# Mage: The Awakening PbP - Preludes



## Tokiwong (Sep 8, 2006)

*Thessaly’s Prelude*

_Saturday, August 26th, 2006_

Grammy died three weeks ago today, she died of natural causes in her sleep.  She was decent age approaching eighty, and had lived a good life.  Raised several beautiful children, and somehow balanced life as one of the Awakened.  It must not have been easy but somehow she succeeded.

She ran this book store in her later years after Grandpa Joe passed on.  He was a sleepwalker, and a had a talent for telling outrageous stories to most folks, though to those in the know, they sensed a kernel of truth.  But now the store was quiet, it was early morning, and the town was quiet.  Main Street was quiet, Old Man Peters was walking his dog, the dog was probably as old as Old Man Peters; or so one would think.

The bell on the door rings as it opens.  The first customer of the day, a young woman that Thessaly does not recognize.  Not a regular, maybe a prospective student?  She wore a loose blue top with low cut jeans and tennis shoes.  Her dark hair was in braids and she had light caramel colored skin, with soft nervous green eyes.

She walks in and does not make eye contact with Thessaly and instead goes right for a shelf looking totally lost.


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## Shayuri (Sep 8, 2006)

Allison...no, Thessaly. _Thessaly._ She still had to pound that into her head sometimes. Especially when working the pleasant, yet mundane tasks at the bookstore. Times like these, 'shadow names' seemed remote and kind of silly. Even a little juvenile; like kids playing games of make believe. Which wasn't so far from the truth maybe...except that the 'make believe' was real, and the solid reality of the world was what was false.

She tried to make eye contact with the newcomer and smiled warmly. That was easy. Thess had a face made for smiling. Round, pixie-like cheeks spattered with freckles gave her a sort of girlish cuteness that smiling only magnified. She was physically unimposing; short, slim of build...easily passing for a girl younger than her twenty years. Her hair was longish, growing out since summer started cooling, and a bright, memorable shade of orange-red that set off against the green of her eyes very nicely...though a trifle spoiled by her glasses. She was wearing a royal blue shirt under a set of acidwashed denim overalls (giving her what her mom used to jokingly call a 'farmer Bessie' look).

"Hi. Is there anything you're looking for in particular, or just curious?" Thess was terrible at sales talk. She made up for it by not even trying; instead just talking to people as they came in as new aquaintences. This wasn't hard, as she was by nature the sort of person that liked helping people find what they were looking for.


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## Tokiwong (Sep 8, 2006)

Shayuri said:
			
		

> "Hi. Is there anything you're looking for in particular, or just curious?" Thess was terrible at sales talk. She made up for it by not even trying; instead just talking to people as they came in as new aquaintences. This wasn't hard, as she was by nature the sort of person that liked helping people find what they were looking for.



The girl turns, she looks away, “I uhh, I am looking for a history book, I think.  I mean, this is a book store right?”  She looks around and shakes her head,  “I am sorry, I… I am looking for a book on ancient cultures…” she sighs.

“Maybe I am in the wrong place,” she looks confused, “I am not really sure what I am looking for,” she finally admits.


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## Shayuri (Sep 9, 2006)

"Hey," Thessaly says, holding up a forestalling hand. "Take it easy. It's okay. You came in here for a reason. Why don't you sit down for a little bit, until the rest of you catches up with your feet? There's a chair over there...or if you'd rather look at some books about ancient civilizations, we have a whole wall full of them over here. Atlantis to Aztecs down to Zoroasterians."

She gives the newcomer a look over and adds, "Want a cup of water or something? You look a little lost."


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## Tokiwong (Sep 9, 2006)

Shayuri said:
			
		

> "Hey," Thessaly says, holding up a forestalling hand. "Take it easy. It's okay. You came in here for a reason. Why don't you sit down for a little bit, until the rest of you catches up with your feet? There's a chair over there...or if you'd rather look at some books about ancient civilizations, we have a whole wall full of them over here. Atlantis to Aztecs down to Zoroasterians."



“Thank… thank you,” the young woman replies with a faltering smile, “I am sorry, I have had a long night.  I heard about your store online and I was wondering if like I could find some books on… I don’t know.”

She walks over to the section that she was directed to, “Oh wow.”


			
				Shayuri said:
			
		

> She gives the newcomer a look over and adds, "Want a cup of water or something? You look a little lost."



"Yes, why thank you," she smiles brightening up.


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## Shayuri (Sep 10, 2006)

Thessaly leaves the woman for a moment to pour a glass of water from the sink in the backroom. The little galley fridge there yielded some ice to drop in it as well.

A bit peculiar, this situation. Who was this girl, and why was she so confused? Could there be magic involved? Maybe she'd had a spell put on her to cloud her mind, fog her wits... But why? She laughed quietly at herself. That was the hard part. Once you knew, the temptation was to see everything as related. Coincidence -did- still exist. Not every vaguely odd occurrance was of occult significance.

Coming back out, she offers the cup to the woman and says, "I'm Allison. Are you new in town?"


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## Tokiwong (Sep 10, 2006)

Shayuri said:
			
		

> Coming back out, she offers the cup to the woman and says, "I'm Allison. Are you new in town?"



“Allison,” the young woman replies, “Nice to meet you, I’m Cymbeline, it’s a mouthful I know.  People usually just call me Bell for short.  I am a student at the university, but,” she replies with a hint of southern twang, “I was raised in Georgia.”

“I am sorry I am just rambling, when I get nervous I start talking too much, what my friends tell me back home.  I am sorry, I was… man its weird and this is going to sound totally crazy, okay?  But I have had these dreams, of a place… like you know a past life or something?  If you believe in that sort of thing,” she says nervously.


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## Shayuri (Sep 10, 2006)

"You don't have to be embarrassed here, Bell," Thessaly assures her. "I believe in a lot of things, but one thing I -don't- believe in is crazy. That's just a word people use to make themselves feel better about things they don't, or can't, understand."

She shrugs. "You don't have to tell me anything, of course...but I've had some experience with this sort of thing. I might be able to help if you tell me more."


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## Tokiwong (Sep 10, 2006)

Shayuri said:
			
		

> "You don't have to be embarrassed here, Bell," Thessaly assures her. "I believe in a lot of things, but one thing I -don't- believe in is crazy. That's just a word people use to make themselves feel better about things they don't, or can't, understand."



Bell looks comforted by Thessaly’s words, “I never thought about it like that.  I just figured I had to be crazy to even think that what I was dreaming was even remotely possible.”


			
				Shayuri said:
			
		

> She shrugs. "You don't have to tell me anything, of course...but I've had some experience with this sort of thing. I might be able to help if you tell me more."



“I am not even sure where to start,” Bell sighs taking a drink.  She puts the cup on a table and starts thumbing through books, “I just felt like this was a place that I could find some answers.  When I saw it on the web, I guess I felt lucky that it was so close to the school here, you know?”


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## Shayuri (Sep 10, 2006)

A tingle of deja vu whickered down Thessaly's scalp and spine. This girl was saying things that she herself might have said not so very long ago. Could it be she was close to Awakening?  Or maybe she was in the -process- of Awakening! What was it Daniel had said...people Awakened either in dreams or in a sort of dream-made-flesh that mages called 'mystery plays.' Suppose this Bell was having one of those, and she, Thessaly, was part of it! 

With some effort, Thessaly smushed the wave of excitement down to manageable levels and took hold of the situation. She didn't know anything...and from what she'd gathered from Daniel's rather cursory explanation, participants in a mystery play weren't -aware- of the strange events. It was far more likely that Bell had merely had a funky dream that bothered her, or perhaps had even brushed a higher realm in her sleep. It wasn't so strange...anyone could have a moment of prescience or inspiration. It didn't make them all teetering on the brink of Awakening.

_Just stay calm, and treat this like you would have before._

"Well, I'd suggest you start with the dream. Don't worry about trying to make it all fit in order just yet, unless you can remember it that way. Instead, just focus on the images that are easiest to remember, or have the strongest emotions attached to them, and we can take it from there."


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## Tokiwong (Sep 11, 2006)

Shayuri said:
			
		

> _Just stay calm, and treat this like you would have before._
> 
> "Well, I'd suggest you start with the dream. Don't worry about trying to make it all fit in order just yet, unless you can remember it that way. Instead, just focus on the images that are easiest to remember, or have the strongest emotions attached to them, and we can take it from there."



Bell nods taking a moment to think, “I remember a robe, I was wearing it… but I wasn’t me.  I was a queen, I remember that I was feared… the people feared me.  I was a queen,” she laughs, “I am not even sure if that makes sense.  It seemed like an ancient place, and I guess I just wanted answers to either know I am just having an over active imagination or maybe I had a past life.”

“Does this make any kind of sense?” Bell asks.


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## Shayuri (Sep 11, 2006)

"All kinds of sense." Thessaly eyes the rows of books. "It's not easy really...even if we find some history books that match your dream, it could just be that you remember it from a class or something. But the important thing is that the dream is important to you...that it evoked such a strong response from you means that it's message is important."

"So...the robe. Do you remember what it looked like? What it was made of? Or anything about your surroundings?"

Queenship narrowed it down quite a bit already, Allison reflects. Not many ancient cultures recognized female royalty like that. In the back of her head, she started wondering if there was a spell or something that could read someone's past lives...if any. How would that work? Spirit maybe? Time? Maybe both...you could use temporal magic as the 'engine' of the spell, and try to make it 'lock onto' someone's soul throughout history?

Bah. If only she 'got' time magic. She was fine with three dimensions. The fourth threw her.


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## Tokiwong (Sep 11, 2006)

Shayuri said:
			
		

> "All kinds of sense." Thessaly eyes the rows of books. "It's not easy really...even if we find some history books that match your dream, it could just be that you remember it from a class or something. But the important thing is that the dream is important to you...that it evoked such a strong response from you means that it's message is important."
> 
> "So...the robe. Do you remember what it looked like? What it was made of? Or anything about your surroundings?"



Bell smiles, “The robe, I don’t recall it exactly but it had a sense of power… of station.  I kind of like the idea of being a queen,” she laughs, “wow I can’t even believe I am actually talking about this, so wait… I thought this place was run by an older woman, Winifred McDouglas?  Are you her daughter?”


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## Shayuri (Sep 12, 2006)

Thessaly shakes her head at that, feeling another stab of pain...not as bad as it had been before, but the loss was still there. Gnawing.

"Grand-daughter," she corrects gently. "I...well, she passed away. I haven't gotten around to updating the site yet." With some effort she managed a smile. "I'm impressed you remembered her name. Seems like a lot of people have trouble with it."


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## Tokiwong (Sep 12, 2006)

Shayuri said:
			
		

> "Grand-daughter," she corrects gently. "I...well, she passed away. I haven't gotten around to updating the site yet." With some effort she managed a smile. "I'm impressed you remembered her name. Seems like a lot of people have trouble with it."



Bell looks saddened, “I am sorry; I am sorry for your loss.”

She pauses, “And don’t get too excited, I wrote down some notes and have looked at them about a thousand times before I got here.  I was really nervous, I am not sure why.  I guess I didn’t expect you to be so open and understanding… but I guess given the kind of books you have ere, I was worried for nothing.”

The store phone rings.


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## Shayuri (Sep 13, 2006)

Thessaly nods, her smile becoming more genuine. "Yep. Nothing to worry about here. Sorry, I'm the only one here, so I should get this. Excuse me just a second."

She heads back to the counter, slipping around behind it and scoops the phone up off the hook. "Hello, this is the Monkey's Paw."


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## Tokiwong (Sep 13, 2006)

Shayuri said:
			
		

> She heads back to the counter, slipping around behind it and scoops the phone up off the hook. "Hello, this is the Monkey's Paw."



There is a long pause as she waits for someone to speak.  She hears someone breathe before they speak in a low male tone, “We are watching you.”


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## Shayuri (Sep 13, 2006)

A chill shiver runs down Thessaly's spine, but she manages to keep a straight face.

"All right, sir, and may I ask your name?" she asks, turning to face the computer/register...all too conscious of Bell standing not too far away.

Daniel wouldn't get here for a little while yet, but she already wished he was here. She suddenly felt very alone.


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## Tokiwong (Sep 13, 2006)

Shayuri said:
			
		

> A chill shiver runs down Thessaly's spine, but she manages to keep a straight face.
> 
> "All right, sir, and may I ask your name?" she asks, turning to face the computer/register...all too conscious of Bell standing not too far away.
> 
> Daniel wouldn't get here for a little while yet, but she already wished he was here. She suddenly felt very alone.



There is another long pause then a high pitched whine, and then the line goes dead.


