*comment ñáéç…— *set year 1881 *hide_reuse *advertisement *set wealth +(income*2500) *temp date_mentioned false *comment *goto testing *if temperance_movement or (shepherd_credentials > 75) *set date_mentioned true *set keeley_gold_cure true To the surprise of almost everyone, Kansas becomes the first State in the Union to ban the sale of alcohol to anyone without a prescription. On January 1st, 1881, saloons and breweries—those that weren't immediately bankrupted in the wake of the referendum—hang out their closed signs for the last time. The temperance and suffrage movements of the nation declare victory and set about expanding their conquests. Curiously, at about the same time, a doctor in Illinois announces his discovery of a cure for alcoholism. Leslie Keeley announces his patented Keeley Gold Cure, a secret concoction best taken under supervision of his franchisees. Within a few months, a franchise has been purchased in St. Louis, and drunkards are encouraged to come and sequester themselves for a month—during which time they are weaned from alcohol and simultaneously encouraged to engage in a tranquil, salubrious lifestyle. Individuals flock to the Keeley Center to cure themselves of the curse of the drink. When Keeley alumni return to their previous, inebriate ways—days, weeks, or months later—Dr. Keeley loudly attributes the relapse to a decision made by the individuals, asserting vociferously that his cure is 95% effective. The State of Illinois strips Keeley of his medical license, but that only spreads his fame. He rails against the medical establishment, proclaiming a conspiracy between the brewers and the doctors, who together assert that drunkeness is a spiritual failing, rather than a medical one. The number of franchises double practically overnight, and soon Keeley centers are opened in Canada, the United Kingdom, and France. *temp just_changed_from "" *choice *if (stlouis_cult) #Lost souls with money to burn? These individuals sound like prime candidates for ${stlouis_cult_name}. *set stlouis_cult_power %+15 A young Bavarian immigrant, Rainer, who has exemplified himself in his service to Amanda, submits to the Keeley method and its shots of the Gold Cure. Upon graduating—thirty days later—he is welcome to attend alumni events at the Center thenceforth. Over the course of the following years, the Keeley Center of St. Louis develops a reputation for the highest cure rate in the network of franchises. The owner of the local institute grows wealthy and famous from the fact that his subjects never seem to return to their previous ways. *if ((stlouis_enterprise = 6) and (wctu = "WCTU")) #The only route to salvation is through the Lord; the WCTU should protest this quackery. *set local_fame %+5 *set stlouis_business_climate %-5 *set anachronism %-5 *set rationalism %+5 The protests certainly raise eyebrows. The WCTU's focus on moral improvement of its charges is just that: a focus on moral improvement. The idea that a few shots and a walk around a garden can cure the ills of drunkenness is preposterous. The protests do not see the local franchise close, but it clearly suffers from the attention. The WCTU, on the other hand, is invigorated by the demonstrations. The members seem thrilled by the sense of their own power. *if (priest) #The only route to salvation is through the Lord; upstanding Catholics should protest this deceit. *set local_fame %+15 *set exposure +1 *set stlouis_business_climate %-5 *set rationalism %+10 *set anachronism %-5 You do your best to whip up resentment against the institute among Catholics. Soon, there are small protests organized outside the institute. The protests do not see the local franchise close, but it clearly suffers from the attention. The parishoners, on the other hand, are invigorated by the demonstrations. They are thrilled by the sense of their own power. *if (feeding_style = "drunks") #A house full of inebriates? That certainly makes feeding simple. *set discretion %-10 *label feed_on_keeleys *set local_fame %+5 *set bloodflow +1 Styling yourself as a @{(income > 100) local benefactor and philanthropist|public-minded citizen}, you gain access to the grounds of the clinic. Once inside, it is simple enough for you to have your way with the patients. *if just_changed_from = "vegetarian" *set bloodflow +2 It is a jarring change to drop your previous commitment to never feed on humans…but the blood of mortals is just so much better than that of rats and pigs. Questions of morality and righteousness are soon put aside as you indulge in your baser urges. *elseif just_changed_from != "" It's a bit strange adjusting from ${just_changed_from} to drunks, but sometimes change is good. You prefer to catch them on the first few days of their arrival, when they are allowed to drink to excess. But, really, almost any person and day is acceptable; it turns out that the Gold Cure is quite alcoholic. The multiple daily injections mean the patients are always at least a little drunk. *if (feeding_style != "drunks") #A house where most people are intoxicated? Perhaps I should reconsider my feeding preferences. *set anachronism %+5 *set discretion %-5 *set just_changed_from feeding_style *set feeding_style "drunks" *set bloodflow +1 *goto feed_on_keeleys *if (temperance_movement) #The twists and turns of the temperance movement no longer interest me. *set temperance_movement false *set shepherd_credentials %-20 *if discretion > 50 *set compassion %+5 @{(discretion > 50) Mortals and their petty concerns have grown less interesting to you over the years. This decision simply solidifies that evolution.|Diriting your hands with mortal affairs only puts your existence in jeopardy. Withdrawing from them is certainly safer.} *if (temperance_movement) #Those poor souls should be recruited to the ${wctu}. *set local_fame %+5 *set missouri_prohibition +1 The women of the ${wctu} show up every month to welcome the graduates and offer support as they return to the world and its enticements. The male alumni are directed to join one of several men's temperance unions, but they maintain a loyalty to the ${wctu} for its service. Meanwhile, the director of the Keeley Center of St. Louis grows wealthy and famous for his ability to cure such a high percentage of his patients. His innovations on the Keeley method are touted everywhere the Keeley method is taught, but no one is able to reproduce his successes. #Keeley should be put in jail for defrauding his customers. *set justice %-5 *set rationalism %-5 Not that you have any intention of pursuing Keeley yourself. But someone certainly should! *if (religious_tradition != "pagan") #These alcoholics seek salvation, which they will not find through Keeley's snake oil. There is only one path to salvation. *set rationalism %+5 Pastors preach the ills of alcohol every Sunday. If the fallen cannot hear those words, there is nothing to be done for them. *page_break *if feeding_style = "gamblers" One evening in April, you are visiting one of your usual keno parlors situated in the back room of a downtown dry-goods store, searching for your next meal. You have just sat down next to an older woman—Mary Margaret—who is clearly possessed with the lust for loss: she has five keno cards, and is playing them all simultaneously. The master of ceremonies has just called seventy-two. At about this moment, several police officers enter, and a shout goes up. At least one young man tries to scramble out of a window, but the officers intervene and yank him back into the room. The host steps forward and begins to speak with the sergeant. The police look hostile@{speaks_english and they keeping saying things about "taking everyone in."|, though you can't understand their words.} If you are arrested, it could go very badly for you. *temp cop_ire 0 *temp heard_extortion false *temp bribed false *label keno_loop *choice #@{(stealth > 2) I'm going to fade from view and slip past the police.|I'm going to try and slip out the back.