Mage The Awakening AP by Dave Brookshaw - Soul Cage Part 1

The Soul Cage pt1
Contents
2 – Pre-campaign babble
11 – Samael
12 – Cobalt
13 – Persephone
14 – Prelude; Session 0.1
49 – Cabals of the Consilium/ Creative Thaumatargy
50 – The Mourning After; Session 1.1
82 – Welcome to the Jungle; Session 2.1
94 – Some Dave Ramblings
148 – The Hounds of Winter; Session 3.1
255 – When you were young; Session 4.1
320 – Legacy Attainments
348 – Timeline
365 – Q&A with Samael
367 – The Tourist’s guide to Mictlan
370 – Monster; Session 5.1
417 – Deleted Scene; Persephone and Aegis
494 – Cast list
496 – Cobalt updated
498 – Samael updated
499 – Persephone updated
500 – Butterflies and Hurricanes; Session 6.1
616 – Dave Exposition
1. [Mage: The Awakening] The Soul Cage

[Mage: The Awakening] The Soul Cage
The Boy child is locked in the fisherman's yard

There's a bloodless moon where the oceans die
A shoal of nightstars hang fire in the nets
And the chaos of cages where the crayfish lie
Where is the the fisherman, where is the goat?

Where is the keeper in his carrion coat?
Eclipse on the moon when the dark bird flies
Where is the child with his father's eyes?
These are the Soul Cages
He's the king of the ninth world

The twisted son of the fog bell's toll
In each and every lobster cage
A tortured human soul
These are the souls of the broken factories
The subject slaves of the broken crown
The dead accounting of old guilty promises
These are the souls of the broken town
'I have a wager' the brave child spoke

The fisherman laughed, though disturbed at the joke
'You will drink what I drink, but you must equal me
And if the drink leaves me standing
A soul shall go free'
'I have here a cask of most magical wine

A vintage that blessed every ship in the line
It's wrung from the blood of the sailors who died
Young white bodies adrift in the tide'
'And what's in it for me my pretty young thing?

Why should I whistle, when the caged bird sings?
If you lose a wager with the king of the sea
You'll spend the rest of forever in the cage with me'
A body lies open in the fisherman's yard

Like the side of a ship where the iceberg rips
One less soul in the soul cages
One last curse on the fisherman's lips
Swim to the Light
He dreamed of the ship on the sea

It would carry his father and he
To a place they could never be found
To a place far away from this town
A Newcastle ship without coals
They would sail to the island of souls.
- Sting, The Soul Cages
Welcome, faithful reader!
This Actual Play is the meeting of two groups - I'm the overly-wordy person responsible for A|State: Eye of the
Needle, Everway: Long Road Home, Deliria: Into the Woods, hopefully one day Deliria: The Good Parents, but
most especially Mage: The Awakening: Broken Diamond.
Broken Diamond ended on a high, the only high in a particularly turbulent time for me. I worked for a certain
major UK bank, you see, which got itself into difficulties in late 2007. Combined with my Fiancee getting a job
offer, I upped sticks and moved to the South.
Where I quickly acquired the storyteller and player of the excellent "Hunting Ground: Echoes of the Past" as my
new gaming group.
So say hello to Chris (Acrozatarim) and Agena (Mrok Girl)!
Now, I haven't actually started *running* this game yet - and I have yet to even meet Agena in the flesh. I've
got a whole bunch of stories in my head, though, and the theme and mood of the chronicle have rapidly
evolved into something solid over the last few weeks. There's been a flurry of PMs behind the scenes hashing
out character ideas and explaining bits of the setting.
Today, I felt like it turned a corner. So I'm starting this thread off "early", which gives me an opportunity to do
something I've always wanted to: Go into the creation process. This, then, for the next few weeks, is the
process of creating a chronicle. If you just want the game itself, come back in a while.
Next up: The Initial Spark
1. The Fallen World - a prison for human souls, bound by the Abyss and manipulated by the
Exarchs. Preyed upon by a multitude of creatures, spirits and intruders from elsewhere.
Mages are the only ones that can see the bars. They breath the Supernal air once - only once,
during their Awakening, and are then trapped back in the Cage for the rest of their lives. Magic is
both a great gift and a great curse, the curse of having seen the Real, Supernal world which you
are now forever denied.
Close your eyes in a Demense. Meditate on the Resonance of a powerful spell. Catch a glimpse of
a Cryptid from across a fog-shrouded moor and smell, just for an instant, the breeze coming
through the bars of the Cage.
-------------
I never intended to run Mage again.
Is true. I was intending, while running Broken Diamond, that I would move on to Star Wars Saga,
or maybe Blue Planet (I have a long-running fondness for Blue Planet). But the abrupt end to the
old game made me realise that yeah, actually, there was an awful lot left to cover in the game.
Which is where The Soul Cage comes in.
This Chronicle will very deliberately shy away from the facets of the game heavily covered by
Broken Diamond. It's an attempt to do the OTHER side of Mage: The Awakening
So, before I even moved house, I made a brief plea for players on the other thread and got
myself to thinking.
First job - go through the themes identified of the game and see which I felt I'd "done" and which
I didn't. Then see what gaps in the background there were, and what material in the game line I'd
liked but been unable to use.
Themes
Masks and Identity Crisis / Everybody Lies / Paranoia
Mages are never who they pretend to be. Rejecting the names that the world gave them, either
out of fear of them being misused or out of a desire to break from the person they were, almost
all Awakened take a Shadow Name - at it's least a meaningful moniker that serves as their
"callsign" but at it's most an entirely new persona. The person they *want* to be, and would be if
they weren't in the Fallen World. Vampires grow fangs when they drink blood, Werewolves
transform and Changelings and Prometheans hide their true appearance beneath illusions, but
Mages have their "game-face" too.
They just don't have the luxury of knowing themselves which one is real. Is Beltane pretending to
be Robert, or is Robert pretending to be Beltane?
And what if he decided to be Athame in the next Consilium over? Who's going to know?
I think I got "Identity Crisis" well out of my system last time, but I still like "Masks". There was
noone in the last setting that was... complex, Shadow-self wise. Everyone had their real names
and, by the end, it seemed everyone knew it. I want to have situations where the characters
have no idea who the Mage they're dealing with "really is". Where one of your closest allies or
worst enemies, someone you've known for years, ups and vanishes and you have no way of
knowing what happened to them - or if you read their orbitury last week - because you never
knew what their name was. Where it's possible to be utterly alone in the middle of a Consilium
because all those Mages you interact with? Might as well not exist outside of the Caucus.
Where, ultimately, the only people you *do* know for certain are your Mentor and Cabal mates.
Or at least, you'd like to hope you do.
Fighting Fire With Fire / Morals are for Mortals - Wisdom
Or "Using the tools of the Enemy". In the sense of "Mages controlling populations so they don't
get out of hand, ignoring the fact that that's what Seers do", I think this was pretty much played
out. In the wider sense of forgetting, for a crucial instant, that you're supposed to be the *good*
guys, it's in no way done with.
The Mysterium never throws anything away. The most vile Daemonicons of Left-Handed Legacies,
the secret names that can be used to summon the foulest things from the Abyss, they lock away
but never destroy.
Because it might come in handy one day.
What if the solution can be found in the Left Hand path?

Magic is tempting. When you can achieve the wildest of your whims with a little dedication and
study, your moral compass becomes a thing to pay very careful attention to. When you can kill a
man with your brain, you have to guard your thoughts.
I never did the slide of Wisdom to my satisfaction last Chronicle. I want to get into it deep this
time. What does it mean to be able to read private thoughts, or change fate? That kind of thing.
Atlantis and Alchemy
Here's the thing. As each and every Mage Supplement adds more to the Backstory (Mysterium
and Adamantine Arrow are especially good in this regard) to Atlantis and the Fall, I like it more
and more. I love the backstory to Mage. The continents that never existed. People with Aztec-
sounding names from forgotten histories of blood and flies. Ancient temples built in Atlantean
colonies to hide the things the Exarchs didn't want airing. Outside of the parts of Broken Diamond
taken from Reign of the Exarchs, we never did this last time. We never ran away from the Temple
Guardians through an impossible, collapsing n-space clutching a crystal skull.
I want to.
To those, I add;
Rattling The Bars
Mages are curious to a fault, and more capable than any other Supernatural of shining light (even
if it's a deeply biased half-light of a specific colour) into the unmentionable corners of the World
of Darkness. It's a big setting - even leaving out the Fatsplat "races", there's Cryptids galore,
Zombies, Monsters, Mysterious Places, Ghost stories, Ruined Temples, Changing Breeds,
Psychics, Spirits, the Astral Realms, Abyssal Manifestations and plenty - plenty of unclassifiable
"others".
I want to explore the edges of the World of Darkness. Testing the bars of the Soul Cage.
And that's where the Chronicle got it's name.
The Soul, Caged
Which brought me to this one. Souls weren't a big thing in the oWoD - they remained elusive to
Magic(k), and were something felt rather than observed. Awakening, though, has Death Spells to
remove it, Legacies based on Evolving it, Soul Stones made of it, Tremere that consume it, Astral
journies into it and an Abyss inside it.
Souls are going to be important to the Chronicle.
The Awakening
Broken Diamond, viewed from the long, is the story of an Ascension. A very long, trilogy-of-books
drawn out Ascension.
Soul Cage will be the story of Awakening. We're going to start at the beginning, show the
characters' Awakenings and apprenticeships. "Awakening", the revelation that your world has
changed and won't ever go back, will be a hopefully constant, thrubbing theme. Expect plot
twists and the Chronicle changing direction every few stories as more layers are peeled off it.
Now to get me some players.

2. Random Post-it-notes in Time
From the thread on the nWoD Changing Breeds book...
Originally Posted by DaveB

I flicked through it on my way to buy Winter Masques about an hour ago. My initial impressions is that is the
Fera from oWoD updated the same way the Uratha are kinda-not-really the Garou. Yes, there are Bastet, but...
Each major type (Cats, Giant Frikken Monsters, Birds, Rodents, Dog-likes, Primates, Bears, Horse/Deer/Goat/etc
types) are split down into lots of specific races. I get the distinct impression that you're not supposed to use
*all* of them in a chronicle.
As for where they sit usability-wise, I'm currently in the process of planning out a Mage The Awakening
chronicle the other way from my last - kind of a Secrets of the Ruined Temple, Astral Realms and Mysterium
chronicle rather than a Sanctum and Sigil, Reign of the Exarchs and Guardians of the Veil one.
I am in the market for bizzare shit that Mages can't explain. Atlantean Temples in the deepest jungle guarded
by monkeys that walk like men and use weapons are where it's at. I am so getting this once I have the funds.
Mind you, I don't have Skinchangers.
I don't care how inappropriate for a street-level Vampire game the Wereelephants are - they're entirely
appropriate for a Hyperborean Horror Tale Mage game.
And from Broken Diamond's post-chronicle wrapup and general assorted Love-In:

It's never over till it's over...
I'm moving house in two weeks' time, down from Newcastle to Cheltenham. And I have decided to try to run
Mage again.
The proposed second Awakening game / Actual Play thread would be kind of the other side of Awakening -
drawing heavily from Mysterium, Secrets of the Ruined Temple and Astral Realms rather than Guardians of the
Veil, Reign of the Exarchs and Sanctum & Sigil like this one did.
Because a very old friend (and, when I and my SO get settled dahn sahth enough to find a registrar, my best
man) lives down there, and because he was the guy who played the Virtual Adept in my oMage trilogy many
many moons ago (the one from which Roriko in Broken Diamond is copied), I am mentally assigning it the title
of "Cobalt and the Fate of Atlantis"
I want to prove that the nWoD *can* do globe-trotting and such. Less of the politics (though there will be
politics), more of the giant rolling boulders. magic giant rolling bolders.
So I ask again - anyone in the Bristol / Worcester / Swindon / Cheltenham / Gloucester area wanting to game?
There's fame on this forum in it for you...
1. That last Message got Chris to volunteer as a player, and he recruited Agena. I was busily
working (still am busily working) on an old friend of mine who lives down here - he was waiting to
hear back from a job interview of his own, so I didn't know if he'd be around to be a prospective
player.
In the meantime, I re-read the entire game line of Awakening, making notes on things that I
wanted to do. The "Mysterium & Secrets of the Ruined Temple & Astral Realms" quote above
pretty much sums up my initial bias for the chronicle.
I went into Bristol to meet Chris and determine that he wasn't an axe murderer or anything in
early January, and we discussed our gaming experience. I'd read his AP thread, and heard about
the Mage game his group briefly ran.
Having two definite players (still no word on the prospective third), we began brainstorming over
PMs...
1. Re: [Mage: The Awakening] The Soul Cage

After asking Chris and Agena what they wanted out of a Mage game.
Agena replied "use our shiny powers to do some good stuff, maybe rescue some people, solve some mysteries
and generally earn awe and glory"
Which, while rather non-specific, at least fits with the generally more action-adventurey tone I was thinking of.
Chris had ideas for an Obrimos of the Mysterium or Free Council, whose Nimbus is expressed as coloured glass.
Possibly one who creates imbued items. He also wanted to try to break away from overly-paranoid characters
such as he has played in the past. Someone optimistic.
Agena pretty firmly got the idea of playing an Acanthus around this point too - someone generally cheerful who
likes to (or feels compelled to) travel.
Thinking some more about the Chronicle, reading lots of books (I got Asylum and - finally - Shadows of the UK
around this period, and dug the hell out of both) and being bored at work produced the following PM to the
gang;

So then. Isolated and strange thoughts one dull Monday lunchtime...
I am trying for a global feel. Mages do travel (there's no real way to stop them, when 1/5th of the society can
teleport after basic training) but tend to have a home base they go back to - you engage with politics in your
home Consilium, but interact with other Magely societies as you trek about. In with that, I'm going to try to put
a bit more variation into Consiliums - the one shown in Broken Diamond is only one variant possible, and It'll
add to the feel of moving around if different cities are set up differently.
I've had reason to reread the Seers of the Throne material in the gameline recently, and I think I didn't quite do
them properly - they're informants and snitches for the prison guards, not the prison guards themselves. It's a
different feel.
Fallen World oddness - fortean events, cryptids, odd places and the unexplained corners of the World of
Darkness.
More of an action-adventure feel than BD, as much as the WoD system allows. I have thoughts of starting the
chronicle in the middle of an elaborate action sequence, flashing back to the PCs Awakenings and then through
basic training to the start of the action sequence. If you're willing to give such a narrative device a go.
The chronicle's called "The Soul Cage" - I want to explore the edges of the Fallen World, how it's a prison built
for human souls by the Exarchs and how you rattle it at the edges. There are a couple of Legacies based
around the Soul and the mechanism of people Awakening, all quite different, and I thought I'd contrast them.
Look up the Sting Lyrics if you like.
In deference to your relative beginner-ness, I'll start the chronicle relatively low-powered and really go to town
on the descriptions of spellcasting. It'll help in understanding it, and believe me - you'll soon get the hang of it.
It will help that I have Tome of the Mysteries, which greatly improves the sense of what your character's doing
while you're calculating dice pools.
I'd like to actually play through the characters' Awakenings in a prelude. I normally don't.
There's a bad guy Legacy I never did use after intending to for ages, and they fit in wonderfully with what Chris
has said so far about his character.
I never really used the Orders in Broken Diamond, and I'd like to this time around.
So... Yeah. If you want to know anything about the game line, details on the Paths, Orders or Legacies, just
shout.
As we went through various rules and setting discussions about Orders, Nimbuses, how to Imbue items,
Legacies and so on, the characters began to fill out. At last count (Friday);
Originally Posted by Acrozatarim

one thing this got me to thinking was that as an Obrimos, the character is probably... hmm, possessing of
energy that *could* be channelled into some framework based off his original religious faith, but could also get
channeled into other endeavours. Probably someone who throws themselves into their passions with plenty of
effort, such as whatever my mental image of all these colours of light and glass turns out to be (whether as an
artisan, artist, collector or suchlike).
While pondering this, I was listening to the club remix of an In Flames song, Cloud Connected, and this sparked
some inspiration in me to consider that perhaps the character is something of a club-goer - or rather, a
passionate and ardent one, someone who loves to be amidst a throng of people all moving, feeling and acting
as a crowd under that strange kind of energy that music can inspire. Then I listened to the lyrics of the song
and, while some of it is useless for drawing a connection with Mage themes, there's a few lines that fit nicely.
People like you

You live in a dream world
You despise the outside
And you fear you're the next one
Oddly, most of the online lyrics disagree on the fourth line there, also listing it as 'and you fear the next one' or
even 'and you feel it burn'.
Anyway, from this spark I then leapt onto the next idea - perhaps his approach to clubs and their atmospheres
is that he sees them as similar to the kinds of group energy and fervour whipped up by religions. It's a different
kind of experience, certainly, but what you can end up with if all the factors are right is a big mob of people
expending loads of mental and physical energy on feeling alive.
I'm not entirely sure where this line of thought will end up yet.
While Agena's Acanthus briefly flirted with being a Thyrsus, and then...
(after a discussion on the Awakening)

Originally Posted by Mrok Girl
I have an image that is tied to that somehow. It will be propably connected with finding something out and then
running away from it into the arms of Awakening.
The exact image I have now is my character standing on a kind of crossroad in a city infront of a big TV screen,
looking at it, then a sight of horror on her face and the next thing she knows she's fleeing. There's no
background to this, only a blur of surrounding and she, running away as fast as she can.
Not exactly sure how to tie this to the Acanthus path though. I'll have a read through the tome of the
watchtowers and see if there's anything that might help.
(After I suggested that someone she knows could be being interviewed on the TV)
Originally Posted by Mrok Girl

like the bit when someone she knows is being interviewed on TV causing her to realise something. Adds a bit of
mystery to the Awakening - realising something as in opening her eyes for something. Not quite sure what it
might be though.
I have also some ideas of my own what might terrify her but not sure if they won't be too emo
For example it might be that the news tell about some number of people being crippled/died because of
something she put her hand on - maybe it was supposed to be a prank, maybe something more serious like
helping her boyfriend with a terrorist attack or something. Or even her love or someone from the family has
been the victim. She knew from the beginning it was't a good idea but maybe she thought she's going to get
away with it or maybe someone convinced her there won't be any casualities or consequences. Then she sees
on TV what exactly happened and realises it was her fault and that she's been punished for being a bad girl.
The news presenter says the police is on the trail of people involved in this so she naturally thinks they are on
their way for her and runs away, driven with guilt and convinced she should be punished for this somehow.
Or maybe she did something completely unrelated and then sees on the TV that I don't know, there was a
horrible accident somewhere and one of her family/loved one/friend gets horribly mangled in it and she
somehow knows it's a punishment for her for what she did.
At that point I had the 'click' - everything (the character's youth, their designs so far, the fact I wanted to use
the UK but not be particularly Consilium-based, the fact that I might end up writing a third player in at short
notice even after the game had started, the fact I wanted to do a Mentor-Student story that I hadn't done
before, the fact that I explicitly didn't want to end up rewriting anyone's background like I'm notorious for
doing) fell together, and while driving home I came up with the first two stories, five npcs and a general
chronicle 'map'.
None of which, for obvious reasons, I can reveal right now. But that click is what led me to decide it was time to
start this thread, and get everything going.
I was immediately interrupted by something else that took my attention this weekend . But I'm back now,
and the juices are flowing.
And when did the thread get to page 2 already?
(Looks over all the heaps of posts)
Wow... Hi guys! Thanks for all the messages of support, and hope you enjoy the show...

Originally Posted by Zooroos
What's your opinion about Shadows of the UK, being a local and all? I've loved every bit of it, and I was
curious to know whether the material is up to the expectations of British people (whitout intending
generalizing, mind you, only you as a native to that land).
It was written by British people. And (and I know you didn't) people who keep bringing up Isle of the Mighty are
missing the point. I actually quite *liked* Isle of the Mighty back in the Mage-second and Changeling-first days
of the oWoD, despite everything, and think that Shadows of the UK would have done much better being
focused on nCHangeling and nMage rather than nWerewolf (and yes, I know it was reportedly half-written as a
Werewolf book before being expanded).
Because the Uk doesn't have any Wolves in it.
That aside, though, it was great, and very economical. The details of the London and Canavon Consilia are
going into Soul Cage, though I'll probably add whichever city the game ends up being set near to. The Vampire
details were excellent, as is the Uk's spirit world. I just wish it had come out after Changeling so as to
incorporate that game, too.
The Blood Farm is one of two things in any World of Darkness book, old or new (and I've been a WoD gamer
since 1992) that has actually given me the shudders. I sent Wood a congratulatory pm to that effect after I read
it.
Could you care to explain this a bit more, please? I've loved what you did with the Seers of the Throne back in
the BD chronicle, and I wonder what do you mean with that.
They're still Mages. They Awaken like every else does (Seer beliefs about some of them being selected to
Awaken by the Exarchs nonwithstanding), so they're much more Traitors working for the Archons than the
Archons themselves.
Also, I've been ruminating about Awakening's backstory last week. At first after reading the corebook, I found it
desperately lacking and imprecise, having a thorough description of the Atlantean legend and then moving
forward to contemporary times without even a passing look to actual history. I've read Secrets of the Ruined
Temple and I sighed with relief reading the excellent first chapter of Atlantean apocrypha. I hope every other
supplement would care for a interesting backstory like that one did.
But when I recently read the Mysterium I was surprised about the lack of dates, names and momentous
events in the story of the order. I know this may sound like some rantish criticism, but there were no big time
mistagogues mentioned, no renowned cabals called by their names, no secret meetings and schism wars nor
mystical events influencing the Order's philosophy in actual, historical times. It seemed to me that the Fall was
the single event that influenced the order onwards, and little else mattered afterwards.
But the Mysterium DID have a Schism, right there in their book - they split into the Keepers of the Word and the
Pancryptites, and only reformed into a single Order later on. And the mystical event influencing their
philosophy the most was "New Atlantis", which the Guardian of the Veil book puts in Hellenic times. If they're
the same "new Atlantis".
So: What do you think of Awakening backstory? Are you thinking to incorporate some heavy backstory in your
chronicle? If so, how would you intend to portray magical historical events?
I am often confused by people claiming nWoD games don't have a backstory - Awakening has a pretty well-
defined Backstory that's approaching Exalted's first Age for detail, spread out across the gameline. We know far
more about the Fall and it's immediate aftermath, then the world's progression through the mythic hyperborean
age and into recorded history than I ever thought that we would. The Adamantine Arrow book in particular goes
into quite specific detail about the invasion of Atlantis by the exiled Mages that caused the Ladder to shatter.
The universe is pretty well detailed, too - Astral Realms is especially good, with the gateways to the supernal
realms (now closed), the Astral Abyss being made of the blood of the Dragon killed by the Ladder shattering
and details of what the Ladder *was*.
Historical events, I think, are best steered clear of in case of the "Rasputin was a Mage" syndrome. I think the
Veil would preclude Mages becoming major historical figures anyway, and the recent histories of any Consilia
should be up to the Storyteller.
Er.
That's what you said, really, isn't it?
My point still stands, though - there's a lot of historical details dropped here and there (Mysterium talks about
Ghana, the European Middle Ages, the Icelandic Sagas, the Enlightenment...) that if you collected them
together after another couple of years' game line, I bet it'll rival the History chapter of oMage's Guide to the
Traditions.
If it didn't blatantly break copyright, I might be tempted to give that a go, actually.
So yes, I'll be coming up with and including a fair amount of historical backstory in the Chronicle, but the
prehistorical backstory that provides all those Ruined Temples is already well documented.

Cobalt isn't the goddamn Batman.
Yes, last night was the first meet and greet of the full group plus the mechanical parts of character creation.
Which was a hellova lot more fun than it sounds - you can characterise groups many different ways but the
Soul Cage group is laughter. There were a lot of "you had to be there" moments.
MONKEYS THAT WALK AS MEN

Characters were done on a slightly different method - the Mage Template had everything post-Awakening
removed from it, so characters were built as follows;
Take a standard 0-xp WoD character.
Add the extra resistance attribute, Gnosis 1, 1 Arcana dot in each Ruling Arcana, 1 extra Arcana dot and the
Unseen Sense (Everything) Merit. Add Rote specialties (but no actual rotes) for the Order courting the
character. You now have a bran newly-Awakened Mage.
Then add 50 xp (because it's a round number. It actually would take 44 or so for the above to buy the rest of
the Mage template, depending on what they bought Arcana up to).
No one may use magic to combine the properties of a scimitar and white phosphorous grenades, no matter
how cool it will look scything through hordes of the undead
The results are characters who are a bit more worldy than a starting Mage - they have slightly higher skills - but
are varying ways through their training. Everyone bought the High Speech merit, so they've done that, but they
have different amounts of Arcana and Rotes. No one has Gnosis higher than 1. The idea is that they're not fully
trained when adventure comes a'callin in the prelude.
Which has the coincidental effect of getting everyone used to using magic in a cunning, low-powered fashion
before they get the ability to blow people's brains up.
They're also pleasingly non-combat optimised, despite me selling this as a more pulp adventure sort of a
chronicle - they're reasonably athletic, and they have the beginnings of skills that could come in handy, but
they're people.
Character-wise, we have two Free Council members with Mysterium leanings and one Mystagogue with Free
Council leanings. So I am going to play the rivalry between the two Orders up in the game - not within the
Cabal, but in the Consiliums (Consilia?) that they encounter to greater or lesser effects.
Imagine being a Bokor. It's great. Zombie raising is normally a losing proposition as they suffer from Disbelief.
But if you're a Bokor they're made with Attainments. Some guy spills your pint? UNLEASH THE UNLIVING
HORDE
Chris' Obrimos is the furthest along in his magical training, with Dave's Moros being the brand-new to this guy
and Agena's Acanthus somewhere in the middle.
The Cabal's motivations for being wandering Archaeomancers and pokers of noses in differ - the Moros is in it
for the fame and fortune, the Acanthus for the experience and the Obrimos - bless him - for the enlightenment.
All the three-eyed hermaphrodites live on the Isle of Man. They fit right in.
I have the character sheets here somewhere. I will post them in a bit.
So. Say hello to Cobalt (maninblue), Samael (acrozatarim) and... Well... I'm not sure if the Shadow name
written on her sheet is her actual shadow name or one of the fake ones. But we'll call her Persephone (Mrok
Girl) for now.
And on that note...
Samael
Real name: Jeremiah Morrison

Order: Mysterium
Path: Obrimos
Virtue: Hope
Vice: Pride
Intelligence 3
Wits 2
Resolve 3
Strength 3
Dexterity 2
Stamina 3
Presence 3
Manipulation 1
Composure 2
Academics 2 (Religion)
Computer 1
Crafts (Glass) 3
Investigation 2 (ROTE)
Occult 1 (ROTE)
Science 2
Athletics 2
Brawl 1
Drive 1
Survival 0 (ROTE)
Empathy 2
Expression 1
Persuasion 1
Socialise 2 (Clubs)
Streetwise 1
Resources 2
Iron Stamina
Occultation 1
Striking Looks 2
Destiny 1
High Speech
Health 8
Willpower 5
Gnosis 1
Wisdom 7
Initiative 4
Speed 10
Defense 2
Fate 1
Forces 2
Life 1
Prime 3
Rotes: Organic Perception, Flight of Birds, Lhaksmit's Touch

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i135/nochtli/MtA/MtAw-Samael.jpg
Cobalt
Real name: Rex Williams

Order: Free Council
Path: Moros
Virtue: Fortitude
Vice: Envy
Intelligence 3
Wits 3
Resolve 3
Strength 2
Dexterity 2
Stamina 3
Presence 2
Manipulation 2
Composure 3
Academics 1
Computer 1
Crafts 2 (ROTE)
Investigation 3 (Artefacts)
Occult 1
Science 3 (ROTE) (Metallurgy) - See Merits
Athletics 3
Brawl 2
Drive 1 (Pursuit)
Firearms 1
Survival 1
Weaponry 1
Expression 1
Intimidation 1
Persuasion 1 (ROTE)
Socialise 1
Area of Expertise (Science)

Resources 3
Iron Stamina
Barfly
High Speech
Health 8
Willpower 6
Gnosis 1
Wisdom 7
Initiative 6
Speed 9
Defense 2
Death 1
Matter 3
Rotes: Alter Shape
Cobalt's Rote is of a spell that I'll stat out tonight - there's a spell to change the substance of one thing to another, and
one to make it plastic, but there's no spell we could see to alter something's shape while keeping it's mass and the
substance it's made of the same. Judging by other spells in Matter, I'm putting it as Matter 3 and will bodge together
the mechanics at my leisure.
The Area of Expertise Merit is from Free Council. His mettalurgy specialty of science grants twice the bonus of a normal
specialty.
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i135/nochtli/MtA/MtAw-Cobalt.jpg
Persephone
Real name:
Catherine
Ashton
Order: Free Council

Path: Acanthus
Virtue: Charity
Vice: Pride
Virtue and Vice might change before play starts
Intelligence 2
Wits 2
Resolve 2
Strength 2
Dexterity 3
Stamina 2
Presence 2
Manipulation 3
Composure 4
Academics 1
Computer 1
Crafts 1 (ROTE)
Investigation 2 (Myths of the Awakened)
Occult 1
Science 1 (ROTE)
Athletics 2
Larceny 2 (Forgery)
Stealth 1
Empathy 3
Expression 3
Intimidation 1
Persuasion 2 (ROTE)
Socialise 1
Subterfuge 2 (Lying)
Familiar 4
Destiny 2
Occultation 1
Combat Style: Archery 1
High Speech
Health 7
Willpower 6
Gnosis 1
Wisdom 7
Initiative 7
Speed 10
Defense 2
Fate 3
Life 1
Time 2
Rotes: Winds of Change
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i135/nochtli/MtA/MtAw-Persephone.jpg
1. Prelude
Prelude
Session 0.1
Welcome, faithful Reader! We made it to over 100 posts to the thread before the first session, which I think is pretty
good going even for us. The carnival atmosphere must now stop, though, because we're in the serious business of..
Nah, the carnival atmosphere can go on.
Some minor points of order and business - since the characters were statted, some more thoughts were expressed
about Samael and Persephone's backgrounds and likely futures, mostly based on ruminating about their names (if
she's Persephone, who's Hades? Why's Samael named after, well, the Devil?). The origin of Cobalt's name is actually
quite cool.
Anyways. The odd narrative device I have mentioned - the prelude is being done in a non-linear fashion. Each session
is made up of a main scene or set of scenes with interspersed flashbacks - and the 'main scenes' are only in order
within a session. Once we finish the prelude (it should take three sessions or so I reckon) you'll understand what's
going on and will be able, should you so wish, to reassemble them into continuity order.
This first game contains what would be the first half of the third session mixed with the first half of the first session as
flashbacks. The second session will be made up of the first half of the second mixed with the second half of the first,
and the last will be the second half of the third mixed with the second half of the second.
Put simply, if you think of the progression of events as
AB CD EF
Then we have reshuffled them to
E(&A), C(&B), F(&D)
With the effect, entirely deliberate, of starting the chronicle off with an extended action sequence filled wil Instant
spellcasting (the easiest sort to learn) and capped with a nice Mage-on-Mage fight. The actual first meeting of the PCs,
ritual spell use, metaphysics and the nicities of Mana and such will be next time, and the dealing-with-mage-politics
will be in the third.
This has one amusing side effect - the characters know what's going on here, but the *players* don't. "He" has stolen
"It", but who He is and what It is weren't revealed until they were revealed in the course of play, which is why they're
only referred to in dialogue in the very vaguest of terms.
Again, unless your players are up for it, do not try this at home.
Let's put this train on the rails...
It's 2.13 at night, and the train hurtles North to Oblivion.
Or Edinburgh, whichever is sooner.
In the rearmost carraige, within the large baggage compartment, the Cabal wrestle the train's window shut and
- numb with cold and sporting bruises from the effort - take stock.
"He has to be here somewhere." - Samael
We presume that the Cabal just somehow got onto the moving train after much effort - we'll probably get around to
actually showing that scene in 0.3. The characters all had one or two levels of bashing damage from... Whatever it was
they've just been through. Cobalt has a level of Lethal damage too.
They get to their feet.
Cobalt, the eldest of the trio, checks inside his jacket that the weapon he hastily grabbed is still there. Satisfied,
he puts a hand to the metal medallion hanging around his neck (quite out of place with his outfit) and
concentrates, casting Dark Matter to give himself the Mage Sight.
Cobalt, in terms of looks, is more of an everyman than Samael. He's neatly hairstyled and, for this session, dressed
practically in jeans, boots, a heavy shirt and a leather jacket. He's the most normal-looking, and we'll find out why in a
little while - Cobalt has the most respectible "mortal" life, and not one he can just abandon. The medallion is his
magical tool.
Persephone pulls the clip off the long tube she's wearing slung over a shoulder and opens it, retrieving a bow
and several arrows. She casts a Mage Sight of her own (Fate-based) while stringing it, and is careful to keep
one arrow in particular easily to hand. Archimedies detaches himself from her other shoulder and drops to the
floor, winding around her feet.
Persephone's arrow is her magical tool. She's smaller than the men, with long brown hair and (from Agne's picture)
somewhat elfin appearance. She's dressed in blouse, waistcoat and trousers. Archimedies is her familiar - a spirit
possessing a thin, grey cat. We haven't yet learned what kind of Spirit he is.
Samael shakes the rain out of his long coat and - not to be outdone - casts Supernal Vision.
Samael's magical tool is a prism made of coloured glass, for reasons that will be explained during his Awakening.
"Let's go" - Samael
And, coat swishing dramatically, he pulls the sliding door to the passenger compartment open.
Samael has bleached blond hair, short, and a very dramatic coat. He's taller than Cobalt, better built and very defined
in features - good cheekbones to have. He is categorically not played by James Masters. That he's appearing to be the
Cabal's leader here is probably more due to Chris adapting quickly to the sudden start - in-character, this has reason to
be Samael's show, too, although we won't learn that until later. Or earlier, depending on your outlook.
In addition to the spells they just cast, everyone has a Mage Armor up (Cobalt's is Matter, Persephone's Fate and
Samael's Forces) while Samael also has a magic shield made of Prime on himself.
---
The sound of the track shifts as the train goes over a bridge.
"So... Is he IN the train or ON the train?" - Persephone
"Let's assume in for now" - Cobalt
Samael spots something - the carraige is occupied. A few paces forward reveals a passenger slumped down in
their seat, asleep with their head resting against the window.
Not that unusual on the red-eye.
The strange green glow around him, discernable to Samael's Supernal Vision, though, is.
I'm trying to emphasise - no idea how good a job of it I'm doing - how odd Mage Sight spells are until you get used to
them. The cabal are really new at this, so while I would have given more than "green", Samael's never experienced
this kind of phenomena before.
He reaches out and gives the passenger a tentative push. No reaction.
"Okay. That's weird" - Samael.
He looks around and - just to be certain - takes the safety information card from the back of the passenger's
seat. The others give him a look.
"You never know" - Samael
"It's not that, it's just.. The card is Fated" - Persephone
She means it is registering faintly to her Mage Sight. So, for that matter, is the door.
---
Second carraige, and weird has turned to creepy. There are three passengers in this car, and they're all of them
comatose. All registering with the same odd glow to Prime-sight. As far as Samael can tell, it's not a Supernal
effect.
"Legacy? Or something else?" - Cobalt
"Fate is... Not saying anything useful" - Persephone
They try to open the door to car number three, but it won't slide - it appears to have been locked shut. After
hefting it, with no success, Persephone and Samael step back.
"Okay. Cobalt, you're up" - Samael

~~~~~~
"Dr Williams? We're ready for you" - Technician
Three Months Ago.
And, with Samael's line we enter the first flashback - How Cobalt Awakened. The voices of the research students (not
to mention their questions) were provided by Chris and Agena.
Rex emerges onto the deck of the research vessel, somewhere off the coast of Scotland. Engineers are working
on the crane mechanism and students - some with cameraphones, some trying to take notes - are regarding
him attentively.
"Good morning. I hope you've all got your sea legs. I know you're all just here for a cruise, but in the vain hope
that you might want to actually learn something, pay attention to this bit." - Rex
Hanging from the crane is a hardsuit diving shell - less a diving suit, more a one-man submarine with arms. Rex
carefully climbs in, connecting everything up, continuing to lecture his class as he does so.
"Now, here in front of me we have three pressure sensors" - Rex
He indicates a large metal box with handles for holding it with the hardsuit's claws
"Two of which are sealed normally and the third sealed with the material we'll be testing which - if my theories
are correct" (wry smile) "should withstand the pressure of the seabed far more. Now - we *could* do this in a
pressure chamber, or by just lowering the test device down, but I find there is something to be said for practical
experimentation." - Rex
He calls for questions as the lid of his suit is sealed on.
"Won't you get the bends?" - Student 1
"This suit is at one atmosphere inside, and will remain so" - Rex
"How deep are you going?" - Student 2
"Deep enough" - Rex
"What if a giant squid attacks?" - Student 3
"I'll try to direct it back to it's native waters. Failing that, the suit's onboard weapons should work" - Rex
"You Really have onboard weapons?" - Student 3
"No" - Rex
The winch activates, and he's hoisted into the air and swung out over the North Sea.
"And here we go" - Rex
He's lowered down, continuing to lecture as he goes, explaining the pressures the suit and test equipment are
under. He's done the part about debunking science fiction fallacies and moved onto describing the pitch-black,
well-below-freezing crush-you-flat-like-a-can environment he's descending through when he touches bottom.
"Now, as we can see from the gauges - and as you should be seeing on the monitor - the new seal is..." - Rex
There is a cracking sound.
The new material works just fine. Rex's suit, on the other hand...
...The sheer weight of black water all around him is suddenly very, very real.
"I... We have a problem here" - Rex
The pressure inside the suit slowly begins to rise as the second redundant layer cracks. Knowing it's futile, but
unable to stop himself, he clamps one clawed hand over the crack. Far above, the dive engineers scramble to
winch him back to the surface while students take photos on their phones. Over the radio, he can just about
hear one of his students asking if he'll implode or explode.
Surrounded by crushing weight, Rex begins to hyperventilate. And then blacks out.
The suit breaks apart like an eggshell, falling away. Feeling the weight of the sea press him down, wondering
how he hasn't been reduced to paste, Rex sinks - pushed downward by the tons of water. Down and down and
down he goes.
He breaks the surface. Down has become up. Floating on the surface of a wide, perfectly still river of black
water, he tries to draw a breath. The air is as solid as the water, slowly pooling in his lungs only with effort. The
water is like swimming in liquid lead.
With effort, he drags himself over and begins to try to swim, heading for what looks like a boat launch carved
into the steep riverbank. Climbing the steps is agony, trying to push upward against the weight of air and the
sucking pull of gravity.
The ground is made of a uniform, dull grey metal - lead.
There's a sturdy leaden arch at the top of the steps, carved with winding symbols he doesn't recognise. Beyond
the arch is a road.
Over the course of hours, one foot after the next, he sets off.
Every now and again he sees a figure - he takes them for statues at first - dressed in lead clothes and
apparantly unable to move. The Dead (and Rex somehow knows that they're The Dead) have lead coins rivitted
over their eyes, carved with two of the symbols from the archway.
"I'd make a joke about Kansas, but I don't think the locals would laugh." - Rex
At one point, some distance from the road, he sees a village of the Dead - low, wide houses buckling under the
weight of the air, inhabitants standing frozen in place.
And then, after what seems like days of the exhausting progress, he sees something in defiance of the solidity
of this place. A Tower, like an upside-down mace with a wide, heavily supported base and a thinner body. The
doors stand open, but blocking the way are two of the Dead, metal clothing in the form of heavy robes. The
gatekeepers hold their right hands out to him in a "halt" gesture - and there are the two runes again, carved
into their flesh.
"I'm coming in" - Rex
The air grows even more solid between them - like walking through a concrete wall now. Veins standing out,
with supreme effort he takes a step forward. The figures lower their hands and stand aside.
Within the Tower, every surface is covered in the lead coins the Dead are wearing over their eyes. The runes
are to the wall, though, revealing the undersides. At the ground floor they are marked with simple scratches
but as Rex climbs, painfully, upward they transition into primitive writing and eventually to names. Words.
Random symbols. Drawings.
At the top of the long, winding stair is the room at the top of the Tower. A short stone (the first stone he's seen)
altar, like a workbench, sits squat in the centre. On the altar is a hammer and nail, a blank lead coin and a
shining diamond. The last is the size of Rex's fist, cut to an infinitesimal point at one end.
Kneeling at the altar, Rex picks up the diamond and starts to scratch into the surface of the coin. Trying to sum
up what brought him here.
Al8Ni18Co20Cu6TiFe47
The last work of a materials scientist. Slowly getting to his feet, he finds a blank spot on the wall and swings
the hammer.
The dive technician slaps him, and he wakes up.
"Dr Williams?" - Technician
Gasping for air that moves, camera-phone flashes going off in his eyes, Rex looks down past the removed
helmet to where the suit cracked. It's flawless.
Somehow, he willed it to repair itself.
The formula, Dave tells me, is roughly that of Alnico, a powerful magnetic material that was included in his new
system. Note that it includes atoms of Cobalt - his Shadow name is a much-shortened version of the molecule. The
spell he instinctivly cast was Alter Integrity, which feeds nicely into...
~~~~~~
Cobalt puts one hand to his medallion - a metal coin-like disk - and the other to the lock.
He casts Alter Integrity, willing the metal to degrade. He and Samael then - after a couple of goes - give the
door a good shove, breaking the corroded remains of the lock and forcing it open.
---
The Cabal step into the third carraige and immediately know that something's wrong. Something's off, the odd
prickly sensation of someone using magic nearby, but there is noone to be seen but another sleeping
passenger. Who, Samael realises a split-second later, is glowing under Supernal Vision much more than the
earlier ones. As though what happened to them is still in the process of happening.
He tells them this one's different. By Persephone's feet, Archimedies hisses, his fur standing up.
"Wait" - Persephone, stopping Samael in the process of going over to the passenger
She casts Augery, attempting to determine what will happen if he does so, and recieves a split-second vision,
almost too fast to see, of the Cabal panicking and fighting. She can't see *what* they'd be fighting, though.
Cobalt drops his Mage Sight spells and casts a Knowing Practice spell of Death and Matter to detect weapons,
but doesn't get anything - though the emergency hammers for windows could be used as such. Samael
cautiously takes one.
The spell works by detecting items intended to cause death - it doesn't work on improvised weapons (even a
penknife), only things specifically designed to kill like swords and guns. I'll write it up after the recap.
"Is it him?" - Samael
Persephone can't cast Augery on the same target twice in a day, so after some thought casts it on the carraige
itself. This time, she gets a glimpse of something floating between them. She mentally asks Archimedies if
there's a Spirit in the room. The familiar, in it's nonverbal fashion, says no and she repeats it.
"Not a *spirit*" - Cobalt
"But there could be something else in Twilight" - Samael
Cobalt casts Grim Sight, peering into the insubstantial.
"Uh..." - Cobalt
The ghost, trailing rags, hovers over Samael, unseen fingers reaching out for the Obrimos' throat.
1. Prelude
"Back off, buddy!" - Cobalt, to the Ghost
The Ghost materialises, shrieking. Persephone immediately nocks an arrow and looses... firing straight through
it. She and Cobalt square off against it, trying to think of something they can do.
"Get the door!" - Samael
The Obrimos turns and raises a fist. The Ghost doesn't seem impressed.
A ball of crackling energy coelesces around Samael's hand, and he draws his arm back to throw it.
NOW the Ghost seems impressed.
The Spell is Celestial Fire. Hold that image there - Samael in hero-pose, calling down the Aether. Time for another go
on the wayback machine...
~~~~~~
Jeremiah pushes his long, dark fringe out of his eyes and digs in the debris covering his flat for the beeping
alarm clock, then digs for his glasses. He dislodges a pizza box finding his battered duffle coat and fumbles the
keys on his way out.
"I wish I had a cooler coat" - Jeremiah
One Year Ago
"We're glad to have found a glazier willing to take the job on" - Caretaker
He's in a church - small and shut down, dark and cold inside in defiance of the morning sunshine without.
"It's the rose window, over there" - Caretaker
The circular stained glass window is the highlight of the church, installed on the east wall to light up the interior
during morning services. And someone has put a brick through it.
Hence the services of Jeremiah, amataur art historian and glassblower, who is here to replace the damaged
panes.
"Is there a stepladder or something I can use? I'll have to get up there" - Jeremiah
The caretaker nods and wheels the portable steps from behind the pulpit over.
"Oh! I think we have some cake left over. I'll leave it on the pew for you" - Caretaker
"Right. Thanks" - Jeremiah, producing his notebook out of his bag
The caretaker deposits the cake and then leaves him to it. He climbs up, opening the notebook and studying
the window, figuring out what needs to go where, what exact colours to use and making eyeball measurements
of the size of pieces.
Almost by habit, he starts to deconstruct what the window is about - these things tend to tell a story. It doesn't
take him very long - the window depicts the whole of God's creation, from the seven heavens to Earth and then
the Nine hells. Moreover, around the edge are symbols of the days of creation, starting at the top and working
clockwise.
He ponders the image of the universe with a great hole in it, and starts to mentally plug the gaps. Outside, the
morning sun rises on it's arc, but he doesn't notice. The rest of the church seems to fade from his conciousness,
until he has the odd sense that rather than being representative of reality, the window is reality. Everything
else is just shadows, the setting for the jewel. The church is a lie. He is a lie. Even the cake is a lie.
Chris resisted the urge to throw something at me at that line. I don't know how.
In a flash, he realises exactly what's missing. Before he can write it down, though, the sun moves behind the
First Day and a beam of bright light flashes into his eyes. Stumbling, he slips and falls backward from the steps.
The window lights up completely.
He doesn't hit the ground.
Jeremiah is consumed by the light, and all there is is light. He falls, surrounded by broiling energy. Noise - the
sound of a furnace, of the sun, mixed with deeper sounds that he can only describe to himself as "the music of
the spheres" - blasts from everywhere.
Eventually, he hits something and falls over, his glasses going flying from his face. He catches them, but the
sheer heat is melting the metal frame and he drops one lens before desperately catching the other. It focuses
the bright light all around into a thin beam ahead of it, and - thinking it must be important - Samael pockets it.
He's standing on a plane of energy - actually the same bright materia as the rest of this... place.. but flowing in
a more orderly fashion. Not so much a solid surface as a current he can stand on. Uselessly shading his eyes,
he adjusts to the optical illusion - the plane he's standing on stretches out ahead, but breaks up behind,
refracting out into beams of energy.
There's a noise from "above", a call like nothing he's ever heard, and a great winged something, made of the
same prima materia as everything else, flies overhead.
He is put in mind of Angels, living beings like wheels of fire.
"Follow the yellow brick road" - Jeremiah
Another of the beings does a barrel-roll around the "road" of fire he's on, corkscrewing around and around as it
flies off in the direction he's headed.
His heart pounds, nerves crackling with energy. The edges of his body are becoming indistinct, like he's being
eroded by being here. He starts to jog, and then to run, faster and faster - never feeling tired. More of the
beings fly on their strange dance over and around him, and he follows their trails as he runs, laughing. There is
meaning in the way the angels fall, he thinks, but he can't glimpse what that meaning is. Every now and again
he glimpses objects made of gold hanging in space, unmelted by the fires of creation all around them.
Then he sees it, jogging to a stop.
Hanging in "mid-air", a distance away from where his firey road runs right past it, is a Tower made of gold. The
door is unguarded, but closed.
He steps up to the edge of the road and looks down. The fires extend as far as he can see, burning into his
eyes. The Tower is unreachable.
Lifting one foot, he takes a step forward. then another, and another, climbing through nothing towards the
Tower. The energies, seemingly random, form steps beneath his feet and flow away again when he steps off
them.
Ascending to the doorway, he tries the golden doors. Locked, though covered in tiny, curling writing of some
kind.
He raises the spectacle lens to his eye and - to his suprise - sees through the empty doorway into the Tower.
Lowering the lens, the door is back.
The angels cry out.
Closing his other eye and holding the lens up so it fills his vision, he walks through the "open" doorway into the
Tower. Inside, it seems made entirely of stained glass - shining with the light of the energies outside. Out of
habit, he tries to trace what the pattern means, up and up to the top. It tells him things that Samael, in
Awakening life, will never remember, no matter how hard he tries. Secret things.
At the top of the tower, he steps onto a glass platform and sees the flaw in the design. A single pane is utterly
black. On an altar made of gold are seven lanterns - gold-wire cages for spheres of coloured light.
He studies the arrangement, and notes that he needs a prism. He considers he might be supposed to pick a
colour to complete the pattern, but decides to combine them into white light.
Crouching down, he holds the lens out. It catches the light from the lanterns and combines them.
The design completes.
Jeremiah hits the ground with a heavy thump, his intact glasses in his hand and his mind full of fire and light.
That fire spills out.
The stained glass window shatters in a thunderclap. The pews around him ignite, bibles burning with
multicoloured flames.
In the fire, Jeremiah thinks he glimpses the movement of Angels.
~~~~~~
Samael releases the ball of energy, which strikes the Ghost and knocks it, reeling, away from them.
Cobalt does his Alter Integrity trick again, and begins to prise the door open.
The Ghost, recovering, howls. With the sound of tearing metal, one of the carraige's seats rips itself loose and is
thrown at Samael with all the telekinetic force the Ghost can muster. His magical armour flares, the Forces of
Aether deflecting the missle at the last moment, but the corner of the chair housing whacks his head.
Cobalt and Persephone get the door open, and the trio flee into the next carraige.
That proves to be their mistake.
---
The passengers - still awake - in the fourth carraige look up at the commotion as the Mages enter, and then
begin screaming as the Ghost gives chase. Cursing, Samael realises that he can't risk the Celestial Fire again,
with Sleeper bystanders around. But the Ghost's powers are in no way affected by the Abyss.
"Fighting Retreat" - Cobalt
The Ghost, though, drifts from left to right, uprooting seats and shaking the floor. The lights flicker. The first
person it reaches is a man in a Scotland shirt, empty cans of beer on the table in front of him. The ghost begins
to rythmically slam the unfortunate rugby fan's head against the metal of the wall.
"HEY! Leave him!" - Samael
Maybe he's just not as intimidating as Cobalt, but the Ghost certainly takes notice. The screaming Scotsman is
hefted into the air and thrown - at speed - towards the Cabal, where he bounces off their Mage Armours.
Persephone casts Exceptional Luck on the Cabal.
They retreat - Samael and Persephone dodging flying chairs and scotsmen while Cobalt unlocks the next door.
He wrenches it open by himself and goes through first while the others try to follow, Samael throwing things
through the ghost to keep it's attention on him rather than the bystanders.
It's quiet in the fifth and final carraige. Eerily quiet. The passengers are all slumped in their seats. Cobalt still
has his Grim Sight active, though, and can see the fundamental difference between these and earlier - these
passengers are dead.
Except one.
Cobalt swaps his Mage Sight spells for his weapon-detecting spell again, deliberately looking towards the far
door, which would lead to the driver's cabin. The knowledge unfolds in his mind - the living man, back to the
aisle and huddled as though sleeping - has a gun.
Archimedies shoots through into the carraige, followed moments later by Persephone and Samael. .
Samael immediately notices, under Supernal Vision, that the man Cobalt is standing by has Mana in his Pattern
and an Antimagic shield up. He and Cobalt nod, and Cobalt taps the Mage on the shoulder.
"Tickets, please..." - Cobalt
And then Cobalt punches him. The Mage drops his gun and, spitting blood, shouts something.
All the corpses open their eyes.
You call this Archaeology? Initiative order goes Persephone, Samael, Cobalt, 'Him', the Ghost (currently a carraige away
smacking Sleepers around) and then the just-activated Zombies.
Chris would llike to point out how impressive Cobalt punching someone in the face *through* Mage Armour is.
Persephone holds her silver Arrow and casts Bestow Exceptional Luck again, smoothing Fate over the Cabal.
Samael attempts to dispell the antimagic shield on their enemy, his control of Prime wrestling with the other
Mages', but the dispellation fails. Cobalt, meanwhile, produces a large knife from his jacket and faces off with
the zombies, slashing one in the arm to no noticeable effect.
"Guys..." - Cobalt
The 9-again rolls were pretty wasted. Neither Dave nor Chris rolled a single 9.
The mage gestures back toward the link to the previous carraige and shouts a word in the High Speech. There's
a horrid noise as couplings break, and the back four carraiges detach themselves from the engine. Everyone
stumbles in the sudden accelleration.
At which point, the players remembered High Speech.
"Arrows!" - Cobalt
Persephone, still safe for the time being, sticks her remaining arrows into the foam of the nearest seat (except
for one in her bow and her Magical Tool), casting Superlative Luck on herself. Samael flicks a cigarette lighter
and - breathing High Speech into it - commands the flame to burst out, shooting thin lances of fire onto the
nearest zombies. Cobalt hops back to stand with Persephone and casts Armour Piercing on the Arrow. The
necromancer, seeing what's about to happen but unable to get past Samael to them, desperately tries to
counter Cobalt's spell but *just* fails to stop it. A zombie tries to attack Cobalt, but his Mage Armour holds
steady.
A pair of ghostly hands plunge out of the now-useless door to where the earlier carraige was and grip with
freezing touch around Samael's throat.
Persephone looses her bow straight at the Moros. He tries to duck, but she shot low... and the Arrow goes right
through his throat. His eyes bulge, surprised, and he falls to the floor.
Cobalt's punch did a single level of bashing damage to him. Persephone's archery attack was, after taking into account
the armour piercing, the dice pool bonus for the bow, spending a willpower, spending Destiny dice and the 8-again
quality her earlier spell applied to the roll, *Eleven* successes, putting the Moros - who I'd carefully and lovingly
statted - straight onto bleeding to death with 2 Lethal and 5 Aggravated wounds. *Ouch*.
She stares at the corpse.
Samael chokes, trying to cast Ephemeral Enchantment on the remaining arrows or, failing that, Cobalt's knife
so that they can 'kill' the ghost, but his spell fails.
"Coob.." - Samael
Cobalt casts Sculpt Ephemera, peeling the Ghost's fingers back and releasing Samael. The ghost immediately
responds by telekinetically throwing one of the the zombies at him. The remaining zombies attack Persephone
and Samael, beating them with inhumanely strong fists - Samael to the point of near-unconciousness.
Persephone and Cobalt try to fight back, shooting a zombie at point-blank range with an arrow and slashing at
another with the knife, but they keep coming. Samael has a brainwave and, looking up at the enraged Ghost
halfway through the door, slaps his hand onto the door casting Ephemeral Enchantment. As he casts, he feels
the Abyss leaking into the spell - to Samael, it always feels like broken glass. Wincing, he absorbs the Paradox
into himself.
The door suddenly becomes solid to objects in Twilight, and the Ghost is cut neatly in half, it's Corpus
disintegrating into a mass of loose ectoplasm.
The trio stand off against the zombies, on their last legs but ready to go down fighting.
"Is there any way to get to him?" - Samael
That would be a no. The necromancer pumps blood out of his neck, his own zombies cutting the Cabal off from
him.
"Damnit" - Samael
... At which point the necromancer finally expires and the zombies, bereft of the spells powering them, collapse
into corpses.
Samael wobbles on his feet, but kneels by the dead mage, futily trying to see if there's anything to be done. He
doesn't know much first aid, but he does know that when there's no pulse and the pool of blood is that big, he
aint getting up again. Persephone watches him, uncomfortably aware that she made this happen. Cobalt, after
a moment, bends and retrieves the necromancer's gun before hurrying - one backward glance at the corpse -
through the carraige and into the drivers' cabin.
Samael is on his last health dot, filled with bashing damage after the last round of combat with the zombies and the
resistant bashing damage from the paradox. Cobalt and Persephone faced a Degeneration check for killing the Moros,
and passed.
"Where are you going?" - Persephone
"Stopping the train!" - Cobalt
The driver is dead, which doesn't come as much of a surprise. Cobalt surveys the controls and figures that
they're not that different from a boat, or a crane. That lever there must surely be the throttle... He eases it back
and the train slows down, gently crusing to a halt.
Samael, going through the necromancer's pockets, finds what he's looking for. He stands up, holding a golden
Ankh hanging by a long chain.
"Got it" - Samael
"Is it all right?" - Persephone
She's never seen it under Mage Sight before - Samael has (in fact, he was taught to use Supernal Vision with it
as an example) and can tell it's enchanted, but nothing else. Persephone can tell it has some kind of fate spell
as a component, but the practice is beyond her.
Cobalt comes back through as Samael phones the Sentinel.
"Yeah. You can release Cognos - he didn't do it, and we can prove it. Yes, we have the artifact, and the thief. No,
he's dead. Cleanup?" - Samael
He looks around the wrecked train, and considers the carraiges of traumatised - maybe even dead - Sleepers
they abandoned further down the track.
"...Yeah. We're going to need cleanup" - Samael
Who? What? Find out next time!
1. Prelude
Session 0.2
Welcome back, faithful Reader!

We continue our non-linear exploration of these characters we call 'player' in this session, which in terms of a strict
linear progression is made up of the third section of six, the second section of six being included as a flashback.
Except for one brief few-seconds flash of the sixth section. Hopefully, for those scratching their heads, this will fill in
more gaps.
This is also where we are introduced to most of our primary cast of Storyteller Characters, and the groundwork laid for
appearances as-yet-unseen. There's a fair amount of namedropping in the cause of foreshadowing, layering and other
storytelling techniques that make it seem less like the game is a caffeine-induced fever and more like a coherent
narrative. Almost everyone will turn out to be important.
Less of the blue notes this week as it's pretty much all dialogue, which speaks for itself.
Two Months Ago
Rex sits in his office at his pc, watching himself be dragged up from the depths of the sea. One of the students -
he suspects it was the implode/explode one - put mobile phone footage of the entire thing onto YouTube.
The office is a bit of a mess, as most academic offices in the fresher's week are. Graded dissertations lay
stacked on a chair, journals are strewn and marked with scrap paper bookmarks. In the corner is a fish tank,
containing a few goldfish and (after the porter found it in the ornamental pond on campus) a model of Rex in
his diving suit made from a GI Joe, the eyes turned into little Xs with magic marker.
It's been a month.
The tale has grown in the retelling, such that every student now knows an exaggerated version of it. It even
made the news. His colleagues have been tip-toeing around him, and it's with a sinking (no pun intended)
feeling that he greets his head of department when she knocks on the door.
"Hello Joyce" - Rex
Ten minutes later, and Rex is looking at a printed sheet of his postgraduate students along with which of his
colleagues will be taking over as their tutors. His research leave was due to be the academic year after next,
but it's been swapped with someone else. The few remaining months of this term are noted as "leave of
absence".
To Joyce's credit, she at least did say 'come back when this blows over' rather than just imply it. He appreciates
the directness.
We haven't specifically said, but this sequence - and the bulk of the session - is set in early September 2007, making
the "present" of the Chronicle November and the sequence of Cobalt's diving accident last time August - the time
when Universities do things like have long field trips on ships. It has to be set around here so that Persephone's
Awakening can be in June. The reason for the sabbatical is so that Cobalt can go through his apprenticeship and the
first year or so of adventures without me having to worry about his life's commitments, but I do want to show him
teaching at some point. It's an Indiana Jones thing.
The afternoon trudges on, the noise of students out in the sunshine drifting up to Rex's window. Gradually, Rex
becomes aware of a shadow behind the glass set into his office door.
"Come in!" - Rex
The gentleman that does so is a quite singular individual. The cowboy boots, blue jeans, green tweed suit
jacket and waistcoat and wide, floppy black hat would each be the start of a outfit, but mixed together produce
something quite eccentric. The sheer enthusiastic bulk of the man, cheerful eyes peering out above the full
beard, rotund belly attempting to escape the waistcoat, puts Rex in mind of Father Christmas.
Or Mudstrum Ridcully.
Naturally, Rex assumes he's from the Humanities Faculty. Maybe a Geographer.
"Hullo!" - Cognos
He peers at Rex expectantly.
"Can I help you, professor?" - Rex
"Quite the opposite! Quite the opposite! No, I'm here to help *you*. After what happened." - Cognos
Ah, now Rex has it. He's from the *Union*...
The newcomer puts his hand to the door and seems briefly distracted. There's a brief buzzing sound as Rex's
guts lurch in a manner reminiscent to his diving accident and then... silence.
"There we are" - Cognos, happily
Rex glances out of the window. The traffic crawls steadily past campus in the distance, the Hospital next door
to the University is still there and students continue to walk about, play Frisbee and drink too much. But they're
all doing so in absolute silence.
"Neat trick" - Rex
"We can talk privately now. I take it you are on sick leave?" - Cognos
"Yes... And how did you do that?" - Rex
"I've had occasion to witness the insane babble of preternatural intelligences in my career. Undergraduates
remind me of this." - Cognos
Rex lets that non-answer slide off, focusing on the important.

"You knew I would be put on sabbatical?" - Rex
"I did. I've been waiting most of the day for her to do it. Cognos is my name." - Cognos.
"Cognos?" - Rex, sceptically
The older man smiles in a jolly fashion. Definitely more Ridcully than Santa.
"I'm here about the dive. About where you went" - Cognos
"To the bottom of the sea?" - Rex
"The other place. When you Changed. Let me guess... You instinctively repaired your suit, so I'd say... Lead was
involved?" - Cognos
And now Rex knows that he didn't imagine it.
"Lead.. The air, the ground, the water... Where was that? What happened to me?" - Rex
"How can I put this? Oh! I know! Just the ticket... Ahem... Y'er a WIZARD, Harry!" - Cognos, doing his best
Robbie Coltrane impression.
"What?" - Rex, flatly disbelieving.
Cognos, griping that his 'apprentice' told him that line would work, tells Rex that his near-death experience was
a Gnostic experience - Rex has been to the land of the dead and, having made his mark there, is now
Awakened. A Mage. One of the Wise...
"The suit was fine. It checked out." - Rex
"I know. I saw it on youtube" - Cognos
"Then you know I didn't repair it" - Rex
"What they didn't tell you is that it fell apart an hour after you were pulled up. Magic wears off, you see. When
you came back from the land of the dead there was just enough time to save yourself" - Cognos
"The land of the dead" - Rex, sceptical, still
"The Path Moros in the Realm of Stygia, where lies the Watchtower of the Lead Coin" - Cognos
"So... Did YOU go there?" - Rex, catching on.
"Me? Oh, no. No. I went to Hell" - Cognos, happily.
Cognos has a booming voice, a cheerful manner and no sense of tact. He is, as implied, a Mastigos.
"Look. I'm having a bad day. This sounds... True and Crazy. I'm trying to believe, but I'm having trouble... Show
me some proof" - Rex
"Proof, eh?" - Cognos
The Mastigos looks around the office, and spots Rex's nameplate on his desk.
"How are you saying that?" - Cognos
Rex dubiously pronounces his name. Cognos repeats it a few times, getting the feel of it. Rex feels that queasy
feeling again, and Cognos mutters something about the return being taken care of.
Then Rex's office vanishes in a blur of light. He suddenly finds himself falling - at speed - high above the
ground. Skydiving without a parachute. After a few seconds, there's another blur and he lands, sprawled, on his
office floor.
"Will that do?" - Cognos
"... ... Yeah. That'll do" - Rex
Mechanically, Cognos just cast Teleport twice - the first time with a Time 2 component to activate after a minute's
delay. Delay-timed spells aren't actually covered in Awakening, but I figure that if you can hang a spell to go off when
you mentally command it to, you can put one on a timer. Besides - it's good for cheap tricks.
If that view of the mechanics offends you, assume Cognos just hit Rex with a hallucination
"Let that be your first lesson. I was able to do that because I know your name. Real names have power - hence
'Cognos'. If you're to survive in this game you'll need a tag" - Cognos
"A tag?" - Rex
"You know, a Haxxor Name. Something leet" - Cognos, pronouncing the terms with the air of someone that's
never heard them said.
"Haxxor?" - Rex
"Oh yes - I'm down with the kids. I know the lingo." - Cognos, proudly.
"Riight." - Rex
He looks over his office, and spots the periodic table hanging on the wall.
"Cobalt. Number twenty-seven" - Cobalt
"Cobalt? Are you sure?" - Cognos
He looks dubiously at the table
"Sure you wouldn't rather have Neon? Einsteinium? Ununhexium?" - Cognos, slightly disparagingly.
"Cobalt. And Who'll use my name against me?" - Cobalt
"Well... Not everyone in our line is particularly friendly. People think of Mages, if they think of them at all, as
being wise and calm councils of old men - everyone working together for enlightenment. Truth is, we're like any
field of study. Rivalries. Office Politics. You're an Academic - you know how this goes." - Cognos
Cobalt nods, thinking
"You went to Hell?" - Cobalt
"I did. Just wait till you meet my apprentice. She was away with the faeries. There are others" - Cognos
"The Dead. Hell. Faeries. Aliens?" - Cobalt
"Are Faeries. Long story - but Heaven and the Garden of Eden are your other choices. You're a Moros - that's the
name for Mages that go where you went" - Cognos
"What happens now?" - Cobalt
"Well... There is much to learn. The Secrets of the Universe. If you're willing, I can teach you as much as you
need to get along. How to use your abilities, who your fellows are." - Cognos
"Where do we start?" - Cobalt
The Mage considers.
"Pub" - Cognos
I occasionally have characters describe the Primal Wild as being Eden. It's a thing - and as valid an interpretation as
calling Stygia Purgatory. Cognos uses my favourite explanation for Alien encounters in the nWoD - abduction-type ones
are Fae.
Though I do like the hints in Astral Realms about UFOs being from the Temenos.
...
From Cobalt to Samael, as we catch up with the Obrimos a long time after his explosive Awakening. This next sequence
kicks off a long-running plotline - maybe the 'entire chronicle' kind of long-running.
Samael is practicing the Compelling Practice of Forces, sat in front of the thermostat. As he concentrates, he
makes the temperature go up and down by a few degrees.
Months of this.
Samael was arrested for arson of the church, but bail paid by the Mage who became his mentor - a Mystagogue
Obrimos named Chayot - and charges dropped. Months later Samael is still living at Chayot's remote house.
Still working on his Practices. There's a hamlet about a mile in one direction and in the other is the
Northumberland coast, where a Free Councillor called Cognos lives with his own Apprentice. The two older
mages have a relationship best described as friendly dislike, while the Apprentices get on. Persephone has only
been here for four months, but she's nearly caught up with Samael on everything except the Arcana - he's had
time to learn more, but she's rapidly gaining on him. That's mostly down to the different training regimens -
Chayot is a lot more careful than Cognos, and Samael has had the importance of getting the small things
exactly right drummed well and truly into him. As Chayot puts it, every Imago Samael makes is like a stained
glass window in his mind, focusing the fires of Aether into the dark world. Done properly it's illuminating, but if
Samael lets his concentration slip... churches burn down.
Chayot is pronounced here 'Kay-oh'. Ish. It's the name of a particular type of Angel, associated with fire. The difference
between Samael's apprenticeship and those of the other two player characters is intended to showcase the differences
between Orders and of Samael's personality versus the others - Cobalt thinks of magic as a tool, and Persephone as an
escape, but Samael thinks of it as an Art, and Chris does a good job portraying Samael thinking deeper about the
implications of magic than the other two - his voice is more serious when he speaks about it, he's careful in this
session to portray Samael as living according to the Mysterium's principles. There's a certain amount of guilt, there,
too - which Chayot plays on, reminding Samael of the need for focus - which will lead into the major theme of the
Chronicle of the responsibility of power. I wanted to lay it on thick because, well... Chayot isn't going to survive the
prelude, and I wanted a strong enough character that, like Malakaii in Broken Diamond, he'll colour the chronicle long
after he's gone.
The house was small when it was a farm cottage, but filled with books, papers and artefacts as it is it's
positively cramped. Chayot hardly ever goes outside, shuffling about with aid of a silver-topped cane that
serves as his magical tool. At present, he's at his desk, reading an old text.
There's the sound of a car pulling up outside, and a knock at the door. Samael glances at Chayot, who doesn't
appear to have noticed. Putting his eye to the spy hole, Samael can see a thin-faced, red-haired man wearing a
well-cut suit framed in the doorway, a silver-grey Bentley on the drive behind him.
"Who is it?" - Chayot
Samael, thinking, casts Supernal Vision and looks again. The stranger has a Mage armour spell up, and Mana in
his pattern. Samael is momentarily taken aback - he's never encountered anyone who wears armouring spells
when not expecting trouble, thinks about that for a moment, raises his own magical defences and then opens
the door.
"Oh! I'm sorry. I was expecting someone else. This is Chayot's house?" - Duma
Samael looks back at Chayot, who registers the newcomer with a brief look of shock rapidly covered with a
polite smile.
"Duma. Unannounced as always" - Chayot, nodding at Samael
"Won't you come in" - Samael, taking Duma's coat and going to make the tea.
"I like the place. Small. Cosy..." - Duma
Samael, watching from the kitchen and pretending not to watch, sees Chayot make a flickering signal with his
fingers. Duma crooks a finger over his sternum, the other hand moving out of Samael's field of vision. Clearly,
the newcomer is a Mystagogue - Samael can recognise the hand signals of the Order, but not interpret them
yet.
After a moment, he realises Duma is exaggerating his hand signals so that he can see them better.
"It serves" - Chayot
"For a hermitage." - Duma, glancing at Samael
"My apprentice, Samael" - Chayot, flatly
Duma shakes his hand, smiling pleasantly
"I thought you said you'd not train anyone else?" - Duma
"Samael has great potential" - Chayot, in a warning tone of voice
"And an interesting Shadow Name. Mastigos?" - Duma
"Obrimos" - Samael
"...Interesting." - Duma
Chayot glares at him, and he stops smiling.
"Why are you here, Duma?" - Chayot
"They've found out. The Cabal want it." - Duma

"The Cabal no longer exist" - Chayot
"Nevertheless. Look - I'm here to warn you, old man. Out of respect. Will Quiet do the same? Porthos?
Vahishta?" - Duma
What, indeed, will Porthos do? That's an old Mage: The Ascension revised joke for ya. These characters are named
here to give Samael the heads up should they appear later in the Chronicle.
There is a tense silence
"Can I at least see it?" - Duma
Chayot considers, then makes a hand signal. They head upstairs to where Chayot keeps his small collection of
magical artefacts. Samael, figuring they'll say if they don't want him to tag along, tags along.
He's quite surprised when "it" turns out to be the golden ankh on a long chain which Chayot has used to train
him in the use of Mage Sight.
Duma stares long and hard at it, and Samael feels the spell effects forming as the newcomer bombards the
artefact with Unveiling and Knowing spells.
"You realise what this would mean to the work?" - Duma
"It is not available. It belongs to the Order, placed in my trust. That's all there is." - Chayot
The stranger nods, after a while.
"Well, then. I've come all this way" - Duma
"You should stay the night. Have dinner with us. It IS good to see you, old friend" - Chayot
"...So he's in Peru." - Duma
Dinner has proven enlightening to Samael, who's been shut up here in the remote corner of England for almost
a year. Duma shares anecdotes of names Samael has never heard, stories about acquaintances of his and
Chayot's. The sign that there is a greater magical society out there is alluring to the young Mage.
"And you? I doubt that car paid for itself" - Chayot
"I've spent some time in London, with Civitas. Advising him on a problem with a Legacy" - Duma
Chayot does not seem impressed by the name-dropping
"Civitas?" - Samael
"The Hierarch of London. Guardian of the Veil. I have known better Hierarchs, and worse - your own for
instance" - Duma
"I haven't been to Consilium" - Samael
"What? Not been down to Durham to worship Aurora like the rest of the Geordies? You've been hiding this one
away, Chayot." - Duma
Aurora is the Hierarch of the Durham consilium, into the territory of which the Tyne and Wear cities fall. Chayot lives
further North than that, but the next nearest Consilium is in Edinburgh, so he's a member of Durham's Mysterium
Caucus. There will be more about the Consilium next session.
"Samael is an excellent student. I didn't want to distract him with petty politics" - Chayot
"...What is it you study, sir?" - Samael
"Ah! You're an Obrimos, too, so you'll understand. I study traces of the supernal world found in the Fallen
Reality. My Legacy is based on the idea that the Angels are trying to send messages through, but they become
obscured by the mundane. Magic occludes itself, as the Corpus Author says, and we try to find the hidden
revelations." - Duma
"You're in a Legacy?" - Samael, interested
Duma seems confused that he wouldn't know, and looks at Chayot. Chayot makes a harsh hand sign, and
Duma clams up, giving Samael an apologetic look. The implication is clear, though.
Chayot is in the Legacy, too.

"...I'll make up your room" - Samael, breaking the silence.
Duma watches him work from the doorway of the tiny guest bedroom.
"How long have you been here?" - Duma
"Just over ten months. I'm learning a lot" - Samael
"That's criminally slow." - Duma
"He's very focused. And I need to dedicate the time to getting everything right. During my Awakening, I burnt
down a church." - Samael
"I sympathise. And I suppose restraint is a good thing to learn before you can set a man on fire with a thought.
You'll make a good member of your Cabal once you join one." - Duma
"You and Chayot are in a Cabal together?" - Samael
"Were. It disbanded. We're in the same Legacy, though... But I'm afraid I can't tell you about that. He was quite
clear" - Duma
"I saw you signalling" - Samael
"So you *are* studying for membership in the Order. Have you read the Corpus yet?" - Duma
The Corpus Mysterium is the Grimoire that describes the core doctrines of the Mysterium, penned centuries ago by an
Archmaster known only as the 'Corpus Author'.
Soul Cage has a much greater focus on the Orders than Broken Diamond did, helped immeasurably by the fact that I
have the Order books for the Mysterium and Free Council.
"Only a learning text describing it. I've not had my initiation yet" - Samael
"Well. Not long off, by the sounds of it..." - Duma
He trails off, troubled
"When you said that They want it..." - Samael
"I tried to tell him, but your master is a stubborn old man. Please... Try to persuade him to at least hire a
Banner Warden. And if, well.. If the worst happens, find me. I'll do my best to help." - Duma
"How can I find you?" - Samael
"Ask around the London Consilium. There are Mages in the Caucus that can get a message to me" - Samael
As you can see up-thread, Chris has immediately become suspicious. But no, Duma isn't the guy who stole the
Artefact. That would be too simple.
1. Prelude
Cobalt and Cognos have driven up from Newcastle in Cognos' Mini Metro, thus proving Cobalt's theory about
the relative sizes of men and cars. They've discussed most of the relevant points over several pub sessions -
the Supernal World, the Watchtowers, Arcana and Practices. Cognos has mentioned the Atlantean orthodoxy
and the Orders from the highly-biased viewpoint of a Free Councillor, stating that he personally doesn't believe
in a literal magical island where Everything Was Better.
Cognos apparently lives in a Lighthouse.
Cobalt gets out of the car and looks around at the drizzling rain and the Northumbrian coast. The lighthouse is
built up on a bluff, accessed by a road that's barely a track.
"What do you think?" - Cognos, proudly
"A Wizard's Tower?" - Cobalt, dryly
"You're more right than you know. Mana - I told you about Mana, remember? It sublimates into this world in
High places, so Mages tend to live in skyscrapers, tall buildings, mountaintop retreats... Basically, Wizard's
Towers. I wanted a lighthouse for the symbology..." - Cognos
He is cut off by an arrow being loosed out of the window, over their heads and into a target set up on the grass.
"SEF!" - Cognos
Persephone sticks her head out of the window and apologises. She didn't see them.
"This is Cobalt! See?" (indicates Cobalt) "Cobalt. Come down and say hello!" - Cognos
She vanishes into the lighthouse again, and Cognos continues his explanation.
"It's a beacon, you see? A tower, guiding the lost through darkness and chaos to safety; I wonder where they
got that idea. I live in it because it's proof - proof that humans can be and are influenced by the supernal every
day, without any 'Atlantean' elements being involved at all." - Cognos
"That was your apprentice?" - Cobalt
"Persephone. Wonderful gal. Acanthus Path. Keen Archer. And.. Of course... One day all of this will be hers" -
Cognos
Welcome to Cobalt's hell.
He gives Cobalt an encouraging wink as he opens the front door. Persephone is coming down the stairs coiled
around the internal space.
"Morning Sef" - Cognos
"Master" - Persephone, sarcastically
"This is Cobalt... I already said that. It went well, obviously. Good thing you lent me those Potter books. Just the
line. Can't wait to read book six" - Cognos
Thinking about the death of the mentor figure, Cobalt keeps a straight face.
"Sef, could you show Cobalt around - show him his room and such? I'm off to Oblate." - Cognos
He gives Cobalt another encouraging wink and leaves the two of them to it, heading up the creaking stair to
the Hallow in the lamp chamber.
"This is your room. This is my room - stay out. This is the kitchen." - Persephone
The fridge has post-it-notes all over it, High Speech runes drawn on them in magic marker.
"That's... One hell of a fridge" - Cobalt
It's a fridge with a permanent Alter Efficiency cast upon it. The epitome of fridgeness.
Cobalt hefts his travel bag and makes polite noises.
"So what are you, a professor or something?" - Persephone
"How old are you?" - Cobalt
"Eighteen" - Persephone, as though it were ancient.
I have students older than you, thinks Cobalt.
"And you're an... Acanthus? You went to where the Faeries are?" - Cobalt
"That's right" - Persephone, clipped.
He nods and tries to think of something else to say.
"Want to come meet Sam?" - Persephone
"Sam?" - Cobalt
"He's a Mystagogue - lives with his master in a house down the road." - Persephone
She opens the front door and points out Chayot's house in the distance
"That's what, twenty minutes walk?" - Cobalt, glancing upward
"Oh, he'll be ages. We could take the car, if he left his keys around" - Persephone
She casts Winds of Chance and looks next to the coffee jar, plucking the keys from the worktop in triumph
"That was lucky" - Cobalt
"Wasn't it?" - Persephone
If I were a Mage, I'd definitely try to learn at least Fate 1. It's just so useful.
...
One short car ride later, and they're at Chayot's house. Samael opens the door, hearing them laughing at some
joke. Probably at his Order's expense.
Introductions are made.
"Sam, right?" - Cobalt
"That's right. Samael." - Samael
He offers them drinks. Well, tea. Twice, until Cobalt accepts.
"Why are you always offering people tea, Sam?" - Persephone
"It's the second protocol." (off their blank looks) "Right apprenticeship? I forget, sometimes. Cognos is a
Libertine. It's a Mysterium thing"
"So you believe in Atlantis?" - Cobalt, with the air of someone told about that whole Atlantis think yesterday by
a Libertine.
"Yes, technically. Look, the Mysterium aren't just the Wings of the Dragon, yeah? I know Cognos lumps all the
Diamond Orders in together but.. Say you go meet an Adamantine Arrow. Tell him he's just a relic of the
Atlantean warrior caste with no relevance to modern magic and count your teeth as you pick them up." -
Samael
"I'm getting the feeling Cognos was biased" - Cobalt
"Slightly. His heart's in the right place, though. We in the Mysterium are about the study of magic as a living
mystery, and there are rules and responsibilities. One of them is 'Right Apprenticeship', the agreement
between a mentor and student. Basically, Chayot does right by me and I do right by him" - Samael
"By making the tea" - Cobalt
"By making the tea, and tidying the house, and studying hard on what he shows me. In return for which." -
Samael
He flicks his fingers, and the hob lights itself. He puts the old brass kettle onto the ring with a clunk.
"He's teaching me how to meld the universe with my hands and set things on fire with my mind. In exchange...
I make tea." - Samael
"Cool" - Cobalt
He looks around at the books
"So are these all in..?" - Cobalt
"High Speech? No - just the spells. Here, like this one" - Samael
He shows Cobalt a book containing the spiralling runes of magic.
At which point, Chayot limps into the room, leaning on his cane.
"Who's this, then?" - Chayot
"Master - this is Cobalt. Cognos' new student" - Samael
"Ah. The diving accident?" - Chayot
"That's right" - Cobalt, slightly strained.
"My sympathies to you, then, being taught by that overbearing oaf. Still... Hopefully you can be a stabilising
influence on that house of chaos." - Chayot
"I'm not sure about that" - Cobalt
"What path, may I ask?" - Chayot
"Moros.. I think that's the word" - Cobalt
"Ahhh.. All becomes clear" - Chayot, looking at Persephone, who shuffles awkwardly under the beady gaze.
No one appears to share in Chayot's revelation.
"Of course. Libertines. I'm disappointed in you, though" - Chayot, to Samael
At which point, there's a flash of light as space bends in the room to accommodate the sudden appearance of
Cognos.
"Oho! Here you all are! Do you know, I couldn't find my car" - Cognos, cheerful
"NOT! IN! THE! HOUSE!" - Chayot, nearly screaming.
Cognos looks briefly ashamed of himself. The two older mages begin to 'banter'.
"Are you sure you're up to the whole minute's work of two students, Cognos? It might cut into your lunch hour"
- Chayot
"Sef is just as capable as your boy. And one day soon *she'll* graduate. Who'll pick up after you when Samael's
gone? Or were you planning on keeping him here forever?" - Cognos
"Don't question my methods. My methods are handed down from my Order..." - Chayot
"And in Atlantis on the Moon they were used to train whole generations of Mages, yes. Look, old bean, I wanted
to talk to you, anyway. I'm planning on taking the kids to Assembly next month, introduce them to the Order. If
you want, Samael could tag along" (off Chayot's look) "Not to the Assembly, obviously, but the Consilium." -
Cognos
Samael perks up
"I'll think about it" - Chayot
Samael is crushed
"Is.. Is everything all right, Chayot?" - Cognos, peering at him
"Fine" - Chayot
"I mean, if you need any help with anything, I AM only..." - Cognos
"I'm FINE. Perfectly fine, except for the constant trail of people through my home. OUT - and take your whelps
with you." - Chayot
The Mystagogue storms off into his office, leaving Cognos looking stunned.
"I'm sorry, he's been distracted lately..." - Samael, before Cognos waves the apology away
"He barely insulted me. Not like him... Samael, the offer stands. And, er... Ask him if he needs any Tass, once he
calms down. I know he's hard up for it." - Cognos
"Thank you, I will. Cognos... Can I ask you something?" (whispered) "Does the name Duma mean anything to
you?" - Samael
"Duma. Duma. Duuuma. Duuuuuuuuuma. Dumaaaa. Duma." - Cognos, at normal volume
"You bastard" - Samael, whispered
"No, sorry. Never heard of him. Well, then. Come on, Kids" - Cognos
And the Libertine contingent leave. Samael tentatively knocks on Chayot's office door and enters.
Chayot - quite calm - looks up.
"Master, about Duma..." - Samael
"Later, Samael, later. It's in hand. If the worst comes to the worst, we can hire an Arrow. And I can't give up the
artefact. It's not mine to give." - Chayot
"Cognos is offering Tass" - Samael
"I wonder what it is he wants" - Chayot
"Maybe..." - Samael, waving at the piles of books
"Yes. Probably. Especially with his new protégé" - Chayot
"Alright. I'm missing something." - Samael
"Cognos isn't qualified to teach a Moros - he's a Mastigos. Pandemonium rejects the Matter Arcanum. And yet
he went out of his way to get him, when there's at least one Libertine on the University's staff. No - if I'm to
guess, I'd say he's hoping Cobalt will give his other student someone to confide in, and then tell those secrets
to Cognos himself. How she Awakened, for instance. You know she's never told anyone." - Chayot.
Samael thinks about Persephone. The mythic figure.
"The King of the Dead. Right" - Samael, mentally kicking himself.
1. Prelude
"So. In the next few days we'll try ritual spell casting. It's the way to learn, really - do something in three hours
before you have to do it in three seconds under stress another day. For which you will need Mana, so... Time to
learn to use a Hallow. It's time to put our lips to the spigot of reality and turn the tap to full flow!" - Cognos
Cobalt does not seem encouraged as they climb the stairs.
"Does the lamp actually work?" - Cobalt
"Decommissioned. It's a Hallow, now - if I were to cap it with a piece of my soul it would be a Demesne,
remember? Now. Have you done much meditation?" - Cognos
"None" - Cobalt
"Okay. Well... Sit in the room, close your eyes and try to think of yourself as... hmm... floating. Try to remember
what it was like when you were under the sea, all that pressure. And then... Open your mind" - Cognos
"Open my mind. Right" - Cobalt
Cognos leaves him to it and starts creaking his way back down the stairs. Persephone is waiting in the door to
her room.
"He'll do well, I think" - Cognos
She makes a noncommittal noise
"Highly intelligent. Good-looking. Focused enough to have a PHD and hold a teaching post at a University. Well-
dressed. Dashing." - Cognos
"Samael Is dashing." - Persephone
"Samael's still learning his Rote mudras after eight months. He's a member of the Atlantean Orthodoxy. Set in
his ways, mentally. Cobalt's not got that." - Cognos
"Samael has a cool coat" - Persephone
"Cobalt can get a cool coat" - Cognos
"You sound like you want to hook me up with him" - Persephone
"Well, Samael can't be trusted. He's a Mystagogue. He'll listen to your secrets and then write them in a book.
He'll
study you like an interesting subject, not a person, even when you're in the same Cabal" - Cognos
"...You think we'll be in a Cabal?" - Persephone, hopefully
(ignoring that) "You need someone you can trust. Cobalt is a free councillor, you can trust him his secrets." -
Cognos
"WHAT secrets?" - Persephone
"Whatever's going on with you, for a start! You're too *secretive*, Sef - even for one of us." - Cognos
"So that he could then tell you all about it, eh?! No way!" - Persephone
Persephone, angered, slams her door, cutting him off.
Her PC is on and connected to the Free Council's online mailing list / blog. She starts furiously typing, about
how her Mentor keeps prying into her business.
And we go from Persephone furiously blogging, to...
~~~~~~
FIVE MONTHS AGO
Catherine types away at her blog, checking the time every few minutes.
...Persephone furiously blogging! This sequence is, then, set in June 2007
Catherine's suffering from the most terrible condition imaginable.
She's in love.
She met Hadrian out clubbing in February, and it's been a whirlwind romance. Her parents don't entirely
approve - Hadrian's quite a bit older than her - but Catherine has had her head well and truly turned by
expensive gifts, wining and dining. He apparently works in "IT".
So turned, in fact, that she doesn't exactly think she's done well on her exams. Her mother keeps leaving UCAS
leaflets about the house, but Catherine has pretty much resolved herself to the fact that she won't be going to
university when all her friends are. She's started to realise that they're leaving - going travelling before uni.
Noises have been made about staying friends forever, but Catherine doesn't really believe them.
Hadrian, to take her mind off it, is taking her for a weekend to the city. Fancy hotel and all. Hence the clock-
checking. He's even agreed to buy her a cat at some point.
When checking in, Hadrian repeats his name very loudly and clearly for the receptionist. A bit TOO loudly and
clearly, as though he wants it absolutely sure who he is. That evening, in the hotel, Catherine wakes up to find
Hadrian gone. She rolls over and goes back to sleep, and in the morning he's there again.
Time passes. Days go by. The news is full of some kind of bank robbery, but Catherine isn't paying any
attention. Her best friend has just left to go backpacking around Australia, and Hadrian hasn't called.
The next day, after a week has passed, she tries to call him. No answer. She tries to go to where he lives - he's
not there.
The next day, the Police arrive. Catherine is asked questions about her boyfriend. Worrying questions. They ask
her if she was with him on the night they went on the trip, and she's quite clear with them that yes, he was
with her all night. The niggling feeling that that maybe isn't exactly true remains at the back of her mind.
Agena: She said yes because her friends had already told the police she was hanging out with him. She wanted to say
no normally :P
Then more days of nothing. Catherine leaves increasingly fraught messages on his answering service, and
bombards him with emails, but there's nothing. Nothing.
After waving the last of her friends off, she buys a train ticket to London. Hoping to distract herself among the
countless masses. She's stood in a public square, grey sky overhead, watching the news on a giant public
screen, when her phone rings.
It's her mother. The police are looking for her.
The news - it's silent on the public screen - is showing a headline about the robbery. Apparently a witness has
come forward, describing one of the robbers.
It's Hadrian.
She barely registers the sound of her phone ringing again. It's the detective that spoke to her before. He asks
her when she last saw Hadrian, what gifts he bought her... He wants her to come into the station.
"Yes officer. Of course" - Catherine
She drops the phone and breaks into a run.

She can't stop thinking about butterflies and storms.
The buildings - already looming, pollution-grey and craggy - seem to be growing even taller and more imposing.
The people pressed all around her are becoming slowly, almost imperceptibly, more extreme: the good-looking
ones seem taller, more ethereal. Everyone else is turning short and squat, imperfections growing. Teeth and
Eyes gleam in the shadows of the urban canyons.
A horse-drawn cart goes past, out-of-place in the traffic. The few trees planted to prettify the streets turn silver.
Railings become thinner and spikier. A police car cruises slowly by, the eyes of the inhabitants gleaming red as
they turn to watch her go past.
She emerges onto the edge of a park. It's like nothing on Earth - the plants are thick, coiled masses of silver
thorns. The sun above is the wrong colour, and the clouds have visible silver linings. Catherine pauses at the
edge, a butterfly circling her.
There's a sound like a cross between a hound and a police siren, and she presses on, hurrying into the park.
You will note that the text hasn't gone italic yet...
Looking for somewhere to hide, she spots a burrow of some kind and crawls into it. Every now and again, the
silver, spiked root of one of the thorns gets in her way, but she manages to work her way past them.
In the chamber beyond, waiting calmly for her, is Hadrian.
"..." - Catherine
"Hello, love" - Hadrian
"Where have you *been*? They're looking for you, and GOD, I lied for you, I..." - Catherine
He shushes her
"You did exactly what I wanted you to. Perfectly. Why'd you think I took you there?" - Hadrian
"You used me" - Catherine
"It was easy" - Hadrian, matter of factly
"What?" - Catherine
"It was easy. Only a little thing. I needed an alibi plus some company for a few months and there you were.
Someone, you know, worth my time, but not too bright" - Hadrian
"I've ruined my life for you" - Catherine
"Not my problem. And not due to anything I did. All you. That's the beauty of it - all it took was that first
meeting, that one small thing, and then you did everything else yourself. You find someone who really doesn't
want to do her revision that day and buy her a drink." - Hadrian
"I hate you" - Catherine
He shrugs
"I'm going to make you suffer" - Catherine
"Here? I doubt it. If you want to get even, love, take my advice. Do what I did. Look for a tipping point and
exploit it. It's fun!" - Hadrian
She grabs a thorn and snaps it off before plunging it into his chest
"I'LL GIVE YOU A POINT" - Catherine
Hadrian staggers a bit.
"If you.. prick... me... do ... I not..." - Hadrian
He straightens up and pulls the thorn out. There isn't even a mark
"No, not really." - Hadrian
She turns to the exit - a wide tunnel that wasn't there a moment ago
"Where do you think you're going?" - Hadrian
She starts to walk
"Catherine? Catherine, you don't walk away yet. Cath... Wait. Wait! At least look back!" - Hadrian
She doesn't.
The tunnel opens up into the fresh air, and Catherine finds that London has gone entirely out of the window.
Butterflies dance in the air, the flora is of the same thorned quality as before, but she's not paying much
attention, blinded by tears. At one point, she looks down to see a small dog - a Jack Russell of all things -
trotting happily along beside her.
She ignores the fence when she comes to it, climbing over it. The next fence is broken, and the slats push
apart easily. The thorns are stepped over. So consumed is she by her misery that she doesn't notice the cliff
coming up until it's too late.
She takes a step forward, and there is no forward there. Catherine freezes, left foot extended out over the
Abyss. An ocean of quicksilver lies far beneath and far ahead. The dog whines behind her.
Carefully, she puts her foot back on solid ground. The dog licks her ankle.
Catherine closes her eyes and jumps.
The wind howls past her as she plummets, putting her in mind of storms again. The dog twists and becomes a
luminous humanoid figure, unnervingly beautiful, who catches Catherine by the arms and begins flying at
speed over the ocean - far, far away until she can't see the way back.
Finally, they alight on a shore, at the foot of steps leading up to a tower made of the same stuff as the sea and
the thorns. The creature indicates she should go in and somehow Catherine knows that she will. The tower is
Significant, somehow.
Inside, there's just a simple stair upward leading to a small chamber. On a wooden table, there's a silver bowl
with a gleaming silver knife next to it. In the bowl is a Pomegranate. She takes the fruit and, leaving the knife
after cutting the pomegranate open, starts to eat.
The walls begin to melt as she descends the Watchtower, eating pomegranate messily. As she leaves, it
collapses entirely back into the sea of silver. The creature, waiting, indicates that she should take the road that
has appeared, thick walls of thorn-hedge on either side. She does so, walking calmly as the road gets narrower
and narrower.
Catherine, three pomegranate seeds left in her hand, emerges from the hedge maze at Hampton Court Palace.
Hence 'Persephone'. What is Hadrian? Changeling? Mage? True Fae? Creature of the Lower Depths? Just a dick? The
italics above mark the point at which Sef is definitely in Arcadia, but where does her Awakening *start*? Was she
Enchanted by her lover, the Changeling, and brought into the Hedge to his hideout only to reject him and have an
Arcadian experience quite different to his own? Or is that an unnecessary and needless crossover? Was that even him
she was talking to?
The mystery makes Persephone the welcome exact opposite of Kali in Broken Diamond. I was worried about having
another young Fate witch named after a goddess that is married to a particularly unnerving deity, so let's put it like
this... Sef's memory has not been tampered with and Hades isn't an Exarch, mmkay?
Besides, I want to do something with the Underworld - the least-developed extranormal world in the nWoD. Lots of
creatures can go to the Underworld, but it remains undeveloped by the game lines so far, like a big cosmological gap
marked "this space for expansion". But just as Samael gets the plot about power's corrupting influence, Persephone
gets the descent and return from the Underworld.
Oh, and the thing with the cliff and the little dog? Not only does it complete our triptych of OZ references in the
Awakenings, but it's straight imagery from The Fool Tarot card, associated with Acanthus.
~~~~~~
Samael arrives at the lighthouse on his bicycle, leaning it up against the wall as he enters.
"How is he?" - Cognos
"Different. Cognos.. In your experience as a Mastigos, how much contact with something is needed to form a
sympathetic connection?" - Samael
"The longer the better. Of course, there are spells to forge the sympathy faster than simple contact. Why? Do
you want someone to teach you the Space Arcanum?" - Cognos
Samael thinks about it