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## Shayuri (Sep 14, 2006)

The phone nearly slips from her suddenly nerveless hand, but with what feels like epic heroism, Thessaly manages to hang onto the handset long enough to fumble it back onto the cradle. Immediately she takes a deep breath and schools her pounding heart, her overfast breathing...calms herself down.

What kind of idiot calls someone just to say they're watching? Someone who wants a reaction. Someone who wants to scare you. Why? Who knows. She'd talk to Daniel about it later, but for now if someone was watching...let them watch. Who cared? She was running a bookstore, not hiding body parts.

Thess returns to Bell and says, "Sorry about that. Wrong number, I guess. As for this dream...I'm starting to think maybe you should just take a look around the store and see if you feel drawn to something. Don't be afraid to just trust your gut, and pull anything that strikes your fancy. Sort of like word association, only instead of words, you associate with the books." She smiles. "Feel like giving it a try?"


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## Tokiwong (Sep 14, 2006)

Shayuri said:
			
		

> Thess returns to Bell and says, "Sorry about that. Wrong number, I guess. As for this dream...I'm starting to think maybe you should just take a look around the store and see if you feel drawn to something. Don't be afraid to just trust your gut, and pull anything that strikes your fancy. Sort of like word association, only instead of words, you associate with the books." She smiles. "Feel like giving it a try?"



"I am not even sure what I would be looking for," Bell jokes, "do people like me come in here all the time?  I feel very comfortable around you."


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## Shayuri (Sep 15, 2006)

"Actually most of the people that come here are regulars," Thess admits, smiling. "It's a pretty small community, and most of the folks here know what they like. Sometimes the school brings in some new people, but not too often. But thanks...that's good to hear."

"And as for not knowing what you want, that's sort of the point. It's like the website. You didn't know you wanted to come here until you saw us online. So maybe you won't know which books you need until you actually see them, you know? Try just scanning a few shelves, at random even, and see if anything leaps out at you."


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## Tokiwong (Sep 17, 2006)

Shayuri said:
			
		

> "Actually most of the people that come here are regulars," Thess admits, smiling. "It's a pretty small community, and most of the folks here know what they like. Sometimes the school brings in some new people, but not too often. But thanks...that's good to hear."



Bell nods, "I got that feeling."


			
				Shayuri said:
			
		

> "And as for not knowing what you want, that's sort of the point. It's like the website. You didn't know you wanted to come here until you saw us online. So maybe you won't know which books you need until you actually see them, you know? Try just scanning a few shelves, at random even, and see if anything leaps out at you."



The young woman smiles and walks to the shelves.  She pauses running her hands over the book slowly with a winsome smile.  “You are right; I didn’t know what I was looking for until I found your site.  Now that I am here, I feel like I am close to something… I can feel it.”

*Daniel*

Daniel is roused from his sleep by the phone ringing.  As he comes to from the haze of sleep for a moment he thinks he sees Winnie sitting in a chair across from his bed.  She smiles and he thinks he hears her speak, “I left something in the shop for Thessaly, please help her find it, it is important.  Thank you Daniel.”

But when he blinks she is gone, and the phone is still ringing.


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## Lichtenhart (Sep 18, 2006)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> *Daniel*
> 
> Daniel is roused from his sleep by the phone ringing.  As he comes to from the haze of sleep for a moment he thinks he sees Winnie sitting in a chair across from his bed.  She smiles and he thinks he hears her speak, “I left something in the shop for Thessaly, please help her find it, it is important.  Thank you Daniel.”
> 
> But when he blinks she is gone, and the phone is still ringing.




"Winnie?"
He looks around for her, but she's gone.
_Was I still dreaming?_
He jumps out of the bed to get at the phone, before it's too late.
"Hello?" he says, holding back a yawn.


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## Tokiwong (Sep 18, 2006)

Lichtenhart said:
			
		

> He jumps out of the bed to get at the phone, before it's too late.
> "Hello?" he says, holding back a yawn.



“Daniel, its Starbuck when you get a chance can you stop by the Observatory tonight?” Starbuck’s voice is crystal clear into his ear, “We sort of have a little situation we could use your help with, bring some help if you can, one of the boys frakked up big time.”

“Oh and how is Thessaly handling the new situation?” she asks in an earnest tone.


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## Lichtenhart (Sep 18, 2006)

"Starbuck! Well, I think I can. After the bookstore closes, probably. Is anyone hurt?"
Daniel finds Starbuck and the others a little weird, but nice. He certainly admires their devotion to their chosen field of research.
"Thessaly... She's starting to get the hang of it. She is Winnie's granddaughter after all. She'll be fine."


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## Tokiwong (Sep 18, 2006)

Lichtenhart said:
			
		

> "Starbuck! Well, I think I can. After the bookstore closes, probably. Is anyone hurt?"
> Daniel finds Starbuck and the others a little weird, but nice. He certainly admires their devotion to their chosen field of research.



"No one is hurt yet," he can hear the smile in her voice, "Just a little something we could use some help on."


			
				Lichtenhart said:
			
		

> "Thessaly... She's starting to get the hang of it. She is Winnie's granddaughter after all. She'll be fine."



"Good, with everything that has happened I was worried about the girl," Starbuck replies, "we should formally introduce her to the Consilium."


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## Lichtenhart (Sep 18, 2006)

"She's almost ready. I'm just waiting for her to realize that, to build up some confidence."
_Maybe what Winnie left her in the shop will help her do just that._
The alarm clock on the wall goes off.
"Starbuck, I have to go. I'll be there later. See you. Qapla'."

Daniel turns off the alarm, takes a quick shower-and-shave routine then puts on a brown shirt and the pants that helped him earn the nickname Winnie was so fond of. He grabs his moleskine and runs down the stairs to the bookshop. He's sure Thessaly has left some coffee for him behind the counter.
She is not there, though. She must be with a customer. The search for whatever is hidden will have to wait.
"Tess, I'm here." he says loudly, then takes a look at the globe, as he sips some lukewarm coffee. He's not much of a breakfast man.


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## Shayuri (Sep 18, 2006)

Thessaly nods encouragingly. "That's perfect. Hold onto that feeling and just let it guide you." Just then, she hears Daniel announcing himself, and she hastily says, "I have a couple of things I need to do up at the counter, but just bring whatever you find up there and we can work out why you were drawn to it."

She takes a couple of steps back, still facing Bell to make sure she doesn't ask any more questions. When Bell looks taken care of, she hurries to the counter.

"Daniel, hi! I'm glad to see you, something weird happened just a few minutes ago." 

Thessally looks over her shoulder, then says quietly, "Someone called the store, said 'We're watching you,' and then hung up."


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## Tokiwong (Sep 19, 2006)

Shayuri said:
			
		

> Thessally looks over her shoulder, then says quietly, "Someone called the store, said 'We're watching you,' and then hung up."



“Allison?” Bell asks as she walks towards the counter, “I thought… no, I must be crazy, I could have sworn I just saw an old woman go to the back and she looked a lot… okay like your grandmother?  I am sorry it’s not a joke… I just… man I feel crazy.”


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## Lichtenhart (Sep 20, 2006)

OOC: Sorry, I would have posted before, but I missed the edit.

Daniel frowns, and is about to answer Thessaly, when their customer speaks up.

Daniel perks up, but hides his surprise.
"It happens to me all the time too. I'm so used to see her around. It's like she was a part of this shop, and a part of her never left. Where did you see her?"
He wonders if perhaps this is Winnie, sending them more clues to work with and find what she hid away for Thessaly.

The mysterious call will have to wait. Though he thinks he may know, if not who, at least why.


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## Tokiwong (Sep 20, 2006)

Lichtenhart said:
			
		

> Daniel perks up, but hides his surprise.
> "It happens to me all the time too. I'm so used to see her around. It's like she was a part of this shop, and a part of her never left. Where did you see her?"



Bell smiles at Daniel a bit taken aback, she was a beautiful young woman with soft mocha skin and hair back in braids.  She smiles, “Umm, yeah, I guess you could say that.  I thought I saw her head that way,” she points off to the door that leads to the backroom, it is usually closed, since it also allows access to the Sanctum… but curiously it is ajar.


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## Lichtenhart (Sep 20, 2006)

_That door shouldn't be open._

"Tess, I have some work to do in the back." he points though at the Sanctum's door.
"You know, I have to finish updating the inventory so we can have a look at the new orders." This is true, even if it's not what he's going to do. it's just enough not to make it a lie. Daniel never lies unless it's really really necessary.
"Can you join me after you're done with this lovely young lady?" he smiles at Bess.

He goes to the door and shuts it behind him. Then he reaches into his shirt and gets out his pendant. It's fashioned after a sun, or a little cogwheel, made of steel, gold and small crystals.
He closes his eyes and slides his fingers on them, forming in his mind the image of his third eye, the eye of his soul, opening, and commanding it to do that with a single High Speech word.
"*Knas*"
As he opens his eyes again, the subtle threads of magic become evident as a web reflecting sun light.

OOC: Eye of the Magus rote for Supernal Vision. The pendant is my Path tool.


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## Shayuri (Sep 20, 2006)

Thessaly blinks, taken aback by the revelations of Bell. 

At Daniel's words she looks at him and manages an interrogative, "Huh? Oh. Right, okay." Then she turns a somewhat confused smile on Bell.

"Sorry about that. That was Daniel, he's been here for a long time. Great guy. So, um...any luck with finding anything?"

She glances towards the back door.


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## Tokiwong (Sep 20, 2006)

*Daniel*

_Make sure to include any dice pool totals for rolls and such in your post, makes my life easier.  Daniel rolls 8 dice for the rote, and gets an Exceptional 5 successes._

Daniel opens his third eye so to speak to the supernal; and the resonance of the sanctum lights up like a tapestry of painted colors.  Almost like a delicate weaving of threads, many of them connected to the makeshift wards that Winnie had placed about the Sanctum; though many are starting to weaken with time and age.

But one thing draws his sight, an area where the resonance turns black, and a cold misty black darkness.  Emanating from the wooden floor.  There seems to be a bundle of energy suppressing the aura as if holding it back.

_Daniel recognizes the spell composition as Prime magic.  But the other resonance is cold, the darkness seems like a null point in space.  Whatever it is, is a fairly potent object._

*Thesssaly*

Bell walks towards the door, “Is everything alright?  I thought… I really thought I saw your grandmother… I swear it was like she was right here.”


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## Shayuri (Sep 21, 2006)

"Everything's fine," Thess assures Bell, though inside she was still reeling a bit.

_Grannie? Still here? But...why? Not that I mind, I guess, but...I thought she'd be at peace. And why Daniel and Bell, but not me? Why haven't I seen her?_

"But...well, I believe you saw someone. Probably best not to jump to conclusions though about who. Let me check in the back really fast to make sure someone didn't slip back there."

Thessaly goes to the backroom door as she speaks, and puts her head in. "Daniel? Daniel is everything all right back there?"


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## Lichtenhart (Sep 21, 2006)

"Come here a moment, Tess. And close the door. That girl must be very perceptive. She has... potential. This morning I saw Winnie, or I dreamed her, I'm still not sure, and she asked me to help you find something important, that she has left here for you. And I think I found it. It's here, under the floorboards. It's.. wrapped in a blanket of Prime to mute his aura, I think, but it's still very strong. It's like... ah, it's hard to explain, I'll show you. Close your eyes."

Daniel passes his thumbs over her eyelids, willing his inner light to flow into her and her eyes to open and see as he does.

This is Primal Flow, to bestow Supernal Vision on her too. Improvised spell, covert, 4 dice.

"I'm not sure what to make of this sensation, maybe it would be better examined with your talent in Space. While you look at it, I'll see if there's a way to lift the boards without breaking them."

Daniel examines the floor above the point where he perceived the object, looking for an hidden trapdoor, or loose floorboards, any way to reach below.


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## Shayuri (Sep 21, 2006)

"Oops..." Thessaly gives Bell an apologetic look. "I'll be right back, Bell. Feel free to look around the store and see if anything appeals. It shouldn't be more than a minute or two."

She slips into the back and closes the door behind her. Listening to Daniel's explanation, Thessaly looks startled, but allows him to do his spell on her. Once it's done, she asks, "Maybe we should check to see if anyone's looking in before we figure out how to get at it?" and opens her eyes, not sure what to expect.


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## Lichtenhart (Sep 21, 2006)

"Winnie put simple wards around this place that are still in effect. And I think I should be able to notice a scrying window able to go past them."

I don't think I got exactly how a mage is supposed to sense scrying. Can you help me?

"As for the mundane means, I'll take a look around."

Daniel searches the Sanctum for signs of somebody else having been there, and for tools he could use on the floor.