} *set discretion %-5 *if stealth > 2 Thankfully, you powers of misdirection are such that you can conceal you presence by simply exerting your will. You are disappointed that you have to abandon Mary Margaret, but you'll find her again somenight. *elseif agility > 3 Calling upon the powers of your blood, you dart out the back door as it is closing. Everyone sees it happen, but it is so out of their experience that they shrug it off as a trick of the light. You are disappointed that you have to abandon Mary Margaret, but you'll find her again somenight. *else *set cop_ire +1 *if cop_ire > 1 *gosub confront_cops *else Unfortunately, the space is too small and crowded for you to evade the police without being seen. Halfway across the room, two of them yell at you to sit back down. Still hoping to avoid a confrontation, you do. *goto keno_loop *if (speaks_english) #@{(perception > 1) I extend my senses and listen to the conversation between the host and the sergeant.|I try to get closer, where I can hear the host and the sergeant.} *set discretion %-5 *if perception > 1 *set heard_extortion true "You owes us the rent," the sergeant is saying. "But I just paid yesterday!" the host replies. "That was yesterday. See, the kids here, they got quotations they gots to fill. An if'n we don't bring yous in, we gots to bring in someone else. So tell me, is it going to be you?" *goto keno_loop *else *set cop_ire +1 You stand and try to edge closer to the front of the room. *if cop_ire > 1 *gosub confront_cops *else Unfortuantely, the cops are not interested in helping you approach their boss. They point at your seat and yell at you to sit back down. Still hoping to avoid a confrontation, you do. *goto keno_loop #I try to instigate a panic. The crowd can easily overwhelm a half-dozen police officers. *if (charm > 2) and (speaks_english) "Fire!" you shout. "Fire?" someone replies. "Fire!" someone else joins in. The cry goes up and shortly a stampede carries you out of the keno parlor. *gosub fire_consequences *elseif (charm > 3) and (speaks_german) "[i]Feuer![/i]" you shout. "[i]Feuer?[/i]" someone replies. "[i]Ja, er sagte Feuer![/i]" is the response. Soon, your exclamation is translated into English, and the whole room erupts into a panic. Within moments, a stampede carries you out of the keno parlor. *gosub fire_consequences *else *set local_fame %-5 "Fire!" you shout. *set cop_ire +1 *if cop_ire > 1 *gosub confront_cops *else "There ain't no fire," one of the cops says, elbowing you in the stomach. *goto keno_loop #We should not live in fear of the police; they should live in fear of us! I urge the crowd to assault them! *set laborvscapital %+5 "Friends, St. Louisans, country bumpkins, lend me your ears…" *if ((charm > 2) and speaks_english) or ((charm > 3) and speaks_german) *set local_fame %+5 You jump onto the table and begin denouncing the corruption of the police department. Within moments, the room is seething in anger. The crowd—mostly women—have stood by and watched the police shake down businesses throughout the city, and they have had enough. When one of the cops strikes down the first woman to get in his face, the room bursts into rage. Chairs, canes, hat-pins, and any other weapon to be found are brought to bear. A few minutes later, the police have retreated, complete with a few black eyes and a pinprick or three. The keno players cheer, but then realize they should disperse before the police return in greater numbers. Leaving the host to his fate, you and the patrons depart. *else *set cop_ire +1 *if cop_ire > 1 *gosub confront_cops *else "You ain't go no friends here," one of the cops says, elbowing you in the stomach. *goto keno_loop *if heard_extortion *selectable_if (wealth > 100000) #I offer to pay the bribe. *set wealth -5000 *set bribed true *gosub meet_slattery #@{(streetwise > 0) Using my knowledge of the local underworld, |}I try to intimidate the sergeant into going away. You approach the interaction and address the sergeant, hinting at your friends in low places. *if (stlouis_enterprise = 2) or (streetwise > 2) *gosub meet_slattery *elseif (charm > 3) and (streetwise > 0) You find yourself needing to exert your powers of persuasion to get your point across, but you do. *gosub meet_slattery *elseif (charm = 3) and (streetwise = 2) *gosub meet_slattery *else *set cop_ire +1 *if cop_ire > 1 *gosub confront_cops *else The sergeant growls at you to sit down. *goto keno_loop *page_break With great fanfare, the now-fireproof Southern Hotel is reopened in May@{date_mentioned |, 1881}. The luxurious facility hopes to reassert itself as the preeminent locale for the city's elite—temporarily lost to the Planter's House during the reconstruction. John Bailey takes up near nightly residence in the bar of the Southern; he appears there so early and with such regularity that you begin to wonder if he sleeps somewhere in the building. What's more, he seems to think that the hotel is his personal hunting grounds. Aichinger has all of Dutchtown, Eliot pays little heed to this set, Bécard is in Jefferson, and Memeskia is nowhere to be found. Thus, unless you intend to challenge him for it, possession becomes the law. *if stl_met_slattery = 9 While you are there one evening, Bailey chastises you about your violation of the Rule of Reserve at the keno parlor. He lets you know that your conduct was most unacceptable. The hotel does regain its former stature with alacrity. The newly installed mahogany bar—the old bar was made of the same—draws the attentions of guests the world over. *temp laveau_mentioned false *if (stlouis_enterprise = 8) or ((ethnicity = "choctaw") or (spencer_sister_status = 7)) It is also rumored that the hotel is cursed, for it lies atop the grave of Chief Pontiac of the Odawa. *if (stlouis_enterprise = 8) or (spencer_sister_status = 7) In fact, a locally famous medium held an exorcism the night before the hotel opened, to bar Chief Pontiac from disturbing the guests here for eternity. Apparently, the @{(rationalism > 50) spirit|"spirit"} negotiated with the medium, who managed to strike a bargain for fifty years. The @{(rationalism > 50) grateful|credulous} Thomas Allen took what he could get. All the same, the fortune-tellers and mediums of the city ward themselves from the evil eye whenever the hotel is mentioned in their presence. *if heard_of_laveau *set laveau_mentioned true In fact, while consorting with these sorts, you learn that Marie Laveau has finally passed. She died in her home in New Orleans surrounded by her family in the middle of June. However, stories immediately arise, describing encounters between her and her acquaintances. Whether a ghost or imposter, these stories recount how Laveau continues to share astute advice, dire warnings, or cherished blessings to those who encounter her. *elseif heard_of_laveau *set laveau_mentioned true The ghost of Chief Pontiac is not the only revenant you hear about. It seems that Marie Laveau, the Voodoo Queen of New Orleans, has expired. However, rumors abound that she still lives, or perhaps that her ghost haunts the city. Whether a ghost or imposter, these stories recount how Laveau continues to share astute advice, dire warnings, or cherished blessings to those who encounter her. *elseif heard_of_laveau and (literate and (shepherd_credentials > 60)) *set laveau_mentioned true About this time, you read in the newspapers that Marie Laveau, the Voodoo Queen of New Orleans, has expired. However, rumors abound that she still lives, or perhaps that her ghost haunts the city. Whether a ghost or imposter, these stories recount how Laveau continues to share astute advice, dire warnings, or cherished blessings to those who encounter her. *if laveau_mentioned and fed_from_laveau You spend a few moments trying to recall what her blood tasted like. You know it was special…but it's been some sixty years. Try as you might, the sensation escapes you. *page_break *comment TODO James stays in the hotel