections, change your hunting routines, and otherwise try not to attract attention to yourself. *if local_fame > 60 *set exposure +1 It's a monumental task to make people forget someone who's so well-known about town; the social columns in the newspapers are loath to let a figure such as you simply fade away. *set local_fame %-15 *if stlouis_enterprise = 1 *set exposure -2 *if stlouis_enterprise = 2 *set exposure -1 *if charm >= 4 *set exposure -2 *set exposure -3 *if (west_exposure > 0) #I seek to encourage the hysteria around werewolves…in the hopes that @{west_prob ${imposter}|West} will be exposed. *set west_exposure +1 *set discretion %+5 *if stlouis_enterprise = 1 *set west_exposure +2 *set werewolf_hysteria +2 At your suggestion, several reporters re-canvass the different incidents of @{west_prob ${imposter}|West}'s murders. They re-describe in lurid details the mysterious murders, giving voice to the unfounded fears of individuals who don't even claim to have ever seen the beast. The journalists admit that the articles do sell, even if they're a bit disappointed by the corruption of their journalistic standards. *elseif (creation > 1) and literate *set werewolf_hysteria +2 You pen a short-story about a ravening werewolf and have it placed in a regional fiction magazine. It stokes the imaginations of the young and impressionable, and soon the subject of the werewolf is once again on the lips of people up and down the Mississippi. *else *set werewolf_hysteria +1 You do your best to ask leading questions and allow yourself to be overheard discussing the danger of the beast. You can't quite say that you were wildly successful, but you do see an opinion piece in a newspaper, expressing concerns about the possibilities of a dangerous beast prowling the countryside. The months continue to tick by while the economy begins to recover in fits and starts. *if cops_murdered Unfortunately, killing two police officers—even if they were corrupt—has provoked some dismay among the boys in blue. The Chinese, the Irish, the Germans, the freedmen—all have suffered under the ire of the police and their batons. *page_break *return *label clinical_lycanthropy *comment 1894-10-?? *temp knows_liams_name false *temp knows_liams_identity false *temp inAsylum false *temp reportPrepared false *comment previous versions had Reggie's name as Liam Parker, but I changed it to prevent name confusion. A werewolf has been captured! The newspapers describe how an unidentified young man was apprehended during Fair Week for attacking Mrs. Thomason, a resident of Allen St. (Mrs. Thomason is recovering at home from the incident.) The young man is currently being held in the city jail, until he can be identified and arraigned. What does this mean? Is this young man truly a werewolf? Is he some bizarre creation of @{west_prob ${imposter}|West}? *temp sawOnce false *label werewolf_loop *if inAsylum and (sawOnce = false) The motivations for the attack remain unclear. The newspapers of the city have dubbed the young man "The Werewolf of Ste. Genevieve"—as opposed to the Werewolf of St. Louis—and run stories containing testimony of other attacks likely perpetrated by him. *choice *if knows_liams_name = false #I try to ascertain the identity of this young man. *if (stlouis_enterprise = 2) or ((streetwise > 1) or (perception > 2)) You find the boarding house where the attacker was staying—a small affair on 19th in Midtown—and learn what the host knows of him: that the attacker's name is Reginald Gilchrist, and he's a farmer from Ste. Genevieve. He comes every year for the Fair Week, and stays at this boarding house. *gosub werewolf_intel_check *goto werewolf_loop *else Alas, you are not able to ascertain any information about the identity of the attacker. *goto werewolf_loop #I call on Mrs. Thomason. *if temperance_movement or (stlouis_enterprise = 6) Mrs. Thomason has been active in the temperance movement—as has her older sister—and you are immediately admitted when you come calling. *if local_fame > 55 They are ecstatic that you of all people would come calling during their time of duress. *if wctu = "NAWSA" Admittedly, you're more on the suffrage side of the movement—while they are on the temperance side—but they have heard of you and your advocacy nevertheless. *goto thomason_describes *elseif (charm >= 3) or (compassion < 40) You talk your way past Mrs. Thomason's husband, children, and older sister. *label thomason_describes She sits nearly upright in her bed, a few bandages on her face and her arm in a sling. Alone, you inquire after the man that attacked her. She describes the attack, how he sought to bite and scratch her. She describes the wild look in his eye, and the way her bared his teeth in the moonlight. Not to put too fine a point on it, but when you finally inquire about his…werewolfness…she looks at you with some surprise. She has been sequestered from the news here in her bedroom, and knows nothing of these rumors of her attacker being a werewolf. *if (inAsylum = false) and (knows_liams_name = false) *set inAsylum true About this time, the attacker's name is released by the police: Reginald "Reggie" Gilchrist, of Ste. Genevieve. *gosub werewolf_intel_check Gilchrist has been relocated to the St. Louis Insane Asylum, where he is being held under psychiatric supervision. *goto werewolf_loop *else Mrs. Thomason isn't taking any visitors, and you are not charming or empathetic enough to talk your way into her quarters—or so you are informed by Mrs. Thomason's older sister. She goes further to say that they are sequestering her to make sure no one else is exposed to any disease, infection, or other malady that might have been passed to her by the attacker. *goto werewolf_loop *if inAsylum = false #If this is a werewolf, the mortal judicial system is not equipped to handle it. I try to organize a lynching. *set shepherd_credentials %+5 *set independence %-5 *if joined_kkk *set exposure +1 You reach out to the members of the Veiled Prophet Society to organize this demonstration of white power. The surviving Slayback, Priest, and Cavender are somewhat surprised at your desire to lynch a white Protestant like themselves, but when you explain how a Protestant wife and mother was attacked by this so-called werewolf, they leap to action. Priest still has connections in the police, and when your mob arrives outside the jail, the guards hand @{knows_liams_name Reggie|the mysterious attacker} over to you. *label lynching Most lynchings are hangings. But this is not most lynchings. Because of the fears around @{knows_liams_name Reggie|the attacker}'s nature, a pyre is built instead. Men in sackcloth hoods hold the gathering crowd back while @{knows_liams_name Reggie|the attacker} is tied to a stake. Someone shouts for more police to be summoned; little do they realize that the police are already here. The fire is lit. @{knows_liams_name Reggie|The attacker} screams as his body is consumed by flame. When the deed is complete, the lynchers disperse. A few weeks later, player cards illustrating the scene—with @{knows_liams_name Reggie|he attacker} cast as a struggling wolf-man–begin circulating through St. Louis. They become quite the hot commodity among the newsies. *return *elseif (stlouis_enterprise = 2) and (local_fame > 45) *set exposure +1 Your connections to the thugs and toughs of the city are enough to organize an ill-intentioned mob. *goto illIntentionedMob *elseif local_fame > 60 *set exposure +2 Your fame and influence in St. Louis is enough to rouse your neighbors to anger. *label illIntentionedMob At your urging, they gather outside the jail with torches and shotguns, demanding justice for Mrs. Thomason. The guards hold out for a short time, but within an hour, the captain relents, and turns the captive over to the mob. *goto lynching *elseif (charm > 3) and (local_fame > 50) *set exposure +2 Between your fame and your way with words, you are able to provoke enough individuals to a righteous anger that an ill-intentioned mob begins to form. *goto illIntentionedMob *elseif (stlouis_enterprise = 1) and ((charm > 3) and (local_fame > 40)) *set exposure +2 Leverging your fame, several salacious newspaper reports, and your own way with words, you are able to provoke enough individuals to a righteous anger that an ill-intentioned mob begins to form. *goto illIntentionedMob *else *set exposure +1 *set inAsylum true Your efforts to stir the populace to anger come to naught. Your fame and influence are not notable enough to persuade people to listen to your exhortations. *if knows_liams_name = false About this time, the attacker's name is released by the police: Reginald "Reggie" Gilchrist, of Ste. Genevieve. *gosub werewolf_intel_check Gilchrist has been relocated to the St. Louis Insane Asylum, where he is being held under psychiatric supervision. *goto werewolf_loop #If this is a werewolf, the mortal @{inAsylum psychiatric|judicial} system is not equipped to handle it. I try to sneak into the @{inAsylum asylum|jail} and kill the werewolf@{knows_about_silver ; thankfully, I know about their weakness to silver|}. *set sawOnce true *set independence %-5 *set shepherd_credentials %+5 *if knows_about_silver You acquire a silver knife in preparation for your skulduggery. You hope that it will be enough to overcome this monster. *if stealth > 2 *label penetrate_jail Using your powers of misdirection, you are able to infiltrate the @{inAsylum asylum|city jail}. You find the attacker agitated, pacing back and forth in his cell. You wait. Sometime after midnight, he finally calms down and attempts to sleep. When he does, you slit his throat@{knows_about_silver with your silver knife|}. His eyes shoot open and he gurgles, clutching at you, at his throat, and whatever he can grasp in an attempt to stuff his lifeforce back inside. He fails. You leave as you entered. *page_break The murder of the @{knows_liams_name Reggie Gilchrist|mysterious attacker} goes unsolved, but few tears are shed. *if knows_liams_name *return *label liam_identified You later hear that his name was Reginald "Reggie" Gilchrist, of Ste. Genevieve. *gosub werewolf_intel_check *return *elseif (stealth > 1) and (agility > 2) *goto penetrate_jail *else *set exposure +1 Unfortunately, you are not sly enough to penetrate the @{inAsylum asylum|city jail}. When your presence is detected, @{inAsylum an orderly|a guard} cries out and chases you off with a lantern. *goto werewolf_loop *if (inAsylum) #I wait for the next full moon, and then access the asylum to watch @{knows_liams_name Reggie's|his} transformation. *if stlouis_enterprise = 7 By networking with the alienists and doctors of Washington University, you are able to gain access to a special viewing of the expected transformation. *label witness_transformation *set reportPrepared true Gilchrist is led into the operating theater, while you and the other attendees stand in the concentric, horseshoe-shaped galleries above. Numerous orderlies ring the interior wall of the arena, each holding something large and unwieldy under a cloth; additionally, a cage has been erected—or perhaps reassembled—in the center of that space. Gilchrist's straightjacket is removed and he is thrust into the cage. It is locked behind him. The head alienist—who introduces himself as Dr. Waters—narrates about the known history of Gilchrist—including the assault on his family by a wild beast in the boy's youth—while Gilchrist himself paces back and forth inside the cage. The alienist, meanwhile, thanks a judge who is also in attendance; apparently, this is the judge who ordered Gilchrist sent to the asylum. The judge is here to witness the proceedings. As the narration advances, the light from the full moon begins to illuminate the space through the windows above. Gilchrist grows increasingly agitated—even cowering in the corner of the cage to avoid its rays. He pleads with the doctors and the audience to free him; he swears that he is not responsible for his actions, that he does not want to give in to the beast that prowls inside him. Finally, there is no more escaping the moon's rays. Gilchrist begins to twitch and undulate. He stands, drawing himself up to his full height. He grasps the bars, shaking and rattling the cage. The crowd recoils with a gasp; for a moment, it looks like he might bend them enough to free himself. Gilchrist throws back his head and howls at the moon. It is a bizarre sound, the sound of a human throat trying to immitate a wolf's howl, but coming out more like a hoarse cry. He begins slavering and throwing himself at the bars, grasping for Dr. Waters. "As you can see, the patient is perfectly human. There is nothing supernatural or occult about it. Instead, the patient has suffered a psychotic break of some sort, and believes that he truly is a werewolf. "But tonight, I propose that we endeavor to cure our poor patient. He is clearly in the throws of psychosis. But we will show him who he really is!" With a flourish, the cloth wrappings are pulled away, revealing large mirrors in the grasp of the orderlies. "Look, Mr. Gilchrist! You are nothing more than a man! Look into these mirrors! Confront yourself! γνῶθι σεαυτόν!" @{speaks_latin The Socratic exhortation seems a bit over-the-top; is this doctor a medical professional or a showman?