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## Shayuri (Sep 21, 2006)

Thessaly nods. "It should make a sort of...imprint...in space. A distortion."

She takes off her glasses and brushes them with a fingertip describing odd sigils that burn in the glass for a second or two after the fingertip passes...then fade back to nothing. Spell complete, Thess puts the glasses back on and peers around the room, eyes open to levels of perception unimaginable before Awakening...

(Spatial Awareness rote - Int + Occult + Space = 7 dice)


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## Tokiwong (Sep 21, 2006)

_Daniel rolls 2 successes on his Primal Flow improvised spell.  He grants Thessaly Supernal Vision so she can see what he sees.  Thessaly casts her own rote, Spatial Awareness and gets 3 successes._

Daniel channels Prime fingers through his fingers into Thessaly granting her sight of the supernal that saturates the fallen world in waves.  She activates her own rote, and can see the spatial depth of the area, thankfully she does not see any spatial tethers at least not with a cursory glance.

But the floorboard that Denial points out seems like a spatially dead zone, as if space is warping away from it.  It is an odd effect that Thessaly is not familiar with in the least.  Combined with the cold darkness around it, gives the floorboard and perhaps what lies underneath an ominous aura.

_Daniel makes a Wits + Composure roll and gets 3 successes._

Daniel sees that the tools are neatly put away where they should be, and he should be able to get the floorboard up with what is in the modest tool box for repairs around the shop and living space.  But even more so he notices a letter with a wax seal on it, but the seal has an Atlantean rune pressed into the wax.

It seems out of place just sitting on the desk like that in place sight.  He can easily pick out Winnie’s resonance on the sealed letter; it is not hidden in the slightest.  His mage vision sees the weight of magical energy on the letter, potent wards.


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## Lichtenhart (Sep 21, 2006)

"Tess? Don't do anything yet."
He walks to her and gives her the letter.
"I think this is for you too. It's by Winnie too. Just don't ask me how. There are wards on it, that's why I think it's for you to open. This is your home after all. I'm just a guest."


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## Shayuri (Sep 21, 2006)

Thessaly swallows nervously. "This is so weird," she murmurs, turning the envelope over to look at the seal. "I was just cleaning up in here the other day. This wasn't there."

She looks up at Daniel, wide eyed. "Do you think it's really her? Her ghost?"

As she asks this, Thessaly warily starts prying the seal apart to open the letter.


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## Tokiwong (Sep 21, 2006)

Shayuri said:
			
		

> As she asks this, Thessaly warily starts prying the seal apart to open the letter.



The letter opens easily in her grip and the ward that shielded it melts away like a fog.  The actual letter itself is neatly folded into three sections and unfolds in her hands.  The script is delicately written, the ink even smells fresh.



			
				Winnie’s Letter said:
			
		

> August 4th, 2006
> 
> Dearest Allison,
> 
> ...




A second sheet of paper rests inside as well.  With the following words written:

_By Her grace She leaves this Ring
So we might find the Truth we seek.
She leaves this Robe of mystic night
So we might dwell beyond Their Sight.
This Scepter drawn She leaves for all
To brush aside Their distant calls.
She leaves to us this Crown of souls
To twist Their thralls toward our own goals
By Her grace She leaves this last
A Throne whose seat will let us pass_


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## Tokiwong (Sep 21, 2006)

_Thessaly and Daniel both have the maximum amount of mana at the moment in time._


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## Shayuri (Sep 22, 2006)

Thessaly has to take off her glasses and wipe her eyes midway through the letter. By the end she's only a hair's breath away from actually crying; holding it in by sheer will alone.

"Oh grannie..."

With a deep, steadying breath, she looks at Daniel and says thickly, "She was protecting something...some kind of artifact. And there's this poem too..." She gives Daniel the second piece of paper.

"I'm not sure how it all fits together. But that must be what's under the floor there. Do you think it's safe to move? It looks pretty well protected there."


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## Lichtenhart (Sep 22, 2006)

Daniel understands what Thessaly is going though.

"I'll give you some moments alone. You don't have to decide anything now. Whatever is under there has waited for a long time and I think can wait a little more. I'll look into this."

He returns to the shop, closing the door behind him. If Cymbeline is still there, he apologizes.

"I'm sorry. It's an old house, with all sorts of wrinkles. We have a little problem with the floorboards on the back. Tess is sorting it out, we'll probably have some work to do. In the meanwhile can I help you?"
Daniel looks at her and concentrates for a moment on her aura.
"I hope you're not still upset because of what you saw. This... is a strange place. Have it ever happened to you before?"

If Bell is gone, he reads the poem several times, trying to memorize it, trying to figure it out. Then he tries to do some research about it.

I have 2 Intelligence, 2 Academics, 3 Occult and a 1 dot library. Mix and match as you like.


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## Tokiwong (Sep 22, 2006)

Lichtenhart said:
			
		

> "I'm sorry. It's an old house, with all sorts of wrinkles. We have a little problem with the floorboards on the back. Tess is sorting it out, we'll probably have some work to do. In the meanwhile can I help you?"



Bell is about to say something and then pauses, “No, I think I will come back a little later, I have class in about thirty minutes; Tell Allison… or is it Tess?  That I will probably stop by and we can chat some more, I could really use someone to talk to… being so far from home.  I hope everything is alright.” 


			
				Lichtenhart said:
			
		

> Daniel looks at her and concentrates for a moment on her aura.
> "I hope you're not still upset because of what you saw. This... is a strange place. Have it ever happened to you before?"



“Oh I am sure it was just my eyes playing tricks on me… it seemed so vivid, but I mean ghosts come on, that stuff isn’t real,” she laughs.  Then she pauses, “Umm… Daniel right?  I don’t have many friends, well I don’t have any around here… I was wondering if you and Allison would like to grab some coffee or something some time, I mean… if you don’t have anything better to do…”

She takes a deep breath, “It would be nice to spend some time out of my dorm room.”  She pauses and then walks up to the counter grabs a pen and writes her number on a piece of paper with her name, “Here, just in case you guys want to do anything… or whatever.”

She slides it over and smiles at Daniel before leaving fairly quickly.

_Daniel attempts to unveil her resonance making an Intelligence + Occult roll.  This is a secret ST roll._

Daniel continues to focus his mage sight and examine the vibrant colors that exude off Cymbeline.  He recognizes the vibrancy as someone on the cusp of Awakening, like what he saw in Thessaly.  It brightens then dulls for a brief moment… as if pulsing.


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## Shayuri (Sep 23, 2006)

Thessaly rereads the letter, then carefully refolds it and puts it back in the envelope. She wasn't sure where she'd keep it yet, but she knew she wouldn't be throwing it away. Her eyes are drawn back to the strange dark -bent- place in the floor. What could it be that was so onerous? The tone in the letter made it sound on par with The One Ring, or some other...

She had to grin then, even laugh to herself. Like a monkey's paw. An item of great power, that wound up being more trouble than it was worth. Goddess, it was almost as if the whole store was named after it...and that thought brings a little shiver down Thessaly's back. How far back did this go?

Slowly, cautiously, she kneels down and waves her hand through the warded area...then gingerly touches the floor at its center.


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## Tokiwong (Sep 23, 2006)

Shayuri said:
			
		

> Slowly, cautiously, she kneels down and waves her hand through the warded area...then gingerly touches the floor at its center.



The wooden floor I seamless but where the disturbance, the void as it were; the floor is neatly cut, and can be removed with ease as long as you knew what to look for.  The floor easily pops open and there is a small black velum satchel, with draw strings made of a golden material.  

Strangely there is no dust inside, and the ward does not activate, so she seems safe for the moment.


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## Shayuri (Sep 23, 2006)

"Wow," Thessaly murmurs, lost once again in the wonder of this strange, fantastic new world she'd been introduced to. Reverently, she undoes the ties and opens the small bag, looking inside, then upending it over her cupped palm.


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## Tokiwong (Sep 23, 2006)

Shayuri said:
			
		

> "Wow," Thessaly murmurs, lost once again in the wonder of this strange, fantastic new world she'd been introduced to. Reverently, she undoes the ties and opens the small bag, looking inside, then upending it over her cupped palm.



 Two small gray spheres roll out; they are deathly cold to her touch.  They clack together gently in her hands.  They are about the size of large marbles but they are not perfectly spherical, and more akin to well eyeballs in size and shape.  The artifact makes her shiver involuntary…


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## Shayuri (Sep 23, 2006)

Thessaly frowns, and quickly replaces the...eyes?...back into the pouch. Something told her that messing with powerful artifacts one knew nothing about was probably not a good way to see the next sunrise. She replaces it under the floorboard, replaces the board itself, and hurries out to see Daniel.

"Daniel, I...oh wait..." she looks around. "Is she...?"


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## Lichtenhart (Sep 23, 2006)

Daniel watches her go out and then he look at the piece of paper with her name.

"Cymbeline. Oh, you'll hear from us again, and soon."

He puts it away in his moleskine, then thinks about it for a moment.

_She was here, and was talking with Thessaly, when she received that odd phone call. This definitely looks like something the Guardians of the Veil would do, at least according to what Martin and Winnie told me about them. I don't like it one bit.
First, because it means they're spying on us, someway.
Second, because they think they can scare us into letting down an important part of Winnie's legacy. She always listened to people, and helped them find the book that helped them on their way, especially the ones that had a chance of awakening. Look what she did for me. I know very little about Fate, but I think it's not a coincidence Cymbeline was here today, and saw Winnie. Sure, it helped us find what was hidden but I think there's something more.
I may not have been much different from Cymbeline when I got here, and Winnie gave me a home, helped me write, and helped me find my true call. Cymbeline deserves the same. No matter what those creeps think, whoever they are. Tonight I'll ask Starbuck about the Order of the Wyvern, and see if they already did things like this in the past. In the meanwhile..._

Daniel begins to search the library for any scrying windows or other oddities of sort, then goes at the shop window, pretending to be dusting, and looks outside to see if there's anyone looking in.

That's when Thessaly comes back in.

"She is gone, she had to go to a lesson. But she left me her number. She said that she has no friend around here, and you made a good impression, so she would like to take a coffee sometimes or something. She made a good impression too. She has more than potential, she looks just on the brink of enlightenment. I wonder if we can help her. What kind of books was she looking for?"


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## Tokiwong (Sep 23, 2006)

Lichtenhart said:
			
		

> Daniel begins to search the library for any scrying windows or other oddities of sort, then goes at the shop window, pretending to be dusting, and looks outside to see if there's anyone looking in.




Daniel gets a good look around and does not spy any scrying windows with his mage sight, the world awash with a subtle resonance of life and the bustle and flow of daily life in this town.  Outside he sees some students taking a break at the coffee shop across the street, they look to be enjoying the Saturday late morning.

Mr. Williams a teacher at the local high school jogs by, just like clockwork; it must be getting close to ten in the morning.  He waves at Daniel and then continues on his way.  He wore a designer jogging suit and was listening to his iPod, from the ubiquitous white buds in his ears.

Across the street he spots a young man wearing a black windbreaker and jeans.  The youth has dark brown hair and olive toned skin.  He looks at the store for a moment then turns and walks back down the main street.  Was he looking into the store?  

Officer Brady parks his patrol car in front of the coffee shop and walks in, again just like clockwork.  The little town of James Cove had its idiosyncrasies, but for the most part things really did not change much besides some stores being seasonal, and the influx of students in the fall and the mass exodus as summer approaches.


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## Shayuri (Sep 23, 2006)

"She, uh...she said she'd had a dream where she was a queen," Thessaly answers. "She was looking for books about ancient civilizations, but she wasn't sure which one. I asked her to describe the dream, what she was wearing, where she was... All she could remember was that she was wearing purple, so I was thinking maybe Rome...but there was never a Roman Empress, so..."

Thessaly shrugs. "Truth is, she didn't seem to remember much. I had her just looking at books and seeing if anything jumped out at her. That's how she found the store. The website just kinda bit her."

She looks at the store window, then back at Daniel. "She's close, isn't she? I mean...her intuitions are sharp, and she saw grannie. She has to be close."


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## Lichtenhart (Sep 23, 2006)

"It looks like we have quite a day ahead of us. The poem, the hidden stuff back there, the inventory too, and if we have enough time, Cymbeline's dreams as well. Well it would be interesting, dreams are my field, and maybe it could really help her on their way. We'll see.
Oh, I almost forgot. Starbuck called, and asked me if I could join them at the observatory tonight, it looks like one of the guys made some kind of mess. Actually, she told me to bring reinforcements too, would you like to come?"

He gets out the poem and reads it again.

_How curious. It speaks of a queen too._ 

"Would you like to help me with the research? You're sure better at using the net than me."