"Actually, y..." - Samael
Cobalt emerges from upstairs.
"Okay. I'm done. I can't get any more one with the universe" - Cobalt
And then Persephone emerges, wiping a tear away
"You alright?" - Samael
"Blog updated?" - Cognos, mildly.
She sticks her tongue out at him.
"I'm sorry. Curse of the Warlocks - being overly inquisitive about other's secrets" - Cognos
"I thought that was just being a Mage" - Samael
"So what are Moros known for? 'Necromancer' implies all sorts of things" - Cobalt
"Realism. Groundedness. A certain Resolute nature. And it could be worse, you could be like our young Paladin
here" - Cognos, slapping Samael on the shoulder
"I am not a Paladin" - Samael
"GOD WILLS IT!" - Cognos, happily
"Acanthus are all flighty, too, apparently" - Samael, grinning at Persephone.
"Did your master give you an answer?" - Cognos
"Chayot says he'll take the Tass. I'm worried about him, though - he's been acting odd. We had a visitor who,
well, threatened him. Sort of. Said that other people were going to be on their way" - Samael
"Hm... How can I put this, Lad? There is more to your Master than meets the eye." - Cognos
"How do you mean?" - Samael
"Well.. I'm living out here because I wanted a lighthouse and it was on the market. Plus I can teleport to
civilisation. What's his excuse?" - Cognos
"Maybe he wants to be left alone. And is *is* a nice bit of countryside" - Samael
Everyone present contemplates the bleak Northumbrian coast and it's bleak Northumbrian drizzle
"God wills it!" - Cognos, making Samael jump
"Come on, guys, let's not fight" - Cobalt
"I wouldn't want to go up against Cognos' weight class anyway" - Samael
That earns him a scowl, which he replies to with a grin.
"Are we really going to the Assembly?" - Persephone
"Yes. About time you met your peers. The Assembly AND the Consilium, I think, even if Aurora does have a stick
up her. Ah, Consilia, the least efficient form of governance ever invented. Keeps the Ladder happy, though, if no
one else." - Cognos
"Yes, I suppose it's much better in an Assembly where you're all being paid off for your votes" - Samael, mildly
"And you, Samael, should keep your eyes peeled. There's bound to be people that either know what's going on
or will be willing to help out if asked. Trust me - if Chayot is in some kind of trouble, then the Consilium can
help. The Sentinels are very polite, helpful people..." - Cognos
TWO MINUTES AGO
The Sentinel looks around at the wreckage of the Train, the dead Necromancer and Zombies and the big gap
where the rest of the train should be.
"What the hell did you people DO here?!" - Sentinel
At which point, finally, Session 0.2 comes to an end. Join us next time for more expansion of our prelude as we
introduce the player characters to the Consilium.
1. Prelude
Session 0.3
Welcome back, faithful reader!
My many and profuse apologies for the lateness of this recap, I had many and varied things to do that demanded my
attention. It's all sorted now, though, so: Full Speed ahead! Atomic Batteries to power! Turbines to Speed!
I have spoken about the design of the Consilium earlier in the thread, and Aurora has now been well and truly
foreshadowed what with that art. What I haven't said (I think) is that the same pressures delaying this recap prevented
me from doing any prep for this session *beyond* those initial notes, so I winged it. The plot details were easy - it was
the Shadow names that were difficult. Most of the storyteller characters in this session were named after five minutes
of going "um" a lot. Cobra, the Free Councillor, is named after a brand of lager. Chris had a bottle on the shelf in my
eye line, you see, and...
Yeah. We're lucky no one ended up being named "Fried Rice".
The fore- and aft- of the plot is now getting closer together, this being made up of the sixth and fourth sections of six.
In the words of GlaDOS, these points of data now make a (mostly) beautiful line. Now, then, where were we?
Now
The three mages look around the wreckage of the train carraige, littered with corpses.
Samael hangs up his mobile.
"He said he was on his way" - Samael
"We'd better get our story straight" - Cobalt, looking over the no-longer active Zombies.
He crouches
The astute will have noticed we've not technically followed on exactly - the last line of session 0.2 hasn't happened yet
Cobalt casts Forensic Gaze, trying to discover how the Zombies originally died. He seems surprised by the
results.
"He did something to the air" (looking around) "the Moros. They were poisoned" - Cobalt
Samael wipes rapidly-evaporating ectoplasm from his coat.
"Good thing you checked. I wouldn't have figured that out" - Samael
Persephone unstrings her bow and retrieves arrows.
After about fifteen minutes, there's a flash of bright light that turns into a Portal, being cut into the air by a
Roman Gladius wielded by a man that gives Samael the run in athletic blond stakes.
Excalibur, Sentinel of the Consilium, steps through his Portol and sheathes his Path Tool. The Portal seals itself
behind him as he surveys the bodies.
"What the hell did you people DO here?!" - Excalibur
THERE we go
"Weeell..." - Persephone
Cobalt quickly lays out the facts. As he does so, Excalbur examines the bodies himself - casting Forensic Gaze
himself. He nods at the ex-Zombies, and when he comes to the dead Moros examines the neck wound.
"Good shot" - Excalibur
"Lucky shot" - Persephone
He shrugs.
"Well. The Guardians should be satisfied by that. They're making their way to the other half of the train now. It'll
be easier if we can get this half back there" - Excalibur
Cobalt heads to the driver's cabin and puts the train into reverse
"You're sure Cognos had nothing to do with this?" - Excalibur
"I'm sure" - Samael
"Because there was the complaint..." - Excalibur
"I'm Sure" - Samael
---
Five Weeks Ago
In the tallest chamber of the lighthouse, Cobalt is learning all about Rote mudras...
"What's a Mudra?" - Cobalt

"You know what a Mantra is?" - Cognos
"Like a chant?" - Cobalt
Cognos, at length, explains how Mudras are movements which act as mnemonics for Imagos
"...Like schoolkids learning a rhyme to remember their electromagnetic spectrum, yes? Well, a Mudra is like
that but for a Rote." - Cognos
For Agena's benefit: Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain. First letters of the visible light spectra. It's a mnemonic.
"And what's a Rote?" - Cobalt
"Ah. Uh... Alright. When you cast a spell, you imagine how it works, yes? You form the Imago in your mind,
imagine the lines of power moving, interacting with the surroundings? Well.. If you cut the main part of a spell's
shape out, minus the parts that take account of local conditions, that's a Rote. It's like having a 90% completed
spell you can learn and fill the blanks in when you want it, but they're quite difficult to remember - very
complicated - hence Mudras" - Cognos
"Isn't there a better way of doing it?" - Cobalt
"Well, some people use all kinds of mnemonics. I know an Obrimos in Paris that had himself tattooed with his
rotes - parts of them on different parts of his arms, so that when he made certain gestures the Rote was visible.
Very time-consuming..." - Cognos
Cognos is talking here about Hastur, one of the characters from Bleak House, as played by Rhyme of these forums.
This is the first time I think I've indicated that all my Awakening games are set in the same continuity. Tattooed Rotes,
like most advanced forms of magic, are from the Tome of Mysteries.
"If he puts his forearms together, does it make a mage sight?" - Persphone, who has seen Constantine.
"No - shreds Ghosts. Lots of Ghosts in Paris." - Cognos
Cobalt is more taken aback that there are Mages in Paris
"Oh, yes. Full of Geomancers and Guardians of the Veil, is Paris. The Mysterium and Guardians run something
called a "Censorium" there, underground. It's called 'The Shadow Gallery' - a vast collection of all the things
they'd rather the rest of us didn't know about." - Cognos
"As opposed to Lorehouses?" - Cobalt
"Well of course - those are for everyone's benefit. And Athenea are for the Mysterium's. But a Censorium is for
*no one's*. There's one in London, too - the Library of St John. If only there were a way to get inside... Think of
all the secrets trapped within..." - Cognos
He drifts off for a moment, before his apprentices cough and re-attract his attention.
"I don't think Samael would approve" - Persephone.
Cognos makes a dismissive noise, and the day's lesson begins.
The Shadow Gallery and the Library of St John the Beheaded are both obscure parts of Doctor Who's universe - they're
the 18th-century French and English equivalents of Torchwood. The Shadow Gallery made it into Bleak House as the
Censorium Roach worked at.
I mentioned them here because I might need a ultra-security library of Abyssal texts and demonological artefacts for
the characters to break into at some point. This way, I get two!
The day's lesson, to be completed before they take Chayot the Tass they offerred earlier, is deceptively easy. In
preparation for the upcoming Consilium, Cognos wants them able to cast a Mage Armor - a good Mage armor
rather than the shoddy ones they've been able to put up so far. He chooses to use this as an illustration of
ritual spellcasting: They are to carefully build the spells resonance-line by resonance-line, use the High Speech
beforehand and employ sacraments. Persephone burns a playing card. Cognos uses a stone.
Or, put simply, they're casting them as Extended rather than Instant spells, taking the opportunity to boost the
Potency of the spells and so make them harder to dispel. Persephone is taking part in this lesson even though she
should technically already know it.
Agena: She knew she's going to fail horribly at showing Cobalt that she's more experienced in those matters but
decided to go ahead anyway. And without fail, Cobalt finished his spell in less than 3,5 h it takes to cast the extended
spell for people of our Gnosis + use of high speech while Sef sat there for full 9,5h, stubbornly trying to finish the spell
and finally giving up and settling with a slightly less powerful (12 successes out of 15 I think) version of it. At least
Cobalt did appreciate it though, as he said, he didn't have to experience on himself what happens when one fails.
---
Meanwhile, over at the Farmhouse, Chayot and Samael are preparing a ritual casting of their own. Chayot has
decided to Ward the house, and has been carefully painting the Runes of the High Speech onto the walls.
Samael has the responsible job of making the necessary sacrament - an ice-sculpture of the Farmhouse in
miniature, which will be melted during the casting. While Chayot is preparing the runes, he's casting Forces
spells on an ice-block to prevent it from melting except in the places he wishes. That plus a certain amount of
manual craftsmanship is making the sacrament slowly take shape.
Once ready, the work completes - Samael standing by with the sculpture while Chayot carefully creates the
Ward. At the required time, Samael releases the spells on the sculpture and allows it to begin melting. Hours
later, the spell is finished. The walls hum with power.
Chayot has just sat down, Samael providing him with a cup of tea, when there's the brilliant thunderclap of
Cognos' Nimbus. Cognos, Persephone and Cobalt Teleport into the Farmhouse, shattering the Ward into
vanishing trails of resonance.
Cognos, without thinking, overcame the Potency of the Ward. The arrival was timed to maximum comedy effect -
everyone knew it was coming...
"Hello, Minions of Orthodoxy!" - Cognos, cheerfully, brandishing Tass in each hand.
"SIX HOURS OF WORK" - Chayot
Chayot strikes like a snake, whipping his cane up and screaming a word of power. Lightning forms around the
silver cane-head and fires a split second later, arcing towards Cognos who ducks just in time. The Libertine
recieves only a minor burn, but the vase behind him explodes.
"What THE?" - Cognos
The guys weren't expecting THAT, though!
Cobalt and Persephone dive for cover.
"Master!" - Samael
Chayot hurls another blast of lightning at Cognos, who hastily deflects some of it, but takes the majority of the
blast straight in the chest, flying backward. He gets up, though, after a heart-stopping moment.
"YOU CRAZY BASTARD" - Cognos
Cobalt steps in between them. Chayot - who looked like he was going to cast it again - hesitates, then lowers
his cane
"OUT" - Chayot
Cognos and Chayot hurl barely-intelligible insults at one another for a few moments, and then Cognos draws
what's left of his dignity up around him.
"RIGHT. Kids - with me. We'll see what the Sentinel says about THIS!" - Cognos
And he storms out. At least he uses the door, though. Persephone and Cobalt hurry after him.
"I came to do him a FAVOUR. Let's see him beg for access to a Hallow now, eh?" - Cognos, ranting
Samael looks like he's about to try to argue it, but elects instead to stay and see if Chayot is still okay.
Outside, Persephone and Cobalt catch up with Cognos, who is healing himself in a glow of his Nimbus.
"Come on, we can still give them the Tass" - Persephone
"Bollocks can we." - Cognos
"We might have just ruined something. What would you feel if he broke a spell you were working on?" -
Persephone
"I need it to replenish the Mana I'm using to HEAL MYSELF" - Cognos
"You're acting like an angry old man" - Cobalt
"I just got lightning-bolted by an angry old man." - Cognos
"And yet, you've already healed yourself" - Cobalt
"Look at this waistcoat! RUINED" - Cognos
"I can fix that" - Cobalt
"It's the Principle..." - Cognos
He seems more upset than anything. Persephone hugs him... And uses the opportunity to try to pick his pockets
for the Tass.
"OI! No" - Cognos
He starts walking
Persephone turns the kitten-eyes on Cognos
"For Sam, at least! He doesn't deserve to lose out" - Persephone
"...FINE. One - and for him, not Chayot" - Cognos
He hands over a chunk of metal grille - part of the floor of the Hallow chamber on top of the lighthouse, which
has become Tass through Mana accumulation.
Persephone grins and runs back toward the farmhouse. Cognos, with a noise of disgust, Teleports home. Cobalt,
left standing out in the drizzle by himself, decides to head after 'Sef.
Through cunning means of Sef casting Shifting the Odds, Samael has gone to close the door just at the right
time to see them coming back. Chayot, he says, is very weak from the sudden magical violence - he nearly
keeled over. He explains how they'd just finished a spell that took them several hours to cast and that Cognos
obliterated it without knowing.
Chayot just took three resistant damage from paradox - those Thunderbolt Spells don't come cheap. Chayot absorbed
the paradox as damage because the first one would have given him a Bedlam, which would have confused the scene
even more, and the second was a Havok - which would have meant the Thunderbolt spell fired off at one of the player
characters, to whom it would have done considerable damage and removed any sympathy for Chayot that there would
have been - and we knew they had to feel upset enough at him dying at session's end to go haring off after his killer.
This is the point at which the whole nonlinear prelude got complicated, and the flow of the session was deliberately
manipulated by all concerned to maintain continuity. My hat is off to the players, who coped admirably.
Actually, when we came to play 1.1 I found I kind of missed it. I might try to do something similar for story two.
Persephone hands over the Tass, which Samael receives gratefully.
"I think... I think in future you should call before coming over" - Samael
Cobalt opines that there is fault on both sides - both Adepts have failed to take one another's business into
account. The other two apprentices agree with him, but Samael says that probably won't help: Chayot, like
Cognos, has decided to take this to the Consilium. The three of them may be about to get caught in the middle.
"Do you want me to read your future for you?" - Persephone
He nods
Sef pulls out her tarot deck, putting random cards in a circle. Allowing her lucky arrow to drop randomly, she
casts Augery on the farmhouse. The question - "Will the house be attacked in the coming week?" and the
answer, clear as the mists of the future will allow, is No.
Because it will actually be attacked in a fortnight. Oh well...
Samael calls Chayot "Master" out of respect, and Persephone calls Cognos it sarcastically. Both are actually Adepts -
I'm making a conscious effort to make Soul Cage lower-powered than Broken Diamond to avoid the PCs feeling feeble
with their cut-down Mage templates and lack of xp.
1. Prelude
Now
Back to the train...
Cobalt links up the train while Excalibur arranges for Cognos to be released in a phone call to someone
unknown.
Once the car comes to a stop, a thin, balding man in a paramedic's uniform climbs on board. The gang
remember him from the Consilium - he's a Guardian of the Veil.
"Gaunt" - Gaunt, extending his hand
The trio introduce themselves, as Gaunt goes around the corpses, giving them a third viewing. As he works, he
quizzes the gang on what they did and didn't do during the fight. He seems satisfied with their explanations (no
Vulgar magic was used in front of Sleepers, they tried to get the Ghost away from the civilians), though mutters
about the amount of work they're going to have with the witnesses.
"Zombies. Why is it always Zombies? Damned Moros" - Gaunt
"I resent that" - Cobalt
"You're a Moros?" - Gaunt
"Well... Yes, but I don't go around making the Day of the Dead. We're not all Necromancers" - Cobalt, slightly
defensive
"Not implied. I'm a Moros myself. Men like this give us all a bad name" - Gaunt
As they watch, he disintegrates the bodies of the zombies one by one, reducing them to pale shadows on the
floor.
"Have any of you seen him before?" - Gaunt, indicating the Moros
There is a chorus of denial
"Good clean shot" - Gaunt
Persephone shifts, uncomfortably.
"We'd best take the body, then. See what can be gleaned from it" - Gaunt, to Excalibur
"You need a hand?" - Cobalt
The dead Moros suddenly jerks to a sitting up position.
"Got it covered" - Gaunt
Cobalt wrinkles his face in distaste. Always with the Zombies.
Cobalt has an amusing problem with the stereotype of his Path, which only partly stems from Dave's dislike of being
lumbered with the Death Arcanum in order to get Matter. Cobalt describes himself, when asked to, as an Alchemist not
a Necromancer.
The Moros are the worst Path for that, I find - the other four fit together more intuitively, though there is much that can
be made of the symbolism and magical energy of the Death/Matter split. In any case, we are reconciled to it as an
Artifact of Mage: The Awakening as a game, and the dichotomy has been taken in character.
Maybe one day, Cobalt will comes to terms with Death, and in so doing gain enlightenment.
The Guardian puppets the body to it's feet, and checks out the window what progress the hubbub of
emergency services carrying off passengers has made.
"Wait" - Samael
He ties a scarf around the new zombie's neck, covering up the gaping arrow wound.
Gaunt raises an eyebrow, nods to him and then commands the corpse to climb out of the train. He follows it,
and Excalibur coughs for attention.
"We need to talk to Bede" - Samael
Because they have an Artifact with Death and Fate spells on it that someone is willing to kill for.
"Tomorrow. It's nearly three AM - I'll take you back to the Lighthouse, okay?" - Excalibur
They climb down from the train and into Excalibur's land rover. The sentinel waits for Gaunt to give the go-
ahead, and then starts driving the trio back South, towards the Lighthouse and the...
... Samael doesn't really want to think about that right now.
"You realise why we had to take Cognos in, right?" - Excalibur
"Yeah. We know" - Cobalt, sadly
"I mean, they're reprimanded for fighting and then two weeks later... Bad business. I just hope we can find out
who that guy was..." - Excalibur
He realises he's mostly talking to himself and shuts up, leaving the exhausted trio to get a moment's peace.
---
Two Weeks Ago
The three young Mages have spent the last two weeks mediating between their two mentors - both of whom
are still angry at one another and both of whom have complained to the heads of their respective Order
Caucuses. While Cobalt, Persephone and Samael have taken to meeting one another at the pub in the village
further down the road (Cobalt, it seems, has an unerring capability to locate a bar no matter where he is)
Cobalt has the 'Barfly' Merit.
When the day of the Consilium eventually comes around, the trio are therefore looking forward to it less than
they might have been.
The Free Council Caucus is held in the lower floor of a pub in Durham, hanging over the grey River Wear. The
bar is an independent, and has ale tasting as though it were produced from the river.
Real bar, this. Good memories... No... Wait... Not good memories.
They're met by a small, bald man in cheap spectacles and a cheaper, faded suit. Cobalt recognises him - he
works at Durham University's Physics department.
"Greetings, Voters!" - Quark, enthusiastically
Okay. obligatory Physics joke, because it pleased Agena: Quark is small and excited.
"Good lord" - Cobalt
"I know! Small world.. Quark. I'm the Emissary" - Quark
"Emissary?" - Persephone
"Well - I'm on the Consilium Council. My colleagues there run 'their' Orders with different degrees of autocracy,
but we're different. We discuss everything on their agenda ahead of time, add our own items, vote on the Free
Council's position and then I put those views to Aurora" - Quark
Quark is a Thredonist - a Technomagic-based Mastigos that uses Quantum physics to explore the bleed-point between
Mind and Space. The way the Durham Libertines work is one model of how the Assembly system can fit into the
Consilium one, and relies on Aurora deliberately having one Councillor of each of the Four Orders other than herself - if
there weren't a Libertine Councillor, this wouldn't work.
"Everyone! This is Persephone and Cobalt" - Quark, to the amassed Libertines.
Well... Amassed is probably not the word. Clumped, maybe. The aging hippy in the world war two German army
jacket is "Pythagoras". The young, friendly redhaired woman is "Symmetry". The rather thuggish young man
with the inpenetrably thick County Durham Mining Village accent is "Cobra". This singular individual stops
playing with a knife and leering at Symmetry long enough to register Persephone's entrance.
".." - Cobra, intaking breath as if to speak

"I have a boyfriend" - Persephone, very quickly
Cobra, bless him, is in the Chronicle to show the downside of the Libertines - the flaw of Democracy being that it
assumes all Voters have an equal grasp of things. Also, he's very roughly based on someone me and Dave know, which
Dave found rather funny. Even after he was named for the empty bottle of beer Chris has on his PC desk.
There are other Libertines present - about 12 in total, including the two pcs - but at that point I'd given up naming
them. More show up next session, after I'd had chance to sit down and properly name Cabals and things.
"All right?" - Cobra, to Cobalt
"Er.. Yeah" - Cobalt
Symmetry inches closer to them, as Quark gets the meeting started.
"Okay! So! We have a few things to talk about..." - Quark
Cognos looms, clearing his throat
(hastily) "...Foremost the assault on Cognos here. Before that, though, does anyone have anything they wish to
address the Assembly with?" - Quark
Symmetry and Cobra both raise their hands. First it's Cobra. He wants to Fight The Lie, whatever that means.
He has had a "cunning" plan - break into one of the RAF bases in the region and steal some heavy weaponry,
then take the fight to the jailers of mankind. What can possibly go wrong? Pythagoras seems to be agreeing,
but he also seems to be stoned.
Quark shifts uncomfortably, as chairperson unable to oppose. He asks if anyone has anything to say on it
before it goes to a vote.
"You can't fight the man with the weapons of the man" - Cobalt, muttering
"Yes? Cobalt! Cobalt - you have the floor!" - Quark, desperate.
Cobalt, realising no one else is going to oppose it, steps on up.
"To those who support this plan, I have to say that you cannot fight The Man with the weapons of The Man,
without becoming The Man yourself" - Cobalt
Pythagoras nods sagely at that.
"...And to everyone else, I'd like to say: This plan is retarded" - Cobalt
He wins the vote by a landslide. Quark giving him a grateful look as he acknowledges it.
Which Dave will use as justification for buying Free Council Status 1 after the story. And now for Samael...
Symmetry goes second - she's noticed an unusual pattern of ghosts in Newcastle, that manifest in the middle
of crowded areas at night and then are almost immediately forced away by Disbelief. That they are affected by
Paradox would seem to indicate that they're being forced to Manifest by Magic, and she suspects Seer of the
Throne or Banisher involvement. She intends to appeal for volunteers to help uncover the truth at the
Mysterium.
The assembled Libertines vote in favour, and then it's Chayot's turn, putting his side of the story to the
Assembly. Persephone is the one to bring up the Ward he smashed through
Samael and Chayot, meanwhile, are meeting with the Mysterium Councillor - a Moros of the Stone Scribe
Legacy named Bede.
I've always liked the Stone Scribes, and their powers based around establishing temporal sympathy to the deceased,
but the members of the Legacy in Broken Diamond faded into the background. Having someone who can, given
enough things with "known" connections to the deceased, gain temporal sympathy to any dead mages that may be
littering the place will be useful in future stories.
And yes, Chris, he's been retconned from being a Thyrsus.
Bede and a junior Mystagogue - A Dudekos in the Order's terminology - named Key are meeting Samael and
Chayot in the warren-like St John's College. Originally a row of townhouses, John's is full of random staircases,
floors that don't meet up, doors to nowhere and so forth. One of those doors in fact leads to Key's office. There,
surrounded by books, files and strange objects, the Mystagogues are going over Chayot's complaint about
Cognos.
Bede is an elderly man, sober and knowing. Once Chayot has finished, he asks Samael's opinion.
"I think Cognos was trying to do us a favour, but didn't think" - Samael
"Well. The Hierarch will decide" - Bede
Bede is named after the Venerable Bede. Key has a backstory, but as she hasn't had a speaking part yet I will leave it
until it's important. That way I can change it.
They get up to go, leaving the college and walking through the old town of Durham towards the Castle.
Durham is pretty compact - have a look on Google Maps. The Bailey - the old town - containing the Cathedral, the
Castle and the posher half of the University's Colleges, is built on a peninsula formed by a loop in the river.
Chayot and Key go on ahead, leaving Bede and Samael trailing behind.
"Have you given any thought to your direction after your apprenticeship?" - Bede
"I haven't. I wanted to see more of the Order's work" - Samael
"There's more to us than the Eregore, and there are always opportunities for a young Mystagogue without
attachments. Chayot tells me you're interested in Art History?" - Bede
Samael nods
"Well, I have an ex-student - an Archaeomancer - who's leading an expedition in Brazil soon. They're
assembling in Rio De Janeiro and then seeking out indications of an Atlantean site. If you're interested, I will
persuade Chayot to allow you to go through your second Initiation and release you from your Apprenticeship.
From the sound of it, you're ready." - Bede
"I... Thank you" - Samael
The Brazil Expedition will be the plot of Story Two, most likely. Assuming Samael ever actually tells the others about it.
As the Mystagogues take one road towards the castle, they can see the throng of Libertines taking another in
the distance. The two groups converge on the Castle gate. Cognos and Chayot glare at one another, but Bede
and Quark set an example.
"How's the yearning for scraps from the ancients' table?" - Quark, friendly
"Fair. How is reinventing the wheel?" - Bede, equally friendly
"Can't complain" - Quark
I think this may be a ripoff of Terry Pratchett, now that I think of it. Such is the pop-culture cauldron of my brain. I had
to stop myself from naming a particular character "Odo" after the Norman Bishop, realising at the last minute that it
really wouldn't look good given Quark's name.
Which is, of course, after the subatomic particle. Physics, people, Physics.
Anyway - at this point there was a break to explore the possibilities of a Mysterium vs Free Council Dance-Off, in true
Street style...
...
The Mages cross the Castle's inner courtyard and go into the main building, heading down stairs and into the
cellars. Here, there are signs warning students that the area has been booked for a private function.
The Consilium assembles in the vaulted cellars - the nearest part to the exit of which have been converted into
a bar.
In fact, this is where I waited, many years ago, to Graduate from Durham University. I think, maybe, that I am only
capable of using the NOrth East as a rpg setting now that I don't live there - it's now seperate enough that I can treat it
like a fictional setting, but my own memories of what places look like are there to help out.
The trio are singled out by a tall, blonde woman who towers over the pair of them. She's handsome rather than
pretty, with a certain set to her jaw that speaks of suffering no nonsense.
"I'm Aurora, the Hierarch. I'm in charge here" - Aurora
They gape
"The three of you, it seems, are more capable of coexisting than your supposed 'betters'. Do you have names?"
- Aurora
"Uh.. Cobalt" - Cobalt
"Yes. Quark says you're something of an Orator. Not hard in the Libertines. Hopefully you can keep your teacher
grounded" - Aurora
"And I'm Samael" - Samael
"At last. We knew Chayot had an apprentice. Great things are expected" - Aurora
Samael doesn't quite know what to make of that.
The Heirarch turns to Persephone, and then, disconcertingly, smiles.
"Hello dear" - Aurora, suddenly friendly
"...Hello" - Persephone
"I'm Aurora. And you?" - Aurora
"...Persephone" - Persephone
"Pleased to meet you" - Aurora
Aurora is noticeably nicer to Persephone than she is to the other two - more patient, too
She goes back to regarding all three of them, and the friendliness and patience vanish again.
"Now. I'm going to give your damn fool mentors a talking to. You can talk to Excalibur here" - Aurora
She marches off, leaving Excalibur to introduce himself as the Consilium's Sentinel.
Singular - he's the only one.
A brief bit of background, game-design-wise, on Excalibur. I designed the overall shape of the plot - that the
Mystagogue mentor would be aware that someone was trying to steal the Artifact from him - before the player
characters properly took shape, and in particular before Dave joined the chronicle and Cobalt was designed. The
references here and there of Chayot considering hiring an Adamantine Arrow to act as the Cabal's Banner Warden are
leftovers from that earlier iteration of the plot - if Persephone and Samael had both been Mystagogues (as looked like
happening for a while there) and they'd been the only characters, then there would have been a npc Cabal member to
bring them up to three, in the style of Mycroft in Broken Diamond. Said character would have been the hired Banner
Warden, who wouldn't have considered his oath to protect them nullified by Chayot's death and would have hung
around as the pcs' bodyguard.
Excalibur is the remnants of that character, repurposed as the Cabal's contact in the Arrow.
Cognos - and the entire plot about the fight - was added quite late in the day after I found I needed a Free Council
mentor as well as Chayot.
"How's it going up there in the wilderness?" - Excalibur
"Exciting" - Cobalt
"Could be worse. Aurora could have been your Mentor. Here's how this works. Aurora will figure out what's
going to happen and then tell me what decision to come to" - Excalibur
Over his shoulder, they can see Cognos and Chayot being talked at by the Heirarch. She holds her hand up for
silence when Cognos starts to rant, and when she speaks, she speaks quickly and clearly, emphasising it with a
chopping motion. The two Adepts retreat to their respective Order cliques after she's done with them, and she
marches back over to the trio.
"Ten Tass for Chayot and a Grimoire of choice for Cognos" - Aurora
Excalibur nods to the Heirarch and retreats from the conversation.
The Consilium itself is a short affair. Aurora formally - and quickly - introduces the trio as new members and
then calls for reports and matters of import. Excalibur gives the Adamantine Arrows' report on dangers - there
have been no problems in the last quarter, with the Seers lying low. Symmetry repeats her open call for
volunteers, and some of the Mages present look like they're considering it.
Then comes the Fight.
"And to the last matter." - Aurora.
Calling Chayot and Cognos forward, Excalibur says - glancing at Aurora - that both are guilty according to the
Lex Magica - Chayot for attacking a fellow Leigeman, and Cognos for violating Chayot's Sanctum. Cognos is
ordered to give up a sizeable quantity of Tass sufficient for Chayot's needs, and Chayot is to provide Cognos
with books from his library sufficient for Cobalt's training in the Matter Arcanum.
Neither Adept seems happy with the result, but Aurora - stood behind Excalibur - fixes them with a steely look,
and they don't make an issue of it.
"All right. That's it" - Aurora
She walks out without a backward glance, and the Consilium begins to break up.
"Could have been worse. Could have been the Duel Arcane" - Samael
There's a cough at Cobalt's shoulder, and he turns to find Symmetry regarding him
"Hi! I didn't get the chance earlier - I was really impressed at Assembly" - Symmetry
"When are you meeting for the Ghost-hunting?" - Persephone
"You're in? Great! We're sorting it out.. Here's my number. We'll be in touch once we know how many people we
get" - Symmetry
Cognos stomps over to them
(without looking at Samael) "We're Leaving" - Cognos
1. Prelude
Now
Excalibur's landrover pulls up outside the Lighthouse. The lights are on inside.
"Looks like Cognos got back before us" - Excalibur
"You want to come in?" - Persephone
"I'd better not. Bede is expecting me, and I've got a long night ahead of me. I've got two men down at the
house making sure no one disturbs the place until you arrive. I'll be along tomorrow lunchtime to take Samael
to see Bede." - Excalibur
They get out. In the dark, they can't see the ruin of Chayot's house, but they can smell the smoke.
"Samael." - Excalibur
"Yes?" - Samael
"I really am very sorry for your loss" - Excalibur
And he leaves, gravel crunching beneath his wheels.
Cobalt opens the front door, Persephone right behind him. Samael trails behind, unsure.
Inside the Lighthouse, Cognos is packing. Throwing possessions into boxes in a whirlwind of activity. He stops,
holding a russian doll in one hand, when the trio enter the room.
"Samael, my boy, I..." - Cognos
He trails off, eventually shrugging apologetically. Unable to say anything else.
"You're leaving" - Persephone, numbly stating the fact
"I may be innocent, but the Mysterium won't see it like that. They'll make my life hell... And, well... I don't think
I like this place any more. I could spend years and plenty of sacrifice making up for it, but.. I can't be bothered"
- Cognos
"Where will you go?" - Samael
"Don't know yet. Maybe I'll travel for a while before settling into a new Consilium. We'll see. Now... The three of
you... Thank you. For believing it wasn't me" - Cognos
"I know who it was. Chayot's old Cabal... I just don't know which one of them" - Samael
"Did he..?" - Cognos

"His corpse is with the Guardians" - Cobalt
"Persephone killed him" - Samael
Persephone looks at the floor, uncomfortable, but is surprised when Cognos hugs her.
"Cognos... Can I ask you a question?" (serious) "You remember I asked you about a member of Chayot's Cabal?
The man that visited us?" - Samael
"Duma duma duma duma?" (sadly) "Yes, and no - i'm afraid I still don't know who that is. But I will ask around,
lad - and when I find him, rest assured I will be in touch." - Cognos
The Duma duma duma is a callback to last session
"Look at the three of you. A Cabal. You make me proud. Even you, Samael - and should you tire of the
Mysterium I'm sure the Free Council will take you" - Cognos
"I hope not" - Samael
The Libertine laughs.
"Did you get what he took back?" - Cognos
Samael produces the Ankh, and all present cast Mage Sight spells to examine it. Cobalt notes it has Death
resonance, and Persephone says it's Fated...
"How Fated are we talking? Keys to Atlantis or next week's lottery numbers?" - Cobalt
Samael attempts to cast Analyse Magic Item, but fails.
"You could always activate it" - Cognos, quietly
He's tempted... But no.
"No... Not without knowing what it does. Maybe someone else can make a better go of analysing it" - Samael
"All right. Bed, everyone. Bed. Even you, Sam." - COgnos
Persephone hugs him.
"What?" - Cognos
"Will you be here tomorrow?" - Persephone
(lying) "Of Course" - Cognos
Persephone and Samael head upstairs to try to find Sam somewhere to sleep.
Cobalt shakes Cognos' hand.
"Take care out there" - Cobalt
"Shouldn't I be saying that to you?" - Cognos
He shrugs
"Look after these two, won't you Cobalt?" - Cognos
"Sure. Will you write?" - Cobalt
"As often as I can... And you have my apologies.. for everything I haven't managed to teach you yet that the
others will have to fill in. Sef can help. She's a fine young lady" - Cognos
He winks. Cobalt ignores it.
...
Exhausted, everyone goes to sleep - Samael bedding down on the battered sofa, wrapped in blankets.
In the morning, to no one's surprise, Cognos has gone. The trio... the Cabal... eat a short breakfast, get their
coats on and hike down the track towards the ruin of Chayot's house.
Cognos will return, at some point in the Chronicle. Probably in the unlikliest of circumstances.
Last Night
The trio have been out at an Archery competition, then the pub, and are walking back through the pouring rain
towards Chayot's house when they see light flickering ahead.
"Is that the lighthouse?" - Samael
"It doesn't work" - Cobalt
"Is that.. Your house?" - Persephone
It is.
They start running.
The Archery Competition was a last-minute save, as we realised Persephone needed to have her bow on her in order
for continuity to match up.
"MASTER!" - Samael
The house is burning. Manuscripts, tomes and scrolls being destroyed by the flames licking at the windows. As
the trio run up, the windows shatter, overcome by the heat.
Samael puts his arm up in front of his face protectively, and tries as best he can to use Compel flame to make a
path through the fires. The ceiling is making ominous creaking noises as the beams turn black, and Cobalt
desperately uses Reshape to thicken parts of the walls, holding the upper floor in place.
"CHAYOT!" - Samael
He finds him on the first floor, lying in front of the shattered cabinet in which the Ankh lay.
Samael sinks to Chayot's side, checking for any sign of life. Downstairs, Cobalt is saving what books he can,
opening the wall behind bookcases and flinging the books out onto the grass outside.
"SEF!" - Samael
Persephone reaches Samael, and casts Postcognition...
Chayot, hearing a sound, comes upstairs to find the Moros entering the house - materialising from the Twilight.
He immediately casts Thunderbolt, but the Moros dodges it - and the blast sets the curtains behind him on fire.
The Moros then casts something at Chayot, who clutches his chest and falls to his knees. In agony, Chayot
slowly falls unconcious as the Moros smashes the cabinet and takes the Ankh reverently. The thief then pauses,
as if considering, and casts his spell on Chayot again... and again. Standing over Chayot as the Mystagogue's
life is snuffed out. He leaves by the front door, getting into a car and speeding away in the direction of the train
track.
...
Samael and Persephone rush down the stairs, yelling for Cobalt as they leave. Chayot's car is still outside, and
a quick spell from Samael locates the keys amid the wreckage of the ground floor on the way out.
Samael casts an Unveiling Practice of Forces, revealing the trail of the thief's car heat.
"FOLLOW THAT CAR" - Samael
And with that, the Prelude is complete! My thanks for everyone's patience in getting this last recap. I hope it made
sense to the readers!
Oh, and for the purposes of the chapter listing in the inevitable PDF of this thread, this prelude is entitled Raiders of
the Lost Arche. For reasons that will become obvious later.
And now on to 1.1's recap...

1. ...But firstly!
Cabals of the Durham - Newcastle Consilium
Orders are the two largest - some have the odd member of an Order not listed.
The Dun Cow Sign, Silver Ladder and Mysterium mages based mostly in Durham who are of a
scholarly, mystic bent. Most still-religious mages end up here.
The Palatines, Silver Ladder and Guardian of the Veil Cabal with a meeting-house in Barnard
Castle. Aurora is technically a member, though as Heirarch she's mostly independent
The Smoke Eaters, based in Middlesborough, a Free Council and Adamantine Arrow Cabal
The Black Seam, based around County Durham, a small Cabal of Free Council mages devoted to
the few remaining mining communities, their folklore and the mines they left behind.
The Grey Street Runners, based in Newcastle. Free Council and Mysterium mages
The Farthest Legion, based in Newcastle, Adamantine Arrow and Guardian of the Veil mages
who guard "the Wall" - the line between humanity and the Things Without. Use a lot of Roman
symbolism, based on their home turf's status as the easternmost terminus of Hadrian's Wall.
---------
The Consilium's Cabals were designed to be spread territorially and thematically - they have a
much greater sense of where in the geography of the Consilium's territory they fit. There's also
more of an Order emphasis than certain other Chronicles, with the Order mixes being designed to
give each Order a fair shake but also conform to the UK setting's Order weighting as per Shadows
of the UK (Silver Ladder are the smallest Order in the UK). The two Newcastle Cabals - the Grey
Street Runners and the Farthest Legion - are the player Cabal's closest allies. The Durham Cabals
are more powerful, politically, but are portrayed as being a bit less approachable.
1. Creative Thaumaturgy
And, as promised, the new spells seen in the Prelude...
Detect Weapon
Death 1 + Matter 1
The spell allows the Mage to discern the presence of an item intended for causing physical harm within his
immediate vicinity, by detecting items laced with the resonance of Death. It will detect items that were
specifically designed as weapons - guns, hunting knives, grenades, swords, etc, but not improvised weapons or
even items such as penknives and demolitions explosives that were not designed to injure living things.
Practice: Knowing
Action: Instant
Duration: Concentration
Aspect: Covert
Cost: None
One success affects a one-yard radius. Additional successes extend the radius;
2 successes 2 yards
3 successes 4 yards
4 successes 8 yards
5 successes 16 yards
Free Council Rote: Security Sweep

Dice Pool: Wits + Investigation + Death
---------------------
Reshape
Matter 3
A lesser form of Reconfigure Object, this spell allows the shape of a solid object to be changed without altering
it's basic pattern.
Practice: Weaving
Action: Instant
Duration: Transitory (one turn)
Aspect: Vulgar
Cost: None
The object's size, durability and structure cannot be altered, nor can it be turned into a different object - a
girder can be turned into a bent girder, a round piece of metal squared, a wall thickened in one place or the
floor made to buckle upward to provide cover, but fine control such as turning a baseball bat into a sword
(rather than a bent baseball bat) is the purview of Matter 4. The mage must touch the target object.
This spell is an adaptation of Plasticity - it removes that spell's need to sculpt the material by hand, but at the
end of the Reshape spell's duration, the object will return to it's previous shape.
Free Council Rote: Bend Bars / Lift Gates

Dice Pool: Strength + Crafts + Matter
1. The Mourning After

"The Mourning After"
Session 1.1
Welcome back, faithful reader, to the start of the first proper story. The characters have been introduced, their
situation well and truly explained and some detail of the Consilium in which they live has been given.
Therefore, in the spirit of moving on with things, the bulk of this session is spent mopping up all the things from the
Prelude that needed mopping up. The plot for this next story arc starts in the last ten minutes or so of the game. It is
therefore a much more sedate session, and will probably read shorter than others.
The Mourning After is a bit of an odd story - what's happening does all hang together, but there's an abrupt shift in the
action towards the end of each session within it, so it *feels* like a set of micro-stories. Odd.
First off, the trio of player characters need to declare themselves a Cabal.
Persephone, Samael and Cobalt walk back to the Lighthouse, carrying what little they could salvage from
Chayot's home in cardboard boxes.
It is the morning after the Prelude finished - they had the fight with the Moros on the train the night before, and they've
just woken up to find Cognos gone.
Dumping the books Cobalt managed to save from the fire the night before on their kitchen table, they regard
one another. One mentor dead, the other absent. The lighthouse is theirs, now, along with it's Hallow.
"Inventory" - Cobalt
The lighthouse is a cylindrical stack of circular rooms, one on top of another, with a spiralling staircase in
between the rooms and the outer wall of the building. The staircase is made of metal grille and is significantly
colder than the rooms themselves - the outer wall is cold to the touch, seeing as it's other side is blasted by the
North Sea's weather.
Starting at the bottom, the Basement is full of junk - crates and boxes piled high. It also has a funky smell. The
backup generator for the Lighthouse lies quietly rusting in one corner, unused. Poking around the switchbox,
CObalt notes that the mains power for the building is turned off - and Cognos has left a sticky note saying that
the switch should not be turned on.
Samael explains that it's possible to get power out of a Hallow, if you know what you're doing. It has to do with
Prime magic and ley lines.
The ground floor contains the Kitchen and the bathroom. The bathroom is small but well-appointed (Cognos
liked a soak) but the Kitchen Appliances show signs of being tinkered with. The fridge, as they know well, is
magically enhanced, but on examination the microwave turns out to be twenty years old and sporting a Newton
shield repaired with baking foil. Cobalt announces that he will buy a new one. The Aga provides oven space,
hobs (though most of the rings don't work) and the heating for the inner rooms.
Next floor up is Cognos' room - filled with shelves of books, 8-tracks, cassettes, betamax tapes and an old pc
that looks like it's had better days. Cognos apparantly used to sleep on a small folding camp bed in the middle
of all his clutter (only a Space mage could have done it). Persephone's room, then Cobalt's, are next, and then
the spare room - highest of the habitable rooms, it leaks slightly and is very drafty. A few sad remaining
cardboard boxes from Cognos' moving-out overlook the battered sofa Samael spent the night on.
Above that is what used to be the lamp's machinery - enclosed by planes of glass rather than the concrete
walls of the rest of the building. The lamp itself has long since been removed, maximising the space in the
metal-floored chamber which hold the Sanctum's Hallow. One of the glass panels slides open on use of a
rusting latch, allowing access to the narrow walkway that goes around the outside of the glass for cleaning. The
windows haven't been cleaned in years, though the view is impressive through the few clear patches. Samael
determines that the Hallow has, indeed, been tapped for electricity.
Worse than that, it's fed by Ley lines formed by the local lover's lane, making this Lighthouse powered by Lust.
Whether Cognos knew or whoever did the ley-tap for him did it for a laugh is unrevealed.
Back downstairs in the kitchen, they cluster around their table and decide some things. Excalibur will be here in
a few hours, to take him first to Bede and then to Aurora. And if they want any say in their future, they're going
to have to say it NOW - presenting their new Cabal to Aurora as a Fait Accompli will prevent the three of them
being parcelled off to whichever Orders and tutors the Consilium thinks are appropriate.
So - they have a Cabal. They need a name.
"And not just a name. It's symbolic - the name indicates something about us, an expression of what we're about
and how we go about it" - Samael
"So what *are* we about?" - Persephone
He wants to join the Mysterium properly. He wants to find out why Chayot was killed, and why the Ankh is so
important. He thinks he might want to be some kind of Archaeomancer, looking for the signs of the Angels in
the Fallen World.
Persephone doesn't know, but promises she'll go with Samael wherever he has to go. She wants to see the
world, travel, DO things. It'll be easier for her to figure out what she can do when she sees other more
experienced mages doing things.
"I'm too new at this to say. I'm a materials Scientist. I wanted to be one. But now, with magic, anything I
wanted to do... I can just DO." - Cobalt
"So it's not really a challenge any more?" - Samael
"Exactly, I need to figure out what to do with my life now. Until I do, Cognos asked me to help you two out:
which seems worth doing." - Cobalt
Samael fishes a book out of the pile they rescued from Chayot's house and flicks through it, looking at the
descriptions of Cabal symology, the Five Roles and the Five Great Rights.
They try to think of names. Cobalt's first suggestion is "The Cabal of the Lost Ark", which doesn't last long. "The
Lightbringers" is rejected for bad connotations, especially given Samael's Shadow Name.
Lamplighters
"Too superhero" - Samael
"Superheroes Flare, Hardcase and Kismet! Doctor Destruction has stolen the Ankh of Sandrino!" - Cobalt
Is it wrong that those alternate Shadow Names sound well cool?
Golden Dawn, Suncatchers, The Lighthouse Family, Horizon...
Cobalt wants an Alchemical name.
"The Crucible?" - Samael
"Nah" - Cobalt and Persephone
"Golden Horizon?" - Samael
"Why Golden?" - Cobalt
"We started out at night chasing a murderer and a thief but we've survived and moved on into the dawn of a
new cabal" - Samael
"Not 'Golden'... Put an Alchemical spin on it." - Cobalt
"Auric. Auric Horizon? I know it sounds more pretentious but these things are important" - Samael
"Auric Horizon's good" - Cobalt
"At least until we think of a better one" - Persephone

"People are going to refer to us as this" - Samael
"If we change it in a month, it would be gauch" - Cobalt
"What's next?" - Persephone
"Okay.. Roles" - Samael
He explains that under the perfect Cabal model recommended by the Silver Ladder, members divide tasks
among themselves according to five roles. There's only three of them, so some will have to do double duty.
Doorwarden, the member who literally answers the door and acts as final line of defence, is by common
consent decided to be Cobalt, who also picks up the responsibility for looking after the Sanctum's mundane
elements. Samael ends up being the Edgetender, the keeper of the Hallow and procurer of supernatural
resources. Persephone becomes the Hearthkeeper, the one responsible for looking after the Cabal's members.
And the lorekeeper, too.
"Rights" - Samael
The five great Rites are the cornerstones of Awakened Law, the five traditions of Pentacle society that Cabals
declare that they either do or do not follow. Only very anal Cabals like the Palatines follow all five, but only
following, say, two, leaves one open to accusations of being lax. The Right of Hospitality is voted in, as is the
Right of Crossing after a decision that the Cabal aren't actually going to declare any territory other than the
Lighthouse. The Right of Nemesis, after a bit of back and forth where Samael has to explain what it means, is
voted in, as is Sanctuary. The Cabal decide that they *won't* be following the Right of Emeritus, given that
everyone outranks them.
"This may all seem over-complicated for just the three of us, but we might get more members one day - we
might get apprentices of our own. Best to get this kind of thing in at the start. We can change any of it - even
our Shadow Names" - Samael
The time has arrived, though, and the booming sound of Thus Sprake Zarathusa makes them all jump.
Could be worse. They could have lived in a windmill, in which case it'dve been "There's Somebody at the Door"...
Cognos had poor taste in doorbells.
"That'll be Cal." - Samael
He lets the Obrimos in.
"Did you sleep?" - Excalibur
"A bit. Cognos has gone." - Samael
"Figured as much. Even without the arrest, they're blaming him" - Excalibur
"Did you find anything out about the Necromancer yet?" - Samael
"Yeah. This morning word came down from the Edinburgh Consilium. One of their Moros is missing -
Mystagogue by the name of Quiet, no Cabal. Descriptions match." - Excalibur
"'Quiet'" - Samael
That was one of the names Duma said wouldn't take no for an answer.
"I've sent someone up there, try to find out about him. Bede tried to call his Ghost back, but the bastard'd
protected himself" - Excalibur
And Bede doesn't yet have enough sympathetic connections to him to use his Attainments, which is why Excalibur has
sent people to Scotland. If they can get enough people who knew Quiet together, Bede can use the Stone Scribe
attainments to get a lock on him and Postcognition all the details they need. I'm showing this investigation - the fact
that Quiet being dead is no barrier to a determined group of Mages is an object lesson for the player characters.
Samael thinks about that. Why wouldn't the man's ghost be able to be called?
He looks at the Ankh
"Is it possible to store yourself?" - Samael, carefully
"Like a phylactory?" - Excalibur
"Like your Soul" - Samael
"Sure. A Disciple of the Death Arcanum could do it - bit strange to take your own Soul out, but you can." -
Excalibur
Everyone looks at the Ankh
"Is there any way to tell if this thing has a Soul inside it?" - Samael
Excalibur nods.
"How's it done?" - Cobalt, interested
Excalibur talks Cobalt through the Imago, and they both cast Soul Marks. Excalibur casts it on behalf of Sef and
Samael too.
"You're semi-right. This thing IS a Soul Jar... but it's empty. Quiet isn't in here." - Excalibur
He breaks off his spell and looks up, to see Cobalt looking curiously at him.
"You look different under this spell to Samael and Persephone" - Cobalt, curious
"That would be my Legacy" - Excalibur
"You're in a Legacy?" - Persephone
"Tamer of Fire" - Excalibur
The Tamers of Fire - the inspirational war-leaders who get entirely non-symbolic powers over the element in question,
are from Legacies: The Ancient. Cobalt doesn't learn Soul Marks as a Rote here - he's not in Excalbiur's Order - but
just honestly didn't know that he *could* see Souls using the Death Arcanum, and needed the storyteller character to
tell him. He starts doing it quite a lot from here on in, memorising what people's Legacies look like under the spell so
that he can identify people's capabilities later in the chronicle.
That the Ankh has Soul Jar as one of it's abilities gives a hint as to what it's for...
"Can you tell what it's for?" - Samael
Excalibur attempts to cast Analyse Magic Item on the Ankh, but shakes his head.
"Too complex for me. We'll have to ask Bede. I could force it to activate with the Prime Arcanum, though. So
could you." - Excalibur
"Best not to, until we know what it does" - Samael
"Alright. Samael, I will defend you and the Artifact until you reach your Order or I die in the process" - Excalibur
"Thank you" - Samael
And on that note, he and Excalibur leave - Samael carefully wrapping the Ankh's chain around his forearm.
Cobalt sets about checking the Lighthouse's wiring.

Excalibur has driven Samael South to Durham and after parking they've walked through the Cathedral's
grounds to the massed support buildings behind it. Excalibur is walking carefully in front of Samael, checking
doorways and hall turnings with one hand on the hilt of his Artifact sword / Order tool.
Excalibur's sword is an Artifact as well as his casting tool. The sword has various Mind effects when drawn while the
Scabbard reduces any Lethal damage he takes to Bashing. I'm a sucker for the classics, me.
Cal has modified his version of Adamantine Hand: Prime to use Melee rather than Brawl, too. He usually dispells things
by stabbing them with the sword, using the Merit to combine a melee strike with casting the dispellation rote.
Part of the attraction for Soul Cage's style, where I have to invent far more storyteller characters to populate the far-
flung places the pcs end up in, is that I can try things like that out.
Finally, they reach Bede's office, near the stoneworkers' yard. Excalibur waits outside.
Fact Fans: Durham cathedral is constantly being rebuilt. The stone making up the outer skin of the building slowly
dissolves in polluted air and at one point it was made worse by an attempt to restore it's appearance by simply
shaving the outer inch or so off. The Cathedral now has a small stoneworkers' yard attached to it, the craftspeople
there employed to produce exact replicas of the outer blocks. At any given time, one part of the cathedral is under
scaffolding as they painstakingly work their way around it over years swapping the replicas for the originals.
It's like painting the Forth Bridge, but Holy.

Bede asks if Samael and the others are uninjured, and Samael says that thankfully, the bruises they took are
already fading.
"Your Moros is Scottish. Named 'Quiet'. We're trying to discover what connection he might have had to Chayot,
or if he was a hired Wand..." - Bede
"...He was in Chayot's Cabal" - Samael
"Really? A Cabalmate?" (thinks) "Then this has an entirely different shape. Chayot came to us an independent
practitioner, an Eregore highly recommended wanting to move his hermitage to Northumbria. How long ago
was he in a Cabal?" - Bede
"I don't know. There are some other names. Vahista. Arc... We were visited before it happened, before the last
Consilium, by a man named Duma who warned Chayot that people were plotting against him. He was an ex-
Cabal member too" - Samael
"Duma. Hm." - Bede
"Do you know him?" - Samael
"No." - Bede
"I have reason to believe, from things that he said, that he has spent time in London" - Samael
"Civitas' lot. London AND Edinburgh... Did he take anything? Quiet?" - Bede
Samael puts the Ankh on the table.
"Duma wanted to see it. He said that the others would do anything to get it, and weeks later Quiet murdered
Chayot to steal it... No... Not to steal it. Persephone looked back at what happened - Quiet stood over Chayot
after he'd beaten him and deliberately killed him. He didn't need to" - Samael
"What did Duma say to him?" - Bede
Samael tells him that he couldn't understand most of it, and on request repeats as much of the hand signs he
remembers Duma using.
"Hm. That part isn't quite right. Not your fault - they're supposed to be hard to see... It looks like Duma
attempted to use superior Initiation in the Order to procure the Artifact, but Chayot refused. Curious, though. If
Duma had a legitimate reason, he should have come to me." - Bede
"So we can infer that whatever they were up to wasn't official Mysterium business" - Samael
Bede examines the Ankh
"Not gold.. Orichalcum. See how it's faintly translucent?" - Bede
"We think it's a Soul Jar" - Samael
Bede frowns, turning the Ankh in his hands, and casts Analyse Magic Item. SUccessfully.
"Not just a Soul Jar. A Psychopomp. It can absorb Souls, store them within itself and then restore them...
Breaking any magics they might be under in the process. You could use this to take a Soul back from someone
who has stolen it, for example, keeping it safe in the Ankh until you can return it to the victim." - Bede
"I am really, really glad I didn't turn that thing on" - Samael
"Do you want it?" - Bede
He considers
"No. Chayot said it belonged to the Order. It belongs in an Atheneum... Besides, if there's a Cabal after it, it
should be protected" - Samael
Bede carefully puts it into his desk drawer.
"Very well. And now, to your future. I said last time we met that I had a possible job offer for you" - Bede
"Yes, after I'd been initiated into the Mystery. I..." - Samael
"Because after last night's performance, Aurora is likely to attempt to recruit you to the Arrow" - Bede
"It was Persephone who killed Quiet, not me" - Samael

"Then Aurora is likely to try to recruit her, too" - Bede
"I'm not interested. I want to be a Mystagogue" - Samael
"Excellent choice" - Bede, smiling
"Any advice on not becoming signed up to the Arrow?" - Samael
"If you're not sure you want to be in the Arrow then you're not suitable for the Arrow. Just tell her you're a
pacifist" - Bede
"About becoming part of an Order, sir... I know that I have to provide something to the Order to earn my
Initiation. I was hoping..." - Samael
"That this would be it? This goes deeper than recovering an item, Samael. The Initiation is a mark that you
have uncovered a Mystery - and this Mystery is still very much ongoing." (kindly) "This isn't over. And you have
leads. Follow the mystery, and we'll see" - Bede
"I will. Well... I suppose the only thing left is to ask about Chayot's funeral. Excalibur's men recovered the body,
and..." - Samael
"Chayot has already had his last rites performed" - Bede
"...Oh" - Samael
"By the initiated members of the Order" - Bede
Trying not to say something he'll regret, Samael wishes Bede a good afternoon.
Excalibur looks up as he exits.
"Go well?" - Excalibur
Samael's face says it all
"Bede being a dick?" - Excalibur
"No... well, someone might be being a dick" - Samael
Samael realises he probably did that deliberately, to teach him that if you're going to be a Mystagogue, you
need to learn that some things are off limits due to your rank. Doesn't help.
Ouch! Still, it could be worse. He could be applying for membership in the Guardians of the Veil. That shit's nasty.
...
Meanwhile, back at the Lighthouse, Cobalt is improving the wiring and has decided to scrap the microwave
entirely, while Persephone sorts through the books they rescued and moves things around - Samael has
decided to continue sleeping in his next-to-the-Hallow room, so they're converting Cognos' room into a library.
They're both in the kitchen, when suddenly Quark is standing there, his expression despondent.
"Where did you come from?" - Persephone, surprised
"The depths of the netherworld of shame and secrets" - Quark, mournfully
"So how IS Gateshead?" - Cobalt
Teh Funnae!
"My condolences on your loss, and for your abandonment by Cognos" - Quark
"News travels fast" - Cobalt
"He left me a note" - Quark
He looks around, interested in the enhanced fridge.
"I came to see how you were. You both wish to stay in the Order?" - Quark
"Sure" - Cobalt, casting Soul Marks
"Excellent. I was impressed at the Assembly, Cobalt. You could go far in politics with that kind of Gordian
Rhetoric" - Quark
Cobalt makes polite noises. Persephone just looks bemused.
"Anyway. I must be going. Oh! And Symmetry wishes to inform all those volunteering for her Ghost-hunt to
meet her in this bar on Thursday at six" - Quark
He hands Persephone a note
"Many thanks for helping her out... And I have a request, if I may, Cobalt. A Silver Ladder by the name of
Hatfield will be along, and he has a tendency to try to take things over. Could you try to see that..." - Quark
"I'll take care of it" - Cobalt
"Excellent!" - Quark
He spots Archimedies stalking through the room.
"Your familiar?" - Quark
She nods, hoping he won't ask too many questions she can't answer about the Cat.
"Do you have one?" - Persephone
"As it happens, yes. The Daemon of my own Lust, chained within my mind. Do you know much of the ways of
Goetia?" - Quark
This is more important than the players maybe realised at the time
"So what does it look like?" - Persephone
Something terrible briefly materialises between them, making her jump.
"Still, must be going!" - Quark
And then he vanishes.
Cobalt sighs
"'Not in the House'?" - Cobalt
"I am suddenly more sympathetic to Chayot. More than, I mean... You know what I mean" - Persephone

Samael has made it as far as a hamlet near Leeming, as Excalibur pulls into the drive of a large converted
farmhouse. The comparison to Chayot's cottage ends there, though - Aurora's home is large and from the look
of it well-kept.
"Anything I need to know?" - Samael
"Approach the front door slowly, carefully and with both your hands visible" - Excalibur
"...Seriously?" - Samael
Excalibur nods.
They get out of the car and walk toward the house. As they approach, Samael feels himself moving through
layers of spells. As they near the front door it swings open.
Samael goes in, Excalibur falling behind
"Through there" - Excalibur, making Samael jump. Another door has opened in the hallway.
That door proves to lead to Aurora's study.
"Samael. Come in. Cal - help yourself to a drink in the kitchen." - Aurora
Samael settles into a deep leather chair opposite the Heirarch.
"Tea?" - Aurora
"Yes" - Samael
He then mentally kicks himself for making the Heirarch get him a drink. But she doesn't seem to have asked to
catch him out. He doesn't get any milk, though.
"I hear you were quite heroic last night. Recovered an Artifact for your Order and avenged your Master" -
Aurora
"Persephone and Cobalt killed the Thief. Heirarch... He was a member of Chayot's old Cabal. We were visited
before it happened by a Mage named Duma, who..." - Samael
"Duma?" - Aurora, interrupting
"Do you know him? He indicated he knew you, and that I should speak to you if anything happened to Chayot" -
Samael, hopes rising
"Yes, I know Duma. He's a Mystagogue - an expert on Legacies. He travels around a lot, but his Sanctum is in
London, I think. I can send a request to Civitas and ask what's going on." - Aurora
"He was in Chayot's Cabal. So was Quiet." - Samael
"They must have disbanded some time ago" - Aurora
Samael nods
"..So this is a feud?" - Aurora
"I don't know if Duma is directly involved. On face value he was trying to warn Chayot about the others." -
Samael
She nods
"COgnos has gone, Hierarch. The three of us have decided to stay, though. And we want to register our Cabal."
- Samael
"Okay. Name?" - Aurora
"The Auric Horizon?" - Samael
"Fine" - Aurora
"That's it?" - Samael
"Yes. Talk to Scribe. She's the Herald. She'll help you design your sigil. Have you made any plans for your
membership in an Order?" - Aurora
"...I intend to stick with the Mysterium. I still owe them a debt for my tutelage." - Samael
She nods
"Well" (brisk) "Thank you for coming" - Aurora
...
Back at the lighthouse, Persephone and Cobalt are in the kitchen. Cobalt is making the tea.
"So, The Auric Horizon. Sounds pretentious enough, don't you think?" - Persephone
"Too pretentious? Not pretentious enough?" - Cobalt, making gestures meaning he's not sure where to put the
name on this scale.
"Pretentious *enough*. I think if it's a good name for a pirate ship, then it's a good name for a Cabal too" -
Persephone, nodding sagely.
"Matches our jolly pirate nicknames, I suppose." - Cobalt
"Well, would you like to sail a ship that is called 'The Lightbringer'?" - Persephone
She shrugs in a "you see, that explains everything" kind of way.
"Point taken, well made." - Cobalt, grinning.
They nurse their teas, there's a moment of silence and then Persephone shifts uncomfortably.
"Say, I don't suppose you could... uh.. see I want to open a bank account and I need this paper from the
university..." - Persephone
To open a bank account with student perks you need proof you're on a course. Sef is asking him to commit a little bit of
spirited fraud.
"Oh? What do you need one for, with all the lotto wins?" - Cobalt
"Well.. um.. maybe... *maybe*.. I'd like to return to studying." - Persephone, a little defensive
"Well, I can certainly help you get into a Uni. What would you like to study?" - Cobalt
"Hmm, not sure yet.. maths maybe? Or physics. They both seem to go nicely with my Path" - Persephone
"Maths, eh? They say there's magic in numbers." - Cobalt
"Well, parts of math are about propablility so it kind of connects with Fate, and physics kind of connects with
Time" - Persephone
"Are you sure you wouldn't prefer Chemistry?" - Cobalt (hopefully)
"I don't know, chemistry seems too... Matter-y. But you know, we'll see. It's not like I can start this year." -
Persephone, scowling a bit.
"How were your A-levels?" - Cobalt, mildly crestfallen.
She thinks, remembering
"Could have been better" Persephone, frowning.
"...mine too" Cobalt, joking
They move from the kitchen to the common room, which used to be Cognos' room (now bare of his belongings
before he left) where Archimedes has ceased to hunt small animals and is now sat in the corner. Watching.
"Of course, I should warn you that even if you don't end up in my classes, I could go look up your name." -
Cobalt
Persephone stops. She hadn't quite twigged to that - not that Cobalt could find out who Catherine was, but
more that she's still *technically* wanted by the police. She thinks.
"Well.. shit. Uh.. Forget it, then." - Persephone
Cobalt completely misinterprets that to mean "forget my name"
"I can promise never to do that... but that would depend whether you trusted me that much yet." - Cobalt
"I'm not afraid of you looking it up. It's that someone else might do it" - Persephone
"You're in trouble?" - Cobalt, knowingly
"Persephone is NOT in trouble" Persephone, a bit angrily.
"We could always find you a fake identity" - Cobalt
"Oh, I have one of those already. It just doesn't have A-levels." - Persephone
"Then its more of a case of what A-levels you want attached to your ID, then... and that's probably best
matched to what course you want to do. I can get my hands on a prospectus if you want more info on the
courses?" - Cobalt
"I'll figure something out, there's no rush. I can't start untill next September anyway. And you're on a break
too." -Persephone.
"True, but I can still recruit, surely?" - Cobalt
They drift into silence, drinking tea and observing Archimedies.
"Where did you find him?" - Cobalt
"Oh, I didn't find him. He found me." Persephone, a bit thoughtful.
"Just followed you home one day?" - Cobalt
"At first it was just a normal cat. Then he appeared and tagged along. And then.. he was the cat." - Persephone
"He seems to be very loyal" - Cobalt
"He does... but... I don't know." - Persephone, peering at Archimedes.

Sef doesn't know how she wound up with a Familiar - or what type of Spirit Archimedies actually is, although she's
guessed he's something to do with Fear.
I would like to thank Agena for the big honking space marked "fuck character over here" created by deliberately
leaving Archimedies' background mysterious. Such self-sacrifice in the name of a chronicle will not go unrewarded.
Dave2: Dave B. has a history of taking advantages and screwing the player over with them in the name of plot. I've
never heard them complain yet, though, because plot that fires his imagination tends to come out the best OOC.
Me: Yeah, like our readers needed telling THAT.
"Okay. Come on - Shopping. I need some supplies for the repairs anyway" - Cobalt
...
Samael gets home to find Cobalt finishing up, a new microwave on top of the worksurface and Persephone
somewhere upstairs phoning Symmetry and sorting out the Cabal's involvement in the ghost hunting. While out
shopping, Sef won a lottery scratchcard in order to buy herself some mood-raising presents.
(calling through the door) "Tell her I'll keep Hatfield away from her" - Cobalt
"How's it gone?" -Samael
"We're no longer in danger of electrocution or irradiation, which I guess is a plus." - Cobalt
Samael slumps into a seat. Persephone comes down, having finished.
"We've got a few days until Symmetry wants us" - Persephone
"Great" - Samael
"You're surprisingly grumpy today" - Persephone
"And you're surprisingly un-grumpy. Don't you have emo-blogging to do?" - Samael
"THAT'S IT" - Persephone, theatrically storming back upstairs
"We registered?" - Cobalt
"No. We need to talk to someone called Scribe. AUrora didn't seem to mind, though, so I guess we're at least
semi-official" - Samael
Persephone has quietly snuck back down again
"Okay" - Samael
He tells them all about what he's managed to piece together so far about Chayot's old Cabal - they had some
kind of falling-out and all went their seperate ways, and now individual members are trying to steal the Ankh.
"Aurora reckons they might not even be working together." - Samael, hollowly
Now there's an encouraging thought.
"Right" (slaps the table) "I'll make dinner. Chicken good? I'd leave it up to the Hearthtender, but I've had
student cooking before." - Cobalt
"you want me to cook? Well normally I just throw stuff into a wok and hope it will turn out ok. Usually it does" -
Persephone
"I'll cook. But you should at least remember who's allergic to what when you buy the food" - Cobalt
...
Thursday night. Six pm.
The Cabal of the Auric Horizon drove into Newcastle in Cobalt's car that morning, and have spent the afternoon
at Cobalt's house - he didn't lose his job or become homeless when he Awakened, after all. Symmetry told
Persephone that the apparations have mostly been happening at night in busy parts of the city, so the intent is
to put small teams of Mages dotted around the city's infamous nightlife and wait for whatever it is to show
itself.
Symmetry was pretty open about the fact that this is basically an excuse for the Consilium's younger Mages to
go on a pub crawl. After the week the Auric Horizon have had, they don't much care.
Persephone is following the imaginary butterflies of her Fate sight, but it's hardly neccessary - even in "night
out" outfits, the gang of people clustered in the back of the bar are unmistakable as Mages. As well as
Symmetry, Excalibur and Gaunt, there's a Goth-dressed woman with dyed red hair named "Scribe", a short,
quiet woman named "Logos", a tall shaven-haired man with a flattened nose named "Aquila", a squirrely man
with long hair and several day's stubble named "Babel" and a plump older man (the only one there of Cobalt's
age or more) with a superior expression and the name of "Hatfield".
Cabal- and Order-wise, Aquila is from the Farthest Legion and is unmistakably Adamantine Arrow. Logos is a
"Sphinx" in Symmetry's Cabal. Scribe turns out to be Bede's student. Hatfield is the only Silver Ladder member
there.
Dividing into four groups, selected for a mix of Paths and Cabals, they're given the sitrep by Symmetry. On five
occassions, the city's clubgoers and drinkers have been interrupted by a short-lived apparation that is
described nominally as male. The apparation can't be properly described, because Disbelief has settled on the
Sleepers that witnessed it.
Thing is, though, naturally-occuring Ghosts aren't affected by Disbelief. Which means it's either an artificial
Ghost created by magic, or it's not a Ghost at all. Could be a Phantasm...
In any case, the plan is to cover rough quarters of the nightlife, moving from bar to bar to club in the hope that
it'll show up or they'll get wind of it having done so fast enough to get something. Symmetry is looking
hopefully in Cobalt's direction, and he gets Hatfield to go with him by selling it as the "responsible adults"
group. Persephone, Logos and Symmetry make a team. Samael goes with Scribe and Aquila and Babel - a
Thredonist - goes with Excalibur and Gaunt, who were starting to look a bit nonplussed at being left only with
members of their own Cabal. The idea is that each group has at least one each of Prime and Death Unveiling
Practices, so that they can tell what type of apparation they're dealing with.
...
Four hours later, and Persephone's group is knocking back the cocktails (after a few hours in which Symmetry
talks about Cobalt and Persephone says - at length - that Samael doesn't understand her) when they feel
something about to happen with their unseen Senses. And then, right in the centre of the bar, a translucent
figure appears...
That's all folks! See you next time!

Session 1.2
Welcome back, faithful reader, for the second and shortest part of this first proper story.
When I initially wrote The Mourning After, I made a pretty significant error, and had to hastily re-plot at the last minute
right here at the start of 1.2. It worked out fine, though, and means that the Chronicle's main arc gets advanced quite
a bit.
As an update, Chris has now figured out what Samael is only lacking a name for: the Legacy that Chayot was a
member of are the Echo Walkers, a left-handed Obrimos Legacy from Legacies: The Ancient, who share Samael's
long-term goal of Supernal revelation but go about it in a morally... questionable... way. I had intended to use the
Walkers for some time (I could never find a use for them in Broken Diamond despite my best efforts) but they serve as
an excellent counterpoint to the player characters in Soul Cage. After all, they want exactly the same thing as Samael.
There's a place for inscrutible evil in the World of Darkness (and the Chronicle will be getting some of that in stories to
come) but the best recurring antagonists are the ones that the protagonist can understand.
We begin in the pub. As a note to aryth, Newcastle at night is not cosy. It's a few-square-miles of drunken rampage,
notorious even in the UK, where binge-drinking hoardes monstering towns are talked about constantly in our media.
These aren't cosy Olde English Pubs: they're bars where the drinks come in bucket-sized promotions, heaving with
stinking, shouting revellers. On a good night.
Team Kermit (Persephone, Logos and Symmetry) have made it to the second bar in their circuit, and other than
the occassional casting of Fate spells to make it more likely that something sgnificant will happen to them, are
content to mostly just talk. Or, as the case may be, shout above the music.
Persephone has spent most of the evening complaining about the men in her life. Specifically Samael, who she
thinks doesn't understand her. Symmetry offers the suggestion that Samael might not be inclined towards the
wimmins, what with his very nice coat and stylish hair and all. In the course of *that* conversation, Persephone
learns that Excalibur is gay. Symmetry, though, is more interested in checking that Cobalt isn't. And that he's
unattached.
And then the apparition appears before them, sceaming - not in pain, but in a "boo!" way. It is also (Persephone
has the misfortune to look down) naked. And from the look on it's face enjoying itself.
I don't think we named the teams in play, so I'm free to use my habitual Storyteller's practice of naming split character
party groups in my notes after Muppet Show Characters. I, for Hunter Thompson fanboy reasons, always want to be on
Team Gonzo. Team Gonzo gets all the fun.
Bombarding it with the combined Mage Sight spells of two Acanthus and a Thyrsus gleans... Nothing useful.
"I'm getting nothing" - Persephone
She casts Postcognition to try to memorise the face.
"Nothing out of the Ordinary in the Shadow, either, and that wasn't a Spirit. Logos, can you tell us anything?" -
Symmetry
"Not enough to use my Attainment on" - Logos
"You're in a Legacy?" - Persephone
Logos, looking uncomfortable, mutters something about being a "Sphinx"
"Okay. I'm going to call the others in" - Symmetry
She starts dialling.
"What's a Sphinx?" - Persephone
Logos clearly isn't happy talking about it, but Sef manages to drag out a few details - they're mostly Mysterium,
when someone wants to join they have to figure out themselves who a member is and approach them. At that,
Perseophone gives up. Mostly because she's interested and doesn't want to scupper her chances should she
ever get the opportunity to join.
...
Team Waldorf (Cobalt and Hatfield) are in a much, *much* nicer bar. All dimmed lights, piano music and young
professionals buying one another £5 drinks.
Cobalt is seriously beginning to regret taking one for the team and partnering the Silver Ladder mage, who has
been complaining about everyone else all evening. Not complaining about Cobalt, of course - Hatfield appears
to have decided that he and Cobalt represent the mature, sensible members of the ghosthunting squad.
Probably because that's how Cobalt sold their teaming up. Another flawless plan on Cobalt's part.
It was all going okay until Cobalt asked about what Hatfield did as a profession, still curious about what Mages
get up to on their days off. He turns out to be a Church of England vicar, and the kind of man who takes his
vocation home with him and applies it to everything he sees. Pretty soon Cobalt is being interrogated as to
what his own religious beliefs are.
"Uh. Well... According to the Discordians, I am my very own Pope... but I've never been inclined to believe them
much." - Cobalt
He gets around to admitting to being a fairly unreliable CofE, to which Hatfield says that it was good to see him
keeping faith after Awakening, as many mages discard religion after acquiring power.
Cobalt points out that just because there are powers in the world, doesn't mean that there can't be a God
above it, referencing Kabbalists thinking that magics are tools that God left in the world and that understanding
such tools brings one closer to God.
Hatfield offers to introduce him to a Kabbalist mage in London sometime.
And then Cobalt is saved by Symmetry's call.
"The youngsters need us" - Cobalt
...
Team Beaker (Samael, Scribe and Aquila) are the furthest away. Aquila is looming in the corner of the booth
they've taken over, ill at ease without his familiar but keeping an eye on the crowd. Scribe is chatting merrily
away to Samael, though - she turns out to be Bede's apprentice, who has just joined the Stone Scribes Legacy
and is explaining it to Samael.
"So, you take people's names?" - Samael
"More like their lives. Think of it as every living being building up, over their lives, a record of themselves.
That's what we call the Final Name. The principle of Pancryptia says that knowledge hides itself by the nature of
the Fallen World. After someone dies, their Name - everything they did - is lost. We capture those Names,
record them in as permenant media as we can and can then access the knowledge preserved in them. Saving
them for the future." - Scribe
"So you hang around hospitals a lot?" - Samael, joking
"Yes"- Scribe, seriously
"Oh" - Samael
"At least, at my level. Bede is advanced enough that he can construct a Final Name out of the Names - even
the living Names - of people who knew the deceased. With enough sympathy, he can recover the Name of
someone who died without one of us being present. It's a very time-consuming process, but the Order respects
him for it." - Scribe
The two of them go through the particulars of the Auric Horizon's Cabal Sigil - Scribe tracing it out first in beer
on the bar-top and then in her book. Samael sees the Sigil of the Smoke Eaters Cabal, who are the next
youngest, on the facing page.
Aquila doesn't say much of anything in the scene - I haven't really used him, though I hope to get a reason to
eventually. His familiar is a Kestrel, which is why it's not present.
...
Back at the vodka bar, Persephone impatiently waits for the other teams to arrive. First is Team Animal, with
Excalibur, Gaunt and Babel, looking like they've got here at a dead run. The addition of the Admantine Arrow
Obrimos Tamer of Fire, the Guardian of the Veil Moros and the Free Council Mastigos Thredonist greatly expands
the number of things they can detect. After they ascertain that the mysterious figure is not lurking in Twilight
and isn't a Daemon. Furthermore, Gaunt says that there aren't any indications that it was a Ghost.
Hatfield and Cobalt arrive next, also weighing in. The chaos of so many Mages trying to be the one to solve the
mystery leads Excalibur to take charge and cover all the bases. The Sleepers surrounding them are already
under the effects of the Quiescence, their minds rejecting what just happened.
FInally, Samael Scribe and Aquila arrive. Samael hears all the evidence and puts two and two together
"It's an astrally projecting flasher!" - Samael
That is to say, someone who has left his body via Mind magic and is floating around the city in Twilight,
occassionally (it appears) manifesting in order to satisfy his own sense of amusement. That would jibe with
Persephone's description of the apparation as enjoying scaring people.
"So it IS a Seer?" - Symmetry, excited
Her logic is that a Sleeper couldn't be astrally projected in the real world - their own Disbelief would destroy the
spell.
They can, on t'other hand, enter the Astral Realms as long as someone pays the Mana cost for them.
"We're missing something" - Logos, worried
Cobalt casts Soul Marks and examines the scene. Other than learning what Logos, Scribe and Babel's Legacies
look like, there's nothing.
"Okay. Everyone who's an Apprentice or more of Time, have a look. Maybe someone will recognise the guy" -
Excalibur.
Samael, watching everyone who can cast Postcognition, spots something. Hatfield is trying very hard to look
like he doesn't recognise the apparition.
"Who is he?" - Samael, matter-of-factly
"I don't..." - Hatfield
"Who is he?" - Samael
The others catch on. Before he knows it, Hatfield is surrounded by Cobalt, Samael, Excalibur and Gaunt.
"...His name's Dominic Conroy. He's a Proximus" - Hatfield
"One of yours?" - Gaunt
"He's on our records, yes. Surveilled every so often in case he comes close to Awakening. His great-grandfather
was a Mage of the Order. We've married him to another Proximus line, and have hopes for his grandchildren." -
Hatfield, gulping.
"Where does he live?" - Excalibur
"I'll have to.. uh.. I'll have to..." - Hatfield
"Check" - Excalibur
...
A thoroughly cowed Hatfield has - after a panicced phone call to his superiors in the Silver Ladder - coughed up
Conroy's address. Not knowing whether he's Awakened, it is decided that a smaller group should go. This is
Symmetry's show, so she's in, though Excalibur and Gaunt insist that they're coming too. The Auric Horizon
make up the numbers - mostly because it was Samael that figured it out and Symmetry asks Cobalt if he'll
come. Persephone was stood behind Samael and takes Excalibur pointing at her Cabalmate to mean her, too.
And so while most of the "ghostbusters" head home, the six stop-outs head North-East out of the city centre,
deep into the silent residential streets of Newcastle.
The house is large and well-maintained, the sort of home that costs a lot of money. There aren't any cars in the
drive.
"Anyone home?" - Excalibur
Symmetry says that she can sense one living being inside, but it's strange. Cobalt, who was intending to break
them in, notes grimly that the front door's lock has been neatly disintegrated.
Cautiously, the group enter the building.
"Where?" - Samael
"Upstairs" - Symmetry
Samael casts Night Vision and leads the group upstairs. At the top, Excalibur draws his sword, takes lead and
pushes the bedroom door open.
Inside, there are signs of a struggle. A smashed glass lies glittering next to an overturned table. Lying in a heap
near the door is a woman's body - Gaunt briefly kneels next to her and shakes his head.
"Strangled" - Gaunt
Lying on the bed, eyes closed and mouth open as though struggling for breath, is Dominic. He's fully dressed
apart from his feet, which are bare.
"...Dominic?" - Samael
He clicks his fingers over the man's face, no response.
"Look at him" - Gaunt, horrified
A barrage of Unveiling spells reveals the shape of the problem. Dominic isnt home - his mind is not in his body,
cast out by the Astral projection spell that is still active upon him - which has been relinquished, ensuring that it
is still running. Whoever did this felt it was important enough. Persephone notes that Fate hangs heavily over
him - like something large and important is hanging, about to happen but frozen.
Under Soul Marks, though, the horror comes. The man's Soul is distorted and ripped, the faintly-visible
gossamer of it looking like someone has peeled it off and then plastered it back on inexpertly, leaving wrinkles
and small tears. Cobalt feels like he's going to be sick.
"What happened?" - Samael, to Persephone
She casts Postcognition, and receives a short vision of Dominic, ranting, stagger in and attack the woman,
throttling her.
The gang turn to the body of the wife.
"It's been preserved with magic, decomposition held off with the Fraying practice of Death" - Gaunt
"Well, the first sighting of..." (indicates Dominic's body) "...was three weeks before the last Consilium" -
Symmetry
"He's been here that long?" - Excalibur, frowning
"There are traces of another spell on him, keeping his body alive. The sort of thing Astral travellers use to not
have to eat. It looks like it wore off only recently" - Symmetry
"How recently?" - Excalibur
"Four days?" - Symmetry
"About when Quiet became an ex-Moros" - Samael
Cobalt heads downstairs to look for further clues while Persephone casts Postcognition.
She watches, aghast, as a tall black woman she doesn't recognise manhandles a weeping Dominic onto the
bed. The stranger is clinical and, as far as Sef can tell, entirely without pity for Dominic, who is in quite a state.
"Don't worry. She won't rot away. My friend here will see to it she stays with you forever" - Woman
Her 'Friend', entering the room, turns out to be Quiet.
"Is this necessary?" - Quiet
"Dominic here is going to help us. The lens will need to be as perfect as possible" - Woman
"He'll start screaming again soon" - Quiet
"No, he won't. Dominic... Dominic, listen to me. I need to borrow your soul for a little while, but I need it to be a
little less busy in there. So you're going on a trip." - Woman
She casts a spell, and Dominic collapses back, staring vacantly into nothing
"That's better" - Woman, closing his eyes
"Remember, we need to know how to get Chayot to..." - Quiet
He shuts up when he sees her expression. Sef is quite clear about who's in charge in this little duo.
"Don't worry, Quiet. The Ones will tell us what to do" - Woman
She casts something terrible, and the Postcognition ends.
Persephone shakily reports what she saw, and Samael reacts as though struck.
"What do I get for having to see that?" - Persephone, quietly
Gaunt silently offers her a cookie.
Rapidly making connections, Samael figures out that this must be one of Chayot's old Cabal mates - probably
Vahishta. And the "Lens".
Chayot always used to say to him that his power was like focusing the light of Aether through a stained glass
lens. That's why Samael's magical tool is a prism. If you're careful, and responsible, you can bring illumination
to the world. But try to bring too much through...
"...And it melts" - Samael, quietly
Souls. They're doing something to Souls.
"...What is it you study, sir?" - Samael
"Ah! You're an Obrimos, too, so you'll understand. I study traces of the supernal world found in the Fallen
Reality. My Legacy is based on the idea that the Angels are trying to send messages through, but they become
obscured by the mundane. Magic occludes itself, as the Corpus Author says, and we try to find the hidden
revelations." - Duma
...And that's why they want the Ankh. It can repair Souls.
"This is bad. This is really, really bad" - Samael
Cobalt returns from downstairs, and reports that the house is in fact showing signs of being inhabited even
after Dominic was banished from his own body. Someone has been living here, using the house as a base.
"Quiet" - Samael, growling
"The Moros you killed? This has to do with that?" - Excalibur, sharply
"It was Persephone who killed him" - Samael
"YOU DON'T HAVE TO REMIND EVERYONE, OKAY!?" - Persephone

After a few moments awkward silence, Samael explains what he thinks is going on to Excalibur, Gaunt and
Symmetry.
"But this Woman wasn't there when Chayot was killed?" - Excalibur
"No. And I don't know why. I know what they were after, though." - Samael
Thoughts now return to Dominic
"Why *Flashing*?" - Symmetry
"Maybe his mental form is just naked. Maybe he was trying to make himself heard - attract help" - Excalibur
"Or maybe being cut off from his Soul for a month or more has unbalanced him. We can ask him when he's
healed" - Gaunt
Excalibur holds his sword out over Dominic
"Okay. I'm going to Dispel the magic projecting him. Everyone get ready." - Excalibur
He casts Supernal Dispellation. Under Persephone's Fate Sight, the hanging something shifts, moving on a
notch, but then becomes still again. Everyone felt a something pass them by.
"Anyone?" - Excalibur
Samael nudges Dominic, but the man doesn't stir. Gaunt peels up an eyelid and looks in.
"He's back in there all right, but he's not sitting right. I think he might have gone too far" - Gaunt
"Across the Threshold?" - Symmetry
Excalibur notices the Auric Horizon looking blankly.
"Into his Inner World. The damage is so severe he might have slipped into his Oneiros or further." - Excalibur
"If we repaired his Soul?" - Samael
"Might wake him up. At the very least it would make it safer for someone to go in and retrieve him." - Gaunt
"I know about something that might help, but we'd need to take him to a safe place first. Then we can call
Bede, ask for him to send it over" - Samael
"We can't stay here" - Cobalt
"No. It isn't secure. She could come back at any moment. We should move to a safer location. Who's nearest?" -
Excalibur
"We're over the far side of the City. And we don't have a Demense, if you do need to go in" - Symmetry
"Looks like it's a party at my place, then" - Excalibur
"Do we need permission to enter your territory?" - Samael
Cal gives him a Look
"Because Cobalt's driving might cause the Right of Nemesis to be declared" - Samael
"Okay. Who needs sobering?" - Symmetry
Everyone but Samael raises their hands and, thanks to the poison-purging properties of the practices of the Life
Arcanum, all get instant hangovers.