|} Meanwhile, Gilchrist recoils from the mirrors, covering his face and letting out a plaintive cry. "No, Mr. Gilchrist! You must see!" In a sad sequence of events, the cage is opened; Gilchrist is cornered by mirrors and orderlies; he is re-restrained; his eyelids are forcibly opened and a mirror placed where he cannot escape its sight. "You are only a man! Let these foolish thoughts go!" Gilchrist alternates between sobs and howls. Finally, he manages to bite off one of the orderly's fingers; blood spurts on the otherwise spotless aprons of the others. "Clearly, the patient is unwilling to be healed of his malady. We will have to confine him until he sees the error of his ways." The orderlies wrestle Gilchrist from the operating theater, while the now nine-fingered one holds up his severed member in shock. "This evening, we have seen the way in which Lyssa has gripped our patient! She has penetrated his body and mind, rotting it from the inside! Only through the most rigorous, scientific, and forward-thinking methods will she be expelled from his soul. Gentlemen, this is our purpose at the St. Louis Insane Asylum. We will shine a light in every dark corner, plumb every depth, and drain every swamp in the quest to heal this poor man. "Now, we have whiskey and sweets in the lobby. I'm sure we've all worked up an appetite," the alienist concludes. At the announcement of treats, the gathered witnesses adjourn to gossip about the poor, misfortunate Gilchrist. @{(compassion < 30) You sit for a moment longer, observing the wounded orderly still trying to magically reattach his finger.|} *page_break *goto werewolf_loop *elseif joined_stl_masonic_lodge It turns out that you are not the only person interested in Gilchrist's potential for transformation. In fact, a whole evening has been organized to witness the event. Of course, several prominent doctors at the asylum are members of the Freemasons; a few polite requests at the lodge and you are invited to attend the event. *goto witness_transformation *elseif (stealth > 0) It turns out that you are not the only person interested in Gilchrist's potential for transformation. In fact, a whole evening has been organized to witness the event. While you are not on the guest list, once you slip inside, you have little further need for obfuscation; there must be some fifty men here to watch the theatrics. *goto witness_transformation *elseif (stlouis_enterprise = 1) Through your connections with ${post_dispatch}, you learn that you are not the only person person interested in Gilchrist's potential for transformation. In fact, a whole evening has been organized to witness the event. You arrange to accompany a journalist to the event. *goto witness_transformation *elseif charm > 3 *set exposure +1 It seems that you are not the only individual interested in Gilchrist's potential for transformation; in fact, an exhibition has been organized for the edification of men of science. Using your powers of persuasion, you are able to obtain an invitation to this event—though it does raise some eyebrows, as you are forced to move more quickly than normal social relations would allow. Regardless, on the appointed evening, you make your way to the asylum. *page_break *goto witness_transformation *else *set reportPrepared true Despite your best efforts, you are not able to gain access to the asylum. In later days, it is reported that the Werewolf of Ste. Genevieve is simply a psychologically disturbed individual. He is ordered confined to the asylum indefinitely. *goto aboutThatReport *if (eliot_rapport > 50) #I consult with Eliot about these developments. *set discretion %-5 *set independence %+5 Eliot is just as surprised as you by all this. The two of you spend some time discussing the known history of werewolves; *if knows_about_silver *set eliot_rapport %+10 you share the story of the Beast of Gévaudan—a story that Eliot is already familiar with—but point out that the Beast was, in fact, a vampire. Eliot claps his hands in delight, "You mean, we have a chance to defeat West!" *elseif beast_of_gevaudan *set knows_about_silver true when you mention the Beast of Gévaudan, however, Eliot points out that the Beast was brought down by silver bullets. The two of you ruminate on this notion for a time: could Beasts somehow become vulnerable to silver? *else *set beast_of_gevaudan true Eliot eventually mentions the Beast of Gevaudan, a werewolf from southern France that was defeated just over a hundred years ago. While this does not help you with your investigation of @{knows_liams_name Reggie|the attacker}, you note that you might want to pursue it later. *if inAsylum *set sawOnce true *goto werewolf_loop *set inAsylum true In subsequent days, you hear that the attacker, Reginald "Reggie" Gilchrist of Ste. Genevieve, is transferred to the St. Louis Insane Asylum. *gosub werewolf_intel_check *goto werewolf_loop #If this is something to be concerned about, Memeskia will address it. *set discretion %-5 *set shepherd_credentials %-5 *set independence %+5 *label gilchrist_fail_out *if (stlouis_enterprise = 1) or (stlouis_enterprise = 7) You later hear that the attacker, Reginald "Reggie" Gilchrist of Ste. Genevieve, is transferred to the St. Louis Insane Asylum. *gosub werewolf_intel_check He is confined there indefinitely. *return *else *comment TODO should it be this easy? I feel like there should be an elseif. You hear nothing more of the situation. *return *label werewolf_intel_check *set knows_liams_name true *if intelligence > 2 *set knows_liams_identity true You surmise that this young man was one of the survivors of @{west_prob ${imposter}|West}'s attack on the farmstead some fifteen years ago. *return *label aboutThatReport The head alienist has prepared a report on Gilchrist and is prepared to release it. *choice #Let him release it. Maybe it will calm some of the hysteria around @{west_prob ${imposter}|West}'s deeds. *label report_released *set werewolf_hysteria -1 The report is released, asserting that Gilchrist suffers from "delusional lycanthropy." It sees some traction in the newspapers and journals of the day. At the very least, the fact that there is not more than one werewolf is comforting to the people of St. Louis. *label afterReport Gilchrist spends the rest of his life in the asylum. *return *if (stlouis_enterprise = 1) #I do my best to suppress the report from being discussed in the newspapers. The report is released, but no one notices, because the newspapers barely touch on it. If anything, they continue to run stories about the Werewolf of Ste. Genevieve. *goto afterReport *if (stlouis_enterprise = 1) #I do my best to urge extensive coverage of the report, to calm the fears of the city. *set werewolf_hysteria -3 The report is released and the ${post_dispatch} covers it extensively. "The Werewolf of Ste. Genevieve a FRAUD" leads several of the articles. Of course, they still have to make Gilchrist out to be a villain, but better a villain who is not a werewolf than one who is. *goto afterReport *if (stlouis_enterprise = 7) #I do my best to muddy the waters around the report, relying on other academics and alienists to dispute the report. The report is released, but so too are other reports. Soon, the public can't tell what's true and what's conjecture. Their fears are not allayed. *goto afterReport *if (stlouis_enterprise = 7) #I do my best to urge other academics and alienists to affirm the report. *set werewolf_hysteria -2 While few people read medical journals, some sense of the scientific consensus does migrate from academia to the popular consciousness. That consensus does allay some of the public's fears. *goto afterReport *if (stlouis_enterprise = 8) #I urge the spiritualists and mediums to drown out the reports. The spiritualists and mediums do as you request. While the report is released and covered by the newspapers, it is countered in the popular imagination by the words of the spiritualists who ask provocative questions and change the subject when challenged. On the whole, the citizens of St. Louis don't quite know what to believe anymore. *goto afterReport #Before the report is released, I want to break him out—and then murder him—to deepen the mystery. *set compassion %+5 *if (stealth > 2) or (stlouis_enterprise = 7) After some chicanery, you manage to free Gilchrist from the asylum. He follows you willingly, whether because he thinks you are another werewolf or because he's simply grateful enough not to look a gift horse in the mouth, and the two of you escape into the countryside. Once there, you kill him without hesitation and throw his body to some pigs. They will dispose of the corpse for you. *page_break *set werewolf_hysteria +1 *achieve werewolf_adventures The report is released, but it is overshadowed by the patient's disappearance. A manhunt is organized but turns up nothing. Local fiction writers begin spinning stories about the adventures of the Werewolf of St. Louis and the Werewolf of Ste. Genevieve. *return *else You have neither the talents nor the connections to free Gilchrist from his condition. *goto report_released *label panic_worsens *comment 1895-02-05 Through the winter of 1894, the state of the Treasury continues to decline. Congress has refused to allow the Treasury to issue any gold bonds, and as a result the US Treasury is on the verge of bankruptcy. By refusing to act, Congress allows capitalists to loot the Treasury, using literal carts to withdraw bars of gold for sale in other markets. By February, the run on the Treasury has reached crisis proportions. The banker JP Morgan makes President Cleveland an offer he can't refuse: to buy three-and-a-half million ounces of gold in exchange for bonds being sold at a discount. As long as the dollar maintains its value, the gold syndicate of Morgan and Rothschild will profit handsomely from the fiasco. And so the deal is struck and the US government lives to fight another day. *if wealth > 250000 *if wealth > 500000 *set wealth *0.9 *set wealth *0.85 Because of the continued decline in the value of silver, your own finances take a notable hit. *return *label valet_child *comment 1895? *if stlouis_valet_lover *if stlouis_valet = "Ernst" Ernst and his flatmate have been living together for some time now. *if stlouis_valet != "Ernst" A few months ago, ${stlouis_valet} and ${valet_his} lover were married in a small afternoon ceremony. @{(discretion > 60) You tried not to take offense that you were not able to attend, much less invited.