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## Shayuri (Sep 24, 2006)

Thessaly brightens. "Yeah, I can do that! And I'd love to see the observatory. But listen, about the hidden thing? I took it out. Or...them. I took them out. Just to get a look. They're amazing. These little things..." she cups a palm and motions at it to indicate that whatever it was had been in there. "Cold and grey and...they made me shiver a little. I didn't try to do anything with them though."


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## Tokiwong (Sep 24, 2006)

All this talk of Granny gives Thessaly a flash of memory from the funeral.

_*Flashback*_

Thessaly is the last to leave the service.  The pastor places a hand on Thessaly’s shoulder and offers her words of encouragement at the passing.  He is gentle and soothing and then even he too leaves, leaving her as the last person to watch over Granny’s memorial.

She does not even notice the rain.  But she does notice when it stops raining.  She looks over her to her right and sees a man standing there, unassuming and in his mid thirties.  He is black, his hair worn short in a fade.  His clothes are dark and conservative.  He holds an umbrella in his hand, shielding Thessaly from the chilling rain.

“Her passing has affected the best of us.  She leaves a hole that few can fill,” he says in a deep soothing voice.  He does not smile, but she gets the feeling that he is grieving as well.  He continues speaking, “It is a strange fate that when we die the world continues on as if nothing has happened the only monuments to our lives are those that love us and linger behind in this fallen world.”

“Your Grandmother was something of a legend,” he turns to Thessaly, “although we had our differences I always held her with great esteem and respect.  She had a unique approach to understanding the Mysteries.  This time of your life is one of great change, and you have my condolences.  She lived the latter part of her life helping others along so that they could see, a tactic I do no always agree with, but one she excelled at quite well.  Like I said before she was a legend,” the man replies coolly.

The rain begins to dissipate.  The man glances up, “This world is full of mystery Allison.  I cannot say what your future holds but I do know that although it may seem that this world is asleep, perhaps even apathetic to the loss of your grandmother, we see the world for what it really is.  It is uncaring, it is stifling, and a prison; in a way you can say that your grandmother escaped, perhaps even ascended to a higher realm of understanding.  I would like to believe that she is watching over you even now.”

He closes the umbrella.  Thessaly smells the fresh rain air and turns to see the man already walking away.  He waves as he leaves towards a modest dark sedan.  He opens the door and turns to Thessaly, “Have a good day, and you have my condolences for your loss; you will see her again I am sure.”

_*End Flashback*_

It finally hits Thessaly now, she does not even know who this man is, or even more disturbing how he knew her name.

_I hope you don’t mind me adding some details to the funeral for Thessaly…_


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## Lichtenhart (Sep 24, 2006)

"You got them out? Show me, please!"

He goes at the door of the shop, locks it, puts on the "Back in 5 min." sign, and returns with her to the sanctum. As she shows him the eyes, he whistles.

"They're... peculiar. Not that I have a lot of experience, but I've never seen anything like this. Let's see what they tell us about themselves. It may take a while though. I'm going to take a closer look at them, at the threads that have been weaved to make them. It's similar to look at their supernal pattern, with the vision that I extended on you before, but with a microscope. That's why it takes some time. You'll have to mind the shop on your own while I'm busy here." he explains to her.

He closes his eyes, and concentrates. He creates in his mind the image of magnifying lens, framed in pure gold. He uses it on the cold patterns of the eyes, and doing so his whole world becomes as cold as them. He now sees the threads of magic as pillars all around him, covered in mystical inscriptions. He opens his eyes, clutching his medallion, and wills the image into being.

That would be Analyze Enchanted Item, Covert, 4 dice. If I succeed, I get to roll 5 dice every ten minutes.


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## Shayuri (Sep 24, 2006)

(OOC - She was actually showing him the Eyes. She'd put them back under the warded floorboard before she came out to see him.  Just FYI)

Thessaly nods at Daniel. "Okay, that's not a problem. Just...yell or something if you need help or if anything goes wrong, okay?"

With that, she retreats back out to the store and sits on the stool behind the store's computer, thinking back on that strange man at the funeral...on Cymbeline...on strange magical artifacts and not least of all...on her grandmother. A legend. That was a big set of shoes to fill. But things were starting. Tonight she'd meet some other mages, even if they were a little weird. From there, who knew?

_I wonder if gramma found anything about those eyes herself,_ she muses. _She might hav hidden journals or something. I'll have to doublecheck the sanctum and see if there's anymore of those disguised nooks..._

With a sigh she gets up and starts tending to the store, cleaning here, reshelving there. Waiting.


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## Tokiwong (Sep 24, 2006)

*Daniel*

_Daniel gets 1 success on the Improvised spell, he then gets 1 success for ten minutes of study on the Intelligence + Occult roll._

Daniel focuses his senses and begins pouring over the artifacts.  He can immediately see that whatever these things are, they are incomplete or only piece of a greater mechanism or artifact.  It is difficult to tell but they seem incomplete he can’t actually figure out what they do, beyond being ominous.

*Thessaly*

_Assuming she uses the dead time to study...  Thessaly makes an Intelligence + Academics + Library; she rolls 6 times, and gets a total of 11 successes, taking 3 hours of research._

Thessaly does some research searching the web and pouring through texts at the Sanctum she is able to pull up one tidbit that may be useful.  The poem is tied to an old legend referenced in one of the tomes in her library in an oft reference.  

The first two stanzas of the poem are said to be attributed to a legend about an entity called the Dethroned Queen.  As the legend goes, she was a being of great power that forsworn magic and dared to challenge the gods in the supernal world.

But a conflicting story/legend she found that also referenced the Dethroned Queen says that she was a whore in ancient Egypt who claimed to have fallen from the Heavens as punishment for her wicked ways.  It is said that she was once an Exarch in this version of the story and swore to never use magic after she returned to the Fallen World.

For the remainder of the day a few customers come and go, and a few sales are made before it is time to close up shop.  All in all even though the volume of customers is not large the clientele is loyal and the books are rarely cheap.

Officer Brady’s police car drives by slowly, he pauses in front of the Monkey’s Paw and then continues driving down the road.  It looks like he is looking for wayward students from the university again to hassle.


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## Lichtenhart (Sep 24, 2006)

Shayuri said:
			
		

> (OOC - She was actually showing him the Eyes. She'd put them back under the warded floorboard before she came out to see him.  Just FYI)



Sorry, I misread your post. Edited accordingly.

"It's no use, Tess. They are part of something else, something bigger, and I can't figure ot what it is just with them. I couldn't shake off a sense of... imminent threat looking at them. They kept making me want to watch over my shoulder. We'd better keep them hidden until we know more about them. You think you can replace the wards? I'll study a way to hide their aura as it was before."

Daniel, noticing Thessaly is onto something with her researches, lets her work, he gets them the book she thinks she needs, and minds the shop while she's busy.

When he's not otherwise occupied, he tries to find something about Cymbeline's dreams. Out of curiosity, he checks if in what Thessaly uncovered there's any mention of the Dethroned Queen wearing purple, or anything else that could like the two thing. Daniel doesn't believe much in coincidences. Neither did Winnie, he seems to remember.

Not sure what to make of this. Either Intelligence + Investigation (5 dice) or a simple Research (still 5 dice, I think).


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## Tokiwong (Sep 24, 2006)

Lichtenhart said:
			
		

> When he's not otherwise occupied, he tries to find something about Cymbeline's dreams. Out of curiosity, he checks if in what Thessaly uncovered there's any mention of the Dethroned Queen wearing purple, or anything else that could like the two thing. Daniel doesn't believe much in coincidences. Neither did Winnie, he seems to remember.



He tries to find any more links but the library that the two have on hand is limited.  Most likely if they want more information they will probably have to seek out another source.  Daniel heard that Project Eclipse maintains a large library of lore and artifacts from their excavations and journeys although he has never actually seen it.

But that would mean trying to get access to Mysterium resources… which may prove difficult, given their nature to keep their knowledge available to whom they deem worthy.


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## Shayuri (Sep 24, 2006)

Thessaly checks the hidden board in the floor again, to see if the wards and cloaking spells on that spot are still there, or if her meddling has disrupted them.

"You know, Daniel," she remarks. "I've been looking up references online and it struck me that there was nothing in that poem about 'eyes of salt,' even metaphorically. It seems kind of funny that Grams would give us this poem on one hand, and this device on the other...and that they have no apparent relationship to each other."

She shrugs. "I guess in the end, it all depends on what these are part OF. Anyway...regarding the Dethroned Queen, I didn't see anything specifically noting the color of her garb. She was treated as an almost mythical figure by one resource. The other was more specific, and I tend to believe it more, but it only dealt with her after her return to Earth."

Thessaly taps the poem's page. "This is supposedly referring to things she had. Items of power, I guess...maybe to make up for the fact that she swore off using magic herself. So far, I haven't seen much about the items. Just enough to link them to the Dethroned Queen."

Finally Thess sighs and turns to look at Daniel. "We're stumbling in the dark here. Grams must have made SOME progress in her own researches. I think we should search the Sanctum with that magic sight spell of yours. It makes sense that if she's uncovered secrets, she'd  hide them separately. That way, if someone managed to find one, it wouldn't be useful until they found the other."

Abruptly Thessaly's eyes unfocus and she stiffens where she is. "No way," she breathes. "That would be WAY too easy." Then she refocuses on Daniel and asks, "These eyes...they're part of something else, right? Would you say that means they have that...that sympathetic resonance with other parts? Could we use these to track down the rest?"


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## Tokiwong (Sep 24, 2006)

Shayuri said:
			
		

> Abruptly Thessaly's eyes unfocus and she stiffens where she is. "No way," she breathes. "That would be WAY too easy." Then she refocuses on Daniel and asks, "These eyes...they're part of something else, right? Would you say that means they have that...that sympathetic resonance with other parts? Could we use these to track down the rest?"



The store phone starts to ring.  The time of evening is just after eight o’clock in the evening.  Outside at the coffee shop across the street several students are seated and looking to an outdoor patio stage where someone is giving a reading.

It is Saturday night, which means it must be amateur poetry reading night.


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## Tokiwong (Sep 24, 2006)

*Morrigan*

*Two days ago*

The dojo was situated at the top of the high rise.  It was a place of elegant violence, both a sanctum and a center of learning.  The structure was built along traditional Eastern design mixed with Atlantean inspired architecture.

Krishna was the master and two students listened to his words.  They were few as was his nature.  He was a Perfected Adept, a master of the body and mind honed to one singular will and motion.  He was a simple and focused master, and his students were few.

“Morrigan,” Krishna speaks sitting in a contemplative lotus position, his students training behind him.  He pauses for a long time as if giving her time to contemplate her own shadow name, “I have trained you, seen to it that you have a proper understanding of the Order and given you the tools to survive.”

He pauses again, breathing almost impossibly slowly.  He speaks again letting the air out of his lungs, “We are students of death from the moment we are born we are fated to die.  But we understand death better then most.  In the hour that I awoke, I learned the day I would die.  I have always had a talent for knowing when death when take those close to me.”

“I have a final task for you,” Krishna says slowly.

*Outside the Monkey’s Paw*

Arriving in James Cove is a definite change of pace for Morrigan.  The sleepy little town is a far cry from New York.  A police car follows her for a good ways into town before moving on to follow a speeding out of state vehicle.  Morrigan finds the store she was looking for, the Monkey’s Paw, as if _fate_ was guiding her.

The store is closed, it looks like she just missed closing time by about 15 minutes.  There are lights on inside the store though.  Hopefully this is the right place, it was an odd request to come all the way out to this sleepy burg and help protect some newly awakened mage.  Even if she is the granddaughter of her Master’s friend, it still seemed an off request perhaps even beneath her notice, but it was her final task, and duty was everything to the Adamantine Arrow.

It was the maxim that Krishna lived by, ‘It is our duty to defend the Mysteries; through service to others we master ourselves’.  Perhaps he was trying to teach her this final lesson?  Well at least she had a photograph, depicting Winifred McDouglas and her granddaughter Allison.


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## Aenion (Sep 24, 2006)

Morrigan had checked into a cheap motel earlier and left the rental car there, not wanting to give the local cops anymore reasons to shirk their duties. It was a beautiful, summer day, perfect for a nice stroll through town. She quickly changed out of her travel clothes, into a black top and black leather pants, hiding her lucky knife in her boot and pocketing the two lead coins. Her .44 stayed in her bag, this town seemed like vacation compared to where she lived in New York, where crossing the street could get you shot.