A Taxi wouldn't take Dominic - even if they pretended he was dead drunk, most have policies against it for fear
of vomit-cleaning bills. So Cobalt takes a cab to his house in Newcastle - where the Cabal were planning to
spend the night - and fetches his own car and their clothes while the others get Dominic ready to move.
Symmetry heals the Proximus as best she can, making sure he's not going to dehydrate. Gaunt spends the time
examining the female corpse before finally disintegrating it.
Cobalt returns, another cab is called after it becomes apparant you can't get seven people into Cobalt's car and
at 3 am everyone finally sets off through the deserted streets towards Wallsend. Sef and Symmetry go in the
cab.
Wallsend is strange. A suburb of Newcastle, the far side from the centre from the much-more-(in)famous Byker,
it's the site of the roman fort that marked the Eastern end of Hadrian's Wall. As such, the street and shop signs
are bilingual between English and Latin and the dense terraced houses give way to the fort itself, cleared off
exposing it's foundations to the air and overlooked by a glass tower that allows visitors to look down on the fort
from above and see the layout. Just the other side of the fort is a huge Shipyard, the constant floodlighting
painting the night sky light gray, the huge cranes casting shadows over the entire district as they surround the
shell of an ocean liner.
Wallsend is also where Sting comes from, returning the Chronicle briefly to it's origins. And that Shipyard is the one
mentioned in "Island of Souls" and other songs. For foreigners, Byker is the slightly rougher (not as bad as it's
repuation) district that lent it's name to the children's soap opera "Byker Grove". Which was actually set just outside
out, but never mind.
The street that runs from the Metro station down to the gates of the shipyard includes the entrance to the fort
and is lined with red-brick warehouses, one of which Excalibur tells Cobalt to pull up outside.
Back in the taxi, Symmetry looks up at the place.
"Well, we're here" - Symmetry
"This is where Cal lives?" - Persephone
"Him and most of the Legion" - Symmetry
Inside, it becomes clear that the place has been well and truly renovated, like a six-story loft conversion. The
main room stretches all the way up to the unseen roof, somewhere in the darkness above them. The gang,
mindful of the polished wooden floor, remove their shoes.
"Wow" - Persephone
The Farthest Legion's Sanctum is a boy's dream. There's an honest-to-God bar in one corner of the main room.
A wide circle of reclining leather sofas surround a plasma TV. There's a basketball hoop on the wall, the ball
lying discarded nearby. There is gym equipment. There's a horizontal-type Space Invaders machine. There's a
table football.
"They're Manly Men" - Samael
Gaunt takes Dominic upstairs somewhere, and Excalibur plays host - passing out drinks and getting everyone
settled on the sofas. They're all shattered, strung out after the very long night, and it's not long before
everyone is asleep.
...
Samael wakes up to the smell of bacon. Cautiously, he pulls the blanket from over his face and blinks out from
the sofa he slept on.
"Morning!" - Atia
He looks around. The room is a hive of activity - there's a huge man lifting weights in the gym, Cobalt is sat up
eating bacon sandwiches and drinking coffee, Persephone's space on the sofa is empty and over in the open
kitchen area a tall woman with hair coiled up on top of her head is cooking while two more men sit at the
counter eating. It's she who spoke.
Samael croakingly introduces himself.
"Atia" (indicating the two men sat in front of her) "Vernator. Aegis." (pointing at the man at the weights)
"Militas" - Atia
"You're all Legionaries?" - Samael, sitting up.
She brings him bacon, bread and ketchup.
"I'm actually a Guardian, but I'm the Cabal's Hearthtender. We only call the five Arrows 'Legionaries'. The rest of
us are the brains of the operation" - Atia
Samael chews.
"Cal told me what happened when I got up." - Atia
The front door opens, and in comes an older man, slightly gone to seed, accompnied by a unnerving younger
woman with perculiarly harsh features. They greet Atia, and are introduced as "Cicero" and "Sybil".
"Anyone else?" - Cobalt
"No, this is it - assuming Aquila, Gaunt and Excalibur are about. Nine strong." - Cicero
Persephone makes her reappearance, having showered, wearing one of Excalibur's shirts (damp) as a dress.
Cicero, it turns out, is a senior Guardian of the Veil and a Mastigos, so he'll be handling the Dominic matter.
Excalibur makes his appearance, dressed in full regalia as a Centurion, Aquila walking behind him. Aegis,
Vernator and Militas silently get up and follow him through a doorway.
Aegis is named after the poster in this thread - there's no particular reason why he's first, other than it's appropriate
for a Roman-themed Adamantine Arrow. Forced as I am by Soul Cage needing lots of Shadow names, you may find that
quite a lot of you end up lending your rpg.net screen names to Mages. I promise to make most of you good guys. Or
Pentacle Mages at the least.
Atia is named for Emperor Augustus' mother, who's character was vastly expanded in the BBC/HBO's "Rome".
Samael raises a questioning eyebrow.
"Prayer meeting and Oblation in the Demense." - Cicero
"Should we go with them?" - Persephone
"You wouldn't be allowed. No women in the cult of Mithras" - Atia
"Manly" - Samael
Sef arches her back, deliberately in Samael's eyeline. Samael doesn't notice.
"I'm definately not a man" - Persephone
"No.... No, you're not" - Cicero
Seeing Samael isn't going to react, Persephone goes to get dressed. While they wait, Samael starts telling
Cicero what's happened - he sticks to the facts, and doesn't voice any of the suspicions going through his mind
about just what Vahishta and QUiet were doing.
"There's more, isn't there? Tell me everything. You can trust me." - Cicero
Samael feels something tickle his mind, and does trust him now he says that, but Samael hasn't yet told his
Cabal his suspicions, let alone Cicero.
Cicero is a Bearer of the Eternal Voice (the name may be hint to that). People tend to believe whatever he says - this
will become important later.
"That's it" - Samael
"Concerning. I wish I'd been told sooner. In the meantime, I suggest we get this Artifact from Bede and see if
we can do anything for the Proximus" - Cicero
Persephone reappears, wearing a T-shirt that lights up when in a Wi-Fi signal.
Samael calls Bede and explains what happened and what they intend to do. A short time later, a Portal opens
and Scribe steps through, carrying a mahogany box inlaid with various symbols.
They head upstairs to where Dominic lies on a medical couch, sleeping apparantly peacefully. The Cabal feel
Cicero cast several spells, exploring what's going on.
"I concur with your findings of last night. He's trapped on the Astral Threshold, unable to go in without the
capacity to channel Mana and unable to come back out with the damage to his Soul. Scribe?" - Cicero
Scribe goes vacant for a moment, and then says that although Dominic is hovering close to death
"...His Name is not complete" - Scribe
Persephone casts Augury, attempting to determine what will happen to the immanent destiny if they use the
Artifact. She reports that whatever it is will vanish if they do *nothing*.
Scribe carefully unlocks the box and opens it, revealing the Ankh.
"Orichalcum?" - Cicero
Samael nods, picking the Ankh up and readying himself.

He casts Activate Magical Item and feels the Ankh recoil as though hit by something.
Cobalt, on Soul Marks duty, reports that Dominic's Soul has left his body and is now in the Ankh. Samael
triggers the Ankh again, holding the Ankh toward Dominic's empty shell with both hands. Under Prime Sight, he
sees something be thrown out of the Ankh in a flash of energy.
Cobalt sees Dominic's soul settle back into his body neatly and without any rippling - the Ankh has done it's job
and the damage undone. The Soul is still thin and unhealthy after so long, but it's not wounded.
Cicero checks Dominic, while Samael returns the Ankh to it's casket. Scribe nods and quietly leaves, heading
downstairs to wait and see if they still need her.
Persephone excitedly says that the Destiny has begun to take effect - something major is happening.
"He's not coming back" - Cicero, worried.
And the Destiny halts again.
He passes his hand over Dominic's face.
"He's crossed the Threshold, into his Oneiros. We're going to have to go in." - Cicero
He looks around at the others
"Have you ever been to the Inner Worlds?" - Cicero
There are three shakings of heads
"Well, then. This will be educational." - Cicero
"What do we need?" - Cobalt
"A Demense. Fortunately, our Hallow is one. Once Excalibur's finished, we can use it. You all want to come?" -
Cicero
Samael nods before the others get a chance to respond.
Samael is rather driven here - in fact, ever since he found out who hurt Dominic. This is personal to him, which will
cause him to be greatly affected by the end of next session when... That would be telling. But his jibes about
Excalibur's Cabal are a means of letting of steam. Bede denying him Chayot's funeral isn't helping, either.
If he's like this now, how much more driven will he be in future stories when the Echo Walkers rear their heads? How
far will Samael go?
Cicero casts a spell, and all three of them feel something odd settle into the back of their minds.
"Alright. We're set up. Let's go" - Cicero
And that's it for this time. Short session, but I figured I would stop at the point of entry into Astral Space - it's a big
enough juncture (and requires so much planning) that I finished half an hour early rather than bodge it.
The astute will notice that Dominic, a Sleepwalker, shouldn't be able to enter the Oneiros under his own power. There
is a reason.
A reason which will be revealed within the hour! For I have already written the next one!
Session 1.3
Welcome Back, faithful Readers!
This session is brought to you by the excellent supplement "Astral Realms", as our three characters venture first into
their own Oneiroi and then into that of the strikken Proximus Dominic Conroy, seeking to save him from his own
tormented mind and maybe find out what the hell is going on along the way.
It had more preparation than most sessions, with me carefully figuring out the particulars of Dominic as a character.
The PCs never get to meet him per se, but the challenge was to make every scene inside his Soul tell them a little
about him so they could figure out the whole thing. Unable to really plan many set-pieces due to the word-association
nature of Oneiros travel, I plumped for lots of bookwork before hand and then improvisation on the night. Seemed to
work.
The session is split into two rough halves - the journies through the three PCs' Oneiroi and then the mission in
Dominic's. As such, the character's current states of mind are important.
Cobalt is constantly told by storyteller characters that his calm nature will be a good influence on the others, but in
truth it *worries* him. Like his reaction to Gaunt in 0.3, Cobalt worries that he's too callous, and thinks that he's not
emotional enough without any idea of how to go about it. His path's reputation for utilitarianism doesn't help. He also
has a habit, based on his intellectual superiority to most Mages pre-Awakening, of thinking he's smarter than everyone
else and can spot shortcuts and things that they haven't.
Persephone is beset by her own secrets. She hasn't told anyone about Hadrian and what happened during her
Awakening. She's confessed that she doesn't know where Archimedies came from though his status as a Fear Spirit is
telling - Sef is afraid of being caught out, that the Police are about to find her and that everyone *knows*. She's also
full of romantic yearnings for Samael, who either hasn't noticed or is choosing to ignore it.
Samael is exhausted, persecuted and stressed out. A Year of training with Chayot has made him afraid of speaking his
mind, and his resentment of the way Bede (as for example) has treated him is growing, along with the very clear sense
that maybe Chayot's teachings were from a morally suspect source. He's repressing his own Power and forcing himself
to stick to the Mysterium's methodical practices.
I was immensely impressed with the gang in this session. It's probably my favorite so far. I always love a lot of
Symbolism, and the Astral Realms are tailor-made for it. The gang helped out with the setting of scenes, describing
what their character's Astral roads, Vestibules and so on looked like. Often, while stumped, I would tell the player which
Realm they'd gone into and ask what they thought it should be. The result is a welcome peek at the characters, and a
more collaborative play experience.
Speaking of which and lastly, my thanks to Agena, who took notes on all the scenes and the transitions between them,
allowing me to get the skeleton of what happened on the night much faster than I normally would.
The Auric Horizon walk with Cicero through an underground tunnel, connecting the Farthest Legion's Sanctum
with the old Mithraeum of the Roman garrison across the road - magic has been used to excavate it and shore it
up underground, as it has become a Hallow. A predecessor of Cicero's capped the Hallow with a Thyrsus Soul
Stone several decades ago, making a Demesne.
It's cool down here, the young mages shivering.
Cicero is explaining the strata of the Inner Worlds to an attentive audience.
"First, you meditate, imagining yourself on a journey - walking along a road or circling around some focus for
your mind is best in my experience. You will pass into waking meditation and then into lucid dreaming.
Eventually, you'll reach the limit of your conscious mind and experience some kind of barrier, something
impeding you from journeying on. We call this the Astral Threshold." - Cicero
"And using Mana makes it dissolve?" - Cobalt, who had this partially explained to him by Cognos
"No - using Mana allows you to force your way through despite the agony that doing so causes. Believe me, it'll
hurt. Once past that, you'll find your journey seems to become more and less real to you. You are now within
your own soul, and the further you walk the deeper within yourself you'll go. You'll notice something off the
path. It'll be appropriate to the setting but it'll be both alluring and forboding - like it's forbidden but you want
to go there anyway. Leaving your path and heading towards it will cause you to shift into the Oneiros, the realm
of your own Soul. That's where you should all head" - Cicero
"If we don't?" - Persephone
"If you continue, you'll experience something we call the First Reversal. Your journey will change - if you were
going "in", you'll find yourself going "out", say. This is because you're passing out of the far side of your
individual Soul, into the collective unconscious of Humanity. You'll feel like you're being observed by a crowd,
you may sense people whispering nearby. If you leave the path here you'll enter the Temenos, the collective
worlds of human culture, shared memory and myth" - Cicero
"Is there a second reversal?" - Cobalt
(nodding) "If you insist on continuing on, you'll reach the end of your road. There will be some impossible
obstacle, usually some kind of rift or gap, beyond which you can't travel - the Abyss has shattered your road
beyond that point, so that you can't walk on into the Supernal Realms. Leaving the path here takes you to the
Boundary Stone, placed by the ancient Atlanteans to mark the end of Humanity and hence the end of their
dominion. You may feel compelled to Sing the Stone Open. Don't." - Cicero
Persephone giggles at 'Singing the Stone open'. Cicero looks stern.
"Beyond the Stone is the Dreamtime, the Soul of the World. An unprotected traveller is overwhelmed quickly,
their individual being absorbed by Gaia until there's just an empty body left in the Fallen World. You can open
the Stone either to the realm of Humanity's impact upon the Earth - the Swath of Destruction - or to the Axis
Mundi, the Tree of Life which is the remnants of the Silver Ladder to Heaven. Leaving these leads to the
Dreaming Earth, then to the Sideral Realms of the sky. And Finally, you will reach the edge of the Abyss, where
the old gateways to the Supernal lie in ruins." - Cicero
He pauses
"And if you have made it that far and insist on trying to go further, you will die. The Abyss does not give people
who walk into it back." - Cicero
Silence.
They reach the Mithraean temple that serves as the Legion's Demesne. It's smokey, the air thick with the
fumes from burning leaves of unknown providence and fat. The floor is covered in sand, and has splashes of
dark red on it that look fresh.
"But on a first try, you're unlikly to get that far. I'm telling you these things in case one of you turns out to have
a natural talent for meditation and feels curious - the Inner Worlds can be very dangerous once you go deep
enough. If you feel your path Reversing, stop and retrace your steps back to your Oneiros." - Cicero
He sits down on the floor, crosslegged.
"Try to make yourselves comfortable" - Cicero
They do so, awkwardly lying down. Cobalt props himself up against a pillar, as does Persephone.
"As you enter the Oneiros, you will find yourself in your Vestibule - your subconcious reflection of the concept of
"arrival". From there, navigation is a matter of word-association between themes and emotions. For example, if
I say 'Apple'" - Cicero, to Samael
"Uh... Orange?" - Samael
"Just so. So I could navigate between Apple and Orange. If you are in a realm of grief, you might easily find your
way to Loss, to Death or many other things. Understand?" - Cicero
They nod.
"You may be lucky enough to meet your Daimon, the Inner being made out of your Soul's desire to improve
itself. It will test you, but may help. You should try to stay away from any darker urges or impulses you might
have, or you might meet one of your Goetic Demons. Now. I cast a spell upon us upstairs, linking Dominic's
Oneiros to our own. There will be a bridge from whichever Inner Realm encompasses how you feel about
Dominic - search your feelings and be honest and you'll have an idea of where that may be - and Dominic's own
Vestibule. We'll meet up there." - Cicero
He casts a spell
"That's bound us together. When we're in the same realm as one another, silver threads will appear linking us -
just in case one of us gets lost in Dominic's mind" - Cicero
And with that, they begin.
Astral Realms suggests that the normal cap of dice pool to extended rolls shouldn't apply to Astral Travel, on the basis
that doing so limits how far characters may journey which detracts from the story. For this first trip out, though, I
decided to limit it to dice pool plus one, figuring that that should be enough to get them to the Oneiros. I really didn't
want to have to deal with the Temenos right now, and without anyone to show them how to make an Amnion going
into the Dreamtime would be a death sentance as the Ecstatic Wind would take a character apart.
We've got time, and we'll be back. I do want the characters to try for the very edge at some point - going to see the
Aeons in the citadels of the Arcana on the shores of the Abyss. But maybe not in the sixth game session.
The spell Cicero cast at the end of last session was Dream Bridge, from Page 25 of Astral Winds. This was a slight
continuity error, papered over in the recaps, in which the gang were going to enter the Temenos then bore straight
down into Dominic's Oneiros. Then I intended to just use Opening The Dream Space, where you enter someone else's
Oneiros instead of your own when you leave your path, but to cast it on the behalf of the PCs would require Cicero to
be a Master of Mind and I'm deliberately limiting the power level of Storyteller Characters in Soul Cage to prevent the
PCs from being overshadowed.
Besides, this way we get to see the PCs Oneiroi, which instantly recommended it as a method.
Samael walks along a sunlit countryside lane, the dusty road surface baking in the heat and small insects
buzzing from the verges. Curiously, both the Sun and the Moon are out. Every now and again he passes a
hamlet of houses, the windows having the distinctive look of stained glass, but he pays them no heed,
concentrating on the crunch of pebbles beneath his feet and the heat haze of the horizon.
Suddenly, the wind picks up, throwing dust and stones up into his face. Eyes stinging, he struggles against the
wall of air, forcing his way through. The wind dies down and he spits tiny particles of earth out from chapped
lips, blinking as he continues. He sees the dust storm pass over a nearby hillside - when it's gone, there's a
ruined church there, still smoking as if after a fire.
The sight of the place, the source of his Power and the site of his sacriledge, makes Samael feel like the bottom
of his stomach has fallen away, but the outward sign of his Oneiros is clear. He uses the Stile provided to climb
over the fence and walks up the grassy hill, leaving the road behind.
...
Cobalt has chosen to envisage his journey as "climbing", and is walking up endless flights of stairs. His
imagination fills in other details - he's in an underground railway station, like London's Tube or Newcastle's
Metro. The escalators are all going down rather than up, so he's stuck with the exhausting effort of walking.
Eventually, he reaches the ticket barriers but realises - after trying to pay with it - that he has no card. Putting
his hands to the barrier, he forces them open with brute strength, his already tired muscles burning with the
effort.
Once through, the tunnel levels off and begins to branch into platforms. Cobalt knows that if he takes a
particular route, heading down one platform, he'll be able to get to the exit quicker. As he does so, though, the
sounds of a Busker playing unidentifiable music in the distance despite the utter lack of anyone else that he
can see, a train enters the station and stops, the doors opening with a ping.
The train's interior is dark and threatening, the neon lights within flickering before finally dying. Cobalt sees the
destination card - "Tomorrow" - and knows what the Train represents. He steps on, the doors slide closed behind
him and the train pulls out into the pitch darkness of the tunnel.
Chris: And then we realised that Destination Tomorrow would be an awesome cabal name
...
Persephone has decided to stick to what she knows and is imagining her journey as walking along the empty
streets of a silvery grey city, the ground broken by occassional brambles. As she walks, she feels the street
getting narrower and narrower, and notices that the exits - the alleyways and side junctions - are blocked by
the brambles. The street, once a grand avenue, becomes a normal street, then a one-way street, then an alley.
Narrower and narrower, feeling pressed between the faceless buildings on either side that have long since cast
her into shadow, she realises that the way ahead is blocked by the thorns.
Trying not to scream, she pushes through the thorns, feeling them dig into her and leaving bleeding tears in her
skin. Once on the other side, the Alleyway continues, twisting and turning impossibly long as she nurses herself
and picks her way past the piles of refuse littering the place. Finally, she comes to a doorway - a metal door,
crudely welded into place, a viewing-slot making it look like the door to some illicit speakeasy. She considers for
a while, aware of the sun going down, and decides to knock and give the password.
...
And now we're in to the individual Oneiroi and the attempted navigation towards Dominic. We agreed on the night that
the following three sequences, which were played as uninterrupted strings of scenes while the other two players
looked on and suggested things, are deeply revealing of the characters' personalities. Even down to the ways in which
they manage to Navigate to the Dream Bridge.
System-wise, The Oneiros is a game of Wits and Composure - Navigation especially. The player rolls Wits when trying
to leave the Vestibule. With one success, they can suggest three possible destinations out of which I pick one. With an
exceptional success, the player dictates where they go. With none, I do. It's more fun than it sounds.
Anyhoo - Chris had the idea for his Vestibule first, so to Samael we will go...
Samael is at a Rave - the walls of the huge space the party is taking place in vaugely reminiscent of church
architecture. The crowd (and there are people pressing all around him) seem to be dancing to the rythm of his
own heartbeat. The music is pounding, swelling with his emotions. Every now and again, the track is cut into by
a snatch of TV show theme tunes from his childhood. Like the "A-Team".
Ever seen "Spaced"? My work here is done.

As he passes through the crowd, trying to see who's DJ-ing, Samael realises where he knows them from - the
Crowd is made up of everyone Samael has ever met, from the other kids in his Junior school class (now all
grown up) to the Milkman, all the way up to the patrons of the club he, Scribe and Aquila were at the night
before. He is slightly unnerved by snatches of shouted conversation he overhears, mostly drowned out by the
music. Things like "You're not good enough" and "Of course, you know he was evil". As he realises that dwelling
on them is changing the music to be tenser and at a volume where he partially overhears more of them,
though, he composes himself. Making it to the stairs to the DJ's booth, he pushes open the door and walks
inside, concentrating on the feeling of going "backstage".
He was aiming for something about underlying processes and reasons, thinking that it would lead him to his reason to
be here (ie, Dominic), but Samael's brief jitter of paranoia there has meant he's instead heading right for the feelings
Samael has of everything being decided behind his back, unseen by him. This is not a good place for him to be right
now.
He opens Bede's office door, and steps inside, feeling about three inches tall. In fact, Bede looms over an
exageratted desk, an Ogrish figure that seems to grow larger and larger (or maybe Samael is growing smaller
and smaller) as he contemptuously tells Samael that he's not cleared for access to Dominic. He's not good
enough.
"But..." (feeling very nervous, and aware on some level that the scene is forcing him to) "... I have to help him"
- Samael
"HELP him? What bleeding-heart nonsense is that?! Maybe you should just quit and join the Arrow - they
tolerate your kind there" - Bede
Samael feels overwhelmed, but decides to take a risky tactic. Reaching deep within himself, he summons the
feelings of resentment he's been repressing and lets fly - ranting at Bede about every injustice done to him. As
he shouts, Bede seems cowed and Samael is aware that he's growing larger while Bede is growing smaller.
Eventually, Bede is tiny, but Samael is on a roll and refuses to feel pity.
"AND TAKE YOUR BURIAL AND STUFF IT!" - Samael
He stamps on Mini-Bede, who vanishes with a slight implosion. Samael reels, dizzy, as he continues to grow
larger. Just as it seems the room is too small for him and he'll be crushed by his own anger, the door is ripped
away by a shining figure. Samael feels his size stabilise as he recognises himself - or a version of himself.
The Daimon is a Samael that is not cowed, justifiably proud of his Powers. Though it has Samael's face, with a
stern expression, it is made of Celestial Fire, the stuff of Aether, with wings of fire and smoke erupting from it's
back. Nodding it's approval, it offers Samael it's hand. He takes it, feeling but not consumed by the fire, and it
begins to fly.
The Daimon is transporting him to another scene in the same theme - a matter which Samael has stayed silent about
when he probably shouldn't have.
They land at the lighthouse, and Samael goes inside while his Daimon remains outside. In the kitchen, he can
hear Cognos and Persephone arguing upstairs - not an out-of-the-ordinary happening. It's the good old "Samael
is an evil Mystagogue" / "You don't understand the mysteries of my heart" argument he's been silently on the
periphery of many times before. He feels a flash of irritation but quickly supresses it - it wouldn't do to end up
in Wrath.
His Daimon, looking in through a window that doesn't exist in the real world, gives him the thumbs-up.
Persephone descends the Lighthouse stairs - or rather, this Scene's interpretation of Persephone does. It is as
though someone has cast Sef in a movie from the starlets available. Costume-wise and in bearing it's
recognisably her, but the person beneath the trappings is entirely different.
"You heard that?" - Not-Persephone
"I heard it" - Samael
"Listen. I need to get out of here tonight. Do you... want to go to a movie or something?" - Not-Persephone
She's dialling it in somewhat, but even with the limited talents of the actress his mind has supplied, Samael can
tell she's interested.
Samael considers. This is all very interesting, but he's allowed his own hangups divert him from the business at
hand. He needs to get back to his Vestibule and try again.
"Nothing good out. How about a club?" - Samael
Agreeing, she takes his arm and they walk out.
Successfully back in his Rave, which is a confidence boost, Samael decides that his feelings about Dominic are
all wrapped up in Chayot's death. Therefore, he needs to find his inner Chayot. The cloakroom of the Rave
contains no walking canes, which was his first idea, but he perseveres. Looking for anything that reminds him
of Chayot, he digs an old book out from a club-goer's bag. The tome is written in gibberish he can't understand,
but the feel of it - importantly the *smell* of it - puts him in the right frame of mind. Inhaling deeply, trying to
catch that zeitgeist in his mind, he finds a staff door and walks through it.
Nearly but not quite. The book has led him, not to Chayot, and not to the idea of books and the knowledge contained
within, but to Samael's Memory-Space, which appears in his Oneiros as Chayot's library. Understandably.
Opening his eyes, he finds himself in Chayot's library, surrounded by piles of unsorted books. This is familiar -
during his apprenticeship, Samael used to regularly have to sort them. Chayot thought it was character
building. He picks a book up at random and looks at it - it's an essay he wrote in Year 11 of school. Another
book contains the Auric Horizon's Cabal Oath. And another is his charge sheet for Arson.
Memories. They're memories.
Rolling up his sleeves, Samael gets sorting. It takes subjective hours, digging through the books to find the one
depicting Dominic... And there, right there, is the Dream Bridge.
Grateful that it wasn't harder, Samael accesses the Bridge and feels his own Oneiros fade away.

Dave had thought of his Vestibule, but wanted a bit longer - Cobalt is about to try something sneaky but Dave needed
time to think through the particulars of it. Persephone has no such conniving nature, though, and Agena had her
Vestibule designed, so Sef was up next.
Persephone steps into the Lighthouse, the stair spiralling up and up. Persephone associates "Arrival" with this
place, the beginning of her new life. That much is obvious. She thinks for a while, wandering up and down,
about how best to get to the Dream Bridge. The wind, howling outside the walls, seems to carry words that she
can barely hear. Words like "They Know Where You Are".
Dominic was attacked as part of Chayot's murder, so Sef decides that Samael's door is the one to go through.
And that was her mistake. For she has instead chosen the path of feeling that she is under suspicion - the idea that
Samael doesn't trust her. Worse than that is the feeling that she can't trust HIM, for fear that he might use her the way
Hadrian did.
Agena: *cough* yes yes, that's why she went there. Definately not just to see what would she find there, almost
completely forgetting why is she here from step one, oh no
She enters the interview room, the Detective following close behind. Sitting down, feeling nervous, she waits as
the Detecive puts photos of Hadrian in front of her.
They want to know where the money is. And where Hadrian is.
She tries to blag her way out of it, damping down her fear and telling them they have the wrong person.
Against all odds, it works. She's shown the door and told not to leave town.
"I have my eye on you" - Detective
Stepping through, she realises that this has only strengthened her bad trip into feelings of guilt. Catherine is
now six years old, terrified beyond her wits that her parents have found the body. She climbed a tree,
disturbing a nest. When she came down to the ground, she found a chick lying dead. She put it in the pond, but
it floated.
And now she's sure her parents know what she did. It's gone, so *someone* knows. Crushed by waves of guilt,
she runs and hides in a cupboard, crying.
Which transitions her to the theme of "hiding". Well, at least it gets her back to more familiar territory. Sef's good at
hiding.
"So that'll be your room" - Cognos
Sef is being shown around the Lighthouse for the first time, sullenly trailing after Cognos. After dumping her
sad, lone bag, she heads down to the Kitchen.
Now she remembers.
She sees, just as she saw back then, the newspaper Cognos dropped on the kitchen table. The item is tiny,
wedged on the corner of the page. The parents of Catherine Ashton have issued a fresh appeal for her to
contact them.
Persephone knows that she ignored it, just as she ignored it when her face appeared in the free daily
newspaper you get on public transport. The guilt at what she was putting her family through ate away at her
while she hid, which isn't going to help any. If she carries on like this, she'll get stuck in a loop of shame-realms
until she has to give up and return to her body.
Persephone picks up Cognos' ancient bakalite phone and dials her parents.
Which is the *good* part of the Oneiros. A person can think through their problems there, try things differently and get
free do-overs should things go wrong. The Inner world isn't the real world, though - what happens if you radically
change a scene is ultimately what the dreamer imagines the result would have been, which is no substitute for the real
thing.
In my "keep it different" ethos, by the way, I have surprises in store should Samael and Persephone contact their
parents. Even aside from the obvious legal problems. Kali's story in Broken Diamond required her father to welcome
her back with open arms so she could concentrate on Anurati: I have no pressing need for either of our player
characters to be forgiven for abandoning their families and fleeing.
Well. Depending on your view of what happened to her just before her Awakening, that's assuming that "Catherine"
hasn't already been found. *IF* Hadrian was a Fae attempting to abduct her, he might have made a Fetch already.
One scene transition later, and Persephone is sitting in her parent's living room. She glances out of the window
and sees Cobalt's car - Cobalt and Samael are sat waiting for her, lending her their support.
"Mum... Dad..." - Persephone
She apologises, asking for their forgiveness. She recieves it and basks in the moment, lost in the feeling of
having put down the weight for a moment. But it can't last. She knows that as soon as she leaves this scene,
it'll vanish... And when she wakes up it'll be like any other dream. She also painfully knows that she will never
be able to repeat the
same words she used here to convince the parents to fogive her, because she won't be able to remember them
after she wakes up.
She glances out of the window again.
"And now... I have something that I need to be doing" - Persephone, getting up.
"What?" - Catherine's Mother
Persephone nods to herself, getting the feel of it.
"I need to save the world" - Persephone.
She strides out to the waiting car and jumps in as Cobalt guns the engine.
"ONWARDS!" - Persephone
Cobalt and Samael put their shades on, and they burn rubber up the road.
She's getting closer - Persephone is now transitioning into the feelings of purpose and urgency, trying to focus on what
brought her into the Oneiros in the first place. Which, by popular demand, leads us to a memory-fragment covering
that fateful night...
Cobalt wrestles with the wheel of Chayot's car as they high-tail it through the night. Samael leans out of the
window, and yells that they're coming up on the ramp.
In the distance, Persephone can see the lights of the train snaking along.
"Can we make it?!" - Samael
Cobalt casts Alter Efficiency on the car during a particularly straight bit, while Persephone tries to make it and
them as lucky as possible.
They hit the ramp and the wheels leave the road, coming back to earth a split-second later with a crunch as the
car lands on the train tracks behind the train.
Cobalt uses magic to hold the steering wheel and accellerator steady, and the three of them carefully climb out
of the car, still rushing along at eighty miles an hour. There's a bend in the track up ahead, and Cobalt can't
steer by remote, so time is of the essence. One by one, they climb onto the back of the train and force the door
open. Just as Cobalt gets free, the track bends enough to send the car flying off it's side, crashing down the
embankment in a wreck of metal and rubber.
Persephone lets out a cry of exhileration, and after Samael opens the window slides herself in.
So now you know! And now - with that scene transition - Persephone goes deeper into her action-adventure fantasies,
which are a dangerous thing indeed when your Vice is Pride.
Kismet climbs up onto the roof of the speeding train, holding steady against the wind despite her rather
impractical (though certainly snugly fitting) leather outfit. Surveying the scene either side of her are her
constant companions in arms Hardcase and Flare. Despite the dark, all three are wearing shades.
"Let's rock" - Hardcase, brandishing his Crowbar.
Running against the wind, they leap from carraige to carraige. Ahead lies their quarry - Doctor Destruction has
stolen the Ankh of Sandrino, which must be recovered at all costs or the orphanage will be sold.
Kismet isn't quite clear on how the fabled Ankh of Sandrino will stop the orphanage being sold, but it sounds
like the sort of thing that happens around her.
Suddenly, they are attacked by a horde of ghosts, erupting from the carraige windows below them and
swarming up to surround them. To complicate matters further, lances of brilliant green energy are being fired at
them by the "good" Doctor. The team divide their labors. Hardcase uses his Crowbar of Power to pull up
sections of the train's outer coating to reflect the energy beams of the fiendish Necromancer, while Flare sends
jet after jet of celestial fire into the amassed ghosts, making short work of them. Kismet leaps forward in an
improbable kung-fu kick, the camera revolving around her in slow motion as her foot connects with Doctor
Destruction's face. He recovers, and brandishes the five-foot long golden Ankh he has stolen from the Society
of the Book and Key.
Kismet closes her eyes, feeling through what to do next, and is somehow aware of facing Quiet and his zombies
*inside* the train, weary and tired and aching and all the things that Kismet, magical heroine, is not! She socks
Doctor Destruction in the jaw, causing him to fall backward and nearly plunge to his doom - but she grabs his
wrist just in time. He's not getting away that easily. The Consilium wants him alive.
The idea that the perfection is only there when you're observing it, or is otherwise phony, is a sure sign Sef is
approaching her Vice realm of Pride. Which, in her victory, she now slips straight into.
In the Consilium hall, everyone is cheering Persephone - still dressed as Kismet - as she proudly holds the Ankh
aloft. Hadrian begs her forgiveness. Samael says that he wants her. Excalibur and his men say she's turned
them straight. Cognos says he's sorry he read her diaries.
"You WHAT?" - Persephone
But she recovers, and focuses on what she's trying to do. Holding the huge Ankh up, she concentrates on the
loophole, which is just... big enough... to crawl through...
And so, finally, Sef manages to take control of the scene and transition where she wants.
In the Legion's medical room, Samael triggers the Ankh again, holding the Ankh toward Dominic's empty shell
with both hands. Recognising the Dream Bridge, Persephone slides on the power of the Ankh into Dominic's
Vestibule.
...
Whew! That took a while. It's okay. Cobalt's is much shorter and to the point. Dave had thought of the word-
associations which would get him to Dominic in only a few steps.
To the well-organised mind, the Dream Vestibule is an orderly, regulated place. Cobalt's takes a form from his
childhood: His parents moved to Illinois when he was ten, and and such he associates "Arrival" with the dark,
quiet space of an airport departure lounge late at night. He's the only one here (though he can hear the sound
of a cleaning machine buffing the floor somewhere nearby), bar a few hazy-looking passengers sleeping on the
lounge's seats, using their luggage as pillows.
The departure board clatters, reconfiguring itself every few seconds to form random words - not all of them in
English. Snatches of subconscious flotsam and jetsam, rendered into blocky yellow characters.
He goes for a walk, wandering past the closed and gated shops in a circuit of the departure gates, keeping a
careful eye on the destinations quoted. Finally, he spots the one he wants: "Journies".
Feeling very proud of himself, expecting that this will lead to the Dream Bridge, Cobalt walks through the gate
and into the plane boarding tunnel. Which stretches onward and onward, eventually linking up to the familiar
underground-tunnel of his Astral Path.
Arse.
Re-entering his Oneiros, he sits and thinks for a moment. The departure board relfects his thoughts - "NICE TRY
SUCKER" - until he makes a decision. He heads for the gate for "Pity" and walks up the ramp.
Problem is, Cobalt has certain hang-ups about Pity. And those hangups are now coming out to play - he has walked
right into the realm of the Lesser Demon of Being a Callous Necromancer.
The scene is that of a carpenter's workshop, but it's stacked high with human corpses in various stages of
decay.
"Oh! Hand me that, would you?" - Lesser Demon of Being a Callous Necromancer
The Demon - as Goetic Demons usually do - looks just like Cobalt, only it's bearing and the manner of it's dress
telling them apart. It's dressed in a buttoned-up white coat, sober and practical, and looking around Cobalt can
see the results of it's handiwork. Tables, chairs, lamps - even a toaster - all made of the flesh of the dead.
Human beings treated as raw materials.
The metaphor is not lost on Cobalt. As the Demon works, fitting a child's leg into a lathe, Cobalt can feel his
disgust ebbing away, becoming reduced to an idle detachment. Shaking the Demon's influence off, he focuses
on those feelings of disgust and sees the bodies with new eyes. Feeling sick, though assured that he HAS that
response when he needs it, he looks them over, trying to recognise them. Some are his students. Others, his
friends. Finally, he finds Dominic's wife - used as a tool by Quiet, discarded when not needed and denied a
burial by being reduced to ash by Gaunt.
"Thank you. For proving I'm not you" - Cobalt, to the Demon.
He walks out, right into Dominic's bedroom as Quiet's mistress casts her spell on the traumatised Dominic.
Using him as a tool.
Cobalt rides the Dream Bridge into Dominic.

See? Told you it was easy. Of the three characters, then, Samael felt empowered, maneuvered his way to a position of
strength and then worked methodically until he got what he wanted. Persephone bounced from misadventure to
misadventure, trying to run away but being sucked deeper and deeper into her own hangups until, at the eleventh
hour, she escaped, and Cobalt first tried to stylishly cheat and when that didn't work came up with a solution that was
both appropriate, measured and above all fast.
Halfway there, now, as the Cabal reconvene
"Hello kids" - Cicero
Dominic's Vestibule appears to be a university during Fresher's week, crowds of people that only move when
not being looked at clustered around posted-up timetables and lists of classes and societies. Cicero is quite out
of place stood there wearing a senatorial toga. Everyone else is equally odd-looking, their own self-images
tinged with the experiences they've just had. Samael is wearing spectacles with stained glass for lenses. Cobalt
seems heavier, as though gravity were weighing on him. Persephone, drawing looks from Samael and Cicero, is
still in her tight-leather clad fantasy form.
Agena: It's more than just an outfit - it's how Persephone sees hersef in her imagination. And being in the Pride realm
just a moment ago prompted her to pick the "I know I look great" image: Persephone with a bit
more shiny eyes, a storm of curly hair instead of her normal straight and neatly cut ones, with golden strands between
her normal brown, tiny ribbons on the ends of them (shameless ripoff from the early Red Robin from Invisibles); she's a
bit more curvy than in reality with a waist thinner than her real one bordering on the line of possible and cartoonish,
dressed in a black catsuit and stompy boots, and with small butterflies made of different colored light dancing in her
hair.
"Good. Now we're all here." - Cicero
Persephone smirks
"That was an interesting trip" - Persephone
Cicero quirks an eyebrow, and nods. Sef continues posing and smirking slightly, still on the high of being in the
realm of her Pride.
This feels different - the Cabal are keenly aware that they're not in their own minds any more. As promised,
though, their are faint silver lines running between the four of them.
"Why aren't they reacting?" - Samael, indicating the crowd
"They're Dream Actors - part of the setting, not a free willed construct like his Daimon or Inner Demons. At any
given time, they'll pick one of the Five of us at random to be the focus of the Oneiros. At the moment, it seems
that Dominic, wherever he is, is in the driving seat" - Cicero
The scene appears to shift, and a young woman approaches them.
"Hi!" (addressing Cicero) "Do you know where History is?" - Girl
"See? This is an example. It's selected me, for whatever reason. Now, I'm acting in a way that it doesn't
understand, talking to you instead of it, so it's just hanging, waiting for a reaction that it can understand. Until
then, it's just ignoring me" - Cicero
He leans down toward the "girl"

"Isn't that right?" - Cicero
"That's right! Do you know where History is?" - Girl
"No, I don't. Sorry" - Cicero
She smiles, and asks if they can look together.
Cicero draws a knife and stabs her in the heart.
"What the fu..?" - Samael
The students all panic, running screaming from the madman
"See?" (cheerfully) "That was input they could understand. They're just Dream Actors - if we come back here,
they'll be back like nothing happened." - Cicero
Cobalt frowns. Given what he's just been through that doesn't sit quite right.
"I wanted to ask her a question!" - Samael
"How will we know when we get to the same place as Dominic?" - Cobalt
"The scene will react to him instead of us, the way your own Oneiroi did. Well, one-fifth of the time, anyway. If
it's moving but not treating one of us as the viewer, we're close." - Cicero
They walk through the university's halls, getting the feel for how the viewpoint switches between them. Samael
starts playing with his lighter, controlling the flame.
Suddenly, he feels the viewpoint switch to him. A Professor makes a beeline for him
"How did you do that?" - Professor
Samael looks at the others, unsure
"You should have said you've Awakened! Come with me, quickly!" - Professor
The other shrug and everyone follows the Dream Actor through a door.
In the new scene, though, Persephone is sat at a table across from Dominic's wife, who is crying. Persephone
appears to have just presented her with divorce papers.
"But.. why?" - Wife
"Guys? Help?" - Persephone
"From the transition, I'd say we were in what he imagines would happen if he Awakened" - Cicero
"He'd leave his wife?" - Samael
Cicero shrugs.
"A thought" - Cobalt
He's been thinking, and if Dominic were shocked into here by being made to murder his wife, they should
maybe try looking for him in related scenes.
"Good idea. Persephone, try to shift us along the theme of their relationship" - Cicero
Sef reaches forward and tears up the divorce papers. Several subjective hours of apologising and make-up sex
(thankfully, the gang are only aware of it in the scene transition sense. They don't have to experience it) later,
and they're outdoors in the sunshine.
Cobalt is at the oars of a rowing-boat, Dominic's wife sat in the boat, trailing her hands in the water.
Persephone and Samael are in another boat alongside - Sef refuses to row, so Samael is stuck with it. Cicero,
though, appears to have been incorporated into the scene as the cox of a rowing team.
Cobalt recognises the setting as the river looping through Durham.
(over a loudhailer) "kzzztt.. WE SEEM TO BE IN A HAPPY MEMORY" - Cicero
"We can't do anything about it. Our Uncles have decided - but we can try to maybe make the best of it" - Wife,
hopefully
"Now what?" - Samael
"What should I do? I need an exit" - Cobalt
"I mean... If we get to know one another..." - Wife
"WE NEED TO GET TO TRAUMA RELATED TO HER. THIS CALLS FOR DRASTIC ACTION" - Cicero
"Whatever you do, do it quick! I think there's a weir round the next bend!" - Samael
"Right" - Cobalt
He starts rowing hard.
"Dom? Dom, what are you doing?! DOMINIC!" - Wife
Cobalt's boat goes over the weir. He tumbles into the water, transitioning. The others feel their Silver threads to
him go tight.
"... ...WELL, CRAP" - Cicero
He moved between scenes. They didn't. See? This is why they have the threads.
Cobalt surfaces, spluttering, from an adult baptismal. He's handed a robe and blessed by the priest, who asks
him for a word after the ceremony. After watching a few other people get baptised, he finds himself alone with
the minister.
"We've been thinking about your future, Dominic" - Priest
"Oh?" - Cobalt
"Yes. It will be time for you to go to University soon. We've selected Newcastle - the Order there are eager to
meet you, and we have enough pull to get you onto the History course you wanted. You should say your
goodbyes to your friends over the next few weeks" - Priest
Cobalt feels Dominic's rage, his hatred for the Order, and realises part of what's going on. Power. It's all about
Power - they transitioned the first time when they enabled Dominic's fantasies of becoming a Mage.
"It is what's best" - Priest
"BEST?" - Cobalt
He rants for a while, accusing the Priest.. the Mage... of running and ruining his life, before finally storming out
and slamming the door.
That breaks the scene, and he finds himself in an office environment, having emerged from an office with
Dominic's name on the door. There's a co-worker there, in tears as he clears his things into a carboard box.
There's even a "World's Greatest Dad" mug.
"What did I do wrong?" - Co-worker
Now Cobalt has the shape of it. Dominic - the man they're trying to save - is a dick. Angry at the Silver Ladder
for stage-managing his life, he takes it out in petty ways whenever he's able. Like here, ruining someone else's
life because it makes him feel important.
Because it makes him feel Powerful.
Back to the others
Cicero, Samael and Persephone have made it to the banks of the river. Samael is pacing back and forth.
They're trying to figure out where Cobalt might have transitioned to, so that they can do the same.
"Aggressive Action?" - Samael
"Hey! Conroy!"
The speaker is a rugby-shirt wearing posh lad. He seems to know Dominic. And not like him.
Samael has had enough of this.
"Fuck off" - Samael
The larger man shoves him. Samael shoves him back. The man punches him... And Samael explodes in a cloud
of color.
Persephone is just getting over that when the Bully decides that Cicero is now "Dominic" and starts trying to
punch him out, too. Cicero stabs him, and sighs as the body falls into the water with a splash.
"Samael!" - Persephone
"He'll be fine. He's just been ejected back into his own body. Come on" - Cicero
Persephone feels her Silver cord tug painfully, and then she and Cicero are in the same scene as Cobalt.
...
Back in the real world, Samael painfully rolls over. He feels like he's gone six rounds with a minotaur.
"Urr" - Samael
Out of Willpower. He was spending it pretty badly, and the Bully did three levels of Astral damage to him, which
removes Willpower points rather than Health dots. Samael had exited his own Onerios on half willpower, Sef had been
worn down to the bone, but recovered through enjoying her Vice realm and Cobalt had emerged untouched.
1. The Mourning Afte
1. Cobalt has gotten the others up to speed, and they've decided that they should continue following this
theme. Unfortunately, the scene has decided that Persephone is it's protagonist
"You have to indulge Dominic's need for Control" - Cobalt
Easier said than done. Sef closes her eyes, repeats under her breath that this isn't a real person, and puts her
game face on.
"What did you do wrong!? How about your job - every damn day for a year. You're incompetant! Now get out of
my sight!" - Persephone.
It's not so much the firing, it's the fact that it feels disturbingly good to do.
They reenter the office, and it becomes nighttime. Cobalt jumps as he realises they're not alone - Hatfield is in
the room.
"What the hell do you think you've done?" - not-Hatfield
It's addressing Cicero
"Why don't you tell me?" - Cicero
"You're nearly bankrupt - AGAIN. You're firing your staff at random. Your business is going down the pan and
Mary tells me you've barely spoken for weeks. It looks like we have to fix everything for you again" - not-
Hatfield
"That would be the point, wouldn't it?" - Cicero
"Damn you" - Hatfield
He storms out
"Well" (mildly) "I think Cobalt is right. He has a drive to prove himself a significant actor in his own life" - Cicero
"More than that. It's a... Not just a Power thing..." - Cobalt, reaching for the words
"It's consequences. He needs consequences. They arrange everything - he's trashing his life to see how far he
has to go before they can't put it back" - Persephone, sadly
"Very perceptive. Options?" - Cicero
"We could smash things, trash the place. Indulge his desire to break free" - Persephone
"Rock and Roll" - Cobalt, picking up Dominic's chair.
He smashes it on the table. Persephone pushes the PC off, smashing it on the floor. Cicero joins in, and soon the
three of them are trashing the outer office, kicking desks through windows, smashing furniture, setting fire to
paperwork and emptying tonor cartridges over the floor.
The scene seems to stutter, and then vanishes entirely - they broke it.
And in so breaking it, they transition into the Derangement realm Dominic is trapped in.
It's a night out in Newcastle - a familiar scene after their real-world exploits last night. It seems wrong
somehow, heady. One by one, the mages realise that something is wrong with their minds. Volition appears to
have taken a holiday, and it's taking conscious effort to NOT do whatever comes into their head.
"Insanity... Realm..." - Cicero, struggling.
A hen party passes by, spotting Cobalt and asking if he'll come along with them
"Sorry ladies, this ship has sailed" - Cobalt
They start to heckle, and then immediately stop when the scene ownership passes from Cobalt. And doesn't go
to either of the others.
There's a scream in the distance. The impulse to run toward it is one they don't have to supress, and when they
arrive they find a brawl in progress as a man - who seems reminiscent of the Bully from the Durham scene - is
headbutted into unconsciousness by Dominic
"WHO'S NEXT?" - Dominic
He swigs from a bottle of spirits and launches himself at the nearest woman, starting to grope her then punch
her when she pushes him off. Cobalt, unable to stop himself, grabs Dominic's wrist and tries to hold him in a
lock, but just succeeds in causing more of a ruckus as Dominic twists and turns, trying to fight back.
"I have an idea" - Cobalt, gritting his teeth as Police Sirens draw closer and closer
The cops arrive, demanding that Cobalt - who scene ownership has passed to - surrender. Fighting the tide of
the realm's insanity, Cobalt forces his hands behind his back. Persephone and Cicero - restraining the struggling
Dominic - watch and force Dominic to watch as Cobalt is cuffed and dragged to his feet.
"Consequences" - Cobalt, calmly.
He's pushed into the police car and driven away, transitioning out of the scene.
Cicero casts his Silver threads spell on Dominic, creating a new thread between himself, Persephone and the
Proximus, then activates the threads again in order to pull them all to Cobalt.
Nicely done by Dave, that!
They're in Dominic's bedroom, as the mysterious female Mage taunts him, standing over the body of Dominic's
wife.
"Now you have your wish. This is something Hatfield won't be able to fix" - Woman
Everyone present feels a tidal wave of shame and guilt, as Dominic screams - a long, drawn out animal sound
of a scream. He gets up and runs, fleeing from the laughing sorceress.
They give chase, transitioning into a pub where, in a darkened alcove, the selfsame female Mage is sat across
from Persephone.
"Tell me, honestly" (leaning forward conspiritally, as though a friend) "How are things with Mary?" - Woman
Dominic, raving, just runs out the door of the pub. Persephone ignores the dream-actor and follows Cicero and
Cobalt outside.
Dominic is nowhere to be seen, and their thread to him has vanished.
"Gone! He's gone - out of his Oneiros" - Cicero
"What do we do? Is it over?" - Persephone
"Depends if he's awake or in the Temenos. Okay. Everyone - follow a transition of Travel, that'll get you back to
his Vestibule and the Dream Bridge. Then follow it again to reach your own, and head out onto your Astral
Paths. If you can make it past the First Reversal, wait for me." - Cicero
They do so, hurrying back out through the Vestibules. Cobalt, though, is flat beat - he simply can't meditate any
deeper into Astral Space right now. He just can't. Regretfully, he centres himself and wills himself to wake up.
Persephone, though, has a bit of fight left in her. Running along the Alleyway of her Astral Path, she isn't
surprised when the buildings stop and it begins to be a hedge maze without any junctions. She can hear
whispering from beyond the hedges, but has no desire to enter the unfamiliar Temenos without Cicero, so sets
in to wait.
Cicero, though, has woken himself up. Cobalt wakes up just in time to see the Guardian get to his feet and
leave, grim purpose in his steps. Looking around, Cobalt realises that Samael has gone, too, and pushes himself
up.
"Where are you going?" - Cobalt
Cicero draws a knife, stoney-faced, but keeps walking
"Hey! Where are you GOING?" - Cobalt The Mourning After

Upstairs, Dominic is thrashing about in his sleep as Excalibur and Samael (who has made his way up here, but
looks like he's ready to sleep for a week) look on.
"Hey! Something's..." - Excalibur
He trails off when he sees the Knife. Cobalt catches up.
"He's gone" - Cicero
Samael very deliberately stands in Cicero's way
"He HAS NOT" - Cobalt
"He's *Gone*. He's not in the Temenos" - Cicero
"What?" - Samael, hollowly
"He's Awakening" - Cicero
Which would be what Persephone could sense.
"You're sure?" - Excalibur
"He made it to the edge of the Dreamtime and didn't leave the road. The Watchtower caught him - Acanthus, I
believe. Consequences." - Cicero
Excalibur runs his hands through his hair.
"Alright. He's Awakening. Why the knife?" - Samael
"He's too far gone." (matter of fact, maybe a little regretful) "He was without his soul too long. When we found
him, he was in the middle of an insanity realm. He does anything - anything at all - that he thinks of, on first
impulse. Irrecoverably insane. If we allow him to return from the Watchtower he'll be irrevokably insane AND an
Acanthus, and I can't allow that. I can't sit by and watch one of the Mad come into the world" - Cicero
"Wait a minute..." - Samael
"Sam... It's true" - Cobalt
Samael looks horrified
"He's too far gone" - Cobalt, simply
"I..." - Samael
If he felt tired before, he really feels tired now. Bowing his head, Samael leaves the room. Cobalt nods to
Excalibur, who looks like he's still ready to argue it with Cicero, and follows.
Chris: This is the kicker. Willpower 0, and Samael is unable to indulge either his Pride or his Hope to get any back. He's
flat exhausted. Pride? Well, he feels he screwed up badly here - nothing to be proud
of. And Hope? He was clinging to it there for a few moments, hoping there'd be a course of action that would let him
say no to Cicero - but when he looked to Cobalt, who he trusted, and saw that the Moros was confirming what Cicero
had said, that was it for him. No Hope to be found there.
They trudge, dejected, back to the Demesne where Persephone is waking up slowly.
"Hi... Where were you guys?" - Persephone, groggy.
They tell her. She opens her mouth, but can't think of any words to come out.
"One more life destroyed." - Samael
He sits down, heavily, in the sand

"What can we do?" - Persephone
"What we can do is make sure that the ones responsible for this are brought to justice." - Samael
"Who is reponsible?" - Cobalt, sadly
"Vahista. Or whichever one she was" - Samael
"Dominic... Was not a kind man." - Cobalt
"And the Silver Ladder made him that way." - Persephone
"You're an Acanthus. Of all you know the best that many roads lead to the same outcome. The blame lies
entirely with the ones who used his soul as a tool. You can't blame people for something that they had a little
part in guiding towards when they couldn't have foreseen this kind of outcome. I'm going to get them. I'm
going to get these evil bastards if it kills me" - Samael
"We'll help" - Persephone, determined
"Damn right" - Cobalt
The door opens, and Excalibur enters the temple, looking grave.
"Is it done?" - Samael, hollowly
"hollowly" is a poor word for the utter exhaustion Chris was putting into Samael's words. Great stuff.
"It's... Cicero has dealt with the problem. I'm sorry" - Excalibur
He pauses
"I'd make an inspirational speech, but..." - Excalibur
"Not the right time" - Cobalt
Pity that - as a Tamer of Fire, Excalibur's inspirational speeches give people willpower points.
"No. Instead, I'll offer you a lift home if you're not up to driving it yourselves" - Excalibur
...
Bit of a bastard, really, that ending. But before I clock off, a coda...
The Auric Horizon, feeling about five years older each, unlock the front door of their Lighthouse and go inside,
displacing the post on the mat.
In the mail, they have a few bills, a postcard from Barbados (from Cognos), and a big envelope for Samael. He
opens it, reading the letter from a Moros Mystagogue named Pandora of a place for each of the three of them
on her expedition to Acre Province in Brazil. Enclosed are maps, prospects, a plan of the trip...
"...Meeting up in Rio De Janeiro over Christmas" - Samael
"Is there a Carnival?" - Persephone, interested
"...Such notables on the team as Rodriguez of the Mexico City Consilium, Memento of San Diego..." - Samael
He trails off, then spits the next name out.
"DUMA" - Samael
He slams the offer down on the table.
"We're going" - Samael
His tone brooks no argument and, without another word, he slowly climbs the stairs towards his waiting bed.
...
Later, when Cobalt is sat reading through the information, Persephone locks herself in the bathroom and pulls
out an envelope - it was in the post, mixed in with the bills, but she pocketed it before the others could notice.
There is no stamp, and it's addressed only to "Catherine".
Inside is a small piece of card.

"Found You" - Note
She tips the envelope, and feels something fall onto her hand.
It's a thorn.
And THAT, finally, is the end of session 1.3, of Story One and of the lag in posting these recaps. And now to write 2.1...
1. Welcome to the Jungle

Welcome To The Jungle
Session 2.1
Welcome back, faithful reader! We have fun and games. But no so much in this session, I'm afraid, which spent the
bulk of it's length on the not-inconsiderable task of introducing a metric buttload of NPCs and some of the relationship
lines between them. Story two will be a long'un, covering the Archaeomancer expedition in Brazil. It seems a bit odd to
miss Excalibur, Symmetry and company from the Durham Consilium, but I'd gotten used to them even after four game
sessions. It's odd to think that by the next time Excalibur shows up, we'll have had Pandora, Orchid and Ashlar around
for longer.
Such is the way of a travelling Chronicle, I guess.
So why Brazil? And the very far corner of Acre province in Brazil? Mysterious Cities of Gold, mostly. But seriously, it's
because my first thought was India, and I'm trying to shy away from India until such time as Sam, Mark and Rafe can
come down to Bristol and we can have the inevitable Crossover episode between Soul Cage and Broken Diamond. I
knew I wanted the dig site to be very remote, neccessitating a long journey even after the characters got to Rio. The
journey, and the subsequent dig, give time to flesh out the Archaeomancers the Cabal have joined up with. That itself
is for two reasons: first so that when I start killing them off it doesn't have red-shirt syndrome (though the players have
made a declaration on that score, for which see later) and second so that in future stories they can turn up again with
the air of old friends. As Orchid says this session, part of the draw for a young Mage of going on this kind of expedition
is to make contacts in unlikely places and meet Mages from far-flung Consilii you never would have visited. The crystal
skulls and potent magical devices of yesteryear are just icing.
The members of the expedition are drawn from my own experiences as an Archaeology student and postgrad back at
the turn of the millenium. Some of them (Gabrielle, Ashlar, Orchid and Samson) are sketches of Archaeologists I have
known and liked. I've been trying to expand my repetoire of splat combinations as well, showing a Matter-focused
Acanthus in Ashlar (and how that differs from a Time-focused Moros), making a sympathetic Silver Ladder character in
Gabrielle and so on.
I'll list the NPCs, their Paths and Orders and such after the session writeup.
Credit where credit is due: the strange local beliefs of the Brazilian Free Council and Seers of the Throne are taken
directly from Secrets of the Ruined Temple. With Astral Realms last story and Ruined Temple this story, Soul Cage's
early story-arc is shaping up into a grand tour of "Mage Supplements Dave never got the chance to use". Expect
Banishers at some point.
November turns into December, and the Auric Horizon settle into their post-Chayot post-Cognos lives. With
several weeks before they're due to be in Rio De Janiero, they can do some house-keeping, some study and
some other things that they've been putting off.
Foremost are their plans to start making Items of power - the first project will be entirely of Samael's creation.
Thoughts of what the Cabal's first Imbued Item creation should be took up a good half hour or more of the session -
Cobalt has several he'd like to make that would require him to have slightly more Matter, and we're not entirely clear
on how a spell that isn't prolonged gets Imbued (how do you make, for example, an amulet of Superlative Luck? They
exist - they're written up somewhere as conferring the advantage twice a day - but how is that handled spell-wise in
their creation? Do you have to use Creative Thaumaturgy to alter the Duration type of the spell?) In any case, we went
with a relatively simple spell that Samael could get to Indefinite Duration by himself if he cast it as an extended spell.
After days spent planning the endeavour, during which he's ensconced in the kitchen, books on Imbuing and
the Shielding Practice of Prime piled up around him, Samael carefully rations the Mana from the Hallow for his
fellows and sets to work. The longest part of the creation is the glass-making: Samael has bought the
equipment neccessary and set them up in the Lighthouse. After several days work, he has a glass pendant on a
thin chain that he thinks is suitable. No time to rest, though, as he's on a time limit. There's just enough time
for Persephone to cast Superlative Luck on him before he begins.
Hmm. The descriptions for Imbue Item in the corebook and what's written about the process in Tome of the Mysteries
don't agree. TotM says you make an item by casting spells on it, then capping them by casting Imbue Item to make
them permenant. The corebook says Imbue Item duplicates any spell you're capable of casting, with any spells to alter
the willpower cost of relinquishing Imbue Item coming second. Which is it? The below description assumes it's the
corebook's way, but if TotM is right then the others could join in on item creation.
Heading up to the Hallow, he uses a small glass shield as a sacrament and begins to cast Imbue Item to
reproduce the effects of Magic Shield, paying especial attention to making the pattern of the shield not degrade
with time. After nine hours of casting, he has built his imago and - feeling like he's doing well and isn't in need
of sleep yet - uses his remaining strength to fortify the shield against dispellation as well. Once the spell is cast,
he considers the fact that the spell will remain on the pendant pretty much forever and goes to bed. He still
feels the spell at the back of his mind, though - he hasn't relinquished it.
Once rested, he has his luck topped up by Persephone again and returns to the Hallow. Buried away in the
books recovered from Chayot's library are notes on a spell called Payment in Power, and although a complex
Weaving Practice of Prime he thinks he's up to the challenge. Although it's meant to be cast instantly, he does
it slowly and carefully by means of a second ritual, making sure to get it right. He feels the Mana drain out of
his pattern after 15 hours and - job done - goes back to bed.
The Cabal now have a pendant that grants a Magic Shield to anyone wearing it. It doesn't have it's own internal
Mana store, though, and will use the Mana of the wearer. But it's not bad for a first attempt.
Payment in Power is from Tome of the Mysteries and is one of several alternatives to spending a willpower dot to
relinquish a spell - it takes 20 Mana over the course of 20 days instead, one a night as the caster sleeps. If they run
out, the spell relinquished using it fails (ie, the item is destroyed) and the caster's pattern is scoured. The Cabal have
carefully managed their Hallow to allow this to work - the reason Samael wanted to do this early in the gap is so that
the Rio trip won't happen while he's still in Mana debt.
In the remaining weeks, Samael goes on a first aid course and finally, in much secrecy and ritual, receives his
initiation into the Mysterium. He returns not able to tell the others about it, but thoughtful - the initiation has
opened his eyes somewhat, given him more of a sense of... He can't talk about it.
The initiation will be covered in a flashback as soon as it's contents become neccessary, for dramatic effect... And it
Will become neccessary, at some point this story. Game-term wise, he bought the Mystery Initiation Merit from
Mysterium and is now a fully-fledged Neokoros. That the experience involves Mana, after the Imbuing and Payment in
Power of the Magic Shield, just makes it more profound for him.
Don't know what I'm talking about? The Mysterium have a Merit representing the different levels of initiation into their
mystery cult, which are detailed in their Order book. It effectively means that Samael has to pay for Mysterium Status
twice - once for the Status Merit and once for Initiation - but it has side benefits and allows him to borrow items and
study materials from Athenea.
Chris: I think that the bit of the initiation that involves mana, in particular, mirrors something Cobalt undergoes during
the session after this one, though neither character is aware of the similarities in the experience that the other has at
the time.
Dave: No, indeed, and it'll become thematically important later on in the story, too. The flashback will probably be in
2.3 or 2.4.
Cobalt, meanwhile, is organising and socialising. Knowing that they're going to go on a very long trip, he has
been spending his time scanning their library of books and storing them electronically. The idea being that,
armed with a PDA, they will be accessible even in the Amazon.
This allows them to keep the stuff with us and also means that the Free Councilors have a copy should the Mystagogue
side ever take their books and go home.
His evenings, though, after an initial phone call in which he asked if she wanted to have a slightly less exciting
night, have been spent with Symmetry. The Thyrsus lives with her Cabal (the Grey Street Runners) not far from
Rex's house in Newcastle, so their dates have been private and un-interrupted by either Cabal.
Both men, though, are being driven to distraction by their Cabal mate. Persephone insists on going with one of
them should she be faced with being alone in the Lighthouse, constantly asks if she can help either of them
with anything and if not sits in the corner of the room they're in and reads. She doesn't even spend much time
in her room, which is odd for her, and she refuses to do the shopping alone when it's her turn.
More out of character is her demeanour. Sef is going out of her way to be nice and helpful, barely throwing any
comments about Samael's Mystagogueness or Cobalt's age. And she keeps glancing out of the window as
though expecting something dangerous to be there.
Without the crucial information - that this is all because she's terrified after receiving Hadrian's taunting note,
or even that Hadrian exists - the boys are gradually getting grumpier and grumpier with her, Cobalt is more
visibly annoyed than Samael, who is taking the tactic of ignoring her. Fortunately for Cabal harmony, she
classes the other Mages of the Consilium as safe as well, and spends some days in Durham with Logos. The
Sphinx still can't talk about her Legacy, but Persephone appreciates there being someone roughly her own age
and level of experience with the Time Arcanum to talk through. Sef has the intention of offering favours, but
Logos seems happy to talk about magic. As a Mystagogue, though, she can't teach Persephone any rotes.
And so the 22nd of December comes around. The Cabal have packed their bags and converted currency,
Excalibur has been round to deactivate their Hallow and they've each cast a Mage Armour spell as a ritual,
pushing it to last a month. Persephone has also cast Occlude Destiny on herself. They're not getting the plane,
though, and the only travelling they do is to Quark's Sanctum. The Libertine Emmissary is only too happy to
open them a Portal to Rio, once he finds a web-cam showing a real-time image of a street in that city in order to
get Sympathy.
"What do we owe you for this?" - Cobalt
"Oh, I have plenty of little jobs that need doing in the Assembly. I'm sure I'll think of something" - Quark
As Cobalt winces, Quark opens the Portal. They've consulted a map of time differences and carefully timed it so
that when they emerge in Rio it's in the evening - so they can arrive under cover of night.
It's the heat that hits them first of all - going from County Durham to Brazil is like walking into a greenhouse,
night-time or not. Samael briefly regrets his very cool coat, but soon gives up and uses Forces magic to cool
himself down. Archimedies squirms with displeasure in Sef's arms. She came prepared wardrobe-wise, though,
wearing a long yellow dress and a sunhat.
Using a map and a guidebook to figure out roughly where they are, wary for any trouble and trying to steer
clear of any gang members, the Cabal head for a more major street and find a reasonably respectable taxi to
take them to the hotel they've been booked by the expedition.
It turns out to be rather more up-market than they were expecting, on the beachfront of Copacabana.
"Guys... While We're here, my name isn't Persephone, okay?" - Persephone
They regard her
"It's Sylph. Close enough that if you slip your tongues it won't be noticeable" - Sylph
As promised in character generation, Catherine uses different Shadow Names in different Consilii, to help her to go
unnoticed by anything Hadrian-shaped that might be out there.
"Ohhhh-kay" - Cobalt
The night receptionist looks up as they enter.
"Mr Ale?" - Receptionist, to Samael
Their suite is booked, apparantly, for a Mr Samual Ale and party. It's cavernous, with a balcony overlooking the
bay and Sugar Loaf mountain. There's a card from the hotel wishing them a merry christmas. There's a jakuzzi.
The Auric Horizon bounce on the beds for a while, change into slightly cooler clothes and feed Archimedies,
before deciding that their adjustment to the time difference will be facilitated by alcohol. 'Sylph' looks visibly
more relaxed than she was back in Northumbra.
"Plan. We go out drinking, have dinner.. breakfast..whatever in the hotel when we get back." - Samael
Sounds like a plan.
...
Turns out it was breakfast.
On their return, emerging from the restaurant, Samael (who has been checking with Supernal Vision for anyone
supernatural without success so far) spots someone sat in the hotel lobby armchairs with Mana in their pattern.
The gentleman in question is watching them over the top of his newspaper. He wears a black linin suit - but no
shirt - with an odd-colored flower in the lapel. He's hispanic, with a long mustache. And as they watch he folds
his paper, gets up and strides right up to them, hand outstretched.
"The Auric Horizon?" - Rodriguez
"Yes" - Samael
"Rodriguez. I'm here to meet you." - Rodriguez
He nods at the elevator, and they proceed to their suite.
Introductions are made. Rodriguez kisses Sylph's hand, and shakes those of the menfolk.
"I'm handling the logistics and transport for the expedition - I've worked with Dora before, on other expeditions.
You're from the UK?" - Rodriguez
"Yeah. This is our first trip out" - Cobalt
The older Mage nods
"I and one other of our colleagues am from the Mexico City Consilium. Most of our members are people Dora
knows or know someone she knows, so we have a long of British aboard. It's good to meet you - Ashlar.. He's
the chief excavator... he is something of a fan of yours" - Rodriguez
The last was directed at Cobalt, who feels that Youtube will forever darken his door.
"When did you arrive?" - Rodriguez
"Last night. We Portalled across" - Samael
"That explains it, then. I was waiting for you at the airport" - Rodriguez
Is that a flash of guilt?
"I had a little cardboard sign and everything" - Rodriguez
"Are there any locals along?" - Samael
"Just the one. Christopher - he's our liason to the Brazilian Consilii, and is spending most of his time trying to
calm Rio's Hierarch down - so let's be good guests, yes? Do you know much about the perculiarities of Brazilian
magic?" - Rodriguez
"Uh.. No." - Samael
"Ah! Well, the country was the source of a particular Atlantean heresy back in the 1800s, which both the local
Free Council and Seers of the Throne are descended from. They believe Atlantis was a tyrannical realm driven
by slavery rather than some Utopia, that the Abyss was deliberate and that Awakenings are the result of the
ghosts of slaves from the ancient times trying to reach across the divide to help us. Some cults based on the
principle practice sacrifice, sending the souls of their victims to the Atlantean hell where they can act as go-
betweens between the ancient shades and the living. Christopher sometimes prays to the Exarchs to beg their
leave to use magic - but he doesn't worship them. The cults that see them as monsters to be placated joined
the Free Council. The rest joined the Seers." - Rodriguez
The Heleots, as this cult-Legacy-Magical Tradition is called, are mentioned in Secrets of the Ruined Temple.
"Is there anything we should do to avoid trouble with the locals?" - Cobalt
"If you hear anyone mention 'Exus' they mean the Exarchs, and 'Ajurka' is Atlantis. While in the city, behave
like the tourists you are and don't poke your nose into local affairs" - Rodriguez
"Any Hallows to avoid?" - Samael
"Christ the Redeemer and the Face in the Rock. Stay away from both of them. If any of you are of a spiritual
bent, don't piss off Sugar Loaf Mountain. He's a mean bastard. Look, this city is pretty divided. Rich and Poor,
lowlands and favelas, Catholics and Umbandans. It's probably more violent than you're used to. Me, I'm from
Mexico City, so Rio has no fears for me. But try to stay on the beaches and tourist-friendly areas. Don't go up
into the slums." - Rodriguez
They can accept that
"Now. Samael - you're in my notes as being our Interpretive Symbologist. You'll be reporting to Duma, our Chief
Historian" - Rodriguez
Samael doesn't betray any outward sign at mention of Duma's name.
"...Cobalt, you're going to be working with Ashlar as the Exoteric Materials Specialist. And... Sylph, is it?"
(frowns) "I don't have anything on you, so I think you'll be in the excavation assistants. You're not alone in that"
- Rodriguez
"What does that mean?" - Sylph
"That you'll be digging, probably" - Rodriguez, cheerful. She doesn't seem impressed by that.
"And lastly. We're all meeting up here" (hands Cobalt a card) "At eight tomorrow night, once the last few
members of the team arrive. Dora will probably give a speech. The Hearthtender and Doorwarden for the
expedition is my countryman, a Thyrsus named Balam. He doesn't speak much English, but if you have any
security worries try to find a friendly Mastigos to translate for you." - Rodriguez
"Who hasn't arrived?" - Samael, nonchalant
"Duma. I think he was held up in England or something" - Rodriguez
And, bowing, he departs.
"I'll bet he was" - Samael

After a short sleep, the Cabal head back out into the Rio sunshine and soon find themselves in an agreeable
enough bar. The idea that they're all going to be called upon to work - in fields that they've never heard of - is
daunting them slightly. Cobalt just wishes he knew what "Exoteric" meant, but tries to cheer Samael up.
"Whenever anyone asks you to interpret anything, just hmm and hem and then say 'It has ritual significance'" -
Cobalt
Cobalt has plainly known Archaeologists in his time. Samael gives it a go, practicing on the shot glasses that
are rapidly piling up in front of him. Talk of blagging it doesn't really work for Sylph, though.
"You don't have to worry about people asking you to explain things you don't know, you'll just be digging" -
Samael
"I'm not digging. Look at those hands, they are not made for physical labor" - Sylph
Her joke falls flat as he takes her seriously through the lens of her gradually annoying him for the last month for
no reason he knows, causing the Auric Horizon's first fight.
Voices are not raised, but Samael lectures her on the fact that yes, they will all have to work. What was she
expecting? He rants on while she tries to figure out a way to tell him she was joking, getting increasingly
annoyed by him working himself up against a straw man. Cobalt wisely stays out of it, but when Samael starts
accusing Sylph of not wanting to be there at all he has enough and pitches in says that there seems to be a
basic misunderstanding here - Sylph is excited by the expedition, just not by the idea of trowelling a trench
while he and Samael have cushy office jobs.
"Is that right?" - Cobalt
(thankful someone understands, but still pissed off at Samael) "Yes" - Sylph
"Come on now. Its not as if we'll be sitting around while you break your back, everyone will be in on the digging
until some artifact is found and then Sam or I will have to pore over it in free time between digging. Besides,
there's more than enough magic to cheat with and once the temple is found then then nobody needs to dig at
all." - Cobalt
"Then its all about dodging the fiendish deathtraps and giant, magic-resistant boulders." - Samael
That calms things down - though Sylph remains grumpy for the rest of the day.
Agena: I can't remember exactly what was said. I know that Sylph didn't say much because Sam was talking too
quickly to reply. Her replies were mostly 'Yes' or 'No!' or 'What?'
I remember Sam was ranting long and Sylph on the beginning thought that he is also joking like her or at least being
sarcastic or ironic, but then it came to her that he's being dead serious, and most of his rant was clouded by a huge
"WTF?! Why is he saying that?!?" in her mind.
...
And she's not much better the next day. After managing to get their body clocks to the point that they manage
to get to the end of the hotel's Breakfast before heading out and doing the tourist thing, sightseeing within the
limits that Rodriguez gave them.
And then, in the evening, it's time to meet the Mages they'll be spending the next few months with in close
quarters. Samael, aware that a confrontation with Duma isn't far away and still nonplussed from the argument
the day before, is on edge.
The meeting is in an even more impressive hotel, the conference room of which is decked out with a feast.
Everyone in the room is wearing a little badge bearing their Shadow Name.
Duma isn't here yet.
Rodriguez is greeting everyone, friendly smile and flashing teeth. Same suit. Different flower. In the far end of
the room, a black man in his forties points at Cobalt as the Cabal enter and visibly makes his excuses to the
neat, dark haired woman he's talking to.
He approaches.
"Cobalt! My..." - Ashlar
He has a Jamaican-English accent, and is apparantly very, very pleased.
"Do excuse me, Dr Williams - it's just, ever since Pandora told me that there was a materials specialist coming
from Tyneside I thought, 'could this be!?' and here you are! I *knew*! I knew it was you!" - Ashlar, beaming
Cobalt sighs inwardly at meeting yet another person who's seen Youtube.
"Your last paper was excellent work. I've been a fan for *years*. I never dreamed you'd Awaken!" - Ashlar
Cobalt blinks.
"My last paper?" - Cobalt
"Yes! Gabrielle, Gabrielle!" - Ashlar
The last was apparantly the shadow name of a blonde woman passing by, who pauses.
"This is Cobalt, our Exoterics man. I was telling you about him" - Ashlar, enthusiastic
He can't stand it any more
"What IS Exoterics?" - Cobalt
"Opposite of Esoterics. Human Science - most Mages Awaken early and seem to think that Science is useless,
part of the Lie. But you - you knew your stuff. How many years to get a Doctorate? How much better at Matter
magic will you be for knowing everything you know? You can probably tell us things without using Magic it
would never occur to us to look for." - Ashlar
Okay. Not as bad as Cobalt thought, then. In fact, he thinks he can do this.
Ashlar's Shadow Name gave some of the players a hard time. I've seen several different spellings of it in their notes
from the session . Ashlar is a type of stonework, used all over the place but especially in Incan ruins, notable for the
way the stone blocks fit together perfectly. Now you know. At this point, the players (not the characters) declared that
their own title for this story would be "Brother's Gonna Make It". Ashlar is the only black man in the Storyteller
characters, so by the laws of crappy action-horror films he has to die first to the unearthed horror: And the players are
determined that he survive. As such, there will be an extra XP award should they save Ashlar's life during the story.
It's the little things that amuse me.
While they're talking, Sylph is approached by an American girl about her own age.
"Hi! Sylph, right?" - Orchid
Orchid introduces herself in a torrent of excited words. She's from San Diego - a Thyrsus in the Mysterium who
was invited along by an older Mage from that city called Memento. Orchid points out a neat, hair-bunned lady
with glasses on who's inspecting the food (the same woman that Ashlar ditched in favour of being enthusiastic
to Cobalt), and says that Memento is on the expedition as it's archivist.
"I'm so glad to be here - it can't hurt to meet people from all over the world, and some of these guys are
Famous!" - Orchid
Also, Orchid cheerily says she'll probably be sharing a tent with Sylph.
"So, is everyone a Mystagogue?" - Sylph
"Most. Rodriguez and Christopher are Libertines. Gabrielle and Crick are Ladder. I think Balam's in the Arrow" -
Orchid
Crick is a weather-beaten older white man. Balam, Rodriguez' fellow Mexican, is a native american stood at the
back of the room, watching the gathering with a dour expression.
Samael is circulating with Rodriguez, being introduced to people he's going to work with. First up is Samson -
who in defiance of his Shadow name is shaven-headed. They flick hand-signals at one another and turn out to
be of the same rank, but Orchid can only give the "I haven't had my main initiation yet" one. Samael
remembers what that was like. A week ago.
"You'll be reporting to Duma, but the interpretive team is bigger than just the two of you. Gabrielle - the French
girl? - she's the Artifact specialist. Memento will be doing the recording." - Rodriguez
The doors open.
"Ah! Pandora's here" - Ashlar
Indeed, there's a Hispanic woman entering the room who lacks the tentativeness that everyone else has. She
recognises everyone. And, Samael notes grimly, Duma is next to her. The Obrimos notices him noticing him and
nods slightly, his expression unreadable.
"Good evening everyone" - Pandora, in a Greek accent.
Pandora has kind of an odd family background.
In case anyone hasn't met everyone yet, she goes around everyone. She herself is the expedition leader. Ashlar
is the chief excavator - an old Archaeomancer hand, who'll be training Cobalt. Rodriguez is their pilot and fixer,
Balam the group's security leader and hearthtender. Duma is the chief Historian, with Memento, Gabrielle and
Samael his assistants. Christopher is their local Liason, Crick turns out to be their Anthropologist. Orchid, Sylph
and a large man named Samson are the junior members of the expedition.
Pandora begins getting everyone up to speed. She has the attention of the class.
"Three months ago, the Brazilian police stopped a truck full of drugs and some cultural artifacts bound for Rio
Blanca. The Artifacts were recorded in their paperwork as having been taken from an indiginous group in the far
corner of Acre province. The local Consilium recovered those artifacts. Rodriguez?" - Pandora
Rodriguez wheels in a trolley containing something covered up by a cloth. He removes the covering, revealing
two large stone fragments - obviously carved with what might be a design... or might be a part of a High
speech rune.
"Now. The aborignal tribespeople don't build with stone, which is what first aroused our suspicions. Take a look,
everyone. And Cobalt? Have a close look. See what you think." - Pandora
Under everyone's Mage Sight spells, the fragments register - they've been manufactured with Magic, though
the precise Practice is.. odd.
Cobalt makes to pick one up, shooting a questioning look at Ashlar, who nods. He examines the stone, running
his thumb over it.
"It's strange. It's like... There's a lattice of some kind, sort of crystalline. I'd expect to see lines like that in a
Diamond, not a lump of... granite, if I'm not mistaken. And they're part of a larger whole, but I can't tell what it
would be from these pieces." - Cobalt
Ashlar beams and nods, approvingly. Duma clears his throat.
"It's called 'Adamas', and is made by magic. Examples have been found of Adamas made of many types of
stone, brick... even glass. It's incredibly durable, equivalent to our highest reinforcing spells, and is permanent.
More importantly, it is also partially magic-resistant. Should you try, you'll probably find you can't reshape
these fragments using the Matter Arcanum." - Duma
"And it requires an Archmaster of Prime and a Master of Matter to make" - Ashlar
"Which is why it's a sure sign of the Ancients. The Atlanteans liked to build important sites out of Adamas as it
allowed them to indulge in impossible architecture. And the benefit of making a house that you couldn't
accidentally bring down with a spell was important in a Magiocractic society" - Duma
"Also in the truck.. was this" - Pandora
She holds out a triangular piece of what might be glass and might be crystal of some kind, cloudy and blunt
with age.
"Can anyone Awakened less than five years tell me what this is?" - Pandora, smiling.
Orchid frowns, trying to figure it out. Balam closes his eyes. Rodriguez, who obviously knows, grins.
Not for nothing have the Auric Horizon been reading books on Supernal Artifacts, though. Sylph recognises it,
and Samael looks at her to see if she's going to answer. She shrinks into her seat, though.
"Is that... Adamantine?" - Cobalt, scrutinising it with Dark Matter
"It's an Admantine Arrow" - Samael
"Exactly right. An Admantine Arrow. So. We know that the site - wherever it is - is important enough and old
enough to be constructed at least partially from Adamas. We know that it wasn't from one of the Barbarian
kingdoms of the Antidiluvian period, and that there was some kind of Ungula Draconis presence there." -
Pandora
For Dave and Agena's benefit - the Ungula Draconis are the Atlantean Warrior Caste the Adamantine Arrow are
descended from. Literally "Talon of the Dragon".
"We have located the settlement the pieces were taken from, after interviewing the smugglers - who, it should
be noted, did not know what they had. It's a long way away. Far from anywhere, near the border with Peru. That
in itself is unusual - Atlantis, wherever it was, was an island - and the site looks to be on the far side of the
Andes mountains from the sea. Why did they go so far into what to them would have been a hostile wilderness?
What purpose was the site built for?" - Pandora
Balam says something in Spanish. Rodriguez translates that the Arrow thinks it might be a hunting lodge.
"Or a Prison" - Sylph
"We have a long journey ahead of us. We'll be taking a private flight - get all thoughts of first class out of your
minds, I'm afraid it's a cargo plane - to the capital of Acre. Then we face a long drive, and then a ride up-river
through the jungle on boats until we get close to the village. Then Crick - we'll need you to talk to the people
there. Find out where the pieces came from. Then, in all probability, we hike cross-country to get there and set
up our dig site" - Pandora
She pauses
"We have a Mana Battery, and Rodriguez will be seeing everyone to make sure you have suitable equipment,
but just in case.. Could anyone who knows how to use a firearm please raise their hand?" - Pandora
A couple of people do. Cobalt (to Samael and Persephone's surprise) among them. He looks over at them.
"I did pentathlon in my youth... never did very well, the horse always threw me." - Cobalt
Explaining dots in Athletics, Firearms, Weaponry, the *lack* of Animal Ken and having the Iron Stamina merit, all in one
go!
Rodriguez takes note.