|} *if stlouis_valet = "Maeve" Since then, it's become impossible to ignore the change in her body. She works through her pregnancy, but you find it within yourself to give her a few days off when the baby comes. *if stlouis_valet != "Maeve" ${stlouis_valet} @{stlouis_valet_num informs you with glee that he and his wife are pregnant|ERROR|mentions that his flatmate has taken in a young child|informs you with a smile that he and his wife are pregnant}. You find it within yourself to give ${stlouis_valet} a few days off to @{stlouis_valet_num celebrate when the baby arrives|ERROR|acclimate to the new addition|rejoice in this new arrival}. *choice *selectable_if (compassion < 45) #I congratulate ${stlouis_valet} sincerely; ${valet_he} has been a good servant, and I am happy for ${valet_him}. *set stlouis_valet_loyalty %+5 #It's for the best, I suppose; if the mortals didn't reproduce, I wouldn't have anything to consume. *set shepherd_credentials %+5 #I regret not killing ${stlouis_valet}'s partner earlier. *set compassion %+5 #How can ${valet_he} justify bringing a child into this world? *set compassion %-5 *set stlouis_valet_loyalty %-5 *if shepherd_credentials > 50 To bring another mortal life into his world, only to breathe and cry and eat and die…what kind of monster would choose to inflict that on another? Worse of all, to call that act an act of love? You would have thought that, after all ${stlouis_valet} had seen while in your proximity, ${valet_he} would have had better sense that to condemn another soul to the extended torture known as life. *return *else You cannot object, of course. That child and its descendants will sustain you in the centuries to come. Nevertheless, it is a curious choice, and one which you do not think you would replicate were you in ${valet_his} shoes. Though you do not see the child often, it seems healthy @{(discretion > 50) and docile|} enough when you do. @{(compassion < 55) Some vestige of humanity compels you to make a small loan with the child as the beneficiary; when she comes of age, she will have a small nest egg to do with as she wills.|} *return *label emmett_divers *comment 1895-04-15 *return *label temperance_v_aichinger Over the past decade, many of the [i]biergartens[/i] across the city have closed. The vertical integration of the brewing industry, the aging of the German immigrant population, and the rising popularity of sports have all contributed to their demise. Schnaider's, however, has remained a bastion of traditional [i]biergarten[/i] culture. Now, however, it has drawn the attention of the Women's Christian Temperance Union. They have begun organizing with the objective of closing the facility down permanently. @{(compassion < 60) Notably, a significant portion of the rhetoric against the [i]biergartens[/i] is nativist in tone: the Germans are described as drunkards and separatists who refuse to integrate with American society.|} *temp thugs "turners" *choice #I encourage Aichinger to withdraw his support of the establishment; he is fighting a losing battle. *set missouri_prohibition +1 *set aichinger_rapport %+5 *set anachronism %+3 Aichinger grouses at your advice, but eventually sees the wisdom of your words. *label schnaiders_closes With some fanfare—and in coöperation with the WCTU—Jospeh Schnaider [i]fils[/i] announces and oversees the sale of the venue to the Lemp family; the Schnaider brand will live on as a Lemp label. A number of final musical performances are held throughout the summer. Just before Fair Week, however, Aichinger organizes a final soirée for the vampires of the region. *gosub reaction_to_schnaiders_closing The next day, Fair Week begins, and the venue is thronged by patrons from throughout the region, come to say goodbye to the place where their fathers and uncles drank when they came to the Fair. The final song is sung at the close of the Fair. A venerable institution has seen its last and the WCTU dances on its grave. *return *if (stlouis_enterprise = 2) #After seeking a debt from Aichinger, I call upon the thugs and hoodlums of the city to force the WCTU to back down. *set thugs "thugs and hoodlums" *goto disrupt_test *if (stlouis_enterprise = 4) #After seeking a debt from Aichinger, I call upon the [i]turnverein[/i] to force the WCTU to back down. *label disrupt_test *if aichinger_rapport > 60 *set debt_from_aichinger true *set missouri_prohibition -1 *set revolutionary_credentials %-5 *set anti_german_sentiment %+10 The ${thugs} show up in force. They break the protestor's signs, forcibly hustle them away from the entrances of the [i]biergarten[/i], and otherwise disrupt the protests. The temperance workers put up a valiant effort, but the violence of the ${thugs} is too much for them. The WCTU's effort is @{(stlouis_enterprise = 4) ruined, but at the cost of a steep distrust in the loyalty of the German immigrants.|ruined.} *return *else *goto fail_debt_req *if (stlouis_enterprise = 6) #After seeking a debt from Aichinger, @{(wctu = "WCTU") I dissuade the from this particular project.|I encourage the ${wctu} to urge the WCTU to direct its efforts elsewhere.} *if aichinger_rapport > 60 *set debt_from_aichinger true *set missouri_prohibition -1 *set revolutionary_credentials %-5 *set anti_german_sentiment %+5 With great reluctance, the WCTU bends to your will. The day of the final vote to enact the protest, the matter dies in committee before coming to the floor. Soon, another saloon draws their attention, and Schnaider's is spared. *return *else *label fail_debt_req Aichinger scoffs at your offer of aid. "I do not need your assistance." Whatever his plan, it does not seem to include keeping Schanider's open. *goto schnaiders_closes *if (stlouis_cult) #After seeking a debt from Aichinger, I direct my disciples to disrupt the protests. *if aichinger_rapport > 60 *set exposure +1 Aichinger accepts your offer of aid, though he is curious as to how you intend to disrupt the protests. Of course, you cannot divulge your methods. *if stlouis_cult_power > 55 *set debt_from_aichinger true *set missouri_prohibition -1 *set revolutionary_credentials %-5 *set anti_german_sentiment %+5 *set memeskia_rapport %-5 Your disciples appear in force on the day of the first protest. They break the protestors' signs, push them into the mud of the streets, and even get into a few fistfights. The women of the WCTU are overwhelmed by the demonstration of violence, and soon call off the protests. They move on in search of easier targets. *return *else *set missouri_prohibition +1 Your disciples gather on the appointed day and seek to disrupt the protests. However, they are either too small in number or insufficiently motivated, because their efforts come to naught. The WCTU contiues undaunted. Finally, the [i]biergarten[/i] sues for peace. Jospeh Schnaider [i]fils[/i] announces and oversees the sale of the venue to the Lemp family; the Schnaider brand will live on as a Lemp label. A number of final musical performances are held through the rest of the summer, and the final song is sung at the end of Fair Week. A venerable institution has seen its last and the WCTU dances on its grave. *return *else *goto fail_debt_req *if (choice_randomtest = false) *selectable_if (independence < 60) #This is a fight for Aichinger, not me. *set shepherd_credentials %-5 *set bailey_rapport %+5 *set aichinger_rapport %-5 *set missouri_prohibition +1 *set independence %-5 If Aichinger wishes to defend his property, let him. It is no business of yours. *return *label annie_returns *set annie_returns true *comment 1895-06-03 *comment ?? In March, you receive another letter from Annie where she confirms the itinerary for the circus. They will be back in St. Louis in early June. You sit on pins and needles in anticipation of her imminent arrival. When the night finally comes, you are waiting at the fairground to sweep her into your arms. The two of you kiss, and if you had any breath to steal, this would have done it. She has some obligations of course, but she manages to steal several hours away to spend with you. As soon as you can find the barest hint of privacy, she bares her neck and offers herself to your fangs. The smell of her beard oil and the taste of her blood renders you mad with lust; when you have finished, she is woozy from blood-loss, though a beatific smile adorns her face. You take her hand in yours, and the two of you take a walk down the circus pike. The next few nights pass in much the same way: heated exchanges, the sensual drinking of blood, and long walks in the moonlight. *if werewolf_hysteria > 5 She asks after the rumors of the werewolf of St. Louis. You counsel her that she has nothing to fear. Little do you realize. The fourth night, you arrive at the circus late. As you approach, you hear a commotion; it's coming from Annie's tent. Arriving outside, you see a crowd gathered. They are raising a ruckus—they think that Annie is a werewolf! They cry out for the hirsute woman to come and face justice. *choice *if (shapeshifting = 5) #They want a werewolf? I'll give them a werewolf. *bug shouldn't be possible. *if (stealth > 3) #I make myself resemble Annie Jones and lure the crowd away from the tent. *bug I don't think this is possile. *if (circus_pickpocket_deal) #I call for Mr. Henshaw and his ruffians. They can disperse this crew. *set discretion %-5 *set wealth -500 A cry goes up and down the line of the sideshow. Within minutes a score of pickpockets, barkers, teamsters, and outright thugs have appeared. The crowd, suddenly cognizant of the fragility of their limbs, quickly disperses. You thank the scoundrels, grease their palms with some silver, and send them on their way. #Actually, this seems like an excellent way to exacerbate the hysteria over werewolves. *set stlouis_affair 10 *set werewolf_hysteria +1 *set compassion %+5 You begin encouraging the crowd. In moments, someone has lit a torch and thrown it into Annie's tent. While PT Barnum has invested in the most cutting-edge flame-resistant fabrics for his canvas, there is only so many flames it can resist. With several more torches thrown, the tent is a raging inferno. This brings circus-hands from all directions carry water to extinguish the blaze. While they may save the neighboring tents, Annie Jones and William Donovan are found inside. The newspapers mourn the loss of the celebrity, and describe how Donovan's body was found protectively wrapped around the young woman. *return #Though it will be dangerous, I attempt to calm the crowd. *if charm > 3 *set werewolf_hysteria -1 Using your powers of charm, you address the crowd. Your words spread feelings of calm and tranquility. Soon, the crowd begins to disperse, ashamed of their guillibilty. *elseif agility > 2 You do your best to address the crowd, but they are in no mood to be mollified. When you persist, they turn on you. Thankfully, you are rather nimble, and when they reach for you, you simply step to the side. When several more try to seize you, you dance away again. Soon, you are leading the crowd—or its most aggressive elements—on a merry chase through the tents, wagons, and crates of the circus. Not long afterwards, you have managed to lose them in the chaos and circle back to the tent. *elseif stealth > 2 You do your best to address the crowd, but they are in no mood to be mollified. When you persist, they turn on you. Realizing that you will not calm them, you decide instead to anger them. If you can draw them away from Annie's tent, you can use your powers of misdirection to conceal yourself. And so you do. When the crowd is sufficiently confused and dispersed, you circle back to Annie's tent. *if (shapeshifting > 2) and (willpower < 3) *set exposure +2 *set werewolf_hysteria +1 You do your best to address the crowd, but they are in no mood to be mollified. When you persist, they turn on you. Before long, you are forced to run. Eventually, you find yourself cornered. Unwilling to be murdered by a handful of angry circus-goers, you decide to show them who you really are. Your claws appear and your fangs extend. The crowd gasps in horror, but you they barely have time to scream. You cut them down before they can draw any more attention to you. When the killing stops, you collect your thoughts. Unfortunately, you think that at least two of them got away. You decide it best to circle back to Annie's tent and make sure that she's alright. *else *set exposure +3 You do your best to address the crowd, but they are in no mood to be mollified. When you persist, they turn on you. In short order, you are forced to run. You are not terribly fast and you soon find yourself cornered. @{pitchforks_in_saintcharles You have unpleasant flashbacks to your last night in St. Charles parish.