One final task he had said, she never expected him to send her on vacation... Not that she couldn't use one, she hadn't had any time for vacation since her parents had died, always working to make ends meet, to graduate, to keep a smile on Mary's face, to make sure she got the best care possible. Training with the Adamantine Arrow wasn't exactly a walk in the park either, that's why this task puzzled her. The town was too quiet, too peaceful. Or maybe she was too used to living in the bustle of the city. When she first arrived New York had seemed relatively free and open compared to London, where everything was packed together in too little space.

She lit another cigarette as she hit the street, Mary hated her smoking, she always said it'd get her killed. She might be right, but then that Vampire should have beat it to it and the leaden coins in her pockets weren't too healthy either.

She took some time to casually walk through town, in the meantime checking out any emergency exits to the Monkey's Paw. She checked her watch when she saw the 'Closed'-sign, she'd hoped to enter before it closed, apparently she had taken a bit too much time, _Damn, I should have drove here afterall. Let's find out who this girl is,_ she casually flicked her cigarette into the drain before approaching to the door. Rubbing the two leaden coins together, she concentrates for a moment as she attunes herself to sight beyond life. She took one last look at the picture and gently knocked, "Uhm...Hello?" she asks peaking through the window.

ooc: casting her Grim Sight rote: 8 dice


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## Tokiwong (Sep 24, 2006)

Aenion said:
			
		

> She took some time to casually walk through town, in the meantime checking out any emergency exits to the Monkey's Paw. She checked her watch when she saw the 'Closed'-sign, she'd hoped to enter before it closed, apparently she had taken a bit too much time, _Damn, I should have drove here afterall. Let's find out who this girl is,_ she casually flicked her cigarette into the drain before approaching to the door. Rubbing the two leaden coins together, she concentrates for a moment as she attunes herself to sight beyond life. She took one last look at the picture and gently knocked, "Uhm...Hello?" she asks peaking through the window.
> 
> ooc: casting her Grim Sight rote: 8 dice



_Morrigan scores three successes on her Grim Sight rote._

Morrigan opens her eyes to the death all around her.  Not so much death itself, but the weight of death that burdens, or perhaps supports the fallen world.  The Monkey’s Paw itself has a burden of death about it, the walls seemed to seep with death…

When she glances into the window for a moment she sees an older woman glancing back and mouths a quick word. She blinks and there is nothing but her reflection and the amount of death that weighs down her soul.  It would be unnerving if she did not understand death so intimately.


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## Lichtenhart (Sep 24, 2006)

Shayuri said:
			
		

> Finally Thess sighs and turns to look at Daniel. "We're stumbling in the dark here. Grams must have made SOME progress in her own researches. I think we should search the Sanctum with that magic sight spell of yours. It makes sense that if she's uncovered secrets, she'd  hide them separately. That way, if someone managed to find one, it wouldn't be useful until they found the other."
> 
> Abruptly Thessaly's eyes unfocus and she stiffens where she is. "No way," she breathes. "That would be WAY too easy." Then she refocuses on Daniel and asks, "These eyes...they're part of something else, right? Would you say that means they have that...that sympathetic resonance with other parts? Could we use these to track down the rest?"




"You are right. Tomorrow I'll help you search the whole house for it. Maybe I'll dream of her again, and she will give us more hints. I could also ask Martin about letting us use their library, but... there's nothing they value more than knowledge. I don't know how they would react."

"I don't feel too comfortable about you looking for sympathetic ties with the other pieces. Winnie kept them hidden, muted their aura, and put wards around them. I am afraid that someone dangerous, maybe in possess of other fragments, could be able to follow your link back to you if you try. I'd rather keep that option as a last resort."

As the phone rings, Daniel stands up and stretches.
"I'll take it."
He goes back to the store and takes the phone.
"The Monkey's Paw bookstore. How can I help you?"

That's when he notices the young woman standing outside and peeking in. He gestures her through the window to wait just a minute.

Is Supernal Vision still active?


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## Tokiwong (Sep 24, 2006)

Lichtenhart said:
			
		

> As the phone rings, Daniel stands up and stretches.
> "I'll take it."
> He goes back to the store and takes the phone.
> "The Monkey's Paw bookstore. How can I help you?"



Daniel picks up the phone and hears Starbuck’s voice, “Daniel?  Hey it’s Starbuck again, I was just hoping you had not forgot about me.  I know I am not a cutie like Thessaly, but you don’t keep a girl waiting, didn’t your mother teach you anything?”


			
				Lichtenhart said:
			
		

> That's when he notices the young woman standing outside and peeking in. He gestures her through the window to wait just a minute.
> 
> Is Supernal Vision still active?



_Daniel and Morrigan roll a reflexive Wits + Composure roll this is a secret ST check._

Daniel approaches the window his Supernal Vision still giving him the sight of the magical resonances that color the world.  Meanwhile Morrigan sees the weight of death on the approaching man of short stature as he speaks through the window.  Her Grim Sight still giving the world the taste of death to her eyes.  Both mages in question get the prickling feeling on the back of their necks that someone is observing them, perhaps watching them…

_Daniel and Morrigan both look at each other’s resonance; this is again a secret ST check._

Daniel can’t get a read on this woman, and gleans nothing useful.  She seems normal for all he can tell.  Although he can see that there is a magic or at least supernatural effect on the woman.  Morrigan can sense, almost taste through her Grim Sight that the man on the other side is brimming with the weight of a recent death on his shoulders.  But even more so, this man is beyond human… and probably Awakened, but she isn’t for sure.  She can see the signature of a supernatural effect on the man.


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## Shayuri (Sep 24, 2006)

"I'll talk to her," Thessaly volunteers. "You take care of the phone."

She hurries to the front door and opens it.

"Hi there, did you want to buy something? Store policy, no browsing after hours, but if you know what you want you have time to grab it before we shut off the computer." She smiles brightly.


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## Tokiwong (Sep 25, 2006)

Shayuri said:
			
		

> "Hi there, did you want to buy something? Store policy, no browsing after hours, but if you know what you want you have time to grab it before we shut off the computer." She smiles brightly.



_Thessaly and Morrigan both make reflexive Composure + Wits rolls to sense scrutiny.  This is a secret roll._

Thessaly sees the world still through her mage sight; and sees nothing out of the ordinary about this woman.  But Morrigan sees that this woman wears a cloak of death about her, someone close to her has died, this woman that she recognizes as Allison is speaking to her and she continues to get the feeling that she is being watched… stared at.

But Morrigan’s Grim Sight sees more then just the weight of death on this woman’s soul, she tastes the energies that make this woman more then the flesh and bone she is.  She is more then human, Morrigan can see that much.

Thessaly feels the hair on the back of her neck stand on edge almost as if someone had just walked over her grave...


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## Lichtenhart (Sep 25, 2006)

Daniel eyes the woman suspiciously, but Thessaly gets to the door before he can warn her.

"No, Starbuck, of course I didn't forget about you, only... it's been a hectic day, and we're not quite through it. Wait just a little longer and we'll be there. Yes, Thessaly is coming too. Look, I'm sorry but I really gotta go now. See you later."

He walks to Thessaly's side by the door and looks warily at the unknown lady.
"Yeah, how can we help you?" he asks in a cold and detached manner that Tess knows to be unlike him.


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## Aenion (Sep 25, 2006)

Though it didn't show, Morrigan was surprised at the strong sense of death permeating from this seemingly simple bookstore, she regarded the old woman curiously, _Odd...A ghost? Or something else? And what did she say?_ She nodded at the slight man behind the counter, she wasn't in any particular rush, the tickling sensation in the back of her neck told her someone was trying to read her, was it him?

_They both lost someone close recently and both seem to be touching something beyond normal. Either I've come to the right place and the loss I sense must be the loss of Winnifred or they just burried someone under the shed,_ she thinks a bit sarcastically as Allison approaches the door, though in a backward town like this it wouldn't surprise her.

She returns her smile with a slight smile of her own, "No, I'm afraid I'm not here to make a purchase," the woman replies in a clear Brittish accent, her skin is an unhealthy kind of pale as if someone had drained all the blood from her body, around her neck she wears a golden torc decorated with celtic knotwork. The corner of her mouth twitches ever so slightly at the young man's suspicion, the closest thing she manages to grinning, "Actually I'm looking for Allison Larkspur, I assume you are her?" she regards the young woman with pale grey eyes that seem to bore through her right down to her soul, "I'm an acquaintance of your grandmother. My condoleances for your loss."


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## Shayuri (Sep 25, 2006)

The redhead glances at Daniel, taken aback, then back at the woman. 

"Yeah," she says in the tones of confession. "I am. Thanks." Another brief look at Daniel and back.

"So what can we do for you, miss...?"


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## Aenion (Sep 25, 2006)

Morrigan follows the exchange curiously, _Something is wrong... so it *was* him attempting to read me,_ she thinks. She had had comments about being hard to read ever since she Awakened, not just that she'd found sometimes Sleepers could barely remember they'd met her. She wondered what he had found out that got him so suspicious.

"Morrigan, just Morrigan. I just flew in from New York today. Nice to meet you Miss Larkspur, Mr?" she trails of looking at Daniel, as she extends a slender hand to Allison, the slight smile widens just a fraction, "I've come to offer my help to the both of you, my master was a close friend of Mw. McDouglas. He believes you could use my help." _Or I yours,_ she adds in thought, "Maybe we should continue this inside?"


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## Shayuri (Sep 25, 2006)

"Morrigan..." Allison repeats, giving her hand a little shake. She then opens the door wider.

"Sure, come on in. Sorry if we seem a bit cautious. You can't be too careful these days. So...who's this 'master' of yours?" She closes the door after Morrigan enters.


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## Lichtenhart (Sep 25, 2006)

Aenion said:
			
		

> "Morrigan, just Morrigan. I just flew in from New York today. Nice to meet you Miss Larkspur, Mr?"




"Daniel. Just Daniel. And she prefers Thessaly. As she said, one can never be too careful."

Daniel relaxes a bit. He thought that this woman could be related with the phone call they got earlier, but it's clearly not the case. She was probably just part of another of those coincidences Winnie didn't believe in. Daniel is losing faith in them too, and quickly.
He gathers chairs for them all.

"Winifred was a good friend of mine and a woman with a lot of stories to tell. What kind of 'help' are you offering?"

Had Winnie got a shadow name?


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## Aenion (Sep 25, 2006)

"Thanks," Morrigan replies, accepting Allison's offer to enter, "I know what you mean," she adds quietly, sounding as if she speaks from experience, _Nice cozy place, Mary would have liked it,_ she thinks as she takes in the bookstore.

"He used to be a member of your grandmother's cabal, he calls himself Krishna. I'm not sure you've heard of him, he likes to keep to himself. Nice to meet you Daniel," she takes a seat, "Krishna is an Enlightened Adept of the Adamantine Arrow and he has trained me in the ways of the Moros over the past year," she speaks a hint admiration and pride in her quiet voice, "He asked me to protect Alli- Thessaly. So I guess that is what I'm offering and from your reaction earlier, my skills might prove useful."


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## Tokiwong (Sep 25, 2006)

_If Winnie had a shadow name, she probably stopped using it long ago... of course; it could be said that her real name may not even be her "real" name.  She usually just went by Winnie in her later years._


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## Shayuri (Sep 26, 2006)

"We're just a little on edge. We...had some funny things happen today," Thessaly assures Morrigan. "Ghosts and phone calls and...oh!" She looks at Daniel. "Who was it? Anything important?"


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## Lichtenhart (Sep 26, 2006)

"I'm still not sure it was her ghost. Well I hope not, and that she is in a better place. It was Starbuck, Tess, urging us to go. Morrigan, would you mind coming with us to the Observatory, just outside town? We're expected there.
On the way, I'd like to know if your master told you what you're supposed to protect Thessaly from.
Tess, Starbuck is a little eager to get you introduced to the Consilium. Probably because she hopes you're going to join the Free Council. I wouldn't be suprised if she tried to convince you of it, and I am telling you because I don't want you to be, either."


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## Shayuri (Sep 26, 2006)

Thessaly grins and pushes her glasses up her nose a bit shyly. "You make it sound like everyone's going to be fighting over me. Which would be a change of pace, I admit. Okay! Lets go. I'll finish closing up afterwards. We don't want to keep 'Starbuck' waiting."

She snags the store keys off the little nail in the counter and twirls them jauntily. "Do you want to come, Morrigan? I like your name, by the way. Mythological."


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## Aenion (Sep 26, 2006)

"Thanks, Thessaly," her smile broadens slightly but the twitching of her mouth shows she's not used to smiling often, "Yours is quite interesting as well, it's Greek, isn't it?" she asks.