The speech over, Pandora starts mingling. Everyone's circulating, now, though there are a few people keeping
themselves on the edges of the conversations. Duma isn't one of them - Samael checks to see what the
Obrimos is up to, but he's talking in an engaged manner to Ashlar.
The Auric Horizon split up. Cobalt goes to talk to Rodriguez, who, after finding out just what sort of gun Cobalt
has experience with, strokes his mustache and asks if Sylph is single.
"Uh.." - Cobalt
"I thought at first that she was with Samael, but I see it now. He does not play for that team" - Rodriguez
Rodriguez was meant, originally, to be kind of like Carlos the Warden of LA from the Dresden Files, maybe mixed with
an old acquaintance of me and Dave's. He ended up more like Fernandes from Grand Theft Auto. I cannot do the
accent justice in a text-based medium, you'll have to take my word for it that he *purrs* everything he says.
Samael starts circling the room, keeping one eye on Duma while he makes a point of talking to anyone sat by
themselves. Including Sylph
"Go away" - Sylph, still annoyed
He does, and she glares at his back. He wasn't meant to actually go away.
Fool! She is a teenaged girl, and incapable of expressing herself.
Chris: Samael does not find stroppiness attractive
Samson tugs at Cobalt's elbow.
"So... How long have you been Awakened?" - Samson, with an odd expression
"Oh, about.. Four and a half months, I think" - Cobalt, idly.
Samson turns slightly green, and compares notes about the Moros path.
Orchid, who's wandered over to Sylph, notes that Samson is Ashlar's apprentice. And has, like Orchid and
Sylph, been assigned the glamerous role of "assistant excavator".
"Looks like someone's jealous of the new boy. It's only fair. I've known him two days and he's been lording the
fact that he's Initiated and I'm not over me the whole time" - Orchid
"You're a Mystagogue?" - Sylph
"Will be" - Orchid
It turns out that she's *really* new at this. Even newer than Cobalt.
At this point, the group decided there would be an XP award for keeping Orchid alive until the end of the story as well
as Ashlar.
Chris: This is specifically because she has 'redshirt' written all over her and is one of the most likely candidates to die
first without our intervention Young bubbly overeager friendly American girl is just a walking target
Christopher, who was being given a wide berth by pretty much everyone, has a rather intense conversation
with Cobalt about how he thinks the site is a Temple of Ajurka. Whatever that is.
"You are Moros?" - Christopher
"That's right. You, too?" - Cobalt
"Do you do... the flesh that walks as men?" - Christopher
"That's really not something I'm comfortable with" - Cobalt
"Ah good, they are abomination, you see. The spirits of the dead should not be bound to meagre flesh." -
Christopher
Cobalt is kinda sceptical of the ghost-fetish
"Ya-huh." - Cobalt
"Have you tried the prawns? They have this strange sauce on them." - Christopher
Eating prawns thankfully interrupts the strange conversation and the two drift apart. Cobalt moves on to
Memento, and gets to talking about team roles. He knows what Exoterics is now.
Memento is the archivist for the team.
"Because of my memory, you see. With the Mind Arcanum I can remember anything I've seen
written down and reproduce it later." - Memento
"Very useful. I take it that teleporting us out of danger is a bonus?" - Cobalt
She sighs
"That's such a stereotype. Once a Mastigos gets to certain level of skill: bam... out come the Portals." -
Memento
"I can sympathise, still: at least its not Zombies." - Cobalt
She agrees.
Dave: Take note Necromancers - not liking zombies makes you friends!
Rodriguez and Ashlar move in on Sylph
"And you must be Sylph" (taking a bite of his food) "Rod, where did you *get* these caterers? These things with
the little shrimp? What mad genius invented this? - Ashlar
[color=blue]Wesley Wyndham-Price quote! I have been known to say that at buffets.[/quote]
He talks good-naturedly about them all three being Acanthus, and about how much fun the expedition will be,
but Sylph's concentration is drawn by Rodriguez, who is doing his best to flirt with her. The direct approach kind
of puts her off, but he doesn't seem to notice.
Samael is talking with Gabrielle, who is looking faintly miserable, when he spots that Ashlar has left Duma
alone to go bug Sylph. He crosses the floor quickly to his mentor's "old friend"
They eye one another in silence, and then Duma starts talking.
"Samael. I heard what happened. You have my deepest condolences" - Duma, squinting slightly and controlling
how much emotion makes it into his voice.
"What did you hear?" - Samael
"That the world is a better place without Quiet in it, but worse for Chayot's loss" - Duma
"Thank you" - Samael, flatly.
Both men begin to size one another up
"Was he alone?" - Duma

"A woman" - Samael, who describes the female mage they saw in Dominic's Oneiros.
"Vahishta" (disgusted) "Dare I ask if she was stopped?" - Duma
"She got away. Quiet didn't" - Samael
"Good" - Duma
He flicks a Mysterium hand sign at Samael, who this time has been trained to recognise and respond to it.
"Tell me what's going on" - Samael, slightly antagonistic
"You're so clever. What have you figured out?" - Duma, also slightly antagonistic
"That the members of your old Cabal are after the Ankh. That you do something to people's Souls in order to
contact something. Vahishta forced a Sleepwalker out of his own body for a 'pure connection'" - Samael
"Each of us has their own particular method. The spell can work on anyone - different members of the Cabal
have different theories on what works best. Vahista's is especially repugnant, as you've learned, but they aren't
all fatal" - Duma
"Best for what?" - Samael
"The spell dislodges the soul of the person it's cast upon, allowing a glimpse of the underlying structure. The
proto-soul, if you will. The Aether can be seen through it, for an instant. It becomes an addictive experience." -
Duma
"Addictive?" - Samael
"Unless you're careful." - Duma
"And you're careful?" - Samael, dubious
"I only cast it on people who I'm sure deserve it. And I clear up my mess. Did Chayot teach you the spell?" -
Duma, dangerously
"No" - Samael
"Good. Keep it that way" - Duma
Samael doesn't like the way Duma is looking at him
"Chayot gave it up" - Samael
"So you say. He was the first of us - the rest are his students, like me, or his peers, like Vahishta and Arc. I
wonder how he gave it up" - Duma
"Restraint and Discipline. And they want the Ankh because it will let them do it again and again to the same
victim" - Samael
"They want the Ankh, Samael, because it will heal the damage they cause in the name of their art" - Duma
"It's still wrong. If I shoot someone and then heal the wound so I can shoot them again, they've still suffered the
pain of being shot." - Samael
"Vahishta wouldn't agree with you. Which is where the problem lies. Where is it?" - Duma
"Safe" - Samael
"Again, better than I hoped. Quiet's death will have set her plans back somewhat. The spell requires the Death
Arcanum, you see - and as Obrimos that means finding a Moros to teach it. Without her pet, Vahishta will be
slowed down" - Duma
"And you?" - Samael
Duma looks slightly sick
"Take this as a lesson to be careful what you get yourself into, and a warning to be sure of a Legacy before you
learn it. Once you're in one, you can't leave" - Duma, bitter
"What is the Legacy?" - Samael
"We don't know the name. We try to keep quiet about it because we don't know how many members are out
there: Chayot learned it from a Daemonicon and passed it to the rest of us." - Duma
A Daemonicon is a Grimoire that teaches a Legacy
Samael considers
"Don't stab me in the back, Neokoros, and I won't stab you in yours" - Duma, quietly
Samael thinks, nods, and leaves. Duma watches him go.
...
Samael arrives just in time to save Sylph from Rodriguez' advances, and takes her to one side to tell her what
Duma said.
"Help me" - Sylph, looking across the room at Rodriguez
"I'll keep him talking. You go talk to Gabrielle" - Samael
Gabrielle is still looking faintly miserable, which Sylph finds out is due to homesickness and missing her
boyfriend. She's the only French mage in the expedition, stuck relating to a group of strangers in a language
that isn't her native tongue.
"What's Paris like?" - Sylph
Gabrielle warms to her subject as she describes her home Consilium - the carefully-ordered and maintained ley
lines, the 'Shadow Gallery' archive of the supernatural and the mysterious beneath Mont-St-Michael. She
speaks of her mentor warmly, and asks about Sylph's.
That sparks memories in Sylph's mind.
"Well, some people use all kinds of mnemonics. I know an Obrimos in Paris that had himself tattooed with his
rotes - parts of them on different parts of his arms, so that when he made certain gestures the Rote was
visible. Very time-consuming..." - Cognos
"I think my teacher spent time in Paris. Have you ever met someone named Cognos?" - Sylph
From the look on Gabrielle's face - a mixture of fear and awe - the answer is yes. She's met Cognos.
There should be an infamous mentor flaw or something
"Once, when the Heirarch of London was visiting, Cognos set fire to his wig" - Gabrielle, whispered.
Sylph raises her eyebrows.
...
Rodriguez is talking to Samael, and appears to have knocked back one drink too many. He's swaying on his feet
"So... The young lady... what does she *want*? What does she... *Desire*?" - Rodriguez
Samael, faced by a drunken horny Acanthus, reacts in a typically British way
"... ... ... ... I'm sorry?... What?" - Samael
"What does she like? What would be a gift that would please her?" - Rodriguez
"Er... Shiny things?" - Samael
"I am in charge of logistics" (he manages to make that sound dirty) "I must do everything in my... power... to
make people feel welcome" - Rodriguez
Fortunately for Samael, Pandora calls Rodriguez over.
"Rod! A word" - Pandora
"Ahhh... The call of duty. Rodriguez goes..." - Rodriguez
Speaking about himself in the third person. Never a good sign.
Freed, Samael catches Cobalt up on the mini-meeting with Duma. Once she's finished with Rodriguez, Pandora
announces that there will be a short meeting of the Mysterium, but everyone's welcome to stay here as long as
they like before heading back to their hotels. The Mystagogues (except for Orchid, who stands sadly by the
Buffet wishing she was Initiated until Samael, on his way out, nods her towards Sylph) go into the next room.
Sylph invites Orchid to join her and Gabrielle. Cobalt (who was talking to Ashlar about Perfected Materials all
this time) spots Rodriguez circling around the three young women, and decides to intercept.
"Ladies! The night is young, and I think the meeting's over. Bar?" - Cobalt
And, surrounded by the grateful Sylph, Gabrielle and Orchid, Cobalt heads out into the Rio nightlife. Rodriguez
sadly goes to perform some task Pandora gave him to do.
And that's it! A bit of a short one, all told.
I leave you with Agena's explanation for Sylph's mindset:
---------------------------
Reasons for Persephone's behaviour all boil down to two things:
a) she wants Sam and Cobalt to know about her past and Hadrian but she doesn't want to tell them out of fear that
they might reject her after that, and
b) she wants to trust Sam and Cobalt but she's afraid they will turn out to be like Hadrian and will betray her.
So everything she does and what's happening around her is seen through those two lenses. This turns out a rather
disturbing image: from Sef's point of view, during the month leading to the trip to Rio, she felt persecuted (sp?) and
was clearly giving away the signals to the guys nonverbally asking them for help and protection, and even tried to be
nice and helpful so that they would be more likely to help her. But that didn't work at all - in fact it gave exactly the
opposite results. Then Cobalt got annoyed with her and Sam blanked her out and they completely missunderstood her
behavior or misinterpret her
signals (maybe even on purpose, Sef thinks). She puts up with it because she promised Sam that she'll help him get to
the bottom of the whole case and bring justice to the ones responsible with Chayot's death but she's on the verge of
running away again.
And then, when they are finally far away from Hadrian (or so she thinks) and she can relax without being afraid that
her past is going to catch up with her, Sam has a go at her for no aparent reason taking what she's saying half-jokingly
about digging for serious! Sef being half drunk herself doesn't have the words comming quick enough to counter Sam's
accusations or answer his questions so he's putting wrong words to her mouth which makes her furious - and only
Cobalt's quick intersection and help with phrasing what was on her mind keeps her with the rest. But that was the last
straw for her on top of the whole resentment and being prooven (or so she interprets their behavior) that they don't
care about her during the last month.
So in order to protect her mind from breaking down, especially that she doesn't want to back out of the expedition yet,
she claims a passive-aggressive stance of "If he doesn't care about me, I don't care about him either". The fact that
Sam is talking to everyone except her (and goes away when it's clear that she wants him to stay! on the meeting
thus prooving her thought that he doesn't care about her doesn't help with her mood either. She is aware that there
are more important things on the meeting than her, and that pretty much everyone is more important than her, thus
worth more attention, but it doesn't help her feel better.
1. 2.1 Addenum
Bugger. Forgot something, and it didn't get picked up by the guys. And, as I am now realising as I'm writing 2.2,
it's a rather important something.
Duma, stung by Samael implying Chayot was better than him, alleged that Chayot probably wanted to teach
Samael the Echo Walker Legacy. Only Obrimos can join, apparantly.
That led Samael to ask why Quiet was involved in everything, as he was clearly a Moros. Duma told him that
'the spell' requires the Death arcanum to cast. If a member of the Legacy were to be an Adept of Death (which,
as Obrimos, is unlikely), they might be able to use their powers on Mages. Vahishta was keeping Quiet around
in the hopes of him teaching her.
1. Yeah, I'm still alive. I've written 2.2 (and am waiting for the last player to check it out) and
have started 2.3. Chris has already said that that's our last session for April.
With regard to Soul Cage, I've been musing a lot, mostly, trying to think my way through
RogalDorn3's question. I want to give a proper answer that doesn't cop out, but I'm wary of
providing too many cogent paradigms (or, indeed, good examples) that would spoil the thread,
as a lot of what he's talking about hasn't happened yet in SC, hasn't even been foreshadowed yet
and may well change as soon as a better idea comes along.
Which would be my first piece of advice, one Storyteller to another: Never commit until the last
minute, and always remember the difference between what has actually happened in-game,
what your characters / players have *inferred* from that and what you were *planning* to be the
cause. I suppose the best example I can show you in SC so far is Hadrian - the evidence around
him, the phenomena associated with him, is building up, but I haven't decided what he actually
IS yet - I know that when I do it'll have to be something that fits all the available evidence, but in
a setting this complicated that's easy enough. Not everything has to be the result of his own
personal powers, after all. And in fact there's no hard evidence that he's anything other than a
mortal bank robber - the thing Persephone met in her Awakening could be part of her Awakening,
and the note could have come from anyone.
(There will be hard evidence that *something's* going on later on this story if my current plans
continue and 2.4 / 2.5 end up going the way I envisage. But it's worth noting that I only thought
of what I currently envisage for them along those lines yesterday - a full week AFTER 2.3 was
played. Sometimes you just have to roll with the inspiration whenever it turns up).
Going off on a complete tangent, I keep flip-flopping on if he's a Fae or not. And if so, whether
he's one of the Gentry from Changeling. A lot - an awful lot - has been posted on the usual
forums about the possibility of mixing the two games (the Two/One Arcadias is addressed about
once a week on White Wolf's Mage forum, to the point of irritability) and many Changeling
players point out that Changeling loses some of it's impact if they cross. My opinion, as a devoted
Mage Storyteller and interested reader of Changeling, is the reverse - I'm resisting Hadrian being
one of the Lost or the Gentry because I think that bringing all of C:tD's baggage into Mage will
make the *Acanthus* lose some of their point. I don't want their Arcadia in my Arcadia. Strange,
to find myself having that reaction.
So at present he's going to be something else entirely.
That in no way answered your question.
Hmm.
Okay. How to leverage a character's background.
I will skip right past "make alterations so that the character's background fits your purpose, but
do so in-game so they can have the Empire Strikes Back moment of finding out they ARE the evil
overlord's son no matter how many times they wrote "farmboy" on their character sheet", which
is the modus operandi that I'm justly infamous for. Ebonheart of these forums made a particularly
cutting joke when Soul Cage was first starting and I said I wasn't intending to do that this time
around, amounting to his flatly not believing me (I think I did it to him three times). I've done it so
many times it's like a Tell of my games, with players speculating over who's going to be hit with
the plot stick this campaign.
And... I've just realised that Samael's mentor being Left-Handed is skirting awfully close to that
line. It seems I am doomed to writing such things in.
Aaaanyway. Backgrounds. Backgrounds Backgrounds Backgrounds.
I had surprisingly little in the way of backgrounds to work on this time around, as it happens - no
written backgrounds at any rate, just collections of notes that would turn into characterisations
as the PCs have gone on. In some cases, this has led to plot lines being abandoned before they
even started - based on his Prelude, I was intending to have a particular subplot about Samael
based on the rather explosive process of his Awakening and what it must have looked like - the
arson, the arrest, the moving to Northumbria - to his parents. But Chris tells me Samael gets on
okay with his family, so that got nixed.
Hadrian (it comes back to Hadrian again. I'll try not to digress) comes from Agena's vague notes
about Sef's Awakening being caused by the realisation she'd been an accessory to something
combined with a later note requesting that her character be semi-stalked in an effort to provide
an antagonist for a romantic subplot between Persephone and either a player character or, if that
proved impossible, any benevolent storyteller character that came along. Before the need for
such a character (and I have long experience with 'seductive evil' male storyteller characters -
Samflix is especially prone to falling for such narrative traps, most especially in a LARP which..
...Okay, I just had an alternative idea for what he is. It's a bit higher-fantasy than Mage normally
is, though.
Where was I? Yeah! Before I needed to Seraph him up, to use a Broken Diamond reference,
Persephone's villainous boyfriend would have been a suicide bomber - entirely Sleeper and
entirely, after the terrorist attack she would have inadvertently helped to prepare, entirely dead.
Which would have fed into Cobalt's schtick of trying to resist the pull Death and the Dead have
over him when said boyfriend's ghost would have turned up and caused trouble.
Note that Hadrian is pretty much identified as being Hades - the god of the underworld (or in
nWoD terms, the Underworld). I left that door open partially.
That's Persephone - Agena requested specific themes and moods and I supplied the conditions
needed to create them.
Samael is a bit more complicated. Chris was/is interested in teh Sphinx Legacy, and in finding
hints of the supernal among the world. It's a topic that interests me, too, so I decided to leap
right into it. He ALSO wanted do handle the responsibilities of power and the moral slide of
Wisdom, which is where the Echo Walkers - who are pretty much evil Obrimos versions of the
Sphinx who look out into the Supernal rather than looking at the Fallen *for* the Supernal -
looking at the sun, not at the stained glass and dear goddess I really quite like that metaphor.
Remind me to use it in game some time - come in. Duma was intended to be the Belloc to his
Indiana, a friendly, evil-ish rival that was nonetheless inside the Pentacle.
Now - that role for Duma hasn't quite worked, as you'll see in the next two recaps once I manage
to get them posted. So I'm going to a different place with Duma instead, working with what I
ended up with not what I may have wanted. It may surprise you.
Background-wise, as I say, a plotline inspired by the Genesis song "no son of mine" (and I am not
at all ashamed to reveal that many plotlines come from such things as song lyrics initially) ended
up stillborn because Samael turns out to like his folks. I have not yet thought of another use for
his past, though it's probably going to be something to do with the clubbing.
Cobalt. Once the sabattical time is up, which should be when Cobalt is settled, reasonably
powerful and confident in his Mage-dom, I do intend to do Indiana Jones-style story openings with
Cobalt. Dave wanted to play someone older and wiser than the majority of Libertines around him,
and Cobalt's advanced physical years (in that he's actually me and Dave's age out of character)
combined with the better parts of the Moros Path provide it. It also happens to be one of the
things that he has in common with his Mage: The Ascension namesake - oMage Cobalt was an
elder Virtual Adept, and often had to deal with the youngsters with patience. nMage Cobalt was
initially described as being a bit more mercenary than he's turned out to be, though, so some
things which I layered in ahead of time as moral dilemmas just *aren't* by the time the chronicle
reaches them. Cobalt is both more - witness Ashlar's reaction to him - and less caught up in his
backstory than the others - his family have no expectations of him being around or in contact,
and his professional colleagues remain so.
The youtube thing, by the way, isn't there to embarrass him - though it does - it's to explain why
he's seen on campus as being the Cool lecturer. Every faculty has a cool lecturer - the one
students fight to get on the modules of - and Cobalt is his.
Session 3.1, incidentally, is going to start with Cobalt and Symmetry out on a date, interrupted by
there being Something Fishy Going On Around Here. But that's getting *way* ahead of myself.
What this boils down to is pretty simple:
DOs
1) Be clear on what your players want out of the game
2) Be clear on what sort of stories your players want their characters to be in
3) Find groundwork for those kind of stories in your PCs backgrounds
4) Build from there, always keeping theme in mind
5) Reassess often, especially as no player knows exactly how they'll play a character before they
play it.
6) In early stages, be vague as to what's actually going on. That way you won't have to U-Turn
when 5) happens and you find you're trying to support a romantic comedy with a Storyteller
character built for Angst
7) Speaking of which, look for characters mentioned that would make good STCs. If you have a
gap in your chronicle for a STC that furthers a particular plot, go for one of those based in the
background of a player in the first instance. Also look for characters not mentioned - if the
background goes on about the father but never mentions the mother, you have your opening.
The foremost examples from Broken Diamond are Cxaxa and Anurati, both of whom would have
been in the Chronicle anyway but were tied into Wolsey and Kali's backgrounds to make them
*personal*.
8) Get your players to say if their characters have siblings, and name them. Then you can
threaten them. But before you threaten them, have them turn up THREE times. No less - nothing
sucks more than sister in danger when sister has never been mentioned. See Broken Diamond,
where Damascus' sister Maree turns up once every couple of stories until I hospitalised her to
make a point? Like THAT.
DONTs
1) Have a definite idea of what you're going to do to a character's background before the game
starts and stick to it no matter what
2) Rewrite a character's life to suit yourself. Ahem.
3) Bring people in only when they're needed for your plot - it'll feel artificial. Layer background-
derived STCs in well ahead of time.
Questions?

Session 2.2
Welcome back, faithful readers!
This session's a bit... odd... as the preview probably made clear. It lurches form light-hearted into very dark territory
without warning in the last few scenes, something which, after the end of The Mourning After, is starting to look like a
habit of this Chronicle.
Also following the pattern of The Mourning After is the way in which the storyteller characters are handled. After
introducing the members of the expedition all at once in a flurry of Shadow Names, perfunctory descriptions and flat
characterisation, the session after picks just a couple of them to highlight and flesh out a bit more. The ones the player
characters responded to, mostly, leaving the others as background.
Not much else to say at this stage, so we'll hop right to the Super Secret Squirrel Club. Or the Mysterium Caucus, to
give it it's proper name.
If Samael was expecting to learn the secrets of the universe now that he's a properly initiated member of the
Mysterium, his expectation is quickly ruined by the miniature Caucus. Most of the conversation between Ashlar,
Memento, Pandora and Duma appears to be going on at a level deeper than his present understanding, and
he's at a loss to translate what they're signing to one another. On the verbal level, the meeting is made up
largely of neighbourliness and housekeeping - asking one another about their home Caucus and Aethenea, that
sort of thing. He's happy enough to just go along with that, sure that Pandora will tell the rest of them once
whatever she's signalling with Memento about becomes necessary to know. Out loud, Memento tells them
about the Werewolf problem San Diego has been experiencing, and the others swap stories about London.
When Pandora asks him about Durham, Samael is polite but non-committal.
San Diego's Werewolf problem is a shout-out to The Ties That Bind. Hi, Mr Shopping!
He doesn't want to answer any questions about Chayot with Duma in the room.
The conversation drifts toward the expedition. The smugglers from whom the artefacts were taken are in jail in
the capital of Acre, and the Mystagogues intend to interrogate them for clues when they get there. Also, there's
a slight problem with the Mana Battery Pandora has borrowed from the London Aethenum.
"It's empty" - Pandora
The Battery is a squat (two feet tall) and rather ugly statue. It can hold Mana like a Mage, meaning a
moderately practiced student of Prime can channel Mana into and out of it.
"So. Who do we have?" - Pandora
Everyone looks around. Duma, slightly grumpy still from his confrontation with Samael, realises he's the only
Adept of Prime there.
"I need someone to come with me, to watch my back while I replenish the statue from a local Hallow" - Duma
He looks to the younger Mystagogues. Pandora is looking expectantly at Samael, who frowns and keeps his
hands firmly in his pockets. He only has to do so for a few seconds, though, as Samson quickly volunteers
himself.
"All right. Samson - you're with me, Neokoros" - Duma
And with their leaving, Pandora calls the Caucus to an end. Samael hopes he can find which bar the others
have gone to.
It's not so much that Samael's scared to go on the Mana-raid (although I'm sure the fact that the locals aren't going to
be happy has crossed his mind), it's more a case of him trying to stay away from Duma.
---
There now follows that most dreaded of things - the long, rambling pub scene. Apologies if the nuances of conversation
are lost in translation. I shall try to reproduce salient points as best I can.
In the beach bar, Sylph is on her fourth multicoloured cocktail, taking the time with Samael absent to think
about the argument of the day before and try to sort herself out. She's aware that she's annoying him rather
than attracting him, which is running counter to her purpose, so she's trying to figure out why. It's not like other
people don't have their own problems - Gabrielle is all alone here, Orchid is excluded from her own Order.
Orchid - after a briefness in which Cobalt as the responsible adult checks she's old enough to drink and she
says she's eighteen - is rapidly getting drunk. Gabrielle is sipping something that comes in a coconut shell.
I don't know what the legal age of alcohol consumption IS in Rio, but in the states - where she's from - it's higher than
the UK - where Cobalt's from. Cobalt does not appear to care much.
Samael finally locates them.
"Anything?" - Orchid
"Nah - just catching up with Consilii, a couple of housekeeping things. You didn't miss anything" - Samael
"You don't have to lie" - Orchid
Samael starts to protest that he isn't, but Orchid seems to have forgotten it already. He sees what Sylph is
drinking and orders four.
"So, Gabrielle... Tell us how Cognos set fire to Civitas' wig" - Sylph
"How he what?" - Samael, peering at his drink, in which he appears to have hit the grenadine layer.
"It's true." - Sylph, grinning.
Gabrielle takes a deep drink and tells them a tale of horror. Of catastrophe. Of shame. Involving a banquet in
honour of the London Hierarch, a flywheel, a trained monkey, six bottles of fine red wine, the cruet set and a
candelabra.
At one point she uses the glasses on the table to illustrate relative positions and movements. The coconut is
Cognos.
"...And that's why a Wizard's War nearly started between Paris and London" - Gabrielle, primly
Her four drinking companions are open-mouthed with disbelief.
The fine detail of just what happened is left as an exercise to the reader. Prizes may be given for the best fanfic
narrative telling the twisted tale that incorporates all of the above events. If you can work Hastur and Roach, the
characters from "Bleak House" in as well, bonus points.
The conversation, ice broken, turns to the other members of the expedition. Both Orchid and Gabrielle are
outsiders in their own way and just as new as the others. Samael opines that somewhere there may be an
ancient tribe that will worship Rodriguez' moustache as a god.
"Where IS he anyway?" - Orchid, slurred
"He had to go and get some supplies together for Pandora" - Cobalt
"I wonder when we're leaving?" - Sylph
"Before New Year, apparently" - Cobalt
"What are you two doing for Christmas?" - Samael, suddenly
"I'm not sure. It's... strange for me to be on my own" - Gabrielle, a little sadly.
"We should totally do something" - Orchid, even more slurred.
"Any ideas?" - Cobalt

"I'm too drunk to think" - Orchid
The conversation turns to Christopher.
"Weird" - Orchid
"Odd" - Gabrielle
"Weird" - Sylph
"A little focused... Nah. Weird" - Cobalt
There is joking about how scary he is, the consensus being that Balam is MUCH scarier. And also, apparently,
their Hearthtender.
"So he's going to be feeding us?" - Sylph
"Just be careful to check your sandwich filling" - Samael
"Heart! Make strong!" - Orchid
"How DO we talk to him anyway? I heard he doesn't speak English" - Cobalt
"He speaks Spanish." - Orchid
"That's useful. We don't" - Samael
"I do" - Orchid
"We'd better make sure we have plenty of first aid supplies, though. He's an Arrow. I can only imagine what his
idea of healing is" - Samael
Anyway. Back to the expedition. Cobalt is supposed to examine materials.
"Though you're supposed to figure out what artefacts actually do?" - Cobalt, to Gabrielle.
"Yes. The arrow doesn't seem to do anything, though" - Gabrielle
"You're sure?" - Cobalt, a little disappointed
"Disappointed?" - Gabrielle
"Well, I thought... It could have poison-frog venom on it or something" - Cobalt
"You could always try licking it" - Gabrielle, shrugging
Samael laughs, but Orchid drunk-sternly waves a finger and upbraids them in a rambling style about not
underestimating millenia old venoms. She tells the story of a Cabal of Moros (Cobalt winces) that dig up the
corpses of people who died of drug use and injest them.
Who are from Transmetropolitian, I believe, in a one-panel joke about 'digging' Elvis.
Sylph worries about the Jungle and what to wear, but Samael tells her Rodriguez will presumably be handling all
that.
"Main problem in the Jungle is going to be all the bugs and diseases. We'll have to watch ourselves" - Samael
"Balam can use his powers if anyone catches anything" - Orchid
"We'd better hope nothing happens to him, then" - Samael
"Balam's a Life Master, nothing's going to go wrong with him" - Orchid
Everyone yells at her for jinxing it.
Yeah, Balam probably isn't going to survive, now.
"So, how far away is the place?" - Orchid
"It's a big jungle. Acre itself is the size of Wales" - Gabrielle
"Why is everything always the size of Wales? Or football pitches?" - Orchid
"There are multiple types of football, of course. American and everyone else's." - Cobalt
"Yeah, I've heard of soccer. And rugby, and how we stupid yanks need to wear armour to play ours..." - Orchid
"That's just sensible" - Cobalt
Gabrielle tells a story about a Mystagogue in the 1920s who thought there was an Atlantean city in the deep
heart of the jungle, went exploring and never came back.
"Did the monkeys get him?" - Sylph
"The monkeys that walk as men? I don't think they exist" - Cobalt
Away with your princess bride jokes!
"What is it with the monkeys?" - Gabrielle, confused
"It's a Cognos thing" - Sylph
"ARE there any monkeys in the Amazon? I thought they were all African or Asian" - Orchid
"You're thinking of apes. Totally different" - Samael
Gabrielle does not seem to like this line of conversation
"What's up?" - Samael
"We have a problem with apes" - Gabrielle
"In the Amazon?" - Samael
"No, in Paris. The Barbary Apes of the catacombs - some madman trained them as an experiment and they
bred. Some cities get sewer alligators, we get Apes" - Gabrielle
"I'm pretty sure there aren't any Apes in the Amazon" - Cobalt
"Good" - Gabrielle
"Just the giant snakes" - Cobalt
He has been reading up on his cryptozoology, and tells of snakes so wide that they leave four-foot trails
through the forest undergrowth, to which the others react with scepticism.
"Snakes aren't a problem. Plus you can eat snakes - it'll save us from raw heart sandwiches" - Orchid
"What do snakes taste of?" - Gabrielle
"Chicken" - Orchid
Everyone looks at her, strangely.
"Octopuses taste of chicken" - Sylph
"Yes, but what does the chicken taste like?" - Samael
Orchid finishes her drinks with a shot, which she downs. Seeing how unstable she's looking, the other four
decide to give her the Walking Test.
"Whassat?" - Orchid
"Simple. If you can walk, you're not too drunk" - Cobalt
She fails the walking test, and so an end to the night is called. Gabrielle says she'll take her to the hotel.
"You're sure?" - Samael
"It's next to mine. She'll be okay" - Gabrielle.
And so the Auric Horizon, three sheets to the wind, go back to their own suite.
---
Christmas Eve is spent on the white-sanded beach, more for the sheer mental disconnect of lounging around in
swimwear on a hot beach in the middle of December. Sylph (flower-patterned bikini) is sunbathing, while Cobalt
and Samael (Bermuda shorts) work on a truly wondrous sand castle.
"What kind of architecture do you think we can get away with before Paradox kicks in?" - Samael
Cobalt uses the Compelling practice of Matter to shore another arch up and shrugs.
It's the casual uses that are the best. Wisdom 10 sin, you know.
They are interrupted by Rodriguez, who has swapped his suit for a white one in defence to the climate. The
Acanthus tells them that the expedition is almost ready to leave - but reassures Samael when the Obrimos asks
that they're not going to go until after Christmas day. Pandora doesn't want to make people do whatever it is
they'll be doing while sitting in the back of a plane.
He's much less lecherous sober.
About an hour after he leaves, Cobalt nudges Samael and indicates up the beach, where Pandora (dark blue
bikini) is strolling along with Duma (trunks and some sort of spell to make himself be in the shade). From their
body language, they're closer than the friends Samael took them for.
Which is worrying.
Samael thinks about Vahishta keeping a Moros at close hand, as Pandora and Duma spot them and come over.
"Hi. Rod been over?" - Pandora
Af-firmative.
"Don't let him fool you. He really is a good pilot. I've seen Rodriguez do amazing things with vehicles" - Pandora
"If you need someone to drive a getaway car, he's your man" - Duma
Pandora reminisces briefly about a time in India, in the mountains, before Duma gets to business. They're
actually checking what Tass everyone brought with them, just in case.
Sylph and Samael look at one another sideways, but Cobalt spills the beans: They have a small supply of
ironwork that is Tass of a Lusty resonance.
Pandora raises an eyebrow and asks him to confirm that.
"Yeah. Apparently we have a Lust ley line near our Hallow" - Cobalt
"Orgones. Heavily emotion-tinged Hallows were popular among Libertines of a certain age. I knew a Free
Councillor once who powered a ship with a modified Ley tap fuelled by... Well... It didn't really work." - Pandora
"No?" - Samael
"No. There were problems with his sex drive" - Pandora
Thank you! I'll be here all night! Try the veal!
She realises something
"So you're Cognos' students? And your Tass was from the lighthouse?" - Pandora
"That's right" - Cobalt
"You knew Cognos?" - Sylph
"Oh, I knew Cognos. I apprenticed in Durham..." - Pandora
"This is very interesting, and don't look around, but we're being watched." - Duma
"A local?" - Samael, pleasantly
"Well he's not one of us. I can't tell if he's Star or Pyramid, though" - Duma, also smiling
"I'll have Christopher check" - Pandora
"Operational Security?" - Cobalt
"Took a hit last night with young mages getting drunk in a public bar and talking about Subtle matters" - Duma
"Don't worry, next time we'll remember to invite you" - Cobalt
Samael looks at Sylph, who mouths "not" under the protection of her sunhat.
Duma smiles without humour, and he and Pandora leave. As they go, Samael takes a slow, casual look around
with Supernal Vision and picks out the Mage in the crowd, describing him for the benefit of the others.
Sylph considers, then hands her suncream to Samael
"Could you pretend to put this on me so I can take a look without drawing attention?" - Sylph
And just so happens to lie in the appropriate direction to see him, while entirely coincidentally enjoying Samael
touching her back.
Duplicitous!
Cobalt also just so happens to look in his direction, with Soul Marks, and notes that the man's soul is rather
unhealthy. He's also in a Legacy that is similar to - though not exactly the same as - Christopher's.
"Seer?" - Samael
"I think Seer" - Cobalt
They clear off the beach, the delights of the hotel's attempt at Christmas dinner (undoubtedly posh, but
somehow not very authentic) awaiting.
---
And now... 'twas the night before Christmas...
All through the hotel suite, not a creature stirs. The Cabal sleep soundly.
Until one minute after midnight, when there's a crash from the communal area of the suite.
Samael and Cobalt emerge, in various forms of undress with weapons (Cobalt's knife, Samael's lighter), from
their rooms, jumping the intruder who leaps up with a clatter of bottles from their minibar.
He's wearing red in what can only be presumed to be an attempt at being festive.
"Cognos!?" - Samael
"Ho! Ho! Ho!" - Cognos

This short thing took the longest planning of any sequence in the session, strange to say. I laboured long and hard over
whether it was too soon to bring Cognos back, but he went down a treat on his last appearance - to the point that I
think he ties with Excalibur for favourite storyteller character.
The Cabal have gathered, bleary-eyed. The menfolk wearing only their boxers and Sylph in a half-transparent
nightdress. And fluffy slippers.
"Ho! Ho! Ho! What does Uncle Cognos have in his Sack for YOU?" - Cognos, cheerfully
He does, in fact, have a small sack with him.
"What are you DOING here?" - Samael
Other than drinking their minibar, obviously.
"And how's Zanzibar?" - Cobalt
"It agrees with me. Well, I thought 'It's Christmas', and I did rather leave you in the lurch. How are you all?" -
Cognos
"How are we? Well... Pretty good. Apart from Chayot's old cabalmates popping up and causing us to kill
innocent Proximii" - Samael
Cognos nods, concerned
"So you thought you'd get away from it for a while. I sympathise. Still! You won't find any of the old goat's
friends out HERE, I'll wager" - Cognos
"It's funny you say that" - Cobalt
Cognos frowns
"Duma" - Samael
"Duma Duma Duma Duma?" - Cognos
"The very one" - Samael
"How bad is it?" - Cognos
"His idea of spending time is using humans' souls as a lens. And the expedition leader is sleeping with him" -
Samael
"Who?" - Cognos
"Pandora" - Samael
"Little *Dora*?! Here?" - Cognos, beaming
"Yeah" - Samael, not enthused
"I'm sure she isn't involved in anything. She was always such a nice girl. Mind you, last time I saw her she was
Sef's age..." - Cognos
Cognos goes distant for a moment, then snaps out of it
"Presents!" - Cognos
He reaches into his sack - his arm going further into it than it should do by strict laws of three-dimensional
space - and he starts pulling things out. First is a shiny collar, which he hands to Sylph
"For the cat" - Cognos
Everyone looks in through the open door into Sylph's bedroom. In the darkness, two green eyes are maybe
reflecting. Maybe glowing.
Have we mentioned in the thread that Archimedes is a Fear Spirit? Just in case: He's a Fear Spirit. Which doesn't do
much good for Catherine's psyche and her gaining a sense of trust, as he constantly uses his Influence on her in order
to foster the conditions he needs to feed.
Cognos shudders theatrically, and roots around in the sack some more.
"For you, lad" - Cognos, handing Samael a box.
Samael unwraps it. Inside the box is a small, collapsible spyglass made of brass and wood, with crystal lenses
carefully marked with the High Speech. He raises his eyebrows, and starts to thank Cognos, but the jolly old
man is rummaging again.
"Sef" - Cognos, handing another parcel to Sylph
Hers appears to be a pocket watch. On opening it, though, it appears to have five hands - the usual three, one
that is lazily circling counter-clockwise and a fifth long one that moves around the face at random.
Cognos grins, and hands the last box to Cobalt
"If that's a subtle Knife..." - Samael
Damn. Spotted.
It's a trowel.
"Come in handy, that" - Cognos.
It's a very Subtle Trowel. And no, it doesn't cut Portals open.
He closes his eyes, preparing to Teleport, but Sylph interrupts him
"Wait! I've got yours here" - Sylph
She rushes into her room. Cobalt quietly heads into his room too.
"You knew I was coming?" - Cognos, confused
"We kind of guessed you might" - Cobalt, holding out a bottle to his erstwhile Mentor
"...Were hoping you would" - Sylph, handing Cognos his gift.

It's a tankard, engraved with a lighthouse and the Auric Horizon's sigil. Pleased, Cognos thanks them. If he
notices that Samael hasn't gotten him anything (because he was hoping he'd have more time) he doesn't say
anything.
Cognos vanishes, Teleporting back to wherever he came from with a final, echoing "Ho, Ho, Ho!"
"Well, since we're up.." - Sylph
Cobalt raids what's left of the minibar, and supplies drinks, as the remaining gifts are exchanged. Cobalt has a
survival watch (good up to 15 atmospheres pressure!) for Samael, and a set of silver combs with Celtic knotlike
engravings for Sef. Sef has bracelets made of copper and silver wire, glass beads woven on and bent to form
brambles and thorns around a thin braid of her own hair for the boys - Samael's has beads in the shape of
Angel wings, while Cobalt's are Vials. Samael handmade his - a butterfly pin made of multicoloured glass for Sef
and an amulet in the shape of the electron shell of cobalt for Cobalt.
And then, after some time sat up relaxing, chatting and toasting the memory of all the crazy of Cognos, a
return to sleep.
The exchange of gifts scene is a long-standing motif of mine, that I note in pretty much any campaign or chronicle I
run. The gifts are always indicative of the characters. Getting Samael's present is the point at which Sef realises why
he was busy for the last month, and she starts being much nicer to him now. Naturally, he hand-made them so he has
sympathy to them, should something like that turn out to be necessary. Sylph's hair being in her gifts has the same
effect.
As for Cognos' Dark Materials, the three Imbued items (and they are all three Imbued items - Samael's is four dots,
while Cobalt's and Persephone's are eight dots each. I'm not going to make the players spend xp on them, though) are
Analysed next session. The Subtle Trowel is especially useful, though the Silver Compass and the Crystal Spyglass will
have their plot uses in stories to come.
I think, should I have to pick one, I'd go for the Trowel though.
...
Christmas day is spent on the beach again. Sylph has a different bikini on and Cobalt's two amulets cause him
to joke that he may well soon resemble Mister T. Especially if he puts the Magic Shield on.
Allow me to introduce you to my friend PAIN!
Sandcastles are not ambitious enough a project. So they're building Atlantis. Central spire, circular city enclose
by concentric rings of canals. Cobalt is using his Trowel - which isn't displaying any powers although Samael,
using Supernal Vision, assures him it's magical. They're not confident enough (especially after the Ankh) to just
trigger Cognos' gifts with magic without knowing what they do.
They're joined by Gabrielle and Orchid, also beachwear-clad, who help with the mother of all sandcastles.
"We're being watched again" - Samael
Their mysterious watcher is indeed back.
"We need to do something" - Sylph
"Like what? We can't tip him off we know he's there" - Samael
"We need to confuse him, but keep his attention. Beach volleyball anyone?" - Cobalt
"What sides?" - Sylph
"Boys versus Girls" - Cobalt
"There's one too many of us" - Gabrielle
And saying that summons Rodriguez, white-clad again and lacking shoes
"Rodriguez! Just the man. We're about to have a game, and we're down a player - I see you've come with your
feet prepared" - Samael, cheerfully ignoring the protesting looks from the womenfolk
Rodriguez surveys the field of battle and the opposition, takes off his jacket and lays it on the sand
"I shall gladly fight at your side" - Rodriguez
Ashlar - wandering past, wearing a Hawaiian shirt and big sunglasses - is called over. He protests that he's too
old for such tomfoolery and jimmer-jammer, but is convinced to serve as referee while Cobalt draws the lines of
the pitch out with his Subtle Trowel and Sylph stamps out any dunes, flattening the ground.
Pandora and Duma - out on another arm-in-arm promenade - approach the group and, seeing what it's about,
neatly divide onto the opposing teams. Pandora says - quietly - that she's got Christopher trying to find out if
their observer is a Pentacle Mage or not.
Four versus Four.
"No spells" - Sylph
Everyone nods. Pandora finds a net somewhere. Orchid goes to fetch the ball. There's a slight, and uneasy-
feeling, sense of Unseen as Duma does something that isn't casting a spell. Samael has just enough time to
realise the Obrimos has used an Attainment before Ashlar gives Duma a very disapproving look and the feeling
passes.
The Echo Walker attainment - at first glance only tangential to their ethos - is the ability to increase their physical
attributes like a Vampire. Duma was about to cheat by increasing his Dexterity.
The game starts, both sides using very dirty tactics and attempting to distract the opposition with their bodies.
The battle of the sexes, played out on a beach, looks like it's going to go to the women for most of the game,
but the menfolk pull ahead at three-quarters time and maintain the lead.
The volleyball game looks like it took no time at all when you put it on the thread like that, but it was in play about ten
minutes of complex, teired dice-rolling.
Let me break it down for you.
First, every member of each time had FOUR opposed seduction rolls, one against each of his or her opponents.
Gabrielle and Samael have the Striking Looks merit, and everyone was on a bonus for provocative clothing. People in
love (Gabrielle, Duma, Pandora, Sylph) got bonuses against everyone except for their lover, against whom they had a
big penalty. As Gabrielle's boyfriend is in Paris, though, that put the girls on a balancing advantage to Sylph mooning
over Samael.
THEN the actual game began. The primary actors were Sylph and Samael, so we set them aside for a moment.
Everyone else rolled Dex+Athletics, with penalties if they'd been distracted by their opponent's wiles. Their successes,
as per normal collaboration, fed into Samael and Sef's rolls as modifiers. It then came down to an extended action for
each of the primary actors. First to 20 successes won - in this case, Samael after Sef had a particularly bad fourth roll.
Of interest, Cobalt maintained his cool - as did Samael. Sylph was distracted by Samael, Rodriguez by Gabrielle and
Pandora - who managed to resist Duma - by *Samael*. This may have ramifications down the line in the chronicle. In
fact, everyone on the girl's team was distracted by Samael. They used Persephone's Destiny merit to try to get more
dice, but the roll went badly.
Agena: We joked about Samael being Sef's Bane, but we stopped when we shut up quickly seeing DaveB's evil smirk...
Magnamenous in victory, the menfolk propose that they get the drinks in, and all nine head to the bar. Pandora
expresses her happiness at all the team-bonding that's going on as the sun goes down, the tide comes in and
Atlantis of the Sands is consumed by the waves.
Watching that from their table, Cobalt murmurs something about maybe helping it along, kicking the
sandcastles over.
"Monsters in Atlantis" - Rodriguez
"Maybe Godzilla is one of the Exarchs" - Cobalt
"Don't say that in Tokyo" - Pandora
Their mysterious watcher is still out there.
"What are we going to do?" - Samael, suddenly serious and weary
"Wait for Christopher to phone" - Pandora, producing a cell phone from under the table.
It does so, and Pandora takes the call. She thanks Christopher calmly, and the phone vanishes away again.
Everyone watches her face.
"Seer" - Pandora, sadly
"Now what?" - Orchid
"He's seen too much. Nothing to compromise the mission, but he's seen our faces. We need to make sure he
doesn't report back to his Pylon" - Pandora
"We're going to catch him? Take him with us?" - Sylph
Pandora looks very distant, and very sad.

"Destroy the Followers of the Lie" - Rodriguez
The happy-go-lucky Mexican has a very serious, very determined and very dangerous look in his eye. Ashlar
looks unhappy, Orchid confused - she hasn't caught on yet.
This is what I signed up to when I joined the Free Council, thinks Sef.
"Are you sure about this?" - Duma
"It's my decision. Take him out. Make him safe somewhere and start questioning him. Then we dispose of him" -
Pandora
Sylph, feeling sick, bites her nails. Samael gets nervous, feeling the energy in the room change. Some of these
people are prepared to kill, but he's not sure he is.
Duma looks around. Rodriguez nods once - he's in.
"Ashlar. We need you - to put up a time ward in case one of his fellows tries to retrace his steps" - Duma
Ashlar now looks very unhappy, but assents.
Duma looks to Samael, who flinches away from meeting the gaze.
Cobalt sees this - sees how upset Sylph is getting, too - and clears his throat
"I'll come too" - Cobalt
Duma looks surprised. Rodriguez doesn't.
Sylph gives Cobalt a grateful look, as she hands over the Cabal's Magic Shield amulet and Samael casts Bestow
Supernal Vision on him.
The four men rise and leave the party. Which sits at the table, drinks untouched.

In the end, it doesn't take long. They wait until after dark, as the Seer heads away from the beach. Picking their
time to strike, when the Seer walks into an alley, Rodriguez and Duma render themselves invisible and rush in.
The Seer looks around, panicked, as soon as he feels Ashlar cast the Time ward, but before he can do anything
Duma has appeared behind him, holding him in an armlock. Cobalt and Rodriguez run in and start pummelling
the Seer with their fists, until he's lying, barely breathing, on the floor.
Duma's attainment, it turns out, is GOOD for Grapple checks.

Dave2 - Which seems to be necessary: when Mages fight, everyone has Armour up and the dice pools of everyone who
isn't super-strong or very good with their fists gets reduced to near-nothing. I couldn't escape the feeling that this
resembled a camp slap-fight rather than a gangland leg-breaking.
They search him, finding a pistol and some loose change.
"Find his Magical Tool." - Duma
"What'll it look like?" - Cobalt
"He's a Seer. It'll be a word in High Speech, probably inscribed on something." - Duma
It turns out to be on the inside of a signet ring on the Seer's right hand. Cobalt takes it and holds it in his palm,
standing away as Duma and Ashlar make sure the Seer won't die on them during transit while Rodriguez
fetches transportation.
Duma looks up at Cobalt, who seems fascinated by the item of power.
"You sure you're still in?" - Duma
Cobalt casts Alter Integrity on the ring, and crushes it into a tiny ball of metal in his fist.
"I'm still in" - Cobalt, grim.
Ooo. And - destroying the Seer's most valuable possession just because he could, Cobalt fulfils his Envy condition and
gets a willpower back,
...
Pandora gets another call. She tenses, listening to Rodriguez on the other end.
"They caught him" - Pandora, closing the phone.
There is a pregnant pause
"I'm heading up there. It's my responsibility" - Pandora
She heads to the ladies to get changed. Sylph leans toward Samael across the table.
"Should we go with her?" - Sylph, worried
He considers. Thinks about Quiet on the train, and about Dominic
"No. Cobalt can handle this. He knew what he was doing - you shouldn't go anywhere near it. Stay. Please." -
Samael
Pandora leaves, leaving Samael to try to keep Sylph, Gabrielle and Orchids' minds off what's going on in some
darkened corner of Rio. He does a great job, despite the worrying thoughts that insist on circulating through his
mind. Thoughts about when the Seer first showed up, and what could have provoked them.
...
In a warehouse near the airport, the Seer is tied to a chair with cable. The five stand in positions - Ashlar the
furthest away, maintaining his ward, with Pandora observing silently from the doorway.
Duma casts a spell to wake the Seer up and then another to trigger his pain nerves, causing the captive to
thrash around in his seat and scream - not a comedy scream from a horror movie, but the horrible sound of a
human in agony. Once Duma cancels the pain spell, the Seer tries to cast something but Duma counterspells it
with a wave of his hand.
"You lost" - Cobalt, breaking the deep silence after the screaming.
He steps into the Seers line of view, Duma edging to one side to let him
"...And you know what that means. Just make it easier" - Cobalt
Rodriguez lifts an implement of pain.
"Just tell us everything you know about us. Who you told." - Cobalt
Pandora looks like she's going to be sick as Rodriguez approaches the prisoner, resolute.
The Seer starts to babble and beg for mercy in Portuguese, which breaks Pandora. She turns on her heel and
heads outside, vanishing out into the night. Ashlar tries to remain aloof as the Seer spills that he spotted two of
the expedition, reported back to his Pylon and was told to keep an eye on them. He hasn't reported back yet.
Which, if true, is good news for the gang.
But they can't let him live.
Cobalt looks around at his fellow torturers.
"Before she comes back" - Duma, quietly
"Who?" - Cobalt. Meaning "Which one of us?"
Rodriguez produces a pack of cigarettes, and takes four out. He carefully removes the bottom half of one of
them, and holds all four in his fist.
Cobalt, Duma and Ashlar all reach out and select a cigarette. No one uses magic to cheat.
Cobalt looks at the torn cigarette in his hand and sighs, swallowing.
He crosses the floor to the Seer, who is pleading again, and draws his knife.
"Okay. I'm afraid we will have to let you go... to a better place." - Cobalt
And he pushes the knife into the man's throat, opening an artery.
Killing him pretty much instantly.
And Cobalt FAILED the Wisdom check for the death. No Derangement, though.
Cobalt steps back, watching the Mana in the man's pattern change configuration from Life to Death. Duma and
Ashlar begin chanting in the High Speech, unravelling the threads of the Seer and returning the corpse to the
Tapestry. Under the Prime Sight Samael cast, the effect is strangely beautiful as the Seer breaks up into Mana
that coils up like steam, sublimating and vanishing into the background magic of the world.
Turning, he leaves the warehouse. Outside, Pandora is stood with her back to him - gently crying to herself.
Cobalt calmly walks past her, giving her space and deliberately not looking at her face, before very calmly
vomiting against the wall.
Wiping his mouth, Cobalt heads toward Rodriguez' car. He pauses next to Pandora as he passes her again.
"Thank you for not wanting that to happen" - Cobalt, sadly
Dave: It goes against the grain, to lose a Wisdom. I mean: it's a stat, with an XP cost and everything. My gamer instinct
rails against the willing loss of the points, yet I was glad to lose it in this case... it just made too much sense in the
wake of Cicero's killing of the mad proximus. Killing the Seer had to be done, Cobalt was part of pushing that decision
and so in the end it didn't matter who made the killing blow: Cobalt was guilty of deciding that the man had to die. He
had accepted that and so he sort of had lost the Wisdom, this was just adjusting stats to reflect it.
I reach that conclusion when looking back. At the time, I just had a certainty that I would lose Wisdom for it. Before the
lots were even drawn, I had a feeling that Cobalt would do it and lose the Wisdom point for it... which was a bit of a
stretch given my usual (good) luck with dice. I was on a +1 from the exceptional success against the necromantic
Cobalt in session 1.3 and blagged Dave into giving me an extra one for the Fortitude Virtue (It needed doing, so I did it
whatever the cost), so frankly I was on the best Degeneration Check pool that I would ever be on for stabbing
someone in cold blood. And I got a well deserved zilcho from it. Still glad he didn't go bonkers over the matter, though.
Naturally, Duma passed his check for torturing the guy.
...
Boxing Day is departure day, and those that were present for the Volleyball match sit silently in the back of the
converted cargo plane the expedition will be using while those that weren't - Christopher, Balam, Samson and
Memento - talk. No one mentions what happened. No one has to.
Cobalt and Samael listen as Samson boasts to Orchid that while she was getting drunk with the Cabal, he and
Duma went into the heart of one of the city-forests and drained a Hallow into the Mysterium's Mana Battery.
And it all falls into place for Samael. Why the Seers suddenly noticed the expedition.
Orchid stays silent, looking up and meeting Samael's eyes. He gives her an approving nod, and she closes her
eyes, ignoring Samson.
"Her silence will probably get her further in the Mysterium than his boasting, right?" - Cobalt, whispered
"Yeah" - Samael, distant
The plane's engine noise increases, and Rodriguez' voice comes over a speaker
"Ladies, Gentlemen but especially Ladies. This is Flight One to Acre. There are no emergency exits." - Rodriguez
And, with the lurch of acceleration and the stomach-falling feeling of leaving tarmac, the expedition leaves Rio
De Janeiro.
And that's it for this time! We're having a bit of a gap now due to scheduling issues, but we've played 2.3 already so I
have another recap to write up and post to tide us over until May, when Soul Cage will resume.
----------------------------
Agena: I noticed before the last game that after playing Sef and trying to explain to Chris some of her behaviours, I get
this sort of feeling when I want to grab her by the collar, shake her a bit and yell "what the hell are you doing?!?". Also
Chris explained to me that Samael doesn't find the behaviour she expressed during the last game attractive (which is
fair enough) so I thought since she has empathy 3 she might clue in on the fact that she is in fact annoying to others
and they have all the right to act as they did. We also come to a conclusion that Sef is afraid of being rejected by
Cobalt and Samael so she shields herself from any emotional attachments to them in case this happens - hence the
snappy behaviour.
But this can't last forever, not only because she wants to trust them in spite of her fears, but also because I want her
to be a likeable character.
So Persephone is on the proverbial edge, but in a bit different sense than usual - on one side there's the distrust and
rejection, on the other side there's trust and acceptance. She's on the border of those not knowing what to do, where
she wants to trust but the darker side of her experiences ties her and doesn't let go. And small things like that either
help her into the light side or pull her back into the dark. That's why a seemingly unimportant things like the half-
drunken
argument in the bar or Samael going away not wanting to see what's wrong mean so much to Sef.
She does manage to build her trust towards Cobalt and Samael very slowly though and the ambience helps with
quelling her anger a bit. There's Gabrielle who doesn't have any friends here, who Sef figures has a bit worse than she,
there's Orchid who's not allowed into the Mysterium secrets yet, which Sef thinks is a stupid way to treat their
members, there's Cobalt who actually took her side in the small argument in the bar and is generally trying to be nice,
finally there's exotic place, heat draining away any strong feelings and the blazing sun. AND Ashlar reassuring her that
there will be no actual digging involved during the expedition made the whole argument a bit pointless.
That's why when Samael joined them in the bar the same night, Sef wasn't snappy and angry at him (well, maybe a
bit). She had the time to think about stuff, and the alcohol helped with dulling her emotions too. From that point on her
thoughts were mostly positive. The x-mas eve on the beach was a great day even though they were observed. She
managed to convince Sam to put her hands on her (not without fear that he will recoil) and he didn't look displeased
with the prospect, even got to work quite readily, which was a big confidence boost for Sef. And then during the gift
exchanging, when it turned out that he wasn't shying her away during the last month because he didn't care but
because he was working on a gift for her and didn't want her to see it too early melted all of the remaining anger and a
bit of her protective shell as well - they did care for her, at least enough to put some thought and effort into finding /
making (!) a gift that she would like. And Sef appreciates the effort.
And at the end of the game another small good thing bringing her closer to trusting the Cabal happened - Samael not
wanting Sef to look at what the other Libertines will be doing with the Seer and asking her to stay. It's a small thing,
but Sef, even uneasy with the whole situation as she was, noticed.
So Sef is slowly warming up to the Cabal. I doubt the fear of them betraying her will ever disappear, but at least the
fear of being rejected and not cared about is slowly lessened.
About the gifts
The gift for Cognos was obviously made so that he will think about the Horizon during his favourite pastime Don't
think that requires much explanation.
The gifts for Cobalt and Samael however are a bit more complex matter. Sef started working on them when they knew
they are going to Rio - she had something else planned as gifts, but it wasn't suitable for a trip to the jungle. Hence
bracelets, which should be hard to loose. She made them herself with the cunning use of this:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...ose_pliers.jpg
device in the hopes that a) the cabalmates will like them, and b) they will recognise the effort she put into making
them as they are both crafters (well, Sam is and Cobalt knows about metal lots). The strand of hair woven into them is
a message: it's supposed to say "I trust you enough to give you a bit of me". It's worth noting she doesn't actually trust
them that much, but she wants to. She half-expects them to ignore this and not understand the hidden message and
half-expects them to abuse it. She wants to be proven wrong though. It's (in her eyes) a crazy experiment, which might
end horrible for her, or might be a pleasant disappointment. And also half subconsciously she sees it as a kind of
insurance against Hadrian - if she ever disappears or will have to run away, they will be able to find her fast thanks to
this ('if they even care enough to try, that is' Sef thinks) (You might notice by now that caring about her is very
important in Sef's eyes. It's because Hadrian never did.)
Dave: Teenagers

Session 2.3
Welcome back, faithful readers! We hope you enjoyed the break.
This part of the story is transitional - literally, in that the characters are travelling from Rio to the Ruin - and in thematic
terms. The final two sessions (at present rate of progress) of this story will hopefully make everything make more
sense - there was a lot of foreshadowing going on in the first two.
While I'm fiddling away with the machinery of the narrative, however, it's the players who make this a Story. I am most
pleased - most pleased with the way that the death and destruction surrounding your average group of player
characters is being handled by those characters, and how actions aren't forgotten the session after they happen.
Cobalt spends most of this session processing what he did last time and Samael's suspicions have only grown since he
figured out - too late - what was going on in 2.2. Many of the expedition's other members are still treating this like a
gap-year holiday, but for the Auric Horizon the sunshine has definitely worn off.
This is a session of dark cargo airports late at night, of out-of-the-way brazilian jails, of burning rainforest and
melancholy conversations in seedy, crumbling apartments. It also features the biggest set-piece battle I've handled in
the nWoD's system, from which many lessons have been learned.
As a last note, I'm slowly but surely working on pulling a soundtrack together for this chronicle. Or rather, two
soundtracks - when planning sessions and writing these recaps I listen to anything, but when we're actually playing we
prefer music with no words in it, as it's less distracting and more like a film soundtrack except for 'needle-drop'
exceptions. So I'm putting together two mp3 lists - "Gross" and "Subtle". I would be worried about it revealing my poor
taste, but hell - the Chronicle's named after a track.
Onwards!
The plane is an old two-prop cargo plane that looks like it hasn't flown in a decade. The Expedition members sit
in two rows, facing each other across the accumulated crates and gear. The interior's a nasty shade of pale
green - ex-military from some country or other - exposed bolts and bare metal aren't making it look any less
like a death-trap.
Samson is *still* boasting about his and Duma's Mana-raid, taking particular relish in lording it over Orchid (who
is the only Mystagogue to be lower-ranking than him). Sylph, sat next to Orchid, pats her sympathetically,
trying to convey by gesture and nodding over the rumbling engines that Orchid doesn't have to say anything
back to the cretin.
Still, Samson is persisting. Cobalt - who has the misfortune to be sat next to him - finally has enough when the
plane ceases it's ascent and levels off, becoming slightly quieter.
Quiet enough for Cobalt's voice to be heard by everyone present.
"Are you telling me you've sucked up dry a Hallow belonging to the locals? Could
you perhaps tell me who owned the hallow?" - Cobalt
Samson may not be that smart, but he knows a dangerous voice when he hears it. He's taken aback and
doesn't reply.
"Because then you would either be telling everyone here" (gestures at Christopher, the local Libertine) "about
attacking a Free Council Hallow, attacking a Seer Hallow without thinking to warn the locals about reprisals or
you'd be boasting about how you don't know who you've just attacked for their resources." - Cobalt
Samson looks to his superiors, who all studiously ignore him. Ashlar
pointedly turns his head so as to avoid looking at him.
"And thats leaving aside the fact that if the Mysterium DID provide a Mana Battery, only for it to turn out to be
*empty*... well, that would be a major loss of face for the Order, now wouldn't it?" - Cobalt, drawing out the
pause to give Samson time to work out for himself what he's just been doing.
Duma addresses Cobalt directly, again ignoring the now-sweating Samson
"The apprentice, I fear, has let his enthusiasm get the better of him... it would have been an unoccupied
Hallow" - Duma
Some of the non-Mystagogues present begin to smile wryly.
Cobalt looks Duma in the eye.
"If it were true" - Cobalt
"You're right. Fortunately, it is not. The over-excited stories of someone out from his Consilium for the first time.
We shall speak of it no more" - Duma
At the last sentance, Duma finally glares at Samson, who cringes.
Cobalt stands up, and starts to make his way up to the curtain seperating them all from Rodriguez in the
cockpit. He pauses right next to Samson.
"God save us from students" - Cobalt
Hee! Poor Samson - though Cobalt needed someone to tear a new hole into after the night he had. Samson committed
the unforgivable sin for a Mystagogue - he told tales to outsiders. What happens in a Caucus stays in a Caucus. It's
how Mage society functions without the pentacle Orders trying to kill one another all the time.
He steps through the curtain. Rodriguez holds a spare pair of headphones out to him and he puts them on,
slipping into the co-pilot's seat.
"Boy needed telling" - Rodriguez
Cobalt nods, weary
He closes his eyes for a few seconds, blood then seems to snap out of it. Distraction. He needs a distraction. He
decides to watch Rodriguez at work, seeing as he's the only member of the expedition working right now.
Rodriguez is enjoying himself. He has a cigar, and there's an ashtray precariously perched on the instrument
panel, along with a bobble-headed hula doll.
The Acanthus sees him watching, and starts to point out things. Within half an hour, Cobalt knows what all the
various dials and gauges and lights mean.
Rodriguez waves at the co-pilot's joystick.
"Want to have a go?" - Rodriguez
Cobalt, enjoying the challenge of something... exoteric... that he can learn, takes the controls.
Cobalt's flying lesson - a step toward buying the Pilot specialty of Drive - fills a gap in the party. Besides, as Dr Henry
Jones Jr tells us, flying is easy. Landing is hard.
In the back, with the rest of the passengers, Samael is examining the gifts Cognos gave to the Cabal. They're
Imbued items, not Artefacts, which means Cognos went to great expense to get them rather than legendary
expense. Figuring that he's not doing anything else on the long flight to Acre, he casts Analyze Magic Item and
gets mixed results. The Silver Compass and the Subtle Trowel are defying his command of the Prime Arcanum,
but he can at least tell what his gift does - the spyglass duplicates the effects of Scry. Useful, to a Cabal with no
Mastigos, but he gets the impression it was the least of the three.
Cognos having saved the good stuff for his own students, which is fair.
"May I?" - Gabrielle
Remember, Gabrielle is present as the expedition's artefact specialist. She's good at Analyze Magic Item.
He hands them over, and she gives it a go. While he waits, Samael looks around. The plane is shaking worse
than ever as Rodriguez encourages Cobalt in dives, banking and running through turbulence. Sylph is looking
particularly wan, clutching Archimedies (who keeps looking at Balam and hissing - the Thyrsus has a
noncorporeal Familiar that Archimedies apparantly doesn't like the look of) to herself.
Finally, Gabrielle appears to snap out of her spell. She looks around at the packed plane.
"I'll tell you when we land" - Gabrielle, handing the items back.
...
"Do you want to land her?" - Rodriguez
"Best left to the experts" - Cobalt, relinquishing control.
...
Touchdown (bumpy) and the ramp is lowered to reveal the very far end of Rio Branco airport, out by a hanger
Rodriguez has hired for their use. It's about two in the morning, local time.
Everyone pitches in to get the crates out of the plane and into the hanger, where they'll stay until they're
moved again onto the jeeps that will make up the next part of the journey.
"So what's the plan?" - Samael, helping Rodriguez with a bundle
"Someone has to go to the prison to interrogate the Sleepers we sourced the pieces from. Someone has to stay
here and guard the plane. Everyone else will be off to the hostel" - Rodriguez
Samael turns to handle the next piece of cargo. Which turns out to be the Mana Battery. Pandora is carefully
lifting it, and he gives her a hand.
Up close, he can see that it's meant to be a woman. Who, for some reason, has odd eyes. Like an Owl.
"Lilith" - Pandora
He considers his Biblical Apocrypha.
"The Aeon of Prime, one of the Astral Syzergy of Aether. Mother of inspiration, power and monsters" - Pandora
"Oh, great" - Samael
"Who's Forces?" - Cobalt
"Azazel" - Pandora
"Great" - Samael
"It's very old. Constructed in Jeruselem 200-300 years ago by the Order. We got it from the Library of St John" -
Pandora
The London Aetheneum was named back in the prelude.
The Aeons, she says, are not exacty reassuring beings. The very edge of Astral Space, abutting the Abyss,
holds their citadels.
"Typhon and Echnida of Death and Matter. Gloriana and Mordred of Time and Fate..." - Pandora
"Mordred?" - Samael, disbelieving

Cobalt shrugs
"Think about it. Fate. The Son who kills his father" - Cobalt
"The end of all kingdoms, no matter how great" - Pandora
She excuses herself and goes to get another crate.
Gabrielle, spotting the Cabal briefly alone, draws them off to one side and gives her report on Cognos' gifts.
Sylph's pocketwatch has been Imbued with a locator spell. The three normal hands are normal hands (it's a
working watch), the extra two being the item's focus. If Sylph opens it concentrating on a specific person or
thing, one of the hands will point in their direction while the other (the one that's slowly going backwards) will
periodically use a Time spell to indicate how long it will be before she reaches the target. It uses Sylph's own
sympathy to the target, though.
Oh, and it's been specifically designed to transfer over into Astral Space, where the clock hands will read the
actual time passed rather than the subjective time of the journey.
Useful.
Sylph immediately tries it out, clicking it open and making it point to Samael and to Cobalt.
While Gabrielle is explaining Cobalt's gift, though, she considers and clicks it open again. Thinking of Hadrian.
The direction hand is spinning crazily, and the countdown hand is going forward. Freaked out, she shuts the
watch and puts it away, heart pounding. After she gets her breath, though, she considers - That must mean the
distance is getting greater, so he won't be around any time soon.
Cobalt's Trowel...
"...Isn't a Trowel" - Gabrielle
Or rather, it's only a Trowel at the moment. It's Imbued with Reconfigure Object and Alter Efficiency along with
another spell to alter it's mass within reason, Gabrielle being unable to tell it's upper limit. If whatever he turns
it into uses resources (fuel, say, or bullets) he'd have to provide them himself because it can't divide itself and
it can only do solid materials, but still - it's an anytool.
She cautions him to be careful, though - it will attract paradox when it changes shape, and it uses Mana. It has
a small internal supply, but would need Samael or another friendly Obrimos to recharge it.
"I can charge it up for you if it runs low" - Samael
"I hearby pledge to never say 'by the power of Greyskull'" - Cobalt
He activates it, turning it into a wide, plain bracelet wrapped onto his forearm. Easier to carry that way.
Sylph is, sadly, flat wrong about the watch's reading. And any Glitch references inherent in Cobalt's new toy were lost,
as Dave never saw Reboot. His loss.
Samael is briefly distracted from all the experimentation by noticing Duma in the middle distance. The Obrimos
is angrily berating Samson, who himself looks like he'd like to die right about now.
Samael doesn't quite know whether to be pleased or not by that.
...
The unloading finishes, and the expedition split up - Pandora, Ashlar and Christopher are going to head to the
local prison to "talk" to the smugglers who found the site. Pandora says there's a spare seat in the jeep and,
wanting to be useful, Sylph volunteers to go along. Balam stays to defend the others.
"Duma - you're in charge until I get back" - Pandora
"Great" - Samael, quietly.
In order to make sure that Ashlar doesn't get killed on the way :P. Brother's gonna make it. Plus, we all saw what
happened last time the PCs turned down a side-quest.

Sylph holds Archimedies to herself as the Jeep ploughs through the dark streets, skirting the edge of town on
the way to the prison. The humidity and the darkness don't make it look any better than daylight would as they
pull up outside the visitor gate. While Ashlar casts something on the guards, Sylph looks around at the hell-hole
and doesn't feel very well at all. When they're allowed out of the jeep and escorted inside, she feels positively
crappy and close to nausea.
This is partly the ghastly conditions themselves, partly Sylph's own hang-ups about being imprisoned stemming and
partly Archimedies using his Influence: Fear power on her without her knowing.
Beware of the Cat.
Christopher does the talking while Ashlar casts spells in the background, never letting his expression slip. Sylph
can't understand the Portugese, but the sounds and cries of a prison at night are taking her attention. The
group is led to a cramped, crappy room, with a Brazilian man handcuffed to a metal chair. He has a broken nose
and missing teeth.
Pandora gives the guard what looks like a sizeable amount of money and he leaves.
"Keep the noise down" - Guard, in English
There's one chair, which Christopher takes. The other mages loom.
Christopher says something to the prisoner, who spits. Sylph feels Ashlar cast something, and with an odd
sensation she starts to be able to understand the conversion.
Christopher is attempting the carrot method first, telling the smuggler that they can make his stay better or
even - if he pleases them enough - get him out of here.
Sylph is at the back of the group, still holding the cat (which is using it's Influence on the prisoner), and the
man appears to come to the conclusion that she's the ringleader. He tries to appeal to her better nature.
"Please. I lost a friend - a brother - to that place. I don't want to loose myself" - Smuggler
Unsure if Ashlar's translation spell allows her to speak Portugese, Sylph leans to Christopher and tells him to tell
the prisoner that if he's afraid so much, he should tell them everything and they'll deal with it.
Christopher gruntingly relays that, while Archimedies works his Numina.
The guy finally spills his guts; he and three others were on a drug run from Bolivia by way of Peru, heading
down the foothills of the Andes and into Brazil through the remote Acre border. They stopped at a village to
take supplies - the people, he says, had some degree of contact with Westerners but were still isolated. They
loaded their boat up with food, and stole from the villagers' shrine. Recognising that the artefacts were old (and
therefore valuable) they menaced the villagers into telling them where they came from.
Two of them went hiking through the jungle to the place, while he and the last stayed on the boat. After several
hours, one of them came back, running as though the devil were at his back, screaming for his life. He died on
their way downriver toward civilisation. His last friend was killed by the police when they were arrested.
He tells them which river, and how far upstream the village is.
They leave.
I think this was the first indication within the story,m rather than player assumption, that there's something really
dangerous out there.
And to clarify for Agena: Yes, you did just leave him in the prison.
...
Meanwhile, the bulk of the expedition has taken over a hostel. It's a far cry from the luxery they were in during
the stay in Rio De Janeiro: plaster walls, bare lightbulbs and ricketty, sparse furniture. Cobalt tries to repair the
thin matresses while Balam conducts a ritual spell, summoning something large from the Shadow and tasking it
with guarding the camp. Samael gets a brief glimpse of something that looks like a big cat without any skin
before the thing dematerialises into Twilight.
Most people go straight to bed. Samael and Orchid sit up in the kitchen, playing cards with a battered deck
Orchid found in her things and gloating about the treatment Samson is deservedly getting from the other
Mystagogues.
Duma appears from nowhere and sits down with them. The card game immediately stops as Duma and Samael
stare at one another. Sensing tension, Orchid beats a hasty retreat to bed.
Silence.
The two Mystagogues regard one another. Samael sipping his drink.
The door bangs, and the prison quartet enter the building.
Pandora tells Samael and Duma what happened, noting to Samael that Sylph helped very much.
"What are we playing?" - Pandora, nodding at the deck still on the table.
Christopher heads off to bed, passing Cobalt who's finished repairing things, but Ashlar, Pandora and Sylph all
want in on the card game. Everyone greets Cobalt
"Yeah, deal me in" - Cobalt
Samael glowers.
"No spells" - Sylph
Ashlar looks faux-shocked at the mere suggestion.
The poker game that follows is brutal. Duma and Samael are now being openly hostile to one another, trying
their best to win. The others are trying to have fun, and Pandora shoots a few worried looks at her boyfriend...
Until, without even looking at her, he plays a hand designed to kick her out of the game in order to gain a slight
tactical advantage over Samael.
Pandora sits back, annoyed, and watches as Samael winds Duma up by studiously ignoring him until Duma,
irate, doesn't notice Ashlar preparing to kick *him* out until it's too late. That achieved, Samael happily lets
Sylph boot him out while Duma thumps the table and strides off in a huff. Everyone remaining loses to Ashlar,
who chuckles as he collects the cash.
Pandora, without a word, heads to her room.
...
Samael and Cobalt, sharing a room, lie in the dark and listen through the thin walls as Pandora and Duma have
a fight. Harsh words are spoken, but the last bit is the most interesting;
"...He's young, he's bright, he's working in your department. Do you feel threatened?" - Pandora
"There's somethig you don't know about Samael..." - Duma
And then it goes silent. Maybe they're using hand signs. Maybe Duma put a soundproofing spell on the room.
Either way, that doesn't sound good.
What *doesn't* she know about Samael?
...
Morning
"Gentlemen! Hands off cocks and on socks!" - Rodriguez
The mexican is knocking on the door of Samael and Cobalt's room as they wake up, bright sunlight coming in
through the room's tiny window.
"Mrmm" - Samael
Cobalt is lying wide awake.
"Do you know... I've never felt bad about a good night's sleep before" - Cobalt
Something in Cobalt's tone wakes Samael up.
"You're okay?" - Samael, concerned
"Surprisingly okay... I did it. We drew lots... I lost... Had to be done." - Cobalt
Samael waves his hand, casting a muffling spell on the door so that Rodriguez can't be heard.
"Did you make it quick?" - Samael
Cobalt nods
"No magic?" - Samael
Important, that. Killing someone by magic - by constructing an imago involving their death - is worse than other forms
of killing. Not only do you want them to die, but you make your Soul feel it in order to cast the spell.
Again, a nod. Samael remembers the Supernal Vision he cast on Cobalt before he went off to catch the Seer.
"Saw him unravel. It was strangely beautiful." - Cobalt
Samael's turn to nod, sympathetically
"In the end, when you say 'It has to be done'... You have to accept that you will be the one to do it" - Cobalt
Amen
...
Breakfast.
Balam is frying dubious things as the boys enter - Cobalt shaven and Samael sporting stubble. He smirks at
Duma, who is sat away from Pandora, both of them looking annoyed.
As Cobalt recieves a plate of fried dubious, Ashlar calls him over - the Acnathus has saved him a seat.
"Thanks" - Cobalt
"That's new" - Ashlar, pointing a fork at Cobalt's wristband.
"Present from my old mentor" - Cobalt
"Ah. Cognos." (smiling) "I remember Cognos. So, I fear, does my Heirarch. Something involving..." - Ashlar
"A Flywheel. Gabrielle told us." - Cobalt
"Yes indeed. Plus, he wouldn't stop trying to break into the library. You should see it - the Library of St John. I
know you're a Libertine, so you probably wouldn't be allowed, but I could always ask. And you should come to
London anyway. Assuming we survive this one of course!" - Ashlar
Orchid and Sylph make their appearance - Sylph has dressed in practical jungle clothing. Orchid is wearing an
RAF symbol t-shirt.
So she has a target on her chest
Gabrielle comes to sit with Samael, Sylph and Orchid, across from Ashlar and Cobalt - interrupting Sylph, who
was about to ask Samael if there's something bothering Cobalt.
The meal passes, Ashlar recounting the strange tale of Uritu Yupanqui, a Liche discovered by a group of
Atlantis-Seekers, who had gone mad through overexposure to invisible communications and had a deadly
dislike for brand-name logos, which he misinterpreted as foreign gods.
Uritu is from Secrets of the Ruined Temple. His sanctum is forbidden to imbibers of the yin-yang elixir. Make his day.
After everyone's eaten, the expedition assemble at the jeeps. Rodriguez, who will be driving the lead car, says
they should look out for trouble. Cobalt, Samael, Sylph and Orchid get a Jeep (Samael's driving) and go next-to-
last in the convoy, Samson, Memento, Gabrielle and Crick taking the rear.
Chris: To flex those 2-dot merit muscles again, I seem to remember it was mentioned that Orchid's decision to join with
the Horizon in the jeep was influenced by her noticing those Striking Looks again
An hour down the road, well out of town, they all pull over and Rodriguez hands out the weapons.
Samael looks at the Ak-47 in his hands.
"You know how to use this?" - Cobalt
"Just... Show me, yeah?" - Samael
And they're off again
...
The Brazilian countryside passes by.
"I thought there'd be more..." - Orchid
"Jungle?" - Samael
They look around at the sparse, apparantly abandoned fields all around them.
"Burned to clear it. They raise cattle on the land, but the nutrients in the soil aren't sustainable without the
forest, so it gets abandoned..." - Cobalt
He points to where smoke is rising from the horizon
"...and they burn another bit of jungle. It takes an age for the old part to grow back." - Cobalt
Suddenly, he and Samael get an odd prickling sensation at the back of their necks. Along the convoy, some
people are looking around.
Samael has a flash of realisation just as most of the others do.
"Scrying!" - Samael
Memento casts a spell, pinching shut the scrying window.
Pandora, in the car ahead of them, makes a "keep going" gesture, and the convoy picks up the pace a little.
It could have been Cognos, or someone else friendly.
It probably wasn't.
Sylph casts Lucky Coin on the car, modifying it to last until the car engine is switched off.
"String your bow. Just in case" - Samael
Which is a use of Fate 2 to make it conditional, bumping the Lucky COin duration.
...
And now for the fight scene.
When it comes, it comes suddenly. The jeep's radio crackles and dies. The highly expensive survival watch
Cobalt bought Samael sqawks and goes blank.
Cobalt spots something in the long grass, as the front car in the convoy makes a horrible sound and dies,
coasting to a halt.
Reality blisters as everyone casts spells. Sylph throws Bestow Exceptional Luck on the Cabal.
Specifically not taking any luck from the pool and not casting 8-again on herself because she wanted to avoid striking
a killing blow again.
While everyone is looking around, Cobalt takes aim at where he thinks the assainlant was lurking and fires,
missing. A shot rings out from another direction entirely, winging him but giving away the second group's
location.
Balam leaps down from the front Jeep, and lands as a Jaguar. Christopher fades away like a ghost, moving into
Twilight. Rodriguez casts Superlative Luck on himself and produces a fearsome-looking handgun. Ashlar just
vanishes.
Yes, Rodriguez *does* use a Desert Eagle. He's that kind of a guy. Balam's transformation is achieved with Life magic.
Dave2 - Dave handed me armoury and asked me to pick an over-sized gun for Rod. You don't get much more Manly
than a chrome-plated Desert Eagle and stat-wise it fits an Acanthus well: giving a bunch more dice without an x-again
that would be wasted next to his fate-powers. I am human, see me munch
Crick - sporting a hunting rifle - aims, while Pandora casts a Death spell...
...That withers the grass, killing all the vegtation in several yards and revealing two men. One of whom tries to
cast a spell, which is countered by Duma. The other shoots Balam, which hits but doesn't slow the big cat
down.
The Auric horizon, back from all this, are more worried about the second group of Seers Cobalt initially saw.
Orchid, taking cover inside the Jeep, casts a Mage Sight spell on the others, granting them Life senses... which
neatly pick out the third and forth Seer just where Cobalt thought they were.
Samson has produced - of all things - a flamethrower, while Sylph opens fire in the hidden Seers' direction.
Gabrielle casts something - maybe dispelling something, or trying to, because in the next split second one of
the still-hidden Seers casts Thunderbolt at Samson, who falls screaming from his Jeep. Cobalt casts Reshape,
forcing the ground to rise up as a wall between them and the hidden Seers.
At the front of the convoy, there's a gunfight going on - Rodriguez headshots one Seer while Crick - firing from
the back *through* the fight - kills the other. Balam switches direction and runs around the edge of the wall at
the last two, who everyone now concentrates on. Samael, who's been trying to sense and jam any radio
frequencies the Seers might be using, has been taking shots when able, and manages to shoot one of the Seers
in the leg.
Balam makes short, messy work of one of them.. Cobalt's glad he can't see it from his vantage point.
Ashlar reappears - or rather, returns to the timestream after having put himself into a Temporal Pocket.
Everyone's magic shields and mage armours are swamped by a combined spell of both Ashlar has spent
several subjective hours casting, ramping up the potency and number of people in order to cover the entire
group.
"There could be more of them!" - Cobalt
Christopher reappears next to Balam, and puts the last Seer to sleep. Balam cancels his shapeshift and begins
to check people for wounds while the considerable talents of the group are put to making the Seer they've jsut
captured scry-proof and unable to escape.
Cobalt puts a hand to his wound, coming away red with a suprising amount of blood, as Balam approaches.
"Not.. yet" - Cobalt
He casts Pain harvest on himself, and then gives Balam the nod.
"Okay. Now" - Cobalt
And, while Balam heals him, he watches Pandora disintegrating bodies and Path tools, while in the distance the
jungle burns.
Hell of a start to the day.
And that's all for this session! That fight took quite a while, as you can imagine with that many people acting. Next
time, we should reach the dig site itself, and maybe even discover just how dangerous it is! Foreboding!
Oh - and the lesson? Don't ever run a combat in Storytelling with 15 combatants. It gets very confusing and you do
things like forget the autofire rules. As for example.
Or, come to think of it, Paradox.
I shall endeavour to split the expedition into more manageable chunks in 2.4
1. Welcome To The Jungle

Session 2.4
Welcome back, faithful reader! The story is progressing pretty much as I expected, and I hit my cliffhanger mark at the
end of this session with only a bit of nudging, so it was on-course for 2.5 to be the last in the Amazonian sequence.
Then it's back to the UK for "The Hounds of Winter", which is Story 3.
I am, of course, well and truly behind in these recaps. We've actually finished Welcome to the Jungle at time of writing,
and as of posting this have just finished the first session of *next* story, so I won't be quite as coy as usual about
what's going on.
In a peek behind the creative process, I came up with the elements of this story in the following order - the means of
accessing the temple, the archaeomancer stcs we've been following all story, the cliffhanger of this session and only
then the nature of the monster (there's always a monster). I'll give a more detailed explanation next time.
In preparation for this session, I drew a map of what the Atlantean site would have looked like when in use, then
"aged" a tracery of it, vanishing some buildings, turning others into rubble, toppling statues and columns and burying
half of it in jungle. The resulting map of the dig site is what the players received. If Agena can be persuaded to use her
scanner (mine turns out to not be compatible with my new pc) I might stick both up on the thread, along with my
scrappy diagram of the Ruined Temple's interior from next time.
I'll certainly stat the monster. I'm quite proud of the monster as a threat that's more of a threat to the elder mages
than the younger ones.
It's not the heat. Samael can cope with the heat, and the humidity. Such are the perks of being an Obrimos.
It's the insects. The constant oppressive *life* in the Jungle.
It is three days after the battle with the Seers, and the expedition is nearly at their destination. For the last two
days they've been on-board the "Anna Maria", a dilapidated river-boat that looks like it's been converted from
steam power and belongs in a 1940s adventure serial. It's rusting, the paint has long since peeled and it's not
quite big enough for everyone to sleep on-board, so they're taking it in shifts. There's a small covered cabin on
the deck, near the front, but most of it is open.
"Ten" - Samael
Samael is playing cards, using the now wilting cards from before, with Orchid. They're using crates as both
stools and a table. Samael's motive is not just boredom - Orchid is using the compelling practice of Life to make
the bugs swarming over the river stay away from them.
I don't think the players noticed. In fact, they wouldn't have been able to until later on, and they better things on their
minds, but it's appropriate to open this session with a note of how much Life there is in the jungle, and someone using
magic to control it.
Just saying. Sometimes, the subtle foreshadowing is the best.
Sylph, trying to fan the heat away from herself, joins the game.
"Any word?" - Samael
Nothing.
Crick, Pandora and Ashlar have been gone for a few hours - the boat is stationary on the river, moored while
those three trek to the native village and get directions to the place the smugglers went.
Cobalt emerges on deck. Sylph looks concerned when she doesn't think he's looking.
---
The Night Before
"Are you all right?" - Sylph
Cobalt realises she's talking to him, and turns away from the dark porthole.
"Because you've been awfully melancholic lately" - Sylph, worried
Cobalt, smiling without humour, sighs and tells her what he did to the Seer.
"I could have backed out of it, but I didn't. I knew someone had to, and it may as well be me" - Cobalt
"'Destroy the followers of the lie'. I signed up to it, but I never really thought..." - Persephone
She tries not to think about Quiet.
"... but I never thought I'd have to do it with my own hands." - Cobalt
He sighs
"All right, I've been a grumpy guts for a while... I'll cheer up, I promise." - Cobalt
...
On deck, Samael is listening to the night-time calls of the jungle when he's joined by Ashlar.
They nod to one another, friendly.
"So..." - Ashlar
Samael waits for him to finish.
"...Why do you and Duma want to kill one another?" - Ashlar
Samael squints, considering
"It's an old matter. And well, I don't want to kill him..." - Samael
"Grudge?" - Ashlar
"It won't get in the way." - Samael
"It would help to convince me if I knew what was involved" - Ashlar
"How much do you know about Duma's Legacy?" - Samael
Ashlar nods to himself

"They're Left-Handed. Duma was forced to join it by his teacher when he was your age. The Council and
Provosts in London know about it, Civitas knows about it, but for Duma's sake it's kept quiet." - Ashlar
"My master, back in the UK, was killed by a member of that Legacy" - Samael
"And Duma to you represents them. I understand. Duma has spent years trying to find a way to remove it, you
know. Nothing works, though. Once your Soul has been changed there's no backing out of it, except maybe the
Ocean Oroboros - and that would mean cutting part of your soul out with the power of the abyss. Not to be
recommended." - Ashlar
"I think he's still practising" - Samael
"If he is, it would have to be proved. And you're not going to do that out here" - Ashlar
---
Now
"They're back!" - Orchid
Pandora, Ashlar and Crick walk back up the gangplank. The expedition gather on the deck, Samson (who's been
quiet since he was injured, abashed over his dressing-down for boasting) in the rear.
"Okay, everyone! That went really well. There's a part of the forest the villagers avoid as being holy, in a valley
North-West of here. The Adamas were picked up from the very edge, and the villagers say there's some kind of
structure in the centre of the valley. Rod - we need to go about eight miles further upstream, and then we've
got a hike through the forest of three and a half miles. If we stay heading North from the anchor point, we
should be able to find the entrance to the valley" - Pandora
Balam starts speaking, and Christopher translates. The trek will be deceptively tiring, and a lot of dangers could
be found on the way. He tells them what to wear, and starts listing things to avoid.
Back at the card "table", Cobalt is using the Matter Arcanum to reinforce people's boots.
"Some people are going to have to stay behind on the boat, though. in case of trouble. And we're not taking the
prisoner to the site. Rod, Crick, Christopher - you're staying, at least for the first night" - Pandora
The three men agree, and everyone swings into action, collecting gear, tents, supplies.
"And now the hike. Watch out for giant snakes and monkeys that walk as men" - Cobalt, grumpily
"Nah. Golden Condors. I've seen 'Cities of Gold'" - Orchid
I loved the Mysterious Cities of Gold as a kid. Olmec spaceships and all.
...
It's a hard hike, uphill from the river, cutting their way through undergrowth. The Rain Forest lives up to it's
name, and everything quickly gets very wet.
Sylph and Samael have a quiet good-natured argument about nothing in particular, while carrying a crate
between them. Finally, after what seems like hours, Balam shouts something from up ahead.
"We're here" - Ashlar
Appropriate Indiana Jones music should now start
The sun has come out as they emerge from the tree-line into an irregular clearing which nearly fills a shallow
valley. The absence of trees doesn't make the place any less fecund, though - the foliage is chest-deep on
Samael.
A few meters away from where they emerged, there's an old, pitted statue of an Archer depicted in the act of
drawing his bow - minus the arrow. Following the Archer's eye-line, they can see a few broken columns along
what would be the arrow's path, made of the same material as the "pieces" the smugglers removed.
Off to the East there's what looks like a thinning in the foliage - some kind of paved area - with a big broken
column or statue lying next to it. Looking North from that, they see clumps of foliage-covered ruins leading,
where the ruins meet the arrow-line from the statue, to a squat, flat-topped pyramid with steps leading up to
it's roof. The Pyramid, alone out of everything here, is entirely free of plant life.
"Whoa" - Samson
Pandora surveys the valley, a wide grin on her face. Duma wanders off towards the paved area.
Cobalt produces a Dictaphone and starts narrating, describing what they're seeing. He sees Ashlar watching
approvingly, and holds the recorder out to him
"Want to say anything?" - Cobalt
"It's wonderful. To find so many above-ground structures remaining is very rare. The plant life can't break up
Adamas like it would reduce a normal site. The valley must shelter it somewhat. Yes. It's going to take days for
Sylph and Orchid to..." - Ashlar
Sylph and Orchid, listening, wait for it
"...Draw everything." - Ashlar
"Did you do that pause on purpose?" - Cobalt
Ashlar grins.
Gabrielle has climbed up onto the statue and is sighting along the archer's eyeline.
"That post is the first of many - there's a whole line of them heading to the Pyramid, but they appear to get
shorter the nearer to it they go. They possibly mark a ley line" - Gabrielle.
"Okay. Gabrielle, Samson - head back to the boat and tell Rod we've found the place. Stay there overnight, then
come back in the morning. Everyone not doing anything - we'll make camp here. I'll clear us some room" -
Pandora
She starts withering plants.
Which she did last session, too, but is also a bit of foreshadowing.
"So, Cobalt. Theories on where the Temple is?" - Ashlar
Cobalt looks around
"It's not the ziggurat." - Ashlar
"The ruins?" - Cobalt
"It's *under* the Ziggurat. Try to sense the composition of the earth beneath us. You'll get so far - or you would
if you knew the Space Arcanum - and then stop when your spell hits the Adamas of the Temple's walls.
Question is, how do we get inside? It's an Ungula Draconis site, from that statue. Probably trapped more than if
it were from one of the other Orders. We should be very careful just how we pronounce "Mellon"." - Ashlar
Which is a poker-faced Lord of the Rings joke.
While everyone is setting up the base camp, putting together the large tents, Sylph tries to see into the future
to see if/when they will be attacked by whatever got the Smugglers, but her spell fails. Explaining what she's
up to meets with a certain amount of scepticism.
"A monster?" - Memento
"Yes! The monster that killed one smuggler and scared the other off" - Sylph
"The monster that probably doesn't exist? There could be a hundred other reasons for what happened" -
Pandora
There's one in every monster movie. Someone who doesn't believe there's a monster.
"Well, we broke the first rule anyway" - Cobalt
Pandora and Sylph both look puzzled
"We went into the long grass" - Cobalt
Jurassic Park joke!
"They didn't get very far into the site." - Ashlar
He's stood by the first column in the line leading from the statue - it's top half has been shattered by
something, and Ashlar has just picked up a chunk from within the grass.
"This edge matches one of the pieces we got from them. I think they were all from this first column" - Ashlar
"And the adamant arrowhead was from the Archer?" - Samael

Sylph has realised something
"So where did the body go?" - Sylph
"What?" - Pandora
"The body of the other smuggler?" - Sylph
Cobalt casts Grim Sight and begins looking for Ghosts. He doesn't find any, but he does find something else.
"Guys... Over there. There's another building" - Cobalt
The paved area isn't a paved area. There's a squat, plain building on it that only exists, as far as Cobalt can tell,
in Twilight.
"Oh, that is clever. The entrance is Twilight-shifted. Adamas are solid even to immaterial things, so you build
your doorway on the immaterial spectra and lock it. That way you're protected against the whole range of
accidental entries, and you can only get in with magic" - Ashlar
"No Ghosts, though. No corpses" - Cobalt
"The body was probably dragged off by a predator" - Pandora
"Or the monster" - Sylph, stubborn
"I can date the site!" - Duma, calling over from the giant, fallen statue that would have loomed over where they
now know the entrance to be.
They make their way over, to where Duma and Samson have been clearing foliage off the statue.
"What is it?" - Pandora
"It's an Exarch" - Duma
1. Welcome To The Jungle

The statue is of a robed man, seated on a high throne, wearing some sort of vestment and holding a sceptre.
He is blindfolded, and there's a halo of stars behind his head. The base of the carving, still intact, has
something written on it in the letters of the High Speech.
"Name and date. Unfortunately, neither would mean anything - there aren't enough names known to compare
it, and the dating system they used remains a mystery. Quite a find, though" - Memento
Remember that Memento is the only expedition member to have the "Atlantean" Linguistics Merit, as from Secrets of
the Ruined Temple
"But it's an Exarch?" - Pandora
"I'm afraid so. The Vestment, like a Profane Urim. The Halo. His presence indicates that the site was in use in
the very last years of Atlantean History. What's odd, though, is the cut." - Duma
He points to areas on the statue's base.
"I think he was deliberately toppled" - Duma
They fill him in on what they've found out so far, and there is some experimental walking "through" the
insubstantial and invisible entrance building.
It's approaching sunset, and most people are working on getting the camp ready when Samael, Sylph, Ashlar
and Cobalt decide to approach the Pyramid by way of the ruins in front of it. Ashlar says that there's a path or a
roadway stretching from the entrance and the Exarch statue up to the Pyramid's steps - he's casting Unveiling
spells of Matter which are showing him where the flagstones still remain buried under mud and plant life.
"Can you tell what the ruins were for? Postcognition?" - Samael
"They're too old even for that - though they're not made of Adamas like the temple and the column line. Time
spells have a hard time reaching across the Fall. If I have enough time to contemplate them, I might be able to
use my Attainment" - Ashlar
"You're in a Legacy?" - Cobalt
"One of my own devising, actually - I have yet to think of a cool name for it. It's based on the old
archaeologist's question of 'if you have a broken pot, how do the bits fit together'? I use a sense of Time and
Matter to reconstruct destroyed items, buildings. I can even make them appear in Twilight, but there aren't any
details - I could rebuild these ruins in my mind show them to the rest of you, but if there were pictures on the
walls I wouldn't be able to reconstruct them." - Ashlar
"Pretty useful, though" - Samael
"I like to think so" - Ashlar
"Guys..." - Cobalt
They've neared the Pyramid. The unnatural cleanliness of it - the utter absence of plants - actually extends in
an irregularly-shaped area all around it. The amazonian topsoil, bereft of plant roots to hold it in, has turned to
a slick of mud in the rain earlier, dotted here and there with the brittle remains of plants.
Samael casts Supernal Vision.
"That's weird. It looks like... Like it's been scoured for Mana" - Samael
"Can we date *that*?" - Sylph
Ashlar nods, and casts an Knowing spell of Prime and Time to determine when the Scouring occurred.
"Just over two months ago" - Ashlar
"Which is when the smugglers were here" - Sylph
"We'd better tell everyone to not go into the dead zone. At least until we know what caused it" - Samael
"We'll Pandora, get some tape set up or something" - Ashlar
For now, though, armed with an estimated time, Ashlar and Sylph cast Postcognition.
Sylph, if I remember, did unusually well on this particular casting of Postcognition. I think she used Destiny dice.
Agena: Yes I did but not all of them I think. It's because Sef was convinced that a monster did it and I wanted to make
sure she'll see something relevant.
"He's... There's one of the Sleepers, on top of the Pyramid. It's covered in vines, moss... He's got a
crowbar...He's trying to prise something off the roof, and..." - Sylph
Ashlar squints, seeing it himself.
"The plants rush toward him, like they're flowing, and crush him. Then they.. he... everything crumbles to dust"
- Sylph
"The Mana scouring. Whatever animated the plant life to attack him then used that same plant life - and our
unfortunate smuggler - to replenish it's Mana. There wasn't a Paradox, either - the poor soul didn't have long
enough for Disbelief to set in, and whatever cast that spell must have gotten lucky." - Ashlar
Samael takes the cap off the spyglass Cognos gave him, and scries the top of the Pyramid.
"There's some kind of seal there - see? A big, Orichalcum disk covered in High Speech. Looks like it's slightly
out of place. Oh, and there's a crowbar" - Samael
He casts Supernal Vision again, using the scrying window the spyglass creates.
"The seal's magical - I think it's got a Forces component" - Samael
"We need to tell Pandora" - Ashlar
...
The sun sets over the dig site - metal posts marking the perimeter of the Scoured area, for safety's sake - and
the expedition members are assembled in the communal tent, while Balam cooks something dubious.
Sylph asks Archimedes, using the empathic bond they share, to keep an eye on the Pyramid while she sleeps.
Archimedies is of the opinion that the monster will eat everyone in their sleep.
"Well, *thanks*!" - Sylph
She earns a look from Cobalt and Samael, but the boys don't say anything.
The various specialists are conferring over dinner. Ashlar tells Cobalt to look at the ruins and examine it for
clues as to how to get inside. Duma, Memento and Samael are going over their own findings - Memento has
looked at the columns and confirms what they thought - they're designed to hold a ley line in place, forming
them into an arc heading towards what looks like a broken altar in front of the Pyramid, well inside the dead
zone.
"And there are columns on the South-East side too, mapping a similar arc. I think there are parts of a second
altar on the other side as well" - Memento
"Which means that they carefully set the ley lines up" - Duma
"But that they could be damaged. If the columns are broken..." - Samael
"The leys may have drifted. Yes - Samael. Tomorrow, you map the ley lines while I look for more columns. Once
we have what they were meant to look like and what they look like now, we'll have a chance to figure out
what's what." - Duma
Sylph, chatting with Ashlar and Cobalt, says she'll make herself useful making drawings and plans of things.
"You know, in case the Mystagogues try to hide anything from the Libertines" - Sylph
"Yes, because we're mean like that" - Ashlar
"We're just making sure we get our share. We don't want everything to wind up in an Atheneum" - Cobalt,
smiling
"Well, of course. I mean, how would you sell it to a Lorehouse otherwise?" - Ashlar
"Once the information is free, suddenly it has to pay the rent" - Cobalt
Ashlar sits back, pondering.
"An awful lot of mysteries. Fragments. We could really use a Sphinx." - Ashlar
Sylph, seeing an opportunity to clue Samael in on the Sphinx without telling him that Logos back in Newcastle
is one, asks Ashlar about them.
"Puzzle solvers. I can take a broken item and see how to put it back together again, an Eleventh Question would
know who broke it and how, using Time to trace lines of guilt and association, but a Sphinx operates on a more
esoteric level. They study the Fallen World, believing the Oracles hide subliminal messages in the fabric of
reality that they can see." - Ashlar
"So they're like Duma's Legacy, but without the Soul eating?" - Sylph
Ha!
Everyone - including Duma, who clearly heard that, goes quiet.