on his way from AL to Winston, MO? Gambles on horses at the Jockey Club? Another marvel occurs in July, when the Brush Electric Association is formed in St. Louis with the goal of providing electricity to the city. Bailey and Aichinger are both deeply skeptical of the invention. *comment July 6th, 1881 *choice *selectable_if ((technology > 1) or (anachronism > 75)) #I try to assuage their concerns; there is nothing for them to fear here. *set anachronism %+5 #I agree with them that the technology is too dangerous. *set aichinger_rapport %+5 *set bailey_rapport %+5 #In fact, I try to impede the expansion of the electrical works. Changes such as these should be made with a consideration to how everyone will be affected. *set stlouis_business_climate %-5 *set anachronism %-5 *set stl_electricity 4 *selectable_if (anachronism > 70) #I seek to become a booster of electricity in the city; it will serve to make the city more efficient. *set laborvscapital %-15 *set stlouis_business_climate %+5 *set memeskia_rapport %-10 *set stl_electricity 6 *if stl_electricity > 4 One of the primary changes to the city as a result of this electricity company—and the dozens of others that will spring up in its wake—is the consumption of coal. Soon, smokestacks tower over the city, seeking to thrust the fumes into the air. *if perception > 3 Unfortunately, you can soon begin to taste the coal in the blood of your prey. Something of the odor released by process of combustion begins seeping into food and flesh, and in turn makes its way into the blood that you consume. *if watching_james *page_break *comment 1881-07 In July, the James-Younger Gang rob a train on its way through Winston, Missouri, a flyspeck town in the northern part of the state. During the robbery, two individuals are murdered. One was a passenger on the train, but the other was the train's conductor, William Westfall. Westfall was also the conductor that had carried the Pinkertons to the James homestead in 1875. The brothers had sworn their vengeance on everyone involved. Unfortunately, six years is a long time for vengeance in the mind of the public, and the murders begins to push public sentiment against the James brothers for the first time. Sensing an opportunity, the new Governor Crittenden announces a $10,000 bounty on the James brothers—dead or alive. Crittenden campaigned for governor on the platform of seeing an end to the menace of Jesse James. While he cannot, by law, offer a bounty, nothing prevents him from announcing one to be paid by the railroad companies that hate the James brothers so. Thus, during the sweltering heat of 1881, newspapers spread word of the reward throughout the state. Bookies begin taking bets on how long until one, the other, or both of the James brothers are "taking a dirt nap." The governor has solicited extrajudicial murder. *if renter *page_break You emerge from your quarters one evening, much the same as always. "Why don't you ever sit and eat with us, ${mr} ${surname}? A growing @{male boy|girl} like ye'self should have their fill. Do you not like my cooking?" Turning, you spy your landlady. When you first let her basement, she was thrilled that you were paying for food that you never ate; but recently, her tune has changed. While she did a good job of staying out of your way these past few years, it seems your good fortune has passed. *choice #"It's none of your business, ma'am." *set discretion %+5 She is clearly taken aback by your rebuke. Her mouth opens and shuts as she gropes for a response. You close the door of the house before she can find one. #"I'm afraid I have a very delicate palate; ${stlouis_valet} takes care of all of my needs." *set discretion %-5 She frowns. "Well, if ${valet_he} ever wants to cook for the rest of the house, ${valet_he}'s welcome to share summa ${valet_his} learnin'." "I'll keep that in mind, ma'am." *if compassion > 40 "You have a—" You slam the door before she can finish the thought. *if perception > 0 "Well, I never!" you can hear your landlady huff through the door before she stalks away. *else "You have a—" she begins. "I'm sorry, but I really must go," you interrupt. If you let her speak another word she will keep you here until sun-up. *if perception > 1 "Such a peculiar @{male man|woman}…" you can hear your landlady say through the door as she walks away. #"Do you serve blood in your stemwear?" *set exposure +1 "Excuse me?" "I only drink blood. If you don't serve it—and serve it in fine crystal at that—I'm simply not interested." "Blood?" "The best blood is magnified and clarified by suitably fine crystal." "Crystal…" "No blood, then?" "No…no crystal either…" "Well, you see, there's simply nothing for me to consume. So, I very much appreciate your invitation, but will have to decline. Again." "Yes…yes of course, I see." "Well, good evening, then," you say, closing the door on the poor woman. *page_break *if ((bloodflow <= 4) and knows_about_vegetarianism) or (feeding_style = "vegetarian") *temp capital false *if (wealth + (income * 1000)) > 1000000 *set capital true *temp capital2 false *if (wealth + (income * 1000)) > 500000 *set capital2 true You are constantly hungry. Your @{(feeding_style = "vegetarian") resistance to feeding on mortals|choice of prey combined with your methods} has left you irritable and easily distracted. The thought occurs to you that you should procure a steadier source of blood. It so happens that a small pig farm in the southern portion of the city, at the edge of Dutchtown, is for sale. *choice #@{(feeding_style = "vegetarian") I do not wish to profit from my feeding habits.|Feed from pigs? Only when there is no other option!} *if feeding_style = "vegetarian" *set compassion %-10 *else *set discretion %+5 You pass on the opportunity. You suppose that this will save you from having to replace your shoes on a regular basis. *selectable_if (capital) #I purchase the pig farm. *set wealth -(200000 * (1-((finance * 5)/100))) *set discretion %-10 You purchase the pig farm. *label got_pig_farm *set income +50 *set bloodflow +3 *set stl_pig_farm true *set local_fame %+3 *label cheap_loop *if wealth < 0 *set income -1 *set wealth +(7500 +(finance * 250)) *goto cheap_loop As the (indirect) owner, your presence on the premises after dark is no longer a source of suspicion. You are able to freed freely. *if (feeding_style != "vegetarian") Though the experience of drinking is both revolting and humiliating, your mood is somewhat improved by the experience. *if ((charm > 3) or (stlouis_enterprise = 2)) *selectable_if (capital2) #I induce the owner to sell the farm to me at a significant discount. *set wealth -(100000 * (1-((finance * 5)/100))) *set compassion %+5 *set discretion %+5 @{(stlouis_enterprise = 2) You send some toughs to negotiate the price down.|You use your powers of charm to renegotiate the price.