"Of course, I'd love to." _Starbuck? Free Council... Figures,_ if it was in her nature she'd roll her eyes at the name, instead she just shrugs apologetically, "Krishna wasn't very specific I'm afraid, but life as a young mage is never easy. You mentioned something about a ghost? I believe I saw her, an elderly woman am I correct?"


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## Tokiwong (Sep 26, 2006)

_Assuming the mages decide to head out there… and I am not sue but I think either Thessaly or Morrigan have a vehicle, so assuming that…_

The mages head up to the Observatory.  It is situated outside of town about fifteen minutes drive, between James Cove and a gated community called Sutterton Farms another thirty or so minutes along the road.  The Observatory is up on a hill and surrounded by trees, and a lonely road that is well kept.  One vehicle is in the parking lot, a late model red Honda Civic with a bumper sticker that reads, ‘Cylon onboard’.

With the distance from the town, the sky here is lit up with stars.  The Observatory is typical in construction.  Although the feeling of exploration and wonder that permeates the area, the telltale signs of a Hallow, are not typical.  The young mages can feel the energy moving in waves, even though their mage sight has long subsided.

Starbuck is outside smoking a cigarette, she breaks into a grin when the mages arrive.  She is not much taller then Daniel, and is of a thick womanly build.  Her blonde hair is worn short around her pale face and she has on jeans with a red shirt.  Starbuck speaks, “Daniel glad you could make it, you had me worried.  Thessaly, welcome girl!  And who is this new person, is she _cool_?”


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## Lichtenhart (Sep 26, 2006)

I'd say Thessaly probably inherited a van along with the bookstore.


"Starbuck, this is Morrigan. She's gonna stay with us for a while, and she..."
Daniel looks at Morrigan as if evaluating her "She's cool as a ninja."

"So, what kind of trouble are you gonna throw us into?" he says jokingly.


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## Tokiwong (Sep 26, 2006)

Lichtenhart said:
			
		

> "So, what kind of trouble are you gonna throw us into?" he says jokingly.



Starbuck finishes the cigarette, she looks at Morrigan, and then offers her hand, “Call me Starbuck,” she opens the doors to the Observatory, “if Daniel says you are _cool_, then you are cool.  Guys come inside, I am going to forego all that official crap, just don’t make a mess and try to behave yourself in here.”

Once inside Starbuck sighs, “Just me here tonight, working and surfing.  Thanks again for coming Daniel, and really I appreciate it.  I kind of wanted to keep this quiet from the boys but Asimov has been missing for the past two days, he and I got into an argument,” she pauses hesitantly, “and I have not talked to him since, he was acting a little weird.”

Daniel has met Asimov, the mage is normally mild mannered, very quiet and sedate.  Hard to even imagine him being angry, he rarely speaks and is very introverted.  He spends much of his time reading, and whenever Daniel has seen him he has a book in his hand.

“I don’t want to alarm the boys, so I was wondering if you could go out to his place and see if he is okay, I am stuck here pulling the all-nighter.  I mean if you can’t, no big deal, I am sure he is fine, just wanted to make sure.  He isn’t answering his phone, so I don’t know what is going on.  Probably just in the middle of a reading marathon or something,” she laughs uneasily.

She changes the subject, “Thessaly I hear your skills have improved a lot; you have some serious control over your techne.  Your grandmother would be proud, she sort of gave up on the Orders in her later years I guess, or so she told me, a shame though I always felt she would have been at home in the Free Council.  She was all about liberating people, instead of fostering the lie, she was about setting people free of their bondage.”

Starbuck shrugs, “Frakk me, I didn’t mean to get all revolutionary on you.”

The lobby where the mages are currently standing and chatting is spacious.  There is a poster board with a listing of events, University postings and other materials.  There are several pictures of space, planets, and other celestial objects.  On the floor worked into the tiling is what looks to be an Atlantean rune, but the symbol’s meaning eludes the mages.


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## Aenion (Sep 26, 2006)

Morrigan asked Thessaly to drive by her motel so she could pick up a couple of things, not specifying what unless asked. She comes back outside wearing a kneelong jacket, her pistol hidden in its holster underneath.

She lights a cigarette of her own as soon as she exits the van, she lets Daniel introduce her, but raises an eyebrow ever so slightly at the slang they're using, _Cool? Ninja? Oh bother... Next they'll be telling me to 'Relax man',_ she collects her thoughts with a puff of smoke from her cigarette before replying in her strangely detached manner, "Nice to meet you miss."

She puts out her cigarette before following the others inside, she listens to her explain her problem and then to her spouting her retoric, this time actually rolling her eyes at the mention of 'Techne', _Bloody hippy._

"What was your argument about?" she asks while she studies the rune on the floor, her voice quiet but clear, returning the conversation back to important matters. She sounds at least moderately interested and replies to Daniel's look with a slight nod.


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## Lichtenhart (Sep 26, 2006)

"I see. I think too that it is unlike Asimov. You two arguing seems unlike him too. Was it serious?"

He looks questionigly at Tess and Morrigan, gauging their reactions to Starbuck's request.


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## Tokiwong (Sep 26, 2006)

Aenion said:
			
		

> "What was your argument about?" she asks while she studies the rune on the floor, her voice quiet but clear, returning the conversation back to important matters. She sounds at least moderately interested and replies to Daniel's look with a slight nod.



Starbucks shrugs, “Well we got into arguing about…” she pauses, “differences in philosophy, you know?  Well not really like an argument it was a discussion at first, he came over to hang at my place and we were watching Star Wars and debating the role of Luke as an allegory of Awakening, in a way the Deathstar and all the events of the first movie were like his mystery play you know?  Total head spin when you look at it that way.  But anyway things got out of hand.”

“I really don’t want to get into what we were arguing about,” she says rapidly, “it was dumb, really.”  She rubs her shoulder absent mindedly, “But he... I made him leave, it was totally not like him, not at all.”

_Contested rolls between the characters and Starbuck.  Starbuck gets 2 successes on a Wits + Subterfuge roll; Daniel gets no successes on a Wits + Empathy roll, and both Morrigan and Thessaly get 1 success each no one notices anything odd._

Starbuck leans against the wall in the lobby, “Basically if you could check on him make sure he is alright, that would be great.  I don’t want to alarm the boys, and no need to get the _Man_ involved you know?  Rather keep this low-key, I would totally owe you one.”

She directs the last part to Daniel.


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## Aenion (Sep 26, 2006)

"You were arguing about Star Wars?" Morrigan asks dubiously, the entire concept of comparing mystery plays with Star Wars and actually having an argument about it baffled her, _What are these people? Children playing at being mages? You have been granted the power to play the laws of the universe and you're discussing whether Star Wars was a mystery play for Luke or not? I can't bloody believe it..._


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## Shayuri (Sep 26, 2006)

Thessaly seems pleased with the praise, and laughs off the "turning revolutionary" episode.

Her smile fades as the situation is outlined, and when Starbuck looks at her, she's quick to say, "We'll definitely check up on your friend. He's probably just depressed...people can get that way sometimes. Still, we'll make sure."

She seems...nonplussed at the description of the argument, but manages to keep a serious face.


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## Lichtenhart (Sep 26, 2006)

Daniel is briefly entertained with the subject and begins considering it in his mind... then he remember he has more pressing matters.

"Don't worry, Starbuck you can trust us. It's OK. Would you like us to tell him anything when we find him? Otherwise just give me his address and we'll hit the road."

"Though I have to ask... This rune on the floor... I'm not familiar with it."


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## Tokiwong (Sep 26, 2006)

Lichtenhart said:
			
		

> "Don't worry, Starbuck you can trust us. It's OK. Would you like us to tell him anything when we find him? Otherwise just give me his address and we'll hit the road."



“Just tell him… well just make sure he is okay, “ she finishes.  She gives the cabal the directions.  Asimov lives outside of the town proper in a new housing development, slowly coming together.  It provides him with a modest amount of security and solitude.


			
				Lichtenhart said:
			
		

> "Though I have to ask... This rune on the floor... I'm not familiar with it."



She then looks down to the rune, “Oh this?  Well it means either ‘Solitude of Knowledge’ or ‘Fortress of Intellect’, depending on the inflection of the usage.  Atlantean isn’t an exact language in the modern sense so it expresses supernal ideas with ease.  But in translating that into a modern frame of reference it tends to lose something in the translation, you know?  So given that, it can actually reflect a multitude of meanings.  But essentially I just think it looks cool.”

Starbuck focuses back on Morrigan, “Hey to you it may just be a movie by a bunch of sleepers, to me Star Wars is an allegorical tale of mankind’s struggle to break free of the Lie; it may seem silly to you, but it has measure and it has weight.  You can either cling to the past and try to learn from thrice dead masters or we can learn from the now and see that this world is alive and we can learn more from observing the now then we can learn from clinging to a past that may not have ever been.”


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## Shayuri (Sep 27, 2006)

"Soo...the Fortress of Solitude?" Thessaly asks slyly, with a smile.

"Hey, Morrigan, you know, that Star Wars thing kind of even works if you think about it. You have the Emperor, who's a powerful user of 'the force' which is magic, right? He kills off all the other Jedi, which are like mages, to cement his own power! So Luke gets Awakened by Ben, trained by Yoda, and uses his magic to...uh...strike back."

She shrugs. "I don't remember the details, but I think I can see what they're talking about at least."

"Anyway, we should probably head out. Seeya, Starbuck! It was nice meeting you!"


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## Aenion (Sep 27, 2006)

_'I just think it looks cool...' Instead of watching movies all night, maybe you could let the rune inspire you and search for its true meaning..._ she thinks sceptically as she takes her time to commit the rune to memory.

"Silly is not the word I would use. This world may be alive but like all living things it will come to an end. Life is short and I believe there are more useful things to do with the power and time I've been given," she replies coolly, she was beginning to lose her patience with this woman.

"We will look into this", she says before following Thess out.


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## Lichtenhart (Sep 27, 2006)

"Now, now, ladies. Let's not turn this into a "my way is better! no mine is!" kind of discussion. It's useless. We haven't really been give powers, we each have been given a glimpse of the Truth, a tessera of a bigger mosaic. The others are scattered all around us, and there are no best places where to look them, just places that's our responsibility to search. If we all looked in the same place, we'd never find all of them. There are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt in our philosophy."

"Thessaly is right, Starbuck, we should be going. I only wanted to tell you this: remember when I told you about my theory of oblique reflections? Well, There's two ways of looking at it. In the first way you look for a direct reflection: the Emperor is an Exarch, Vader a Seer of the Throne, Yoda is a Thyrsus who mastered Forces. This is fine and deserves careful consideration. In the second way, the story bears an important message, but it's deformed and turned into symbols. Luke is a struggling soul. He knows that the universe is greater than the reach of his arms, and feels chained. Then maybe, the people he looks for in the three movies, Leila, Yoda and Vader, are the missing parts of his soul, the ones he has to find before he can finally say: I am complete, I know who I am. 'I'm a jedi, like my father before me'. This second way is surely more difficult, but I think is important too, because I can't believe the Supernal Realms would send the Sleepers messages that only the Awakened can read. Well, I'm getting carried away, we'll talk of this again. We'd better think of Asimov now.  Goodnight. I'll call you as soon as I know anything."


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## Tokiwong (Sep 27, 2006)

The mages leave, following the directions Starbuck gave them.  It is an easy drive and the trio arrive outside Asimov’s home at about ten in the evening.  The porch light is off, but there is a light on through the windows of what looks to be the living room, butt he curtains are drawn.

On the right side of the home is a home that is only partially constructed.  A modest sedan sits in the driveway.  A man is walking his dog down the sidewalk on the opposite side of the street.

It is a quiet evening from the looks of things.


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## Aenion (Sep 28, 2006)

Morrigan kept quiet during their drive there, only speaking when addressed. Once there she exits the van, putting her hands in the pockets of her coat, and takes in the street, _Nothing too unusual,_ she thinks, giving a curt, polite nod to the man walking his dog.

She plays with the two lead coins between her fingers as she attunes herself to the sight beyond life as she approaches the door, looking for signs of forced entry. Her natural inclination was to assume the worst, though in this case she half expected to find him still sulking from his little tiff with Starbuck.

ooc: casting her Grim Sight rote: 8 dice


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## Lichtenhart (Sep 28, 2006)

Daniel takes a look at Asimov's car, checking for signs of recent use. Then, worried that Asimov could have put wards around his house, he concentrates again to open his third eye. If his supernal vision doesn't warn him of any danger, he knocks softly on the door.

Eye of the Magus rote. 8 dice.


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## Shayuri (Sep 28, 2006)

Thessaly takes the scene in, watches the other two more experienced mages for a hint of what to do. Magic, of course, but which spell? Well, they were looking for a person, so...