|} You are force to unleash the beast within you in order to escape the crowd; you leave them bloody, broken, and wheezing. Perhaps you should have killed more of them? How much of it will they remember? You can't rightly say, as your fear and your hunger overrid your higher faculties. You escaped, yes, but what price will you have to pay later? *if (strength > 3) #I scare them off by throwing something big and heavy at them. *set exposure +1 *set discretion %+5 Picking up a massive crate, you throw it into their midst. Several people cry out in pain. Everyone looks at you and suddenly decides that they have somewhere else to be. Annie emerges trepedaciously from the tent, along with her new barker, William Donovan. Observing the newly-restored calm, she collapses into your arms. "Oh, ${given_name}! I knew you would come for me!" "Of course I came for you, Annie." *page_break *if compassion < 40 Two nights later, you are again watching Annie perform in her tent at the circus. You know her act from @{literate cover to cover|front to back}, and can tell when she's playing a role, when she's annoyed by the heckling, and—most delightfully—when she's really laughing. You ask her about her performance afterwards, and she surprises you with her answer. "I perform my womanly arts for the crowds until I am exhausted. It is to demonstrate to them that I am a woman without having to show them my twat. But what is it that makes me a woman? What if I don't want to be a woman?" "What do you mean?" "I spend so much time pretending to be this dainty incarnation of femininity. Singling, playing the mandolin, sewing, cooking, castigating my husband for his drunkennes, demonstrating my talent for changing nappies. But what if I'm not any of those things?" "A singer? A musician? A cook?" "A woman." *if trans You smile. "That's not so hard to imagine, Annie." She sighs. "No, I suppose not. Of all people, you understand." "I do. So tell me, what is that you want?" *else "I don't understand." "I…I don't want to be thought of as a woman anymore." "Do you want to be a man?@{(trans or (compassion < 25)) Rather, are you a man?|}" Annie stops and shakes her head. "No. Despite what some of these ruffians accuse me of, I have no interest in joining their foetid ranks. I…I'm something else. Can't I just be a person, without having to be a man or a woman?" "Of course you can. You can be whomever you want to be." "But how…who…" *if stl_neopronouns *set annie_nb true *set annie_she "thon" *set annie_her "thon" "I recently read about a minister from Erie who wrote some hymns without refering to God as a man. He proposed a new set of pronouns to refer to people whose gender was unclear or unknown—or, dare I say, something else." "You mean I would not be 'she' and 'her' anymore…" "But 'thon,'" you offer. "Thon went to the market for some vegetables. Thon put some carrots in thon sack." "Thon," she says, rolling the word around in her mouth. "I like it." "Then so shall it be," you say with a smile. Thon puts thon arm through yours, as the two of you go for a stroll along the levee. *else "I don't know," you sigh. She growls in frustration. "I wish there were some way to refer to myself without using these…words. They make me feel dirty. Sick to my stomach." You put your arms around her. "Together, we will find the words." Annie sinks into your embrace. *page_break As the week nears its end, you consider your options. *choice #@{(stlouis_affair = 8) I've changed my mind;|} I beseech Memeskia for permission to turn Annie Jones. *if status = 0 Memeskia cocks his head at you. "What makes you think you can ask that question of me?" "I…I love ${annie_her}!" "Your feelings hold no weight in the Society. What holds weight is your status, of which you have none. No." "But…" He glares at you. You decide to leave the matter alone. *page_break *label told_no You have only a few options before you. *choice #I accept Memeskia's prohibition. Perhaps in the future I will earn the right to turn ${annie_her}. Until then, let ${annie_her} live ${annie_her} life. *set stlouis_affair 8 Annie is sad, but ${annie_she} also does not realize how close ${annie_she} came to a terrible end this evening. At the end of the week, ${annie_she} packs ${annie_her} things and departs with the circus. Your correspondence continues as before. You tell yourself that this is for the best. $!{annie_she} will live a long life, outside of the schemes of Bailey and Aichinger. And on those occasions that you can steal a moment's respite with ${annie_her} will be all the sweeter for their rarity. Yes, this is for the best. *return #I will turn ${annie_her} and we will flee to Chicago. If O'Donnell is truly a Loyalist then he will welcome some refugees from Stone's dominion. *set revolutionary_credentials %-10 *set stlouis_affair 12 Returning to your haven, you find Annie immersed in the latest Twain novel, [i]Pudd'nhead Wilson[/i]. $!{annie_she} is startled by your frantic entrance. "We must go. To Chicago. Tonight or perhaps tomorrow." "Why? What did the Quaestor say?" "He denied my request. But the whole Society of Stone is at odds with Quaestor O'Donnell of Chicago; I will turn you and we will go to him for succor." Annie is clearly bewildered by all this. "Are you certain?" "I am." "Very well." $!{annie_she} puts down the book and begins helping you to pack your things. *page_break *gosub embrace_annie Finally, you organize a carriage to take you to Chicago. As the sun sets, the two of you stow your things and step into the cab. You leave ${stlouis_valet} behind @{renter to tie up the remaining loose ends|to see about the disposition of your haven}. Not thirty minutes after sunset, you are crossing the Merchant's Bridge and on your way to the edge of Memeskia's jurisdiction. Once you are out of the city, Memeskia will have no need to pursue you. @{(lore > 2) Surely, there is some infraction involved in turning someone into a vampire after having been denied a request, but its weight likely diminishes with time and space.|} @{(compassion < 35) You find yourself exhaling|You unclench your fists} as the carriage wheels touch the unpaved earth at the far edge of East St. Louis. *page_break The only warning is a thump on the roof of the carriage. You freeze, trying to ascertain what the noise could have been. Opening the door and hanging out of the cab, you try to see the top of the carrige, only for Annie to scream at you to return. Bringing your gaze down, you see @{west_prob ${imposter}|West} tearing Annie through the far window. He dangles ${annie_her} in one hand, locking eyes with you. *if west_prob *set stl_seen_wotton true *set west_exposure +1 *comment do i need this variable, when stlouis_affair 12 manages it for me? He's a @{(ethnicity = "choctaw") settler|white man} that you've never seen before—short and stocky—with a scraggly brown beard. Just as your are beginning to charge at the @{west_prob ${imposter}|West}, he says one word: "Stop." And you do. He lifts Annie to his mouth, bares his fangs, and sinks them into ${annie_her} neck, maintaining eye contact with you the entire time. You push and strain, but try as you might, you cannot move. @{(perception > 0) Out of your peripheral vision, you see the coachman looking from side to side, trying to understand what is happening behind him, but to little avail. It's probably better that he doesn't see.|} The carriage is rocking ominously from the weight of three people dangling off the sides. When @{west_prob ${imposter}|West} has finished draining Annie, he drops ${annie_her} body to the earth. Then—to your utter disbelief—his body begins to melt, while his eyes stay fixed on you. Finally, the eyes themselves shrink and darken, and he is nothing more than a large black bat, flapping away into the darkness. You find yourself released and lunge across the carriage's seat, only to grasp at empty air. You scream at the driver to stop the carriage, and you run out to Annie's body. $!{annie_she} is dead, ${annie_her} heartsblood consumed by @{west_prob ${imposter}|West}. You scream and cry in rage, holding ${annie_her} body to your chest. [i]Why?[/i] @{stl_heard_of_wotton If that was truly Wotton, why would he do this to you?|Why? Why would this imposter persecute you so? Or was Annie just another vampire to quench his thirst?} When you have recovered enough to think, you consider your options. *choice #I continue on to Chicago. I have escaped with my life; let me not squander it now. *set discretion %-10 *set early_chicago_entry true You continue on to Chicago. It takes you several days, but eventually you reach the outskirts of that city. You can, in fact, smell it before you can quite see it. The stockyards to the south and west of the city are massive enclosures of cattle and swine. Beside those stockyards are massive abbatoirs, and beyond that, canning factories. In a massive demonstration of industrial organization, animals are brought here from throughout the country, slaughtered, and turned into processed and canned meat, ready to be shipped anywhere in the world. You wonder if there has ever been a more fitting home for a vampire than this morass of blood and death. *goto_scene timejump5 #I return to St. Louis. I will have my vengeance on @{west_prob ${imposter}|West}. *set compassion %+5 *set discretion %+5 Memeskia does not know of your crime. There is no reason you cannot slip back into the city and into your old routine. You pull Annie's body into the carriage and order it to turn around and head home. *page_break You must decide what to do with Annie's body. Because ${annie_she} was so newly turned, it is a corpse like any other. *choice #I turn it over to the coroner and have a proper burial; I play ${annie_her} death off as heart failure. *set discretion %-5 Of course, you have to pay the driver of the coach off, but eventually he acquiesces. *gosub annie_funeral To your relief, you hear nothing about the werewolf in connection to Annie's death. If Memeskia suspects that you turned ${annie_her} against his will, he never says anything. #I turn it over to the corner and have a proper burial; I play up the werewolf attack. *set werewolf_hysteria +1 *set memeskia_rapport %-25 The coroner is suspicous about the whole thing, but with the coachman more-or-less agreeing with your redacted version of the story, the coroner is at a loss to refute your statement. The public goes wild with the story of another werewolf attack. *gosub annie_funeral There are, further, rumors that Annie herself was a werewolf, what with ${annie_her} hirsutism. Unfortunately, once the story is loose, you have no more control over it. Additionally, you find Memeskia even colder to you than usual. He has clearly deduced that you turned Annie against his will and that ${annie_she} was consumed by @{west_prob "West"|West} before anything else could happen. #I bury the body surreptitiously. *set compassion %+5 *set discretion %-5 With the help of ${stlouis_valet}, you bury Annie's body outside of the city, where it will hopefully gone undiscovered for a very long time. This means, of course, that you must also pay off the driver of the carriage; it is not easy to get him to be quiet about another so-called werewolf attack. But he eventually acquiesces. You water the freshly turned soil with your tears of blood until the sun threatens to consume you. You will live to see another night, even if Annie won't. #I feed the body to some pigs. *set compassion %+15 *set discretion %-15 There will be too many questions if you turn the body over to the coroner and burying ${annie_her} yourself is too risky. Feeding ${annie_her} corpse to pigs will admirably resolve the problem. It takes some hacking to dismember ${annie_her}, but eventually you are able to reduce ${annie_her} to a size that the pigs can manage. That leaves the coachman to deal with. You threaten him quite convincingly that if he ever breathes a word of this evening, he will face his own doom. He acquiesces. *return *label embrace_annie Before dawn, the two of you meet at your ${sleeping_place}. At ${annie_her} nod, you bare your fangs and sink them into ${annie_her} neck. $!