} *goto got_pig_farm #No, I will simply become more reckless with my feeding. *set bloodflow +1 *set exposure +1 *set discretion %+5 And so you do. *elseif bloodflow < 4 You have begun to become accustomed to being hungry all the time. Which is to say, you're always wrestling with the hunger for blood, but here, in St. Louis, things are worse. You are unable to feed nearly as frequently as you like, and when you do, you are frequently interrupted or otherwise prevented from satiating yourself. In addition, it means that you are constantly irritable, snapping at ${stlouis_valet} and losing your temper at anyone who impedes your desires. *set stlouis_valet_loyalty %-10 *choice #I must play it safe. Feeding is when I am most vulnerable, and I do not want to expose myself to danger. *set discretion %-10 A wise decision. #I will become more reckless with my feeding. *set bloodflow +1 *set exposure +1 *set discretion %+5 And so you do. *elseif bloodflow < 7 You have begun to become accustomed to being hungry all the time. Which is to say, you're always wrestling with the hunger for blood, but here, in St. Louis, your access to blood is moderately circumscribed. You are unable to feed as frequently as you like, and when you do, you are sometimes interrupted or otherwise prevented from satiating yourself. You feel yourself frequently on edge from the Beast demanding its due@{(discretion > 55) , and you must be vigilant that your temper does not reveal itself|}. *choice #I must play it safe. Feeding is when I am most vulnerable, and I do not want to expose myself to danger. *set discretion %-10 A wise decision. #I will become more reckless with my feeding. *set bloodflow +1 *set exposure +1 *set discretion %+5 And so you do. *selectable_if (willpower > 2) #In fact, I am not being cautious enough! I must not reveal myself to the mortals, whatever the cost. *set bloodflow -1 *set exposure -1 *set discretion %-10 It takes a supreme act of will to feed less frequently, but you manage it. You hope that this concern for secrecy will pay dividends later. *else Unlife in St. Louis is good for you. Yes, you wake every night with the Beast prowling within you—and your soul is likely damned for all eternity—but the blood flows like water here. You are rarely without sustenance, and you feel like you never want this to end. @{stlouis_cult Of course, most of this is due to your disciples freely sharing their lifeforce with you. You fear their discovery or dispersement, as it would mean the end to this paradise for you.|} *if temperance_movement or (((stlouis_enterprise < 3) or (streetwise > 0)) or (ethnicity = "african")) *page_break *temp high false *if (ethnicity = "french") or ((ethnicity = "southern") or (ethnicity = "yankee")) *set high true *if priest *set high true Hop Alley is the center of the Chinese community of St. Louis. Predicated on the trade in tea and the proliferation of hand laundries, the Chinese community has grown rapidly since its first arrival before the Civil War. Now several blocks are given over to the community, just to the east of Chestnut Valley. @{(ethnicity = "african") This proximity to the black community is providential, because after the failure of Freedman's Bank, many white-owned banks refuse to lend to blacks. The Chinese have no such reticence.|} In addition to the restaurants, laundries, and tea shops, several opium dens have opened—in fact, "hop" is slang for opium. Newspapers begin to run the occasional story about the dangers of "chasing the dragon" to the young and impressionable: the Chinaman is here to lead the working class and bourgeois youth astray with their spicy foods, fragrant teas, and exotic drugs. @{(feeding_style = "soldiers") In addition, on occasions that you've fed from them, several former Confederates have mentioned their visits to the neighborhood. Those that found refuge in morphine after the war have transitioned to opium, which is cheaper than laudanum.|} *choice *if ((stlouis_enterprise = 6) and (wctu = "WCTU")) #These dens of iniquity must be closed! The ${wctu} will picket them and pray for the souls inside until they close. *set local_fame %+5 *set discretion %+5 *set rationalism %+5 *set stlouis_business_climate %-5 *set missouri_prohibition +1 The women of the WCTU begin invading the opium dens, praying with and over the insensate patrons. The proprietors are understandably vexed by these demonstrations. Eventually, the police raid those dens and charge the proprietors with all sorts of trumped-up charges. Several US citizens are deported without a chance to defend themselves. There are rumors of other, less-public opium dens, but the WCTU is unable to locate them. *goto after_hop_alley #I'm curious to know what the blood of one of these opium-fiends tastes like. @{(feeding_style = "soldiers") How does it interact with the blood of warriors and murderers?|} Gaining access to one of the dens is simple enough; since they are not strictly illegal, they don't try to actively conceal themselves. Once inside, you have your way with a young man who is dreaming of other places. *if perception >= 2 The sensation is breathtaking. You feel as though you are floating. Memories of home well up inside you and drift away. It only lasts for a few minutes, but it is unlike anything you have ever experienced. @{diablerie Even drinking the heartsblood of another vampire does not compare. That was violent, visceral, mind-expanding. This is…gentle. Seductive. Impenetrable.|} *elseif (feeding_style = "soldiers") or (feeding_style = "drunks") Your palate is not terribly refined, but you can sense the appeal. As with alcohol, something of the intoxication passes through the blood to you. You feel a little light-headed, pleasantly so, and enjoy your walk home. *else The blood does not taste notably different to you, though you do feel a tad drowsy. You're not really sure what you were expecting, however; blood mostly tastes like blood to you. *goto after_hop_alley In subsequent nights, you feel an inclination to feed again from those who have tasted the milk of the poppy. Would you like to indulge this inclination? *choice #Yes, I will adapt to the new opportunity. *set feeding_style "narcotics" *set anachronism %+5 As you become more involved in the networks of opium consumption, you begin to realize how many former Confederate soldiers are regular users of the drug in its various forms. It's never discussed in polite company, but many were given large doses of morphine to deal with pain or to just keep them docile while imprisoned. Fifteen years on, some of those addicts have moved on with their lives, but many haven't. And those that haven't frequent the opium dens of Hop Alley. #No. *goto after_hop_alley *if (stlouis_enterprise = 2) #If opium is going to become illegal, I intend to profit from the trade. My criminal connections will help with this. *set shepherd_credentials %-10 *set discretion %+5 *set income +5 *set laborvscapital %-5 *set stl_opium_smuggler true Your associates make it clear that they will be taking a cut in exchange for protection. The Chinese dealers accept this exchange as the price of doing business. Everyone starts to make money. *if (((ethnicity = "african") and (local_fame > 40)) or (local_fame > 55)) #I want to encourage the integration of the colored and Chinese communities. They are better friends than rivals. *set shepherd_credentials %+10 *set push_for_desegregation %+10 *set stlouis_race_relations %-10 *set discretion %+5 The two communities certainly have their differences—none of which will be surmounted overnight. But by subtle pushes and pulls, @{(ethnicity = "african") leveraging your personal relationships in the black community,|leveraging your fame in the city to secure meetings with community leaders,} you are able to help the two grow closer. *if creation > 1 *achieve chinese_soul_food *set stl_chinese_soul_food true Inspired by the smells emanating from the different households, you invite cooks from the two communities to collaborate on the creation of several meals for local luminaries. While the first few attempts are misfires, soon the cooks start to understand the strengths of each others' cuisines. They start to play off of one another, and the seeds of a new culinary tradition are born. You dearly wish you could enjoy this innovation more than you can. While the odors are clearly divine, even that sensation is tainted by fact that you only hunger for blood. #When I was alive, China @{high was little more than a bedtime story|was beyond my ken}; now, people from the other side of the globe are here. I should take the opportunity to learn something about them. *set anachronism %+5 You find the Chinese residents generally suspicious and distrusting of your attempts to befriend them. Considering the ongoing attempts by the US Government to halt immigration from China and deport those who are already living here, their suspicion is not unwarranted. *if (perception > 2) or (charm > 2) *set anachronism %+5 In time, though, some doors are opened to you, and you begin to be welcomed by real smiles rather