She closes her eyes and attunes herself to subtler senses. At first she is aware of only herself. then she can see delicate lines radiating from the point of light she's become. These lines connect her to other points of light, which are in turn connected to still more. Looking at the Tapestry, or the Green, too long still made Thessalt dizzy, but she'd managed to make it come up at least. Concentrating on this vision; this map of the intricate web of life, she searches for a hint of Asimov's presence.

(Using Sense Life, not a rote. 5 dice. No mana as I understand it, cuz it uses one of my favored arcanum. Keyed to search for human life only.)


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## Tokiwong (Sep 28, 2006)

_Thessaly rolls 2 successes on the Sense Life spell, she can detect human beings in her vicinity out to 2 yards creating a safety net zone so no living thing can sneak up on her.  This improvised spell costs no mana._

Thessaly opens her senses to the pulse of life, she can sense the life force of her companions, and that of Asimov, or at least another living breathing human being in the home.

_Daniel rolls 5 successes on 8 dice for his rote, an exceptional success!_

Daniel invokes the practiced motions and enacts the spell Eye of the Magus.  The tough of the supernal is keenly obvious to the Obrimos.  He can feel like a tingle across his skin the weight of magic that pulses in the area.  The home is saturated with the aftertaste of Mind magic.  But the door is not warded in any way that Daniel can see. 

The sedan does not look like it has seen use, at least not any obvious use.

_Morrigan gets 1 success on her Grim Sight spell._

Morrigan adapts her senses to that of the dead.  The world takes on a pale pallor to her eyes, and the inevitability of death tinges everything she sees.  The home itself is not attuned to any great amount of death, it seems to be relatively normal from what she can see.


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## Shayuri (Sep 28, 2006)

(posted request for rules clarification in Talking the Talk)


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## Tokiwong (Sep 28, 2006)

Shayuri said:
			
		

> (posted request for rules clarification in Talking the Talk)



_Change done, on with the game!_


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## Lichtenhart (Sep 29, 2006)

Daniel looks at Thessaly and Morrigan asking for their approval, then knocks a little louder on the door. If after two or three times no one answers, he rings the bell.


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## Tokiwong (Sep 29, 2006)

Lichtenhart said:
			
		

> Daniel looks at Thessaly and Morrigan asking for their approval, then knocks a little louder on the door. If after two or three times no one answers, he rings the bell.



A long moment passes, before the door slides open slowly.  Asimov appears at the door.  He is tall, with a growing bald spot on the top of his head, and dark hair around the sides.  He has a growing beard and his eyes are bloodshot.

He looks warily at the gathered mages.  He speaks coarsely,  “What do you want?”  The man smells of body odor and sweat, wearing loose jeans.  Daniel sees an after image of supernal energy following his movements.  Morrigan can see the weight and brushes with death that nestle on this man’s soul.

He grunts, “I don’t have time for this… get off my property… I have work to do.”


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## Shayuri (Sep 29, 2006)

"Uh...hi," Thessaly volunteers. "I'm Thessaly. This is Daniel and Morrigan. We're friends of Starbuck's. She's really worried about you, and asked us to make sure you're okay. Sorry if we interrupted anything important."


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## Tokiwong (Sep 29, 2006)

Shayuri said:
			
		

> "Uh...hi," Thessaly volunteers. "I'm Thessaly. This is Daniel and Morrigan. We're friends of Starbuck's. She's really worried about you, and asked us to make sure you're okay. Sorry if we interrupted anything important."



 His eyes narrow, “Starbuck,” and groans, “you can tell her I am not coming back to the cabal.  I don’t need her, I don’t need them… they can all go to hell!  I bet you work for them… you came here to punish me.  You are afraid that I will complete my work.  You are all the same, you fear that which you do not understand.”

He glares, “I won’t quit my work… I am too close now.  I am too close to understanding!  I bet you came here to steal my work… just like everyone else.  They think they are too good for me, but they will see and even Starbuck will see, and she will regret ever resisting me!”


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## Lichtenhart (Sep 29, 2006)

Daniel frowns. This isn't the Asimov he met some times at the observatory, and there was that distinct feeling of Mind magic... He looks at him closely, trying to understand if Asimov is under some kind of curse, or the influence of another mage. If he finds that it is the case, he touches his pendant with a hand, infusing the other with Prime magic, and tears with decision at the threads that surround Asimov.

I'm not sure how an existing spell is identified. I hope Supernal Vision can do the trick. If I get the feeling he's under a Mind spell that I could tell he didn't cast on himself, I'll try to dispel it, as per the improvised spell Dispel Magic. That's 4 dice, and 1 mana point, but I'd like to spend a willpower point on it too.


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## Shayuri (Sep 29, 2006)

"Hey, slow down!" Thessaly asks, actually backing up a step and holding her hands out in a forestalling gesture. "We're not going to hurt you or take anything. Really! We just wanted to make sure you're okay. And...since you are..." She starts easing down the stairs. "We'll just be on our way."


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## Tokiwong (Sep 29, 2006)

_Asimov makes a reflexive check versus Daniel’s scrutiny and gets 1 success.  Daniel makes an Intelligence + Occult roll to scrutinize Asimov and see who has cast this possible mind spell on him.  This is a secret ST roll,  Daniel can identify the caster as Asimov…_

Asimov blinks, his eyes going wide, “You will not steal my secrets!”  Daniel focuses his third eye so to speak and tries to pick away and identify the caster of the spell that seems to currently affect Asimov.  The caster is himself… a simple matter to recognize the resonance of the Free Council Mastigos currently freaking out before him.

_*Initiative:** Thessaly 15, Morrigan 14, Asimov 12, and Daniel 8*_

_Thessaly goes first in Round 1 of combat.  Moving to combat speed since Asimov was spooked by Daniel!_


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## Shayuri (Sep 29, 2006)

Taken aback by the rapid descent of the conversation, Thessaly is struck with sudden terror. He was going to DO something! He was a mage, and he was going to use magic against them! The sheer variety of possible horrors involved with that drove any further desire to speak out of her. She had to stop him before this got out of hand!

Looking around, she saw that the lawn was in healthy condition and extended right up to the door. In her mind's eye, she saw the grasses near the door swaying as if under a wind nothing else could feel. Swaying, twining, growing...forming a green mass of tendrils that twists around Asimov's legs and cinches them tightly together as it climbs up his body like ivy up the side of a brick building. Growing around him until he's safely encased in a green coccoon, unable to see or move.

Fixing that in her mind, Thessaly reaches out, in a way she only barely understands herself so far. Drawing down the moon. So mote it be. A thousand benedictions in a thousand traditions all speak to one cosmic fact; this was her will, and for this moment in time, her will was Law. Superceding the lesser laws of the Fallen World; brushing them aside like the cobwebs they were.

How right she was to fear a duel between Awakened minds.

(Improvised spell, using Life 3 to create a sort of "super growth" in the grass near Asimov's door. The growth is directed in such a way as to envelop and contain him as quickly as possible. 5 dice, and I'll spend a point of Willpower too.)


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## Tokiwong (Sep 29, 2006)

Shayuri said:
			
		

> Taken aback by the rapid descent of the conversation, Thessaly is struck with sudden terror. He was going to DO something! He was a mage, and he was going to use magic against them! The sheer variety of possible horrors involved with that drove any further desire to speak out of her. She had to stop him before this got out of hand!
> 
> Looking around, she saw that the lawn was in healthy condition and extended right up to the door. In her mind's eye, she saw the grasses near the door swaying as if under a wind nothing else could feel. Swaying, twining, growing...forming a green mass of tendrils that twists around Asimov's legs and cinches them tightly together as it climbs up his body like ivy up the side of a brick building. Growing around him until he's safely encased in a green coccoon, unable to see or move.
> 
> ...



_Thessaly creates the Imago in her mind; first we test for Paradox since this is a vulgar spell.  She gets no successes on the Paradox check.  She uses a point of Willpower and gets 1 success on the Improvised Casting giving the spell a Potency of 1; Asimov needs one success on a Strength + Brawl roll to break free of the entangling grass!_

Thessaly taps into her Thyrsus nature and feels the pulse of the living world.  It flows through her and into the grass and by her will they reach out and enwrap around his limbs.  He looks with shock, glaring at the young mage.  “How dare YOU!” he shouts!

_Now Morrigan’s turn._


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## Aenion (Sep 29, 2006)

_Why do I have the feeling Starbuck didn't tell us everything,_ Morrigan thought when Asimov proved to have turned into a raving lunatic, not that the fact came as a complete surprise so were the ways of the Awakened. What worried her more was the fact she knew nothing of this mage other than his Shadowname, she cursed herself for coming here unprepared. There would be time for introspection later, now she had to act or someone would get hurt. She couldn't kill him, so the weapons she carried were ill-suited. Thessaly's spell showed good improvisation if a bit crude and ... weak, too weak. She had to strenghten the hold or he would break free with little difficulty.

A vision filled her mind, tendrils of shadow enveloping the immobilized man in their dark embrace, gagging his mouth and tieing his arms and legs to his body. These shackles of dark, cold death weaving together with the green, living grass in a tapestry of life and death.

Morrigan reaches out to the abundant shadows, urging them, forcing her will on to them,  she who had travelled their world was their mistress. The shadows around her seem to grow deeper as she draws on the arcanum of Death. As her spell takes form the others seem to detect movement just outside their field of vision. The pale woman seems like a spectre in the dark.

"I'd suggest you start explaining what you are working on. Or I will have to draw my answers directly from your soul," she speaks in a cold, threatening tone, as if she didn't care one bit if he were dead or alive. Her knife in her hand as she approaches the immobilized man.

ooc:
5 dice to cast improvised spell
Intimidation attempt: Presence+Intimidation 4 dice


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## Tokiwong (Sep 29, 2006)

_Morrigan rolls one dice to invoke Paradox, and she gets a success!  She invokes Havoc, she has the option to use Backlash and contain the Paradox in her pattern for 1 resistant bashing damage.  The spell succeeds though with only 4 dice now, she gets 1 success!_

Morrigan invokes the mysteries of death; reinforcing the Life spell already in effect!  Misty tendrils of ectoplasm and shadows binding the Free Council mage further fueling his madness and rage!


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## Aenion (Sep 29, 2006)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> _Morrigan rolls one dice to invoke Paradox, and she gets a success!  She invokes Havoc, she has the option to use Backlash and contain the Paradox in her pattern for 1 resistant bashing damage.  The spell succeeds though with only 4 dice now, she gets 1 success!_




ooc: she will take the backlash, I'll try to write her nimbus into my post


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## Tokiwong (Sep 29, 2006)

_Does Daniel still intend to dispel the Mind effect on Asimov?

LOL I am dumb, Asimov goes then Daniel goes!_


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## Tokiwong (Sep 30, 2006)

Asimov rages and then forces his will to form an imago in his mind.  His face focuses into a shield of hatred as he glares at Thessaly.  “So this is how the dogs of the lie shall treat me!  You betray me, I shall destroy you!”

Even bound the mage has power!

_Asimov uses an improvised spell of Psychic Assault!  He spends a Willpower point for additional effectiveness!  He subtracts Thessaly’s Resolve and gets 3 successes on the roll, Thessaly suffers 3 points of bashing damage!_

The mysteries of the mind are many, but to Asimov the mind is his greatest strength, a weapon he hones into a razor’s edge and assaults Thessaly’s senses with!  Her mind burns as Asimov rips through her unprepared psyche with a brutal mental assault, causing a slight trickle of blood from her nose!


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## Lichtenhart (Sep 30, 2006)

"No, Asimov, no!" Daniel steps in front of the mage and grabs him by the collar, so he can look  at him straight in the eyes.
"Stop hurting her, she did nothing to you! Look at me! I'm Daniel, and you saw me before. We are fellow members of the Free Council. I _don't_ work for Starbuck, and I'm _not_ here to steal any of your secret. She asked me to come, because she was worried about you, and when I saw you, I was worried too. It's obvious that you think you have enemies, but we are _not_ them. And if you don't believe me, look into my mind! I'm leaving myself completely open to you! Look for yourself if I'm telling the truth or not!"

This should be a social attempt,I guess. Maybe Presence+Persuasion? That would be 3 dice, but I'm throwing a willpower point at it.


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## Tokiwong (Sep 30, 2006)

_Daniel rolls 6 dice for the attempt and gets 1 success!_

Daniel pleads with Asimov.  The enraged Mastigos relents slightly focusing his attention to his fellow Libertine.  The addled mage speaks, “You are right brother… but these others they come to wrest my secrets!  They will stop at nothing then to see our brothers scattered, I will no longer stand by and be marginalized!”

Asimov trembles, “Release me!”