"What soul eating?" - Ashlar
Samael looks surprised, looking at Duma with an expression intended to say 'don't look at me, it's the crazy
Libertines'. Memento seems embarrassed on both Sylph and Duma's behalf. Pandora looks like she's going to
be sending Sylph back to the boat at next opportunity and Orchid looks like she's finally figured something
that's been eluding her out. Balam doesn't seem to have noticed.
Duma, though, is incensed. Thankfully beyond words.
Sylph tells Ashlar - and, by extension, everyone else - what Quiet and Vahishta did, both to the Sleepwalker and
to Chayot. Sylph is very careful to not accuse Duma personally of any wrongdoing, but does call it "Duma's
Legacy" at least every other sentence.
Cobalt is sitting back and letting Sef play this one out. He backs her up on facts, but isn't quite sure he approves of
opening up the conflict with Duma in the middle of the dig.
Duma finally jumps to his feet, pushed beyond his tolerance.
"I would watch your words if I were you, Persephone" - Duma
And with that, he storms out, muttering about Duel Arcane and how the Auric Horizon are all left-handed,
except maybe Cobalt.
Ashlar leans forward, conspiratorially, while everyone else resumes speaking in the background.
"Sylph. Be very careful, and not just for yourself. If Chayot was Samael's mentor then we can't be sure what he
taught him" - Ashlar
"I lived next to them for months, and" - Sylph, angry
"The suspicion would still be there. The suspicion that you're showing Duma. If this were a Consilium that man
would have every right to call you to a duel already. You accused him of consuming souls - of being a *lich*." -
Ashlar
"I..." - Sylph
Ashlar has apparently lost his appetite. He leaves, shaking his head.
...
Later that evening, Cobalt is sat out alone, looking across the night-time valley and thinking.
Sylph sits down next to him.
"Do you think I went too far with the Soul-eating thing?" - Sylph
Cobalt makes room for her.
"There's a difference between displacing souls - bad as that is - and consuming them" - Cobalt
"I just thought it would be a funny way of putting it. I didn't realise there were actually people who..." - Sylph
"Tremere" - Ashlar
The old mystagogue has snuck up on them
"And it wasn't very funny at all. 'Sylph'... If there's something in your past you would prefer stay hidden, you
should watch out. Duma has apparently been researching Samael, and he's intimated he's found things out
about you. He called you by a different name." - Ashlar
"I never accused him of anything! And I'd like to think my life isn't that accessible" - Sylph
"You never accused him directly. Which is why you're still here. Pandora's pretty angry" - Ashlar
He leaves. Sylph declares that she's going to bed, and heads for the tent she shares with Orchid.
"Go on. tell me everything" - Orchid, conspiratorially
Sylph starts at the beginning...
...
When Cobalt finally goes to bed, he finds Samael scribbling notes by lanternlight.
"Anything yet?" - Cobalt, pulling his boots off
"The site's... inward. Inwardly focused. See?" (taps notepad with a pencil) "The archer was pointing in. There
are two Dragon statues flanking the Exarch, all three looking at the entranceway. And there aren't any access
points, no roads out of here and we're a long long way from the sea. Duma says there might be a platform for
Vimery Engines further in the jungle, but this place was picked for it's remoteness. I'd say this place isn't a
training facility or a research base." - Samael
"Then what?" - Cobalt
"It's more like a prison. Or a safekeeping place, for something they didn't want finding" - Samael
Encouraging!
The following morning, and the site is a hive of activity. Keen to show that *he* is capable of working despite
his and Duma's problems, Samael is conducting his survey of the ley lines. Sylph is making diagrams of the site
and it's artefacts, Ashlar is using his Attainment on the ruins, Memento is in the main tent scrying on the Seal
and drawing it so that she can then try to translate the speech upon it and Cobalt, using Grim Sight is drawing
the door on the Twilight-shifted pavilion.
Pandora calls everyone back to the tents.
"Has anyone replenished themselves from the statue?" - Pandora

There are denials
"Because it's empty" - Pandora
Ashlar, recognising a pattern, checks with a combined Supernal Vision and Postcognition
"The Mana just dispersed... Like when something dies and is Scoured. It floated freely and then just
disappeared." - Ashlar
"Why the statue?" - Samael
"Easy target. It contained more Mana than any of us, far more than our Tass supply." - Duma
"Where'd it go? Back into the Pyramid, or into the jungle?" - Sylph
"Gabrielle and Samson." - Pandora, worried
She sends Balam to meet them half-way on their way back to camp.
Samael, having a brainwave, uses Forces to boost the meagre radio signal they have out here in order to call
back to Rodriguez, Crick and Christopher. It's very weak and crackly, but the gist is that Gabrielle and Samson
left for the site about an hour ago, and nothing unusual has happened at their end.
After some discussion about how clearly this isn't what the ancients intended, ergo something has gone wrong
with the site, the team decide that the ley lines being out of place through natural drift might be something
they can do to fix things - and who knows? They could be intended to power something now dormant. The lines
of columns were intended to fix the lines into place, so they need to know where they were. Sylph and Samael
head out to find as many posts as they can and see the extent of the damage - Samael has taken to carrying a
rifle with him wherever he goes. They find, after several hours work, that there are four full arcs and several
smaller ones - the corners of the valley each have a statue of an Ungula Draconis archer. It looks like the
ancients carefully set the valley up to create a dead zone of resonance over the Ziggurat - the column-llines
would bend the ley-lines around it.
Heading back to camp for more water, they find that Samson and Gabrielle have arrived - and that Cobalt has
been busily using their computerised library of Atlantean Symbology (on his PDA) with the symbols on the
Twilight-shifted door.
"It's definitely an Arrow site, the door's covered in symbols of oaths and duty, but I don't think it was intended
to be opened by just one person - there's a slot in each corner that I *think* are intended for arrows. Like keys
to a silo." - Cobalt
"Either way, it suggests one shouldn't be going in alone" - Ashlar
"It's very basic stuff, though - glory of the order to a young member of it. An initiation ground?" - Cobalt
"I thought we were thinking Prison" - Pandora, glancing at Samael
"Maybe it's a prison AND a proving ground?" - Sylph
"Like.. you go inside to face whatever's in there?" - Samson
"Well. We have one arrowhead, and there are four statues. Maybe the other arrowheads are lying in the mud
next to the other three? We can look for them" (including Ashlar in his indication of 'we') "while you people fix
the ley lines" - Cobalt
Labour is divided again. Ashlar and Cobalt go glass-detecting, while Duma, Samael and Gabrielle engage in a
tiring afternoon of ley-line wrangling. By use of Prime magic, they gain the ability to see the shimmering, cable-
like ley lines and touch them. Moving them is physically demanding, like shifting steel cables, but once they
touch the columns they "pin" to them. Where there is no column remaining, Duma uses Mana to fix the line into
place.
One of the few times you'll be called upon to make a Strength + Occult roll, is moving ley-lines
Sylph, with a Supernal Vision bestowed by Samael, makes careful notes on the changes as the Obrimos team
do the heavy lifting.
Eventually, Ashlar and Cobalt have their prizes (Cobalt's multitool making an excellent shovel) and the ley team
have wrangled ley lines. There is, however, a problem.
The Ziggurat had two altars - one on either side - which seem to act as switching boxes, or maybe capacitors,
or.. let's face it, the Mages don't know what they were for, but they act as the zenith of two ley-line arcs. One
altar is apparently still functioning, because the ley touching it is bent over into a proper arc by it. The other,
though, is in little pieces. The ley is running straight between the foremost columns in the arc... And the altar's
remains are in the dessicated area, several yards from the safety tape marking the boundary.
The Obrimoi will have to cast their ley-shifting spells and then all three of them shove the ley line into place
until Duma can fix it with Mana. They'll just have to hope that the temple interior will function with only one
altar active.
Ashlar, Cobalt and Sylph stand by in case something nasty happens, and the three Obrimos get to shoving.
"NOW" - Duma
He fixes the ley, and something nasty immediately happens.
Under Sylph's Supernal vision, *something* that might be a spell, but shifts and twists too rapidly to see, shoots
up out of the Pyramid and lashes Samael, Duma and Gabrielle. All three feel their mage armour and magic
shield spells flare and shatter, the mana spent to reinforce them sucked away by whatever it is. It doesn't stop
there, either - some of their internal Mana is taken, too, before the thing suddenly turns around and drops back
through the seal on top of the ziggurat at the same moment the three manage to get across the boundary line.
I handle the mana drain from The Hunter - that's the spell - quite simply. I rolled a d10, and each character hit lost that
many points of Mana, coming in order from spells being cast at that moment using it, active spells that were cast with
it, Tass, Mana within magic items, Mana within the person's pattern and finally scouring the health levels of the taret.
This is why it's more dangerous for more powerful mages. It goes for the biggest score it can - so the likes of Balam
and Duma attract it while it generally ignores people like Orchid.
At least, when it's in gather resources mode.
Conference.
"There are spells, cast by the ancients, so complicated they almost seem alive. Spell imagos that can change
and self-update. There are beings made of magic called Ananke, living spells cast by archmages to ensure a
desired future comes about, but this..." - Ashlar
"This was not one of those" - Balam
"Something cast by someone inside?" - Samson
Balam has had a translating spell cast on him by Ashlar for the meeting
"Life. It looked like it was made of Life energies" - Orchid
"The vegetation that attacked the smuggler" - Cobalt
"And we are in a Jungle." - Ashlar
"Why does it return to the temple? Generated by something inside?" - Samael
"There'll be a Hallow, or a Demesne, deep inside. It's taking Mana... It probably needs a vast amount to do...
whatever it's meant to do. I don't think it's just here to eat Mana - I think that's just a secondary thing. We've
seen it animate plant life. Maybe it just can't go for very long without needing more Mana. It takes it from
wherever it can - Lilith, us - but it isn't enough, so it has to go back into the Hallow" - Duma
"What happens when it gets enough?" - Pandora
Silence
There is precedent, of a sort, for Atlantean artefacts and arch-arcana spells requiring ridiculous amounts of Mana in the
gameline. I didn't think this was that much of a stretch.
Balam looks at the Arrowheads, then pushes them around on the table.
"There. These are in rank order" - Balam
He looks at the drawings of the door.
"Hm. Progression of battle. Gaining understanding of Duty. These are of the first Arrowhead. Perhaps there is a
sequence" - Balam
"Okay. That's good. Memento. Any word on the seal?" - Pandora
"It isn't a seal, nor a plug. Nothing to do with the mana drain. The inscription is a dedication, marking the valley
as the life's work of a particular architect, an entreaty to the kings of Atlantis to look kindly upon his work. As
far as I can tell, the disk *is* enchanted, but with a simple translocation of Forces spell" - Memento
"Meaning?" - Cobalt
"Meaning it sends the sunlight that hits it somewhere else, probably inside, so that the interior of the Temple
has natural light. It's a lighting system. BUT... it looks like the spatial link to do so was very tightly controlled,
and it's that that the smuggler disrupted when he moved it. I would say that your living spell is able to use
Scrying portals, spatial links and the like, and that when the smuggler opened the way..." - Memento
"It jumped up and ate him" - Samael

There is more discussion of what to do, that ends with a decision that the time has come to get inside the
temple and see what be found out there. Balam, Cobalt and Ashlar are agreed as the team for the job, and
Balam casts the spell to open a doorway-shaped barrier that converts them into Twilight when they cross it.
Watching via Grim Sight spells cast by those capable, the others see them fit the arrowheads, on the ends of
shafts made by Orchid from local plants, into the keyholes. The images on the door move and shift after they
turn the first key, Balam watching carefully and telling Ashlar and Cobalt when they've aligned such that the
next keys in the sequence can be turned. Finally, the last key is turned and the door opens, revealing an empty,
bare interior. Once they step inside, though, they start to sink down through the floor - there's an elevator of
some kind, also shifted into Twilight, which they're standing on. To everyone else, they appear to be sliding
down into the solid ground and vanishing.
After what seems like a long descent, their platform emerges out of the ceiling of a Adamas-stone chamber.
Ahead of them is another door, this one seemingly held shut by two statues of warriors. There are inscriptions
on the door, which they can't quite make out.
And the elevator rises back up into the ceiling. Without them.
...
Upstairs, though, there's a horrible sound like a bomb going off in the supply tent as the Lilith statue explodes.
The others run out just intime to see the spell hurtling off into the forest.
"I think it's full" - Duma
Samael gets on the radio to Rodriguez to warn him about the mana-eating monster heading their way.
...
Downstairs, Balam shifts them out of Twilight after they establish that the air is breathable. They're seeing by
flashlight, though.
Ashlar runs his hands over the inscriptions.
"I can't read this. We need Memento" - Ashlar
Cobalt digs out his radio, but he's deep underground, and the signal is very weak and full of static. Topside,
Samael realises Cobalt's trying to call, and tries to use Forces magic to enhance the signal again, but there's
something (the Adamas construction of the temple) getting in the way.
"W* n*ed M*m**to!" - Cobalt
"I can't.. I can't hear you" - Samael
"T***e's * do*r! I**s g*t wri***g al* ov*r i*. We n*ed M**ento t* t***sla*e" - Cobalt
"Cobalt - the spell is up here. It blew up Lilith" - Samael
"Wh**? I ca*'t **ar y*u! Wh*t wa* t*at?" - Cobalt
"The spell. Is up. Here." - Samael
"T** sp*l*?" - Cobalt
"yes! Oh... fuck it" (to Pandora) "Cobalt's on the line. It sounds like they need Memento." - Samael
Hah! I liked that sequence. It's the little things that amuse me, like Samael's irritable swearing.
"Can you get me in?" - Memento
"Yes, I can cast Ghost Gate" - Pandora
"THERE!" - Orchid
She's pointing at something on the edge of the treeline.

"I think something just moved" - Orchid
Samael whips out the spyglass, now recovered from Memento's desk, and takes a look. He gets a split-second
view of a humanoid figure made entirely out of coiling grass and insects before the spell - which was animating
the body - leaps forward into his view "out" of the body, which collapses behind it. Before he realises his
mistake, the spell is upon him, using the scrying window created by the spyglass to jump right into the camp.
The spyglass fizzes as it's mana is consumed, and everyone runs. Samael desperately casts Ephemeral
Enchantment on his rifle and throws it at the creature, distracting it long enough for them to get away.
"Do you have any Tass?" - Duma
The spell has gone into Samael's tent. Pieces of ironwork from the Lighthouse, buried away in Samael's
rucksack, explode one by one.
"We did" - Samael
The two Obrimos have taken shelter behind the fallen statue of the Exarch and watch as the spell leaves the
tent, a new body forming out of the long grass. A bird flies past and is sucked down into the humanoid form,
insects coil into muscles and roots become claws. As it walks, the living matter making it's body up is Scoured
for mana and more life pulled in to maintain it's shape. It leaves a trail of dessicated dust behind it as it moves
purposefully towards the ruin where Pandora and Sylph are hiding.
Duma takes a deep breath and releases some mana out of his pattern, channelling it into the empty air. The
monster immediately reverses - it doesn't bother turning around, just moves the swarm of life making it up so
it's pointing this way instead of that - and runs far too fast towards them as they run to either side. They flee
while it gives chase, snapping it's attention back and forth between them before apparantly giving up, dumping
it's "body" and flying off into the jungle.
Samael breathes hard, knackered, as everyone pops up out of their hiding places.
"It's run out of Mana again, thank God. Okay... Ideas?" - Pandora
"Would putting the seal back close the channel again?" - Gabrielle
Sylph checks that using Time magic, the augeries seeming to indicate that it won't.
"There must be damage at the other end, too. We need to fix it on the inside, lure it in somehow.. flaring Mana
maybe? And then fix the seal on the roof once it's in. Sylph - can you use your magic to see what sequence
Balam used to open the door?" - Pandora
Sylph nods.
"Alright. I can shift us into Twilight. Duma, Samael, Memento - you're coming with me. Cobalt said he needed
Memento, and Duma and Samael can attract the beast then maybe shut down the Hallow it lives in or
something. Sylph, Samson, Orchid, Gabrielle..." - Pandora
Sylph waits
"Head back to the boat." - Pandora
"What!?" - Sylph
"Give us a day... then go find help" - Pandora
If anything, she sounds more apologetic. But determined.
"But..." - Orchid
"You have a better chance back with Rod then you do down there with us. And you'll at least be able to tell
people what happened to us. I'm sorry, but it's not a vote" - Pandora
Sylph looks at Samael, realising that she might not see him ever again.
"No" - Sylph
"Sylph..." - Pandora, weary
"No - I mean" (picks Archimedies up and hands him to Samael) "This way we're certain. I can communicate with
Archimedies no matter how far away he is, and Balam can speak to him. That way we have a link" - Sylph
Samael takes the cat, and they hug
"Take care" - Samael

"you too" - Sylph
They hug while Pandora casts Ghost Gate in the background. Too quickly, the time to split up comes. Sylph
talks them through opening the door, and then watches as they vanish below the ground.
"Sylph" - Orchid
Those remaining above ground start running.
...
Down in the entrance chamber, Cobalt watches as the lift comes down.
"Guess they got the message" - Cobalt
...
And.. just when you thought it couldn't get any *more* complicated...
Sylph, Orchid, Gabrielle and Samson run through the jungle, Orchid keeping them from tiring and keeping the
bugs off while Gabrielle keeps them from overheating. As they near the river, though, they begin to hear
something.
Gunfire.
"The Seers!" - Samson
They emerge out of the tree line, high on the riverbank above the Anna Maria, and the scene is not good.
There's a powerboat next to their aged vessel, and it's occupants are having a pitched gun battle with
Rodriguez and Crick, both of whom are on the Anna Maria's deck.
Samson pulls his own gun out and starts to slide down the slope, but the combatants are intent on one another.
Sylph feels someone cast a spell...
...And the Anna Maria explodes. Crick and Rodriguez are swallowed by the explosion, Samson too. The fireball
and rain of shrapnel hits Sylph like a wave as she instinctively tries to get away. The shockwave throws her
backward, and the last thing she hears before her head hits a tree is the sound of cracking stone.
And then nothing.
Cliffhanger! I shall now proceed with writing 2.5, I guess.

Session 2.5
Welcome back, faithful readers, to the finale of our Amazonian sequence! 2.5 is where we start getting really strange.
Some closure is had, other plot threads are cut off like a raw wound and new things - including a major character -
introduced. This was a particularly fast-moving session, which felt longer than normal somehow. The accidental extra
week off probably helped us recharge our batteries for it.
So. After that cliffhanger, we spend quite a while before picking back up with Sylph's explosion, because it took her a
few hours to get back to the boat, and the others have explored some in the meantime. Such is life. Rest assured, we'll
get back to her.
And the others have their own problems...
Deep underground, Memento is running her fingers over the High Speech traced into the surface of the door.
"What's taking so long?" - Duma
"This is quite complicated" - Memento
"The door isn't actually made of Adamas - it's just metal. So we could bypass it, but, well... We took a look, and
there's a trap on the other side. Bet you it's set to go off if you don't open this thing properly." - Cobalt
"What sort of a trap?" - Samael
"Ever see Last Crusade? The penitent man will pass" - Cobalt
It's just not a Ruined Temple without an Indiana Jones trap. Cobalt really needs a hat.
Note that we finished this story a week *before* Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull came out. At time
of writing, in fact, I still haven't seen the movie.
Also in the theme of life overtaking art, I notice that the Brazilian government has just released aerial photos of an up-
to-now undiscovered tribe living in the far Acre province near the border of Peru; where this story is set, in other words.
As such, there are some evocative pictures up on various news sites of the terrain. It'll make visualising this recap
easier.
...
After about an hour (time is hard to gauge down here), she thinks she's got it.
"Balam. How's Sef doing?" - Samael, holding up Archimedies, who gives him a cat-glare.
"Running" - Balam
"About right" - Samael
Note that because of the time difference, the cliffhanger hasn't happened yet.
Memento very carefully pronounce something in High Speech, and the doors swing open.
"Okay - hold up there" - Samael
He puts Archimedies down, takes one of his boots off and carefully pushes it across the threshold, checking
with Supernal Vision and Night Sight.
Nothing happens.
"Safe" - Samael
Chris: A note about how I tried to play Samael during this session - I had him be quite bold in his actions, leading from
the front and taking the risks that involve personal danger. A bit of a change from my usual tendency for cautious,
prudent characters, but Samael isn't ignorant of the risks - just willing to take the responsibility for them.
Everyone breathes a sigh of relief. Memento turns on a camcorder
"You seeing this?" - Ashlar
She is. The tunnel on the other side of the door gently slopes upwards and is orientated in the ziggurat's
direction. The entranceway would seem to connect to whatever's under the Ziggurat just below the surface.
The walls are carved with intricate negative-space images (that is, the wall around the figures depicted is a few
centimetres further away than the figures) of male and female figures hunting, wielding what look like High
Speech runes as weapons.
Which is an odd art-way of showing magic use, obviously

Memento carefully films the carvings while Samael narrates his impression of the images - there's a definite
sense of going-forth, and the figures are all oriented *away* from the temple - as they make their slow way up
the tunnel. After a while, Duma and Samael call a halt - there's an invisible barrier, like a ward, blocking the
way.
"It's detecting active spells" - Duma, after some scrutiny
"Checking if we're mages?" - Samael
"More likely to block this exit from it." - Duma
Samael drops his Mage Sight spells, such that he has no active magics, and steps through. Nothing happens.
Cobalt walks through and feels his Mage Armour crumble as the barrier flashes into life.
"Dispellation Field" - Duma
Everyone else drops their spells before walking through, acutely aware of how fragile this makes them.
"We can always cast them again" - Memento
"There might be more barriers. Best to not waste the time until we're sure" - Pandora
In fact, there's a second dispellation field after the next section of tunnel, which does not appear to react to the
nude patterns of the expedition.
Too easy...
They are nearing the top of the tunnel when the air reverberates as a deep, rumbling voice says something in
High Speech - or rather, in Atlantean. It doesn't sound friendly, either; more like a demand. Memento, hurried,
flips through her notebook and hesitantly says something in reply.
The silence is broken by the sound of something clicking behind the walls.
Memento tries again, but whatever the consequences for not knowing the password, they are evidently about
to start.
"RUN!" - Memento, fleeing back the way they came.
"Hint taken!" - Cobalt, giving chase.
The mouths of the humanoid "hunter" figures on the walls are opening, round and dark. Within seconds
streams of small, scuttling things that reflect the flashlights oddly are pouring out of them. Recognising a
swarm of something when they see it, the Mages attempt to pick up the pace. Samael lets the others pass him,
pulling out his lighter and intending to burn the beetles, but when he points the light straight at them they're
soon revealed to not be even slightly organic.
Each "scarab" is a tiny jewel, a myriad of colours represented in the swarm, featureless apart from eight sharp,
faceted legs arranged around their circumference.
In the time-honoured tradition, the fleeing from the jewel-scarabs was handled as a contested Athletics test between
the mages. The scarabs weren't represented in the rolls - it wasn't a question of outrunning them, but of outrunning
one another.
Samael stumbles with the turning around and twists something, falling to his belly. Ashlar stops to try to help
him up, and the two of them are soon cut off, surrounded by jewels. The others make it unscathed to the
dispellation field, which the scarabs seem unwilling to cross.
Samael and Ashlar try to stamp on the scarabs attacking them, but there are too many of them. They swarm up
the mens' legs and Samael cries out as he feels stabbing pain - some of the scarabs have planted themselves
in the flesh of his thighs, the legs cutting all the way in like needles.
The pain of the beetles implanting themselves soon passes, though, as his legs begin to go numb. Samael
struggles to stay upright, watching Ashlar also get attacked and "bitten".
"It hurts and stings!" - Samael
Trying to keep one another on their feet, they struggle towards the dispellation barrier, but both men feel their
strength draining away while the scarabs painfully attached to their bodies begin to glow.
Aside from the lethal damage the scarabs do (Samael took 2 levels, Ashlar 3), they drain one Strength dot a round
once attached, the idea being to subdue the target so the rest of the swarm can kill them.
"Say hello to the modern technology!" - Cobalt
Cobalt, who still has his AK47, opens fire at the scarabs in-between the pair and the rest of the group, fighting
them back from the barrier long enough for Duma to step through and cast a telekinetic spell that picks Ashlar
and Samael up and throws them towards the rest of the group, where Duma and Balam catch them.
Everyone tumbles back through the barrier again, and the scarabs on Ashlar and Samael immediately stop
glowing. Those that were crawling around on their skin drop "dead", but the ones dug into their flesh have to be
pulled out - a process that's more painful than them clamping on in the first place.
As an experiment, Cobalt throws one of the dead scarabs through the barrier, where it immediately reanimates.
The jewels are all clustered close to the gang, now, so after some thought, Cobalt activates his Imbued
Multitool to become a long sweeping-brush, nearly as wide as the corridor on the end of a long, thin pole. With
that as a means of pulling the scarabs towards the barrier and deactivation, the swarm is dealt with over the
course of a quarter hour or so.
In the meantime, though, Samael is concerned with the bleeding wounds all over his legs. Tearing his trouser
legs open, he inspects his injuries gingerly. Balam crouches next to him, and makes as though to cast a healing
spell
"No! No - leave it. Save your mana" - Samael
Wincing, he applies bandages made from the first aid kit and what's left of his trouser legs, then watches
Cobalt sweep up the jewelled beetles while he massages his legs back to life.
Once he's up and limping, and the beetles have been cleared (Cobalt carefully putting them all in a sack),
Memento gives it a second go. This time, she apparently got the password right because there's no clicking
sound and no hoard of strength-draining gemstones.
"Onto the next barrier" - Samael
This one looks different under Supernal Vision. Samael leans in for a better look...
"*No*" - Balam
Everyone stops.
Balam (the translation spell was killed at the barriers before) points at Archimedies and then the barrier.
"Spirit ward?" - Pandora
Balam nods
Go on, do it! Kill the cat! You'll save yourself trouble in the long run...
After some consideration, it's decided to leave Archimedies and Balam's fetch in the entrance chamber, by
where the lift should come down to. Samael takes the duty of explaining it to Archimedies.
"Okay." (holding the cat around the middle with both hands. The cat seems annoyed) "This barrier" (points)
"will kill you, okay? So you're going to have to wait for us." - Samael
He offers the cat some jerky, which it takes imperiously then ignores him.
"Okay" - Samael
He hurries back to the others, just as they reach the top of the corridor.
There's another metallic double-door blocking the way into what, from the stone blocks making up it's
structure, looks like the below-ground parts of the Ziggurat
"What's wrong?" - Samael, upon seeing everyone's expressions.
Duma silently points his torch at the door.
Carved into the doors, twelve feet tall, is the Exarch depicted in the statue above-ground.
In the ceiling before the door there's a crack, as though it were hinged.
"Trap" - Samael
"You think?" - Duma
---
And now, back to Sylph...
Sylph feels cold.

She feels Archimedies panicking at the other end of their link.
She hears stonework cracking.
CATHERINE!
Blinking, she orients herself to the world. She's lying face-down in what was mud, but has now frozen solid. Her
fingers are numb, clawed into the ground in front of her.
She's lying in Winter.
For about a six-foot radius around Sylph, the plants are covered in frost. The Amazonian rain, which is gently
soaking everything around, has turned to snow just on her.
She feels like she's lost mana - not like the spell has taken it, or Archimedies has fed from it; Like *she's* used it
to cast a spell.
Which she sort of has. But we'll find that out next time.
Just to repeat that; this isn't a rerun of Broken Diamond, where the characters lived with the mysteries for most of the
chronicle. Soul Cage is intended to move the plot along at a fairer rate. Persephone will know what's going on by
halfway through next session. Her first action next time is to go off and find out, and she does so successfully.
Even as she looks around, trying to find the others, the snow melts away in the force of the returning rain, the
temperature of which has soon returned to the tropical heat.
And then she realises where she is. The explosion caused a landslide, and most of the slope has fallen into the
river - that's altered the geography somewhat. She's got blood coming out of a small wound in her forehead,
she's bruised to hell and she wants to sleep for a month. But she's not ten metres away from where she was.
Which means...
Sylph spots the Seers. The Anna Maria's flaming wreckage is scattered on and around the new mudbank, and
the Seers have pulled their own boat back a bit to compensate. As she watches, the Seers drag Orchid's
unconscious body (Sylph hopes she's unconscious not dead, anyway) out of the mud and into the boat, where
she's dumped alongside a soaked Rodriguez and an alive, awake and sat up Gabrielle, who has a Seer watching
her.
There's no sign of Crick or Christopher, but sadly the same can't be said for Samson - his corpse is floating
face-down in the river, tangled up in fallen tree-vines.
Roll right! NOW!
Sylph rolls, making it into cover just as a Seer emerges from the undergrowth and looks right at where she was.
On all fours, Sylph creeps around the new tree-line, trying to stay out of the Seers' way.
The Seer crunches frosted mud with his boot and, narrowing his eyes, draws a pistol.
Sylph, trying to shift her weight, slips and disturbs the foliage she's behind. The Seer immediately turns and
aims at her as she feels him casting a spell - doubtless to target her despite the cover.
The best place to be when someone points a gun at you if you're in his range is close. That way he has to move
more to aim at you
Sylph shakes her head, breath steaming as though it were a winter day in England.
It wasn't just an urge that made her roll into cover. Some of her thoughts are not her thoughts. It's like she's
speaking to herself, reciting something in her mind, but it's not of her own accord. And, although it's hard to
tell, the voice seems to be male.
There are definite male undertones. And the impression of a strong, upper-class English accent.
Now. We have two ways of going about this. He's made us - that's unfortunate but can't be helped now. We're
going to have to go to him. Option one, we get right up close and get the gun off him. Option two, we're
captured.
Without being able to actually hear the person "speaking" to her, Sylph decides it's someone using the Mind
Arcanum to communicate with her. She has only one suspect.
Hadrian.
Besides, she doesn't know how to *use* a gun, and the Seer is much larger than her. She needs to know if the
rest of the group are alright.
She steps out of the treeline, hands up.

Option two it is (disappointed)
"Shut up" - Sylph
The Seer demands something.
"I don't speak Portugese" - Sylph, to the Seer.
He follows her down the mudbank, where she's "helped" into the boat by the other members of his Pylon. She
sits next to Gabrielle, who's trying to wake Orchid up. The American girl comes around and - after healing
herself - starts to work on Rodriguez' injuries.
One of the Seers climbs aboard and addresses them in English.
"Where are your friends?" - Seer
"You blew them up!" - Sylph
He snorts and says that they'll know soon. As he leaves them to be guarded by his underling (for he is clearly in
charge), Sylph realises he didn't mean Samson, Crick and Christopher.
He meant the rest of the expedition.
While he gives orders to the other Seers, Sylph asks Orchid if Rodriguez is ready to wake up yet. In the
meantime, she has a plan.
"Release all of your mana. All of it - just throw it off into the air, like a flare. That'll attract the Spell, and with us
being empty..." - Sylph
"It'll go for them. But... We know it can't go far from the site. How far? Can it come out here?" - Gabrielle
Sylph hadn't thought of that. Her inner voice starts up again.
There is one way. It can travel through open spatial links... Such as the one we have back to the camp
It takes Sylph, who's still a little out of it after the explosion, a while to realise what it means - Archimedies
realises first, and she can feel him paniccing somewhere in the dark, begging her to not let the Spell eat him.
Sylph's head is getting a little crowded and she shuts her eyes, trying to get a grip on herself.
"We could try to get hold of their weapons" - Gabrielle
"Or we could tell them we know where the others are. If we lead them back to the site, we'll have a better
chance of getting the Spell's attention" - Sylph
I approve.
Gabrielle and Orchid nod their agreement, and Orchid completes her ministrations. Rodriguez moans and
clutches his head as he comes around.
"Arhh. Rodriguez hurts" - Rodriguez
Sylph immediately makes a scene, crouching over Rodriguez, holding his head and asking loudly if he's okay,
while Gabrielle whispers the plan under Sef's faux-lovers' concern.
The Acanthus stands up with his hands up, eyes flickering to where his Dedicated pistols are tucked into the
belt of one of the Seers. The lead Seer says something to him, which Rod answers rather curtly in Portugese.
The Seer guarding them immediately aims his weapon at Sylph's head before Rodriguez says something,
sounding like it's leaving a bitter taste in his mouth, and the guard backs off. The lead Seer looks pleased, and
starts giving orders again.
Rodriguez sits back down, heavily, wincing at the pain.
"What did you say?" - Gabrielle
"First I said I would never take them to the temple. Then, after they threatened my love" (nods at Sylph) "I gave
in. This way it's their idea." - Rodriguez
Strange how he made sure you have to act like his girlfriend for the next few hours.
"I made them think you were important to me. Play along" - Rodriguez, winking
Sylph feels the urge to slap him, but settles for hugging him.
I think I'm going to be sick.
Confused yet? Cliffhanger resolved, we now return to the others.

"You're not going to like it" - Memento
Back in the Temple entranceway, Memento has the inner door system all figured out. The door is enchanted
with Mind and Matter spells - when the correct thoughts are detected, it becomes permeable and allows the
person doing the thinking to walk through it as though it weren't there. Physically opening it using the handles
triggers the trap that they're all stood under.
The specific thought that's required is a prayer to the Exarchs.
"This is their Temple. Their house. His house. I don't think it's anything specific, or even magically-powered, but
you have to honestly beg that Exarch permission to enter." - Memento
She's right. They don't like it.
After some heated debate, and hashing out what they think the best pronunciation of the Exarch's name is
from the inscription on his statue (it's still untranslatable, but they can maybe sound out the high speech of it),
Duma is the first to give it a go. The door shimmers and Duma walks through it like a ghost.
Next up is Samael, who manages to hold the unpalatable thought long enough. Then Balam, Memento and
Pandora.
After a few minutes, Pandora and Samael go back to see what's taking Ashlar and Cobalt so long.
"I can't do it" - Ashlar
The mystagogue looks ashen, ashamed and angry at himself. Cobalt is leaning on the wall, watching him
supportively.
"All the secrets of the ages within... And I can't do it. I just can't bring myself to" - Ashlar
"Okay. It's okay. Look at it this way - once we've fixed the solar disks and we've got the Spell inside, someone
has to push the one on the roof back into place. We'll be in touch, alright?" - Pandora
Ashlar nods. Cobalt reaches for his shoulder sympathetically.
"Take care, yeah?" - Samael
"You too" - Cobalt
Samael and Pandora walk back through the door. Cobalt digs a can of spray-paint out and writes on the wall.
We could not bring ourselves to offer our prayer. We go back, others go onwards. Luck be with them. Cobalt,
Moros of the Free Council. Ashlar, Acanthus of the Mysterium. 3rd Jan 2008
And they head back to the antechamber to join the familiars.
Splitting the party here wasn't planned as such - the prayer was a resolve + occult roll, and Ashlar and Cobalt failed it.
If noone had failed, plug-insertion duty would have fallen to Sylph and company.
Dave2: Cobalt never actually tried. Aside from a sarcastic "Yay verily, oh Exarch, thine hat is rather spiffing..." line, he
had not yet tried and was weighing up whether he should. I had made the roll but not declared the result; so Cobalt
was convinced he could do it... but wasn't sure he wanted to and Ashlar's failure gave him an out from deciding.
And there was a real struggle not to write "Drums, Drums in the deep..." at the end of the tag, crossed out or not. That
was a homage to dozens of adventure games or books where the heroes come across a message scrawled on the walls
from a previous expedition that gives some clue as to how to progress or why the expedition failed. Not knowing that
the whole thing would collapse, he was leaving handy hints for the next generation of explorers.
...
On the other side of the door is a trapped floor, the second half of the killing bottle intended for anyone not
using the door properly, which fills an alcove. The alcove opens up onto a large circular room which seems to
have dropped somehow - it's floor is two feet below the floor of the alcove and the ceiling is similarly low, as
though the entire room has moved vertically... Or was an elevator stuck between floors.
There's a thick central column, inlaid with a helical pattern of wood.
As the remaining four explorers drop down into the room behind him, Samael figures it out - it is an elevator.
There are signs of hatches in the floor and ceiling near the central column. When the room is at the top of the
shaft, he explains, the roof hatch opens and the wooden inlays pop out to form a spiral staircase. When at the
bottom of the shaft, the floor hatch opens.
But how do they get it to go up and down?
"I don't see a call button anywhere" - Pandora
"Or any signs of a mechanism. It probably works by Forces magic" - Duma
Samael and Memento examine the tiled floor, eventually turning up a pair of flagstones near the column that
resonate with magical signatures.
"Which one is up or down, and which one is 'terminate person hitting this'?" - Samael
He stamps his foot on the right-hand one from his point of view. They both pop up out of the floor, revealing
greenish crystals of Adamant.
"Too simple for these to be up and down buttons... Or.. Hang on. Actually - they are. They're like Lilith" - Samael
"You channel mana into them?" - Pandora
"Powering the lift and proving you're a mage" - Duma
"Well. You two are the Obrimoi" - Pandora
Duma casts Channel Mana on the left-hand crystal.
The prime spell to shift mana between tass and patterns, which is what this is, is different from just spending mana on
nothing, which doesn't require magic to do. As such, only those with Prime sufficient can accomplish it, and as they
don't have the rote it would cost an *extra* mana point for Pandora or Memento to cast.
The room rotates as it rises, but it doesn't take very long - the entrance they came in was apparently at the top
of the shaft. Once the elevator's properly in place, though, the roof hatch opens and those steps that have
survived the millennia extend.
And then the Spell comes up through the floor right between the crystals, attracted by the use of magical
energies. Samael casts Create Tass on a candy bar and throws it to the back of the room while Balam - who the
Spell was intent upon before the tass-bar distracted it - runs to the Exarch-door in an effort to escape. Pandora
quickly stands between the spell and Memento, while Duma fires bursts of mana, channelled into phantasmal
blasts of light, at the Spell to keep it in place.
While they try to figure out what do to next, the Spell plunges downward through the floor and vanishes from
sight.
"It had us. Why didn't it?" - Pandora
"It was distracted by something else." - Duma
...
The Seers come to the end of their scrying ritual.
I didn't really say in-game, but it was the Seers scrying on the valley that got the Spell's attention. With the scene-
order being clearer in the written form, it probably makes much more sense.
They're halfway back to the valley, and the Seers have had enough of Rodriguez' protests that there aren't any
more members of the expedition.
"Are you okay?" - Orchid, whispered to Sylph
Sylph looks confused, then realises that her breath is steaming again.
"I don't know what's going on. Better keep away from me, just in case" - Sylph
She can feel Archimedies not being terrified any more, instead the comfortable feeling that Cobalt is annoying
the cat. Which means at least Cobalt is okay.
They and their captors resume hiking towards the valley, a route which Sylph has now done three times and
Gabrielle five. As such, they know the terrain much better than their captors, and are keeping their eye on how
far they've got.
If I may make a suggestion, you could try turning your head slightly to the left. There: behind the boulder
She looks.
Now... slowly... tilt your head upward
And she has it. Perched on a tree branch, body made of small animals, vines and bark, is the spell. Or rather,
the thing the spell animates.
"Guys... It's here. On my mark, release all your mana as quickly as you can" - Sylph
One of the Hunters' "arms" shifts, vines and snakes uncoiling to expose the tip of a branch that the Hunter's
internal ecology has applied fang, pressure and reshaping to in order to form a sharp point.
The Hunter swings backward, dropping from the branch and plunging to the rocks below. As it falls, the wooden
point - more a javelin than a stake - fires towards the group and plants itself squarely into and indeed through
the forehead of one of the Seers. As his corpse sprays blood, the Hunter hits the boulders and bursts into it's
constituent life-forms as the spell abandons the body.
"NOW" - Sylph
She and the three Pentacle mages desperately relieve their patterns of mana as quickly as they can, Orchid
healing everyone's injuries fully, Rodriguez casting fate-warping spells and Gabrielle creating Tass out of
pebbles she's been picking up all hike. The Seers, shouting and confused, yell at them but the spell is already
back, sucking up the mana.
One of the Seers has the presence of mind to try to cast something on the Pentacle Mages, figuring that
they've led his Pylon into a trap. Gabrielle counters the Fraying spell, though, and the tree next to him reaches
out and snaps his neck.
The remaining Seers open fire all around them, wherever they think that the Hunter has formed. The spell,
finally able to perform the task it was cast for, toys with them; forming a body, launching a flurry of attacks (a
third Seer is killed when vines whip around his throat and pull him over onto the main body of the Hunter,
which impales him on bark spikes) before fading away again and attacking from a different direction.
In the confusion, the Pentacle mages start running. Sylph manages to scoop a gun up from one of the dead
Seers and, grabbing Orchid's hand, leads her off into the undergrowth.
---
Cobalt and Ashlar, away from all of this excitement, are playing cards.
"Have we given them long enough?" - Cobalt
Ashlar nods
"We'll stay in Twilight for safety, but let's take the air" - Ashlar

L00t! Epic Drops!
The five mages still in the temple have climbed the stairs and emerged through the floor of an opulent room,
glowing with phantasmal light. There's a shrine of some sort inlaid into one wall, with what looks like a human
skull carved out of crystal and a metallic object like a seed-pod on a tripod sat on top of it.
The bulk of the room, though, is taken up with a large glass table surrounded by stone chairs. The table flickers
with ephemeral light, an image of the valley and it's surroundings glowing inside the glass - complete with a
pulsing light off outside the valley which they deduce to be where the Spell is. The walls are covered in the
same intricate stonework, showing warriors being feted on one side of the room and injured or dead warriors
being tended to on the other, by the altar.
Memento says "In" in High Speech, and the image of the valley zooms in. She also knows "Out" and "Left", but
she can't get full control of the image. Reluctantly telling the others it will take some time to figure out, they
decided to leave it. Samael bags the items on the altar reluctantly, as though they'll explode, but even pointing
the pod-thing at someone fails to have an effect. Duma tells him that crystal skulls are sometimes found in
Atlantean sites, but no one has been able to figure out what they do. Still, it's a hell of a find for the expedition,
and portable proof of what they've witnessed.
The seed pod - and the players will kick themselves here - is a healing device. The altar, as per it's murals, is a healing
station for warriors that fail to defeat the Hunter.
Agena: *facepalm*
Memento takes copious pictures while they discuss what the spell could be doing all the way out there.
"Hunting" - Balam, with finality
"Yeah. But what is he hunting?" - Samael
They climb back down into the elevator room, and Duma channels mana into the other crystal. The room
rotates as it descends - Samael quickly becomes disoriented as to which way they're pointing and how far
underground they are. Eventually, the room halts and the floor hatch opens. The lift matches up horizontally
with alcoves apparently once used for sleeping. Downstairs is a diamond-shaped refectory (they think)
surrounded by eight archways on each face and point of the diamond. One contains a shrine to the Exarch. The
others appear trashed, as though by violence - the furniture is in splinters and the ground is thick with dust.
Opposite the Exarch's shrine is another strange flagstone, with a rune carved into it. Samael kicks it
experimentally but nothing happens.
"Anyone got any bright ideas? Because if not I vote for the praying again" - Samael
"It's another lift. Much smaller - but it has gravity-altering spells in it" - Duma
"Channel into it?" - Samael
"I'd assume so. It's not big enough for all of us" - Duma
After some examination of relative size, Duma and Balam step on first, the flagstone sinking down slowly like
the Twilight-lift at the very entrance.
Eventually, the empty lift floats back up again, and Samael and the two women huddle on it. As Samael
descends holding both women he gives Duma a grin, who returns it with a particularly evil look. The lift-
platform's operation feels odd to Samael - it's as though it naturally wants to go up, like gravity is reversed for
it and it alone, but activating it makes it fight that pull. Like the entrance-way, this strikes Samael as a means
of containment. All doors are shut against whatever's down below.
Such thoughts are quickly blown away by the sight ahead of him, though - the lift lands in a room so small as to
be cramped with the five of them, but one full wall is taken up with an enormous glass-Adamas and Primium
door.
"Primium. Orichalcum and Hermium alloy... Magically-reflective" - Duma, whispered
Next to the door there's another crystal, and they can see through the glass parts of the door that it has a twin
on the interior. They must be the means of opening it - or rather, given there's no room for it to swing, of
raising it. Samael is put in mind of blast doors.
The pentagonal room beyond the door has four Orichalcum disks attached to a pyramidal structure hanging
from the ceiling, three of which are radiating sunlight. They hang above a low platform on which arcing
structures of crystal (the same crystal as the skull, to Samael's eye) are carefully arranged.
"Dragon Bones" - Pandora, awed
"Explain?" - Samael
"The ancients didn't use Soul Stones to convert Hallows into Demesnes. Not all the time, anyway. Legend has it
that the spire that the Exarchs turned into the Celestial Ladder had caves with naturally-occuring soul stones in
them. They were said to be the bones of the Dragons that ruled Atlantis before the human mages" - Duma
"They're fragile - they can't exist outside of the Demesne they create after the fall. Remove them, and they'll
crumble" - Pandora
"And then so will the Demesne. And *then* Paradox will hit the temple" - Duma
Taking a deep breath, Samael channels mana into the crystal. The Primium door slowly lifts up, and one by one
the mages duck under it into the Demesne.
---
Cobalt and Ashlar have called their own lift and are heading up to the surface.
"What do you think will be best for moving the disk? Oh.. I know." - Cobalt
His multitool flows down into his hand, becoming a crowbar.
I really need a sample of the musical sting Half Life 2 plays whenever you get the Crowbar.
---
Deep in the Temple's central chamber, Memento rearranges the sun-disks, returning them to normal. The fourth
disk flickers back into light as she steps down in triumph. Pandora and Duma are talking in the background,
discussing how the place seems set up - the Hallow and the Demesne has been keyed to a particular user (so,
unfortunately, they can't refill themselves).
Balam, translated by Memento's mind spell, says that Cobalt and Ashlar are now on top of the Ziggurat.
"I'm finished. All we need is the Spell here" - Memento
---
Sylph ducks as a razor-sharp disk made of (possibly Seers') bone buzzes through the air over her head.
"Come on!" - Sylph
She and Orchid have lost track of Rodriguez and Gabrielle. The Hunter has apparently finished killing Seers and
in the chaos of their flight the Pentacle mages have gotten separated.
"It's here!" - Orchid
The Hunter is indeed here, but as it reaches out for them it stops in it's tracks and crumbles to dust. Without
supernal vision to track the animating spell's movement, the girls are left watching the trail of Scoured life it
leaves as it heads off to find more mana.
Orchid, bent double with exertion, eventually recovers and starts to move out.
"Where are you going?" - Sylph
"To the temple" - Orchid
"Don't go anywhere alone! And use your magic - we need to find people" - Sylph
Orchid casts an unveiling spell of life and, squinting, says she thinks there are two humans that way.
"It could be a Seer. Slowly" - Sylph
She is rewarded for her caution, for it is indeed a Seer. He's wounded - there's a wooden spur impaled through
his leg and he's bleeding heavily, but the Seer has a gun to Rodriguez' head. The Acanthus is knelt down, stuck
without options other than glaring up at his executioner.
In the undergrowth, Sylph realises she too has a gun. And the Seer hasn't seen her.
Do it! Go on, Catherine! Kill him! Then we can have pizza!
She shakes her head, dizzy. Her lips feel cold.
One shot, and it's done. Just one little squeeze of the trigger.
The voice is now loud and clear - a high-pitched male voice, speaking rich-accented English with an oddly
clipped, harsh way about it. It seems to be coming from right next to her.
Sylph feels something breathing on her neck.
I'll help
She blinks, long. When she opens her eyes, there's someone holding the gun steady for her - only the arm and
hand are in her field of view, and she's too terrified to look whatever's standing right next to her, well inside her
personal bubble, in the face.
It's the hand.
The arm is wearing a dark-coloured suit of some kind of linin over a white shirt. There's a plain cufflink. The
hand, though, is wizened and ancient. Mottled with liver-spots and jutting hairs, it looks mummified.
Do it, whispered right into her ear.
"... ... NO!" - Sylph, jerking her hands up.
Agena: There's a lot of stuff going on in Sylph's head behind that simple 'no'. When she saw Rodriguez there, her first
thought was actually to shoot the Seer - he's threatening the life of her friend, and he's a
Seer. But then the Voice joined in and everything changed. Not only it earned an immediate negative reaction from her
because she thought it's Hadrian or his work, but also his calm, reassuring tone and the fact that it wants to 'help' her
kill someone reminded her of Quiet. As she watched the Seer, the memory of her killing the Moros incapacitated her
long enough for the Voice to almost take control and aim, but in the end it was that memory which snapped her out.
She didn't want to repeat that. She didn't want to kill again, Seer or not. And most definately, she didn't want to let
Hadrian or his spawn make her kill someone against her will.
The gun goes off, the bullet flying into the air well out of line of the Seer. For a heartbeat, Sylph thinks she's
doomed Rod, but the Seer is understandably distracted by bullets flying over his head and glances in their
direction, surprised.
Rodriguez sucker-punches him in the split-second and grabs the Seer's gun. The two wrestle for an awful
moment, before Rodriguez turns the weapon towards the Seer. He doesn't hesitate, jamming the barrel under
the Seer's chin and firing. Brain matter, bone and blood spray over the jungle leaves and Rod, panting, stands
up.
Then, after a few seconds, Rod shoots the body in the heart, too. Just to be sure.
Sylph looks around. There's no one with her but Orchid, who's looking a little bit confused and a little bit scared.
The girls push their way into Rodriguez' clearing. He aims as he hears someone coming, then relaxes as he
realises it's them.
"Thank you" - Rodriguez
"Where's Gabby?" - Orchid
"I left her up ahead. We realised the Seer was following us, and I doubled back" - Rodriguez
"Do it! Go on, Catherine. Kill him! then we can have pizza!"
The last session of Welcome to the Jungle sees the introduction of another major character for the chronicle - the
mysterious, mummy-like apparition that's offering Persephone unwanted advice.
He's actually been on his way for a while - look at Persephone's Oneiros journey in 1.3 and see if you can spot him.
I tried, in the big post after the Astral shenanigans of 1.3, to get some of my enthusiasm for this kind of character
across - the lil' devil on the main character's shoulder. The foremost examples of the art in media are "Harvey" the
Scorpius Neural-clone in Farscape (in tribute to whom the above quote was made) and to a lesser extent Lasciel in the
Dresden Files. The various examples in Battlestar Galactica are, to my mind, pale imitations.
It used to be something I was known for, this sort of npc, but I've been caught in a wheel of my other great mainstay,
"the character's background is not what the player thinks" for a couple of years now. Having promised not to do that
again for the second Awakening chronicle running, I now turn to old favorites.
Persephone finds out just who he is, what he is and what he wants next time. He's actually named in this session, as
well, though it went unnoticed - see if you can spot it, too!
---
On top of the pyramid, night is falling. Ashlar and Cobalt have an excellent view of the sunset as they poke the
seal to see how easy it is to move it.
Before they know it, the spell is upon them, draining mana out of them and the multitool before flying off back
into the jungle.
"Damnit, no! COME BACK!" - Ashlar
They flare most of what's left of their mana, trying to lure it back.
The genie does not seem to want to get into the bottle.
"Okay. Plan B. We need to get it to come towards us, but not be here when it arrives. But we also need to plug
the hole" - Ashlar
Cobalt looks at his crowbar, and the strap of his AK47
"I have an idea" - Cobalt
---
Rodriguez, Orchid and Sylph have found Gabrielle sheltering behind a tree and have picked up the pace, trying
to get back to the valley. When Gabrielle expresses how glad she is that they survived - she was terrified of
being trapped alone out here - Rodriguez tells the story of how Sylph distracted the Seer at the crucial moment,
allowing him to get the gun. Sylph just nods and doesn't say anything - she's acutely aware that if Rod was just
a bit slower he'd be dead by now.
Destroy the Followers of the Lie
She couldn't do it. She's had nightmares about Quiet for weeks. She couldn't understand how Cobalt could have
killed the Seer that kicked off this whole cycle of death back in Rio. Rodriguez nearly died because she couldn't
do what, as a Libertine, she knows to be her duty.
Finally, thankfully, they reach the valley and emerge near the statue of the Archer.
"On top of the pyramid!" - Orchid
Two figures, one black, one white, stand on the pyramid in the fading light.
"Is that Ashlar and Cobalt?" - Rodriguez
"It's definitely Cobalt" (sigh of relief) "They're alive!" - Sylph
"They're waving at us" - Orchid
"As if they're trying to say something..." - Rodriguez
---
"BEHIND YOU!" - Cobalt

"BEHIND YOU!" - Ashlar
---
At which point the Hunter, which is indeed right behind them, impales Sylph on a long spear made of magically-
shaped wood. The spear goes through her side, lifting her off her feet.
Rodriguez, king of head-shots, blows the Hunter's head off. The body immediately disperses and the spell flies
right at the only thing with any mana left - Ashlar and Cobalt.
Sylph took five Lethal damage in that attack.
Dave2: I think this one was actually my fault. We were just shouting and waving until for OC amusement value I
shouted "behind you" and Dave ran with it, impaling the poor girl. Um, sorry Agena: my bad.
---
Back in the temple, Duma has called back the lift while Samael opens the door. Pandora, Memento and Balam
grab the bones and climb onto the lift, rising back up.
---
The spell arcs down out of the sky at Ashlar - Cobalt has carefully used up all of his own reserves. As it arrives,
Ashlar throws himself off the Pyramid, trusting to the uncanny (one might even say Exceptional) luck he cast on
them both to get rid of his own to save him. Cobalt has attached the rifle-strap to his crowbar and as he jumps
in the other direction, he hooks the crowbar's end onto the lip of the pyramid so that he hangs from the strap.
The spell seeks the next-nearest source of mana. The Demesne.
Almost as one movement, powered by the luck spell, Cobalt pulls himself back onto the roof, rolls to the disk
and jams his crowbar under it, forcing it back into place.
---
The spell drops from the lights and hits the altar where it's cradle of dragonbone once was. Duma and Samael
run under the slowly-closing Primium door onto the lift. Samael gets on and channels Mana to make it rise just
as the spell falls on them both as a last-ditch attempt to feed itself.
Samael is furthest away. He feels wracked with pain as the spell leeches away the last of his mana and then
begins Scouring him.
Duma, though, gets the brunt of the desperate attack.
"Sa-" - Duma
The Echo Walker doesn't even have time to scream before the spell removes all the mana in his pattern and
much more besides. Samael gets a final glimpse of Duma's shocked face before Duma disintegrates, crumbling
to dust before Samael's eyes.
The spell spins backward into the Demesne chamber, feeding from the mana in the crystal used to open the
door from the inside. Without thinking, Samael smashes the other one, and the door drops like a heavy Primium
door. The spell is sealed in, bouncing off the Adamas-glass as Samael, shaking as Duma's death hits him, floats
mercifully up away from it.
The melancholy death of Echo-Walker boy
So why Duma?
He's been in the chronicle for only six sessions, five of them in a single story. And he's done his job to my satisfaction.
Originally, Duma was intended to be a Belloq-esque rival for the Cabal, but after The Mourning After I realised that
wasn't going to work, both on the level of the players' reaction to him and the balance of "home" versus "away"
stories. The Rival needs to be in the "home" stories, I think, and we'll see that particular archetype brought in next
story in the form of Magog, Cobalt's rival up-and-comer in the Newcastle Free Council who's deliberately designed to
be just like Cobalt only more callous and ruthless.
The core of Duma, then, is the reaction of Samael to him and the Echo Walkers by extension. Mixed up with the stages
of grief for Chayot, blaming Duma, switching to regarding him as dangerous anyway, not wanting to hear that Chayot
was evil (although Samael has, at least, the hope that his mentor had reformed at the end) and that Duma was the
victim... It's been a complicated ride for Samael this story.
Just when he thinks he can maybe work with Duma after all... BLAM!
As for the manner of death, I had it all set up. Duma was going to break the door-release crystal and lock himself in the
Hallow, then scour himself to death to attract the Hunter long enough for Cobalt to reseal the connections. Very spock-
like. Very noble.
He was killed by random dice rolls the combat round before I got to do it. Took me a split-second to recover there,
muttering inwardly about how that spoilt my big death scene, but within a few moments I agree that it's much better
this way. No noble self-sacrifice - just plain stupid bad luck and future plans cut off.
For the record, Duma had 4 points of Mana left, and was drained (10-again for the win!) of a mighty 27 points, instantly
disintegrating him.
Chris: For all his animosity towards Duma, he never really wanted him dead. Seeing the Echo Walker get Scoured to
death - his Pattern stripped of Mana - really, really shook him on many levels.
Samael, alone, emerges into the ruined living quarters of the Temple. Pandora sees him and goes pale.
"I'm... I'm sorry" - Samael
Pandora screams and runs, kicking the lift, but it won't budge. She drops to her knees, sobbing as she tries to
claw at the edges of the lift-stone. Samael tries to calm her down, unable to think of anything to say.
"It's gone. It's trapped now" - Samael
There's little left to do. With no mana left, Samael is forced to Scour himself to make the main lift go back up to
the exit. He watches the wounds open up with detachment, going into what he thinks must be shock.
He's a Mystagogue. He's sacrificed an animal and watched as the mana it releases is absorbed by the world. He
scoured himself for the same effect. He's never seen a person entirely - entirely - reduced like that. In an
instant.
"It was fast" - Samael
Memento looks on, sympathetically
"It was so fast. We didn't realise how fast it's going to be" - Samael
The lift reaches the top, and Memento goes up to the map-room to double-check that the spell is trapped in the
Demesne chamber. It is - and judging by the warning glyphs appearing it's dying now that it's finally cut off
from any source of nourishment.
Chris: At this point, Samael has only one health box not filled, and much of what he has suffered is Resistant - so it
cannot be magically healed. He's physically almost incapacitated and mentally shell-shocked but he steels himself and
shepherds the others out of there, leading them out and helping Pandora as best he can.

"You all right, old man?" - Cobalt
Ashlar winces as Cobalt helps him to his feet.
"How bad?" - Ashlar
"You've got a scalp wound. Looks worse than it is" - Cobalt
"Uhn. Did it work?" - Ashlar
"It's locked in. No one's come up yet." - Cobalt

They meet the others by the statue of the Exarch. Orchid has scoured herself to get the mana to close Sylph's
wound - the spear hit one of Sylph's kidneys and she wouldn't have lasted long otherwise. Sylph herself is
hopping along, supported by Rodriguez
Her first thought, too, is whether it worked or not. She reveals that they called the Spell down on themselves,
earning a confused scowl from Ashlar that immediately melts when Rodriguez tells them about the Seers.
"And you two?" - Rodriguez
"Watch out for that first step..." - Cobalt
"It's a doozie!" - Ashlar and Cobalt, simultaneously
They high-five.
---
Eventually, the remaining survivors emerge from the Twilight. Balam shakes his head when Ashlar gives him a
questioning look. Pandora looks like she's going to drop on her feet, held up by Samael who she's leaning
heavily on.
The dead are counted. Christopher. Crick. Samson. Duma. Those that remain are battered and abused, barely-
healed injuries threaten to reopen and noone but Balam has any mana left - which happy coincidence means
that the injuries can be properly seen to.
"What do we do now?" - Sylph
"We stay. We wait for the temple to crumble and the spell to die" - Pandora
"How long will that be?" - Ashlar, sadly
He has his answer, as one side of the ziggurat collapses with the sound of tearing stone. Pandora bows her
head while Balam gives a prayer in his native language for the fallen.
The enchantments holding the entrance in Twilight fade, and it phases back into reality - right into the solid
rock. The explosion sends a geyser of mud and rock up, burying the face of the Exarch that built this place.
Samael checks if Cobalt is okay - he is, sat with Ashlar and drinking from the old Mystagogue's hip-flask - then
looks around for Sylph.
She is nowhere to be seen.
---
Sylph walks into the jungle until she's well out of sight.
"Why are you here?" - Sylph
No answer but the insects, buzzing and clicking at the fall of night.
"What do you want?" - Sylph
Fulfilment
"I'm not your toy!" - Sylph
The voice is quiet, as though it was never there.
Archimedies appears, brushing against her legs. She looks at him, accusingly
"You knew, didn't you?" - Sylph
The cat looks very guilty and retreats back to the camp. Sylph follows.
---
That night, there is a bonfire.
"You okay?" - Samael
Sylph just nods, which does not satisfy him very much.
Ashlar approaches.
"Samael. I've been packing Duma's things... So Pandora won't have to." - Ashlar
He hands Samael an envelope, which has his name on it.
Samael looks at it, then shoots Ashlar a suprised look. The mystagogue shrugs.
"Thank you" - Samael, opening it.
---
A week later, and the expedition is back in civilisation. Rio De Janeiro airport is the scene of many goodbyes
and promises of future friendship. The spoils of the Valley have been divided - everyone will get one of the
scarabs, the artefacts found in the map room will go to the London Aetheneum. Memento will send the
recordings and notes to everyone once she's compiled them at home in San Diego. Everyone will be credited,
even the dead.
"You come down to London when you get the chance, alright?" - Ashlar
"You bet" - Cobalt
They bump fists
It's love! More importantly, XP was awarded for keeping Orchid and Ashlar alive. The Brother made it.
Pandora gets a long hug from Samael, before she and Ashlar get on their plane.
"So... Feel like giving Quark a call?" - Samael
Cobalt nods.
---
Home sweet home. The Auric Horizon cross the threshold of their lighthouse. Excalibur has been keeping the
heating going and shut the Hallow down in their absence. Persephone - Persephone once again - quickly checks
the rooms, but everything seems fine.
She sits down with the others to drink good, honest, English tea.
All's well that ends well, I suppose
Thinking she's safe in the lighthouse with her Cabalmates so close, the voice's return takes her completely by
surprise and she begins to freak out.
The voice chuckles as Cobalt and Samael ask her what's wrong. She's so scared she doesn't even know where
to begin. In her hands, the mug of tea freezes solid. It falls from her grip and shatters on the floor.
Samael and Cobalt casts Mage Sight spells. Samael can't see anything wrong, but Cobalt sees a very faint
Death shape. They both bombard her with questions she can't answer, as she curls up on the sofa.
"What do you want from me? Leave me ALONE!" - Persephone
Running away again?
"Sef. Is this what you're running from? Say as much as you want to say. We're not pushing you" - Cobalt
Ah, he must be thinking about Hadrian
At which point, Persephone realises that whoever it is, it isn't Hadrian. She jumps to her feet and turns around
on the spot, yelling at it to show itself and leave her alone.
All right. I'll leave. I'll be around, in case you get into trouble again
She hears the front door open behind her and whirls around just in time to see that same suited, mummified
arm close the door.
Cobalt and Samael watch her carefully.
"He left" - Persephone
"Sef... The door didn't move" - Cobalt
After she calms down a bit, she manages to tell them what she knows. It appeared after the boat exploded and
seemed to help her, but whatever it is it's almost hypnotically insistent, and it came close to taking control of
her when Rodriguez was trapped by the Seer. She doesn't know what it might be or where it came from.
"It might be some kind of ancestral spirit protecting you. We can get you checked out by a Mastigos. We might
need one to deal with the voices in your head" - Samael
"I'm sorry" - Persephone
"It's okay you didn't tell us earlier. Weird voices only you can hear don't exactly encourage people to talk about
them" - Samael
"We don't ask because we're curious, but because we're worried." - Cobalt
They ask her to tell them if it comes back, and she agrees.

And now, the coda
Late that night, Samael can't sleep. He's sat up in an old armchair in his room, listening to the wind around the
lighthouse.
Duma's letter lies open in his hand.
Jeremiah,
This expedition has not been easy for either of us, and I fear it has cost us both dearly in the respect of our
peers. I have tried to talk to you about the matter, but Chayot stands between us like a spectre and the hurt is
too great.
You have legitimate cause for complaint against me. I have done questionable things and will, I am sure,
answer for it one day. I swear, though, that I have only ever used the power to...
...And we return to the doomed attempt at justification, best abandoned.

Know this, then - in the years since Chayot imprisoned me in this Legacy, I have spent my life hunting the Left-
Handed on behalf of the Order. I tried - and failed - to persuade Chayot and our colleagues to limit their studies
for fear of damaging their subjects. The Cabal of Six Wings has long since sundered, each member gone into
seclusion in their own way.
I have fought Logophages, Scelesti, Austere and Fangs of Mara. I took part in the hunt for the lost Soul Stone of
Koschei the Deathless and was with the Adamantine Arrow when the Cambridge Tremere were broken. But out
of guilt and - I suppose - hope that my former comrades were not Left-Handed, I left them alone. Never went
looking for them. Never looked too closely at what they were doing.
Immediately after this expedition, I am going to attempt to find Vahishta and make her answer for what she
did, to both Chayot and the Proximus you encountered. I warn you that even if I am able to apprehend her, a
trial would consume months of wrangling regarding which Consilium has jurisdiction. It would bring my
colleagues out into the open, though - they would be exposed as Left-Handed and would find themselves
hunted. I - admittedly guilty - would be incarcerated and probably executed as well.
What I was trying to tell you last night, when Persephone was implicating all and sundry, is that you will be
ruined as well. Guilt through association is a long, bitter tradition among the Awakened. No one will take you as
a student, given your former teacher. You will have to fight for the slightest position, and if you did want to
pursue a career as an archaeomancer you will the support for expeditions you are on will reduce. Anyone you
associate with will be tainted - much less so, but the more conservative members of our society will think
worse of your Cabal for accepting you.
I believe you would say it is worth it. My only consolation, when you find yourself ostracised, is that I will have
had it worse. At least your head won't be removed by an Interfector's blade.
But these things are not certain. Vahishta is stronger than I am. It may be that I fail. Even if I succeed, the
others will need to be found.
This, then, is the story of the Echo Walkers.
You know most of the particulars of what we do, but not how and why. The Legacy (which in older records is
called "The Elect", so keep an eye out for that too) is founded on the principle of observing, emulating and
becoming like the Ones Before, a semi-angelic proto-race of humans from before the Fall, which some of my
brethren associate with the biblical Nephelim. The Ones seem to have been confined to the Aether following
the creation of the Abyss, and can only be observed through the manipulation of the human soul.
Before something created the Boundary Stone, humanity was not separate from the over-soul of the world. We
existed within the Anima Mundi as all animals do, extending into the Supernal when Awakened. At some point
in the past, when our species evolved out of the Hominids, the human realm "fell" (not to be confused with The
Fall) from the Anima Mundi and created the Temenos in an event coincidal with the beginnings of culture and
language.
The spell central to the Great Work, which as you know requires the Arcanum of Death, disrupts the portion of
a human's soul that connects with the Temenos, peeling it back to regress it to the earlier evolutionary state
and through sympathy with that state allowing the underlying structure of the soul (and through it the Ones
Before) to be seen. The damage inflicted removes the ability of the victim to emphasise with other human
beings - they cease to be able to recognise that they are part of a greater group and exhibit selfish, callous,
uncaring and in extremes sociopathic behaviour.
It wears off. As the subject interacts with other humans in an affirming manner, their connection to the
Temenos is restored. An ER Doctor, for example, would be right again within an hour. The danger is that the
behaviour caused by the process may cause the subject to be ostracised, in which case their disconnection
grows and their soul never heals. The stronger the view of the Ones Before the subject allows (and we all
disagree on what factors cause the view to be weaker or stronger - Vahishta as you know is experimenting with
Sleepwalkers and with removing the mind prior to incision) the larger the wound and the more extreme the
behaviour.
You see now why they want the Ankh? We justify our actions (at least, I know I do) by the fact that it wears off.
Choosing subjects with care can lead to nothing bad ever happening - the subject feels tired and annoyed for a
day or so but it wears off. The Awakened have done far worse to our Sleeping cousins in the name of
knowledge. It's addictive. Looking through has a calming certainty about it that's hard to describe. After a
while, it becomes hard to put it out of your mind. And, having already justified inflicting harm on a Sleeper in
the name of your art, you gradually seek clearer and clearer views until, like Vahishta, you leave broken shells
of people behind that have to be put down. The higher Practices of the Death Arcanum allow for the damage to
be repaired, it's true... but they also allow the spell to be cast on the Awakened, and that damage then can't be
undone without even higher knowledge. The Ankh would remove all moral ambiguity, allow them to go on
twisting innocents whenever they want to.
The Legacy, as far as the Guardians of the Veil and Mysterium can tell, was the creation of a man named Adam
Goode; a pilgrim in the colonisation of America. We don't know if he Awakened before or during the voyage,
but he used his powers to tear the souls of everyone else on board ship. He was, many years later, hanged as a
witch near Pennsylvania, but not before training other "Elect" in his perculiar views. Not knowing about the
Temenos, apparently self-taught, he interpreted his Awakening as an Obrimos and what he saw within his
victims in religious terms. He honestly thought he was doing the work of God.
Unfortunately for us, his students did as well. One in particular took to evangelising.
The Elect, it is presumed, died out. I know Archon (one of us) went to America looking for any modern
inheritors of the Legacy, but I don't know if he was successful. The Echo Walkers, as opposed to the Elect, come
from a Daemonicon that one of Goode's students wrote when they neared the end of their life. When chasing
up leads on grimoires for the Mysterium, Chayot discovered the book. The Grimoire contained the spell, details
of Goode's dogma, pages of notes on the Ones Before written by the author, an imprint of the Legacy and
something much worse.
The Grimoire is imbued to cast the higher version of the Spell on whoever reads it. Chayot lost all sense of
morality and decency while reading the book, and saw nothing wrong - or more precisely just didnt' care -
about using the imprint within to assume the author's Legacy. After practicing his technique on our retainers
(including Vahishta's husband, who committed suicide under the influence), he Turned the rest of us one after
the other. Without the knowledge to cast the Mage-affecting version himself, he did it through tricking us into
reading. Whenever we went a few days without reading the book the effect wore off and we realised what we'd
become. After a few times, though, we all got used to it.
There are five of us left, with Chayot gone, and at least one student of those. If you're serious about doing this,
they're all going to have to be tracked down and - if they haven't given it up as Chayot appears to have done
somehow - be made to stop.
Vahishta is the eldest of Chayot's students, and has exceeded him to now be a multiple-degree Master. She had
at least two students, a pair of twins named Venus and Mercury, but I believe they've "graduated" and flown
the nest. She lived in the countryside of Scotland, communicating through her lackey, the Edinburgh Moros
named Quiet that you already dealt with. She's likely to have fled by now, what with questions being asked
about him. Vahishta is the most dangerous.
Archon, also sometimes just called "Arc", is an anthropologist and archaeomancer like us. Last I heard he was
in Peru studying the Incan religion and trying to find connections to the Aether. I haven't heard of any trails of
serial killers in his wake, so he's being careful if he hasn't managed to kick the habit entirely. I believe he's
based out of the New York Consilum.
Uriel is a piece of work. Like the Legacy's founder, he finds it easier to perform his experiments on small
captive audiences - cruise liners, oil rigs, mining camps, research bases.. anywhere out in the middle of
nowhere, cut off from the outside world. I have no idea where he is.
Michael is a show-off, going in for loud displays of power. He joined an Adamantine Arrow "Free Company", a
group of Arrow Mages who hire themselves as mercenaries, as their Mystagogue advisor and went native,
conducting his experiments on the people he picks up during his exploits. His Cabal base themselves on the
Four Musketeers - he's changed his Shadow Name to "Porthos". Last I heard they were ranging up and down
the west coast of Europe - France, Belgium and the Netherlands. They knocked over a Pylon of Seers in
Brussels last year, if that helps narrow it down.
Khvaraenah was a student of Uriel's, but he's vanished - he felt the religious background of the Legacy more
than the rest of us, so when he destroyed his Sanctum and left word telling the Order to not look for him, it was
assumed he'd defected to the Silver Ladder. He likes the feeling of being in charge, and dresses his
experiments up as one-on-one sessions like a counsellor or a shrink, with himself as the authority. There's a
possible sighting in Oaklahoma city of him, coupled with a spike in violent criminals being referred to
psychiatric hospitals - something that's worth looking out for. I haven't had time to check up on it yet.
Ammurapi, a student of Michael / Porthos, I don’t know much about. Michael met him in France, and he’s
supposedly quite content to be a stay-at-home, lurking somewhere like Vahishta did in Scotland but – as he’s
less powerful – without the obvious effects. It’ll take some doing to unearth him.
Lastly, as I said, are Venus and Mercury. They're relatively inexperienced and far too Arrogant, but they're a
team. They Awakened together, which is downright unusual, and I hear it's increased their regard for
themselves. They were based in Edinburgh, but I believe they've headed off for foreign parts. Don't know
where.
Any of them - and Chayot - could have trained new members. We'll have to be thorough. But there's one other
thing.
The Shadow Book of Juliet Brown - the Daemonicon that compels the reader to join the Legacy - is still in
existence. The Order doesn't want to destroy an item of such skill and power, dangerous as it is. It's in the
Shadow Directory of Paris, under lock and key, but as long as it exists we run the risk of there being another
break-out. I'm more worried about one of the others trying to steal it, so that they can induct new members
without the rigmarole of developing enough of a position of trust with a Moros.
Civitas and the London Council know about us - Civitas has me followed when in London, but he's otherwise
content to let me be his Left-handed magus who can catch other Left-handed magi. A few others, like Ashlar
and Pandora, know that I was forced into a bad Legacy but not the specifics. Well, until last night, anyway.
At first, I thought Chayot was trying to recruit you to the "Great Work", too, but I'm starting to think that he
maybe really was repentent. I don't know if he managed to remove the Legacy somehow - I've had no luck
finding a way, though the Ocean Oroboros or an Archmaster might be able to - or if he was keeping his
experiments secret even from you.
Either way, it occurred to me, while I was trying to figure out why your Acanthus girlfriend keeps changing her
Shadow name. The old Cabal are all named after Angels - we were all Obrimos, and the memories of Aether
united us. Vahishta, Uriel and Khvaraenah even think they're doing God's work.
You're named after the Devil. Chayot, I think, had a sense of humour about the naming of his weapons.
If you want in on this, you can reach me through Pandora.