than stony-faced guises. You learn something of the Pearl River and its tributaries, the villages and their rice paddies, and the glories of a well-brewed cup of tea. *else You do your best to make yourself seem inoffensive, but you always feel as though you are separated by a pane of glass. You learn something of their culture, but every time you think you have something concrete, you realize that you either misunderstood, or that someone was lying to you, or that one person's recollections directly contradict those of another. It is frustrating, but not entirely fruitless. *if (priest) #I suspect that their souls are in need of salvation. I will minister to them in the hopes of showing them the path to heaven. *set rationalism %+5 *set justice %+10 *set local_fame %+5 *set anachronism %+5 With some effort, you find an interpreter willing to translate for you. With her assistance, you spend your evenings haranguing the residents of Hop Alley with the Word of God. You do manage to win a few converts, but integrating them into a parish is challenging when no one there knows Cantonese and your own relationship with the parish is fraught. However, you do learn a little bit about the lives and circumstances of these new devotees, as well as earning a reputation in Hop Alley for being a well-known [i]gweilo[/i]. *label chinese_exclusion_act_first In the background to this, however, Congress is debating a bill known as the Chinese Exclusion Act. Descriptions of the Chinese people—as described in the newspapers—do not match up with your experiences of them. Almost every article you read emphasizes their criminality and their venality; the people that you meet seem mostly concerned with feeding their children—hardly the criminal masterminds yet ignorant, brutish oafs that they are represented as being. *label after_hop_alley *page_break *if ((laborvscapital > 60) and (streetwise > 0)) or (laborvscapital > 70) One evening, while at a saloon in Soulard, you hear an orator encouraging his listeners to unionize. Taking stock, you realize that his audience have a similar look to them—they're largely dressed the same, wearing brown smocks with layers upon layers of darker brown stains. Listening a few minutes further, you learn that they are all cigar rollers at the same factory, and that their boss—Billy Stickney—has fired their lector. You ask one of the audience what is meant by a lector, and he explains that everyone on the shop floor kicks in a small portion of their wage so that the lector doesn't have to work, and instead reads something to the workers. Lately, they've started reading Marx and Proudhon, as well as newspapers from the Knights of Labor. During their lunch break, they've been discussing unionizing. But now, the lector has been fired, and they've been forbidden from appointing a new one. @{stl_met_stickney You remember meeting Stickney at the home of William Henry Stone some time ago. Perhaps the familiarity will help with negotiatons?|} *choice #I offer to negotiate on behalf of the workers. You soon learn that Stickney frequents the Planter's House Hotel; you decide to confront him there. *if charm > 3 *set laborvscapital %+5 *set discretion %+5 *set local_fame %+5 @{stl_met_stickney When he sees you, he greets you warmly. You almost feel bad for what you're about to do.|He welcomes you to his table when you approach him to introduce yourself. He seems like a convivial chap.} You convince him to sign a contract for a higher rate of pay. The contract also allows the workers to freely organize as a union. You make sure to bring a notary along to witness the signing. The very next day, he disavows the contract, but signed and notarized is signed and notarized. Unfortunately, no one anticipated Stickney's gall. He bankrupts his company and fires the entirety of his workforce in order to void the contract. He hires back some of the workers at below their former rate of pay a few months later. He also reputedly swears off drinking for the rest of his life. *else *set laborvscapital %+5 *set discretion %+5 *set local_fame %-5 @{stl_met_stickney When he sees you, he greets you warmly. You almost feel bad for what you're about to do.|He welcomes you to his table when you approach him to introduce yourself. He seems like a convivial chap.} When he hears your proposal, however, Stickney laughs in your face. @{stl_met_stickney Though you may have met briefly once before, he rejects the idea that you suddenly represent his workers.|You are a stranger appearing before him, claiming to represent his workers? He brushes you away.} @{(discretion > 50) You contemplate separating his trachea from his throat, but then you would probably not be welcome in this hotel again, and that would make your life more difficult.|Foiled, you bid him goodnight.} *set stl_met_stickney true #If they're going to unionize, they need to find solidarity with other unions first. *set local_fame %+5 *set laborvscapital %+10 *set stlouis_business_climate %-5 The workers vote to form a union, on the condition that they can find a larger organization to join. It does not take much for a representative of the Cigar Makers International Union to come calling. When the workers issue their demands, they do so with the full backing of the union. Stickney—at the urging of his peers—comes to the negotiating table and accepts just enough to get the workers back at their tables. No wide-spread revolution is incited today, but these particular workers' lives are measurably improved. #Whatever this conflict is, I should steer clear of it. *set discretion %-5 *set independence %-5 *set laborvscapital %-5 In later days, you hear that a strike has been organized. You can't be sure if it's at Stickney's factory or not; there are so many strikes these days, it's hard to keep them all straight. You never learn what comes of it. *if (shapeshifting > 1) #I instruct Stickney's pet Welsh Corgis to reject him in favor of the workers. *set compassion %-5 *set stlouis_business_climate %-5 *set laborvscapital %+5 *set exposure +1 *set corgi_power true After several nights of work, you convince Stickney's pack of corgis that the workers all have treats for them. You even inform several of the workers to keep a few morsels of food on their persons for the next day. When Stickney arrives at the factory, led by his clutch of corgis, they set up a great yapping and tear away from him. As the story is later recounted to you, they frolic and play with workers and utterly reject Stickney, snapping and growling whenever he approaches them. He is finally forced to ask the workers to help him corral the dogs, which they do. They remain in a foul mood—at your continued prompting—and several days later, during another visit to the factory floor, a similar scene unfolds. Soon, they take up howling during the night, alternating among themselves so as not to grow too tired. The only time they cease howling is when they are in the factory. Stickney finds himself stuck there every day, unable to take the corgis away lest they disturb the whole city. Finally, the former lector appears, and the corgis swarm him with affection. Only when Stickney restores the lector to his former rôle do the corgis relent and return home without a fuss. In subsequent years, the cigar workers of St. Louis will take up the corgi as their mascot to celebrate the victory over Stickney. *page_break *if (laborvscapital < 40) and ((local_fame > 45) or (stl_met_stickney)) Not long ago, you met Billy Stickney, a supervisor at a cigar factory, while at @{stl_met_stickney the home of William Henry Stone|the Planter's House Hotel}. Tonight, you find yourself in conversation with him once again; he is grousing about his workers. @{(compassion > 50) Pretending to care|Your curiosity piqued}, you ask him for more details. He explains to you that the workers in his factory are getting uppity. They're getting ideas—you can hear the peculiar mix of disdain and condescension