{annie_she} is already weakened from all the feeding you have been doing on ${annie_her}, and it doesn't take long for ${annie_her} to collapse into your arms. You lick the wound and then bite your own wrist, dribbling the blood into ${annie_her} mouth. For a moment, you are terrified that it did not take. However, ${annie_her} eyes flutter open and ${annie_she} launches herself at your wrist; ${annie_her} whiskers tickle the soft flesh around the wound. Eventually you wrest you wrist away from ${annie_her}. $!{annie_her} eyes are wide as ${annie_she} begins to take in the night with new detail. But it is almost dawn and you must hide from the sun. The two of you lay down in your ${sleeping_place} and you hold ${annie_her} through the day while ${annie_her} body dies. The next night and the next you continue preparing for your departure. *if feeding_style = "vegetarian" *set compassion %+5 Unfortunately, as a new vampire, the idea of consuming animal blood is repugnant to her—even more than to you. Lest she draw unwanted attention due to her inexperience, you are forced to accompany her and assist her in her first feedings. A little part of you dies each time. *else The two of you hunt for the first time together and you soon discover that Annie's fame is a double-edged sword. Regardless, there is an ecstasy to feeding together with your offspring that you cannot describe. *return *label annie_funeral *set exposure +1 *set local_fame %+5 A few days later, you organize a funeral for Annie. You are surprised by the number of attendees, but Annie was famous, especially in and around St. Louis. Though, you realize at some point that the strangers paying their respects are, in fact, stealing whiskers from Annie's beard. @{(discretion > 50) You call a halt to the proceedings before you lose your temper.|You sit there and fume at the perverse cruelties of mortals.} @{literate In the subsequent days, you are not surprised to find salacious innuendo about your relationship in the newspapers.|} @{(compassion < 55) You compose a letter to ${annie_her} mother and send it off, but you suspect that she will have already received word before it arrives.|} *return *elseif status = 1 Memeskia considers your request and then asks if you have anything to offer him. *comment TODO Memeskia wouldn't really be interested in a debt. Something where he can crush/destroy Europeans, on the other hand… *if debt_from_bailey *set debt_from_bailey false You offer to transfer the debt owed to you by Senator Bailey to him. *elseif debt_from_carothers *set debt_from_carothers false You offer to transfer the debt owed to you by Quaestor Carothers to him. *elseif debt_from_withers *set debt_from_withers false You offer to transfer the debt owed to you by Quaestor Withers to him. *elseif debt_from_coffin *set debt_from_coffin false You offer to transfer the debt owed to you by Senator Coffin to him. *elseif debt_from_page *set debt_from_page false You offer to transfer the debt owed to you by Quaestor Page to him. *else Unfortunately, you have nothing to offer Memeskia that he desires and your standing in the Society is not sufficient to value a debt from you. You retreat from Memeskia's presence and regroup. *goto told_no *else Memeskia considers your request and then asks if you have anything to offer him. You offer *if debt_from_bailey *set debt_from_bailey false to transfer the debt owed to you by Senator Bailey to him. *elseif debt_from_carothers *set debt_from_carothers false to transfer the debt owed to you by Quaestor Carothers to him. *elseif debt_from_withers *set debt_from_withers false to transfer the debt owed to you by Quaestor Withers to him. *elseif debt_from_coffin *set debt_from_coffin false to transfer the debt owed to you by Senator Coffin to him. *elseif debt_from_page *set debt_from_page false to transfer the debt owed to you by Quaestor Harold Page to him. *else *set debt_to_memeskia true *set memeskia_rapport %-10 a debt to him. He is clearly displeased—your standing is not enough for the debt to be consider sufficiently valuable—but he is also not prepared to reject your request outright. He begrudgingly accepts the transfer of the debt and grants you permission to bring Annie into the Society. *gosub embrace_annie About a month later, you bring Annie by to introduce her to the quaestor. When he takes ${annie_her} hand, ${annie_she} curtsies graciously. Given a few minutes conversation, Memeskia seems almost charmed by the Bearded Lady of Brooklyn. *return *set stlouis_affair 12 *set independence %+5 His ego appeased, he accepts the transfer of the debt and grants you permission to bring Annie into the Society. *gosub embrace_annie About a month later, you bring Annie by to introduce ${annie_her} to the quaestor. When he takes ${annie_her} hand, ${annie_she} curtsies graciously. Given a few minutes conversation, Memeskia seems almost charmed by the Bearded Lady of Brooklyn. *return #I just enjoy the time together as best we can before she leaves. @{(stlouis_affair = 9) I've decided it's best if I don't turn ${annie_her} into a vampire after all.|} *set stlouis_affair 8 *set compassion %-5 The remaining days pass in a blur. The two of you cherish every moment you can between ${annie_her} performances and ${annie_her} need for sleep. Finally, the end of the week comes. You see ${annie_her} packed and ${annie_her} things on the train. You stand at the fairground depot and watch the train pull away into the night. $!{annie_she} will come again. And you will write in the meantime. But ${annie_she} is human and must live a human life. Too much time in your company will only end in misery for both of you. *return #@{male I ask her to marry me and stay in St. Louis.|I ask ${annie_her} to stay in St. Louis with me as my companion.} She will live her life at my side and die of old age, free of the curse of hunger. *set compassion %-5 *set stlouis_affair 13 @{male Annie demures on the subject of marriage—${annie_her} former one did not end so well. But she|She} readily accepts your proposition to leave the circus and move in with you. *if renter Annie gathers ${annie_her} things from ${annie_her} tent and moves into your apartment. $!{annie_she} hasn't ever had a home to herself—when ${annie_she} wasn't on the road, ${annie_she} lived with ${annie_her} mother. Having a space that ${annie_she} can call ${annie_her} own is a revelation for ${annie_her}. Of course, your quarters are a bit small for three people, but you make the best of it. The landlady increases your rent, as she points out there's another mouth to feed. You try to argue with her that you have been paying for meals for years and never once eaten at her table, but she refuses to budge. *if income > 0 *set income -1 *else Annie gathers ${annie_her} things from ${annie_her} tent and moves into your home. $!{annie_she} hasn't ever had a home to herself—when ${annie_she}'s not on the road, ${annie_she} lived with her mother. Having a home that ${annie_she} can call ${annie_her} own is a revelation for ${annie_her}. *set income -1 *if income > 5 *set income -1 *if income > 10 *set income -1 *if sleeping_place != "bed" The most awkward moment, however, arises when you discuss Annie's sleeping arrangements: spending the day in a @{(sleeping_place = "coffin") coffin|crawlspace} is not her idea of romance nor comfort. At her urging, you acquire a bed large enough for the two of you, and you begin sleeping side-by-side. *set sleeping_place "bed" Of course, there's a certain adjustment to be made, as ${annie_she} must acclimate to living almost ${annie_her} entire life at night. $!{annie_she} can be more active than just those hours, but it is still an adjustment. @{renter |All the same, the two of you make a lovely home for yourselves.} *return *if (independence < 50) #I will turn Annie into a vampire and then present ${annie_her} to the quaestor. Better to ask for forgiveness than permission. *set discretion %+10 *set stlouis_affair 9 *gosub embrace_annie Steeling yourself, you realize that it is time. You bring Annie to meet the quaestor. *if status = 0 Unfortunately, your standing in the Society is so low that a crime of this magnitude is a death sentence for you. When you arrive to present Annie to Memeskia, he does not hesitate. First, he decapitates Annie. Then he drives a stake through your heart. The stake is removed sometime later. You find yourself in a room, bound, surrounded by Bailey, Eliot, Aichinger, Bécard, and Memeskia. Memeskia announces your crime and pronounces judgment over you. Strangely, he carts you all the way across the river, past East St. Louis, and to the top of a large hill. The whole time you try to ask him what he is doing—where he is taking you—but he refuses to dignify any of your questions with answers. You efforts to remind him that you are a person and that you exist go unremarked. He leaves you there to burn in the sunrise. *goto_scene scoring *elseif status <= 2 When you present Annie to Memeskia, he is furious. *if debt_from_carothers *set debt_from_carothers false *set stlouis_affair 14 *set independence %+5 It is only when you offer to trade the debt that you hold over Carothers to him that he seems mollified. He accepts the transfer of the debt and welcomes Annie to the city. You are overjoyed that your ploy worked. Together, you and Annie will live forever! *return *elseif debt_from_withers *set debt_from_withers false *set stlouis_affair 14 *set independence %+5 It is only when you offer to trade the debt that you hold over Withers to him that he seems mollified. He accepts the transfer of the debt and welcomes Annie to the city. You are overjoyed that your ploy worked. Together, you and Annie will live forever! *return *elseif debt_from_coffin *set debt_from_coffin false *set stlouis_affair 14 *set independence %+5 It is only when you offer to trade the debt that you hold over Senator Coffin to him that he seems mollified. He accepts the transfer of the debt and welcomes Annie to the city. You are overjoyed that your ploy worked. Together, you and Annie will live forever! *return *elseif debt_from_page *set debt_from_page false *set stlouis_affair 14 *set independence %+5 It is only when you offer to trade the debt that you hold over Quaestor Harold Page to him that he seems mollified. He accepts the transfer of the debt and welcomes Annie to the city. You are overjoyed that your ploy worked. Together, you and Annie will live forever! *return *else *set status 0 *set stlouis_affair 9 *set exiled_from_stlouis true *set revolutionary_credentials %-15 *set haven_value 0 When you find that you have nothing to offer him, he simply shakes his head. Moving faster than you can discern, he beheads Annie. You move to catch ${annie_her} body as it falls, but the head is clear across the room. "You are not worth of the recognition granted you by the Society. I hereby relieve you of that recognition, and further banish you from St. Louis. Leave now, tonight, and never return." *if (discretion > (50 + (bloodflow * 2))) and (willpower < 3) Not about to let this monster murder the love of your existence, you bare your fangs and attack. You get one good bite before Memeskia slices open your gut with his claws. Your dessicated intestines spill out onto the floor in a dry, floppy mess. Another slash and your head is severed from your neck. Your corpse hits the ground with a thud. *goto_scene scoring *else You don't have much time. You rush to your haven and inform ${stlouis_valet} of the situation. $!{valet_he} packs your things as ${valet_he} can. As the sun is rising, you find yourself in a carriage with blacked-out windows heading over the Eads Bridge and into East St. Louis. $!