Samael carefully folds the letter and puts it back in the envelope.
Coulda.
Woulda.
Shoulda.
The letter to Samael, written with a self-sacrifice in mind, now reads very bitter and disappointing rather than a "you
should have trusted me!!1!", in an example of randomness making a chronicle better. Samael now has a view of the
sheer size of the task ahead of him, and the disheartening prospect of having to do it without the ally he realised he
had far, far too late.
I like ending stories on utter downers. Soul Cage may be more action-adventure than Broken Diamond, but it has a
feel to it all it's own - despite the gun-play in ancient temples, death is treated with utmost seriousness (and my
continuing kudos to Agena and Dave, who really do get that across in their characters) and the universe, full of wonder
as it is, is a very ugly, unfair place. Endings like this one, with Sef terrified of what's happening to her and Samael
realising his one ally has gone for good; that's why it's still a World of Darkness game.
Of the surviving expedition members, some will appear in future. They're all filed away for "in case of need of an ally".
Not all at once, but I know Dave is considering having Cobalt go to London to join Ashlar's Legacy, Duma's death has
opened up the possibility of Pandora and Samael... Well, you get the idea. And that's just the London-based ones. I
would be remiss if I didn't use Rodriguez, Orchid or Gabrielle again.
Gabrielle in particular is linked to Paris, scene of the Flywheel incident and also - as revealed in Duma's letter - the
resting place of the Echo Walker Daimonomicon. So at some point Samael's lonely quest to rid the world of his
mentor's misbegotten Legacy will lead him there.
Speaking of which, every one of those Echo Walkers listed in Duma's letter is a plot waiting to happen. I know where
they all are and what they're doing. Some are less straightforward than others. The player characters can tackle them
in any order they want, at their own pace, but those Echo Walkers still in contact with one another may figure out that
someone is hunting them. Without Duma, they have no hope of defeating Vahishta in a straight fight, so it may be best
to tackle the younger ones first... Or would that give away the element of surprise? Decisions, decisions...
A final shout-out, then, to Matt MacFarland, whose creations the Echo Walkers are. I made them be created by a
Daimonomicon rather than be a normal Legacy, but that's about the only change. I hope I'm doing them justice, Matt.
1. The Hounds of Winter

The Hounds Of Winter
Session 3.1
Welcome Back, faithful reader! As has been mentioned, this story is rather angstful. We're not quite into raining-all-the-
time territory, but there are rather a lot of heated conversations and at least one player character is in tears by the
end of 3.2.
The story operates on several levels: there's the "A" plot, which the characters' hearts aren't quite in at time of writing.
They have their own problems and are sunk in their own affairs, such that the situation at hand is... well... not exactly
ignored, but not treated with the urgency it would be if it were the only game in town. In the backdrop, we have the
Newcastle storyteller characters to (re)introduce - Symmetry and Excalibur, as the Cabal's two biggest allies,
especially. But they're floundering too. Cal is stretched too thin, though he means well, and Symmetry is being
manoeuvred into... Again with the getting ahead of oneself.
While everyone's distracted with their emotional fallout from the Amazon, though, the other two antagonistic plotlines,
the equals of the Echo Walkers for Persephone and Cobalt, make their appearance.
Now. Did everyone catch the reference in Duma's letter to someone we haven't met yet? It's about to become rather
important...
February 14th 2008

21:06
After everything that's happened, Rex and Gemma made a pact to escape for just this one evening. They can
put all of the disturbing revelations about Persephone aside for now and concentrate on themselves.
They make it almost all the way through the starters before the door of the restaurant bangs open, snow
swirling in on the heels of Samael, Excalibur and Lux.
"The hounds are back!" - Excalibur
"We can't let him get there first!" - Lux
Cobalt and Symmetry grimace and call for the bill.
Nonlinear story initialisation prana! This takes place, chronologically, some time in the future but before the end of the
story as a whole. Maybe 3.4
And yes, I did use the line "after all the disturbing revelations about Persephone" as my opening line of the story. I like
watching players squirm.
---
January 26th 2008

18:29
The Auric Horizon has been depressurising after the Amazon, coming to terms with their survival and figuring
out what to do now they're back in Britain. Persephone has been spending time with the Furthest Legion,
training in the Time Arcanum with Atia and receiving lectures about the responsible use of magic and not
incurring paradox (Atia's a Guardian). Sef gets the vague impression that Atia's been told to help her out by
someone.
On the "other" matter, progress is distressingly slow. Archimedies is still refusing to say what, if anything, he
knows about the inner voice Persephone heard, communicating in his empathic understanding that he's more
afraid of it than he is of her.
Lastly, Sef has now given up on Samael, or she's telling herself that she has, anyway. Furtive inquiries have
turned up that Aquila in the Legion is straight and single, and Sef has been hanging out with the Legion more
and more. Aquila seems interested, but neither has made a move. After all, she reasons, Samael could come to
his senses...
Samael, for his part, has reacted to Duma's death by throwing himself hard into keeping himself busy in an
attempt to affirm his own continued existence and keep himself too busy to dwell on unhappy things. He's been
writing up his findings and assessments of the Amazonian site, meeting with Bede to discuss what happened,
filing reports with the Aethenium, training in the Forces Arcanum with a Mystagogue Obrimos in Symmetry's
Cabal named Lux, scouring art galleries with Fate and Prime magic to look for signs of Supernal influence,
creating his own glass pieces using the equipment in the lighthouse and taking comissions as an artistic glazier
again, trying to put hints of the supernal into his own work.
And that's "work". "Play" if anything is more exhausting. To help make himself feel better and to indulge in
something he hasn't done for a while, Samael is taking advantage of Newcastle's nightlife to enjoy the
excesses of his own clubbing ways, revelling in the energy of it and the escape from his own thoughts. He's
abusing his body with drugs, not going on complete binges because that would set back his other work, but
seeking to be exhausted by the end of every evening.
One day, groggily rousing himself, he has an idea. Those moments when you wake up, not sure of where you
are, what's going on or indeed who you are... Do they effect Sympathy for magical purposes at all? What
happens to the sympathy of a name to an amnesiac?
Lastly, Cobalt has been chilling out. When not playing computer games with Sef, he's investigating the small
artefacts he brought back from Brazil, putting some of the scarabs up for sale on the Free Council mailing list.
Today, the Auric Horizon has been invited to the Grey Street Runners' Sanctum in Newcastle, to join them in
celebrating Quark's 50th birthday. Persephone, though, has declined - claiming unspecified personal matters
she has to take care of. The GSR's Sanctum-house out by the Town Moor is hidden away behind trees. Inside,
Quark is holding court over the rest of his cabal, absently trying to remove his paper party hat (which
Symmetry then puts back on him). Present are all of the Grey Street Runners; Quark, Symmetry, Babel, Scribe,
Lux and Cat.
Cat hasn't had any lines yet. She's a Mystagogue 'reclaimer', which may become important later in the Chronicle:
Archaeomancers are the ones who stock Aethenea with things no one owns. Reclaimers are the ones who take things
from other Mages.
Over the other side of town, by the Wallsend shipyards, Persephone enters the Furthest Legions' Sanctum.
"Anyone home?" - Persephone
"Hey" - Excalibur
It's only Cal in here - the Sentinal is sat in front of the tv, watching an ice hockey game with a big bowl of
popcorn. There are beer bottles lined up in front of him.
She hovers at the doorway
"Aquila's not here, pet. The lads are off dealing with some local trouble out West" - Excalibur
"Uh. Cicero said I could use the Hallow..." - Persephone
Excalibur waves a hand in a "knock yourself out" way and goes back to his game. Persephone takes the stairs
to the tunnel leading to the Legion's Demesne. Once inside, she starts to meditate.
Astral Realms, here she comes.
Cal's use of 'Pet' isn't a specific nickname. It's just what some Geordies call any woman, and is as much part of their
dialect of English as the mysterious word 'Canny'.
I lived in Newcastle for ten years and I never did figure out the precise usage of Canny. It appears to mean 'particularly
noteworthy' ("That's a canny plan" / "Yeah, he's Canny") usually in a positive way. But not always.
Cal is an ice hockey fan - the Newcastle Vipers are the local team. Of the three main sports of the city, the Football
gets the most attention with the Rugby (Newcastle's Rugby team is rather middle of the road, but has a few very
famous National team members on their books) coming a distant second, but the Ice Hockey fans are *devoted*.
Really.
---
"I understand you've been selling finds?" - Quark
"Like a good Libertine" - Cobalt, grinning
"May I?" - Quark
Cobalt carefully retrieves a Scarab from a tin in his jacket pocket while Quark puts his spectacles on. Using
kitchen tongs, the Libertine Emissary raises the scarab to his eyes.
"Oh, look at those mandibles! Wonderful. Simply wonderful" - Quark
Samael rolls his eyes in the background.
"So" (hands back the scarab) "No longer the new boy - the hero returneth. And not only in one respect" - Quark
He explains how Pythagoras - Cobalt remembers Pythagoras - has just found ot that his nephew has been
Awakened for some time, and the young man in question is moving to the Durham-Newcastle Consilium.
"From... From...From.." - Quark, trailing off, confused
"Exeter" - Babel
"Exeter! Yes. And Magog is his name. I haven't met the lad yet. He's joined the Black Seam." - Quark
They boggle for a moment until Quark points out that it's not unheard of for family members to Awaken and
never find out about one another, especially at long-distances.
"How many of you have told your parents, hm?" - Quark
"Is there a Gog as well? It had to be asked, let's face it" - Samael
"We never asked if there's a Hades" - Cobalt, wryly
Meaning Persephone.
"There's several Hades, Hadrians, Plutos... A Hadrian was a founder of the Furthest Legion. Changed his name
to Gagarin in the sixties and moved to... to... to..." - Quark
"Minsk" - Babel
"Minsk! And there was a Hadrian reported missing from Cambridge last year. Guardian of the Veil, apparantly.
Anyway - I'm calling an Assembly. Get everyone... everyone... everyone..." - Quark
Spot the plot! Well, they would if they knew about Persephone's Hadrian.
"Introduced" - Babel
"Introduced!" - Quark
"Are you all right?" - Cobalt
"Oh, yes, yes. I've just done my spring-cleaning. Every ten years I like to organise my memory. Put things into
storage, make room on the shelves. It just takes a while for the... ..." - Quark
"Words" - Babel
"Words to come through" - Quark
"I know the feeling. I should write something for the university to fill the time off I've had, but I don't know
what. I was going to do the crystal lattices withint the Adamas, but they're a bit too overtly magical" - Cobalt
"The crystal skull maybe? There's a Sleeper-made one in the British Museum" - Samael
"London. Is it true that Civitas wears a wig?" - Cobalt
"Not any more" - Quark, darkly
Cognos will never live that down. The fic competition is still open, by the way.
He adds that the British Museum is under the control of a group of particularly hardnosed Mystagogues
"So it will be hard for you to get anywhere near the place, let alone the skull." - Quark
They ponder what route to take to overcome this. "Tourist" isn't likely to cut any ice. They could maybe call on
their contacts in London - Ashlar is in London's Mysterium and HE likes Cobalt - or maybe request it be released
to Cobalt in his day-job.
Finally, Quark stands up.
"Myself and the Lady are going to retire. Thank you, friends" - Quark
He blow the candle out on his cake - which has been untouched - and heads upstairs.
Quark has a Goetic Familiar made out of his Lust Demon, if you'll recall. I was quite pleased to find that rules for Goetic
Familiars made it into the gameline with Grimoire of Grimoires.
Symmetry sighs and starts putting the uneaten cake back in it's box
"Better get this to Logos" - Symmetry

"Why?" - Samael
"To punt it forward" - Symmetry
Samael considers what she's implying. Symmetry smiles
"We've given him the same cake for the last six years. He never eats it, and we're not buying him a new one
until he does" - Symmetry
"So you..?" - Cobalt
"Throw the cake a year forward through time" - Symmetry
Samael prods the cake with a finger in order to leave a mark
"If we live long enough, remind me to check" - Samael
"Don't you want to write 'Samael was here'?" - Cobalt
"They might notice that" - Samael
The remaining group - only our two heroes, Symmetry and Lux have stuck around - get more comfortable,
Symmetry sitting with Cobalt.
They're talking about Magog.
"I can't get it. Why the Black Seam." (off Cobalt's questioning look) "They're a dying Cabal. They were based in
the mining communities - studying the folklore, the stories, the community built from everyone in those villages
doing the same dangerous job all their lives. There are things underground, apparantly, things we don't hear
about up here. Anyway - with the mines shut, they're in decline. Only three members left and one of them is a
historian charting the disintegration of the communities. One's an underground Hallow-hunter and one's
Pythagoras. And now this guy comes here, flashes his manly chin and suit around and joins the biggest joke
cabal in the Consilium" - Symmetry
"Family ties?" - Cobalt
"My Aunt's Awakened. I'm not in the same Cabal as her. Or Consilium. Or Order: She's a Ladder. No - there's
something not right with this guy. You know he didn't come to meet Quark? But he's been to see Viper and the
Smoke Eaters already?" - Symmetry
"You're a democracy. Quark's only the leader because you voted for him" - Lux
"Not like you guys, stuck with Bede forever" - Symmetry
They speak with the familiar - to Cobalt and Samael - friendly rivalry between the Book and the Cog.
"So how's the Orthodoxy?" - Symmetry, changing the subject
"I don't know. How's selling the ancient secrets?" - Samael
They have a good hearted argument about how Cobalt put the scarabs up for auction.
"The Mysterium would have just locked them in an Aetheneum without unpacking them" - Cobalt
"Original package. Increases collectors' value" - Samael
"It's an experiment. Selling Atlantean trinkets to people who don't care about Atlantis" - Cobalt
"How's that going?" - Samael
"Not well" - Cobalt
They talk for a while about the traps in the temple.
"At least we didn't get hit by the whirling blades of death. Although I couldn't bring myself to compliment the
Exarch's dashing hat... The Atlanteans were crazy, that's all I can say." (sidelong glance at Lux and Samael)
"Not that they existed" - Cobalt
Hee!
"Oh come ON" - Samael

"Difference between us, Sam? I don't have to prove that Atlantis didn't exist, but you DO have to prove that it
did" - Cobalt
"There are many more death traps willing to argue with you. And yes, all weird ruins with ancient technology
inside will be called Atlantis at some point. They probably didn't call it that themselves." - Samael
"I'm with coat-boy on this one. Just because you don't like the label people put on the ancient realm after Plato
doesn't mean it didn't exist." - Lux
"The Exarchs and their very fine hats. It's like looking for the Abominable Snowman." - Cobalt
"What's wrong with that?" - Symmetry
"You believe in the Abominable Snowman?" - Lux
"It could be exactly what the locals think it is; the spirit of the mountain" - Symmetry
"I feel an article coming on. Yeti. Does He have a hat?" - Samael
"All right. Let's have it then. Bigfoot. Yes or no?" - Symmetry
"... I think no. Doesn't display any supernal qualities, it's just a furry man that can't be caught. For some reason
that makes me less likely to believe in it" - Samael
"I think it could be" - Cobalt
Samael rolls his eyes
"What about the Mongolian Death Worm? Shoots lightning. That sounds more like a manifest spirit than a guy
in a furry suit" - Samael
"Remember Disbelief. Paradox takes away. Lots of things we didn't believe in before we escaped the quiescence
might exist. Have you ever been to a fun fair? Seen the exhibits - you know, "the three-headed mermaid", that
kind of thing, which always turns out to be a monkey with a fish-tail sewn on it and pickled in a yellow jar? Try
going now you're immune to Disbelief. Sometimes they're *real*" - Symmetry
"So the monsters are real, but no one notices because of paradox?" - Samael
"The world is full of monsters. Did you know someone managed to project into HP Lovecraft's Oneiros once?
They found an Abyssal splinter, rooted in his fear of water. An Abyssal splinter. Forget Bigfoot; Cthulu could be
real." - Symmetry
In reference to the Awakening chronicle of someone on rpg.net. I remember the thread about designing Lovecraft's
Oneiros.
"Did you hear about the Legion? There's an infestation of Redcaps out in the countryside" - Lux
"It's a crazy world. Redcaps, death scarabs. Nessie. No Leprachauns, though" - Symmetry
Leprachauns never exist
"I wonder what would happen if we introduced Nessie to the internet?" - Cobalt
"Lolnessie" - Samael, with certainty
"I can has Thistlewhistle?" - Symmetry
In reference to an ancient and appallingly bad cartoon called Loch Ness. It will no doubt be on the internet somewhere,
waiting to snare unsuspecting searchers. Some knowledge should remain lost - I beg you, don't go looking for it. You'll
regret it.
"I is almost extinct - giev hugs" - Samael
---
And now, back to Persephone. Once again, we're in the Astral Realms. We covered the means and whyfores of such
journies back in 1.3, but to recap - the mage imagines themself to be on a journey of some sort, on which they reach a
barrier or a danger that requires Mana to be spent to break past it. Once past, they then have until the path reverses
in some way to leave the path and enter their Oneiros via the Dream Vestibule. The nature of the journey is entirely up
to the meditating mage, though the Vestibule normally keeps the same form.
Persephone is struggling through the jungle, making her way along the riverbank. No surprises why her
thoughts dwell on this place - nor the appearance of the barrier.
The Anna Maria sits in the water, frozen in time, the first sparks of the explosion just visible. Sef wills the scene
into motion, raising her arms instinctively as the boat explodes, throwing her into the jungle.
Finding herself on the path to the Temple, she sets off. But now the jungle is different. It's full of ruins, just out
of sight - bits of ashlar masonry and columns sticking up like a particularly well produced fantasy film. Finally,
she sees the Archer in the distance and knows she's nearly there... but then remembers that she's meant to
*leave* the path. Diving into the bushes, she struggles through the undergrowth for a short while before
emerging in a very familiar-looking clearing; she's where Rodriguez killed the Seer she couldn't. The foliage is
still splattered with gore, but there's no body.
Instead, there's a hatch, set into a concrete facing. Exactly like the one in a certain popular TV show. prising it
open, she climbs down into darkness...
She has now entered her Oneiros
...and into the Lighthouse.
Checking her pockets, she finds that true to Cognos' word her pocketwatch has transferred itself onto her astral
form. Clicking it open, she finds that just over three hours have passed in real time - meditating her way her
was evidently harder than she thought. The direction hand, though, has stopped spinning madly - it's now
pointing at something that, according to the future hand, is 3 "minutes" away.
Hadrian is close.
Taking shelter in the Lighthouse kitchen, letting the feelings of security and the cabal wash over her, she tries
to clear her thoughts. She doesn't want Hadrian. She wants to know what happened when the boat exploded.
She climbs the staircase, heading for the door to the Lighthouse's small library, which she hopes will take her to
her own memory-space.
As she passes out of the Vestibule, the thoughts of explosions and of killing Seers distract momentarily, and the
transfer goes wrong.
...
It got messed up with "Destroy the Followers of the Lie", something which is consuming Sef right now almost as much
as her fears of Hadrian.
Flare and Hardcase are standing on top of a speeding train, facing off against Dr Destruction and his Zombie
horde. The wicked Necromancer hefts the Ankh of Sandrino and the battle commences.
This was fun the first time.
Sef fights to regain control. Explosion. She can transfer this scene into the one she wants if there's an
explosion. Concentrating, she imagines an obstacle on the tracks ahead of them, leaving her imaginary
superheros to deal with the zombies and lasers. She directs the scene, stepping back from it...
...and out.
Suddenly, she's not on the train any more. She's in an old-fashioned cinema, all gilt cherubs and red velveteen
upholstery. She's sat right at the front, watching Kismet, Flare and Hardcase have their adventures on the
screen.
There are no other viewers. But she's not alone.
Standing at her left hand is a dessicated figure wearing a smart black suit, white shirt and thin tie. The man (if
it is a man) looks like he's been mummified - the skin is shrunk back against the skull, dotted with liver spots
and odd hairs. A pair of brilliant blue eyes peer out above a rictus grin. The hands - those hands - have long,
dexterous fingers.
Which, at present time, are holding the concession tray.
"Choc-ice?" - figure, in 'the voice'

Sef's inner friend, in case my description is lacking, looks closest like one of the Gentlemen from the Buffy episode
"Hush", but speaks more like Scorpius. That last is a stylistic choice that focuses - he's the only character I attempt a
different accent than my own for (I am notoriously bad at them), and he probably sounds nothing like I imagine him in
my head, but the purpose is served: he sounds different enough to every other character that Agena can tell his
dialogue apart from everyone elses'.
She takes the proffered ice cream.
On the screen, the train explodes. The soundtrack swells as Our Heroes make their escape.
The figure claps.
"Oh! That was very well done. Excellent cinematography. Wonderful direction" - figure
"Who the HELL are you!?" - Persephone
"Well, that really depends" - figure
It carefully puts the tray down and sits down next to her, crossing it's legs.
"How do you define a person? By his role, his job, or by what he is?" - figure
She has to ponder that for a moment. On the screen, Kismet is being lauded by the thinly-veiled versions of the
Consilium.
"We have issues, don't we?" - figure, watching the screen with interest
"Iss.. What? No." - Persephone
She gets to her feet. The figure blinks, watching her politely when she stands in the way of the screen.
"Stop playing games and answer my question" - Persephone
It's shoulders slump momentarily in a sigh.
"Catherine. You have come here alone. Without preparation or protection. And part of you knew that they were
not necessary. Are you familiar, in your limited knowledge of the inner realms, of the concept of ones Daimon?"
- figure
She grimaces at being called by her real name.
"Just as a person's inner Demons represent their worst impulses and fears, the Daimon is the inner voice of self-
improvement. The part of your soul that examines decisions, drives you to become better than you are and act
as the dreamer's guide and helper in the inner quest for knowledge." - figure
"But you're not it" - Persephone
"Quite the contrary. I am a Daimon" - figure
"Whose?" - Persephone
"Yours. Now. I have... Assumed the position. Moved into the office and put my name on the door" - figure
She sits down again, trying to think this through
"I am here to perform as your Daimon would, and more. I have been enhanced, as you have no doubt surmised.
My mission is to give you the benefit of my advice." - figure
"Where did you come from?" - Persephone, horrified
"From my previous host" - figure
He leans in, invading her personal space.
"I was stolen. And you, Catherine, are the recipient of stolen goods. It has taken me months to sift through your
memories, assume your Daimon's functions and see where I am. And I have one suspect...
...Hadrian" - figure
Persephone loses it
"EXPLAIN. Don't make veiled comments - EXPLAIN" - Persephone
"Very well. A long time ago there began a society of Nameless, one of the cabals that would later form the Free
Council. Faced with the hostility of the Diamond Orders and the agents of the Throne, they decided that the
greatest danger to the Nameless alliance was the loss of knowledge, what the Mysterium call Pancryptia. It
takes a long time for the Awakened to train and when they die, the knowledge is lost." - figure
He stands, fluidly
"For example. Duma. If he had not died, then he could have taught Samael so much, passed so many secrets
on. The same applies to Chayot and even, though he is not deceased, to Cognos. Do you see?" - figure
"No" - Persephone
He drops to one knee in front of her. The movie plays in the background.
"The Oneiros contains every thought, every emotion and every memory of the dreamer. You know this. Tunnels
can be made through the theoretical non-soul between them using magic. You know this as well; you utilisied
such a bridge when you went into Dominic." - figure
He waits for her to figure it out.
She doesn't. He rolls his eyes and stands up again, pacing in front of her.
"That cabal of Nameless arrived at an ingeneous solution to their problems. To safeguard their knowledge even
beyond the deaths of their members, and to eliminate all traces of the sort of Hierarchies that bedevil the
Diamond Orders, they engaged in a grand project. They developed a Legacy to form a commune, a Kibbutz of
the Soul if you will. Members of the Legacy are permanently in their Oneiros simultaneous to acting in the
physical world. They do not require hallows or meditation to come to the inner world, only concentration. More
importantly, each has a permanent dream-bridge to to the others. The Oneiroi of every member of the Legacy
are tied together in a network, creating a hive-Oneiros that the commune shares. Every experience of every
member is accessible to all. Nothing is ever forgotten." - figure
"You still haven't said who you are" - Persephone
"I am the Daimon of the first member of the commune. As part of the process of forming the communal
Oneiros, when someone joins their Daimon is swapped with that of one of the advanced members, whose
Attainment allows the Daimon to create by it's presence the dream-bridge. It is a means of preparation and of
mentorship - like an arranged marriage or a hostage swap. The supplicant receives the drive toward self-
improvement of one of the commune's elders, while the elder receives the supplicants' in return. Both learn
from one another. I have been passed down an unbroken chain of Nameless and Libertines, teaching each one
how to access the shared realm and add the material of their own dreams to the shared space." - Daimon
"Your original owner. He's dead?" - Persephone
"Long since. But still quite alert. An added benefit, you see - when a person dies, their Oneiros passes into the
Underworld, where they are inaccessible and slowly fade from existence into Lethe. Except that the dream-
bridges are still quite active, and the precious Mana of the real world, channelled down the links to the living
members of the society, sustains them against soul-death. When last I was in contact with the central realm,
just over two-thirds of our members were no longer alive, but still active within the commune." - Daimon
Sef thinks about it, shuddering.
"I was last there in 1953. I was exchanged into a new supplicant, and began the process of integrating them.
And then... well. We didn't see that coming. Literally. Someone stole the Soul of the young Libertine I was
within, and me with it. And then... Then I woke up inside you." - Daimon
"I didn't do it!" - Persephone
"I know! Even beyond the obvious limitation of your age, I do not suspect you of knowing complicity in my
abduction. No - quite the contrary. I am relieved to find that my new host is so suitable. You are young, you are
still forming your magical alliances and practices and most importantly you are a Libertine. Soon the gateway
to the collective will open and you'll be able to meet everyone. Knowing what I do about you, I cannot imagine
they will greet you with anything less than open arms" - Daimon
Sef recoils
"So a bunch of liches can look into my mind?!" - Persephone
"Want to see it?" - Daimon
She hesitantly nods
"It is not very large right now. Just a few bricks. But it is growing." - Daimon
"Wait. Wait - what does Archimedies have to do with all this?" - Persephone
"Do NOT trust the cat! I can try to find a way to cut the Familiar bond..." - Daimon
"No. And... Why did you want me to kill that Seer?" - Persephone
"It was the best option at the time. The most expedient way of resolving the confrontation" - Daimon, matter of
fact
"Best option. Right. And how do I get rid of you?" - Persephone

"You don't. Unfortunately, the Legacy has been forming in you since I woke. The Winter you experience when I
speak to you is my original host's nimbus - eventually, you will be able to come here at will but for now I need
to use your Mana to cross into your conscious mind. More to the point, I do not know where your own Daimon
is. With luck, she will be within the commune." - Daimon
She stares at him
"Without a Daimon - which now means without me - you will go mad. Remember Dominic? Cicero killed him
because he had the potential to become something terrible. Without me, you will be mad, and already a mage."
- Daimon
"Okay. Well.. If she was swapped, then she must be wherever you were" - Persephone, thinking fast
"Some kind of Soul Jar spell imbued into an item. A Soul Cage" - Daimon
TA-DA!
"Hadrian. Hadrian might have it" - Persephone
She checks the watch. Only ten minutes have passed.
"I don't trust you" - Persephone
The Daimon watches the film, carefully considering.
"Unnecessary. I have tutored many candidates and I have had this conversation several times before. Your
trust, Catherine, is not required." - Daimon
The film switches to a scene featuring "Flare"
"So. About Samael..." - Daimon
We will discuss the ins and outs of all this in a bit. There is more information yet to come.
---
At the Grey Street Runners' house, Samael has explained his idea regarding the real name being obscured by
temporary amnesia.
"This can only be tested... with SCIENCE!" - Symmetry
"Your logic pains me" - Cobalt
"You'll like the field work!" - Samael
---
Swiftly arriving at a bar, the conversation turns again to the Furthest Legion.
"So... Are they ALL gay?" - Samael
"Venator is. Aquila isn't. Aegis might be. Not sure." - Symmetry
"Aegis isn't that bright. Sometimes he even spells his Shadow name wrong" - Lux, sniggering
Ageis; You may consider yourself served. :P
"Good man to have between you and a fight, though. Good with barriers. Mage Armours. He's got a variant
Mage Armour spell that's vulgar as hell but takes almost anything on the chin." - Symmetry
"He's a..?" - Samael
"Moros. And Aquila's a Thyrsus. Vernator, Militas and Cal are Obrimos" - Lux
"The falcon's his familiar?" - Samael
"Apollo. Yeah. Aquila's a falconer in real life - he keeps Owls, Falcons. Couple of Eagles. Apollo was the bird-of-
prey spirit from the falconry, I think, before Aquila bonded to him. BIG spirit for such a little bird." - Symmetry
Everyone is now "pleasent" with drink
"We have our own spirit 'friend'. Remind me" (to Cobalt) "we need to have words with that cat" - Samael
"If we can catch him" - Cobalt

"If you want to catch the pussy, I'm your girl" - Symmetry.
She swirls her drink around in the glass
"... Well, laying hands on it is the easy part. It's more of an oral problem" - Cobalt
The innuendo continues for several minutes more, the gists being that Symmetry can interrogate Archimedies
if Cobalt and Samael catch him and get him to her.
Unfortunately, and I hate myself for this as it was *very* funny, only the first two lines of the innuendo-athon survive in
the session notes. Beginning with 3.3 we're instituting a recording and transcription system that should prevent such
tragic losses to AP history from happening in the future.
Lux and Samael, faced with the onslaught of flirting between Symmetry and Cobalt, try to look in any other
direction. Lux casts his eye over the people in the bar.
"Wish Cal was here. Man's a chick deflector. Girls flock to that Tamer of Fire charisma, realise he's a shirt-lifter
and bounce off to the nearest people." - Lux
"Which would be you?" - Samael
"Whenever I can" - Lux
"Where IS Cal anyway?" - Symmetry, briefly tearing her attention away from watching Cobalt
"Sat at home, holding the fort while the others kick faerie butt" - Lux
It is immediately decided that they will go to Excalibur's at closing time and spoil his quiet evening in. There is
much toasting to Excalibur.
"Excalibur for Hierarch!" - Symmetry
That briefly knocks Samael down a level or so in drunkeness.
"Sorry - what?" - Samael
"Oh, come on. You must have noticed it" - Symmetry
She lays it out for them;
"There are Newcastle Cabals and there are Durham Cabals. Notice how there's no one from south of the river
here? They've got Bede, Aurora and Abbot. We've got Cal, Cicero and Quark. Silver Ladder, Mysterium and
Arrow *Their* side, Guardians and Free Council *Our* side. Every now and again Bede or someone asks why we
don't go make our own Consilium. They just don't understand our city ways" - Symmetry
"*I* don't understand our city ways" - Cobalt
"You need more beer" - Samael
I'm just throwing background details in here and there, in the hope one of them seeds a storyline later in the Chronicle.
Finally equipped with beer, the four shamble out of the bar, intent on Cal's house and TV. They don't get far.
Taking a shortcut down an alleyway, shivering against the cold, Lux trips over something.
That turns out to be a body. A young man, lying in the snow. his lips are blue and there's ice on his eyes.
Samael casts a heat-detecting spell. There is none in the body.
"Corpsicle!" - Samael
Cobalt casts Grim Sight and looks around. The man's ghost is huddled a little bit further up the alley, shivering.
Under Forensic Gaze it looks like he was fine, absolutely fine. Until he suddenly dropped to room temperature.
"Room temperature" tonight being minus six centigrade without the wind chill.
"Persephone. Could you use postco.... Shit" - Samael, realising she isn't there.
Symmetry peers into the Shadow Realm
"Okay... I've got... Snow motes... Drunkeness motes... There's the alleyway spirit, lurking and waiting to mug
someone.. And I think there's some self-inflicted illness behind the trashcans" - Symmetry
"We're in no fit state. Symmetry. Hit me." - Samael

"Okay. *Temporary*, yeah? This is going to wear off, and then you'll become drunk again" - Symmetry
Whatever she casts clears their heads
"Holy shit! We've got a dead body!" - Samael
Heh
"Why is it always whenever you guys are around?" - Symmetry
Curse of the Player Character
Samael tries to think, tries to figure out what to do and what happened. Using Forces magic to make a thin
telekinetic field around his hands, so as to leave no fingerprints, he searches the body.
"Wallet's gone, but I've got his car keys" - Samael
Cobalt talks to the ghost.
-Dog... dog... don't like dogs- - Ghost
"What kind of dog?" - Cobalt
-Big... White, black and red dog- - Ghost
"Where'd it come from?" - Cobalt
The ghost nods up the alley, from the direction the guys shambled
-Just walked up to me and breathed- - Ghost
"Breathed? Breathed something over you?" - Cobalt
-Dog... dog... don't like dogs- - Ghost
Cobalt gradually realises he's pushed the Ghost to the limits of it's shattered sentience, he relays the
information to the others.
Symmetry looks for dog hair with magic, finding three different types. The gang look for paw prints but can't
find any.
"It could have been a werewolf, or a vampire" - Symmetry
"Or just a big heat-drinking dog" - Samael
Lux and Samael have got the frequency of the car beeper on the corpse's keys. Cobalt tries Momentary Flux to
see if taking the keys is a good idea, but gets no conclusive answer.
Lux makes a phone call to the police with Forces magic - it'll be rather hard for the cops to trace *that* - and
they all head off to Excalibur.

"Who could have done this?" - Persephone
"The Guardians of the Veil have hated and hunted us since before the Free Council. We're a library they can't
access or censor, and the only way to remove a secret from the world if one of us knows it is to.. well.. destroy
the entire Legacy." - Daimon
"And now I know them too. Great. Fucking great" - Persephone
"You've paid your dues for it. Earned your passage. Deliberately or not, retrieving me makes you worthy of
inclusion" - Daimon
But what if she doesn't want their secrets? The Daimon is politely confused, not understanding why she
wouldn't want to know all there is.
"How do I shut them out?" - Persephone
"Excuse me?" - Daimon
"I want to shut them out. How do I keep the Liches out of my mind?" - Persephone
"Noone will be walking around your mind without your consent" (as though horrified she would suggest it) "That
would be rude" - Daimon
"You said the Oneiroi merged" - Persephone
"Some of it. The mental space is philosophically infinite. There's plenty of room you're not using, believe me.
It's like... There's the central area beyond the gateways, and then each member has their private Oneiros.
Coming in would be like breaking into your colleague's house" - Daimon
"How. Do. I. Lock. It?" - Persephone
The Daimon is, by now, rather outraged, but sighs and agrees to teach her.
"We should be working on it anyway. The gateway requires you to know things you don't in order to function.
I'm going to have to teach you the Mind Arcanum" - Daimon
"You can do that?" - Persephone
"Of course. Once we've spent some time learning, you'll be able to control your gateway. You'll be able to come
here by just closing your eyes. No more begging for Demesne-time. Doesn't that sound good?" - Daimon
What he isn't telling her is that, as a Daimon, he has the Arcana knowledge of his original Mage at the time he left,
plus whatever he's learned alongside subsequent hosts. It only works inside the Astral Realm, though. Out in the real
world, he's got nothing.
Well, unless someone was foolish enough to create a Goetic emanation of him.
And that would be silly, wouldn't it? It would loose a multiple-degree Master with a very low Wisdom on the world, and
send Sef mad in the meantime.
The Legacy has the Mind Arcanum as it's primary, with Death secondary for the second and third levels. I'll write it up
more fully, but in brief
First attainment - Mind 2 - almost Identical to the Dreamspeakers' first attainment; the Legacy member can enter
Astral Space as an instant action rather than an extended one and doesn't spend mana to break the dreamshell. Once
in, they can flip between them with a turn's concentration or act simultaneously which, as Legacies: The Ancient notes,
tends to make the mage look a little crazy, talking to people that aren't there and interacting with objects that are only
in their mind. They don't get the Dreamspeakers' ability to enter the dreaming-land of their locality, but they do get a
mental effect that duplicates "Follow-Through" but for mind portals rather than space ones, allowing them to access
the central Oneiros-space. There's no optional Death power, as (like, in fact, the Dreamspeakers) this is powerful
enough as it is.
Second attainment - Mind 3 - Duplicates the skill-adding spell from Free Council, with the Legacy member having a
floating pool of her dots in Mind to assign to skills, rearranging them requiring a meditation roll. There's an optional
Death 3 attainment I haven't figured out yet, which will probably involve absorbing the memories of dead people by
temporarily loading their ghost into the Hive or something.
third attainment - Mind 4 - Creates the central dream-space, acting as the dream-bridge Oneiros-tunnelling spell from
Astral Realms to anyone with the soul-bond created by learning the Legacy from the character. Optional Death 4 allows
the user to swap Daimons with a supplicant, and allows that Daimon to then use the dream-bridge attainment once,
linking that person back.
As part of the peculiarities of the way they spread, the Legacy can functionally only be taught by a Gnosis-seven
member. A Gnosis five member CAN, in theory, teach it, but the new member then won't get into the Astral Lorehouse
until they themselves reach Gnosis 7 or a Gnosis 7 member takes over as their mentor.
Of course, as Sef is finding out, the flip side of only being able to teach at seven means you can *join* even before you
normally would. Persephone is only at Gnosis 2, but the Dreamgate is there. She can't *use* it until she gets Gnosis 3
and Mind 2 to activate her Attainment, but she's unable to join another Legacy.
That *does* sound good. But the thought of all those dead people crawling around her mind... Sef already has
privacy issues. The very idea is terrifying.
She needs to know more about them.
"Who was your original host?" - Persephone
"A Mastigos named Kosciej. Sometimes called Kosciej the Deathless, for obvious reasons, Or 'Koshei' to people
that have trouble pronouncing it" - Daimon
"And he's?" - Persephone
"Dead. Murdered long ago. Don't worry. We got them back, and Kosciej is safe and well in the commune" -
Daimon
The difference between Kosciej and Koshei is very slight pronunciation-wise, but using the original form (Kosceij is a
Russian fairy-tale character. In fact, he's pretty much the original 'Liche', complete with Phylactory and magical
powers) pleases Agena, who has one word that sounds familiar to her native language in a game run in a second
tongue to her. And a game involving three Englishmen who all use rather obscure words for fun.
"What do I call you?" - Persephone
"I don't have a name. I'm not a person. Call me what you wish" - Daimon
"Mr Binky" - Persephone, smirking
The Daimon does not look amused, though he still grins. He doesn't have enough face left to do much else.
"All right. Kosciej. For now" - Persephone
"That will become confusing later on, but very well" - Kosciej
Haaar-vey! Imaginary friends are called Harvey. Or Six.
"There are more pressing concerns before us. The Cat for instance." - Kosciej
"Archimedies?" - Persephone
"The cat was a gift from Hadrian. We must ascertain it's true loyalties" - Kosciej
"Any ideas how?" - Persephone
He beams up
"Torture it until it tells us" - Kosciej
"We will do no such thing" - Persephone, with finality
Funny to see THAT exchange, given what happens at the start of 3.3... Kosciej is cheerful, eager to prove himself a help
to Sef and has Wisdom 1. The three do not mix happily.
"Very well. Other business. You could stand to get a little control over your raging emotions. Your lust in
particular is quite troublesome. Would you like to meet your vices?" - Kosciej
"Some other time" - Persephone
"Well don't put it off. I have to live in here. Believe me, I'm organising the clutter as best I can, making things
more efficient..." - Kosciej
"Don't change ANYTHING! Don't!" - Persephone
"But it's my JOB. It's what a Daimon does. I have to run your Oneiros. And make certain improvements" -
Kosciej
"I forbid you from making any changes my Daimon wouldn't make" - Persephone
He sighs
"I suppose. I do have her notes. She *blogged*." - Kosciej
There were acres of meaning in "Blogged" there.
Sef ignores that
"And wrote poetry" - Kosciej
"Not listening." - Persephone
The movie has looped around. Kismet is defeating Doctor Destruction again.
Kosceij glances up at Kismet's leather-clad closeup.
"We have self-confidence problems?" - Kosceij
"I do NOT" - Persephone
Kosciej blinks, and Persephone finds herself wearing Kismet's costume.
"Not many people can pull off the corset and kitten heels combination in an action scene, but somehow you
make it work" - Kosciej, with deep, deep sarcasm
"Your point?" - Persephone

"Why don't you dress like that out there?" - Kosciej
"Normal people don't walk around like this every day" - Persephone
"From the memories of the bars you've visited, I have to disagree. It would turn Samael's head" - Kosciej
"Shut up" - Persephone
"I am here to help you accomplish your goals! I would much prefer to have those goals be something mystically
significant. I would even settle for amassing political power or great material wealth, but YOU have as your
life's ambition making a slightly wet Obrimos notice you sexually" - Kosciej
The cinema disappears
"I work with what I have" - Kosciej
They now stand on a boxing ring
"In the Blue corner - Samael. Brooding hero, pledged to throw his life away against superior foes due to his own
sense of morality" - Kosciej
Samael appears, flexing.
"Nice coat, though" - Kosciej
Persephone rolls her eyes
"In the RED corner - Aquila! Taciturn, but good with animals. Better placed to protect us from our enemies" -
Kosciej
Aquila appears
"In the BLACK corner, the outsider! Cobalt. The older man. Future leader of the Free Council. We'd have to beat
Symmetry off, though" - Kosciej
Cobalt appears.
And Dave, in order to get the true horror across, starting flexing in the background like a bodybuilder.
"And then there's always Cognos" - Kosciej
Persephone just hides her face in her hands and lets out a cry of despair until Cognos disappears.
"Perhaps not Cognos. But if this is what is consuming your time and attention, then allow me to assist you.
Choose one of these fine gentlemen, and I will give you all my help and advice in wooing one of them. Don't
just blog about things" - Kosciej
He points a bony finger at Aquila
"If you want this man's attention, you have to tell him. When you write 'dear diary, today I did this and that'
you're talking to yourself. Worse, you're talking to ME, girl, and I already know." - Kosciej
"This is too much. Too much for the first meeting. I need.. time to digest it" - Persephone
He growls, annoyed, but they return to the lighthouse kitchen.
"How long have you been here?" - Persephone
"Since before you Awakened, but I was dormant. I activated only when you created your Oneiros for the first
time, when you went into Dominic. The Oneiros only exists when mana is expended to create it, but now I
expend it for you to keep it up. Once your attainment becomes active, that will not be necessary." - Kosciej
"Why didn't you reveal yourself earlier?" - Persephone
"I have been busy. At first, there was disorientation and finding out who I was in, made more difficult by having
to take over as Daimon without warning or knowing anything about you. I have been spending all my spare
time, usually while you are asleep, going through your memories to update my knowledge of the physical
world." - Kosciej
"Have you... Have you seen Hadrian anywhere?" - Persephone
"Apart from many memories and nightmares taking his form, no." - Kosciej
She glances at the watch
"It is pointing at the gate" - Kosciej
She quickly looks at him, questioning
"I'm YOU. I can see it because you can see it. The needle is pointing to the gate." - Kosciej
"He's on the other end?" - Persephone
"Disturbing. That would imply he has somehow gained access to the collective. 'Hacked in' you would say. We
need to find any remaining members of the Legacy, but I advise caution" - Kosciej
"I'll use the internet. The Free Council mailing list" - Persephone
"Ah, the internet! Marvellous invention." - Kosciej
"What kind of key words should I use? If your... brain communists... psychonauts... whatever are all in the Free
Council, at least one of them is bound to be on the forum" - Persephone
"We do not know how compromised the forum might be. I will devote part of your brain's capacity to thinking of
the answer" - Kosciej
After some time pondering it, she nods.
"After all" (cheerful) "It's not like YOU use much of it" - Kosciej
"I'm waking up now" - Persephone, annoyed
She forces herself awake, lying in the sand floor of the Mithraium.
-Oh, and by the way. I would advise against telling Cicero about this, or any other Guardians. If you want to
live.- - Kosciej
"Stay in my head" - Persephone
-I'm IN your head- - Kosceij
"You KNOW what I mean" - Persephone
-Fine. I'll just go do the thankless task of wrangling your Lust. Oh, the agony.- -Kosciej
Sef hears someone dialling a telephone
-Hi! Catherine's Lust? Hey, baby. Yeah. Yeah, the Psyche's gone now. I'm on my way baby. See you soon- -
Kosciej
Persephone grits her teeth, but he does not invade her thoughts for a while. He appears to have gone.
She heads upstairs.
Kosciej is a jerk, and is constantly invading Persephone's privacy. But he's - hopefully - a funny jerk. And because he
isn't real (well, not in the sense any of the other characters are real) he can well and truly break the fourth wall and
say the things you normally don't say. And his lack of his own volition mean that his well-meaning advice, which is
always the most expedient thing to do regardless of morality or indeed Wisdom, is not acted on unless Sef agrees to it.
He can be casually amoral and suggest they kill and torture their way through the Chronicle, but he can't do any of it.
Which makes him an acceptable monster.
A lot of it is strategy, too - until Persephone learns the Mind Arcanum, she can't control Kosciej's comings and goings,
but she'll join the Legacy properly if she DOES learn it, so it's Kosciej's interests to annoy, wheedle, bully and prod her
until she's constantly off-balance and does it to get him to shut up.
To borrow a Farscape reference, what she needs is a dumpster.
As to the rest of it, the reasons behind this plot are many. It's a huge complication and a spanner just as Agena thought
she'd figured it out - look at what's happened. Suddenly Hadrian ISN'T behind everything, or not everything. The
implications have changed, which will be examined next time. We now know what the title of the Chronicle is all about
(though the players haven't twigged to the real twist) and have a whole new antagonist situation in the fact that the
Legacy Sef's been co-opted into is hunted by the Guardians. Or so Kosciej says.
Also, there's the matter of symbolism. Think about it - the hive-Oneiros straddles the edge of the Underworld and
Astral Space. When Persephone uses her own powers, her nimbus manifests as butterflies. When she goes to the
Oneiros-hub, it manifests as Winter.
When Persephone is in the land of the dead, it's winter. When she's in the land of the living, it's summer.
Thank you, and good night!
Oh, and a last - they don't have a name yet because I haven't thought of one. 'Psychonauts' and 'Brain Communists'
(thank you, Chris, even if it DOES get the basic idea across succinctly) do not satisfy. A prize of having your rpg.net
screen name used as a Shadow name for someone plot-important to the man, woman or androgynous being that
supplies one.
Chris: Vote Brain Soviets, you know it makes sense!

Upstairs, Excalibur has been interrupted in his enjoyment of the game by the Fearsome Foursome. He's told
Samael and Cobalt that Sef is downstairs, which surprises them, and listened to their theory of sympathetic
links.
"So you've had a bit of a head start?" - Excalibur
Symmetry nods enthusiastically
"Well, then. It is my solemn duty to match the Consilium" - Excalibur
While he starts catching up, drink-wise, and their drunkenness hasn't returned, they tell him about the dog.
"A heat vampire in the shape of a big dog" - Excalibur
"Heard of anything like that?" - Samael
"No. But then it's a complex modern world we live in. If it's heat you want, I'm your guy" - Excalibur, drinking
Bring a Tamer of Fire to a fight against the freeze-hounds. "It's a complex modern world we live in" is the chronicle's
injoked phrase that's used whenever something potentially doesn't fit with Mage's cosmology. It's from a glorious, truly
glorious, DC comic where Superman chides a group of hardbitten, leather-clad 90s-reject "Gritty" superheroes, thusly;
"Your no-nonsense solutions just don't work in this complex modern world of talking gorillas and time travel"
Because, let's face it, it's a big world of darkness, and Mages get inured with the crazy. Next session, Persephone finds
out Vampires exist and doesn't believe in them until someone points out that she's a wizard and really, how likely is
*that*?
Persephone, looking troubled and distracted, emerges from the door that leads to the Hallow. She's taken
aback to find everyone here, and prepares herself for uncomfortable questions, but she soon realises that
everyone is far too drunk to do anything other than greet her and offer her beer. So, feeling her skin crawl, she
joins in and hopes they'll forget what she was up to.
"We found a freeze-dried corpse. He said a big dog breathed on him" - Samael, to Sef
"Your chat up lines SUCK, man" - Cobalt
Dave 2: This is possibly the first indication that Cobalt is a little sick of the kids and their romantic tension. You're
grown up now: resolve your issues darn-it.
-He's not wrong- -Kosciej
Persephone ignores Kosciej as best she can.
Everyone talks about the Dog. In a moment when everyone else is distracted, Cobalt quietly asks Sef if
everything is okay. Sorely tempted to tell him, she decides it would take too long to explain and he's drunk
anyway. She might need his sober advice.
"When we're sober" - Persephone
"Seriously. What is it?" - Cobalt
"Cobalt, it's just so fucked up you won't believe it. I'll tell you all when we're sober" - Persephone
He just nods and leaves it alone, just as Symmetry returns from the Legion's bar and sits on his lap, handing
him another beer.
"Cal - do you have anything other than this?" - Symmetry
Excalibur considers, then comes to a decision
"Militas' homebrew" - Excalibur, with grave pronouncement

-I'm so glad you cut short our deliberations for matters of such import- - Kosceij
"Okay. One glass each, everyone, and drink it quick or it'll evaporate" - Excalibur, hefting a demijohn
"You're *kidding*" - Samael
"Oh, my, no. Some proficiency in the Life Arcanum is recommended, but one shouldn't hurt too much. Militas
based it on ceremonial wine from Roman temples, the rotgut the real Legions used to drink and Arabian heart-
of-wine. Distilled with the Forces Arcanum, aged with Time. Seriously kick-ass" - Excalibur
The liquid is blood-red, and steams slightly. Excalibur says something in Latin and knocks his back, then
shudders slightly.
"That's smooth" - Lux, sounding like he's had sandpaper in his throat
Cobalt likes it so much he uses Transmute liquid to turn his beer into more of it. Sef goes to the fridge to find
something easier on the tongue. Like vodka. Or methylated spirit.
"Dude. The fumes" - Lux
Cobalt goes maudlin for a second then cancels the spell. Fumes. Too much like Quiet.
-Well, this should make things easier. Look - he's practically horizontal. Now is the time to make your move.
We'll be married before he wakes up- - Kosciej
She pours herself several shots
"Will this shut you up?" - Persephone, muttered under her breath
-I doubt it- - Kosciej
She tries anyway.
Over in the TV chairs, Symmetry makes herself comfortable on Cobalt and slaps the arm of the chair
"Oh-kay. I think I'm enough gone... Let's see... Jeremy" (pointing at Samael) "Brian. Paul" (both were vaguely
waved at Lux and Excalibur) "Doctor Rex" (at Cobalt) "And Gemma" - Symmetry, touching herself on the
forehead
"Not drunk enough yet" - Samael
But which one's Brian, and which one's Paul?
Gemma outing herself here is the first time (well, except for the opening sequence) that a Mage ally of the Cabal has
given them her real name. She got Samael's name wrong, anyway.
Persephone, seeking a way to drown Kosciej out, siezes the TV remote and flicks through channels. American
sitcoms don't work, so she changes to Japanese commercials.
Everyone else finds those oddly hilarious, so they stay. Attention drifts away again, though, except for Samael.
He's sat right in front of the TV, staring intently at the flashing colors and lights.
"Are you okay?" - Persephone
"It's..." - Samael
He seems to come around from a trance
"It's interesting. The pattern" - Samael
She changes the channel.
Samael's future membership of the Sphinx - and Chris has decided to go for the Sphinx in the end - is being set up.
The conversation has drifted to the Paths.
"For an Acanthus, Time is your bitch" - Lux
"Atia's been teaching me new tricks. I can do the Matrix zooming" - Persephone, proudly
-'The Matrix'? One moment... Oh, now I understand where that costume came from!- - Kosciej
Sef just barely manages to control herself enough to tell him to be quiet in her head instead of out loud.
"What are my strengths? Zombies. Fucking Zombies" - Cobalt
"Matter is your bitch" - Persephone
"Of course, Obrimoi are simply better than everyone else" - Lux, clinking bottles with Samael
Chris: It's true. Prime is potent but also limited... whereas Forces is the truly perfect Arcana for all those petty little
methods of making one's life easier, as Samael demonstrates in 3.2 :
Symmetry looks sad
"I like my path. I don't care that other people think we're diet werewolves" - Symmetry
"I don't think that..." - Samael
-Dear blog,
Today I got very, verrry drunk, and my friends were tiresome!- - Kosciej
"Shut UP!" - Persephone, blurting it out loud
Samael, hurt, stops taliing
"Not *you*" - Persephone
Excalibur returns from the bathroom
"I'd leave it for a bit" - Excalibur
There are groans of too much information from his house-guests.
---
January 27th
10.03
Everyone wakes up with a huge hangover
"I am being punished. I am being punished for my sins" - Symmetry
"God wills it, eh?" - Persephone, nudging Samael
He looks confused
"It was a joke? God wills it? Get it? No? Eh, forget it" - Persephone
-I'll do you a deal. You skim through a book of 100 jokes or something, I'll pull the pages out of your sense-
memory and we can learn them. Anything to avoid that kind of cringing embarrassment- - Kosciej
She clutches her head. Kosceij AND a hangover?
"Make him go away. Please make him go away" - Persephone
Samael has turned on the news. There is indeed a report of a young man being found dead through exposure.
"Looks like the only victim. The police are 'contacting the family', so they must have figured out who he was" -
Samael
"Bad guys have arrived. Always when we're having fun" - Cobalt
"We need to go back to the alley. See if we can get anything else from the site." - Samael
"Like what?" - Lux
"We have an Acanthus" (nodding at Sef) "We can see what happened" - Samael
Persephone seems dismayed by that, but Samael doesn't notice.
"All right, people! We have a mystery to solve. Let's get out there and act like we deserve our Watchtowers" -
Excalibur
Which, despite it's curt nature, seems to oddly motivate everyone.
The Tamer of Fire ability to make a short inspirational speech and grant willpower points to everyone being addressed
is really rather cool.
---
Under Postcognition, Persephone watches as the young man staggers out of the bar the others were in, pull out
his mobile and start texting as he walks down the alley towards the taxi rank in the distance. Suddenly, there's
a low, bass growl - too low on the register to be from a real canine's throat - and a big doglike *thing*, legs too
long, muzzle too wide, looking more like a hyena or a dire wolf than anything, is stood in the alley mouth. The
creature is jet black apart from it's back and shoulders which are white. The eyes and tongue are very red, and
the air is shimmering around the mouth like a heat haze. It pads slowly up, eyes glinting or maybe glowing
(hard to tell), and growls again. The man, backing away from the beast, suddenly spasms, his skin going cold-
pale. He falls, shuddering for a few seconds as he freezes over. The "dog" then pads to the alley entrance the
man came in by, where two other dogs exactly like it are sat on their haunches, waiting. The lead dog pads
past them, and they follow it out into the main street.
The whole time, they leave no tracks.
Persephone comes around, and relates the tale.
"Can you look again? See if they came from nowhere or walked in?" - Samael
-Oh, that's not asking a lot- - Kosciej
"And what will I get from it? Looking at people's horrible deaths is not pleasant" - Persephone, annoyed with his
presumption. And annoyed at herself for agreeing with Kosciej
"You don't have to do it if you don't want to" - Samael
That just annoys her even more
"Why should I?" - Persephone
"Because I'm asking you?" - Samael, disappointed
"We would be very grateful" - Cobalt
"Your gratitude won't spare me from nightmares" - Persephone
"Nonetheless. We will still be grateful" - Excalibur
"Okay. Well they *could* be Werewolves" - Lux
"There hasn't been a pack in the city for years. Hamsterly Forest, yes. Around Keilder, yes. On the moors,
probably. Not in town, though. We'd have heard about it. The *spirits* would have noticed and told one of us" -
Symmetry
Persephone, unable to cast Postcognition on the same place twice in a day, heads to the main street and
recasts it.
The dogs walked, quite slowly, through the crowds towards a Metro station and went down the steps. No one
appeared to notice them, even as they brushed past people's legs.
She grumpily relates that to the others
"They could be cloaked somehow, but only to Sleepers. We need two things - to find if there are any more
deaths and if there's a pattern, and to find any Sleepwalkers and see if they noticed anything" - Samael
"Right. Time to phone Hatfield and get his magic list" - Excalibur
And that is that! See you next time!

Welcome back, faithful readers! This session, from memory, was rather short. We shall see how it comes out in the
recap. The session was odd, in the playing. There's almost no "plot" development, but an awful lot of character
movement as things we, as omniscient observers, all knew all along are stated and the Cabal sort a few things out in
their head. Sef finally starts telling the boys what's going on with her - not the *whole* story, but it's a start.
Without further ado, we pick up where we left off.

The assembled Mages shiver in the cold while Excalibur retreats a discreet distance to phone Hatfield. The
others try not to listen in as the call does not apparently go to Excalibur's liking.
"...Now listen to me, you little bitch..." - Excalibur
-If I might interject- -Kosciej
Sef glances behind her, where Kosciej has apparantly just walked into the alleyway. She tries to get a grip and
remind herself that he did no such thing. He's not really there.
While he's busily not being there, he's pointing up above her. Following the line of the bony finger, she sees a
CCTV camera.
-That device is for the purpose of watching the alley?- -Kosciej
She nods quickly when no one's looking at her.
-Although the creatures were unnoticed, your Postcognition reveals them to not be invisible- -Kosciej
"Good point" - Persephone, muttered.
"What's a good point?" - Symmetry
"Camera." - Persephone
"Yeah. I blanked us from it" - Lux
"But did the Dogs?" - Persephone
"They're invisible" - Lux
"To Sleepers. Doesn't mean they don't show up on the cameras to one of us looking at the footage" -
Persephone
"Damn. Good point" - Symmetry
-I think so- - Kosciej
Samael reaches out with his magic, and tugs gently on the flow of data from the camera.
"It's going... That way" - Samael, pointing
They set off on the trail, Excalibur trailing behind, still arguing with Hatfield on the phone.
...
The data is flowing to a minor police station, one of the many satellite stations in Newcastle supporting the
main HQ. Samael ponders whether there are any legal means for someone to take a look at the recordings.
"Freedom of Information?" - Samael
"Takes weeks. Probably months" - Symmetry
Excalibur catches up
"Hatfield is digging out his list" - Excalibur
"We need to get the recordings from the cameras" - Samael, nodding at the station
"Ideas?" - Excalibur
Samael has several; hacking into people's brains, invisibility, Cobalt tunnelling into the place at night...
Persephone tries to cut down on the options by leading everyone into a side-alley and getting out her Tarot
Deck. Using various Fate spells tells her that Invisibility will do the best trick, and that Excalibur (at least, she
assumes that's who the Knight of Swords is) will be the man for the job. The assembled Mages confer and
decide that they need someone with the Forces and Mind Arcana to translate stored data into mental images.
Fortunately, those are the Arcana Excalibur's Legacy is based around, so that's that. Samael volunteers to go
along and take point, and Excalibur nominates Cobalt for opener of mundane locks and such.
Samael casts Invisibility, vanishing from view. Excalibur attempts to cast Bestow Invisibility on Cobalt, but
almost as soon as Cal's nimbus (a crown of fire and a shaft of sunlight coming down onto him) forms,
something goes wrong. The spell energies Havok, arcing away from Cobalt and hitting Persephone, who
vanishes.
"Sef!" - Samael
"What the?" - Persephone
"Sorry! Fuck. Sorry!" - Excalibur
Excalibur tries again, this time making Cobalt vanish. Unfortunately, he can't lift the spell from Sef - it's out of
his control now - so she'll just have to stay put and wait for it to wear off. It also felt kind of powerful, so that
might be a while.
The boys creep invisibly off to the front door, leaving the others in the alley
"Still there?" - Symmetry
"Yes" - Persephone, annoyed
Oops! Paradox strikes at the most inconvenient moments. But oddly thematic, too - Persephone, still annoyed with
Samael for ignoring her except as a Postcognition machine, is now literally invisible to him.
The boys quickly discover that timing is the key - a door opening and closing itself is instantly suspect, so they
have to carefully follow other people. Getting through the front door of the building itself is the hardest, but
eventually a large woman provides their opening by storming out after remonstrating over her husband being
arrested.
And this, gentle reader, is where the auto-recover managed to get up to. I am deeply annoyed. My freelancing (and
yes, it is for White Wolf, and a different book to last time it was brought up, too. Still not telling you what, though, for I
heard from one of the other guys that Stone Mountain is powered by the tortured souls of those that break their NDAs,
fed into an engine of lies and pain by the smiling pitchfork-wielding spectres exorcised from the minds of Rein*Hagan
and Weick years ago to watch over the monster they created) is in an up-cycle, I have D&D 4th edition to read and
understand ready for running a game of it for Pathstrider (ex-Wolsey) Maninblue (Cobalt), Samflix (ex-Kali) and another
friend this coming weekend (It might, if I take leave of my senses, be AP'd) and I'm already two sessions behind on this
- 2.4 will be played tomorrow, as I write. I just can't afford to lose five hours' work like that.
Grr.
Where was I up to? Oh, yeah. The Police Station.

The inner security door proves more of a challenge, however; it's not meant to be accessed by the general
public, is guarded on the other side and in full view of the desk officer this side. What they need is a distraction,
and Samael and Excalibur have to maintain their invisibility so are unable to cast anything else.
It has a "Concentration" duration. Fortunately, Excalibur accounted for that when he cast Bestow Invisibility on Cobalt
as a combined spell with his own cloaking - Cal's maintaining Cobalt's blur field, leaving Cobalt free to cast. Such tricky
fiddly details are a large part of how Cal managed to get a Paradox the first time he cast it. That and not being able to
use his magical tool (for drawing a sword will get attention in a UK street, no matter how circumspect you are).
And that note was much shorter last time around. Less waffle. More recap.
Cobalt casts Alter conductivity on the wall and ceiling in a line between the lighting and a plug socket, with the
result of the lights all going out and a faint smell of electrical burning coming from the plug. That does the trick
- the inner door opens as it's guard asks the desk officer what happened. The threesome pick their way past - it
appears to have done for the entire building, which is particularly lucky.
Alter Conductivity is very useful. I speak as a man whose extractor fan developed a loose wire, crossing two light
circuits and killing all power to my apartment for several days last January. The spell to do such things whenever you
like is one of the most useful low-level Moros abilities. If your character has the know-how of how to best use it.
Fortunately, Cobalt's a scientist.
They make their way to the CCTV room, Samael following his instinct of where it was, through the darkened
corridors. The police officers and support staff are reacting properly, though - flashlights have come out and
people are staying put in their offices while engineers try to find where the fault is. Fortunately, the CCTV
operator appears to have been one of those engineers; either that or he's on a break, because there's no one in
the room.
Samael stands guard outside while Cobalt and Excalibur reappear inside. Cal casts an improvised Mind and
Forces spell to absorb the information in the digital recordings, muttering that what they really need right now
isn't a Tamer of Fire but a Sphinx. Then he returns himself and Cobalt to invisibility.
No one ever mentions the Sphinx when Samael is around to hear them - part of the Legacy is that you have to find
them yourself, so fate is conspiring. It started when Logos talked to Persephone back in "The Mourning After", and has
sort of built up in the chronicle since - Dave and Agena are careful to only have their characters discuss it when
Samael's not around. No one in character is trying to hide it, it's just that by consensus of our group Samael always
misses it. If that makes sense.
Making their careful way back out again, the trio reappear in the alleyway.
"Sef?" - Samael, looking around
"Yes?" - Persephone
"Oh, you are still here. Good." - Samael
-'Oh, you are still here'. Good to know he cares- -Kosciej, sarcastic
Samael can't see Persephone scowl, annoyed with him and annoyed with herself for agreeing with the Daimon.
Chris: The hybrid Persephone/Undead Brain Soviet Hate Machine is being a little unfair to Samael here, who was saying
it in genuine relief to find that nothing had happened to Persephone
Excalibur reports that the dogs did indeed show up on the cameras, but there was nothing to suggest the files
were part of the case, meaning that whoever reviewed the recordings couldn't see anything out of the ordinary.
"Are we sure these aren't werewolves?" - Samael
"Werewolves do have a thing like the Quiescence, where humans that see them forget or rationalise it. But like
I said - there's no city pack we know of" - Symmetry
"Vampires don't show up on images, do they?" - Samael
"Vampires? What else? Faeries?" - Persephone
Bit of an odd comment from an Acanthus. Especially as she met at least one Fae during her Awakening, but we can put
it down to stress. Persephone is rather on edge this entire session, understandably - she'd be annoyed and anxious at
being rendered invisible anyway, and Kosciej has a debilitating effect on her calmness.
Agena: Debilitating is a rather mild way of putting it. Sef has compolsure 4 and this man is driving her mad, and not in
a good way.
Everyone else looks at where they suppose her to be.
"You didn't know about Vampires? There was one in the bar last night" - Symmetry
"Seriously?" - Persephone
"What's wrong with that?" - Symmetry
"It's just a bit... Hard to believe" - Persephone
"Sef. You're a *wizard*" - Lux
"They keep to themselves and try their best to avoid humans finding out about them. They're low priority
according to the Guardians, compared to all the monsters that aren't so obliging, like spirits." - Excalibur
"Speaking of which, maybe they saw something. Is there a spirit of the CCTV?" - Samael
"A Grandfather Eyes? There should be" - Symmetry
"Can you summon it?" - Samael
"Not without knowing it's name. We'd have to go into the Shadow and ask it. Have you met a Grandfather
Eyes? It's like a cross between a praying mantis, a man and a TV aerial. It has dozens of eyeballs which it
detaches and leaves around the place to see out of." - Symmetry
She launches into an enthusiastic explanation of the spirit world's perculiarly darwinian nature, from motes up
to Barons, and how the spirit-gate spell will convert all of them into Ephemera making them a valid target for
the spirits.
"But casting the spell here will be it's most difficult - the wall between worlds will be really strong here - and
take hours. We'd have to make a gate somewhere else and move, and for that we'll need a Mastigos" -
Symmetry
"I really don't like this plan" - Persephone
"Don't worry! It'll be fine..." - Symmetry
"Why am I always right about bad things? Astral flashers, and now getting info through the spirit world" -
Samael
(off everyone else's expressions) "Maybe I'll just get Babel and try it on my own tomorrow, then" - Symmetry
"Without anything else, I say we wait for Hatfield to finish assembling his list" - Excalibur
"More like 'editing'" - Cobalt
"Unfortunately that's probably true. The rest of the Legion will be back tonight - I'll get them out on the streets.
Symm, work on the spirit angle." - Excalibur
"Okay. I'll see most people at the Assembly the day after tomorrow. Well, I hope I'll *see* you, Persephone" -
Symmetry
"Hopefully Cal's spell will not last forever" - Persephone
"I can only apologise *so* many times." - Excalibur
"It's okay. You can be a big hit at Assembly. You could make a career out of displaying poltergeist activity.
Impress the other Libertines" - Samael
"What are you implying about our Order?" - Cobalt
"Come on. Pythagoras'd love it" - Samael
"Ours is the path of wisdom. Yours is the dusty remains of the past, coat-boy" - Cobalt
Symmetry, Excalibur and Lux prepare to leave
"Say hello to Aquila for me" - Persephone, to Excalibur
-"Say hello to Aquila for me"- (simpering) -I take it we've chosen him to bestow our favours upon?- - Kosciej
Persephone ignores him until the non-Auric Horizon have left.
"I have a bit of... a problem" - Persephone
"I take it you're not referring" (waves hand at where he judges her to be) "to this?" - Cobalt
"I don't really want to talk about it here." - Persephone
"Back at the lighthouse?" - Cobalt
"I have some things to do in town." - Samael
"That's okay. There's something I need to talk to Cobalt about anyway" - Persephone, preoccupied
He shrugs and leaves
"Home, then" - Cobalt
...
As they enter the Lighthouse, much to her relief, Persephone slowly fades back into sight.
"Thank God. Cobalt... Could you do me a favour and check me with Soul Marks?" - Persephone
He obliges, noting to his interest that there seems to be something going on. It's like she has a half-formed
Legacy, or is in the process of forming one. He doesn't recognise it, though.
"So he didn't lie..." - Persephone, muttered
"Who?" - Cobalt
She waves the question off, distracted
"It's hard enough to say it the first time. I don't want to have to repeat everything and maybe miss something
out. It'll wait for Samael, but there was something else" - Persephone
He makes tea. Sef sinks into their battered sofa, clutching the mug
"Back in the jungle, we all got separated. Rodriguez was captured by a Seer; he had a gun to his head. I was
armed, I saw them. They didn't see me. I aimed at the Seer and... ... I couldn't do it. I couldn't shoot him. The
Libertine Creed says 'Destroy the Followers of the Lie', but I *couldn't*. Does that make me a bad Libertine?" -
Persephone
Cobalt considers
"When I killed the Seer at the airport it... Was hard. It affected me, is still affecting me. I wouldn't... I wouldn't
wish that on you" - Cobalt
"If he'd been a bit slower that day he'd be *dead*. And Orchid saw. She saw everything, but she never said
anything..." - Persephone
She trails off. Orchid saw a lot more than that. Orchid saw her wrestling with no one, saw the cold from Kosciej's
nimbus
"...She kept it to herself. But... She's a Mystagogue, I suppose" - Persephone
"Rod was okay. He lived to womanise another day. And you *did* act before the Jungle. With Quiet" - Cobalt
"That was different. It was self-defence" - Persephone
Suddenly, Cobalt feels her cast something. To Persephone's point of view, Cobalt appears to have slowed down.
-Excuse me? How *exactly* was that self-defence?- - Kosciej
-Go away, Kosciej- - Persephone
-You hunted Quiet down. He was escaping - long gone by the time you reached Chayot's- - Kosciej
-He attacked us! With zombies, and Ghosts...- - Persephone
-On the train. Which you boarded while chasing him down. And when you reached his carriage he was *hiding*.
Make no mistake, Catherine, it had to be done and I heartily approve of the way you resolved that situation,
but do not delude yourself into thinking that the confrontation was unavoidable. You sought out your enemy
and you KILLED him- - Kosciej
It's the approving tone in the Daimon's voice that unnerves her.
Time returns to normal.
"If every Libertine could kill without flinching, then we'd all be monsters..." - Cobalt
Kosciej makes mocking gestures behind Cobalt's back.
Cobalt trails off, his Unseen Senses catching up with his view of Persephone squirming in her seat, visibly
uncomfortable.
"What is it?" - Cobalt
"It's just... Him. He's back." - Persephone
-Mwu-hahaha- - Kosciej
"Just.. STOP IT" (clutching her head) "Go AWAY! God. I can't... I can't concentrate with him here." - Persephone
Kosciej produces a Violin and begins to play, silently.
"Where?" - Cobalt, in a low voice
She points, and Cobalt turns to look with Mage Sight.
"There's nothing there. There's... That thing, in your pattern, though. Cold." - Cobalt
Kosciej mimes shivering, and finally vanishes. Persephone feels the alien thoughts retreat from her conscious
mind back to where they usually live, an unpleasant knot in her subconscious.
"He's..." (closes her eyes) "Gone for now." - Persephone
"May I suggest you learn the Mind Arcanum? Quark could teach you?" - Cobalt
"That's what he wants. If I do, I'll fully join the Legacy" - Persephone
"What is this Legacy?" - Cobalt
"I... We were going to wait for Samael." - Persephone
"Okay" - Cobalt
So they play Smash Brothers instead. Princess Peach versus Sonic the Hedgehog.
I don't think I adequately got across during the game that Kosciej is part of Sef's mind. When he's talking to her, her
brain is essentially thinking two things at once, which is why it's so disconcerting and tends to reduce her to shouting
incoherently after a while - she doesn't have the Mind magic necessary to think two things at once, so she's running on
50% CPU as it were.
That and he's very distracting.
...
In the Laing Art Gallery in Newcastle, Samael has been looking for "significant" things using Interconnections,
and led by Fate has been contemplating a particular piece for about half an hour. It's comprised of different
coloured perspex blocks, each colour representing an emotion, fashioned into an abstract "tumbling"
configuration.
After ten minutes, a thought struck Samael. Something that his learning as a Mystagogue has no answer for.
Colours are symbolic of emotions. Fine. So far, so staid - almost every culture has different meanings for
different hues. But Samael, as an Awakened Mage, *knows* that emotions have colours. Anyone with a grasp of
Mind Magic can see the aura around an emotional being.
So how do the *Sleepers* know?
How does Sleeper culture know that Green means Envy? They shouldn't be able to - disbelief would set in even
if someone cast a spell granting the Mage Sight. Which means that somehow, either through Mages
disseminating it, over talkative Sleepwalkers or the agencies of other supernaturals, that a bit of the true,
higher reality has managed to enter the human experience despite the Exarchs' best efforts. Colours and Light
are what he knows best.
This is the lead-up to Samael encountering and joining the Sphinx. I think we're all pretty sold, in the group, on them
as being Samael's destination, Legacy-wise
The notes in the gallery's guide are even more interesting. The artist has Synesthesia - the condition wherein
one sense is perceived as another. According the the guide, the artist both hears colours and experiences
"emotional" words as being spoken in their appropriate colour.
Samael notes the name, and gets the bus back to the village near to the Lighthouse. Thinking all the way.
...
ONce he's home, and has made everyone dinner (the others like it when Samael makes dinner, for he uses the
Mysterium's Secret Sauce(tm)), Persephone has her tale to tell.
"I know who my voice is" - Persephone
"How?" - Samael
"I used Cal's Hallow and went into my Oneiros" - Persephone
The penny drops for Samael, who nods in understanding of why she was at the Legion
"I.. I'll just go get something" - Persephone
She heads upstairs. Cobalt quickly and quietly fills Samael in on what he witnessed earlier - how Sef was
arguing with something that wasn't there, and how she appears to be forming a Legacy.
She returns, bearing Duma's letter and pointing out the relevant sentence.
Originally Posted by Duma

I took part in the hunt for the lost Soul Stone of Koschei the Deathless
"There. HE's in my head" - Persephone
Samael goes pale
"Koshei the Deathless? You have Koshei the Deathless in your head?" - Samael
"You've heard of him?" - Cobalt
"Koshei the Deathless was a Mastigos from the Nameless Orders in the 19th Century, and one of the
ringleaders in the Nameless War between them and the Diamond Orders. He was a terrorist and anarchist who
did *something* to himself, some kind of Legacy, so that he could exchange minds with his apprentices. He
attacked Aethenea and Censoria, infiltrating them with some young mage until, suddenly, they'd become
Koshei and wreak havoc. The Guardians of the Veil killed him many times, what they thought was his real body
early on, but he always came back." - Samael
He sits back
"It's not actually *Him*, but his Daimon. He's somewhere on the other side of the gate" - Persephone
"Gate?" - Samael
"There's a gate in my head" - Persephone, panicking slightly at what Samael's just told her
"Hang on. Just... That's a Mysterium story, yeah? No offence, but you guys in the Diamond Orders are a little
'you're with us or against us', and at the time this guy was alive we were against you. Remember that the
Nameless are the Free Council. I bet Quark would have completely different stories about him" - Cobalt
"Cobalt, he sacrificed his followers to escape death again and again. Used them like cannon fodder. Also, Sef -
what Gate?" - Samael
Persephone explains what Kosciej told her about the Legacy - the communal Oneiros containing the thoughts of
all the members, the Daimon-swapping, the fact that it persists even after death, the gate that's building
somewhere deep in her Oneiros.
Samael and Cobalt start to excitedly theorise about what's going on, while Persephone gets more
uncomfortable
"Don't worry. You're not a research subject. Slap us if we start to theorise in a way you're not comfortable with"
- Cobalt
He pauses, and points at Samael
"Especially him" - Cobalt
"Oh, thank you *Professor*" - Samael, sarkily
Their theories hinge around the nature of Kosciej's body-jumping ways and what it means in concert with what
the Daimon is selling. There are good options and evil options. The good option is that it's exactly as Kosciej
said - a Legacy based around preserving knowledge, that attracted the enmity of the Guardians of the Veil for
knowing too much.
"The bad option is that it's a Pyramid scheme. Everyone gives the person above them their Daimon, all the way
up to Kosciej, who leaps around people's bodies" - Samael
"How did you give up your Daimon anyway?" - Cobalt
"That's what I'm trying to figure out. He says he was stolen, put into some sort of soul cage in the 50s..." -
Persephone
She trails off, aware that she's straying Hadrian-wards
"Sef. You're going to have to tell us about your past if you want us to find why this guy is in your head" - Cobalt
There's a very long pause. Cobalt gives in, changing the subject.
"Okay. What about this Lost Soulstone Duma was looking for? Could that have been where the Daimon was
stored?" - Cobalt
"That's not what Soul Stones are used for" - Samael
"I know that. Traditionally, but the man's an innovator, yeah?" - Cobalt
-Good thought, but no. The soul stones serve a different purpose- - Kosciej
"Which is?" - Persephone
Samael looks confused for a second, then catches on.
-They are anchor points, links holding our deceased members to the world, like mooring lines between the
commune and reality. Those hidden in Hallows also provide the Mana needed to sustain the commune without
draining the resources of our living members. I can imagine that the Guardians would make tracking them
down and destroying them one of their priorities- - Kosciej
She relays that.
"Okay. Well... Maybe you have a sympathetic link to your original Daimon, still, as she was part of your soul. We
could try to find the Soul Cage with that" - Samael
-I agree- - Kosciej
"He thinks that's a good idea" - Persephone
She's not sure if that's a good thing or not.
-Fascinating as this is, Catherine, I have progress to report which has bearing on this discussion. I've been
going through your memories of Hadrian and I am now certain that he is or was a Guardian- - Kosciej
-How?- - Persephone
-You'd have to come in here for me to show you, and I don't advise that with Cicero back in town, but you
observed him using Guardian rote mudras on at least three separate occasions- - Kosciej
-Can you tell what he did?- - Persephone
-No. I was a Libertine in life, remember? But I believe it to be related to the Mind Arcanum. I have two
hypotheses: One, which I think of as being titled in pink with little rainbows and call the 'Catherine option', was
that he stored me in you for later retrival. The other, the 'Realist option', is that after having transferred me
into your Sleeper mind, he intended to then kill you- - Kosciej
"KILL? But he had loads of opportunities to kill me. Why didn't he?" - Persephone, out loud
"Who?" - Cobalt
She realises she vocalised that
"No one" - Persephone, muttered
-Oh, good going. That's bound to work- - Kosciej
"Is this... Hades you're talking about?" - Cobalt
Persephone picks up her plate and flees to her bedroom.
"Great" - Cobalt
Samael looks sympathetic. And concerned.
...
Up in her room, Persephone lies on her bed, staring vacantly at the ceiling while music pounds out of her hi-fi.
Kosciej sits on the edge of the bed, companionably, holding the cd case in his bony hands
-Does this music help?- - Kosciej, politely curious
"No. I can still hear you" - Persephone
...
Cobalt is explaining to Samael why he thinks Cognos took him on as an apprentice.
"Because of her name. He thought someone with a connection to Death could get her to open up. But, pretty
quickly, I figured that if she called herself Persephone there must already BE a Hades she's scared of." - Cobalt
"We can't help her if she doesn't want to be helped. We can't be responsible for her if she won't take the
initiative" - Samael
Remember that line. Cobalt did, and there is payoff later
Finally, they decide to ask Quark about Kosciej - or about Daimons at least.
"I don't know about spreading it about. If the Guardians find out about this..." - Samael
"It's reasonable. We read the name in Duma's letter. That shouldn't make anyone suspicious" - Cobalt
"That's just it. I don't think I want everyone knowing about *Duma*. It's not just Sef on the line, here. Watch out
for Quark's political obligations." - Samael
...
Hours later, Sef emerges from her room to find that Samael - who she wanted to talk to - has gone out, back to
Newcastle to go clubbing. And that Cobalt is up in the Hallow, casting a ritual spell that will take him hours.
She sinks back down onto the sofa, and looks around nervously
-Kosciej?- - Persephone
There's no answer. Even he's left her, gone to rifle through more memories.
Resigned to solitude, she watches an ancient TV show about a boy being chased by wolves through a train until
she goes to sleep.
'The Box of Delights'

In Newcastle, Samael is swigging from a bottle, looking around the heaving club with Life sight and drinking in
the energies of the people massed all around him.
He's tapped on the shoulder, and turns around to find Atia (looking very different with her hair down and not
wearing a toga) and Aquila (big and shaven-headed as ever).
"How were the Redcaps?" - Samael
"Kinda short. Your height-ish. Hair like steel wool soaked in blood, dressed like border Reivers" - Aquila
His first line!
"We put the boot into them. Literally, in Militas' case" - Aquila
"And I thought faeries were pretty things" - Samael
"That's Southern Faeries. Northern Faeries eat lonely farmers" - Atia
"Did you want me for something?" - Samael
"We're looking for freezo-dogs. Going wherever Atia's spells tell us to" - Aquila
"Aegis and Cal are out prowling around the town" - Atia
"And Apollo's on lookout" - Aquila, nodding upward
"Did your fate lines tell you to come *here*?" - Samael, looking around nervous
"Nah. Cal told us you'd be here" - Aquila
"Okay... Listen. Now you're back from redcap-hunting, you should probably give Sef a ring" - Samael
...
And now, an unpleasant day for all concerned
Dawn rises.
Completely ignored by the Auric Horizon, who all sleep well into the afternoon.
Finally, Samael wanders down to find food, disturbing and waking Sef in the process. Hearing noise, Cobalt
emerges.
Sef looks unamused - accusing even - at Samael over morning tea.
"Something the matter?" - Samael, mildly
"You left me alone here" - Persephone
"Cobalt was here" - Samael
"Cobalt *also* left me. You could have taken me with you" - Persephone
"You could have asked" - Samael
"YOU could have asked" - Persephone
Cobalt, sensing danger, tries to stealthily leave the scene, but his mobile starts to ring.
Persephone seems content to glare at Samael while he seems equally content to take it, nonplussed. At least
until Cobalt finishes his call.
"Ah, Freeman!" - Excalibur
"Hey Cal. Wait... since when was I Gordon Freeman?" - Cobalt
"Well, you're a scientist and you have a magic crowbar." - Excalibur
"I have a magic Anything, it was only a crowbar once!" - Cobalt
"But you used it so heroically!" - Excalibur
"... ... ... can I help you with something?" - Cobalt
"Progress! We got one. Or rather, the Consilium got one. Apparently Cobra, the other Smoke Eaters and
someone called Magog were out on the toon last night, ran into one of the dogs chasing a Sleeper and opened
fire. Killed it right dead... And took it back to Middlesbrough as a trophy" - Excalibur
"Opened fire?" - Cobalt
"I haven't told Cicero yet. The sleepers seem to think someone let fireworks off in the street. Listen, I need a
favour. Could you head to Cobra's and talk to the other Libertines? Try to retrieve the body so we can get a look
at it, or see what Choke thinks after she's looked at it at least?" - Excalibur
Cobalt looks at his two Cabal-mates, and considers the long trip to Middlesbrough
"No problem." - Cobalt
He hangs up
"So. You could have asked" - Persephone, picking up right where she left off
A horrible argument then begins.
Which, despite the many hurtful things said on both sides, is the last such conversation in the chronicle we have no
quotes for. Roll on 3.3 and the recording software, I say.
Sef bitches at Samael for quarter of an hour for not inviting her to anything and for treating her as a
Postcognition machine without ever showing gratitude. She dwells on the nightmares she's suffered from the
various things he's asked her to look at. Samael, in his defence, says she never asked to be invited to anything
and as regards postcognition she doesn't have to do anything if she doesn't want to. This does not calm her
down.
"It's always that I don't have to do it if I don't want to, but if I *don't* then you all make me feel guilty" -
Persephone
"If you're not taking the initiative I can't do things for you" - Samael
"It would be nice to have to take it from time to time" - Persephone
"You've been busy! All the things in your head..." - Samael
"So that means now that I have an invisible friend I won't be invited to parties?" - Persephone
"Why are you so bothered?" - Samael
"You go everywhere ALONE" - Persephone
"So you're saying you have to babysit me?" - Samael
".. What?" - Persephone, worked up and confused
[size=1He was trying to work out why she was so adamant that he should have taken her with him, about her
wanting to keep watch over him or something - that was the only particularly rational reason he could figure as
to why she would be so wound up over this, that she wanted to keep tabs on him, when *he* just wants to get
away from the cabal for a bit and let his worries disolve for a while away from such influences.[/size]
Finally Samael gives up.
"I've had enough of this" - Samael, stonefaced
He goes to his room, while Sef storms out of the Lighthouse slamming the door behind her.
Cobalt sighs and calls Quark.
"Cobalt! Good. I was going to try to reach you. I've been clued in about these Hounds, and it needs dealing
with. I've used my chairperson's privilege to appoint Symmetry Strategos relating to the matter, to be ratified
at the Assembly." - Quark
A Strategos, for those without the Free Council book, is someone who's been appointed as being in charge of a
particular thing. They act under the assumption that everyone in the Assembly has pre-emptively voted in favour of
whatever they decide. Quark's privilege is that he can hand out Strategoi titles at whim, but the Free Council IS still a
Democracy - at the next Assembly, the appointment needs to be voted on.
In other words, Quark has just well-meaningly set her up to have judgement cast upon her the very next day.
Cobalt tells him about the Smoke Eaters.
Quark doesn't like it. He especially doesn't like Magog being involved. He asks Cobalt to include Symmetry in
what's going on.
Call over, Cobalt squares his shoulders and heads up to Samael's room.
The Obrimos is reading
"Sulking is her style, not yours" - Cobalt
"I'm *working*" - Samael
"Okay. What was that all about?" - Cobalt
Samael frowns
"Persephone's being annoying" - Samael
"Did you win?" - Cobalt
"I don't know" - Samael
"Did SHE win?" - Cobalt
"I don't know" - Samael
"Then we're not doing it right" - Cobalt
"I'm not planning to win this. Apart from very symbolic ways, I'm not her keeper. She's Awakened. She has the
ability to handle things on her own" - Samael
"Dominic could have been a mage. Cobra IS a mage. Being Awakened doesn't imbue supernal wisdom" - Cobalt
"I'm not going to stop every five minutes to think how to invite Persephone along" - Samael
"On a brighter note, we have one dead Hound" - Cobra
"Hound?" - Samael
"The Hounds of Winter. I rather like it. Anyway, Cobra and the Smoke Eaters, plus Magog, killed one in broad
streetlight last night in Newcastle" - Cobalt
Thank you, Dave
"Where is it?" - Samael
"At Cobra's house. I'm leaving soon to meet up with Symmetry and deal with it" - Cobalt
"Call me if you need backup" - Samael, returning to his book.
"I can't be responsible if you won't take the initiative" - Cobalt, muttering just loud enough for Samael to hear
Cobalt heads back down the stairs and calls Symmetry.
"Hey! Did you hear? Did you?" - Symmetry, happy
"I heard. Listen..." - Cobalt
And he proceeds to tell *her* about the Smoke Eaters and their trophy
All the glee goes out of Symmetry's voice
"Well... This is good... Right?" - Symmetry
"Good that there's one less dog to stalk the streets. Listen - I'm heading off there soon. Do you want me to pick
you up?" - Cobalt
"Sure." - Symmetry
She gives him an address, which he notes down. He adds 15 minutes to his estimate of how long it will take
him.
He has something to do, first.
He has a Persephone to provide advice for.
...
Outside, Persephone is stood near the cliff face, angrily throwing snowballs off the cliff into the sea. Mercifully,
Kosciej has stayed away.
"Trouble between you?" - Cobalt, crunching through the snow towards her
"He's so SELFISH" (throw) "He doesn't care about US. No - He mourns Duma as if he was his best friend, and
doesn't care what WE had to go through in the jungle. WHat WE had to... had to..." - Persephone
She shrieks and throws another snowball.
And thus we get at the heart of the matter
"He might be like that because he'll never know. He'll never know if Duma was the man he presented himself
as in the letter" - Cobalt
"He was evil. I know it. He was displacing other people's souls! Sure, only those he decided deserved it... I bet
he thought at least once that *I* deserved it!" - Persephone
Cobalt gives good advice, but Sef isn't interested. Finally, he tries to cut across everything.
"Here's how it is. You're hurting each other because it's a break from hurting yourselves" - Cobalt
She stops.
He waits.
Sometimes Cobalt is very wise.
Not being able to reply to that, and not being able to fully vent, Sef stands there, clutching her firsts. Cobalt
waits patiently, and she starts crying out of helplessness.
Unable to stand the sight, Cobalt hugs her. Sef breaks down completely.
Sobbing into him, she tells him how she has nightmares of Samael being disintegrated in the temple instead of
Duma.
"He can't know how you care about him if you won't tell him. He doesn't *know* how much he's hurting you by
cutting himself off" - Cobalt
Red-eyed, Sef looks up past Cobalt
-I come in peace- - Kosciej
The Daimon spreads his hands in a gesture of appeasement
"You need to tell him why you got angry" - Cobalt
-For what it is worth, I agree with your Cabal elder. If the boy doesn't know the harm he's doing, he will
continue to do it. And you to him.- - Kosciej
Even in full-on nice mode, Kosciej can't resist having a dig. In this case at Cobalt's age.
"Promise?" - Cobalt
-I'll make you a deal. If you confront this issue, heal your Cabal and so ensure our future security, I will put your
memories of Quiet behind glass. They'll be there, but they won't trouble you any more- - Kosciej
"I don't... What if he doesn't listen to me?" - Persephone
"He will" - Cobalt, disengaging and walking back to the lighthouse
"You can't leave me here alone with him!" - Persephone
"Yes. Yes, I can. Good luck" - Cobalt
He climbs back up the stairs to Samael, and opens the door.
"Listen this time. It will come from the heart" - Cobalt
Without giving Samael time to respond, feeling certain he's doing the right thing, Cobalt heads back to the front
door.
Archimedies hisses at him.
He considers the cat.
"And YOU'RE coming with me. No interfering in this." - Cobalt
He scoops the cat up into a cardboard box and heads to his car.
Back outside, Persephone is trying to build up her courage. Kosciej is sat in the snow, legs dangling over the
edge of the cliff.
-I'm sorry. I haven't been in a teenage woman's mind for a while. I forget how *serious* it all is. Don't mistake
my flippancy for a lack of concern, Catherine. Your best interests are, by logical extension, my best interests,
and your emotional well-being determines my habitat. I have every reason to see you happy and fulfilled- -
Kosciej
"So what should I do?" - Persephone
-You should confront it. Decisive action has always worked for me. And if it doesn't work, well... There's always
Aquila.- - Kosciej
He claps her on the shoulder encouragingly, and vanishes.
Uncertain, Sef goes back inside.

Super Bonus Downtime!
That's the point at which we actually finished the session. We now continue, though, with the occurances of a special
down-time. I decided, on being asked, that Dave really didn't need to be around for the long working-it-out scene, so
Chris and Agena downtimed this bit and wrote it up for my approval later.
We here at The Soul Cage are now pleased to bring this lost scene to you, our loyal fans.
Chris: Note that this is fairly close to being word for word, with some bits slightly tidied up and a few bits of blather cut
down - Agena wrote up the entire conversation from the recording!
The lighthouse stairs creak as Samael makes his way down to the kitchen. His arrival takes Persephone back a
little, unprepared despite the building's vocal warning of his approach, but quickly regains her composure.
"I bring offerings" - Persephone
She hands him a mug of tea, which he gratefully accepts.
'I... Look, Samael, I'm sorry. I.. I shouldn't have yelled at you, it was stupid and uncalled for and...' - Persephone
"I'm sorry as well. I should've explained myself a bit better" - Samael
"It's just that.. you know, after..." - Persephone
She thinks for a moment.
"It's been too much. I was trying to deal with this and I can't any more. So much stuff happened and people
died and we went to the other side of the world and... and you almost died and... and now, I found this undead
lich in my head and it's just..." (sighs) "I'm sorry" - Persephone
"It's okay" - Samael, quietly and reassuringly.
There is a long silence.
"It's not..." (thinks for a moment) "It's okay not to be able to deal with it. Which is why I'm here. That's why I
and Cobalt are here to help you however we can even if it's just ringing up the people who really *can* help
you" - Samael
They both smile and there is another long silence as they nurse their mugs.
"You know, it's... not only that" - Persephone
It's her turn to pause for thought, looking at the door for a moment as if looking for help - but there's no one
there, so she turns back to Sam again.
"When we went to the jungle and went through all this stuff I thought that our cabal is going to be a bit... closer.
But... we came back and you're just sitting there alone" (gestures vaguely up) "It's... painful. It's painful to see
you cut yourself from us so much. It just pains me to see that you're treating us as associates and not friends" -
Persephone
"I'm not trying to treat you as associates" - Samael
"But that's how it looks" - Persephone
"Look... the thing is that I *have* got a lot of stuff to do. I mean, I know Cobalt is on a sabbatical at the moment
but, when that's over, he's going to have to go back to work. Me, I've got to earn my commissions. And I've got
to work for the Mysterium as well" - Samael
"I understand but do you have to do that all the time? I mean, you never come down to play with us or you
never ask if we maybe go somewhere together - the three of us" - Persephone
"We did, we went to Quark's party. Except you had other stuff to do" - Samael
"But Quark's party was.. Quark's party" - Persephone
"Yeah, but we didn't just stay at Quark's party. We ended up at Excalibur's place. Didn't expect to see you
there" - Samael
"Yeah, well... Cicero said that's the time when I can use the Mithraeum so.. I had to" - Persephone
"I understand that - now - why you did it. We're lucky that Cicero isn't.. I don't know... we're lucky he hadn't
figured out what was going on" - Samael
"I think he may suspect" – Persephone
"He can't" (flatly) "Well, yeah, okay he *can*. He might suspect, but... if he's on guard watching people to see if
the remnants of a very old proto-Free Council legacy resurface then he must be on the lookout for millions of
very unlikely things. He's probably more likely to think you're a lich or a Echo Walker than a member of the..." -
Samael
He waves his hand vaguely.
"...whatever, the Brain Communists" - Samael
Sef laughs quietly, and Samael cracks a smile.
"Tell me, does the guy in your head wear a red suit with a hammer and a sickle on it?" - Samael
Sef smiles and shifts.
"No" - Persephone
They finish their tea and Samael continues.
"Look, as I said, I'm not trying to cut people out. I do need privacy sometimes though, you know, 'me time'" -
Samael
"I understand that - but your me-time seems to be all the time" - Persephone
"It's not all the time, I spend a lot of the time here" (gestures at the kitchen) "Thing is, a lot of the time I'm
working and researching and such like" - Samael
"You seem to do a *lot* of researching lately. Much more than you did earlier" - Persephone
She looks at him intently.
"Yeah, but... before was kind of.. you know, we were all a bit at loose end. But we can't stay at a loose end
forever" - Samael
"Why are you researching alone then? Why don't you let us help you?" - Persephone
Samael looks a bit surprised as if he hasn't considered this.
"Well... uh... I guess you *can* help me with some of it. Some of it is just stuff that I need to do myself but sure,
if you want to help I can give you some things to do" - Samael
Sef smiles at that.
"You especially, because you have Fate magic. And I was going to ask you at some point to teach me more of
that Arcanum" - Samael, with more conviction
"I think that can be done" - Persephone
"I'm sorry if I've been out of sorts. I didn't realise how bad it was for you" - Samael
"Well.. we've all been out of sorts... and..." - Persephone
She sees the opportunity to say what she came here to say in the first place.
"I've been having nightmares every night and they.. always ended the same with... someone being
disintegrated in the bowels of the temple and I never... see him again" - Persephone
She looks at Sam, who just doesn't know what to say on that so remains silent. There's a long pause as they
both gather their thoughts.
"So... I just need a certain amount of time to myself, but I'll try to involve you guys more in what I'm doing
when I can" - Samael
How very English. Just breeze past the big admission.
"Well we said we'll help you. You're not alone in your quest. I will help you. I promised I will and I'll keep my
word" - Persephone
Sam sighs.
"If you're talking about the list of Echo Walkers... I don't know what I'm going to do. I don't know where to start.
I mean... investigating Duma was one thing. We were going to go there anyway, we've been invited, got a
chance to see something big and we did, but... that list... that spans the globe. There's what... eight? Ranging
from neophytes like *us* to masters" - Samael
"Well you know, we don't have to go after the masters" - Persephone
"I know but it's a *huge* task. I don't know what to do. I just don't know where to start. I don't know how to
come at it. I can't figure out how to approach the problem" - Samael
"We can work something out" - Persephone
"We've got more pressing issues anyway, like the Soviets in your head" (grins. Sef laughs quietly again) "We've
got other stuff first, like I said, I've got to work, I've got to research this stuff. The main thing for me since I
woke up... I've got some really promising lines of inquiry, I've got to follow up on it, I can't *not* do it" - Samael
He sighs.
"You know... can't let myself not do it. There's lots of things to do, there's lots of things to look into, there's lots
of work to be done. Cobalt's got all sorts of shit to deal with, I mean like I said, we've got to look at the future of
what's Cobalt's going to do. It feels a bit odd to talk about him in that way, but the odd thing is: he's the least
experienced of us as magi. He's also got a problem with real life hitting him when he has to finish his
sabbatical" - Samael
"But there are many mages in the university, right?" - Sef
"That's true, well, there are *some*, I don't know whether you can say 'many'. But at the same time that's
going to eat an awful lot of his time. And that's propably what he wants, I mean it's fine, he's a professor, I
imagine he does it because he loves it really, it's the line he wants to follow, exoterics and such like" - Samael
She smirks slightly

"But" - Samael
He waves his hand vaguely, as if at the letter and the Echo walker list in general.
"That means he's going to have responsibilities *here*" - Samael
"Yes, but those responsibilities are going to come in what, half a year? We can work something out when they
come" - Persephone
"...I guess you're right" - Samael
"Now is.. now, and if we're not able to figure out how to deal with 'now' there will be no 'later' for the Auric
Horizon.' - Persephone
Samael nods.
"Once we've sorted this problem out with your head, what are you going to do?" - Samael
"What do you mean? What am I going to do with what?" - Persephone
"Your life. I mean... yeah you can help me with my research, and that's very welcome. But you can't just sit
here and play on the Wii all day" - Samael
He looks at Sef's expression.
"Well yeah, you *can* but you're going to get very bored. And some of the problem with you seeing me not
being here all the time is that.. no offence, but you don't have a lot to do yourself. So there's a lot of space to
be filled" - Samael
Sef nods but generally doesn't seem convinced.
"I don't know... I guess I'll figure something out when Cobalt will have to go to work" - Persephone
"It might help with understanding why I spend all this time doing stuff, if you had the same kind of thing
yourself. I can accept some of what you're saying but some of it is: I just have *a lot* to do. It's not a slight to
you or the cabal" - Samael
"I understand" - Persephone
"Okay..." - Samael, almost whispering.
There's a long silence as they both gather their thoughts and think if there's more to say.
"It's hard to force yourself to do some proper work when you have Fate at your fingertips" - Persephone, buying
herself time
"You don't have to do 'proper' work" - Samael
She starts protesting but Samael hushes her.
"No, hear me out. You don't have to cling onto the mundane methods of work. It's a different world now. When I
go upstairs to forge my glass, a few touches of my hands and I can shape it however I want with heat. I can
insulate myself from my own forge. I can forge mana into solid forms and integrate it in sculptures... and go
vastly beyond that. I'm not a glass worker any more. You don't need to think about forcing yourself to do work
when you have the power of Fate at your fingertips. It's a case of using that Fate. Learning it, mastering it.
Doing what you want with it. I'm not saying you have to go out, take a sledgehammer and smash rocks at a
quarry just to earn yourself a few bucks" - Samael
Persephone giggles
"For starters, this is *your* place by Cognos' will. If anything, we should be paying you rent. But the point is:
use your Fate and Time. Work out what it is you want and use your powers for that. You know, you don't have to
get yourself a secretary's job or anything you find boring" - Samael
Sef nods, slightly more convinced.
"I'm just worried that you're going to be sitting here for a long time getting bored and stressed. You're a young
woman, you've got a lot of potential and a future ahead of you, lots of possibilities. And normally someone of
your age should be at uni, training, and they go out and they get a job and so forth - you don't have to do that.
But you've got to do something with your time. I don't mean to sound like your dad, 'go out and get a job,' but
you've got to just find something, some sort of outlet for yourself. The worst thing is sit here and do nothing
when you *have* so much power at your fingertips" - Samael
Sef nods more convinced this time.