_*Round 2*, it is now Thessaly’s turn once more._


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## Shayuri (Sep 30, 2006)

Thess gasps and rocks backwards, holding out a hand futilely in a gesture of self defense.

"I'm not your enemy either," she blurts. "I don't care about any secrets..."

She shakes her head, releasing her spell. The grass fibers relax, and wither away in seconds.

"I guess I just overreacted...I'm sorry..."


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## Tokiwong (Sep 30, 2006)

_On a side note both Thessaly's and Morrigan's spell only had a duration of one turn as is... it is now Morrigan's turn._


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## Aenion (Sep 30, 2006)

Morrigan felt a bit woozy from when reality struck back at her for forcing her will on it. She shakes her head to clear the cobwebs from her mind, allowing the shadows to ebb back to where they came from with the same motion. The night seems to become brighter again as the shadows relax. She hides her knife from sight but doesn't relax her guard, ready to strike at any false move of the Obrimos. The determined look in her eyes tells that if he harms any of them again, she won't just restrain him.


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## Tokiwong (Sep 30, 2006)

Asimov rubs his wrists and then blinks, “Oh Jesus… what have I done?  I… damn it, I lost my way.”  He stumbles back from the mages arrayed around him.  He blinks as if a fog is lifting from his mind, “My god… Daniel… I am sorry.”

His voice is soft, “I lost it there.  Damn it, I knew it was dangerous but I figured I could control it.  I guess I… I need more time.  Oh man, I really screwed up.  Daniel, what day is it?  I guess there is a reason… a reason why those old fogies frown on goetic practices.”

Asimov grimaces, “Oh man I really screwed up.”


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## Lichtenhart (Oct 1, 2006)

Daniel checks on Thessaly, offers her a tissue for her bloody nose, then returns to Asimov.

"It's the 26th of August, Asimov. I think what you need now is a shower and a lot of sleep. This is Thessaly, she is Winnie's grand-daughter, I don't think you ever met. And this is Morrigan, she is new in town. Starbuck asked us to come check on you because she couldn't come herself and you weren't answering the phone. Asimov, she is really worried. I don't know what happened between you, but maybe you should call her. She looked sorry, and she really wanted to know if you were okay."

He sighs, checks on Thessaly again and takes a look around.

"If you don't mind, we'd better get in, before your neighbors call the police or worse. If you could let Thessaly have a glass of water, and maybe use the restroom, it would be great. Then... you don't have to tell us anything, but if you think talking would make you feel better, or if you need help for anything, I am here."


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## Tokiwong (Oct 1, 2006)

Lichtenhart said:
			
		

> "If you don't mind, we'd better get in, before your neighbors call the police or worse. If you could let Thessaly have a glass of water, and maybe use the restroom, it would be great. Then... you don't have to tell us anything, but if you think talking would make you feel better, or if you need help for anything, I am here."



Asimov nods, and lets the mages in.  He walks to the kitchen and gets a glass of water for Thessaly and a warm towel.  He heads upstairs for a few long moments.  The interior is relatively clean with shelves of books lining just about every wall.  There are several books on the floor by the couch, and there is no television in the living room.  Two lamps light the room. 

Asimov is upstairs for only a few moments before he returns, his hair wet and a towel in hand as he dries off his face.  He sighs taking a seat in a chair close to the unlit fireplace.  He rubs his temple with his hand and then speaks, “I plan to get some sleep tonight, and perhaps put my research aside for now.  I think you have done enough to help me, I have been experiencing black outs… loss of time.”

“I was hoping to keep it under control, but I perhaps over reached,” he pauses as if thinking, “I can’t let this get out, I would owe you a great boon if you could keep this a secret for now.  The Order of the Wyvern would love another reason to clamp down on our cabal… perhaps even get us chased out of town.  Fascist bastards.”

“Thessaly are you okay, I am sorry if I hurt you… I owe all of you an apology,” he gestures to Morrigan as well.


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## Shayuri (Oct 1, 2006)

Thessaly takes the glass of water, and dabs the tissue in it before pressing it back to her nose. She nods at Asimov.

"I'm okay. I guess I was kind of asking for trouble, wrapping you up like that. I just freaked out...you looked so mad, I thought you were going to strangle someone."

She laughs a little laugh and takes a sip. "I'll think twice next time before trying to mix it up with another magician."


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## Tokiwong (Oct 1, 2006)

Shayuri said:
			
		

> "I'm okay. I guess I was kind of asking for trouble, wrapping you up like that. I just freaked out...you looked so mad, I thought you were going to strangle someone."
> 
> She laughs a little laugh and takes a sip. "I'll think twice next time before trying to mix it up with another magician."



“Under the circumstances I am not quite sure how else you could have reacted.  My mind was clouded by the haze of a goetic demon, I was trying to best my inner demons and they got the best of me, causing me to act out my worst impulses.  I think given the circumstances you did what you could,” the Free Council mage replies.

“Facing another mage in combat is never a simple matter,” he adds.


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## Aenion (Oct 2, 2006)

Morrigan relaxes and sheaths her knife when Asimov seems to come to his senses and apologizes to them. She follows everyone inside, looking concerned at Thessaly, "Let me have a look at your nose," she offers, kneeling in front of Thessaly once she takes a seat. She performs a few quick checks to make sure she doesn't have a concussion.

She wasn't certain what spell Asimov had cast on her but she knew mind magic could seriously rattle your brain. Once she's satified Thess will be fine, she takes the towel and gently cleans the blood from her face before handing the towel to her and taking the tissue, "Here take this instead. You should be fine in a bit, just a nasty nose bleed," her thin, pale lips curve into a reassuring smile, the cold detachment seemed to fade some, "You did quite well considering our limitations. That was very quick thinking, if a tad dangerous."

She gets up again to get rid off the bloody tissue and wash her hands in the kitchen. Once back she takes a seat, taking a special mental note of the boon and the Order of the Wyvern. She isn't a politician but she recognises useful information when it arises.


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## Tokiwong (Oct 3, 2006)

Asimov sits brooding for a long moment before he looks up, his hands making a few discrete mudras.  He looks at each mage carefully, each in turn feeling the prickle of someone staring at them in turn.  He relaxes stroking his chin.

“I will contact Starbuck… tell her what happened,” he sighs as if dreading the situation, “I got a long night ahead of me.  I am sorry you had to see me this way.  I wanted to make a good impression on Thessaly, and I definitely did not want to attack her or any of you.”

He stands, “I hope you don’t feel to put out if I ask you to go on your way.  I have a few phone calls to make, and I would rather maintain some privacy.  But rest assured if you ever need a favor just let me know, I really owe you… all of you big time.”

Both Morrigan and Daniel can see with their mage sight, the nuances of a covert spell that Asimov cast on himself.  He stands opening the door, making sure that Thessaly is alright.  Asimov speaks, “You folks should get some rest.  I am sorry you had to come out here for all this confusion.”


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## Aenion (Oct 3, 2006)

"I think that would be for the best," Morrigan replies when Asimov tells them he'll call Starbuck. She plays with one of her lead coins between her fingers before she flips it up, one side depicting the Atlantean symbol for death, the other the pentacled star. She follows its movements as it tolls in the air. It lands in the palm of her hand with the star face up, briefly revealing the strands of fate connecting the people in the room to her.

ooc: Casting improvised Fate spell: Interconnections, 4 dice

Morrigan gets up without any fuss when Asimov ushers them out, "Make sure to get some rest yourself," she advices him, "A tired mind is less capable of resisting demonic influences," the last part sounds more like a warning.


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## Shayuri (Oct 3, 2006)

Still a bit dazed, Thessaly nods at Asimov's words and assures him, "It's all right. You weren't yourself. And it really wasn't that bad. Anyway...yeah, we should go, but we'll see you again. Get some rest!" She manages a smile for him as they pile out the door...

Once outside, she turns to the others, looking aghast.

"Demons? I think I'm confused. He was talking like he was possessed, but he also mentioned 'inner demons' and things. So which is it? And how can there be real demons if there isn't a Hell?"


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## Tokiwong (Oct 3, 2006)

_Morrigan gets 1 success on casting her Interconnections spell.  She gets 2 successes on a Wits + Empathy + Fate roll to identify the connections between people._

Morrigan’s coin lands in her hand, and instantly the strands that interconnect the fates of peoples, things, and ideas become visible to her like shimmering threads.  The thread between Daniel and Asimov is stronger then the connection Asimov has with Morrigan and Thessaly.

Morrigan can see a thread that leads from Asimov to a closed door on the opposite side of the room, it is strong and vibrant.  She sees her own thread closely tied with Daniel and Thessaly, but there is a thread from Thessaly and Daniel that leads away from the home and off into the night back towards town.

The world is filled with connections…


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## Aenion (Oct 3, 2006)

"Curious," Morrigan mumbles as she gets up, _A wife? A loved one? Or maybe a book or an item that got him to call forth his inner demon?_ she wonders, remembering the taint of death that surrouned Asimov when he first stepped outside, _The lock on that door doesn't look too solid doesn't it? Now what if force would be applied to it at the right time, like a gust of wind from an opening door? Or maybe a broom sliding against it? Someone knocking over a chair?_ an imago begins to form in her mind, she flips the coin up again this time catching it in midair and pocketing it without looking at it. She doubted it would work, but sometimes you just had to have Fate.

ooc:
Improvised Fate spell "Shifting the Odds" hoping for a lucky break that allows her a peek beyond the door. 4 dice It's probably a bit much for Fate 2


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## Tokiwong (Oct 3, 2006)

Aenion said:
			
		

> "Curious," Morrigan mumbles as she gets up, _A wife? A loved one? Or maybe a book or an item that got him to call forth his inner demon?_ she wonders, remembering the taint of death that surrouned Asimov when he first stepped outside, _The lock on that door doesn't look too solid doesn't it? Now what if force would be applied to it at the right time, like a gust of wind from an opening door? Or maybe a broom sliding against it? Someone knocking over a chair?_ an imago begins to form in her mind, she flips the coin up again this time catching it in midair and pocketing it without looking at it. She doubted it would work, but sometimes you just had to have Fate.
> 
> ooc:
> Improvised Fate spell "Shifting the Odds" hoping for a lucky break that allows her a peek beyond the door. 4 dice It's probably a bit much for Fate 2



 Morrigan gently nudges fate in the right direction, calling down the mystery of Fate and allowing it to flow through her as an instrument, but then taking that flow and massaging it to a positive end for herself.  Asimov holds the door open and a black cat races in and bumps the back door, slipping into the room.  The door slides back revealing a study, with several tomes sitting on a desk and a patio.  With her Mage Sight still in effect she can see what looks to be the flowing energy of a hallow.

But her vision is focused on the thread that entwines itself with a tome on the desk and Asimov.  Asimov sighs in frustration, “That damn cat, I swear my neighbors must love to torment with her.  He groans, “I hope she isn’t making a mess again…” he lets go of the door and gets the cat returning after a few moments with the critter in hand.  

_Morrigan spends 2 mana, one for Improvised Spell, another 1 for using this effect.  She is now down to 5 mana.  She rolls 1 success on the improvised spell, and it is successful._


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## Lichtenhart (Oct 4, 2006)

"Goodnight, Asimov, and take care. Heed Morrigan's advice, and While you have to be alone for this kind of practice, make sure you have someone to check on you and see if it's all ok. See you around."



> "Demons? I think I'm confused. He was talking like he was possessed, but he also mentioned 'inner demons' and things. So which is it? And how can there be real demons if there isn't a Hell?"




"We all carry around our own heaven and hell. Mastigos believe that they become stronger if they face and master the darkest part of themselves. But the demons of the mind, one's own sins, can be every bit as terrifying as real ones."

Daniel's jaw tenses, as he think of the thunderbolts searing his soul.

"Nice dagger, Morrigan. I'm glad you didn't have to use it."


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## Aenion (Oct 4, 2006)

Morrigan was a bit surprised herself when the cat shot inside, she hadn't expected her spell to work. She would have to study that tome someday, find out why Asimov was so obsessed with it, "I'll drop her off for you, if you want," she proposes when he returns with the black cat, she takes the cat from him, murmuring, "Good kitty," it always paid to treat Fate's messengers with kindness. Once he closes the door, she kisses the critters furry head and puts it on the ground with a whispered thanks.

She returns her concentration to Thessaly's questions, "I don't know much about demons personally. But Krishna always described them as the manifestations of the darker side of the Supernal. All I know for sure is that dealing with them is dangerous at best and should never be undertaken lightly."

She nods at Daniel and answers simply, "So am I... I could do with a cup of coffee right now."


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## Tokiwong (Oct 4, 2006)

_Preludes comes to an End_


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