{stlouis_valet} will carry you through the day, and perhaps tonight you will find a place to pause and regroup. *goto_scene timejump5 *elseif status > 2 When you present Annie to Memeskia, he is furious. However, considering your status in the Society, he holds his anger in check. Sensing the need to make things right, you offer *if debt_from_bailey *set debt_from_bailey false to transfer the debt owed to you by Senator Bailey to him. *label memeskia_mollified *set stlouis_affair 14 *set independence %+5 Somewhat mollified, he accepts the transfer of the debt and welcomes Annie to the Society. She curtsies graciously. Given a few minutes conversation, Memeskia seems almost charmed by the Bearded Lady of Brooklyn. *return *elseif debt_from_carothers *set debt_from_carothers false to transfer the debt owed to you by Quaestor Carothers to him. *goto memeskia_mollified *elseif debt_from_withers *set debt_from_withers false to transfer the debt owed to you by Quaestor Withers to him. *goto memeskia_mollified *elseif debt_from_coffin *set debt_from_coffin false to transfer the debt owed to you by Senator Coffin to him. *goto memeskia_mollified *elseif debt_from_page *set debt_from_page false to transfer the debt owed to you by Quaestor Harold Page to him. *goto memeskia_mollified *else *set debt_to_memeskia true *set memeskia_rapport %-20 *set stlouis_affair 14 *set independence %+5 a debt to him. He is clearly displeased—your standing is not enough for the debt to be consider sufficiently valuable—but he is also not prepared to simple execute you. He accepts the debt begrudgingly and welcomes Annie to the Society. $!{annie_she} curtsies graciously. Given a few minutes conversation, Memeskia seems almost charmed by the Bearded Lady of Brooklyn. *return *else *bug *label valet_strife *page_break *if (stlouis_cult and renter) and ((stlouis_affair <= 12) and (stlouis_affair != 8)) The evening starts off well enough. A robin is chirping happily outside your window. You are attending to your toilette and considering your feeding options for the evening. There is a knock at the basement door. You hear Amanda's voice as ${stlouis_valet} admits her—which is strange, because Amanda is not supposed to know where you reside. The two of them begin arguing almost immediately—they have never gotten along. Amanda is jealous of ${stlouis_valet}'s proximity to you, while ${stlouis_valet} has observed you for too long to accept the proposition that you are a god. You emerge from your bedroom to adjudicate the matter. It seems Amanda has invested enough time and effort in shadowing you that she has uncovered your haven—in the basement of your landlord's townhouse. More to the point—now that the cat's out of the bag—she wants to be able to come call on you directly, rather than having to go through ${stlouis_valet}. Of course, having Amanda call on you here—and soon Hermann the treasurer and ${stl_kid_nick} will know as well—could anger your landlady or otherwise put you in jeopardy. *choice #I swear Amanda to secrecy and order her to continue communicating through ${stlouis_valet}. *set stlouis_cult_power %-5 *set exposure +1 Amanda swears that she will never return to your haven and departs. #To the annoyance of ${stlouis_valet}, we will change accommodations. *set stlouis_valet_loyalty %-5 *set stlouis_cult_power %-5 Your landlord is surprised when you announce your decision to relocate. However, you soon find another basement apartment to call home. #If it will improve communication my disciples, why not let them know where I reside? *set stlouis_valet_loyalty %-10 *set exposure +2 Amanda is greatful for your decision. You are surprised at how much more smoothly administration of the organization runs when she is able to come to you directly with concerns. *elseif stlouis_cult The evening starts off well enough. A robin is chirping happily outside your window. You are attending to your toilette and considering your feeding options for the evening. There is a knock at your bedroom door, and ${stlouis_valet} enters a moment. "Amanda is here to see you," ${valet_he} says. Amanda and ${stlouis_valet} have never had a good relationship; ${stlouis_valet} has never cottoned on the idea of you being a god and assiduously avoids the religious ceremonies. The two of them are having some sort of quarrel over finances. Amanada seems to be "borrowing" a lot of firewood for her own use, whereas ${stlouis_valet} spends a not-insignificant amount of time chopping that firewood behind the house and resents it being redirected. @{(discretion > 60) You idly wonder if you should just kill both of them for bothering you with this.|} *choice #I tell ${stlouis_valet} to give Amanda as much firewood as she needs. *set stlouis_valet_loyalty %-15 Amanda shoots ${stlouis_valet} a triumphant smile before taking an armful of wood and returning from whence she came. #I tell Amanda that my disciples can source their own firewood. *set stlouis_cult_power %-10 Amanda lowers her eyes. "Yes, ${stlouis_cult_address}," she says, before trudging off. *selectable_if (income > 20) #I direct ${stlouis_valet} to hire someone to do the wood-chopping for both the house and for Amanda's uses. *set income -2 ${stlouis_valet} sighs, nods, and returns to ${valet_his} evening chores, while Amanda takes what she needs and scoots away. Three nights later, the yard is overflowing with chopped wood. *elseif joined_kkk and ((stlouis_valet_num = 1) or (stlouis_valet_num = 4)) *set stlouis_valet_loyalty %-60 *comment does this need a scene? I suppose I could write one where you swear off your connections with white supremacists? *elseif stl_met_slattery = 4 Of late, you have observed ${stlouis_valet} scowling anytime the subject of Captain Slattery and Judge Cranch arises. When you press ${valet_him} on the matter, ${valet_he} confirms the reputation of Slattery and Cranch throughout @{stlouis_valet_num Chestnut Valley|the Kerry Patch|Dutchtown|Chestnut Valley}: they routinely abuse and misuse anyone and everyone they can. More to the point, ${stlouis_valet} fears that Captain Slattery will turn on you, given the chance. *choice #${stlouis_valet} is right. I sever ties with the pair. *set stl_met_slattery 8 When you inform Slattery of this, he purses his lips, nods, and walks away without another word. #I tell ${stlouis_valet} that there is nothing to fear. *set stlouis_valet_loyalty %-20 ${stlouis_valet} nods and returns to ${valet_his} evening chores. #I tell ${stlouis_valet} to mind ${valet_his} own business. *set stlouis_valet_loyalty %-40 *set discretion %+5 Once you are finished berating ${valet_him}, ${stlouis_valet} returns to ${valet_his} evening chores. *elseif (stlouis_affair > 12) or (stlouis_affair = 8) All is not well in your household. Annie and ${stlouis_valet} have a variety of disagreements over the *if stlouis_affair = 13 décor of the house, but most importantly the arrangement of the kitchen. Since you're neither cooking nor eating there, it is hard for you to form an opinion about its disposition. *else best way to insulate your bedroom from the sun—while still remaining aesthetically appealing. *choice #I increase ${stlouis_valet}'s salary and tell ${valet_him} to accede to Annie's wishes. *set discretion %-5 *set income -3 *set stlouis_valet_loyalty %-5 ${stlouis_valet} is mollified by your offer—but not entirely happy. $!{valet_he} has to visibly restrain ${valet_him}self on a regular basis. #I order ${stlouis_valet} to obey Annie—or else. *set stlouis_valet_loyalty %-40 *set discretion %+5 ${stlouis_valet} quavers as you chastise ${valet_him}. You do not a hear another peep. #I try to broker a truce between the two of them. As long as the three of us have to live under one roof, we need to find some harmony. *set stlouis_valet_loyalty %-15 *if compassion > 50 *set stlouis_valet_loyalty %-10 The two can barely look at each other as you sit them down to discuss their behavior. After come coaxing, you manage to get them to offer small concessions to one another, and after a a few hours they come to a détente. Neither of them is happy about it, but at least the matter is subsumed for the moment. *elseif (finance > 0) Of late, ${stlouis_valet} has adopted a rather morose mien. You initially pay it little mind, but through a series of coincidences, you are irritated to discover that ${valet_he} has not only overheard some of your latest financial machinations, but attempted to profit from them ${valet_him}self. Unfortunately for ${valet_him}, there was a dimension that ${valet_he} had not considered, and ${valet_he} finds ${valet_him}self extended in an unpleasant way. $!{valet_he} has not disclosed this débacle to you—${valet_he} surely knows using ${valet_his} access to you was unwise. *choice *selectable_if (wealth > 1000000) #I secretly right the situation for ${valet_him}, though it will be expensive. *set wealth -100000 *set compassion %-5 A few days later, you can tell that ${valet_he} has discovered ${valet_his} new condition; the stress and anxiety that had been weighing upon ${valet_him} has drained away, and ${valet_he} walks with newfound confidence. You resolve to be more circumspect in your financial dealings in the future. *selectable_if (income > 10) #I may not have the cash to solve the problem, but I can raise ${stlouis_valet}'s wage to help ${valet_him} resolve the situation in the long term. *set compassion %-5 *set income -1 *set stlouis_valet_loyalty %-5 When you inform ${stlouis_valet} of their raise, ${valet_he} is extremely grateful. $!{valet_he} works out a payment plan with the creditor, and though ${stlouis_valet} is severely damaged by the deal, ${valet_he} now blames ${valet_him}self, rather than you. *selectable_if (discretion < 60) #I say nothing. This is ${valet_his} mistake; let ${valet_him} suffer the consequences. *set stlouis_valet_loyalty %-15 *set discretion %-5 You later learn that ${valet_he} is ruined financially by the deal. $!{valet_he} never says a word, but whatever deal ${valet_he} made with ${valet_him}self to work for a bloodsucking leech such as yourself weighs even more heavily on ${valet_him} now that ${valet_he} has gambled ${valet_his} last cent and come up short. #I confront ${valet_him} and make it clear that ${valet_he} is never again to seek to profit from ${valet_his} position. *set stlouis_valet_loyalty %-30 *set discretion %+5 ${stlouis_valet} apologizes profusely for the indiscretion. You later learn that ${valet_he} is ruined financially by the deal. $!