in his voice. See, rolling cigars can be a very quiet affair; it's just a whole room of people quietly rolling tobacco leaves. It's very easy to listen…and listen they do. The workers chip in a portion of their wages to one or more people that can read. The lector—or lectors—then reads the news, or a novel, or a book. On their lunch breaks, they all discuss. Lately, newpapers from the Knights of Labor have been read more and more often by the lector. They have been reading Marx, Proudhon, and Fourier. They're talking about themselves as a proletariat, one that should not be alienated from their labor. Stickney is somewhat at a loss as to what to do. He was given the factory to manage by his father after serving as an adjutant for a Union colonel during the close of the war; he's never had to deal with an insurrection before. *choice #I tell him to give them a nickel raise on the condition that go back to reading novels. *set local_fame %+5 *set discretion %-5 For the time being, that seems to solve the problem. Billy later plaints about how much the raise has affected his bottom line, but he's also aware that he's had no further trouble. #I ask for the ringleader's name; I will solve this problem for Billy. *set compassion %+5 *set laborvscapital %-5 *set stlouis_business_climate %+5 *set local_fame %+5 *set exposure +1 You murder the head reader. You don't leave a note or any other sign. His death is enough of a message; a message which the cigar-rollers receive loud and clear. All further discussion of forming a union stops. Billy Stickney doesn't know what to think of you. You've solved one headache for him by…murdering somone? Billy was not cut out to be a capitalist. He apparently hoped that some sort of compromise could be found. Billy kills himself several months later, haunted by the reality of his position and power. *gosub stl_kid_define #Divide and conquer; fire anyone that can read. *set laborvscapital %-5 *set local_fame %+5 Billy is somewhat surprised by the suggestion, but soon sees the merit in it. It only punishes those who are a threat to him; the good workers who can't be corrupted by the bad ideas can stay and keep working. He does as you say. Of course, he has to replace the fired workers—and make sure the new ones can't read, either—but better that production slow for a few weeks than be forced to increase wages. *gosub stl_kid_define #I @{(compassion > 50) tell him to grow up; this is the role he chose. If he doesn't like it, he should quit.|listen and try to empathize with him.} *set shepherd_credentials %-5 *set stlouis_business_climate %-5 In subsequent months, you hear that Stickney's cigar factory has unionized. He is eventually forced to the negotiating table and gives them a raise. Once they're organized, however, they begin to help other cigar factories in town organize as well. It's a rolling operation. *comment ba-dum tss *if (stlouis_enterprise = 2) #An [i]agent provocateur[/i] is required—and my criminal connections can provide one. *set compassion %+5 *set laborvscapital %-10 *set stlouis_business_climate %+5 *set local_fame %+5 At your direction, Stickney hires one of your criminal connections. Said stooge urges the shop to unionize, which they were already on the verge of doing anyway. When Stickney refuses to recognize the union, the stooge urges a walkout, which they do. Conveniently, you already had a team of scabs on standby, ready to start working the moment the protestors stepped outside. Stickney fires the startled protestors; a few days later, he hires a few of the most docile back at half their previous wages. Clean, ruthless, and efficient. Stickney pays your stooge a handsome rate for two weeks' work and thanks you profusely for your role in the affair. *gosub stl_kid_define *if (stl_met_preston) #Stickney needs some strikebreakers—and this is the Pinkertons' specialty. *set discretion %+5 *set local_fame %+3 *set exposure +1 *set laborvscapital %-15 *set stlouis_business_climate %+5 Stickney relays Preston's expression of surprise that you recommended his hiring, but that surprise does not preclude Preston accepting the job. You later hear how, during one particular sweltering afternoon, several off-duty police sauntered into the factory. While two performed crowd-control, the third accosted the lector; by the time the three departed, the lector had a broken jaw, a swollen face, and vomits blood from what are likely ruptured organs. *if stl_met_slattery = 1 *set stl_met_slattery 2 You meet the ringleader when Stickney buys him a drink one evening—a young sergeant named Slattery. Slattery looks you up and down, grunts, and turns back to his drink. He must smarter or crueler—or both—than the average cop to be promoted so young. The lector never works again a day in his life; the workers return to having novels read to them. *gosub stl_kid_define *page_break For the past dozen years or so, an artistic movement known as Aestheticism has taken root in London among the wealthy, young, urban set. Closely related to the Decadent movement, both groups focus on literary and physical pleasures. The movement gains such notoriety that Gilbert and Sullivan compose an operetta, [i]Patience,[/i] to lampoon the movement. The operetta opens to wide acclaim in 1881 and a production is mounted later that fall in New-York. Unfortunately, the hilarity of the show is attenuated by the distance between the London aesthetes and the American theatergoing public. Gilbert and Sullivan's producer, Carte, hatches a plan to explain the performance to America: he decides to send an Aesthete on a speaking tour there. Unfortunately, he is unable to afford any of the personalities that the operetta is based on—nor were they willing to be gawked at like an attraction in a menagerie—and so he lights upon a young poet and dilettante with just the right amount of gumption and a knack for self-promotion: Oscar Wilde. *page_break *set year 1882 Wilde sets foot in New-York on January 3rd and hits the ground running. Immediately after he arrives, he sits for a series of formal portraits with a famous photographer. Those photos race ahead of him, and in each new city someone has taken those photos and used them to promote some new product, be they cigars, cookstoves, or freckle-removing tonics. If the photographs provide him entrée to the working class, letters of introduction from British luminaries sweep him into the salons and drawing rooms of writers, artists, performers, and politicians across the nation. And tonight, almost two months later, he performs in the Grand Hall of the St. Louis Mercantile Library. Ostensibly, the subject of the lecture will be interior decorating. *page_break *if (income > 10) or (wealth > 500000) Your toilette takes no small amount of time and requires ${stlouis_valet}'s assistance. Such are the demands of the presentable. *else Your preparations for leaving the house are not terribly involved. With the help of ${stlouis_valet}, you attend to your hair and clothes as @{(discretion > 60) much as you care to|best you can}. Tonight, @{stlouis_valet_num George is chatty as always, remarking upon the scuttlebutt of the neighborhood.|Maeve is gruffly efficient as always, making sure everything is tucked in its proper place.|Ernst is laconic as always, following your commands to the letter.|Franklin says no more or less than usual. At this point, his gestures are rote.