Chrysotriklinos, The Golden Reception Hall (At arkeo3d.com)

We arrived at The Golden Reception Hall, the bathhouse Chrysotriklinos, early one night. The invitation had been sent to all of us in the group and we gathered outside before entering. well inside we got presented to Grand old ventrue Cajus, the family scion of. That is one of the most impressive royal looking leaders I´ve met. A true emperor. Pity he´s got no empire to rule over.

The bathhouse was filled with ventrues, toreadors, some lasombras and the Cappadocian known as Alexia. The toreadors walked around all looking like greek statues. A little to perfekt for my taste.

I told myself this is one chance to make connections, so I took of my clothes and jumped into the pools. Wrapped in a towel I mingled around. There where Gregory the Wondermaker with a strange light playing around his body in prismatic colors. And over there where Gregorius, a well reputed theater actor who later would perform. He was quite roman looking with a sad look in his eyes, but with a carisma that made me look twice.

I couldn´t get rid of the vision of two eyes watching at us from somewhere but it could have to do with all the new impressions. My mind was simply overhelmed by it all.

My fellow comrades joined the bath too. Gabriel with his shiny, angelic look, even overshone the other toreadors who now got close to extatic looking at him. Bael didn´t wish to get into the water so we left him as doorguard. Tagelito didn´t join either. Guess he would have dissolved in the liquid. I wish I could do something about that corpselike face.

Polo as in India. We did something similar.

A voice bid us welcome out at the field close to the house. There should be a performance in the art of polo. You sit on a horse, have a long club with which you are supposed to hit a ball and get it into a goal. That couldn´t be to hard, if one could just get up the horse and swing the club.

Simon went out first. He´s a skilled horse rider and maybe could use the art of swinging a sword onto heads in battle on swinging a club onto a ball at ground. Now that didn´t work that well. It was a hit but no goal. We didn´t say something tod offend him, but it was a poor result. His head wasn´t that straight looking after this.

I tried next. I can ride and I can sweep with a stick at things in the grass riding. Off we went, me and my horse, and I shoutet out as I tried to hit the small thing at the ground. And I got a hit. I realy did manage at least as good as Simon. No goal, but I´m impressed even achieving a hit. Nice.

Next was Gabriel. From the beginning I saw he realy didn´t want to get on the horse. It did disturb his angelic look some. There was nothing saving his day when he tried to hit the ball, started to wiggle in the saddle, hitting the ground and the flew of the beast right onto his face in the dirt. The silence of the croud said it all. But with the head held high he walked of the field. It was hard not tol laugh. A sad sight.

Even worse. Now Bael wished to try. He´s a monster. The horse, poor bastard, looked dwarfish under him. With a grin from his teethfilled mouth he lashed the horse and off he flew. The speed became greater, the stick in his hand looked weak enough to snap in his hand and he swung it with extreme force. The ball sounded like iron when he hit it and to the surprise of the folks looking he scored a goal. The monster outmaneuvered all of us. The fiels sheered. Rupert looked some proud. His pet had excelled in finesse. Something he´s not noted for.

Next big event was the banquette. Everyone now clad in the best of clothing joined in a great hall. I thought there should be long tables filled with delichious food of all kinds. But this was a pure vampire feast. All around walked humans, talking to eachother, clearly druged. As we entered I immediatley got invitation from a couple of humans. The showed me their arms and told me to drink. That was weird. I couldn´t be unpolite but felt embarrased, so I took one of them into a corner to stay out of sight. I couldn´t resist. So I did bite, sucked some blood and then had a snack out of her arm. I tried to mend it but it didn´t work quite that good. I had to wrap a part of my cloth around that wound and then put her at rest in that corner as nothing had happened. Sadly I didn´t get that much blood.

Bael and even more Rupert got into an embarrasing situation also. As Bael started feeding he couldn´t resist getting into frency. He started biting in everything around. Took humans from the other guests and when someone tried to hinder him he became even worse. The humans flew all around and most od the kindreds stepped away. Rupert tried with all of his power to make Bael obey. The disaster was complete. Then Rupert made it and just for a moment bael where out of frency and clear in the head enough to see what had happened and to fly out of a window to get away. Poor Rupert stood there and everyone felt his shame radiating from him. He later apologized to the invitors, the Ventrue.

I mingled around during the evening, started to talk with some people and soon came into talk about politics. It was interesting and I believe I had something to say about the matter of state of Constantinople. Six months is a long time. Enough to get to see the red thread thru whats happening in the city.

Later we diskussed individuals we had walked into during our stay in town. I told the others about the bastard Abetorius who had made som many horrifying things. They all agreed the chantrymaster was a prick. But I told them he could be forced to change his ways.

I´m not used to mingle. Especially not with so many high society folks. I´m not used to get into parties at all. But I managed. Just started to look at them as potential patients with flaws like everyone else. Just a little special. That´s it.

Gregorius performing

Then it was time for a performance by Gregorius. Gabriel had waited for this the whole evening. What happened was that just before it all started gabriel got to sleep, or something, not waking up until just after the show was over. He was inconsolable. Wonder what happened there.

Later I got a message from Malachite, asking me to join him at his place. He wished to discuss medical matters. Sounded interesting. I told the messenger I was delighted to meet with his master. I saw Petronius, Mikels child, talk to Rupert and they both looked close. I know this party was a success in most ways as we had now all got in many ways accepted, if not liked, as part of the town. At the end of the night we heard rumours about someone or something called Lupin that had arrived to town. Wonder what that is? A flower?

Next I have to tell you about what happened next. Later that night. But that´ll wait until tomorrow.