{valet_he} never says a word about it, but whatever deal ${valet_he} made with ${valet_him}self to work for a bloodsucking leech such as yourself weights even more heavily on ${valet_him} now that ${valet_he} has gambled ${valet_his} last cent and come up short. *else You wake one evening to find ${stlouis_valet} nearly in tears over the laundry. Last night you had a bit of an accident while feeding, and you returned home with your clothes soaked in blood. It is, of course, ${stlouis_valet}'s duty to get the bloodstains out of your clothes—one of the more ghoulish chores that ${valet_he} endures. But tonight, it seems the burden has grown too great. *choice #I ignore ${valet_him}. Tending to my clothes is part of the job. *set stlouis_valet_loyalty %-15 *set compassion %+3 ${stlouis_valet} stuffs down ${valet_his} emotions and continues with ${valet_his} labors. #Though it will raise eyebrows, I will send the clothes out for cleaning. *set exposure +1 *set income -1 When you announce the change to ${stlouis_valet}'s duties, ${valet_he} nearly leaps in relief. Somehow, not seeing the blood makes it easier for ${valet_him} to pretend that you are not what you, in fact, are. #I remonstrate ${stlouis_valet}; if ${valet_he} can't handle the job, I will find someone else who can. *set stlouis_valet_loyalty %-40 *set discretion %+5 ${stlouis_valet} quavers under your tirade. There is never again a hint of tears in ${valet_his} eyes. *return *label staggerlee *comment 12/25/1895 *comment "Stack" Lee Shelton murders Billy Lyons over a game of craps. *return *label utah *comment 1896 *comment Utah enters the Union with full suffrage for women. *return *label ozark_werewolf In March, the newspapers relate the story of a hanging in St. James, MO, a small town to the southwest in the Ozarks. The victim was a white traveler, rumored to be from back East, who had previously been arrested for vagrancy. He was found suspended before the courthouse with a sign was hung around his neck, "No Manwolfs Here!" No one is arrested for the lynching. *return *label annie_warned *page_break *set received_warning true You wake up one evening to find Annie distraught. It seems that while ${annie_she} was at the market, ${annie_she} was accosted by two neighbors who interrogated her about you and your relationship. Given Annie's hirsutism, ${annie_she} is long accustomed to rude questions being put to her, but she had never had to defend @{male vampirism|her love of another woman} before. "They hate you, ${given_name}. They may not know what you are, but they know that you are dangerous. I fear that, in time, they will come for us." You press her to your chest and stroke her head while ${annie_she} cries. You suppose that this was not what either of you imagined your lives would be like. *return *label slattery *if stl_met_slattery = 4 *page_break *comment Saloon owned by John McGillicuddy 524 O'Fallon in 1890 Gould's Directory page 1676. Captain Slattery organizes a meeting with you one evening at McGillicuddy's Tavern on O'Fallon in the Kerry Patch—he doesn't formally own it, but he might as well. You find him writing a letter for a recent arrival from Ireland. When he sees you, he supplies a few bromides to get the immigrant to finish the dictation. When the letter is signed and sealed, he sends the fellow off and turns to address you. @{male |He's always seemed bothered by the fact that he's expected to treat you as an equal, but whether he's improving with age or is simply in a hurry, tonight is the first night he has not made any lewd jokes in your presence.} Conversation quickly turns to the scheme at hand: *if wealth > 500000 a warehouse fire that will net a tidy sum from insurance. What he needs from you is capital: some goods to be physically purchased, placed in the warehouse and disposed of in time for the fire to "consume" it. *choice #@{stl_met_stickney I bring Billy Stickney in on this; he'd be happy to sell us some cigars.|I can stake Slattery on a warehouse full of cigars.} *set exposure +1 *set discretion %+5 *set compassion %+5 *set laborvscapital %-10 *if stl_met_stickney *set stlouis_business_climate %-5 *set wealth +100000 *else *set stlouis_business_climate %-10 *set wealth +75000 *gosub warehouse_fire_success #I will not be a party to fraud. *set stl_met_slattery 8 *set compassion %-5 *set justice %-5 Slattery is severely disappointed. He lets you know that your relationship with he and Cranch is over. #Not only will I not be a party to fraud, but I want to catch Slattery and Cranch in the sordid affair. *set stl_met_slattery 8 *set compassion %+5 *set stlouis_business_climate %+5 *set laborvscapital %+5 *set justice %-5 The problem with St. Louis is that it is very difficult to find an honest cop. Even harder to find an honest sergeant, captain, or major. However, you find a young attorney willing to listen to you, and the two of you hatch a plan to catch Slattery in the act. Unfortunately, this young attorney shares the plan with his parents over dinner one night. And his father is not nearly so idealistic as he is. The night you are to spring the trap, you find Slattery waiting for you with the young attorney, who refuses to meet your gaze. Slattery informs you that there is no more him-and-you. *if (stlouis_arsonist_investigation > 1) #I'll stake the money, but I'm mostly interested in using the opportunity to learn about firebugs in St. Louis. *set exposure +1 *set discretion %+5 *set compassion %+5 *set laborvscapital %-10 *set wealth +50000 *set stlouis_arsonist_investigation +1 *gosub warehouse_fire_success During your conversation with him, you feel like you are getting closer to finding the arsonist. A few details here and there paint a larger picture for you. *else a plot to steal ballot boxes during the local Democratic primary. The position of ward boss is consequential yet nigh-invisible. Whoever holds it is tasked with turning out the vote for the party at every election. The ward boss is also responsible for picking winners. Even though the boss is unpaid and has no legislative power, the elected officials depend on the ward bosses to return them to office every election cycle. In this instance, the ward boss just to the north is facing surprisingly stiff competition. His opponents will be watching his friends, but outsiders might be able to fix the situation and depart before anyone is the wiser. Cranch makes it clear that if you want your relationship with him and Slattery to continue, you'll pitch in here. The lead poll-watcher will be alone with the ballots the night of the vote. Violence is discouraged. *choice #I don't really care if violence is discouraged. I kill the poll-watcher and dispose of the ballots. *set compassion %+5 *set discretion %+5 *set justice %+10 *set stlouis_race_relations %-5 You kill the poll-watcher and dispose of the ballot boxes. Slattery is disappointed that you employed violence, but not enough to do anything about it. He finds a freedman and arrests him for the murder in your stead. *if ((streetwise > 1) or (stealth > 0)) #I will slip in and out before the poll-watcher realizes anyone was there. *set justice %+10 *set discretion %-5 A little burglary is well within your capabilities. A small distraction, a still heart, and you are off into the night porting the ballot boxes. Slattery later thanks you for a job well-done. #I will distract the poll-watcher@{oblivio , using the [i]verba oblivionis[/i] if necessary,|} while ${stlouis_valet} carts the ballot boxes off. *set justice %+10 *set discretion %-5 *set exposure +1 *if charm > 2 You convince the poll-watcher to open the door of the polling-place, and you do an admirable job of keeping him preoccupied. The conversation goes so well that he does not even notice that you never touch the plate of potatoes and sauerkraut that he gave you. "You must be hungry, doin' all that talkin'," he said. You may be hungry, yes, but not fermented cabbage. *if (feeding_style != "vegetarian") and (discretion > 45) With a smile, you extend your fangs and sate your hunger while ${stlouis_valet} tends to the ballots. *elseif oblivio When the poll-watcher sees you, you whisper the [i]verba oblivionis[/i]. He looks dazed. You let yourself in. Not thirty minutes later, you and ${stlouis_valet} are escaping into the night, the ballot boxes jostling against one another in your carriage. *else The poll-watcher slams the door in your face and refuses to open it. You try your best to cajole him into letting you inside, but he steadfastly refuses. When you inform Slattery of your failure, he wonders aloud what Judge Cranch sees in you. #Not only will I not be a party to electoral shenanigans, but I will find an official that will help me bring them down. *set stl_met_slattery 8 *set compassion %+5 *set stlouis_business_climate %+5 *set laborvscapital %+5 *set justice %-5 The problem with St. Louis is that it is very difficult to find an honest cop. Even harder to find an honest sergeant, captain, or major. However, you find a young attorney willing to listen to you, and the two of you hatch a plan to catch Slattery in the act. Unfortunately, this young attorney shares the plan with his parents over dinner one night. And his father is not nearly so idealistic as he is. The night of the election, you find Slattery waiting for you with the young attorney, who refuses to meet your gaze. Slattery informs you that there is no more him-and-you. *page_break *return *label warehouse_fire_success The affair goes of without a hitch. The insurance company makes their payout while the cigars are sold through a distributor in Denver. Slattery delivers your cut himself a few weeks later. *return *label plessy_vs_ferguson *comment 1896-05-18 In the late spring of 1896, the Supreme Court of the United States finally hands down its decision in the case of [i]Plessy v. Ferguson,[/i] ruling in favor of the right of individual states to author and enforce segregation laws within their borders, as long as the different groups are treated equally. *if ethnicity = "choctaw" Unfortunately, you can't really say that you're surprised. After the way that the settlers have treated your people, you know that the people of the United States only bend to power. *elseif ethnicity = "african" @{(discretion > 50) If tearing the heads from the necks of a thousand people would change anything, you would do it. But you would only end up dead and the cruelty would continue.|What remains of your heart breaks at this news.} *else *if compassion > 55 It is unclear to you why so many people are upset about this ruling. What is so bad about separate but equal? *elseif (compassion > 30) or (justice > 30) This outcome may be unfortunate, but you are certain that the matter will be put right in time. *else With the stroke of a pen, the Court has undone the advances that hundreds of thousands of people died fighting both for and against. The willfull blindness and casual cruelty of this decision takes your breath away. *return *label found_church_thieves *choice #Take the money and keep it for myself. *set wealth +25000 *set compassion %+15 *set discretion %+5 The thieves are loathe to part with it—you have to kill two or three of them—but soon the money is yours to do with as you will. #Take the money and return it to the church. *set compassion %-5 *set stl_reach_church_rebuilt true You seize the money and return it to the church. The pastor promises that the sanctuary will be rebuilt promptly. *if (stlouis_cult) #Take the money and use it to benefit ${stlouis_cult_name}. *set stlouis_cult_power %+5 *set income +1 *set compassion %+10 *set discretion %+5 The thieves are loathe to part with it—you have to kill two or three of them—but soon Amanda is putting the money to work to benefit your disciples. *if (stlouis_enterprise = 2) #I have some Irish thugs show these thieves that crime doesn't pay. *set discretion %-10 *set wealth +12500 *set cops_murdered true *set local_fame %+5 *set stlouis_business_climate %-5 The thugs kill the thieves and split the money with you. They seem quite pleased with the arrangement. *if compassion < 40 *set stl_reach_church_rebuilt true You, on the other hand, turn around and return the money to the church. The minister may have put two-and-two together when you handed him a bag full of blood-soaked bills, but he neither asked questions nor hesitates in accepting it. *return *if discretion > 45 *set cops_murdered true *set compassion %+10 *set stlouis_business_climate %-5 It's easier to kill the thieves than bother with trying to keep them alive. They beg for their lives, but you have no patience for their miserable pleas. @{(stl_met_slattery > 7) You muse to yourself that Captain Slattery will surely be infuriated by this.|} It's not all the money that they took, but it is most of it. *return *label eliot_warns *set received_warning true "You've been drawing a lot of attention to yourself, ${given_name}." "How do you mean?" "People both know who you are, and are asking questions about your dealings. Your involvement with distasteful elements, your proximity to crimes, your refusal to go out during the day—people have noticed and their tongues are wagging." "What would you suggest I do?" "Be more circumspect in your dealings. Try not to draw attention to yourself." @{(discretion > 55) "Unlikely, my friend," you reply with a chuckle.|"I shall do my best."} @{(discretion > 55) Eliot scowls at you by way of reply.|"Thank you. I do not want you to draw attention to all of us—or to attract the ire of Memeskia."