} However, when a pinprick brings a drop of blood to the tip of ${stlouis_valet}'s finger, your attention is immediately captured. *if (willpower < 2) or (discretion > (60 + bloodflow)) You seize ${valet_his} wrist and pull the drop of blood towards you. ${stlouis_valet} is terrified but your focus is only the blood. You bring the finger to your mouth. You feel your fangs extending. In a moment of supreme self-control, however, you will them back. Instead of biting off ${stlouis_valet}'s finger, you simply lick the wound and then push the extremity away from you. "You should be more careful," you note. @{stlouis_valet_num "Y${es_suh},"|"Yes,"|"Understood,"|"Y${es_suh},"} ${valet_he} replies. *if oblivio and (compassion < 50) *set stlouis_valet_loyalty %-5 Not wanting this little display to come between you, you whisper the [i]verba oblivionis[/i]. Without missing a beat, ${stlouis_valet} picks up ${valet_his} implements and resumes ${valet_his} work on your outfit. A twinge of regret strikes you—using your powers of memory on you trusted servant does not suit you—but neither does leaving ${valet_him} with the memory of your fangs bearing down on ${valet_him}. It's behind you now; you have a lecture to attend! *else *set stlouis_valet_loyalty %-15 The rest of your dressing is uncharacteristically rushed. No matter, you have a lecture to attend! *else In the space between heartbeats, you consider your course of action. *choice #I pretend to ignore it. One should not disturb a successful working relationship. *set stlouis_valet_loyalty %+10 You wrench your eyes away from the blood. "You should be more careful, ${stlouis_valet}." @{stlouis_valet_num "Y${es_suh},"|"Yes,"|"I will,"|"Y${es_suh},"} ${valet_he} replies. You return to your place before the mirror. #I lick the blood away sensually. *set stlouis_valet_loyalty %-10 As soon as you are finished, ${stlouis_valet} jerks ${valet_his} hand away from your grip. You let it go. "You should be more careful," you say playfully. @{stlouis_valet_num "Y${es_suh},"|"Yes,"|"I will,"|"Y${es_suh},"} ${valet_he} replies. You smile and return to your place before the mirror. #I take this opportunity to feed from ${valet_him}. *set stlouis_valet_motivation %-25 *set compassion %+5 *set discretion %+5 $!{valet_his} voice catches in ${valet_his} throat as you sink your teeth into ${valet_his} skin. You only take a nip…you don't want to ruin a good working relationship, after all. But ${valet_he} should really be more careful. When you are finished, you wipe your mouth and return to your place before the mirror. *if (oblivio) #I take this opportunity to feed from ${valet_him}—and then erase the memory of the encounter. *set discretion %+5 *set shepherd_credentials %-5 *set compassion %+5 $!{valet_his} voice catches in ${valet_his} throat as you sink your teeth into ${valet_his} skin. You only take a nip…you don't want the bloodloss to be a problem, after all. But ${valet_he} should really be more careful. When you are finished, you wipe your mouth, whisper the words of Lethe, and return to your place before the mirror. You have a lecture to attend, after all. *page_break Within fifteen minutes or so, Wilde has the audience enrapt. He is a skilled orator, and his wit sparkles even at this distance; *if speaks_english the two-thousand souls in the room hang on his every word. In particular, you never knew that china and wallpaper could say so many things about the intersection of culture and art. *else even though you can't understand a word he says, you can feel his magnetism wash over you. By the time the lecture is over, the audience has been moved from euphoria to tears and thence to a profound sense of hope. @{speaks_english Wilde's celebration of art is almost utopian in its universality and application.|} There are receptions organized afterwards at both the Press Club and the Elks Club. *temp press "Elks" *choice #I have been edified enough. I turn in for the night. *set discretion %-10 *label turn_in Outside the Mercantile Library, you wait patiently for the arrival of ${stlouis_valet} in your coupé. Thankfully, the snow has mostly melted and the journey home is uneventful. *if (speaks_english) #Despite Wilde's charms, I find this Aestheticism morally repugnant. I have no intention of seeking out his company. *set anachronism %-5 *goto turn_in *selectable_if (wealth > 25000) #Conveniently, I purchased a ticket to the reception a few days ago. *set wealth -500 *goto reception *if (stealth > 3) #I will use my powers of misdirection to gain access to the receptions. *set discretion %+5 *goto reception *if (charm > 3) #I already used my powers of persuasion to obtain an invitation to the receptions. *set discretion %+10 *goto reception *if (stlouis_enterprise = 5) #As a patron of the arts, I have already secured an invitation to the reception at the Elks Club. *set local_fame %+5 *goto reception *if (stlouis_enterprise = 1) #The first reception is being held at the Press Club, and considering my connections with the newspapers of the city… *set local_fame %+5 *set press "Press" *label reception The ${press} Club reception is nothing to sneeze at; the locals have gone out of their way to impress upon Wilde the sophistication of this city in the middle of the country. You cannot count the number of times you overhear the expression "Gateway to the West" over the course of the evening. *choice #I use the opportunity to feed on Wilde. *achieve fedonwilde *set fed_from_wilde true *if (perception > 1) and (creation > 0) The most interesting thing about Wilde's blood is that it tastes as you might imagine a young wine does: like it has not yet sufficiently matured. While it is delicious, you suspect that it will be even better some time down the road. That day—and on many days afterwards—you find yourself thinking back to the delight of that night during your reverie. *else The blood is tasty, but you can't help think that you are not fully appreciating it. Your return home is uneventful. #I use the opportunity to expand my social circle in the city. *if (charm >= 3) *set local_fame %+10 *if charm > 3 *set local_fame %+5 *if speaks_english = false *set local_fame %-10 You manage to solicit quite a number of smiles and even bits of laughter from your efforts@{speaks_english |; though, your efforts are circumscribed by your inability to communicate with most of the other guests}. You suspect that many will recognize your face about town, if they could not already do so. *else *set local_fame %-10 *if speaks_english = false *set local_fame %-5 Your efforts seem clumsy, your jests ill-timed@{speaks_english |—when they can be understood}. You find it difficult to keep conversations going. Soon, you revert to listening in the hope that no one will show you the door. *if (speaks_english) #I attempt to show up Mr. Wilde. *set discretion %+20 *if (charm > 3) and ((creation > 2) and (intelligence > 1)) *set local_fame %+20 *set exposure +1 *if (ethnicity = "african") *set stlouis_race_relations %+20 Given the opportunity to engage Mr. Wilde in a bit of repartee, your eyes lock and you sense him begin to sweat. It's otherwise all very casual—one not attuned to the social norms might mistake you for old friends—but slowly a circle grows around the two of you as the grandees of the city stand back in amazement. Suddenly, you are interrupted by one of the brothers of the Lodge; Wilde is needed elsewhere. There is a bit of a cry from the crowd that the two of you are not allowed to finish. Wilde extends his hand magnanimously, *if discretion < 70 which you accept graciously. He offers you a wry smile before turning to his pressing obligations. *else which you spurn. Turning on your heel, you depart the club. *elseif (charm + creation) >= 6 *set local_fame %+5 Given the opportunity to engage Mr. Wilde in a bit of repartee, your eyes lock and you sense him begin to sweat. It's otherwise all very casual—one not attuned to the social norms might mistake you for old friends—but slowly a circle grows around the two of you as the grandees of the city stand back in amazement. Eventually, however, you begin to falter. He senses your weakness, but before he can quite deliver the coup de grace, a brother of the Lodge interrupts him; it seems he is needed for more pressing business. There is an audible sigh from the crowd. Wilde leaves you with a nod and a smirk. *if discretion > 60 Your blood boils, but there is nothing to be done in such a crowd. *else *set local_fame %-20 *if (ethnicity = "african") *set stlouis_race_relations %-20 Given the opportunity to engage Mr. Wilde in a bit of repartee, you do your best to lock eyes with him, but he will offer you no such courtesy. Your initial jests are rebuffed easily, your attempts at [i]bon mots[/i] exposed for trivialities, and your witticisms fall flat. You are soon edged out of the conversation by a woman with a hat full of vulture feathers. *if (stlouis_cult) #Though it threatens unwanted attention, I seek out new members for my cult. *set exposure +1 *set discretion %+5 *if (intelligence > 2) or ((perception > 2) or ((charm > 2) or (creation > 2))) *if speaks_english *set stlouis_cult_power %+10 Over the course of the soirée, you engage several younger individuals in conversations that makes you think they will be susceptible to later overtures. You could consider the affair a win. *else *set stlouis_cult_power %+2 Over the course of the soirée, you engage several younger individuals in conversations that makes you think they will be susceptible to later overtures. Unfortuanately, your list of potential targets is severely circumscribed by your lack of a common tongue. You suspect you could have made more inroads had you been able to converse with the vast majority of guests. *else Unfortunately, you seem unable to pierce the social veil in the manner you had intended. @{speaks_english |This is exacerbated by your lack of English.} Eventually, you grow bored of the proceedings and set out for home. *page_break The next day, Wilde visits the botanical gardens, which only further enflames the enthusiasm of the city's social set. By the time he leaves the day after, the elite are simply beside themselves over his refinement and taste. They repeat his expressions and witticisms while some of the youth go even further and try to imitate his accent. Privately, you wonder if some sort of madness has gripped them. *if watching_james *comment 1882-04-03 *page_break Oscar Wilde and his adventures are certainly not the only celebrity to capture the imagination of St. Louisans. Shortly after Wilde departs the city, Jesse James once again makes the headlines. It is reported that, after spending a few months living under his roof, Robert and Charles Ford—heretofore trusted members of the James-Younger Gang—executed Jesse James while he dusted a painting. The brothers surrender to the legal authorities and, in short order, are arrested, tried, convicted to death, and thence pardoned by Governor Crittenden. For the next year and change, the brothers Ford will tour the countryside, posing for photos with eager fans and reenacting the murder on stage. It is an ignoble end for the man once considered the greatest threat to law and order in the United States. *if (shepherd_credentials > 50) or (stlouis_enterprise = 1) *page_break The 1882 Congressional Session sees the passage of the Geary Act, which forbids the immigration of Chinese laborers as being detrimental to the good order of society. It forbids ethnic Chinese from ever becoming citizens and further requires them to carry a certificate of residence at all times or face deportation. Throughout the country, enterprising police take it upon themselves to accost Chinese individuals and demand to see their papers. Soon, a cottage industry of deportations begins, with the police taking great pride in sending their neighbors to San Francisco and thence to China. *finish Next *label confront_cops *if speaks_english "Sergeant, this one keeps givin' us a hard time," the patrolman says. The sergeant approaches and looks at you closely. "Arrest ${him}. We'll see how ${he} likes spending a few days in the poke." *else A patrolman barks something, and the sergeant approaches. He says something final. *if discretion > (65 + (bloodflow * 2)) The sight of the handcuffs approaching your wrists sends your vision red. *if willpower >= 3 With a supreme effort of will, you stuff the fear down. Losing control of your beast here would be a disaster. Better to retire to jail and find a way out there. *else You tear into the cop who has his hand on your shoulder. Your tongue absently licks the blood that splattered on your face as a result. The room breaks into pandemonium. The sergeant and other patrolmen pull their sidearms and take aim. You sink your fangs into the throat of another cop and bring him to the ground, gulping down his blood in preparation for what will come next. *if combat > 9 *set stl_met_slattery 9 *set exposure +4 *set memeskia_rapport %-10 *set bailey_rapport %-20 *set eliot_rapport %-30 *set aichinger_rapport %-20 Take several bullets to the chest, but then a third officer is down, and a fourth one you use as a shield. He screams, pleading with his friends to not shoot; but they do. You toss the body towards the fifth cop, who crumples under the corpse. You grab the downed officer's gun, turn, and put a bullet in his forehead. Looking about the room, the sergeant is nowhere to be found. You wipe some of the blood from your face…and then lick your fingers. The host is cowering in the corner. He offers you what little cash he has, which you ignore. Unfortunately, you won't be able to come back here to feed. *return *else The volley of bullets strike you. Ten, twelve, sixteen bullets tear into your skin, punching your dead flesh away. You collapse to the ground, trying to find a moment to will your flesh to mend itself. Unfortunately, the sergeant steps forward and grinds your spine into dust. *page_break *goto_scene scoring A few moments later, you are in handcuffs and being lead to the wagon outside. *if strength > 2 Looking at the cuffs, you realize that you can simply break them apart. They may be made of iron, but you are stronger than forged iron. You @{(strength > 3) snap|bend} them open and, when the opportunity presents itself, jump from the wagon and disappear into the night. *return *elseif streetwise > 2 Looking at the cuffs, you see instantly how to unlock them. Fishing a piece of wire from your sleeve, you pick them open. From there, it's simply a matter of waiting for an opportunity to make a run for it. When the wagon passes an alley, you hop down and vanish into the night. *return *else Arriving at the precinct, you are booked and thrown into a cell @{male alongside several other characters|alone}. You spend the next few hours trying to convince the guard to summon a lawyer on your behalf, but to no avail. When the sun rises, you do your best to avoid its rays, but eventually they creep up your leg and sets you aflame. The fire consumes you, to the great astonishment of the guard. *page_break *goto_scene scoring *label meet_slattery "Jus' who do you think you are?" the sergeant replies. *set stl_met_slattery 2 "This is ${mr} ${surname}," the host answers on your behalf. "${mr} ${surname}, this is Sergeant Slattery." Slattery stands up a little taller and peers at you suspiciously. @{bribed Shaking away his suspicions, he accepts your banknotes, counting them out with a certain glee.|} He's young for a sergeant—not older than you were when you died; he must be smarter or crueler—or both—than his compatriots to have been promoted so young. "Boys, we're done here," he exclaims, waving his hand in the air to wrap it up. And with that, the keepers of the peace depart. The keno game resumes and you go back to stalking your prey. When the evening draws to a close, the host thanks you vociferously for your intervention, and says that you are welcome back at the parlor anytime. *set bloodflow +1 *return *label fire_consequences *set bloodflow -1 Once outside, you are able to slip away from the police. Over your shoulder, you hear them putting the host and several patrons in their wagon to go to the precinct. You doubt you will be able to return to this keno parlor in the future. *return *label stl_kid_define *if ((stl_kid_origin = 1) or (stl_kid_origin = 6)) and stlouis_cult *set stl_kid_name "Arnold" *set stl_kid_nick "Arnie" *set stl_kid_origin 7 *set stl_kid_ethnicity "white" *return