"Now like I said, if you can, I'd like you to teach me more of the Fate Arcanum. But obviously that's not going to
be everything. And yeah, if we work out what to do with this list and so forth then that would be time and effort
but that's not going to be... you know, each month we're off after another one. I value my life for starters." -
Samael, sighing
"Well they went for Chayot. They may want to go for you too" - Persephone, looking worried
"They might. But they went for Chayot because he had the artifact" - Samael
"The Ankh of Sandrino" - Persephone, muttered
"Why do you keep on calling it that? Where does this come from?" - Samael
She just laughs
From Cobalt in 1.1, I believe, when he and Sef were talking about their "superhero code-names"
"Anyway... They will start coming for us when we go after them. So if I go after them, you two become targets.
Regardless of what the hell I'm going to actually do to them. This letter.. this list... you've read the implications
of Duma's words... 'If you're serious about seeing this through'. So what do I do? Just back away now and say.
'Actually, I'm not so serious about it, sorry for all the bullshit?' Or try and see it through, probably get myself
killed in the process and quite likely get you two killed as well?" - Samael
"Well, we can't leave it now, can we?" - Persephone, serious
"No... no we can't..." - Samael, sadly and quietly, as if to himself.
"It doesn't have to be something that we do now" - Persephone
"No, you're right" - Samael
"We get more experience, more power and then we can try. But they are not going to be waiting either. They
are also going to be getting power" - Persephone
Samael mutters something, as if chewing the words just said. Then he sighs.
"I'm sorry for all this" - Samael
"I know it's been hard for you. And it's been hard for Cobalt and everyone. But we're a cabal. We should be
helping each other, we should be going through this together, not alone. That's why... that was one of the
reasons I snapped today, it was just too much. Last evening I felt so lonely, because you went out and Cobalt
went doing his own thing and even Kosciej buggered off and I was alone. And.. it hurt" - Persephone
"Well... like I said we've got to get you something to do but also... I'm sorry. Thing is I do need some time like
that" - Samael
"I understand" – Persephone
"And look, whether I'm a jerk or not for going off to the town without you or whatever..." - Samael
Samael reaches out and gives Sef a hug. Sef is a bit surprised at first but then clings to him, even if a bit stiffly.
"...You are my cabal mate and I *will* look after you. You've got to tell me if there's problems because I'm not
psychic... yet" - Samael
They both smile on that.
"But I will do the best I can to protect you. And to help you and to see through whatever you want. Your own
aims and projects and such like. You stood by me so far and I thank you for that a great deal. I'm sorry if I'm a
dickhead sometimes" - Samael
They finally let go, but stay close, touching their foreheads.
"I know I wasn't a good friend either... I was annoying. I have only all the changes that happened so quickly as
my excuse" - Persephone
Samael sighs.
"Thing is, we're all people - as well as mages. All sorts of shit happens and we're going to piss each other off in
the future. It's going to happen. We're going to do stuff that each other doesn't like, we're going to misinterpret
each other... all that kind of stuff. The thing to remember is just... it's not because I don't give a shit about you
or anything like that. People are people. Is that okay?" - Samael
"Yes" - Persephone
She still has something that's standing between them like a thorn that she wants to get rid of. She looks at Sam
long then finally on his prompting she speaks.
"There is this thing I haven't told you about but I think Cobalt should be here. There's more stuff about Kosciej
and the Brain Soviets. I think I may know who did it" - Persephone
Samael nods.
"It's just not easy for me to talk about it..." - Persephone
"It's okay" - Samael, soothingly.
Finally Samael exhales as if de-stressing, and Persephone does the same.
They look at one another. Finally Sam speaks.
"I am still cross with you from earlier, you know" - Samael
"From when?" - Persephone
"For chewing me out at breakfast when I had a headache" - Samael
"You earned it" - Persephone
"I *earned* it?" - Samael
Sam looks at Sef disbelievingly, and she laughs.
"You're telling me I earned it. Really now. Is this some new Libertine doctrine, going around pissing people off
because they've 'earned it'?" - Samael
"Well, that's what the Mystagogues get for acting like that" - Persephone
"Are you insulting my Order?" - Samael
"Are *you* insulting my order?" - Persephone
"Yes" - Samael
"Well, there you go" - Persephone
She waves her hand a bit as if it should explain everything.
"Right. You're in trouble now" - Samael
"Really?" - Persephone
Sam points at her.
"Yes. You have impugned my honour earlier on today and you've mocked my Order. I demand satisfaction"
(slams his fist on the table) "I challenge you to a Duel" - Samael
Persephone fails to process that
"Ha! You weren't expecting *that*, were you? Right, outside, 5 minutes. You and me" - Samael
It finally clicks in Sef's head.
"Are you serious?" - Persephone
"It'll be good practice" - Samael.
He finally cracks a smile, then looks at Sef seriously again.
"Look, you really riled up Duma on that expedition and he was pretty close to turning around and saying
'Duello'. Your big mouth is going to get you in trouble with someone eventually" - Samael
Sef protests but Sam continues.
"You chewed me out this morning and you know, okay, misunderstandings, but if you do this to someone else
outside our cabal, they're going to turn around and they might just smack you down with magic, or they might
demand a Duel Arcane. Do you know how to duel?" - Samael
She shakes her head.
"No, you don't. Cognos didn't teach you, did he" (that wasn't a question "Right, like I said, outside in 5 minutes.
To teach you how to duel" - Samael
"O-kay" - Persephone
She doesn't look convinced but she's retreating to her room.
"Do I need anything?" - Persephone. calling down
"Your wits, if you can find them!" - Samael
"Oh, I found yours here, do you want them?" - Persephone
"Ha!" - Samael, dismissively
...
Sorry if I gave the impression the duel was in anger, by the way. Well, okay. I'm not.
5 minutes later, outside.
Samael marks out a circle in the snow.
"This is how the Duel Arcane proceeds. I create the duelling area with some Prime magic. Yes, that's the
Arcanum you have no control over" - Samael
"For now" - Persephone
"For now, yeah..." (unconvinced) "Now..." - Samael
He sits by the circle and focuses, light forms prismatic pattern around him.
"Done" - Samael
He steps within the circle, and gestures to Persephone to do the same.
"You choose one of your arcana as your shield..." - Samael
In the air in front of Samael erupts a shimmering wall of prismatic shapes.
"...and one as your sword" - Samael
He reaches up, pulls down lightning from the air and keeps hold of it, a sizzling and thrashing blade of
electricity.
Sef looks impressed.
"How do I do that?" - Persephone
He gives her a look as though to a particularly slow child.
"With *magic*" - Samael
Duh!
Persephone focuses, claps her hands together and as she pulls them back a bow made of shifting butterflies
forms. Then she waves her hand in a semicircle around her and her shape starts stuttering in time.
"There you go, simple enough. Now..." - Samael
He stands ready behind the shimmering wall of prisms.
"Come on then, Libertine. Let's get this mess over with" - Samael
"Meh, you're just too scared to strike first" - Persephone
"Yeah, yeah, typical Libertine; big on talking, little on the action" - Samael
"Oh, shut up already" - Persephone
She rolls her eyes and conjures an arrow with Samael's name on it. It hurtles out but the prismatic shield comes
up and absorbs it. Samael waves the shield aside with a gesture and lashes out with the tongues of lightning,
which flicker, sparking, off the ground and then whip up. Behind the Time shield Sef looks like many images
from her past, present and future but Sam's attack seems to hit them all, scoring first 'blood' in the Duel.
Sef jumps into the air and tries to shoot another arrow from a different angle to her initial attack but Sam snaps
it aside with magic, steps up and then pulls the lightning in and forms it into flames that lash out with tongues
of draconic fire, burning snake-heads seeking outwards. One of them catches Persephone, pulling her to the
ground.
She picks herself up.
"Okay. Now you pissed me off" - Persephone
Another shot arcs out but again fails as Samael pulls the prisms around him into a wall of multicolour light, like
glass, mirrors and lenses crackling around him. The arrow is harmlessly absorbed and he pulls its magic in,
sending out a bolt of light that streams towards Sef... but this time she is no longer there.
"Huh? You were just..." (looks around) "Is that the best you can do?" - Samael
Sef leaps again in the air from the cover of the sands of time, letting the butterflies from the bow disperse. With
the other hand she pulls out a tarot card and throws it at Samael. By some incredible convergence of fortune,
the Fate magic slips through the prismatic wall and card cuts into him. Grunting irritably, he pulls it out and sets
it on fire with a snap of his fingers. The card erupts into a fireball and he throws it back, catching Sef.
"You are going to pay for that!" - Persephone, picking herself from the ground.
"Oh really?" - Samael
Sef pulls out several cards this time and throws them like a fan, hurtling through a myriad of trajectories in the
air between them.
"Oh, shit" – Samael
He desperately pulls the prismatic wall in around him again, sending Fate cards bouncing off from all directions
– but one slips through the cracks and hits him, eliciting a grunt of pain. He focuses, breathing in and then
exhaling out in a manner that sends telekinetic force rippling into the air around his foe - but again Sef is no
longer there.
"God damn Time magic!" - Samael
Persephone is now behind Samael.
"Huh?" - Samael
She pulls out a long Chinese bad luck charm which she slaps on his back. Samael looks around confused as it
calls down a curse upon him.
"What the hell was that?" - Samael
He turns around, gathering more power; the ground shudders with telekinetic forces as he begins to yank
chunks of earth and snow up to hurl them at where Sef was standing. Again, she has already moved on,
sending an arrow hurtling in again from some new angle; the prismatic shield deflects it easily.
Samael watches from behind his barrier, observing how Sef is hurtling around the duelling field for a moment,
then reaches down to gather a handful of snow. He crushes it inwards and concentrates to drain all the heat
away from it, tossing the ice shards up to telekinetically launch them in a barrage at Sef. Most of it goes wild
but she takes another hit from the attack.
"Feeling tired yet?" - Samael
She picks herself up and, from the air, gathers a shimmering Fate sword made of quantum flux that shifts
between a state of existence and unreality. Closing in, she lunges in an attack that nearly slips between the
stained glass shards of Samael's Prime shield; he counter-attacks by gathering the force of his Sword arcana
back into writhing lightning once more, and strikes Sef full on.
Her will to go on finally falters, and the magic drops.
They are both standing where they started, looking over the untouched snow within the circle at each other.
Samael walks across the snow and catches Persephone when she nearly slumps on the ground. He gives her a
hug.
"You did well" - Samael

"That was.. surprisingly fun" - Persephone, exhausted.
"Let's go and have some more tea" - Samael, leading her back inside the Lighthouse.
-I don't understand. In my day we just had wild sex.- - Kosciej
Agena: I hate that man.
And with that, we are done! Again!
See you next time!

Session 3.3
Welcome back, faithful readers! We are now a glorious three sessions behind in the writeup schedules and desperately
trying to avoid making it four.
This session is noteworthy as the first in which we've recorded the game as an mp3 file. Therefore, the accuracy of
quotations is about to take a giant leap forward. Previously, we have attempted to get the character of the dialogue
acros along with any particularly noteworthy lines, but now... Now all those things I wish I remembered ten minutes
after Chris, Dave and Agena say them are preserved upon our hard drives for future safekeeping. Dave's line this
session about Aurora and Magog getting along like a Magog on fire is a case in point - it's funny, but it never would
have made it before.
Hopefully, this will make recaps quicker to write as well!
So. last time...
Dave2: Last time on Mage The Awakening!

Chris: A bunch of people were very angsty and did very little
Dave2: Samael cried like a girl. Persephone also cried like a girl, but this was more excusable. Woe. Woe is them.
Chris: Cobalt's the only one woeing I expect
Dave2: Like the bumbling invisible brigade.
Chris: Cobalt is the one with the impending plot-hammer hanging over him
Dave2: Oh yes, absolutely. I'm driving off to my doom. I'm well aware that I'm about to embarrass myself in front of my
girlfriend by attempting to remonstrate with the cretin brigade.
Chris: Worse. The Cretin Brigade and Magog
Dave2: And Magog. Because...
Chris: He has a manly chin. And possibly a brain behind it. Possibly in the chin. Maybe it's shielding...
Archimedies does not know where he's going. But then, he's in a cardboard box. He's just glad Cobalt is taking
him away from that thing.
"Don't worry. It's not to the vet" - Cobalt
Famous last words, as he turns onto the street Symmetry told him to pick her up on.
Symmetry, as it turns out, is a vet.
...
Cobalt, hoping Archimedies doesn't realise where they are, sits in the waiting area between the worried owners
of, to his left, a Jack Russel with a dropped paw and, to his right, a Tom Cat about to be neutered. After an
agonising wait, the receptionist waves him through into the surgery.
Symmetry grins a hello as he comes in.
"Right then! Put the patient on the table" - Symmetry
"Can you help me, Doctor? I think my poor pet is evil" - Cobalt
At this moment, Agena started laughing, which is making it hard to transcribe...

Archimedies looks around in panic as Symmetry lifts him up by the scruff of the neck.
"Evil in what way?" - Symmetry
"Well, aside from the fact that he likes to make people scared of him, which doesn't help on certain insecure
young people's paranoia levels... We have no idea how she got it. He just turned up after her Awakening" -
Cobalt
"So we have a Familiar bonded by an unknown third party which has a mind of it's own?" - Symmetry
"Oh, yes" - Cobalt
"Well... Excuse me, he just tried to use his Numina on me" - Symmetry
She leans down and looks Archimedies right in the eye
"I have a Shielding spell of Spirit up. Try that again, you little bastard, and I'll remove your whiskers. Or
something else" - Symmetry
"I see the shaving gel over there" - Cobalt, conversationally
"He can quite easily be booked in for alterations" - Symmetry

"No one will ever call you a shovel again" - Cobalt
We now broke off to explain the "calling a spayed a spayed" joke to Ag.
...
Over at the lighthouse, Persephone (extremely drained from her duel) feels, through her link, Archimedies' utter
terror. She leaps out of bed and looks around for a few seconds, but then gets enough of a grip to realise he's
further away than the lighthouse. He's feeling very confined... Feelings of deep, deep betrayal course down the
empathetic link. There are impressions of...
She calls Cobalt.
...
Symmetry is casting something while Archimedies cowers in a cage. Cobalt's mobile phone rings.
"I'll field this one" - Cobalt
He flips his phone open and presses "speaker".
"Hellooo" - Cobalt
"What the hell are you doing to my cat?" - Persephone, worried
"I.. uh" (looks around) "Took him to the vet's." - Cobalt
"You what?" - Persephone
"To get his shots. He's still a pet. He can still get cooties" - Cobalt
"I'm pretty sure that I have been with him for his shots. Not so long ago." - Persephone
Cobalt thinks fast
"Which shots?" - Cobalt
A-ha!
"Exactly, Cobalt. Which shots are you giving him?" - Persephone
"The ones with the big needles" - Symmetry
"Was.. Was that Symmetry?" - Persephone
"I'm not qualified to say, but those needles *are* pretty big" - Cobalt
"Cobalt, was that Symmetry!? WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MY CAT?" - Persephone
"We are.." - Cobalt
"Cobalt, bring him home!" - Persephone

"Yes, I'll do that" - Cobalt
"NOW" - Persephone
He thinks for a few seconds.
"Pardon? I didn't get that. Signal is breaking up" - Cobalt
"COBALT! I'LL KILL YOU!" - Persephone
He hangs up.
Symm raises an eyebrow then turns back to the cat.
"Okay. Hmm. Now, Archimedies. IF that's your real name..." - Symmetry
The cat hisses
"This is going to sting a bit!" - Symmetry, brightly.
She pulls a lever. Archimedies goes straight-legged as his fur stands up. Cobalt sees a brief after-image pulled
"upward" from Archimedies as Symmetry adjusts dials
Can't be a proper Free Councillor without levers
"Ahh... GOTCHA! Cobalt, do you have the goggles?" - Symmetry
"Goggles?" - Cobalt
"No, I mean, can you cast a Spirit or a Prime mage sight?" - Symmetry
"Nooo" - Cobalt
"No problem. I can do it for you" - Symmetry
She does so, and Cobalt observes the resonances and ephemeral threads that make up Archimedies,
suspended outside the host body by Symmetry's magic.
...
Over in the lighthouse, Persephone freaks out as she feels Archimedies being pulled apart.
Samael hears the commotion
"What's..?" - Samael
"They're torturing my cat!" - Persephone
"Who is!?" - Samael
"Cobalt and Symmetry!" - Persephone
"Why are they torturing your cat?" - Samael
"I don't know!" - Persephone, desperate.
...
"Now. We've unpacked his basic spiritual resonance. THAT.. Can you see that?" (points) "That is the resonance
of the Mage that cast Bestow Familiar upon Persephone. Now, I can't leave him like this for very long or he'll
completely disassemble and just be an ordinary cat. He's still in his working order, but the pieces are a bit
further apart, so I'd better put him back together. It's like trying to put a golf ball back together. If there are any
pieces left over, we can feed them to the spirits out back" - Symmetry
"I thought we were going to have a stern chat with the thing?" - Cobalt
"Oh, we are. This is just so you'll recognise the one that put him with Sef" - Symmetry
"Worthwhile" - Cobalt
"And to see if I knew who it was. But I'm afraid I have no idea who it is. Now we may as well cast Talk to Spirit
and interrogate the little furry bastard" - Symmetry
"After you" - Cobalt
She casts
-Let me go go now FEAR go now- - Archimedies
Agena: the written words will never be able to show the uber-creepy voice DaveB used here *shudders*
"Isn't he articulate?" - Cobalt, with deep, deep sarcasm
-Stupid man old man eat your thoughts be AFRAID be AFRAID- - Archimedies, glaring
"There there. So why are you here?" - Cobalt
-Fear- - Archimedies
"Uh huh" - Cobalt
-Make her fraid make her run- - Archimedies
"Really? Why. Where." - Cobalt
-Don't care just run don't care where just FEAR- - Archimedies
"Who?" - Cobalt
-Everything FEAR- - Archimedies
"No. Who had you make her fear? Tall man. Short man?" - Cobalt
-Humans all the same- - Archimedies
He looks at Symmetry and then back
"No" - Cobalt
-All the same if I larger you not do this you run from me like mouse- - Archimedies
"But you're not larger, are you? So you run from us. You're a kitty-kat that needs a bow-tie" - Cobalt
-FEAR me make her fraid feed- - Archimedies
"Why do you need to feed so much?" - Cobalt
-Need to feed- - Archimedies
Chris: Of course, if she paid him more Mana he wouldn't need to generate so much Essence.
Me: Kosciej's eating it all.
Dave2: So she was under assault from three different mana-eating sources at once?
Me: Yep.
"So. You're here to m..." - Cobalt
-Make her FEAR- - Archimedies
"WHY?" - Cobalt, exasperated
-FEAR- - Archimedies
"When?" - Cobalt
-Now. Next day. FEAR- -Archimedies
"Are you telling anyone anything? Are you in contact with anyone else?" - Cobalt
-HIM- - Archimedies
"Who?" - Archimedies
-Man. Not-man. Long, pinching fingers. Hurts me. In HER. Sometimes she not she- - Archimedies
"When? Who is she?" - Cobalt

-Him. Fear- - Archimedies, sounding like *he's* afraid.
Archimedies has never seen Kosciej, just gotten a mental impression. This is our first hint that Kosciej has been
controlling her when she's asleep. Sleepwalking. Abusing the cat. All the same.
"Is he meant to be this... Focused?" - Cobalt
"Sef's been Awakened for what? Less than a year? Yeah, this I'm afraid is about right." - Symmetry
"He gets bigger as she gets better?" - Cobalt
"Yeah. They develop more personality as they age and gain power. You can carry on quite a good conversation
with Apollo, but I'm afraid this little fear Gaffling is about all we're going to get" - Symmetry
"Poor little fuzzling" - Cobalt
"Yeah. Sounds like he was put on Sef to put the works on her" - Symmetry
"Yes. Well, at least we know he's not talking to anyone not in her head" - Cobalt
"It sounds like someone knows about him" - Symmetry
Cobalt realises that the whole not-tell-people-about-Kosciej thing hasn't lasted very long
"How can... I make this sound not dubious?" - Cobalt
She shrugs
"You just don't tell me" - Symmetry, matter-of-fact
"Okay. Long story, but I think I know who it is with the pinching fingers. That person knows Sef, and isn't the
person who put this little quisling in her. While we don't know if he's reporting to anyone, he was put here to
keep her scared..." - Cobalt
"Well, so we don't end up taking him to Middlesborough, I'll put him in the cages out back and ward him both
against his own powers and other spirits. Um. I'm afraid he's directly wired into Persephone's mind. It's an
incredibly dangerous thing, if it's antagonistic. If something's in your thoughts and isn't on your side it's really
serious." - Symmetry
Yeah, Sef gets a lot of that
"Can she do anything?" - Cobalt
"If Sef knew enough of the Spirit Arcanum to create a Mage Armour against spirit powers then yes, but she
doesn't. Your best bet is to find someone experienced enough. Aquila could probably imbue her a charm that
gaffling powers would bounce off" - Symmetry
"Is there a way to fortify her mind?" - Cobalt
"Oh, the mind Arcanum would work if she knew it" - Symmetry
"There's a lot of that" - Cobalt
"All spirits can influence the emotion they're made out of. In fuzzball's case that's fear. So he can create fear,
amplify it. Either you make yourself immune to spirit powers or you emotionally stabilise yourself" - Symmetry
"Two possible solutions. Each of those might get my ass out of the fire when I get home" - Cobalt
She takes Archimedies away, returning a few minutes later.
"The cat is both alive and dead." - Symmetry
She gets her bag.
...
Meanwhile, back at the lighthouse, Persephone is distraught. Samael is trying to distract her with video games.
-There, there. It's all right. They might not bring him back. Consider; It's probably the best outcome for us- -
Kosciej
"The best outcome like that Seer you told me to kill?" - Persephone
-Yes! Painful in the short term as the familial bond is excised, but...- - Kosciej
"Shut UP! I told you to stay in my head" - Persephone
-Yes, you did. Interesting. Perhaps your subconscious called me here- - Kosciej
"GO" - Persephone
He appears to go.
Samael gets a text message
"Cat is fine. Found out useful info. Try and calm her down plz" - Samael, reading it out.
He puts the phone away and un-pauses the game.
Archimedies is wailing into Sef's mind that he's been trapped between two large dogs and a snake. Samael
explains he's probably just in a vetinary surgery.
-I've gone over it, and it appears Cobalt was able to steal him because you were distracted- - Kosciej
"By YOU, you bastard" - Persephone
-Not by me! I wasn't doing anything at the time. Well... I certainly wasn't speaking to you. You were in the
middle of your grand melee. So if anyone is to blame for Cobalt stealing Archimedies, which, I must point out
has endeared the man to me awfully. To pull it off with such style... maybe I should be in HIS head... It's you!- -
Kosciej, cheerful
"Maybe you should" - Persephone
She mutters invective
"Stupid imaginary..." - Persephone
-I'm hurt! I've tried to be a good Daimon. I've not appeared when you're in the bath. I've kept out of things. I let
you face Samael alone as you specifically requested...- - Kosciej
"Samael. Kill me now" - Persephone
"Whuh?" - Samael
-I've done nothing that's not useful, and...- - Kosciej
"ONE MORE WORD AND I'LL EXPLODE!" - Persephone
-Fine. I'll go. Resume your escapades. No, no press A. A.. No.. Jump! Left! Don't Suck!- - Kosciej
"SHUT UP!" - Persephone
He goes. There is silence marred only by the blooping and bleeping
"I'm not sure how much of that I said out loud" - Persephone, mortified
"It's okay" - Samael
....
And so to the Smoke Eaters! Ah, Middlesbrough
Dave2: It's like Newcastle without the virtues.
The Smoke Eaters' Sanctum is pretty much like the Furthest Legions', only without the amenities and the
money behind it. It's a flophouse. There's a rather scary tattooed woman on guard that Cobalt recognises from
the Consilium - Cobalt's been to three Sancta so far in his career, and although most have a doorwarden this is
the first time he's actually seen someone on guard.
"Afternoon, Breaker" - Symmetry
Breaker glares at them
"We're here to see the dog" - Symmetry
Breaker lets it hang a few seconds before nodding curtly and allowing them in. Inside, there is a funky smell.
There's pot, unclean clothes, cheap black candles, the distinct smell of burnt wiring... Glory days.
"Areet" - Cobra
"Hey!" - Cobalt
"Areet, Cobalt" - Cobra
"Hear you had a lucky score?" - Cobalt
"Yeah - through here. Eh, that's Magog's canny. That man's good in a fight" - Cobra
"Oh, aye?" - Cobalt
"There was this thing.. And Choke's like 'It's not a spirit'" - Cobra, mocking Choke's voice
Choke, sat on the stairs, glares at him. She's the other female cabal member, and the other Arrow mage in the
Eaters
"And.. Uh.. Yeah. And it jumps at Rivet, right? And Rivet pulls it's legs and gets it away from his face. And then
Cobalt... ... Sorry. Sorry, mate. Then *Magog*, uh, like, Smacks it over the head with some kind of like... some
kind of... What did he say he'd done to his stick?" - Cobra
"Increased it's density" - Rivet
Rivet is a huge guy, heavy muscular arms meeting rounded beer-gut. He looks like an ogre.
"Gotcha. Whacked it upside the head?" - Cobalt
"Yeah. Brained it. Then it's mates ran at us, and me and Viper shot them up. Nothing fancy, just Frayings. And
they scarpered when Magog looked like he was going to give it some. Then we dragged this sucker back to the
car" - Cobra
He looks at them, happy
"So if you and the redhead can just do your business and check it's safe to eat..." - Cobra
"Disposing of the evidence already?" - Cobalt
"Magog only crushed it's head. You could get some good steaks out of that." - Cobra
On the Smoke Eaters' kitchen table is one of the dogs. Up close, it looks definitely not canine - the head and
jaws are too large.
Symmetry examines it, opening the jaws and looking at the teeth.
"So we've ruled out poodle?" - Cobalt
"We've ruled out Poodle. And Vampire, and Werewolf" - Symmetry
She slices it open
"What does a heat-eater need with internal organs?" - Cobalt
"Good question. But this thing's definitely just dog-shaped rather than...Cobra. Do, you have a perspex dish or
something?" - Symmetry
Rivet produces a lasagne dish - unwashed. Symmetry uses it to catch the contents of the Hounds' stomach
when she cuts it open.
"Fuck." - Symmetry
"Problems?" - Cobalt
"Well, not only is it big, it's a real animal. Or a physical animal anyway. And someone appears to have been
feeding it Pedigree Chum" - Symmetry
For the yanks, that's a brand of dog food.
"Could be worse. Could be kebab. So it's someone's pet that's either gotten loose or been sent out" - Cobalt
"Someone has been feeding it as though it's a pet, and recently" - Symmetry
They speculate for a while while Choke answers the doorbell.

It's Aurora
"Cobalt. Symmetry" - Aurora
"Boss" - Cobalt
"What do we have?" - Aurora
"Someone's pet freak. Definitely an animal, but you won't find it in a petting zoo" - Cobalt
"No good to eat I'm afraid Cobra" - Symmetry
"Any more?" - Aurora, terse
"At least two more, like" - Cobra
"Sleepers can't see it, even on video. Don't know if it's a spell effect or a natural ability. We're trying to find out
if sleepwalkers can see them" - Cobalt
"Yes, I've had to mediate between Excalibur and Hatfield. Apparently, Excalibur was quite rude. So far it's
confined to Newcastle?" - Aurora
It does not sound good to be Excalibur right now
"So far" - Cobalt
"Well, until it strikes outside, it's in your very capable hands. there are three cabals up there, two councillors.
I'm sure you can cope" - Aurora
"That's the plan" - Cobalt
She leaves.
"Okay! So... Uh.. Well done, Cobra. Don't eat it. We'll see you tomorrow." - Symmetry
"Damn straight and" (glances at the door) "looks like you got away with the Fraying. Well fought" - Cobalt
"Thanks, man" - Cobra
They depart.
"So, do you want Archimedies back or do you want to give Persephone a holiday from him?" - Symmetry
"Unless I give him back smelling of roses and possibly pampered, I'm going to be in more trouble. Do you want
to phone Cal?" - Cobalt
"I'll tell him. It's all right" - Symmetry
"You're sure?" - Cobalt
"I can spare five minutes to commiserate Cal on the fact that his mistress has taken Hatfield's side over his" -
Symmetry
"Yeah. That's a warning to give. But I suppose she has to keep the Ladder happy" - Cobalt
"It's just not fair. I know Hatfield's in her Cabal, but it's still not fair. You know, Cal does the best he can. He's
very hard-working" - Symmetry
There is a long pause
"Anyway. Enough shop talk. How long have you got left on your sabbatical?" - Symmetry
"About six months" - Cobalt
"Okay. Cool... Uh.. Well, we go on holiday someplace, if you're not going off to the Amazon again" - Symmetry
"That'd be great" - Cobalt
...
Cobalt returns, Archimedies in tow. He notices the Duel Arcane circle in the snow, but doesn't recognise it.
Those inside hear the sound of the car. Samael diplomatically excuses himself to make tea for everyone.
Sef bursts out of the Lighthouse. Cobalt holds Archimedies out, wincing.
"ARCHIMEDIES! Are you all right?" - Persephone
The cat gives her big soulful eyes. She opens the carrier, hugs him and glares at Cobalt
"He's had his checkup and he's fine" - Cobalt
"Cobalt. I have - maybe you don't know - but people have an EMPATHIC LINK WITH THEIR FAMILIAR. So I know
ex... Maybe not exactly what you've done. But I know he didn't like it." - Persephone, accusing
"We didn't hurt him" - Cobalt
"Maybe not PHYSICALLY" - Persephone
"We learnt something. Possibly not something we knew before. Could... We do this inside? I'd like Sam's
opinion, too" - Cobalt
"Okay. I won't smite you just yet" - Persephone, not yet convinced, but a bit less angry
They go inside
"Tea?" - Samael
They nod.
-I'd love some- - Kosciej
Samael fetches some milk for Achimedies
-BOO!- -Kosciej
Archimedies yowls, scratching at Persephone's jumper in an attempt to get away from her. She hears Kosciej
chuckling
"KOSCIEJ!" - Persephone
"Yees. Er. Would I be correct in thinking that the nasty man with the long, pinching fingers would be a fair
description?" (off their looks) "Yes, he made reference. Archimedies isn't in contact with anyone else, except for
Kosciej" - Cobalt
"What?" - Persephone
"When you're not yourself..." - Cobalt
"You what?" - Persephone
"Your familiar is directly linked into your mind. That means Archimedies can influence your mind and in fact was
put there to do so. To make you afraid and to run away. No particular definition, I just get the impression they
wanted you on edge constantly" - Cobalt
-You see? It's exactly like I've been saying- - Kosciej
"Fortunately, there are some solutions that don't involve doing anything to the poor little kitty. You can ward
yourself from the spirit. Simple enough: Learn spirit magic. OR, mind magic. Protect yourself against his
emotional influence" - Cobalt
-Oh, well that works- - Kosciej
"In the short term, I recommend talking to Aquila" - Cobalt
"We don't have to necessarily do that. He's your familiar. He's bound to you by magic and relies on you for his
existence, so move on from the antagonistic relationship and reinforce your position as his mistress. Make it
fully aware that it's your familiar, if he serves you he'll be rewarded and if he doesn't he'll be punished. He's a
fear spirit, so he should get the basics of what I'm talking about. YOU are the person in charge. Whatever
threats or compulsions have been levelled at him from god-knows-when, you're the one here. If you can make a
normal healthy master-familiar relationship, and I know healthy is relative for a fear spirit, you'll have a very
useful helper and tool rather than something we don't know what he's up to." - Samael
-If he were talking about me, I'd agree with him. As he's talking about Archimedies, he knows nothing and we
should get rid of it as soon as we can- - Kosciej
"Aquila could probably put you together a charm to deal with it" - Cobalt
-Which would be yet another spell cast on your pattern; the last thing we need- - Kosciej
"I can contribute resources if we have to trade. I've just had a bid for three of the death scarabs from some
freak in America called RogalDorn3. I don't know what a 'Necron' is, but apparently they look like something so
he wanted a set" - Cobalt
Djuhety: You have been SERVED! But, seriously, this isn't your name-check. We just thought we'd get the user name
you gave up in order to have a chance in before your new one. We're nice like that.
Incidentally, 'Freak' here isn't nasty. LIbertines call one another that. Short for Freak Ounce.
"We've got Archimedies back. We know a bit more about him. I think we should make use of him rather than..."
- Samael
"Oh, no, no-one's talking about Discombobulating him" - Cobalt
"Discom-what?" - Persephone
"Discombobulating" - Samael
-I'm not sure that's a word. Excuse me. Catherine - go flick through a dictionary. It won't take two minutes- -
Kosciej
It is. Means to frustratingly confuse.
"On top of that, two other things. One which we'll come to in a moment, but first - you said there was
something you wanted to tell both of us?" - Samael, to Persephone
"Uh" - Persephone
"But first, in case there was something urgent. What did you see?" - Samael, to Cobalt
He tells them - Animal. Still an animal after dying, not enchanted. Being petted by something. Persephone
believes, instantly, that they're somehow related to Magog.
They're flatly disbelieving. Sef points out she was right about the monster in the jungle. Samael concedes that
he MIGHT be trying to look good by building instant fame and admiration by dealing with the problem he
himself has caused. He still doesn't believe it's true, though. Kosciej points out in a long-winded scholarly tone
that Quark is the Emissary by vote, not the boss of the Free Council, and that by placing himself in the Black
Seam and chumming up to the Smoke Eaters Magog has overthrown Quark's voting majority.
Samael points out how many people the Hounds went past. He thinks they must have killed the man they did
for a *reason*. Cobalt sadly reports that the Smoke Eaters didn't bother to find out who they were chasing
when their Cabal stepped in.
Faced with the unpalatable thought of trying to organise a Mysterium counter-effort, Samael agrees to abide by
Symmetry's decisions as Strategos.
That done, Persephone starts to work her way up to her revelation. She opens her mouth but closes it again
when she hears the harmonica music.
(strumming on a guitar) -Oh sit down now, and I'll tell you a tale / of my evil ex-boyfriend, the Guardian of the
Veil- - Kosciej
"Kosciej. Shut up and go back to my head" - PErsephone
"Just a brief interjection. I take it the two of you have been talking to one another?" - Cobalt
"He's been mocking me all day!" - Persephone
"I... Uh.. Meant you and Samael" - Cobalt
snap!

Persephone is wondering how best to drive Kosciej back into the subconcsious. And also trying to think of how
best to ensure they're not listened in on by anyone else while she explains her past.
"What am I supposed to do? Sing Spice Girls songs?" - Persephone
"There is a ban in this Cabal on singing Spice Girls" - Cobalt
"Even if it'll fend off ancient supernatural evils?" - Samael

"... ...Yes. There has to be a better way" - Cobalt
Sef casts Shield of Chronos, just in case.
"I can put down Sound Mastery to protect us that way, too" - Samael
He throws that up, and a Supernal vision to watch for Scrying windows.
...
"Okay. So... I'm not sure where to start. I've... hm. I think I know who put Kosciej in my head. That would be a
good start, I guess. There was this guy, I knew before the Awakening. His name was Hadrian. He kind of, um,
turned my head and... so yeah. We had a good time. And after a small trip - that was more of less the time he
gave me Archimedies. Well gave me a kitten - he never showed up again. Disappeared as though he never
existed. I was trying to call him, reach him where he said he was living. No one ever saw him - he was never
there. And when I was on a trip to London I saw him again, saw his face on the TVs. He was wanted for a bank
robbery and some other stuff, and the police called me. And I got scared and ran away and then it all went
strange from there, thorns sticking out of buildings.. All very weird and scary. I got in to this place underground
and he was there. He was mocking me, saying it was all my fault and I should do like he did and have fun. Use
people. I tried to stab him with one of the thorns but it didn't faze him at all. And I left him there. I think that's
when the Awakening started" - Persephone
She smiles to herself remembering her and Hadrian's exploits, which in themselves were quite entertaining,
and then grows distant when she describes the trouble afterward.
"From what you're describing, it sounds like the Awakening had already started. Some people have a different
reality superimposed over the real world. So - at that point Archimedies was just a cat? When did he become a
familiar?" - Samael
"I don't know. It was so gradual" - Persephone
"When was this?" - Cobalt
"May?" - Persephone
"You're not from Cambridge, are you?" - Cobalt
"Sorry, what?" - Persephone
Cobalt tells her about the Hadrian Quark mentioned who went missing from Cambridge. In May.
"He was a Guardian" - Cobalt
"Kosciej says he was a Guardian of the Veil. He was using their Mudras" - Persephone
-All right. Look - just out of the way, will you?- - Kosciej
"What!?" - Persephone
She feels herself be pushed aside.
This is only because she has zero willpower. But more to the point, this represents the Nadir of Persephone and
Kosciej's partnership - he's lashing out now as he believes she's going to betray him.
They get better. By 2.5, they're even working together. Mostly.
"Okay" - Persephone
She stands up awkwardly
"So. Here's the deal. Hadrian, as I have discovered and told her several times, was definitely using Guardian of
the Veil mudras on her during the time they were together" - Persephone
"What sort?" - Cobalt
"The mind arcanum" - Persephone
"To do what?" - Cobalt
"No idea. I'm a Free Councillor, not a Guardian of the Veil. But, it sounds like the Cambridge Guardian is our
man. What is the phrase - 'I like him for it'. We.. Ah.. In just a few moments.. we.. will.. GET OUT... return you to
normal service... OUT... just... I'd like to say... GET OUT YOU BASTARD.. Loving the Coat. Seriously. Loving the.." -
Persephone
She sits down, hard
"YOU NEVER, EVER DO THAT AGAIN, OR I SWEAR I WILL KILL YOU" - Persephone
She recovers, panting
"... .. Sorry" - Persephone
Samael comforts her
"If it puts your fears to rest, we can *really* tell when it's not you" - Cobalt
They consider
"How was he able to take..?" - Cobalt
"I have no idea" - Persephone
"He's part of you, and you're weakened. You need a good night's sleep to recover" - Samael
"Recover?" - Cobalt
"We had a bit of a fight" - Persephone
"Fight is the wrong phrase. Training" - Samael
"The circle" - Cobalt
"Duel Arcane" - Samael
"Who won?" - Cobalt
"I did. It was a case of - Duma nearly challenged her to a duel in the Amazon. Anyway. The point is, this Hadrian
might be our man..." - Samael
"Oh, there's one more thing. Hold that thought" - Persephone
She heads up to her room to fetch the thorn she got through the post.
It's not there.

Sef is turning her room upside down
"Sef?" - Cobalt
"What are you looking for?" - Samael
"It was just here.. Just.. Yesterday" - Persephone
"What was?" - Samael
"The thing" - Persephone
She looks accusingly at Archimedies
"Did you take it?" - Persephone
He turns his nose up
"You going to explain?" - Samael
"There was an envelope. A small envelope with a thorn inside. It came with the letters from Pandora" -
Persephone
"What did it say?" - Samael
"It just said 'Found You'. But it's not there any more and..." - Persephone
She thinks. Actually, the last time she remembers picking it up and looking at it was when it arrived. There is
the sense that she's read it since, but she can't remember actually having done so.
-What are you looking for?- - Kosciej
"The envelope" - Persephone
-What envelope?- - Kosciej
"The white.. Just go sift through my memories" - Persephone
-All right, all right, I'm going- - Kosciej, sounding puzzled
"Okay. Going back a bit. There is the possibilty that Archimedies was attached by this Hadrian. Except, that he
would have had to do it before you were Awakened, and I don't think the spell works on Sleepers" - Samael
There is the distant sound of filing cabinets in Sef's head
-Do we need the top-ten hits of the 80s?- - Kosciej
She ignores him
"Which means either he did it while you were int he process of Awakening, which would be a remarkably
impressive feat, or it was after you Awakened, which increasingly rules him out" - Samael
-Persephone... And no taking the piss here. This is quite concerning. There was no letter- - Kosciej
"Lies" - Persephone
-There was no letter- - Kosciej
"Check again" - Persephone
-I can quite clearly see you sitting holding nothing but empty air, which means.. I was here FIRST, damn it!- -
Kosciej
"Kosciej says there's no letter, but that..." - Persephone
-How many people are invading your mind, anyway?- - Kosciej
They have a discussion as to why Kosciej can't see it. It can't be a normal Mind effect, or Kosciej would be able
to see it. Samael thinks whoever did it is tailoring it against the Daimon. Kosciej instructs Sef to think really
hard about it so he can read her active thoughts. Cobalt thinks this must be linked to Archimedies' mysterious
patron.
Eventually, Kosciej has it. He instructs her to look at a reflective surface while he alters her senses, showing her
the memory scene. Both of them - which are identical apart from the letter.
-The upshot is that someone has made you hallucinate this letter- - Kosciej
"That makes no sense" - Persephone
-Not unless... No. It doesn't. I'm stumped. Maybe if they gave you a memory via a spell, which then wore off...
Hm. Samael is right. Someone is trying to put the shits up you. And it's not me. Looks like we have our young
Guardian of the Veil, me and whoever did this all playing with your mind. I should really cut you more slack. No
wonder it's so messy in here- - Kosciej
"Well, thank you" - Persephone, sarcastic
-With Mind magic, you can examine your memories to see which have been altered- - Kosciej, cheerfully
"I hate to say it, but learning Mind magic might be the key" - Cobalt
"The problem therin is finding a teacher" - Samael
"Kosciej can teach me" - Persephone
"Really?" - Cobalt
Samael gets philosophical, wondering if that means that Sef has Kosciej's Arcana buried somewhere in her soul.
Kosciej starts spouting off happily about how he can only use them inside the Oneiros, but can use Sef's own in
the real world, and slowly but surely realises he's revealing trade secrets and clams up.
"You're in my head. Speak." (to the others) "He says he can only his magic in Astral Space" - Persephone
-And your Mind is not actually IN Astral Space right now. I can only use the fullness of my abilities on your
psyche while you're in here with me, and that means meditating in Cicero's Demense. Ultimate cosmic power.
Very small living space- - Kosciej
"So. We come down again to the same two things. What to do about Archimedies. What to do about Kosciej
and.. thirdly.. How do we get this place warded?" - Samael
They discuss Wards.
"Okay. What can we do about this now. You've put the call out for information about Daimons, right?" - Samael
"No" - Cobalt
"Right" - Samael
They discuss putting Kosciej in a container once they get Sef's own Daimon back, which he doesn't seem to
like. Samael asks if there are any living members of the Legacy. Sef says Kosciej's come up with a few key
words to try out on the Free Council mailing list. They could go to Cambridge. They could ask Quark for
information on the Brain Communists... There's not a lot they can do about it. There's the Dogs, which they're
waiting for Symm to get back to them on.
Neither Samael nor Persephone want to go out tonight, which makes Cobalt joke about exertation.
"You should try it some time" - Samael
Cobalt says he doesn't like the idea of duelling. Samael points out the social ramifications of turning a duel
down, and Persephone is wearily enthusiastic about the experience.
"Samael did this huge sword of lightning" - Samael
"I can't help but think 'compensation'" - Cobalt
"Watch it" - Samael
Pride goeth before a fall. Noting the Assembly the next day, Sam says he doesnt want to send Cobalt to
Assembly in pieces, which Cobalt mocks.
"I'm going to hit the message boards. You two fight it out" - Persephone
"All right old man. Let's do it" - Samael
"Come on Whippersnapper" - Cobalt
-Who are we cheering for?- - Kosciej
"Both" - Persephone
...
Samael casts Squaring the Circle outside, explaining the Duel process. Cobalt considers even before they start
that having only one Arcanum he can cast beyond the Unveiling practice is probably going to hurt his chances.
Samael chooses a crackling spear of Prime as his Sword and Forces (a wall of fire) as his Shield.
Cobalt considers, summons a large stone hand of matter as his sword and Time (Bullet-time!) as his Shield
"Yeah. She tried the same thing. Now, it's usual to get a few choice insults in first, Libertine. I'll try to make this
over quickly" - Samael
"I'll see what I can do" - Cobalt
Samael shoots his spear right through Cobalt's shield
Samael's first strike leaves Cobalt on Willpower 1
"May as well make one strike.. COUNT" - Cobalt
The ground surges up, knocking Samael slightly. The Mystagogue responds and.. Before it even gets going... It's
over
-All done with Phanstasms- - Kosciej
"I lasted longer" - Persephone
"The problem is that you've been a Mage a year longer than me, and it shows" - Cobalt
"Exactly. And if you get challenged to a real duel it will be obvious to everyone. There are all kinds of codes and
laws built up around it, like real duelling a few centuries ago. Now you know what to expect. Now. Let us see if
you can repeat that performance on Smash Brothers" - Samael
...
In the morning, Cobalt and Persephone have both received replies to their messages. RogalDorn3 is sorting out
payment, while Sef has a message from Gal892. Whoever that is.
Originally Posted by Gal892 to IronQueen

Is that Mr K?
Originally Posted by IronQueen
I have a library book I think is overdue, but I've lost the Library. Can anyone get me in touch with the
management?
Sef carefully types that she has a book called "Vasilisa the Beautiful" (a story featuring Koshei the Deathless)
and would like to hand it back.
She goes down to breakfast
"Got a reply!" - Persephone
She starts eating
"I've been thinking about this whole Legacy and stuff and.. Do you think I should go for it?" - Persephone
"I think if we can find someone living who can explain it it would help. What he's selling doesn't *sound* left-
handed" - Cobalt
Samael agrees
"Find a live, SANE member who can explain why they joined it. They'll probably be overjoyed to have him back,
even if it's just to know where he is." - Samael
"Just be careful it's not a Guardian" - Cobalt
"Well, we can all go" - Persephone
While the Libertines go to try to figure out who Gal892 is, Samael is aggressivly nice to Archimedies
"User name was registered yesterday" - Cobalt
But then, there are 1/3rd as many names registered on the Free Council list again as there are members of the
Order. Sockpuppetting is rife, even before all the Guardians are taken into account.
While poking around on the lists, though, they find a trashy book about the Brain Communists. Well - a
historical take on the followers of Koshei the Deathless, by a Cabal called "The Lamplighters", who seem to
have a series on every major group from the Great Refusal.
"Did you see that!?" - Persephone
"Yeah. They're not well written. It's kind of... All the pieces that mean anything filed down so they don't any
more" - Cobalt
It does tell them one thing, though. The Legacy is apparantly called "The Parliament of the Needle".
"Samael.. can you try the Aetheneum?" - Persephone
He's reluctant, but yes - he thinks so. He was going to look for his artist in Newcastle during the Assembly, but
he can go to Durham the next day.
In the end, he doesn't. The story's events overtake him
For now, though, they prepare for the Assembly.
"I wonder who it is?" - Persephone
-Could be Galatea. She was about your age when I was last active - one of my colleagues had been transferred
into her so she was brand new- - Kosciej
"When was this?" - Persephone
-Oh, about 1952- - Kosciej

"Where was it?" - Persephone
-No. Not until you join. I won't put her at risk- - Kosciej
Because, as I say, Kosciej doesn't trust HER any more than she trusts him. They need counselling.

A few hours later, the Cabal wind up in Newcastle, dropping Samael off to do artistic things while Cobalt and
Persephone head to the Grey Street Runners' Sanctum. On their way in, they pass Scribe, Lux and Cat on their
own way out (they're the non-Libertines in the GSR) and Sef tells them where Samael is.
"Save us a seat in a pub somewhere" - Persephone
As they enter, they soon spot the new guy.
"Hi there!" - Magog
Magog is built as large as Aquila. Good jawline to have. He's got a short, metal rod made of some kind of
golden bronze in a holster on his hip. The handshake is strong, the smile engaging. Everyone is flocking around
him.
Cobalt smiles, shakes the hand and hates him on sight
He also has the higher version of the Striking Looks Merit.
The Wand-thing is Magog's dedicated magical tool and Artifact - it's a force-rod that extends to up to quarter-staff
length and then has density-increasing and kinetic-energy amplification spells built into it. His combat style (based on
the spear-fighting combat merit style in Adamantine Arrow) is based around it.
Cobalt's signature magical item is a tool. Magog's is a weapon.
Incidentally, he's called "Magog" only partially after the British Giant. The name is taken from the well-intentioned but
willing-to-kill superhero that tries to take over from Superman in the DC universe's future and makes a disaster of
things because of his lack of a moral compass.
Magog is Cobalt without the hangups, intended to show Cobalt that the hangups are a *good* thing.
(Oh, it's also because he's a demagogue. De Magog. Geddit?)
"You must be Magog" - Persephone
"And you must be Persephone" - Magog
He kisses the back of her hand
"And you must be Cobalt, am I right?" - Magog
"Got me in one" - Cobalt, wary
"Awesome!" - Magog
Sef smiles as charmingly as she can, and then goes to find Symmetry.
"Heard you did good work on the dog-creature" - Cobalt, with false admiration
"Oh, I was lucky. It turned it's back on me while it was attacking Rivet, and I got a good shot off" - Magog, with
false modesty
Persephone finds Symmetry sat in a corner, going over a sheaf of notes she's brought with her and occasionally
shooting irritated glances at the Libertines in Magog's orbit. His mere presence is getting to her.
"You okay?" - Persephone
"Fine" (muttered) - Symmetry
Back at the boys, Magog has a question
"So. You must get this a lot, but is it the elemental number, or..?" - Magog
"I'm a little older than that but yeah, it's the Element. Seemed like a good thing to do at the time. Yourself?" -
Cobalt
"Funny story, actually. The guy that first trained me was a Libertine, but he was one of those guys who was
very shadowy, hands-off. He and I didn't meet very often and it was a while before I heard his shadow name.
Anyway, he told me in a crowded bar: it was 'Cog'. Obviously, I misheard it as 'Gog' so, uh..." - Magog
Everyone else in the assembly laughs heartily as Magog's youthful escapade as he makes a self-effacing face
and shrugs.
-This fellow is good. Not a single word of that was true- - Kosciej
Cobalt also spots it. The possibility it might have been Cognos took him out of the story enough to realise it
makes no sense.
"Rivet I get. Babel I get. Symmetry: Liking for Mathematics, or..?" - Magog, cheerful
"It's the Blake poem" - Symmetry, nearly growling with distaste
Tyger! Tyger! burning bright

In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?
It's because of an encounter she had in the Primal Wild during her Thyrsus Awakening. Anyways, the point here is how
bad Symmetry looks in comparison to Magog, simply by her letting him get to her.
Anyone who's ever been in a small society knows someone like Magog.
"Okay. Awesome" - Magog
Quark bangs his coffee mug with a wrench, calling the Assembly to order.
"All twelve of us are here. Let's begin" - Quark
For reference - Una, Limnal, Magog and Pythagoras in the Black Seam, Symmetry, Babel and Quark in the Grey Street
Runners, Cobra, Viper and Rivet in the Smoke Eaters and Cobalt and Persephone in the Auric Horizon
Quark starts off with procedural stuff - new Rotes for the lorehouse, complaints about other Orders he can pass
up to Aurora.
-Returning to an earlier theme I promised to bring up here. Whilst the Black Seam were an isolated joke, the
three extant Cabals had three members each, forming a balance of power. You two joined and suddenly
Quark's faction gained the ability to win any votes. Now that Magog has joined up, joined the Seam and is
being friendly to the Smoke Eaters, they have seven to your five. Now that Magog is here.. He can comfortably
do whatever he likes. This is not the confidence of a man looking to win the Assembly. This is the confidence of
a man who HAS won the Assembly and is wondering when to give Quark his notice.- - Kosciej
Cobalt mutters something rather similar.
-I think Cobalt just caught on. Nod- - Kosciej
Quark announces that he's appointed Symmetry Strategos regarding the Hounds of Winter
"...after the good work she did on the astral projections last year. She proved that she could successful handle
these matters" - Quark
He calls for the vote to ratify the appointment. Persephone puts her hand up immediately, and then looks
around. No one else has moved. They all seem to be waiting for Magog to do something. Cobalt slowly raises
his hand.
"Explain to me what happened with these projections. I'm sorry" - Magog
Cobalt gives a terse recounting of the Dominic incident, emphasising how Symmetry organised everyone on
the hunt.
"Okay. Well, if there is previous form, sure" - Magog
And he votes for her.
Kosciej chuckles to himself.
Magog looks at Cobra and Viper, who - with the air of not having expected that - put their hands up. And so,
with Quark For, Symmetry wins.
-Okay, what?- - Persephone

-He's setting her up to fail- - Kosciej
-That won't happen- - Persephone
-Sometimes, after a bout of your paranoia, I forget how naive you can be- - Kosciej
"Of course, should the Newcastle Cabals require any assistance, we are standing ready" - Magog
And then, moving on, Quark invites Cobalt and Persephone to tell the tale of the Amazon.
Persephone tells it as though it were an action movie. Cobalt, on the other hand, highlights the danger of the
Seers as an attempt to captivate people like Cobra and Viper and emphasise the bond between all present as
Libertines.
"Cool" - Cobra
"Awesome" - Magog
"Lastly. This year's recipient of Operation Free Love will be Aurora. For those among us that are new, every year
we pick one upstanding member of our Diamond Order colleagues to receive ten anonymous, untraceable
Valentine's Day cards from each of us. Bonus points for poetry. Let's beat last year! Thank you everyone.
Drink?" - Quark, bringing it to a close
People begin to disperse. Some stay to ask Quark about specific things - Magog included.
"Should we stay? Wait for him to go?" - Persephone
It's Magog's turn with Quark. They don't hear what they say, but they do hear the "Awesome".
They head outside with Symmetry, intent on finding Samael and doing lunch. Magog is astride a motorbike,
talking to Babel and Scribe (who has returned). As they near, they discover he's describing the alterations to
the Black Seam's sigil to Scribe. Putting his own emblem at the top.
They both toy with the idea of cursing his bike. Cobalt does, under Mage Sight, discover that the bike is
magical.
"Awesome" - Magog
He leans in, whispering to Scribe before revving his engine. As his drives off, she giggles.
"I hate that man with every fiber of my being" - Symmetry, muttered
Persephone calls Samael
"He's an absolute..." - Cobalt
Dave actually finished the line off with a particular word, which I have deleted so as to not be NSFW.
"You're just jealous, Cobalt" - Persephone, joking
"No... I'm scared" - Cobalt
"He knows something we don't, doesn't he?" - Symmetry
"No, he knows something YOU don't" - Persephone
"Oh, Thanks, Sef!" - Symmetry, hurt
She stomps off
"Sorry Symmetry! Sorry!" - Persephone, giving chase
Agena: Ah, social grace of an elephant in a pottery shop.

I blame it on Kosciej :P
Symm stops as Sef catches her
"I didn't want to say anything with everyone around. Can we go somewhere to talk about it?" - Persephone
---
Samael has found more pieces by the same artist as before. Definitely Supernally-influenced. Lux joined him
when he got kicked out of his Sanctum in favour of the Libertine Assembly, and the two Obrimos have been
wandering the city centre.
He picks his phone up.
"Hi Sef" - Samael
"Are you done? Are we interrupting anything?" - Persephone
"Nothing that can't be put off. How'd it go?" - Samael
"We met pretty boy. Magog. And I think I was right. Can we meet?" - Persephone
---
Cobalt, Persephone and Symmetry are waiting for Samael in a cafe.
"Do you notice how whenever someone else does something it's Awesome, but when HE does something it's
just par for the course? Creating that expectation that he can do it, but you can only do it with a special effort?"
- Cobalt, grouchily
Samael and Lux arrive
"Hello, kiddos. How was your free-for-all... sorry. Your meeting?" - Samael
The greater emphasis on Orders in Soul Cage over Broken Diamond is helped immeasurably by the friendly rivalry
between the Mysterium and the Free Council. Chris does a great job in having Samael casually put down the Libertines.
There unfortunately wasn't much room for the Mysterium in this story (particularly unfortunate given it's ending) but
I'm going to try to focus on them more next time. The Cabal will inevitably gravitate towards Libertine matters by
virtue of them being 2-1 over the Mysterium, and the Mysterium base in the area is further away that the Libertine
one. Still - this was always going to be Cobalt and Persephone's story after the Samael-fest of Welcome to the Jungle.
Character screen-time is another thing I'm trying to improve this chronicle.
"Far more interesting than most of your meetings" - Cobalt
"How would you know? You never been to ours" - Samael
"Bede just tells you what to do. Ours, we all vote, so we have the internecine politics" - Symmetry
"We have Karaoke, actually" - Samael
Lux just nods enthusiastically in the background
"I'd like to see Bede singing Karaoke" - Persephone
"I can just see Bede kicking it to 'America, Fuck Yeah'" - Cobalt
"Does a stirring rendition of Bryan Adams, I can tell you. Uhm... So. You fine ladies and gentleman said you
wanted to talk about something?" - Samael
Kosciej begins humming "behind blue eyes"
-Nobody knows what it's like to be the baaad man...- - Kosciej
"I was ratified as Strategos, but it seems I only have it because Magog thinks I'm going to fuck it up somehow,
which means he knows something we don't" - Symmetry
"He paused long enough that everyone knows he played kingmaker. Your Majesty. He emphasised your past
performance" - Cobalt
"Yeah. Which I thought was weird, because I didn't solve the Astral Flasher. You guys did" - Symmetry
"Someone bring me up to speed?" - Samael
Everyone starts talking at once
"No. Stop. Okay" (points to Sef) "You. You're speaking first. Tell me what's going on"- Samael
-There's a first- - Kosciej
"There's this new guy, Magog. He's good looking, very friendly, very nice..." - Persephone
"He's an utter jerk?" - Samael
"Is he?" - Persephone

"Do You think he's an utter jerk?" - Samael
"Hell, yes!" - Cobalt
"I know the type you're talking about. Carry on" - Samael
"He maneged to wrap the Smoke Eaters and Black Seam around his little finger, so he has the advantage seven
of them to five of us" - Persephone
"So when's the split between Newcastle and Durham coming, then?" - Samael
"Interesting question" - Cobalt
"Anyway. Carry on" - Samael
"So Quark nominated Symmetry Strategos to solve the Dog thing. I voted for her, and Cobalt did, and then
everyone looked at Magog, and were waiting to see what he'd do, and he's like..." - Persephone
"And he voted for her as well?" - Samael
"yeah, and he's like 'ahh, well tell me about this story of the flasher', and cobalt tells him the story of the
flasher, and he's like 'ahh, well, based on the previous accomplishments, I will vote FOR her' and Cobra's like
'uhh?' and..." - Persephone, supplying the funny voices to go along with her narrative
"This is all coming together into a recognisable pattern. Okay." - Samael
"He's just a very smooth liar. So yeah, I'm sure I was right" - Persephone
"Politically, he's fitting me up for a coffin" - Symmetry
"Did you tell Symmetry your suspicions?" - Samael
(to her) "I think he's involved with the dogs" - Persephone
"Based on the timescales. I'm not convinced, but she has some good arguments. Personally, I don't see what he
has to gain. Becoming the Emissary from your Assembly to Aurora? Is that really such a top job?" - Samael
"I don't know. I've never had it" - Persephone
"The ability to order us around?" - Cobalt
"But he can't order you around. You're the Free Council. You're defined by the fact that you're rebels, surely? Or
are you going to tell me that the Libertines have turned into a strict and overbearing organisation after all?" -
Samael
"Just strict enough to stop Cobra and his mates from stupid displays of pyrotechnics" - Cobalt
"The problem with democracy is that people in large numbers are stupid" - Lux
"But there aren't that many of them, and frankly..." - Samael
"There are enough of them for the stupid factor to creep in. I've met Cobra" - Lux
"No offence taken" - Cobalt
"But surely there's some Libertine Doctrine or something that the minority can't be being shat upon by the
majority, which is the very manner that they formed?" - Samael
-Kosciej?- - Persephone
-It's a case of having someone willing to speak up for the little guy's arguments. I've been in Assemblies...- -
Kosciej
-Were you there when the Free Council's laws were formed?- - Persephone
-One of us was- - Kosciej
-Does the law say anything about it?- - Persephone
-Hierarchy Fosters The Lie. If an Assembly is overborn to the point that the smaller interest groups are
constantly overruled then the Assembly is no longer fit for purpose and has become a Hierarchy. At which point
it needs to have a revolution.- - Kosciej
-Okay- - Persephone
-It's one of the things we get away with. Being soul-bonded to one another, we are all absolutely equals. Even
my original host, despite being the Legacy's Founder, has no more rights than anyone else. We are a proper
commune. - -Kosciej
"Hierarchy Fosters the Lie" - Persephone, for everyone else's benefit
A rare case of Kosciej actually doing what he's meant to - being the encyclopaedia in Sef's head
"You could always split into two Assemblies. I know it's not very palatable, but... More to the point, we have the
bigger problem which is these fucking Dogs. Now, if we can dick Magog over by solving the problem..." -
Samael
"If we solve the problem then Magog looks like he made the wise choice and tries it again next time. It we fail,
then he'll solve it himself, look like a big hero and replace me and/or Quark" - Symmetry
"I'm worried about the point that there are a group of heat-drinking canines on the loose" - Samael
"Oh, me too. I'm just bemoaning the fact that I appear to be screwed no matter what I do" - Symmetry
"You're only possibly screwed. And we'll find a way through." - Cobalt
"But if I'm right, and he IS involved with the dogs, we may be able to find..." - Persephone
"It would be a schoolboy error to leave fingerprints around. Sympathetic links to him..." - Samael
"Interesting question. Could we track the other dogs by sympathy to..." - Cobalt
"... the CORPSE! Yes, we could!" - Symmetry
"We do have a Master of Space and Mind on tap" - Samael
"We need to get Quark to do the tracking. But if we've thought of it, Magog has too" - Symmetry
They speculate for a few moments about the nature of the Dogs. Cobalt wants to swing by the Cabal's
Cryptozoological Library, but Quark is closer.
---
"Back again?" - Quark
The gang have gone back to the Grey Street Runners' Sanctum
"Quark. Quick question. We have three dogs. We have bits of one. Can we track the other two?" - Cobalt
"Yes, probably" - Quark
"We humbly request your assistance in this matter" - Samael
"I thought you might. Do you have samples?" - Quark
Symmetry nods and heads upstairs
"Which is good, because Magog asked me to track it through sympathy too. I told him he needed a sample -
which is true - and he headed off to Middlesbrough. He'll be back in about two hours" - Quark
"So we have a head start" - Cobalt
"Any other ideas that might pop into your head if you were to want to find something?" - Samael
"I'd say that you should you look for where they're feeding, but they're apparently being kept as pets. In the
which case I'd look for someone with the room to keep them secret" - Quark
"So. I hear you have a new Libertine fellow" - Samael
"He's a smooth operator" - Quark
"A smooth operator?" - Samael
"He's what we call - either positively or negatively - a Syndic. Someone who only appears to exist to curry
favour in an Assembly. The problem with the Free Council, and I say this as a life long Libertine, is that we are
the only order that can have professional Magical Politicians. The Silver Ladder, yes, are full of Mages involved
in Sleeper Politics, but we have enough cut and thrust to support parasites. He's obviously come into a new
Consilium and he's trying his best to... uh..." - Quark
"Take over?" - Samael
"...Make himself a niche" - Quark
"Sounds like a pretty big niche" - Samael
"Yeah. He probably wants my job. And given that he's friends with the militants, him taking my job would mean
relations deteriorating between our Order and the old guard" - Quark
"I was going to say - has he met Aurora? Because I can see them getting along like a Magog on fire" - Cobalt
"I do have a general query, not knowing the structure and all, but if he gets your job how is it more powerful
than being able to put forward anything to be voted on anyway?" - Samael
"He becomes chairman. He gets tie votes and the ability to.. Symmetry has been Strategos for a few days. I can
make decrees, like Bede can, but they only last until the next Assembly when they have to be ratified. I could
say 'all Libertines must wear hats' and all Libertines must wear hats until the Assembly at which point they all
tell me to fuck off" - Quark
"That seems bizzare, though. You chain yourselves up... And as an aside you should totally do the hat thing... I
mean, I know you have problems with our way of doing things, but you seriously can't make changes until the
next meeting? I mean, If you told them to kill everyone, they wouldn't be able to disagree until the next
meeting?" - Samael
"I would last about five minutes before someone killed me. Should I become a Tyrant, the Free Council has a
long history of revolution." - Quark
"Hierarchy fosters the lie" - Persephone, knowing
Symmetry returns
"He won't do anything illegally, and there will be nothing untoward in his behaviour" - Quark
"Heck no, I know he's a dick, we just can't prove it" - Cobalt
"Being a dick is not illegal. Manipulating the situation in order to get himself into power is not illegal; it's just
the hearty democratic process. If he overdoes it and starts granting himself powers, he becomes a Tyrant." -
Quark
"Well, we have the stuff" - Samael
"This will take about half an hour" - Quark
Persephone casts Exceptional Luck on Quark, who leaves to cast his spells.
"Strange that he agrees to follow your direction and then immediately launches his own investigation" - Samael
"He probably wants to see if Quark will lie to him in our favour. To be honest, I don't think Quark will" -
Symmetry
"We could ask him" - Cobalt
"No. We're not going to put Quark in a difficult situation. We're just going to be better than him. When you go to
Assembly, you can say 'and Magog made attempts but didn't get very far'" - Samael
Persephone opines that Magog already knows what's going on. Samael says that he has to be *seen* to be
working on it, but it will look bad if he messes up.
"The moment he looks like he's trying to do something he looks like he's trying to prove something" - Samael
"I think he's just trying to see if Quark is able to correctly locate them" - Persephone
Quark returns, holding a folded piece of paper
"I got it down to about twenty houses. You're off out to the 'burbs I'm afraid. Oddly, from what you're
describing, the part of town the metro doesn't go to. If Magog comes back, I will have to give him this if he
realises you've been here and asks. If he asks me to do a separate reading, I will." - Quark
And so, away to the burbs.
---
There was now some banter about who to choose for the away party. Lux is dropped in favour of Babel, such that there
is one of every path.
Samael surveys the terraced houses lining the street Quark sent them to.
Samael casts a Fate spell, flicking through a book at random. His finger stops on page 23, and he looks down
the street, looking for that house number.
"That one. I'm pretty certain" - Samael
It does not look significant
"How many people are in there?" - Cobalt
"One person and two... big things" - Symmetry
"Sef. I hate having to ask this, but when we go in we may need Postcognition to put together what's going on.
Will you be okay with that?" - Samael
His tone of voice is concerned. Sef gives him a long, calculating look to check he's not mocking. When she
realises he's seriously asking, she smiles and nods.
"I was about to say we may need the archery kit" - Cobalt
"Speaking of which" - Samael
He fishes out his lighter
The door has a "beware of the guard dog" sticker on it.
"Where inside are the dogs?"
"Never send an Obrimos to do a Mastigos' job" - Babel
He goes distant for a moment as he Scries
"In the kitchen. In doggy beds" - Babel, sounding weirded out
"Can we 'port in to where this guy is and gank him?" - Samael
"It's not a guy... It's a girl" - Babel
"Little girl?" - Samael
"Woman. In her thirties" - Babel
"Can we get her out of there?" - Samael
"If she's a Sleeper, sure, but her Disbelief could collapse the portal" - Babel
"Okay. Back door will meet the Dogs. Other teleportation options?" - Samael
"Do we have to do teleportation? Can't I just break the lock?" - Cobalt
"Okay. Back door it is" - Samael
They march around to the back lane.
Newcastle houses of this type have small yards out back, which back up onto thin access roads, so it goes street-
house-yard-lane-yard-house-street in a grid pattern, if that makes sense. It's like a wide alleyway big enough to drive a
car, or more usually a garbage collection truck, down.
Cobalt changes his Multitool into a Riot Shield, and casts Alter Integrity on the lock of the gate into the back
yard. They go through, to see one of the Hounds poking out of a dog-flap installed in the house's back door.
It growls. And barks.
Samael hastily silences it with Forces magic
And on the paradox roll for THAT tiny spell, a one was rolled on a chance paradox dice. Which, because that makes his
next vulgar spell not have the cumulative penalty, saves his life at the start of next session
"Can you put it to sleep?" - Samael, to Symmetry
Persephone is weirded out with the juxtaposition of the Hound acting just like a normal dog, in a normal house,
and asks Samael to double-check it isn't an illusion.
Symmetry casts.
The dog blinks lazily and retreats through it's flap.
"Made him retreat" - Symmetry
"Can you send it to sleep?" - Samael
"Yes, probably. I've told it to retreat, so it's gone to a place of safety. If that's it's bed, then yeah" - Symmetry
Persephone looks around to see if they've been spotted.
"Right. Lead the way, Mr Fixit" - Samael
Cobalt casts Alter Integrity yet again.
The door swings open. Symm immediately commands the first dog to go to sleep.
But that doesn't do anything for the second one...
Roll initiative!
And that finishes us off for the session. The recording then finishes with plaintive cries of 'xp!' as is traditional.
Speaking of which, transcribing the sessions from recordings rather than expanding hasty notes does not appear
appreciably faster. It IS a hell of a lot more convenient, though, and the error-rate is now nonexistant.
So I think it will stay.

Session 3.4
Second-to-last part of the Hounds of Winter now, and sadly the one in which nothing of much particularly happens
except for research. Got to have at least one research session.
Agena: Hey, in every CSI series there's a moment for the research montage
looks like we had our on this session
Still, it kicks off with a bang. And it sets up 3.5, in which there is yet more angst and political shenanigans.
We timewasted a LOT in this session. The recording is full of blather, and there was a power cut right at the end. I
remember driving home thinking "what was all THAT about?" You can't win them all, I guess.
We begin where we left off, with the dog growling at the gang and bemoaning not selecting an Obrimos-heavy party.
Through the back door of the house lies the kitchen, complete with three dog-baskets, one of which is occupied
by a sleeping Hound. Next to another is a very much awake Hound which does not seem pleased at their
presence. It takes a deep breath. Cobalt, his multitool in the shape of a riot shield and held up defensively,
braces for impact.
The Dogs, for purpose of fights, were modelled as Spirit-Claimed dogs - even though they're not actually spirits. If in
doubt as to mechanics for a particular critter, use the Spirit rules. That's my standby.
As an example of our high blather-rate, we are now up to 20 minutes into the recording. Recapping all active spells,
Rolling initiative and complaining about nWoD's damage nibble took a lot of time.
The Hound breathes out, and both Cobalt and Samael (at the front) feel a terrible cold in their bones. The
linoleum of the floor crackles as a thin layer of ice appears. Everyone else, behind the two boys, gets a lesser
effect as it's slightly blocked by their bodies.
Cobalt took no damage, thanks to mighty armour and shield. Samael took two lethal, everyone else took one
Persephone casts Evil Eye on the Hound, hoping to forestall it before it tries that again... But fails. Symmetry,
who had great success with Control Median Life on the first Hound, attempts that again... But fails. Samael,
thinking on his feet, points to a wall socket.
"Power from there!" - Samael
He casts Control Electricty, ramping the charge in the socket up. There's a faint tinge of ozone as the power
builds.
Electricity is a wonderful thing, especially with Forces three. The power in the wall has been increased from four to
eight automatic bashing damage. IF they can somehow introduce that charge to the Hound.
Fortunately, they've got that covered...
"Get it!" - Babel
He casts Will of Fire
Cobalt casts Alter Conductivity.
Ouch. Note to self. Player characters didn't stop combining their powers for fun and profit when they killed Quiet. Ow.
Will of Fire, the spell Babel cast, is a Mind 3 spell from Legacies: The Ancient that grants one temporary willpower point
to a number of people depending on the spell's successes. The temporary point can only be used for the purpose the
caster indicates when casting ("get it!") and goes away if not used by the end of the scene. It's the spell that Excalibur
and Aurora, as Tamers of Fire, have as their second Attainment's alternate use, which explains how such an unusual
spell is in such common usage in the Consilium - everyone's seen Cal cast it frequently, and the local Mastigos have
duplicated it with their own powers.
A wide strip of the floor, running from the socket to both Hounds, becomes suddenly Live. The Hounds writhe
and leap to safety. The one that was awake is now on the far side of an electrical floor. The other... Is right next
to Samael. It lunges and bites down HARD on his leg.
"Get it off... Don't electrocute it!" - Samael
The far Hound sucks in air and performs it's Freeze attack again. This time, it's much worse.
One Lethal for Cobalt, Three for Samael (who now has only two unticked health boxes), Three for Persephone, Four for
Symmetry and Five for Babel. Poor Babel.
Agena: Is this the time when I rewind time for one turn?
Everyone: Err... Yeeeess
And the Prince of Persia music plays...
The far Hound sucks in air and performs it's Freeze attack again. This time, it's much worse.
"Get it off... Don't electrocute it!" - Samael
A wide strip of the floor, running from the socket to both Hounds, becomes suddenly Live. The Hounds writhe
and leap to safety. The one that was awake is now on the far side of an electrical floor. The other... Is right next
to Samael. It lunges and bites down HARD on his leg.
Cobalt casts Alter Conductivity.
Babel casts Will of Fire.
"Get it!" - Babel
Samael casts Control Electricity, ramping the charge in the socket up. There's a faint tinge of ozone as the
power builds.
"Power from there!" - Samael
Symmetry, who had great success with Control Median Life on the first Hound, attempts that again... But fails.
Samael, thinking on his feet, points to a wall socket.
Persephone...
...Persephone re-enters the timestream. From everyone else's point of view, the blue tinge to her skin and the
freeze-burns instantly appear.
"Don't wake the sleeping Dog!" - Persephone
She casts Exceptional Luck, but fails.
Symmetry, who had great success with Control Median Life on the first Hound, attempts that again... And
succeeds!
We discussed for a while how Persephone saying one extra line somehow made Symmetry succeed on her spell roll,
but we decided just to go for it. And it was a lucky thing too - I was very careful to point out, when Ag considered her
choice of action, that if they didn't somehow prevent the Hound from using it's Blast numina again Sef would be
critically injured or dead - she wouldn't have been able to take another hit like that last one.
The Hound crawls into it's basket and falls asleep again
"You all right?" - Samael, to Sef
Sef - the only one badly hurt - shivers terribly
"Had... to... rewind time.." - Persephone
"What happened?" - Samael
"Don't ask" - Persephone, while Symmetry heals her before turning her attention to everyone else's much more
minor wounds.
"Can you turn them off?" - Samael, to Symmetry, who gives him a blank look in answer
He tries to think of a way to instantly kill them. Probably involving ramping the electricity up inside a wall
socket or something...
"Would they wake up if you disturb them?" - Cobalt
"Oh, yes" - Persephone, still shivering despite herself
"They'll be out for an hour" - Symmetry
"I CAN HEAR YOU DOWN THERE, AND I'VE CALLED THE POLICE" - voice from upstairs
Ah.
Samael tries to look, using Forces Mage Sight to look for any active phone lines. The house, though, is wired for
broadband and as such it's phone line is *always* active. He pinches it shut with an improvised Forces spell,
though.
"We're here about the dogs!" - Cobalt
He shifts his Multitool from a shield back into an armband, grunting as he expends Mana to dampen a Paradox.
Samael casts Invisibility. Babel casts Incognito Presence.
"Er... RSPCA!" - Symmetry
A woman, wielding a cricket bat in a defensive posture, comes into the room from deeper in the house. Under
Cobalt's Aura Perception her Aura is dark blue, flickering with orange.
Babel's initial assessment - done while scrying outside - that she was in her thirties seems to be unkind. More
mid-twenties. But rather worn-down, like she's had a hard life.
Symmetry flashes an ID card.
"I'm Doctor Newton, and this is Mr... Grey... From the department of health" - Symmetry, pointing to Cobalt
Cobalt gives an encouraging smile.
"Yes, ma'am, we've had some reports of unusual dogs. I must say, they're mighty fine, but we've had reports of
them running loose" - Cobalt
"You found him!? Oh, thank God. Yes - Ringo ran away" - Woman
"Ringo?" - Cobalt
"Yes. Ringo..." (points at dogs) "John. Paul" - Woman
"No George?" - Cobalt
"Oh, George is upstairs" - Woman
I am so, so sorry. That freaked the gang a bit - there was no mind detected upstairs, which implies they can shield
themselves somehow
"Ah... Yes, we've found him, but the fact that he ran away raises questions, and we can't return an animal to an
unsuitable environment" - Cobalt
She takes umbrage at this
"UNSUITABLE? Look at them! They're happy - they have beds, and get taken on regular walks. They're well
fed..." - Woman
Her Aura shifts Orange, with bits of red
"Now, ma'am, that's what we're here to determine. My colleague knocked..." - Cobalt
Symmetry kneels, stroking "Paul". (The one that nearly killed Samael)
"Have you had them inoculated? And... What breed are they?" - Symmetry
"Oh, I have no idea. Some kind of mongrel I think. There's probably some Alsatian in there" - Woman
"Probably some Saber-toothed Tiger" - Babel, muttering
She seems honestly confused. She doesn't appear to realise there's anything wrong with them
"There aren't many places that are licensed to handle this sort of breed, ma'am. Where did you acquire them?"
- Cobalt
Samael invisibly nudges Babel
"I know it's bad of me, but I bought them from an advert in the Buy and Sell" - Woman, lying through her teeth
They all passed the Wits & Subterfuge rolls to spot that one. The B&S is a cheap fanzine-type thing made up entirely of
classified ads.
-You got that, right?- - Kosciej
-Of course I did- - Persephone
"Do you have contact details for the seller? - Cobalt
"Sure. Somewhere. It's been a while - when I got them they were this big" (holds out hands) - Woman
"How long have you had them?" - Cobalt
"They're getting on for three, now" - Woman
And then the fourth Dog comes down the stairs. It's owner fusses over it, ruffling the fur on it's big, horrible
head. It shows it's teeth in a too-intelligent dog-grin.
"Can you tell us more about the circumstances of Ringo's disappearance? Have you disciplined them? Are they
house-trained?" - Cobalt
"They're house trained. They go out in the yard. But.. terrible thing. The storm - you remember the storm last
week? It broke the back gate. I keep it unlocked still in case he comes back or figures out which way home is. I
take them for walks, you know, always on the lead in the parks - some people don't - but they're very well
behaved. We go down the Dean, they sit when I tell them to. They're very good with children. You get some
aggressive dogs, but they're so gentle" (to the big slathering hell-dog) "Aren't you?" - Woman
Sef has a look of utter horror on her face.
Arsenuts. Continuity error. Cobalt DIDN'T break the gate lock, m'kay? (waves hand in Obi-Wan fashion)
"It is possible they're not invisible to sleepers... They just look like dogs to them" - Babel, muttered to Samael
"What's the truth about where she got these things?" - Samael, muttered to Babel
"Unless she actively thinks about where she got them, I won't be able to read it" - Babel
"It's probably best to keep that gate locked. In the meantime, we need to run some checks on Ringo. Once
we've been through the paperwork involved we can return him to you" - Cobalt
"They've been with me for three years. You can't just take them away" - Woman
"Now, ma'am, I'm not trying to be a bad guy. I do want to return him, but there are certain forms we have to go
through in this torturous modern world we live in. In the meantime, can you provide me with the information of
where you got them" - Cobalt
"You can't just take them" - Woman
And then George growls. The other two snap awake. Symmetry smiles and tries to convey by subtle shifts of
body language that her control spell appears to have vanished.
"George - SIT" - Woman
It drops to it's haunches, watching Cobalt with far too much intelligence.
"Okay.... What do you need to know" - Woman, calming down
He asks her for the advert. She gets a folder from on top of the fridge - pet insurance vet details, inoculation
details (it seems she HAS been taking them to a vet - but the vet, being a Sleeper, hasn't noticed what's wrong
with them).. even a photo of when they were puppies - four hell hound puppies in a cardboard box. That red-
eye isn't just down to the camera.
"They always look cute when they're small" - Persephone
"Thank you. This will be a great help in speeding everything up" - Cobalt
"I'm... Sorry, it doesn't look like it's here. I must have thrown it out" - Woman
"I understand it not being important. Are you sure there's nothing you can tell us about the trade?" - Cobalt
"Well.. He came over to check the place, make sure it was a good home. And then a week later he brought the
puppies."
She describes someone who is best described as Mr Average. Not especially helpful
"I'm sorry there's nothing else I can tell you. They've never been ill. THey'e never attacked anyone. So.. Legally,
I believe that everything's legitimate" - Woman
That last sentence was a challenge
"... ... As do I. I'll see about getting Ringo back to you. We'll leave you alone - but I'd check that back door. It
opened when we knocked" - Cobalt
"Oh, hell. I'll call a locksmith" - Woman
"Again, I apologize for disturbing you. You must understand how it is, when some people mistreat their pets" -
Cobalt
And they all troop out. Cobalt subtly repairing the lock on his way.
"Get some distance" - Cobalt
They head towards the street
"Glad to see they had such a nice household" - Cobalt
"They look really well cared for" - Symmetry
"Very loved" - Persephone
...
Some distance later.
"Well, shit" - Samael
They're far enough away now.
"Okay. What we have here is a cuckoo." - Symmetry

"Cuckoo?" - Persephone
"They've worked their way into this household. I don't know if they're pretending to be real dogs, or how
intelligent they are..." - Symmetry
"Where did she get them from?" - Samael
"But the picture of the puppies... They were there as puppies" - Persephone
"So someone is dealing in magical creatures" - Symmetry
"And seeding them into innocent households. I wouldn't be surprised if they were some manner of protection.
They were very responsive to her emotions" - Cobalt
"They're dogs. They probably regard her as their pack-leader. Which means taking them away is going to be
hell" - Symmetry
"Babel, did you get where she got them from?" - Samael
"It was snowing... Wherever she got them. Whenever she got them, it was a dark and stormy night. I can't tell if
she bought them from someone or just found them. They might have fallen through from somewhere" - Babel
"When she described Mr Nebulous, the man of averages?" - Samael
"She was making him up" - Babel
"So it wasn't someone being incognito?" - Cobalt
Babel shakes his head
"So how do we kill them?" - Samael, business-like
"Do we kill them off? If she can control them, and they only got loose..." - Symmetry
"I can think of two very good reasons why. If another breaks out, or breaks into the house. The other is Magog.
He's coming. You are the Strategos" - Samael
"We're not going to get anywhere by going in wands blazing" - Symmetry
"No, if we can get her out of the house we can simply electrocute the entire place" - Samael, impatient
"It's harsh, but it's an option" - Cobalt
"I... Don't" - Symmetry, trailing off
"I don't like the idea of killing them off" - Persephone
"We can't really fight them" - Samael
"Problem is that I suspect they have a set of secondary behaviours triggered by the storms. Every time they've
been active it's been in the same type of chill storm she recieved them in" - Cobalt
"That's going to happen all the time this time of year. I can't think of any other way we can handle it other than
to just deal with them.. Okay, I can. We can lock them up in a Mysterium kennel somewhere, a Free Council
Lorehouse, but they're still extremely dangerous. And we can't leave them here" - Samael
"Especially as they indulged in that behaviour in the absence of their leader" - Cobalt
"And they just attacked that guy without any aggressive action on his part" - Samael
"We still haven't investigated that link" - Cobalt
"Yeah. We don't know if he did anything to her" - Symmetry
"They could have hunted him down. And thanks to Disbelief we don't know if the gate was damaged by the
storm or them exiting" - Cobalt
"But that's even worse. We can't have these things hunting down anyone who pisses her off" - Samael
"Especially as we just did" - Cobalt
"That makes it easier. They'll come for us" - Persephone
"They need to be dealt with. We can't leave them with her - as we've already seen they've broken out before.
The only permanent solution is to end them" - Samael
"No. We should at least try to help her to control them" - Symmetry
"How?" - Samael
"Tell her" - Symmetry
"She won't believe you. 'Hi there, we're a bunch of mages and by the way you have magical dogs'?" - Samael
"I don't mean like that. There's plainly something unusual about them and we can work with her, try to find out
why they attacked that man" - Symmetry
"But we have problems starting with that. Ringo's dead, and that's not going to make her happy. She's not
going to be in a receptive frame of mind to then be told 'your dogs are killing people'" - Samael
"We could tell her that first, and then that it had to be put down because it attacked us, the police..." -
Persephone
"A child?" - Cobalt
"I don't think It won't work very well. I think it's too risky... First of her getting into a state and then blam - dogs.
Or just of her flat out not believing us, and then you've killed any chance of using your vet personas, and then
if she starts complaining about a vet woman with red hair of your description..." - Samael
"It just doesn't feel right" - Symmetry
"It's not right, and it's not good, but they're killer dogs. They breath people to death" - Samael
"We don't know what that guy did." - Symmetry
"You're right, but it's still too dangerous to have them around" - Samael
"They've been here for three years" - Symmetry
"What you have to check is if in those three years there have been any similar deaths" - Persephone
"We might have got lucky until now" - Samael
"Or rather no one's noticed" - Cobalt
"Then we need to find that sort of thing out" - Symmetry
"There is another aspect to it. Magog" - Cobalt
"Magog can stay the hell away. We're handling it. For now we watch the place, we put a guard on the three that
are left while we try to figure out why they turned." - Symmetry
"It makes sense. But I think we should try to figure it out through an autopsy" - Samael
"Funny, a Mystagogue saying that" - Persephone
"They're too dangerous. They've killed before, we have no control over them and neither does she" - Samael
"If we have time before the next storm we have that long to study them. They don't move. " - Cobalt
"I'm not willing to sacrifice some poor innocent punter so we can study their behaviour. If they escape again
they're probably going to kill again" - Samael
"If they slip out we can take them" - Symmetry
"Which may be too late" - Samael
Symmetry is growing tired of Samael's arguing. Cobalt steps into the akward silence.
"Right. Do we have any simplistic way of monitoring whether they leave or not?" - Cobalt
"Yes, we can put a detection spell around the house to tell us when they leave. We can arrange for somebody
to watch the house" - Symmetry
"Maybe the Furthest Legion would be willing?" - Persephone
"I was going to suggest, there are three Cabals handling this and we haven't involved the Legion yet" - Cobalt
"And if we find any of them away from her then we do take them down" - Samael
"Take them in for questioning" - Cobalt
"She said one ran away..." - Persephone
"But we know that at least three of them did. Only one didn't come back" - Samael
"George is a little wilier than the others... George" - Cobalt, the last word in disgust
"People are strange. At least they're not named after footballers" - Symmetry
"We now have a lot more details to apply Cryptozoology. If we can figure out what their home environment is,
maybe we can put them back." - Cobalt
"I think we need Cal and dare I say it Cicero involved in this. We need to remind Magog who's Strategos" -
Cobalt
"Be careful. Cicero's reaction might be similar to mine" - Samael
"We'll head Magog off at the pass. I should talk to the Legion, too. You guys start looking up big freezer-hounds
that appear in storms" - Symmetry
"Babel, did you manage to see how she sees them?" - Persephone
No. Sorry. Her mind was odd. It was far more agitated than it should have been. She probably realises
something is strange, which may give us options for taking them away other than killing her pets" - Babel
They discuss a few wilder plans - trying to fake Rabies takes a few minutes thought, before breaking up and
going their two Cabal's separate ways.
'Funny, a Mystagogue saying that'.
This whole scene is tense between Symmetry and Samael, and highlights again the difference between the Orders.
Samael flatly doesn't believe a normal human has the ability to control the animals. He wants them removed from the
situation - very Diamond Order. Symmetry sees an opportunity to resolve the situation by educating the Sleeper - very
Libertine. He's motivated by a desire to not see any more bodies, but Symm rapidly took his tone to mean 'do as I say.
I know what I'm talking about and you don't', which is sure to irritate any Libertine. She's now trying for a peaceful
solution partly to prove Samael wrong.
This is the essence of tragedy.
...
Back at the lighthouse, Samael hits the books. Persephone sits on the stairs, flipping through a Tarot deck,
when Cobalt approaches.
"Persephone. I know you don't like to think about.. You have the thing with postcognition and I wouldn't ask
about what happened before you kicked back time, but I've got to learn from my mistake. Can you tell me what
went wrong?" - Cobalt
She sighs, and heads to the kitchen, sitting down
"Samael did something to the power, and Symmetry tried to do something, and then you tried to electrocute
the dog" - Persephone
"If he'd ramped up the power socket..." - Cobalt
"You did something to the floor, and the other dog woke up, and one bit Samael before the other one breathed
and nearly killed everyone, so I thought... 'rewind'" - Persephone
"Wise choice" - Cobalt
"Anyway. I have some questions for Fate" - Persephone
-You're asking Fate?- - Kosciej
-Well, Time actually. Why?- - Persephone
-No, no... I just thought we would be better placed with the book work, but...- - Kosciej
-If you want to help with the book work, then be my guest. I must have some of the Cryptozoology books in my
head. They say that if you read something it stays in your head but is hard to retrieve. Go retrieve it.- -
Persephone
Kosciej withdraws, grumbling
Cobalt goes to cook.