} *page_break *return *label magic_silver *temp tick false *if beast_of_gevaudan and ((knows_about_silver = false) and (werewolf_hysteria > 3)) *comment does Tryphon send these messages to the PC? Or is this simply chicanery? *if spencer_sister_status = 7 *page_break *set tick true To your surprise, you bump into Peg and Susie Spencer at the end of March. "You!" Peg screams when she sees you. "Peg!" Susie exclaims. "Please, ${mr} ${surname}, she don' mean nuttin' by it." "You!" Peg screams again. "Please, Ms. Spencer, your sister is out of control." "I dreamt of you!" Peg screams again. That stops you. "Silver is the answer to your question!" "What are you talking about?" you begin. "Silver will bring down the beast! Silver has always been the answer!" "I is really sorry, ${mr} ${surname}," Susie continues, trying to drag Peg from your presence. You are too lost in thought to mind when the two are suddenly struck by a streetcar. Their viscera splatters over your face and clothes. The streetcar squeals to a halt. There is screaming all around you. Silver? Beast? Could Peg be right? Could silver be the secret to bringing down @{west_prob the imposter|West}? @{(compassion > 45) You step over their mangled bodies and continue on your way.|You look down in horror at the bodies of the two women. You start to bend down to help, but there's clearly nothing to be done. You flee before you draw any further attention to yourself.} *elseif stlouis_enterprise = 8 *page_break *set tick true While calling on a local tarot reader, you are surprised when she divulges a secret that came to her in a dream: just as werewolves are brought forth by the power of the moon, so too are they brought low by the power of silver. You excuse yourself quickly. Could this be the secret that you were seeking, something to bring @{west_prob the imposter|West} low? *elseif (spencer_sister_status > 1) and (spencer_sister_status != 6) *page_break About this time, you hear that the Spencer sisters died in a tragic streetcar accident. @{spencer_sister_status ERROR|Scores|Scores|Dozens|Scores|ERROR|Hundreds|Scores} of people turn out for their funeral, come to pay their respects to the two women who brought a sense of hope to the hopeless. *if spencer_sister_status = 7 *set income -3 *if spencer_sister_status > 1 *set spencer_sister_status 6 *if tick Follwing this lead, you investigate further at the St. Louis Mercantile Library. The stories of the Beast of Gévaudan seem to agree with this bit of oneiromancy: the King's hunter claims that he slew the beast with bullets made of silver. *set knows_about_silver true *return *label slattery_v_valet You awake on evening to the sound of your name being called. You rise from your ${sleeping_place}, throw on a nightgown, and emerge from @{renter your rooming-house|your haven} to find Captain Slattery and four of his subordinates standing out front. On the ground before Slattery is ${stlouis_valet}, cradling ${valet_his} arm. @{(perception + 1) |$!{valet_he} is clearly in great pain.|The smell of blood excites the Beast inside you.|The smell of blood excites your Beast. However, you push your urges down and, casting your senses forward, divine that ${valet_his} arm is broken.|The smell of blood excites your Beast. However, you push your urges down and, casting your senses forward, divine that ${valet_his} arm is broken.} "It seems your @{(stlouis_valet_num = 2) girl|boy} here was stealing from grocer." "@{male Master|Mistress}! I did no such…" Slattery twists ${stlouis_valet}'s wrist ever so slightly, and ${valet_he} screams in pain. "Nobody asked you, now, did they?" Slattery sneers. Five police officers, plus untold number of neighbors…you cannot risk a physical confrontation with these thugs. "What's the fine for this crime?" you inquire. "See, boys, I told you ${he}'d see it my way!" Slattery chuckles. "We could see to letting this go…for five hundred dollars." "Why, that's ridiculous…" ${stlouis_valet} spurts, before Slattery twists ${valet_his} wrist again. *choice *selectable_if (wealth > 125000) #I pay Slattery off. *set wealth -13000 *set discretion %-5 Slattery thumbs through the banknotes slowly. When he's done, he kicks ${stlouis_valet} into the dirt before whistling to his boys to depart. "You best keep your @{(stlouis_valet_num = 2) girl|boy} in line, hear?" he says over his shoulder. *if charm > 2 *selectable_if (charm > 3) #I use my powers to dissuade Slattery from this course of action. *set exposure +2 *set discretion %+10 The other officers watch, stupified, as you cajole Slattery to let ${stlouis_valet} go with no further consequences. He whistles and gives the signal to withdraw. You notice several of them looking over their shoulders at you as Slattery leads them away. *selectable_if ((charm > 3) and (wealth > 25000)) #I use my powers to convince Slattery to accept $100 to settle this matter. *set wealth -2600 *set discretion %-5 *set exposure +1 There is outcry from the other officers as they watch, stupified, as you convince him to accept the smaller amount. He whistles and gives the signal to withdraw. You notice several of them looking over their shoulders at you as Slattery leads them away. #"Take ${valet_him} to jail. I'll have ${valet_him} out by morning." *set stlouis_valet_loyalty %-50 *set discretion %-15 *set compassion %+5 You are good as your word. Well, almost…it's the late afternoon, but your lawyer works through the day to free ${stlouis_valet}, so that ${valet_he} will be back in time for you to rise the next evening. When you set eyes upon ${valet_him}, however, @{(discretion < 50) you wonder if you made a mistake|you see that your decision has had consequences}. ${stlouis_valet}'s face is black and blue from where ${valet_he} was beaten after Slattery dragged ${valet_him} away. $!{valet_he} is missing several teeth, in fact. This in addition to the broken arm that ${valet_he} had when Slattery brought ${valet_him} before you. "You left me with him!" ${stlouis_valet} spits from behind swollen lips. "I couldn't risk exposing myself. Now, why don't you take a few days off to rest." You can't have ${valet_him} bleeding all over you while you are trying to leave the house, after all. *return You pull ${stlouis_valet} inside and summon a doctor to set ${valet_his} broken arm. *page_break "Why is he doing this to us?" ${stlouis_valet} moans as the doctor sets ${valet_his} arm. "He's a cruel man." "You have to do something, @{male Master|Mistress}." *choice *selectable_if ((fighting > 0) or (streetwise > 1)) #$!{valet_he}'s right. I murder Slattery. *gosub_scene stlouis_fair_nights murder_slattery *set stlouis_valet_loyalty %-10 When Slattery's body is discovered a few days later, ${stlouis_valet} is horrified. $!{valet_he} meant for you to get Slattery fired or imprisoned, not murdered. Recognizing that there is no point in trying to explain yourself, you don't. *selectable_if (income > 50) #$!{valet_he}'s right. I reach out to Slattery to set up an insurance payment. *set income -5 *set discretion %-5 *set stlouis_valet_loyalty %+10 *set stl_met_slattery 10 Slattery is only too happy to take your money. It becomes a Tuesday evening ritual for him to swing by your haven and collect his protection payment. ${stlouis_valet} is initially angry at this arrangement, but once ${valet_he} sees how much you're paying Slattery, ${valet_he} softens and finally turns grateful. #There is nothing to be done. Killing a cop will draw unwanted attention to me. *set discretion %-5 *set stlouis_valet_loyalty %-20 ${stlouis_valet}'s arm heals slowly over the next few months. Every time ${valet_he} winces from a jostle, however, you see ${valet_him} shoot you an accusatory glare. You can almost hear ${valet_his} thoughts: this is not what ${valet_he} signed up for. *if ((local_fame > 50) or joined_stl_masonic_lodge) #Though it would cost me some of my caché, I induce local luminaries to lean on Cranch to stop Slattery's harassment of me and mine. *set local_fame %-10 *set stl_met_slattery 11 *set stlouis_valet_loyalty %+10 Over the past few years, you have cultivated a relationship with one of the Democratic ward bosses. You call upon this boss now to have a chat with Judge Cranch. You assume that the meeting went well enough, as the name "Slattery" seems to slip away on the wind. *return *label dracula *page_break *comment published 1897-05-26 ${stlouis_valet} receives a messenger in mid-June summoning you to @{schnaiders_closed the Eurydice|Schnaider's} two evenings hence. Arriving, you find the entirety of the court—including Bécard—waiting for Memeskia's arrival. Bailey raps his fingers impatiently while the rest of the vampires wonder what could be afoot. Finally, Memeskia enters. "What?" he says, addressing Bailey. Bailey rolls his eyes. "I received this parcel from New-York," he says@{hyphen —you can still hear the hyphen—|, }gesturing to a butcher-paper-wrapped item. Opening the paper, he drops a book on a nearby table. *if literate Peering at the cover, you see [i]Dracula, by Bram Stoker[/i]. *else It has a yellow cover and red lettering. You look to Eliot, Bécard, Aichinger…and none of them seem to know the meaning of this. "We are here for a book?" Aichinger finally blurts out. "Not just any book! It is a novel about vampires!" The room breaks into pandemonium. "A novel about vampires?" Aichinger demands. "Who would write such a thing? And how could we allow for it to be published?" "I do not know, Lothar. But it seems our kin in London are too busy filing their fangs to stop it, and now it is out in the world." "How did you come by it?" Aichinger asks. "Senator Sandersdochter of Manhattan acquired it. Several of them, in fact. She has sent copies to Senators throughout the continent, to forewarn them." *set heard_of_sandersdochter true "So it has only been published in London so far?" Eliot queries. "Yes, thankfully," Bailey replies. "We can seize the copies of the books when they arrive!" Aichinger erupts. "No, that will only draw attention to the matter," Bécard replies. "What if we ignore it? Maybe it will go away? How many books are published a year that are forgotten within a fortnight?" Eliot offers. "Yes, possible. But what if it is reprinted?" Bailey replies. "Who has read the book?" you ask. "I tried to read a few pages. It was quite boring," Bailey replies after a few moments. *choice #"Let us ignore the matter. No need to fuel speculation by responding aggressively." *set discretion %-5 The vampires in the room nod their heads in agreement. *if (literate and speaks_english) #"May I borrow it? I would like to read it." *set anachronism %+3 *set book_dracula true Bailey looks at you, and finding no objections from the other vampires, gestures for you to take it. The rest of the room resolves to ignore the issue for the time being. #"You should write to Senator Sandersdochter and urge her to suppress any printings of the novel on these shores." *set discretion %+3 *set bailey_rapport %+5 "I like the way you think, ${surname}!" Aichinger roars. "I will write to her, but there are many printers in this world—I know this from experience—and suppressing the written word has never worked." "But you will do it?" you press. "Yes," Bailey replies, resigned. #"What does our esteemed Quaestor think?" *set independence %+5 By way of reply, Memeskia leaves. "I don't think he much cares," Aichinger replies. "He does not seem to care about much of anything," Bailey replies. "Do you think he even cares about being Quaestor?" you ask. Bailey and Aichinger both furrow their brows. "I have never heard him refer to himself as Quaestor," Eliot notes. "Let us focus on the matter at hand," Bécard interjects. "Yes, the book!" Bailey replies. "I think there is nothing to be done. But we must be prepared to scoff at its contents. If vampires exist, then they must be fictional. Perhaps this is even for the best?" "We shall see," Aichinger replies skeptically. *page_break You soon @{book_dracula read the book|learn of the book's contents}: there are a number of statements that are true or nearing the truth, while there are also a great number of things that are patently absurd. You ask ${stlouis_valet} if ${valet_he} has any desire to eat a spider. $!{valet_he} looks at you askance before stating, quite firmly, "No." Perhaps Stoker meant it as a metaphor? And, for that matter, you wonder if there are any vampires in Transylvania. Surely there must be. *return