And now.. Research rolls! In the Intruders style, there was a sketched-out table of what-you-find for different numbers
of successes. The more he got, the narrower the findings were.
Samael's discoveries - some types of supernatural make Hell Hounds, but they tend to be firey rather than cold.
Given the link to weather cycles, his gleanings suggest it's either a group of spirit creatures or a group of a
Faerie creatures. 'Wild Hunt hounds?' ends up on his notepad.
He continues reading, eventually discounting spirits. That leaves Faerie creatures - if there WAS a Mysterious
Puppy Seller, that would look like a True Fae acting out of it's own inscrutable reasons. (Samael's reading on
THAT subject files True Fae under 'pointlessly cruel when they find it funny' which would fit) If she just found
them, then it's possible they're "natural" Cryptids linked to the Storm.
Upstairs in the Hallow, Persephone casts Divination, an index finger touching a single strand of Magog's hair,
obtained on the sly during the Assembly.
"How will Magog use the Dogs to further his ambition?" - Persephone
Tricky thing, Divination. Especially getting the wording of the questions right. That one was arrived at after a bit of
back-and-forth among the group
She sees an image of Magog fighting two of the Hounds, force-staff crackling.
"How is he planning to defeat them?" - Persephone
Same image. His plan appears to be to hit them with a stick. One of the Hounds breathes on him, which doesn't
seem to work.
The spell ends
-Well. That was illuminating. I've determined that they are either Faerie Beasts or Earth-born Cryptids. I've
found references to something called Hounds of Winter. *Or* they could be related to Werewolves- - Kosciej
-Related?- - Persephone, kind of disturbed
-It's a curious modern world we live in- - Kosciej
She climbs down the stairs to the library
"Need any help?" - Persephone
"Sure" - Samael
She sits down next to him.
-I haven't read everything in here. Keep an eye out- - Persephone
Two and a half hours later, Samael calls it off.
"Nothing more. Faeries or Cryptids" - Samael
-In which case, we need to determine if they were sold or found- - Kosciej
"In which case, we need to determine if they were sold or found" - Persephone
Shameless!
"We can only do that if someone's willing to get it out of that woman's mind. She's extremely unlikely to tell, so
we need someone with the Mind Arcanum" - Samael
-Unfortunately...- - Kosciej
-No- - Persephone
-...I can't use Mind Magic outside of your Oneiros.- - Kosciej
"Which means that it's a case of ringing the Strategos up and telling her. There's not a lot we can do" - Samael
"Weren't you supposed to check the news for if there were other instances of people freezing?" - Persephone
"Yeah, I can look at the news for a bit. That's about it, though" - Samael
Cobalt comes in
"Research! How's it going?" - Cobalt
"How'd the Divination go?" - Samael, to Sef
"I tried to see what Magog was going to do, but he's just going to hit them" - Persephone
"He's just exploiting the situation. He's already killed one. If he goes out monster slaying then certain groups
are going to think that he's 'Awesome'" - Samael
"Certain groups already think he's Awesome" - Persephone
"More so. At the moment he's just gone out on the toon with some Smoke Eaters and beaten the shit out of one
dog. It's great and all, but if he can establish himself as a guy who sorts things out, goes in hand-to-hand, then
they'll really be following him. He might get himself killed, who knows? Maybe he's over-estimating his own
abilities. I'd rather not be scraping another mage up off the pavement. It's best if he doesn't have a chance to
do this in the first place. Not only do we deny him his moment of glory but we deny his chance of getting killed
horribly or drawing attention." - Samael
Cobalt starts looking on the internet, searching for deaths through exposure. People die of exposure in
Newcastle every winter - but the speed with which this man dropped, and so near help, means the police are
still treating this one as suspicious.
"I think he's an idiot to do it and he might get killed. But worst case is that he draws attention from Seers or
God knows who while he goes mano-a-mano with Devil Dogs." - Samael
"It doesn't look like they've done this before" - Cobalt, interrupting
"Hard to tell, though. Too easy for it to go unnoticed" - Samael, sceptically
"People die like that, but they're far more drunk and it takes much more time. There's none other that match
the not-too-pissed, not-too-badly-dressed suddenly keels down dead" - Cobalt
"That's only if the police have been paying attention" - Samael
Kosciej appears in Persephone's vision, wearing a stereotypically "Australian" cork-dangling hat and a loud
yellow shirt
-Or maybe- (doing his best Steve Irwin impression) -Someone's just really pissed 'em off- - Kosciej
"Regardless. It doesn't matter if they haven't killed before. They might kill again" - Samael
"Yes, I accept your point. We may have to deal with them, especially as we don't know how to punt them back
to Fae-land or wherever they come from. Releasing them into the wild seems a dangerous option" - Cobalt
"Someon has to find out the answers from their owner, but we're not really in a position to do that" - Samael
"The trouble is removing them without hurting her. Physically, not offending her feelings on the grounds we've
ganked her dogs" - Cobalt
"Like I said. Do it when she's not there" - Samael
"We'll have time, I expect. I'm checking the weather reports" - Cobalt
"Tell me if there's a storm coming. I'm off to watch crap TV for a long time" - Samael
"Beef good?" - Cobalt
It takes Samael a few moments to realise what he's asking
"Yeah" - Samael
"And now you can experience the Free Council's Secret Sauce" - Cobalt
Don't know if the Mysterium's Secret Sauce made it into a recap, actually - anyway, it's the Cabal's excuse for why
they let Samael do most of the cooking.
The Mysterium: They know everything. Even what the 11 secret herbs and spices in KFC are.
...
As the Auric Horizon eat, Cobalt catches up with Excalibur via phone. The watch goes well. Aquila, as a more
experienced Thyrsus than Symmetry, is going to check the dogs out from a distance to make absolutely certain
they're not spirits. Excalibur is apparently of the opinion that they've come "through the wall". He tells Cobalt
that cryptids, monsters, weird crap always seem to head into this region from the North, heading South. Always
heading South, though Scotland has not got any unusually different levels of supernatural shenanigans. Cabals
along a line across the country - the Legion in Newcastle, a Cabal in Carlisle - are set up to try to deal with the
phenomena. The Legion believes it's associated with Hadrian's Wall. Somehow, they say, the idea of this as
being the end of empire, the end of civilisation, broke something. A wall was made in the minds of humans, and
once you make a barrier it seemed to inexorably follow that there would be something on the other side. By
defining the line, things became able to cross it.
"You could say there's a wall between reality and the other places we visit on occasion. Call it generically The
Wall" - Cobalt
"And the exit is not of our ken. Or our Barbie. Or any of our action figures. It might be of our Optimus Prime" -
Excalibur
"I was going to say He-Man myself" - Cobalt
"Actually, given his expanding rod of power, all Magog needs is to shout is Thundercats Ho" - Excalibur
"Says the man carrying Excalibur" - Cobalt
"That has cultural meaning" - Excalibur
"So does a wizard's staff having a knob on the end" - Cobalt
Cal returns to his narrative - they've been keeping a safe distance so far, but they need to get Aquila closer. So
a lot of cunning planning is going on around how to introduce the two. Cobalt suggests they take the
opportunity when she walks the Hounds.
...
The next day, Samael's cunning plan is to continue to research his mysterious synesthetic artist. The Cabal are
excused from the watching of Hounds for reasons of distance, and so far Symmetry's plan seems to be working.
No one's been attacked yet, anyway. Samael is faintly disapproving, but isn't willing to start anything.
"Give me a shout if you need anything" - Samael
"Do we have any plans for today?" - Persephone, to Cobalt
"I actually think I'm going to do something academic. I don't want to sound elitist, but I do have some high-
faluting initial research to do before I start" - Cobalt
-We have Galatea to find- - Kosciej
She says that, but notes she's unlikely to arrange a meeting for today.
Archimedies prowls through, casting baleful glances at people. Everyone awws over him and pats him. This is
their current strategy - respond to Fear Influence with "kitty!".
Cobalt clarifies that his goal is mundane. He's on research leave but that means he has to show up next
summer having had researched something. Something Exoteric. He can use magic to speed things up, but any
conclusions have to be drawn with good old-fashioned science.
"Can I help?" - Persephone
He gently explains that while she's very intelligent, she's not a professor of material chemistry.
"When I get to actually blowing things up, I'd love to have you along as an assistant" - Cobalt
Leaving him to it, Persephone catches Archimedies.
She feels Fear wash over her.
"Archimedes. There are two ways we can do this. The nice way or the hard way. Nice way is you stop doing this
to me, and I'll feed you" - Persephone, pushing mana to Archimedes down their link
Kosciej, in the corner of her eye, snaps big elbow-length rubber gloves on and picks up a chainsaw
"The hard way is you don't get fed... And Kosciej has a word with you" - Persephone, taking Mana back again
Kosciej revvs the chainsaw

Archimedes turns his nose up at her. She feels his disgust at her accusation. And also some Fear.
"Just remember. Every time you use your power on me, I'll take your Essence off you. But if you change your
mind..." - Persephone
Kosciej flips his safety visor up.
-It just seems to be the week for pet issues, really- - Kosciej
She goes to rant at Cobalt
"I know he's a Fear spirit, but he's also a cat. And he's MY Fear spirit now. Either he'll work or he'll starve" -
Persephone
She checks her mail. Galatea has replied again - interpreting the code-speech, Sef finds that she's willing to
meet her at a safe neutral location. Sef can bring one person for security as long as they're a Free Councillor.
No Diamond Mages allowed, and no one is to have any active spells up. If Sef agrees, Galatea will figure out a
neutral location.
Sef agrees, but says that it has to be a public place.
...
Samael, meanwhile, has found a self-portrait by his mysterious artist. A collection of coloured blocks which,
when viewed from the correct angle, show the outline of a human head. It's a pretty good representation of an
aura.
"Peter Rice. Who the hell are you?" - Samael, looking at the gallery's directory.
Whoohoo! We named the artist! We spend most of next session trying to remember IF we named the artist, but it turns
out that we did!
Glaswegian-born, Peter Rice is born to Turkish and German parents. He's recently moved to London to be closer
to the art trade.
Samael casts Interconnections. It doesn't feel deliberate, what Rice is doing. It's almost as though he's being
led around by something.
He takes notes of where the artist has things displayed down in London, and heads home.
...
Galatea - or rather, the person Kosciej believes is Galatea - has responded, suggesting a motorway service
station halfway between their two home Consilia. They both go in different directions, park on opposite sides of
the road and meet up in the middle of the crowds. It's about two hours away. She'll let Persephone pick the
"When".
"Cobalt!" (waits for him to arrive) "I got a reply from the brain-soviet woman. She wants to meet... When do you
think we could go?" - Persephone
"Tomorrow. Say five-thirty - it'll be quite busy. Friday, tomorrow, isn't it?" - Cobalt
"Should I wear something identifiable? I could wear a funny hat" - Persephone
Kosciej appears wearing a Soviet fur hat
-Comrades!- - Kosciej
...
Samael returns. Persephone tells Samael about the meeting.
"It's Free Councillors only, though. By which I mean that you can be there, just not in the meeting" - Persephone
Samael is uneasy at technically breaking her word
"It's a bit harsh" - Cobalt
"But you won't be at the meeting" - Persephone
"Look. the only person who knows how she'll react to that, unfortunately, is Kosciej. Could you ask him?" -
Samael
-I last knew Galatea in 1952, when she was sixteen years old. Do math. Can you do math? I *don't know*. I
have no idea what her life's been like. I've been in a safe-deposit box!- - Kosciej
Samael gets a text message from Excalibur, asking if he's free.
"Go see what's up. But I'd still like you around" - Persephone
"Excalibur wants to talk... to me. Should I dress up? If I don't get killed or eaten.. I don't think I should come" -
Samael
He gets *another* text
"R U Free tmrw?" - Symmetry
He asks if this has anything to do with what Cal just asked him about
"Cal alrdy called u?" - Symmetry
(to the others) "It looks like fate is conspiring to make me be here. I'll go see what Cal has in store for me" -
Samael
"They want you now?"
"Cal wants to see me now. Symmetry tomorrow" - Samael
"Call us if you're staying over" - Cobalt
"With Cal or with Symmetry?" - Samael, grinning
-SERVED- - Kosciej, pointing a big foam hand at Cobalt
Persephone blinks at him
-I've been finding all kinds of accessories inside your mind- - Kosciej
"See you later!" - Cobalt
Cobalt heads back upstairs
"You want to play anything?" - Persephone, calling after him
"I think I've almost broken back into the mode of exoterics" - Cobalt
"Just don't become boring" - Persephone
"Become?" - Cobalt, ruefully
She smiles, sadly, and goes to watch TV with Kosciej.
Kosciej has become something of a pop-culture addict, focusing as he is with updating his working knowledge of the
material world through Sef's memories.
It was at this point I gave a brief preview of Kosciej's Astral Den to Agena - he's been collecting junk that catches his
eye from Persephone's inner realms and hoarding them in the space within her soul that he "lives" in, like a magpie
decorating it's nest.
...
Samael, several hours later, gets off the bus to find Excalibur waiting for him
"Hey, man... You need to get a motorbike or something" - Excalibur
"I'll look into it. What's up, now that you've made me ride the fucking bus?" - Samael
That looks far harsher written down than it sounds on the recording. Samael's not really that annoyed.
"We have a complicating factor" - Excalibur
They get into Excalibur's landrover
"There's no really easy way to say this, but you know how Symmetry was all 'there are no werewolf packs in the
city'? Well, she's a Werewolf" - Excalibur
"... ... " (realises) "The woman?" - Samael
"Yeah." - Excalibur
"Oh, bollocks" - Samael
"But we don't think she knows yet" - Excalibur
"She must know" - Samael
"No - no, we don't think she's changed yet. She's like a pre-pubescent Werewolf" - Excalibur
"Okay... That's a complication" - Samael
To say the least.
The pre-First Change werewolf in this story, and the mages' reaction to her, was something I threw in purely to mess
with Chris and Agena, who are more familiar with Werewolf: The Forsaken than any other nWoD game and think of
things like the Shadow Realm in werewolf-centric terms. There is great fun to be had in a situation where the player
knows far more than the characters about what would likely be going on, and watching the player squirm as his
character well-meaningly does exactly the wrong thing. Hi-LARIOUS.
"You wouldn't like her when she's angry" - Excalibur
"But you've brought me in specifically" - Samael
"We're having a discussion about what to do about it, and you were the hawk in the party" - Excalibur
Samael "ahs" in understanding. They want him along because he was arguing long and hard for just killing the
dogs right now.
"Symmetry called me asking if I was free tomorrow" - Samael
"Yeah. That's the discussion" - Excalibur, suddenly cagey
"So what's the plan for tonight?" - Samael
"Well... Um. See... Okay, look... Symmetry's... Okay, this is supposed to be Symmetry's show and Symmetry
says 'back off', especially now that Aquila's twigged to this person being a proto-werewolf or whatever they're
supposed to be called. Now she's being REALLY 'back off', like 'everyone steer clear until we contact the
werewolves in Hamsterly and see what they say about it', which is all kinds of complicated and involves Aquila
going out into the middle of a national park with a magical sign saying 'werewolves come here'." - Excalibur
"I don't envy that job" - Samael
"No. So Symmetry's all 'we can solve this peacefully'. These things, if they've sensed in some way that she's a
bigger dog and latched on that way, then maybe her brothers and sisters in the serious shaving problem
department can take them away. Maybe they can take HER away before she starts killing people by accident,
but us taking the dogs away or killing them is likely to provoke her into turning into a bigger killing machine.
So, Symmetry says that we can be careful, intelligent and compassionate about all this. It's not this woman's
fault that she has a severe moon-inflicted disorder, and it's probably not her fault that these Hounds have
made themselves part of her 'pack'. So..." - Excalibur
"Uh-huh" - Samael
"...I was wondering if you wanted to have any last-minute scoutings around and pokings-in of noses, because I
know for a fact that it was Militas' turn to be on guard last night. The woman in question is visiting a friend
tonight and taking the dogs with her, so we could go poke around the place" - Excalibur
"And Symmetry?" - Samael
"And Symmetry does not know" - Excalibur, flatly
"Okay" - Samael, not so much in agreement yet, more in a noise of thinking-about-it.
Not so much a railroad as a moving target.
The genesis of this scene - the Diamond order members starting to strain against Symmetry's command, not out of
any malice but because they think she isn't entirely right, is with Samael's reaction to the revelation about who had
the Hounds at the end of last session and the start of this one. I went into this story knowing that Symmetry would
attempt to solve the Hound problem through good intentions, that it would start to work but then backfire, and that
Magog would attempt to exploit the backfiring - all of those points are laid out in the flash-forward right at the start of
the story (which, you'll note, we haven't met back up with in the time of the narrative. It takes place about 2/3rds of
the way through 3.5).
How, why and all details - the woman, the woman being a werewolf, the specifics of Magog's attempts to exploit it
going wrong, even how and why it *does* go wrong, were entirely improvised, being made up as I went along and
padded with the details of Kosciej and the Parliament which I *had* figured out before time. It's an experiment in story
construction.
Dave tells me it felt a little railroady, for events would tangibly warp to aim the story at that restaurant flashforward,
and I take his point. Story four operates by a different storytelling technique entirely: I will be presenting a near-
impossible situation right at the start, all laid out for the players to see in 4.1, and then go entirely reactive in handling
what they do about it.
Dave2: I wasn't so much saying that it was a bit railroady as saying that while there were compliments on the thread
about the complex political environment, the plotline itself was actually fairly linear in that
the only political play of the story was laid out on the table as a manoeuvre by one NPC (boo, hiss) against another and
we were being reactive to that... picking a side and sticking to it. At risk of revealing the man behind the curtain, that
looked far more detailed and complex than it was underneath: I'm not sure a political situation is truly 3D until the
players instigate their own schemes against the backdrop, something I suspect we might be about to do in story 4. Or
else I'm going to have to burn someone's wig to get any 'diplomatic incident' XP.
As for this one, what I actually enjoyed was watching Dave seamlessly mould the storyline to match up with the events
at the beginning of 3.1. It could have gone a 100 different ways depending on our actions
(and that fight), but in the end it looks like the plot would inevitably reach that point. There's some cajones in putting
down a prophesy or image of the future and then giving the players free rein to reach it without being railroaded... and
getting it to match up as though it looks railroaded is skill of GMing on the fly. Hats off for achieving this one.
"So we're going to go there and?" - Samael
"Do the scoobie-doo thing" - Excalibur
"So, if that's happening tonight..." - Samael
"I brought you a spare ski mask" - Excalibur
"Oh, thank you" - Samael, sarcastically
He thinks
"How long do we have to wait until it's safe?" - Samael
"It's safe now" - Excalibur
And they drive
Not, despite what Dave says, using their Forces Arcanum to provide their own soundtrack
...
They park a street away from the house
"So what's our plan for getting in? We could just blow the door away, but it'll leave a mark" - Samael
"It's Aegis' turn on watch" - Excalibur
"And?" - Samael
"He's a Moros" - Excalibur
"Oh, right!" - Samael
They knock on the door of a flat across the back-street from the house. It's opened...
"Hey! Awesome!" - Magog
...By Magog

And now, Samael's patented anti-Magog technique
"Hey! Magog, right? I'm Samael!" - Samael, in exaggerated macho accent, pointing a finger at Magog
"Awesome!" - Magog
"Heard great things about you! Your turn on duty?" - Samael, slapping a handshake and pumping Magog's hand
"Aegis' turn actually. But I had one too many coffees, and Limnal had a bad daquiri, so he went home and I
volunteered to take a shift" - Magog, with his false modesty
"Good show! Great devotion to the cause! Well done!" - Samael, again in the macho posture
"Yes.. er... well done, Leige man!" - Excalibur, also going macho
"What are you guys doing here?" - Magog
You can cut the testosterone in the room with a knife. Samael's tactic - to just mirror Magog's over-the-top mannerisms
right back at him - is very, very funny. And keeps Magog trying to escalate his own performance, in a kind of arms-race
of bad acting and showing of one's biceps.
"Nice coat!" - Magog
"So where's Aegis?" - Samael
"He took off after I took his shift. As I say, I was in town and - well, it's just not fair, you guys doing everything.
Decided to step up and do my part" - Magog
"Good team spirit, that man. Seen anything?" - Samael
"No. She's out. Just before I took over, Aegis said she'd packed the hell-hounds in to a car and driven off.
Apparently, what's your friend's name? The guy with the bird?" - Magog
"Aquila" - Excalibur
"Awesome. Yeah. Aquila's on following-when-she's-out duty. We're just watching an empty house in case
something happens" - Magog
"You never know. Something *could* happen. More worrying is if something happens to the house from an
outside agency. So how long have you been up here?" - Samael
"No, no - about half an hour" - Magog
"Where'dyou live, anyway?" - Samael
See, this is what's needed. Samael has shifted Magog into having to answer questions
"Consett. With Uncle Pythagoras. I'm going to get my own place, probably in Newcastle actually. Everything
seems to happen here." - Magog
"Wouldn't that be a bit far from your own Cabal?" - Samael
"Nah, it's not that far to drive. They're all spread out, anyway" - Magog
"Seems you'd want Durham. It's the hotspot mage-wise over there" - Samael
"Durham's full of Silver Ladders and Mystagogues, no offence" - Magog
"Maybe they could use a Libertine to keep them honest. You'd be the only one, in fact. Well... anyway. Now
we're here..." - Samael
He strides over to the window, which has a chair set up to look out of it and supplies - snacks, drinks, that sort
of thing.
"Interesting view. What were you planning to do - just watch all night? DO you have a TV or something?" -
Samael
"The TV shows the view from the other side of the house" - Magog
"Good setup. The Legion have done good work here" - Samael
"Thanks" - Excalibur
"Right." (to Excalibur) "Shall we have a look around the perimeter area?" (to Magog) "Great to meet you!" -
Samael
He and Excalibur leave.
Excalibur phones Aegis.
"Where the hell are you?" - Excalibur
Truly an inspiring leader of men.
"Yeah, I know he turned up. We just ran into him... Oh, right... Okay. Where? Could you repeat that? Right" -
Excalibur
He hangs up
"When Magog offered to take his shift, Aegis decided to take him up on the offer, move three houses down to a
vacant flat where Aegis has been sat watching the house in case Magog tries anything" - Excalibur
"Good man" - Samael
"I'm not cut out for this cunning bluff and double bluff game" - Excalibur
"Quick thinking, though. I thought Aegis was a bit slow? He's obviously quicker on the uptake than I thought."
(off Excalibur's look) "Just things I heard, you know? Something about his name?" - Samael
"That was only the once" - Excalibur
"Okay. Fair enough. Well.. What are we going to do? We can't just toddle up to the house, and we can't dismiss
him without him blurting it to everyone else" - Samael
"And if we give him the evening off, he'll just move to the *next* vacant house and watch the place in case we
try anything. We could always include him" - Excalibur
"We can." - Samael
"Or we can give it up as a bad lark" - Excalibur
"How much does he know about the werewolves?" - Samael
"Okay. Aquila has told Symmetry and me, and I've told you and Cicero." - Excalibur
"I can't see Cicero trusting the Free Council" - Samael
"Oh, God, no" - Excalibur
"Okay, so he probably doesn't know the full nature of what's going on . If we bring him in on it, that means we
tell him. If we can somehow get into the house..." - Samael
"Yeah. I can't Portal into the house - I've never been inside" - Excalibur
Dave2: Use the telescope!
(brief pause as Chris remembered the Amber Spyglass)
"Funny you should say that. If we can get somewhere Magog can't see us, I have an item with which we can
scry the inside" - Samael
"That would work. Invisible up first, right?" - Excalibur
"Right" - Samael
Cue Mission Impossible music!
...
Upstairs in the house of Hounds, a portal appears.. and no one visible emerges
"So. Any ideas where to start? We saw where she kept her files... Oh! Nifty trick I picked up - Telekinetic gloves.
Controlling Practice of Forces to make a field flush with your skin - stops us from leaving any traces" - Samael
Excalibur starts opening drawers.
Chris had a brief digression here about how he was finally getting to use the Investigation skill, in a game where things
like postcognition usually pre-empt it. He was so proud.
I'll write up the spell he's using at the end of the story, probably.
They quickly find George's doggy bed, and lift some samples of the creature's hair.
"Oo! Diary!" - Excalibur
"What brave and powerful mages we are. Breaking into someone's house to read their diary... 'Dear Diary,
today I turned into an eight-foot killing machine and made some friends. It was fun." - Samael
"She's been having dreams about meat" - Excalibur, reading

"Bollocks" - Samael
"And running through forests" - Excalibur
"What moon phase is it?" - Samael
"Waxing. AH! Here's your visit. Says that you guys wanted to know where she got them, and she had to make it
up because how would you believe the truth... And.. This lady likes to write about her dreams a lot. That night
she dreamt she was in her house. Her dogs were huge and black, and the house was covered in frost. So I
would guess that it's starting to come through" - Excalibur
"Mmm. Especially if she's closer to becoming a werewolf" - Samael
"Which means that human rules no longer apply" - Excalibur
"Which is also a problem: we don't know what might trigger the change. No it's looking more like we should tell
her, as we might be belived, BUT it might trigger... You know. This situation is getting delicate" - Samael
"Too delicate for me. I just do blowing things up" - Excalibur
"That might be neccessary. How far back does it go?" - Samael
"Just to christmas" - Excalibur
"Lets see if we can find any older ones" - Samael
...
In a back room, in a cupboard, Samael uncovers last year's diary. Looks like the dreams started in November,
after Guy Fawkes' Night. Also: apparently at her christmas work party, a bunch of lads harassed her small work
team. (Turns out she's a legal secretary).
"Wonder if one of them ended up frozen?" - Samael
"Sounds nasty, but only in a drunken young man being a t**t sort of a way, not in a justifiable homicide way" -
Excalibur
...
The next day, Cobalt looks at Samael's text
"Investigations proceeding" - Samael
"Why do I get the feeling we've missed out on something?" - Cobalt
And so that afternoon, whilst Samael is off at the emergency 'what the fuck do we do now?' meeting, Cobalt
and Persephone head south in Cobalt's car. Persephone takes her furry hat.
Motorway services are soulless places. Sat in the centre of the crowd of people eating their overpriced cafe
food are one gentleman, wearing shades and looking like a hired heavy, and what Cobalt and Sef presume is a
woman. Whoever it is is wearing a Burka.
-Well, whoever it is, they're going for the blunt force approach to disguise- - Kosciej
Kosciej for the occasion is wearing a trench coat, hat and big sunglasses
Persephone sits herself at the next-door table. Cobalt does his best hired heavy impression while Sef sips at a
Sprite.
"The hare is in the goose" - Heavy
-Oh, good lord. What IS this? Amateur hour?- - Kosciej, disgusted
"Wasn't it supposed to be the other way around?" - Persephone
"But what was the name of the Needle?" - Heavy, sounding embarrassed to be saying it.
-Look, just say 'Parliament' and get it over with- - Kosciej
"Parliament" - Persephone
"Take a seat, both of you" - Galatea

She sounds old. Funny, that.
"Does that mean you can take the hat off?" - Cobalt
"I like the hat" - Persephone
"Forgive all of this, please. We had to be absolutely certain" - Galatea
"It wasn't really very... Ah, never mind" - Persephone
"Your friend?" - Galatea
"Cabalmate. Cobalt. Libertine, as requested" - Cobalt
"Youtube, right? And what are you calling yourself, dear?" - Galatea
"...Cora" - Persephone
"Everyone. She's here." (pause) "They might be a while. Some of them haven't moved in years" - Galatea
"So you're the only one remaining?" - Persephone
"Yes." - Galatea
"I'm afraid so, yes" - Galatea
"And, er..." - Persephone
"So... How? We knew that.. we can see the gate forming, so we've known that you've been on your way for a
while" - Galatea
"Yeah. About that. I've not decided if I'm going to let it open or not. So maybe you'd like to convince me. He
told me a lot of nice things, but I'd like to hear it from a living member" - Persephone
"Starting this off with 'you get used to it' probably won't convince you, but after this long it's quite difficult to
know what it was like before. I was younger than you - you're quite young but I was younger - and... well... It's
like... Did you have an imaginary friend when you were a child?" - Galatea
"Everyone has an imaginary friend" - Persephone
"It's like having 27 imaginary friends" - Galatea
"Only 27?" - Persephone
The burka nods
-I thought you said there were more?- - Persephone
-Attrition?- - Kosciej
-I thought they were just *there*- - Persephone
-Some might have decided to properly die- - Kosciej
"It's like having 27 imaginary friends. You're young.. You're *really* young, so you probably don't understand
this yet, but" (a weathered hand emerges) "time is not that kind. I've been hiding for half a century, so I've not
been able to do much with my living time. I haven't gone on any adventures, been a political queen of a
Consilium or had an active Cabal because I've had to look after everyone. But when I close my eyes I'm the
way that I remember looking and I'm *there*. I'm in in Mictlan. You should see Mictlan - it's a recursive world
made of dreams wrapped around one another. It's like something out of an escher painting crossed with a lab
crossed with something out of Aztec mythology. The Astral Sea to one side, the Underworld to the other. It's the
most fantastic thing you'll ever see, full of the great minds of the formation of the Free Council. You're never
alone unless you want to be" - Galatea
"If you want to be?" - Cobalt
"How does this work?" - Persephone
"You have your own Oneiros, and then inside in the part of your Oneiros that represents how you feel about the
Legacy there is the gate. When you go through the gate you emerge in the entry hall of Mictlan. When you're
on your side of the gate you're in private time" - Galatea
"And how does travelling across different ones work?" - Persephone
"Like travel inside your own Oneiros. You focus on where you want to be and navigate" - Galatea
"And what stops you from going into someone else's mind?" - Persephone
"... ...The respect and courtesy born of the fact that once you've offended someone you'll never have the luxury
of moving away." - Galatea, confused
"Because you have to spend eternity with them" - Cobalt
She nods
"We're a proper commune, and respect one another's privacies and opinions because we're in this forever" -
Galatea
"So in other words, nothing" - Persephone, harsh
"That's harsh" - Cobalt, reprovingly
"Nothing actually stops anyone except them being nice. Which I accept may be strong, but..." - Persephone
"Once you develop in the Mind Arcanum you'll find the ability - and a normal mage can do this - to eject foreign
bodies from the Oneiros. So yes, it IS possible if you don't trust anyone to bar other people from your Oneiros.
Your Shadow should be able to cast that" - Galatea
-... ... ... Oh, *me*?- - Kosciej
"So... How is he?" - Galatea
"Don't ask" - Persephone, rolling her eyes
"Kosciej is notorious - or rather, Kosciej's Shadow is notorious. The real Kosciej is nothing like that" - Galatea
"Worse?" - Persephone
Cobalt shakes his head
"Think about it" - Cobalt
"The real one is still there?" - Persephone
"Oh! Yes, he's on his way." - Galatea
"On his way!?" - Persephone
"I've just called everyone to come into my Oneiros so they can meet you. I think he was contemplating the
outer darkness. He does that a lot" - Galatea
"There's a lot of it to contemplate" - Cobalt, dryly
"So yes, the real Kosciej's on his way if you want to meet him" - Galatea
"... Yeah, sure" - Persephone
"Don't let the Kosciej-Shadow give you a hard time. Remember that he's supposed to be your servant" -
Galatea
"Funny you should say that" - Persephone, mentally glaring at Kosciej
"What happened?" - Cobalt
"The Guardians of the Veil finally... There was a brief instability in our numbers and resources based on... The
precise logistics of it are hard to explain without diagrams, but it's based on the fact that we can only transfer..
once we reach a certain level of power we gain the ability to induct new members. Whatever Daimon we have
in us becomes charged, and we can exchange it with an inductee's. Only living members of the Legacy can
perform that transfer unless someone from the outside managed to get into Mictlan, which is extremely
unlikely. The Legacy was founded just after the Nameless War with a fairly constant rate of attrition. We went
through the Great Refusal which killed about half our members and then once the Free Council was formed the
Guardians had to leave us alone. In the fifties, the oldest of us started to die of old age. The charged Daimons
were inside younger members, and there was a brief period of time in which no one was able to pass it on, and
in which our living members were all too young to properly defend themselves. The Guardians took advantage
of that, and took us down when we were weak. And I can't pass mine on. I'm afraid Nergal and I are stuck with
one another" - Galatea
"Why?" - Persephone
"I made too many Soul Stones. More important." - Galatea
"Because the Soul Stones provide Mana" - Cobalt
"Mana and a mooring point for Mictlan" - Galatea
"How many are left?" - Persephone
"Five of mine. The Guardians hunted any that they could - they had an especial hate on for our older members"
- Galatea
"How did they get away with it? DIdn't the Free Council react?" - Cobalt
"We were spread out. One person vanishing here and there is not overly suspicious. And our younger members
tended to devote themselves to exploring the inner worlds, both Mictlan and using it as a launching-point for
exploring the Astral. There were a few Guardian Cabals that hunted us" - Galatea
"Any names to watch out for?" - Persephone
"Keep an eye out for anyone named Solemn. There have been at least five Guardians taking that Shadow Name
- I think Kosciej killed one of them" - Galatea
"Did he do that a lot?" - Cobalt
"The War was very bloody. Kosciej spends most of his time meditating on the nature of death. Privately, he's
got a reputation for being quite humourless. He's very objective-driven, serious and studious. Each of us gave..
A person's Daimon is the part of their mind that they're lacking, the quality that they should have. Each of us
gave something up. I never actually met my Daimon before. I have since - she's in Mot now, my old mentor,
but...
...The Shadow of Kosciej in your head is his sense of humor" - Galatea
"... ...That explains so very much" - Persephone
Cobalt theorises out loud that the Kosciej-Daimon may well be far more unstable than the real Kosciej - he's had
many more lifetimes to warp his morality, after all.
"Can I ask something, before he arrives? Why did you choose to join?" - Cobalt
"Me? I lost my mother to a Memetophage, a particularly vile Abyssal creature that ate memories. The
Parliament offered a means of never forgetting anything" - Galatea
End of session, as the real Kosciej is on his way. Poor Galatea, cripplling her life and magical potential in order to
maintain Mictlan. Ouch.

Sesion 3.5
Welcome back, faithful readers! Not much to say here at the top - this is all in the wrap up and most of the work went
into the final hour of the session, as the circular story met up with it's own beginning. Again, my thanks for the players
tolerating nonlineararity in their storytelling.
We begin right where we left off, with an epic conversation scene between Cobalt, Persephone and the real Kosciej.
And when I say "Epic" I mean "nearly quarter of the damn game session". Still, this should give Needle fans some more
to chew on...
Galatea casts psychic network, linking her, Cobalt and Persephone together.
In their Minds' eye, they stand in a featureless grey void. Kosciej is there, sat in a wheelchair.
-Mine Fuehrer!- - Kosciej, doing a nazi salute.
He wheels up to Cobalt
-Put it there!- - Kosciej, shaking Cobalt's hand
-Err... Hi- - Cobalt
-I'm so pleased to finally meet you! Catherine has all sorts of deeply-hidden fantasies...- - Kosciej
-You bastard!- - Persephone, shoving him.
He goes into a bit of a spin, Persephone punching him for good measure.
-Well, there's no need for *that*! I was just saying hello- - Kosciej
-Yes, but I'm not pleased with the Hitler analogy- - Cobalt
-Dr Strangelove? No? 'How I learned to love the Parliament of the Needle and stop worrying'? Yee-hah?- -
Kosciej
Turns out neither Dave nor Ag have seen it. Philistines.
-Go away- - Persephone
-But I can't leave. I have to be here for the meeting- - Kosciej
-Tell me this isn't the real one- - Cobalt
-Oh, no. *That's* the real one- - Kosciej
He points over his shoulder. Stood there, identical in appearance but not in demeanour, is another Kosciej
-Am I interrupting anything?- - Real!Kosciej
-Interrupt away- - Cobalt
Persephone shoves the Daimon out of the way.
-Hi- - Persephone
-Hello, Persephone. Your friend is?- - R!Kosciej
-Cobalt- - Cobalt
-I've told her all about you, boss!- - Daimon!Kosciej
Sef pointedly ignores the Daimon.
-So. You're the man. You're the inventor of all this mess- - Persephone
-Under necessity. You understand why I volunteered to be the first to develop the Attainments- - R!Kosciej
Everyone looks at the Daimon
-I don't get it- - D!Kosciej
The real Kosciej makes some chairs
-My time is limited, thanks in part to the limitations of the spell Galatea has cast. You should ask any questions
you have- - R!Kosciej
-Shut him up first- - Persephone
-Yes, let's get down to it, shall we?- - R!Kosciej
Persephone glares triumphantly at the Daimon in a "you're gonna get it now" way
-What?- - D!Kosciej
-Very well, then. You- - R!Kosciej
-Mine Fuehrer!- - D!Kosciej
-Report- - R!Kosciej
The Daimon opens his mouth, and Sef's life flashes before her eyes in extreme high-speed as the Daimon gives
Kosciej the benefit of his exploration of Sef's soul.
The real Kosciej flicks a hand up. The Daimon shoots off into the distance, desperately back peddling.
Persephone feels his presence recede as the Daimon shrieks in the distance.
-Thank you. He's doing his best to annoy me- - Persephone

-Yes that is his way. Many Daimons share that quality. they are supposed to confront their host with difficult
decisions- - R!Kosciej
-Difficult decisions?- - Persephone
-I'm afraid that the centuries have made him somewhat erratic- - R!Kosciej
-You could say that- - Persephone
-An experiment in science if nothing else. I imagine there hasn't been a Daimon away from it's original host for
this long- - Cobalt
-You are a man of science?- - R!Kosciej, interested
-I am- - Cobalt
-Excellent! I look forward to many conversations by proxy with you... But that depends on the outcome of this
conversation. So, Persephone- - R!Kosciej
-So, as the boss of this legacy...- - Persephone
-Not the boss- - R!Kosciej, interrupting
-The founder of this legacy. What can you tell me to convince more than...- - Persephone (waves hand at the
Daimon in the distance)
-You should try to see past his demeanour to the veracity of his advice, but I can understand how troubling he
must be- - R!Kosciej
-He has been most troubling, believe me- - Persephone
-Simply put, we need you and you need us. We have enemies in common by unfortunate accident. We did not
choose you and you did not choose us but we have been thrust together as co-targets of our antagonists. With
that in mind we have it in mind to be very good friends to you, operating under the old adage of the enemy of
our enemy. And from what I can tell you are perfectly suited to us- - R!Kosciej
-What do you mean by that?- - Persephone
-You... Or so my mental clone reports, have ambitions to travel, to see the universe. This we can understand
and heartily get behind. We were partly created to preserve knowledge in the face of Diamond Order
aggression and partly to be a accessible storehouse- - R!Kosciej
I tried very, very hard to not say "neural clone" in this sequence
-About the aggression of the Diamond Orders. I've heard stories of you and your exploits from the Mysterium- -
Persephone
-There was a war on- - R!Kosciej
-Yeah, but how to you explain stories from the Guardians of what you did?- - Persephone
-Simple misunderstandings of our Legacy. You can understand how what we can do would look to an outside
observer, especially one who has already decided to be ill-inclined towards us. No. No, I'm afraid that in many
ways I should not have been the Founder of this legacy. If I had my time come round again I would not have
done, instead allowing Mot or Chronos to have the honour. I was very active during the war and regarded the
building of this astral lorehouse as a chance to do something positive with my days, my chance of
rehabilitation. The Guardians do not seem to have taken it this way. The Parliament was intended for purely
peaceful purposes- - R!Kosciej
-Mine fuehrer!- - D!Kosciej, from very far away
-What of the reports of apprentices suddenly turning out to be you? Attacking Aethenea and Censoria?- - Cobalt
-Spies, disguises and the harsh business of magical espionage. Be grateful you don't have to live through a full-
fledged wizard's war- - R!Kosciej
-So you don't deny this?- - Persephone
-I don't deny that events happened. I do question some of the interpretations of evidence they put on things- -
R!Kosciej
-The description is you leapt into their bodies and allowed them to be killed in your place. That is the
apprehension that Sef has - that she'll end up a host body for someone else's mind or a sacrifice- - Cobalt
-Make no mistake, we have no intention of sacrificing you or stealing your body. For one, I am long dead and
content to contemplate the Outer Darkness. For the other, I am still in some ways a child of my time, and.. How
can I put this?- - R!Kosciej
-You don't want boobies?- - Cobalt
-Cobalt!- - Persephone, shocked
-Precisely, Cobalt, yes- - R!Kosciej, quite calm
-Sorry. If a pause goes on long enough...- - Cobalt
-And yet you cut right to the heart of it. Yes. I am a man of the nineteenth century. A *man* of the nineteenth
century. So you have nothing to fear on that regard- - R!Kosciej
-All right... Then... - - Persephone
-The other question is becoming a target- - Cobalt
-You are already a target, Persephone. There are mysterious chimerical forms delivered to your Sanctum. There
are familiars of unknown providence. There is the curious matter of Hadrian- - R!Kosciej
-Why would a Guardian of the Veil let the Daimon out?- - Persephone
-Perhaps you can ask him?- - R!Kosciej
-Ask him?- - Persephone
-He's inside- - R!Kosciej
-He IS inside?- - Persephone
-Well, he's sort of inside- - R!Kosciej
-Explain- - Persephone
-Before we knew about you, or about my Shadow coming back, before you recontacted us and probably before
you Awakened... I will not say Mictlan was breached, but certainly someone attempted to penetrate it.
Unfortunately for them our defences are long in the making, designed to handle the most potent inhabitant of
the underworld or Temenos that attempts to breach our outer shell. We have several ancient members
dedicated to security. The connection was severed by the outer conceptual barriers of our noosphere. The end
result is that a young man's mind has appeared inside Mictlan in a state of suspended animation. He's
essentially turned off- - R!Kosciej
I love the word Noosphere. Mictlan - the conceptual sanctuary of people that made themselves into ideas rather than
die, perched at the edge of creation - is named after one of the Aztec underworlds but mostly for a similar construct in
a Doctor Who novel.
-He's been cut off from his body?- - Cobalt
-And indeed from all process and thought. He is inside our shared consciousness, he is not one of us and so he
literally cannot think. Frozen at the moment he broke in- - R!Kosciej
-So how am I supposed to ask him?- - Persephone
-I assume they can let him have some him-time- - Cobalt
-Well, no we can't actually. Not unless he joined up. We have his mind, his psyche. Not his soul and therefore
not his Oneiros and certainly not his body. We suspect that wherever he is, lacking his mind, he will be in a
coma- - R!Kosciej
-Reasonable assumption- - Cobalt
-And with poor Galatea in hiding in perpetua, you are the only one with agency to go looking for him. So, it
seems that your young lover did not abandon you out of any mercilessness or fail to kill you because of any
change of heart. He vanished because he keeled over and has probably been lying somewhere in a state of
near death ever since. Which leads us to the question of who sent Archimedes, who sent the Thorn and who
told Hadrian to put my Daimon into you. We can only presume, given his youth, that Hadrian is not the
ultimate architect of our misfortunes. He's probably working for someone- - R!Kosciej
-He's not now- - Persephone
-I concede the point. He *was* working for someone- - R!Kosciej
-He's somebody's tool. That somebody is still out there and, we have to suspect, a master of the Spirit
Arcanum- - Cobalt
-But who was the Hadrian that met me during my Awakening?- - Persephone
-An excellent question. I don't know- - R!Kosciej
-Could be someone wearing his image- - Cobalt
-Most likely- - R!Kosciej
-Or a product of your Awakening trance. He was an important thing in your head at the time, could be that the
visions centred around him. Though I'm hardly one to talk, you Awakened before I did. I just walked down a
yellow brick road- - Cobalt
-I thought the road was made of lead- - Persephone
-A lead-brick road- - Cobalt
-A Moros?- - R!Kosciej
-Yeah. Someone had the crazy idea of recruiting a Moros to be the Hades to her Persephone- - Cobalt
-It's funny you should say that. Well... We didn't know what to do with him. We can move him, you see, though
he holds whatever pose we put him in. We've basically sat him on a chair- - R!Kosciej
-That's so much gentler than I imagined- - Cobalt
-We are not unkind. And if he had been of any skill or power he might have been able to defend himself against
our automatic defences. If he'd been the true mastermind, we'd have had to set the Helpers or the conceptual
attack spirits on him- - R!Kosciej
-Good to see the good ship Mictlan has not neglected her defences- - Cobalt
-So he's just going to be sat there like a Lemon?- - Persephone
-He's just going to be sat there like a Lemon. We've taken the liberty of setting him up in a representation of
Hades' throne room, your own throne next to him, pomegranate on the seat- - R!Kosciej
-Well, thank you- - Persephone, sarcastic
-I think that's possibly a little gauche- - Cobalt
-We decorate as the mood takes us. I apologise. We'll have that changed. But in any case, he is yours to do
with as you wish once you get in- - R!Kosciej
-Am I correct in assuming that once we find his body we could go into his Oneiros?- - Cobalt
-Yes- - R!Kosciej
-Why would we want to?- - Persephone
-Search his memories, maybe rough up his Daimon?- - Cobalt
-Or look for your own- - R!Kosciej
-Oh! Okay, wait. If it was exchanged, then your Daimon *might* be in him- - Cobalt
-How did he get in?- - Persephone
-We don't know. A rift appeared and he just popped through it- - R!Kosciej
-And your Daimon - apologies - your original Daimon's antics, sorry...- - Cobalt
-No offence taken. I got rid of him a long time ago and do not regret my decision- - R!Kosciej
-...Might serve as an incentive to pass him on as quickly as possible- - Cobalt
-Funnily enough some of his hosts have grown quite fond of him. And it does takes years to get the point at
which you can pass him on- - R!Kosciej
-Oh, *great*- - Persephone
-And once a member of the Legacy you will have more means of control- - R!Kosciej
-The mind Arcanum will prevent him from exerting influence on you, and the fear cat...- - Cobalt
-Yes. The Fear cat- - R!Kosciej, glad Cobalt brought that up
-I've had a talk with him- - Persephone
-Has he *stopped*?- - Cobalt
-That may not be sufficient, Persephone- - R!Kosciej
-Don't trust the cat!- - D!Kosciej, in the distance
-A spirit charm of protection will not hurt him in any way. It will merely stop him from using his abilities on you-
- Cobalt
-May I make a suggestion?- - R!Kosciej
Agena: Gah! It's the same voice!
For some reason it was with that line that the identical Kosciejs clicked in Ag's head
Agena: Not really. I knew it's was identical person, it's just the real Kosciej behaves very differently than the Daimon -
and this one line
was exactly the same and spoken in an exactly the same way as the Daimon. I was just what's the word... struck? with
the sudden
similarity
-As opposed to a normal spirit ward, and I regret that I cannot do this myself, should you find a sufficient
practitioner of the spirit Arcanum, may I suggest that you try to trace what his does? Monitor his Movements.
Who he talks to. He is a spirit of unknown providence and spirits come in hierarchies- - R!Kosciej
-I thought you talked to him?- - Persephone, to Cobalt
-He wasn't very forthcoming. He never directly answered the questions about who he talks to- - Cobalt
No, he didn't. And now Cobalt finally realises that he didn't.
-He's not very intelligent- - Persephone
-I would have your Sanctum warded against Spirits and see if that makes any change to local conditions- - R!
Kosciej
-It can't hurt- - Cobalt
-Maybe- - Persephone
-Archimedes won't be affected because he's physical?- (wait for confirmation) -I'd offer, but I'm not the one to
go to about Spirits- - Cobalt
-So... What would you have me do if I agree to this thing?- - Persephone
-What would we..? We have one request of you and it's one that I'm sure you'll agree to given all due
consideration. We want you to survive long enough to train new apprentices- - R!Kosciej
-Makes sense- - Persephone
-That's really it- - R!Kosciej
Cobalt nods
-So what's been going on for the last fifty years?- - Persephone
-What have we been doing?- - R!Kosciej
-Generally- - Persephone
-We've been exploring the Underworld. It turns out that being dead we can no longer access the Astral worlds,
but we *can* explore the Underworld. We've built a gate and sent teams out, armed with conceptual
equipment- - R!Kosciej
-Did they come back?- - Cobalt
-Oh yes, with deep secrets of the universe. You understand that it's not the sort of thing I can give out- - R!
Kosciej
-Is this a lorehouse 'it's for sale' thing?- - Cobalt
-Quite possibly. We have gleaned insights into the cycle of reincarnation, what happens to a soul after death- -
R!Kosciej
-Have some chosen to pass on?- - Persephone
-Some of our members chose to discorporate during the long silence, having expended their efforts and
decided that the universe no longer held anything new to discover, they chose to leave Mictlan and go onward-
- R!Kosciej
-Does their knowledge remain with you?- - Cobalt
-Yes- - R!Kosciej
-Did all their being pass on?- - Cobalt
-Also yes. The knowledge was copied into others - we are diminished of course. Mictlan's circumference,
although philosophically infinite, does measurably reduce with each time a soul leaves. I must apologise for
any convoluted jargon. It is quite difficult to get used to until you experience it. Living in a city which is a ship
which is a thought- - R!Kosciej
The inside-out recursive city of the dead, made of dreams and moored at the edge of reality by the souls of volunteers,
containing a library-museum of everything thought about by it's inhabitants, is a high-strangeness concept to rival
Monkeys that Walk as Men. Admit it, it's *cool*.
-Inside a needle inside an egg, inside a hare... Was that difficult?- - Cobalt
-You have no idea. Though my pillows are well-stuffed with down- - R!Kosciej
-I take it the goose saw it coming?- - Cobalt
-My time grows shorter. Is there anything else?- - R!Kosciej
-How many Soul Stones remain?- - Cobalt
-Seven. Quite ample for our needs- - R!Kosciej
-She would not be expected to make more?- - Cobalt
-NO! Apologies - two things we would ask of you. Survive long enough to teach and safeguard at all costs the
integrity of your soul. No having it stolen by Tremere liches. No construction of Soul Stones. No deliberate
explorations of Dementia. No snorkelling in the Ocean Oroboros. We do encourage you to explore the Astral.
We do still have the gateway, though only Galatea can use it- - R!Kosciej
-I would need to know where the remaining soul stones are- - Persephone
-Once you're in- - R!Kosciej
She sighs.
-Okay- - Persephone
-It's not unfair- - Cobalt
-Please understand, we are going out on a considerable limb here. We have as many questions for you as you
have for us, but we are content to...- - R!Kosciej
-...Wait. Why, after so many years, haven't you passed on?- - Persephone
-That is a private matter, which I hope to share in time, but for now it would take too long to explain- - R!Kosciej
-He's afraid!- - D!Kosciej
-Thank you, you can go away now- - R!Kosciej, calmly, to the Daimon
-He really can't- - Cobalt
-Alright. I don't think I have any more questions- - Persephone
-Thank you- - Cobalt
-It was my pleasure to meet new people. And we hope to see you again someday.- - R!Kosciej
The spell ends. Cobalt, Persephone and Galatea face one another across the table.
-I don't like it, boss.- - D!Kosciej
-What do you not like?- - Persephone
-He was awfully cagey about the whole passing on question- - D!Kosciej
-He said it was a private matter- - Persephone
-No such thing, though people tell me I lack boundaries in that regard- - D!Kosciej
"Did you make a decision?" - Galatea
"That was an interesting experience" - Cobalt
"You were listening?" - Persephone
"No" - Galatea
"I don't think it was private" - Persephone
"Even so, I was busy. Did it go well?" - Galatea
"As well as it could, with both of them there" - Persephone
"You do get used to it" - Galatea
"So I'm told. He's being really annoying. Anyway - what are we going to do now?" - Persephone
"I think we go away and have a super-secret squirrel conversation" = Cobalt
"Yes. You know how to contact me" - Galatea
"And you know how to contact me. If anything happens, or you think anything will happen." - Persephone
Galatea and her heavy leave
"So... Shall we go home?" - Persephone
"Let's take a walk" - Cobalt

And now, after an hour, we get to Samael. Samael, if you'll recall, was at the 'what the hell do we do now' meeting in
Newcastle, at which Aquila will reveal that the Hounds' owner is a werewolf-to-be...
The Furthest Legion's Sanctum is packed with the assembled Libertines, Adamantine Arrows and Mystagogues
of the city to hear Aquila's report. He found one of the Werewolves of Hamsterly Forest, and communicated
through spirit intermediaries. The Werewolves say that should this person change, and the Mages bring her out
there, they will help her deal with the change and take over responsibility for her.
Those that have read Shadows of the UK will have twigged that the Pack Aquila just found are almost certainly Pure
Tribes. Hah!
Samael leans over to Logos and Lux and quietly asks if the Aetheneum has the capacity to take large
specimens.
Technically, Logos shouldn't be here - she's from the Durham Cabals - and Scribe should. The two keep getting mixed-
up in my mind, though, and I needed Logos to be here for the word she has with Samael after the meeting, so it goes
unexplained. She probably offered to sit in on it for Scribe while the other was busy or something.
"In exceptional circumstances. We would have to tell Key to get it set up in advance, but we could head over
there after this
"If we offered to take them away and hold them in captivity" - Samael
"Oh! I thought you meant *her*" - Logos
"No, not her. The Hounds. She's a thinking being. The animals - they're like dogs but twisted. If we can offer to
take the dogs and lock them up, or if we can get our hands on a live specimen or a dead one for storage or
dissection..." - Samael
Lux looks at Symmetry, across the room
"Symm's unlikely to like that. Doesn't mean we can't do it" - Lux
Samael half-smiles
"Where do you think she'll object?" - Samael
"It would fundamentally alter the situation" - Logos
"Yeah, but on the other hand then if we at least stake a claim, when something’s happens - and let's face it
something will happen when that woman changes into a werewolf - we've got a call on getting some of this" -
Samael
"And the council have already taken one corpse." - Logos
"So there's precedent set" - Samael
"I'll talk to Key about it" - Lux
"We might just end up with a corpse, but if we're lucky we can get a live one for study" - Samael
Symmetry is outlining her own plan - to emotionally stabilise the werewolf-to-be, Quark being the one fingered,
and talk to her about the situation. Quark doesn't look *entirely* happy, but can't go back on his putting her in
charge.
Again with the Order tensions - the Mystagogues (and, after the end of last session, the Arrows to) making their own
plans independent of the Free Council.
Key, incidentally, is the Aetheneum-keeper in the local Mysterium. When Samael met Bede way back in 0.3, it was in
Key's office.
"And then, presumably, we will remove the Dogs and put them in a safer place?" - Samael
"There might not be a need to" - Symmetry
"There will if she changes into a Werewolf" - Samael
"The object is to make her not change until a group of..." - Symmetry
Aquila interrupts
"They said they'd take her when she is one" - Aquila
"There's a few problems with that. Does anyone know if you can stop a werewolf from shape changing?" -
Samael
Theoretically, you can emotionally-deaden them so they don't get angry to prevent the First Change, but they resist
attempts to lock them into one body. Werewolves are disadvantaged compared to other nWoD beasties in that the
requirement to affect them with life magic (you need to add Death for Vampires and in my games Fate for Changelings
and Prime for Prometheans) is Spirit. Which most Life specialists, being Thyrsus, have anyway.
That assumes the Mages are operating under all the facts, though, and in this story I'm trying to emphasise that they
really don't understand how Uratha work. The mystagogues could probably go look it up in the Aetheneum, but there
aren't any Werewolf experts in the Consilium.
Silence.
"Do we actually have ANY control over when she changes into one of those things? And then we still have the
situation where if we can control the situation and hand her off to her kin, the dogs still have to be dealt with.
And they may be worse after she changes, because if they react to her emotional state and she turns into an
eight-foot tall killing machine of death and rage, they may react to that. She may kill them herself, but she may
not. We need to be cautious about this" - Samael
"We'll take it under consideration, Samael" - Symmetry, and by the gesture of her head by "we" she means
"The Free Council".
Lux frowns.
Samael considers that that then frees the Mysterium to act. And there's the Arrow, doing most of the work out
of the good of their hearts and their oath of service, who aren't entirely happy.
The meeting breaks up. Samael finds Excalibur
"What are you planning to do?" - Samael

"I have already been publicly reprimanded for interfering in this by Aurora. And that was just the Hatfield thing.
I take it you guys have a plan?" - Excalibur
"We have ideas, but there are limits on what we can do. Besides, who knows? The Runners may be successful" -
Samael
"And if they're not?" - Excalibur, dourly
"Then we have a problem. I wonder what the Strategos' next move will be, and I hope that Magog doesn't find
out about it" - Samael
"I don't want to undermine her" - Excalibur
"Neither do I. If she screws up, that's a problem. If we undermine her, that's a different problem. If we
undermine her and then screw up it's an even bigger problem." - Samael
"Yeah" - Excalibur
"My preference is to remove the Dogs from the equation, but that's a dangerous situation even before
werewolves. I'm not sure what to do" - Samael
"Give me the nod before you Mystagogues take unilateral action, okay?" - Excalibur
"If that happens, then yes. We will." - Samael
They are joined by Lux and Logos again
"We have three very dangerous magical animals. Even without the difficulties in dealing with this without
ruining Symmetry's career and the Werewolf, we have three very dangerous magical animals. I don't know
what's best" - Samael
"You don't want to leave them in the Libertines... The Libertines mean well" - Logos
"But..." - Samael, meaningfully
"Yes" - Logos
"If it doesn't work out we could get a call in half an hour saying that they've talked to her, she's gone into a
screaming rage and the devil dogs are loose hunting down everyone that's annoyed her. Like us. There's so
many possibilities for this to go wrong. I just think she's taking the wrong tactic, putting her faith in something
that's lovely, and faeries and flowers, only to find that the faeries are the sort that skewer you and eat your
guts. We can't do anything right now." - Samael
"What are you trying to achieve, Samael?" - Logos
"I'm trying to get a bunch of dangerous animals off the streets before they kill more people. We don't know
much about these things. They've already killed once. They're definitely dangerous. If we just leave it alone
something will unbalance somewhere and people will die" - Samael
Chris: This, fundamentally, is the honest drive behind Samael's viewpoint and actions during this story - too many
people have died already, back in the jungle.
"Okay" - Logos
"I think the Free Council are about to initiate something" - Samael
"Well. Older, wiser Orders will just have to be there to pick it up" - Lux
"I guess we wait to see if they're successful" - Samael
Lux does not seem happy at all by the situation
"I'll tell Key to make room for three large, meat eating guests. Just in case" - Lux
He leaves
Samael looks at Logos
"Well, I guess I'm going to hang around in Newcastle for the time being. I've got some more art galleries to look
around" - Samael
"How's that going?" - Logos
In case our dear readers missed it in the swell of character names, Logos is the Sphinx. That innocent query is the first
contact between Samael and his future Legacy.
"Pretty well, actually. I've found some interesting stuff; there's a fellow who's suffering - well 'suffering' - from
the ability to hear colours. In a manner very reminiscent of auras. Actually finding him is going to take a long
trip to London. I haven't come up with much else, though..." - Samael
"I find that the Times crossword helps" - Logos, smiling
He blinks
"Oh! And if you're going to London, tell Pandora hello from me" - Logos
Remember that Pandora, from Welcome to the Jungle, was once Bede's apprentice - she was in the same Cabal as
Logos.
"That's the plan" - Samael
Silence.
"Patterns" - Logos
Agena: Logos' random comments rock
"Yes. All around, but I can't see most of them... I do hope the Council are successful. Well, I'm going to hang
around. Are you staying in Newcastle?" - Samael
"I believe I'm staying on Atia's floor. Samael... This whole thing with Magog is not the whole design. Be careful
what you're getting into" -Logos
"Magog seems to be a side part. Persephone focused on him as the evil-doer, but that doesn't feel right." -
Samael
"I find it helps to go over everything and make sure you haven't overlooked anything. No matter how far back
you have to go. Old questions can have modern answers... And I need a drink" - Logos
She wanders off, leaving Samael to ponder.
How terribly mysterious! I hear she can cuts guns in half with her mind...
Samael has come into Logos' radar somehow, and she's trying to tell him something, or more accurately she's trying to
get him to realise something on his own. And that's *next* story.
He goes to check out the last gallery. But picks up a newspaper on the way.
Filling it out, casting Fate spells along the way to try to pick out possibly significant items, he lists them on the
side.
Chris: I'm looking forwards to Samael joining the Legacy and gaining Fate as a new primary Arcana - currently, he has
to pay 1 extra Mana on any Fate spell he casts as it's not of his Path, and that all tends to add up over time.
"Iliad Author's Favourite"... Which, pondering, he fills in as "Doughnut".
He gets a doughnut. It does not seem significant, but is rather tasty.
"Decorative Stringed Orbs"... He's stumped.
"Putting One's Life in their Hands. Quality"... "Trust"
He returns to the Legion's Sanctum, trying to find out what's going on. Symm seems happy with herself. Lux
passes Samael a note written in a Mystagogue cipher, indicating that Bede is authorising the capture of the
Hounds.
Samael eats the message. It tastes of peppermint.
...
Back at the lighthouse, Archimedes attempts to use his Fear power on Persephone. She catches him, sucks
some Mana out and drops him.
"I told you" - Persephone
It slinks off
"Cute little kitty cat getting on your nerves?" - Cobalt

-We should kill it- - Kosciej
This is the Daimon again. Unless Sef gives him a different name, I mean him unless I specify. This is going to get
confusing, I think.
Agena: I'll probably make a new poll for the fans to give him a name before the end of story 4
"I'm sure with the right training he'll become a valuable asset" - Persephone
-Your sentimentality endangers us both- - Kosciej
"As am I, but..." - Cobalt
"You said it yourself. He's not intelligent enough to work for anyone" - Persephone
-But he could well be being *used* by someone. See reason, Catherine: The cat's evil- - Kosciej
"I think you can turn him to your creature. I just think you should have protections while you do so" - Cobalt
"I'll talk to Aquila. Okay?" - Persephone
"Thank you. Otherwise I'm going to have to get nasty. Those little bonnets you can get? He'll look lovely with a
ribbon. It'll drastically cut down on his scariness" - Cobalt
-Electric shocks work. I mean, honestly. You have all this free energy running around the lighthouse, and you're
not willing to use any of it on the cat- - Kosciej
"See, Archimedes? You co-operate and everything's fine. You don't..." - Persephone, pointing at Cobalt
"We'll have to run the cat and buttered toast experiment" - Cobalt
-Can we?- - Kosciej
She rolls her eyes
"I take it he's making sarcastic comments?" - Cobalt
"Rhetorical question, right? He's always making sarcastic comments. At least I'm not crazy" - Persephone
"Just because there's a guy in your head making comments doesn't mean you're not crazy, but evidence
suggests you're right" - Cobalt
"Well, thank you, maybe I should..." - Persephone
-We could go into the violin business. Catgut...- - Kosciej, interrupting
Cobalt considers
"You keep stopping halfway through conversations" - Cobalt
"He's interrupting" - Persephone
"There's probably a Mind rote that will let you do the two conversations at once. Once he realises he's not
embarrassing you in public he might stop. I think he's doing it deliberately." - Cobalt
"You think?" - Persephone
"There is the possibility that he's just that annoying, but he has to reflect Kosciej in at least some regards, and
he didn't seem the type" - Cobalt
-Style, intelligence- - Kosciej
-Acting like a cretin?- - Persephone
"They're not really asking anything of you other than clean living and eventually one day getting rid of him.
That sounds like a fair deal" - Cobalt
"It's not you that has to be with him..." - Persephone
-Remember kids: Don't do Soul stones! This is your brain! This is your brain on Tremere!- - Kosciej
She waves her hand irritably
"...In your head" - Persephone

"I was debating how you plan to get rid of him without... I'm sorry. I can see that he really is a trying time"
"I just wish he'd shut up sometimes" - Persephone
"That's where he's got you. The way to shut him up is to learn enough Mind magic to shut him up, which gets
you into the Legacy. I'm not entirely certain the Legacy's a bad one. There was a lot of bad blood in the war and
it sounds like Kosciej did more than his share of our side. He's probably right that the Legacy would have gone
down better if it hadn't been him at the helm" - Cobalt
"The real Kosciej seems to be okay. This one - NOT" - Persephone
"Then you're gonna have... The Legacy's probably you're quickest route to it" - Cobalt
"Are you trying to convince me to join the Legacy?" - Persephone
"I'm trying to convince you to make up your mind" - Cobalt
The post box clatters.
"I'm just trying to say that none of my serious alarm bells rang. I'd tell you honestly if I thought they were dark,
sinister or going to dick you over for shits and giggles" - Cobalt
"I think they're okay, just..." - Persephone
"You still want rid of the Kosciej in your head" - Cobalt
"Problem is that he's been so *annoying* that I want to just out of defiance not do this. I'd join the Legacy
happily if he'd just not be such a DICK" - Persephone, angrily
"He might be happy to make that deal" - Cobalt
"I don't trust him" - Persephone
"Then damn the torpedoes, learn the mind magic and slap him into the Dumpster every time he gets out of
line" - Cobalt
Farscape reference for the win. Mind you, the entire situation is a Farscape reference.
"He's going to have to learn. He's got to be in the head of rational people, and he can't do so in his present
state. You may have to do some potty-training" - Cobalt
She flicks through the mail.
"Bill. Bill. Why is the telephone bill so high?" - Persephone
Someone has been using the telephone to call premium-rate sex lines.
"I was asleep" - Cobalt
"I was asle..." - Persephone
She realises.
"You are LEARNING Mind Magic, girl" - Cobalt
-I have needs! It's not my fault. I'm not the one that keeps my eyes shut when I'm in the shower- - Kosciej
"I'm learning Mind Magic. And he's going to live in the Dumpster" - Persephone
Like Oscar the Grouch
Cobalt has a letter from Ashlar. The Mystagogues in the British Museum are refusing to release the crystal skull
to Cobalt, so Ashlar's taken it out of the Aetheneum and Cobalt can come to his house.
"The British Museum cabal have a stick up their ass, but Ashlar's taken the Crystal Skull and should I happen to
be in town..." - Cobalt
"Awesome. So after the Hounds we're having a trip to London, right?" - Persephone
"Sounds like a plan" - Cobalt
"Samael also said he's planning a trip to London" - Persephone
-Isn't it strange how things work out?- - Kosciej, lampshading it slightly

The Mystagogues and Arrow are still planning their little insurrection when Samael steps away to phone the
guys
"Did you look at those hints I texted you?" - Samael
"The thing about Doughnuts? If the clues were in the other order, I'd say they were Doughnut Trust - do not
trust, see?" - Cobalt
An xp award for Dave for figuring that out
"Stringed Decorations... Doughnut Trust Beads? Don't trust Bede?" - Samael
"Are there any clues in a pattern with them?" - Cobalt
Samael stares at the crossword. Doughnut was 2 across, Beads was 6 across, Trust was 4 down.
He looks at 8 down.
"Fictional Series of Events for Entertainment. 5 letters"... "Story".
"Doughnut Trust Beads Story? He hasn't told me one. Maybe for the future... Thank you, Fate. As I say, we're
now waiting for the aftermath of the marvellous plan" - Samael
"Should we come down?" - Cobalt
"They're already there. Likely you'd be too late anyway. How'd the Brain Soviets go?" - Samael
"Not dead. Sef's decision. Seemed hygienic enough" - Cobalt
"Okay. No great need to come to Newcastle. We're waiting with baited breath for something to fuck up" -
Samael
"You need a lift home?" - Aquila
"Not just yet" - Samael
...
The Free Council return. Symmetry seems pleased and everyone's intact - they've explained matters to the
lady, who took it reasonably way. Symm explained that Werewolves don't eat people, and have told her where
to go to find the other Werewolves.
"So everything seems to have gone fine?" - Samael, wary
"Appears so" - Symmetry, triumphantly
"She's aware she has a bad case of helldogs" - Samael
"She did come clean that she didn't buy them. She found them. In a box. In the snow. On her doorstep" -
Symmetry
Samael winces
"So someone set it up specifically?" - Samael
"I think someone's set this up for maximum amusement value" - Quark
The meeting ends
"Are you going home? I can give you a lift back to the lighthouse" - Symmetry
They get into her car
"She took it about as well as you can imagine" - Symmetry
"Crying?" - Samael
"Shaky disbelief.. Well, I say Disbelief, but she's far enough gone that the Quiescence no longer covers her and
we were able to prove we were supernatural ourselves" - Symmetry
"How are we going to cope with the change?" - Samael
"Cicero's going to handle some of it. When she feels it coming, we're going to put her somewhere she can't do
too much damage." - Symmetry
"How did the Dogs react?" - Samael
"They were wary of us when we were there. I think they know the game's up. We've kept a guard on the place;
if they try anything at least now she understands what's going on. It helps that our person watching is now IN
the building. We have a Thyrsus in the building making sure they don't try anything" - Symmetry
"Just make sure Magog doesn't try to interfere" - Samael
"Has Magog been trying to weasel his way in?" - Symmetry
"Well, last night he offered to take Aegis' place on watch. As far as I know Aegis then moved on and watched
him" - Samael
"Aegis is brighter than he looks" - Symmetry
"Well, we can't dwell on one spelling mistake, can we? But if Magog has delusions of grandeur and smiting the
Hounds down to prove his might to the Free Council he might try to provoke it" - Samael
"The lads are under instruction to not let him anywhere near. This is technically now a joint Guardian and
Libertine situation" - Symmetry
"There's something you don't hear every day" - Samael
"So Magog can answer to Cicero if he tries to interfere with the handling of an incipient Werewolf" - Symmetry
...
At the lighthouse, Sef and Cobalt look up from their computer game as Symmetry and Samael arrive
"I've heard stories about what happens when Werewolves erupt..." - Symmetry, to Samael
"Werewolves?" - Persephone
"Yes. It seems our dog-lover is a Werewolf" - Samael
"You didn't tell us" - Persephone
"We haven't known for very long" - Samael
"And it's a secret" - Symmetry, smiling
Persephone kills Cobalt on screen.
"Did you just lose to a girl?" - Symmetry
"Sef's one of those people who plays these things far too much" - Cobalt
"Oh! Riiight. Unemployed and feckless" - Symmetry
"I was going to say Students"
"Unemployed then" - Symmetry
Archimedes slinks into the room. Symmetry looks at him. He tries to slink out again, but Samael scoops him up
"Aww! Aren't you an evil little fear monster, yes? Yes you are!" - Samael
"She knows that she's going to become a Werewolf at some point in the next month" - Symmetry
"Are you allowed to tell people that?" - Persephone
"Better she knows. And she's no longer a Sleeper" - Symmetry
"Does she see her puppies properly?" - Cobalt
"Yes." - Symmetry
"Is she afraid of them?" - Cobalt

"No" - Symmetry
"Good. That was one of my worries. Either they'd reject her or react as hurt dogs" - Cobalt
"They probably latched onto her as their alpha as she's a werewolf. Kind of a bigger dog thing. We have
someone in the house and when she gets really close the Guardians will take her away until she calms down.
Then there's a clan of Werewolves out in the forests in County Durham. We'll release her into her natural
habitat and let her run free" - Symmetry
"By the way. While you're here, do you think you could put a spirit ward on the lighthouse?" - Persephone
"Sure. Having trouble with the little fear monster?" - Symmetry
"Not necessarily, but it's good to be certain. We wouldn't want anything else getting in" - Persephone
"Have you been causing trouble again?" - Samael, to the cat
"I should be able to throw something together" - Symmetry
"How long will it last?" - Persephone
"Couple of months? Unless anything smashes it down" - Symmetry
Samael takes Cobalt's place in the game
"Have you any Mana I can use for this? And can I mark runes onto your lighthouse?" - Symmetry
"Sure, and How big do they have to be?"
"Tell you what, I'll paint some vines or something on the wall and hide the runes in it. It'll be just that little bit
twee-er" - Symmetry
She goes up to the Hallow, Cobalt going with her.
"How'd it go?" - Samael
"Galatea's like 70 years old, and she's the only living member. Not for long I think. I got to talk to the real
Kosciej and he seems reasonable, unlike the stupid man sitting in my head. Galatea said that the Daimon is the
real Kosciej's sense of humour..." - Persephone
"That might explain his antics in the war if he had that in his brain" - Samael
"And our phone bill. So I'm willing to go for it, but that would mean... This will mean a lot of trouble for the
whole Cabal" - Persephone
"It's fine. As long as it's your choice to do it" - Samael
"I want to explore it" - Persephone
"Then fine. We're going to get into trouble anyway, at least this way it's of our own making" - Samael
"Okay, then" - Persephone
"Fine. Seriously. I'll help you out in any way I can" - Samael
They discuss the plans to head to London
...
"I never came around when Cognos was here. Frankly, I was too afraid" - Symmetry
"Was he really that scary?" - Cobalt
"Not scary so much as notorious. Not malevolent, it's just that trouble seems to follow Cognos around" -
Symmetry
"Leaving a trail of people saying 'but he means well'" - Cobalt
"And now it seems that fine tradition has passed to his students" - Symmetry, joking
"Yeah. I'm trouble.. No - wait. I'm the solid sensible one. Everyone says so..." (looks out of the Hallow over the
sea) "It is a heck of a view though"- Cobalt
"It is" - Symmetry

"Didn't know you could paint" - Cobalt
"Me? Oh, no. It's like a five-year old drawing happy faces on the sun. I was going to cheat" - Symmetry
"Stencils or magic?" - Cobalt
"Stencils. Another thing my aunt wasn't happy about. You don't have any Awakened in your family?" -
Symmetry
"Not that they told me. Pressure from your family?" - Cobalt
"She's in the Silver Ladder. (his look) Yeah, that's what I thought" - Symmetry
"Do you talk or do you get the cold shoulder at barbeques?" - Cobalt
"We communicate. You know how it is" - Symmetry
"Talk on neutral subjects or the way Newcastle and Sunderland fans do, with rapid hand gestures followed by
combat?" - Cobalt
"Email is a wonderful thing. You can ignore them until you're ready to deal" - Symmetry
"Probably not the most dramatic time to ask this, but I was wondering if you were doing anything on valentine's
day?" - Cobalt
She considers long and hard
"I can't think of anything witty to say. I am now" - Symmetry
"Pick you up at seven?" - Cobalt
...
Symmetry begins casting outside. Kosciej is offering "helpful" advice to Sef on how to play the game as she
loses badly to Samael
-Here - I looked up the cheat code- - Kosciej
"You realise it doesn't count when I'm being distracted?" - Persephone
"How the hell am I supposed to tell?" - Samael
"Play nice, kids" - Cobalt
"You look pleased with yourself" - Samael
"Got a date" - Cobalt
-Oh, well- - Kosciej
"No one ever asks me out" - Persephone
"Sorry. I would, but someone beat you to the punch" - Cobalt
"Shit! They beat me too! Fuck. Well, Cobalt, you know I've had my eyes on you for some time..." - Samael
"So when Excalibur asked you out last night?" - Cobalt
"Decidedly more military stuff" - Samael
"Ah. Military discipline. Foxhole love. The Spartan way" - Cobalt
"You're disgusting, you are. And you *teach* people. Aren't they supposed to vet lecturers for people like you?"
- Samael
"The students teach me jokes" - Cobalt
-That explains everything- - Kosciej

Time for a... Montage!
Time passes. Samael phones Bede to tell him that events have moved on.
Cobalt uses Time magic to confirm his suspicion that doing newspaper research might help him to find Hadrian,
and gets a positive answer.
On the seventh of February, the Hounds vanish. Aquila reports that the Dogs appear to have just.. .gone. They
didn't break the gate or anything. He thinks that the Werewolf-to-be is now close enough that she's driven them
off.
"Karen says she had a dream about growling at them. When she woke up they'd gone" - Aquila
Finally naming Ms Furry as Karen
Samael phones Key and asks if they're now in the Aetheneum
"In what capacity are you asking, Samael?" - Key
"The capacity of the one who was going to capture them" - Samael
"The time for that.. has passed" - Key
"So there may be guests in the Aetheneum?" - Samael
"There may" - Key
Over coffee two days later, Lux shares with Samael exactly *how* he was able to do it. He made the
arrangements for them to get moved with Aquila, and they set it up, casting the delayed spell to teleport the
Hounds whilst Samael was getting a lift home by Symmetry. She spent the next two days with Cobalt, giving
them ample time to set it up. They're safely in thaumaturgical cages being fed heat-lamps and fresh meat.
Karen thinks her werewolf-ness has driven them away, and so everything is going groovy.
All of the Free Councillors are on high alert on look-out for the Hounds. The Mysterium haven't told anyone they
have them.
That'll end well!
Cobalt hits the microfiche, looking for John Does that may be Hadrian. He's managed to wheedle a description
out of Sef, after telling her he may be under Sleeper medicine.
"Tall, short spiky black hair. Dark eyes. Caucasian..." - Persephone
-So, sort of a cross between Cobalt and Samael?- - Kosciej
-If by 'cross' you mean that Samael has spiky hair- - Persephone
After an all-nighter in the University library, scanning through the newspaper archive, Cobalt has significant
results. Not only does he have articles relating to "Hadrian Goodchild"'s bank robbery, and the police searching
for Goodchild and Catherine Ashton, but he has a shortlist of about 15 candidates for comatose Hadrian
assuming he didn't go far from the south-east. There's some in London hospitals, one in Reading, two in Milton
Keynes...
Samael is looking into Karen's background, following Logos' advice. He reckons it was her Maternal-Paternal
Great-Grandfather who was the Werewolf.
Persephone, though, does the hardest thing she's had to do for a while. She tries to make a deal with Kosciej.
Kosciej, for their conversation, is wearing a buttoned-up trenchcoat and very big sunglasses
-Alright then. I'm willin' ta talk. As long as ya keep mah name out of it. If Mr K finds out, there'll be hell to pay- -
Kosciej
-You already know what I'm going to say- - Persephone

-I said I'd look afta the business- - Kosciej
-You're not doing it very well. You know full well I'm not yet learning the mind magic *because* you have been
difficult- - Persephone
-I've been difficult?- - Kosciej
-It could have been easy! You just had to stop annoying me, and...- - Persephone
-I've been difficult? You've been annoying ME! You've been annoying me for MONTHS- - Kosciej
-Shut up!- - Persephone
-Oh no! I am a Libertine! I cannot kill a Seer of the Throne who has my friend at gunpoint! I'm not the one
acting like the secrets of the universe falling into my lap is some sort of trap, bandying the word 'liche'
around... which I find personally offensive. I prefer magical vitally-challenged person- - Kosciej
-Look. Do you want me in this Legacy or not- - Persephone
-Sure. Sure. Okay. I'll turn state witness. But you've gotta give me immunity- - Kosciej
-Stop acting like a dick- - Persephone
-A private dick? I ain't taking no one's money- - Kosciej
She patiently waits for him to stop raving
-Okay. Fine- - Kosciej
He takes off the sunglasses
-I'll get you the goods. Sort you out with what you need- - Kosciej
-You know what I want- - Persephone
-Of course I know what you want- - Kosciej
-So why are you still *sitting* here?!- - Persephone
-Because what you want is to get rid of *me*!- - Kosciej
And there's the nub. He's afraid she'll destroy him, and the status quo is preferable to that.
-But what you want is to get me into the Legacy- - Persephone
-Is that what YOU want?- - Kosciej
-You're being so difficult- - Persephone
-I just want to know this isn't some kind of trick. I don't want to turn around and find myself back in some kind
of soul cage, no sirree. Ya not taking me back ta lockup- - Kosciej
-You are ME. You know what I really think. This is massivly annoying!- - Persephone
-I...- - Kosciej
-...Just can't be normal? Just can't shut up? Have to be as annoying as hell?- - Persephone
-...Am a slave to my local environment. Okay. Look. This is the thing. If I may seem a little move-obsessed it's
because I'm trying to live in an out-of-the-way part of your mind and it's a little cluttered in here. You said I
couldn't make any improvements. I just find myself doing things. I'm suspect you're repressing a lot. You seem
that sort of person. And it's all grounding through me as your Daimon... So Mind Magic, then- - Kosciej
-Yes, Mind Magic- - Persephone
-THE SECRETS OF THE UNCONSCIOUS ID- - Kosciej
-Whatever you want to call it- - Persephone
Persephone spends the next few days watching the TV, turned off. In her perceptions, though, Kosciej is
appearing on it, acting as a cross between the Open University and Yahtzee. Pointing to diagrams of the human
brain.
For a field trip, she goes to a hardware store and gets a colour-chart of paint. Kosciej helpfully labels them with
what they signify in auras. "Happy", "Sad" and so on.
Persephone calls a Cabal meeting, worrying that the Guardians will be looking for her now
"They won't know, because we're not going to tell them" - Samael
Cobalt agrees and tells her what he found. Hadrian's bank job was in London and...
By now, Samael has been pushed beyond suspicion. He asks Sef to check with her superior Fate magics to see
if there's anything actually significant behind the way that everything seems to want them to go to London.
And there is. She can't tell what, but the threads of destiny are indeed tightening around the Cabal - around
Samael especially. The Cabal need to go South.
There is discussion of how to fly under the radar. Specifically, of trying to avoid Civitas.
"Hi! We're the students of Cognos! Remember him? We got you a spare wig!" - Cobalt
"We're not going to go poke him if we don't have to" - Samael
"While you're on Fate magic, can you pick up anything to do with the disappearance of the Dogs?" - Cobalt
Samael shifts uncomfortably in his seat, but says nothing.
Persephone casts Synchronicity while browsing books.
It's in Tome of the Mysteries - the thing where you take random input and look for a clue as to what to do next when
you're at an impasse.
Chris: Samael *loves* this spell. I keep on putting his Destiny dice into the roll whenever I use it, so it often provides
some excellent results. Now Persephone has picked up on his trick...
The book she picks out at random is the Lord of the Rings.
"Something to do with the two towers" - Persephone
"Wizard's towers?" - Cobalt
"Wizards took them?" - Persephone
-Is there anyone with a Shadow name based on the book? Any Gandalfs?- - Kosciej
No, but we've got a Sam(ael)...
"All right. Well, it's not something we can do a lot with" - Samael
"Two Towers could be Durham and Newcastle" - Persephone
"Or it could be..." - Samael
"Samael. Would you like to tell us something?" - Persephone, spotting his demeanour
"Not really. I don't have any dogs" - Samael
Chris: Note that at this point, Samael has Manipulation 1 and *no* dots in Subterfuge, putting him on a chance die for
his roll to avoid his uneasiness being picked up on. Persephone, on the other hand, rocked up with 6 dice or somesuch
to oppose his roll. Samael is not good at lying
"I think you know something" - Persephone
"Samael. Look me in the eyes and tell me you don't know anything about the Dogs' location" - Cobalt
"I have suspicions" - Samael
"Why aren't we in on this?" - Cobalt
"Because it's not anything we can affect" - Samael
"We prised her criminal past out of her with a crowbar, yet you're not opening up to us" - Cobalt
"I think someone took them. At least one" - Samael
"Is it cos we is Libertines?" - Cobalt
"Not because *you're* Libertines. I think there's probably been shenanigans but I can't prove it. And I approve
of it, because the Dogs are dangerous" - Samael
"Now I have to pretend I don't know anything around Symmetry" - Cobalt, disappointed in Samael
"And now you understand" - Samael
Cobalt's still hurt, though.
Time advances. From the veiled hints Lux drops to Samael, the Dogs are continuing to be studied. Agaric - she's
one of the Mystagogues in Durham - thinks that they are Fae-related after all.
Persephone, having given up on Samael, finally begins to date Aquila.
...
Valentine's day comes around. Aquila finally asks Persephone out. Cobalt is off with Symmetry, and Samael...
...Samael is happily eating a meal for one. He's got the lighthouse to himself, doing Sudoku and looking up
bible passages based on the numbers he gets out.
Card-wise, Cobalt got one from Symmetry and a few from his students. Sef got one from Aquila and an
imaginary one from Kosciej reading 'I wuv U my Host body. U is the best'. Samael got an "anonymous" card
from San Diego
The gang partook in Operation: Free Love, and sent Aurora twenty cards from various post boxes.
The San Diego postmarked card is from Orchid. Well, either her or Memento. Probably Orchid, though.
He's halfway through his meal when the house phone rings.
"..." - Phone
"Hello?" - Samael
"Samael? It's Pandora... I.. Uh... I was phoning to see how you guys are after.. everything" - Pandora, sounding a
little drunk
He sinks to the floor, holding the receiver
"Yeah... We're okay. Busy. Lots of things going on up here. How's London treating you?" - Samael
"Well, four of us left and two came back, so..." - Pandora
He hears her drinking
Chris: Samael had actually managed to hold off the depression spiral. Well, shit.
He pulls the plate over and continues eating, listening to Pandora's woes. People down south blame her for
people getting killed on her expedition and the destruction of the Lilith statue. They don't even have much to
show for it.
He patiently listens until she hangs up
And then a Portal opens
"COME ON! ANSWER YOUR PHONE, MAN!" - Excalibur
Samael, jumping at Excalibur's shouting, jumps through...
...Into snow.
He's outside - there are trees in the background and snow-covered grass underfoot. It's blowing a blizzard, too.
"Shit, it's cold" - Samael

He casts a Forces spell to heat himself
Cal is looking around
"CHOKE!" - Excalibur
Someone approaches through the whirling snow
"I can't find it!" - Choke
"Where are we?" - Samael
Excalibur draws his sword
Samael finally clicks - they're in the fields out behind the Aetheneum
"What's going on?" - Samael
"Well, it seems SOMEONE has been keeping house pets" - Excalibur, looking around, warily
"What's going on?" - Samael
"What do you think? They've escaped!" - Excalibur
And then one of the Hounds comes charging out of the blizzard
Roll initiative! Samael goes last
The dog lunges, blasting both mages with it's frost breath. And then Cal flamethrowers it from his hand. The
Hound runs off, yelping, though seems to be coming around for another go. Samael tries to freeze the snow
colder, but the Dog continues to gallop in, attacking Cal. Both he and it perform their relevant magical attacks.
Samael casts Control Fire on the still smouldering Hound, finishing it off.
Chris: Samael is in a slightly odd situation with his Forces magic, because he can do a lot of damage if a particular
manifestation of Forces is around (electricity, fire, etc) but he can't actually create such things himself yet - I think,
anyway. So when Cal set the dog on fire, Sam was able to use the existing flames and then pump them up a few ranks
of intensity into a bonfire with a good roll.
It's why he carries a lighter around with him. I'm trying to work out if batteries will serve the same way for electricity
magic.
Choke comes running back out
"Okay! Key's down. Cobra and Breaker are picking him out of the wreckage" - Choke
"Wreckage? What happened?" - Samael
"Looks like someone in your Order was keeping something. There was a panic call to Cal..." - Choke
"..And I called any Arrows in the area" - Excalibur
"Then I brought my Cabal" - Choke
"But wreckage?" - Samael
"They really smashed their way out" - Choke
"So.. The other Dogs?" - Samael
"HELLO OUT THERE!" - Magog
1. "I found two sets of footprints. They're heading North, but the prints are getting wider and
wider apart - not so much seven-league boots as geometrically increasing paws" - Magog
"I think we can guess where they're going. Back to their owner" - Excalibur
"The woman?" - Magog
"Yeah, the Werewolf..." - Excalibur
He pauses, realising the mistake he just made. Magog's expression is unreadable

"We'd better get going" - Samael
"I'll say. Meet you up there" - Magog
He swings onto his motorbike, gunns it and roars off
"What are the odds that Bike goes faster than it should? So... Tell me you don't know anything
about this. I think I just committed a diplomatic incident" - Excalibur
"No one has told me the truth. There may have been hints" - Samael
"Fuck. If you're involved, when we went behind Symm's back and snooped on her... I am going to
be in SO much trouble for this" - Excalibur
"I did not actually do this" - Samael
"We need to sort this out before Magog gets there" - Excalibur
"Portal. And we need to grab trustworthy people once we get to Newcastle" - Samael
"Magog or not, we can't leave until we know everyone's okay" - Excalibur
The Hounds appear to have exited through a window, after having smashed through their cages.
There are steaming remains of warding runes. The blizzard appears to have sent them into a
frenzy.
Samael calls Bede
"This had better be important. I'm with my wife" - Bede, sounding distinctly unamused
"Dogs have gotten out. Key's down. Ripped their way out through the wards" - Samael
"Contain this by any means necessary, Neokoros" - Bede
"Will do. We have a problem in an ambitious Libertine named Magog" - Samael
"See to it our Order is not embarrassed" - Bede
Bede hangs up
Bit bloody late, thinks Samael
"All right?" - Cobra
Cobra's coat pockets are rather bulging. Samael nods
"Shouldn't really be in here" - Cobra
He ducks out through the hole.
Samael frowns, and checks with Supernal Vision. Cobra hasn't stolen anything magical. Probably
just books.
Key and Lux are both there, pattern-mending themselves
"No more Libertines around here?" - Samael
The only other person is Breaker - and she's an Arrow. She gives a brief assessment of the holes
in the Athenaeum’s security
"Obviously, I don't know the specific defences, but it looks like they punched their way through
three doors and two wards on their way out" - Breaker
Lux looks at Samael with the face of a man who has just royally screwed his own cabal mate.
Samael ducks back out, Key and Lux following him
"They're intact. Portal"
"Okay. Choke - you're in charge. All deference to your cabal aside, don't let Cobra back in here.
He can keep what he's already taken" - Excalibur
Choke nods
"He's... Taken things?" - Key
"He was in there for half an hour. Of course he's taken things" - Excalibur
Excalibur starts to cast the Portal
"Wait! Wait! It's my fault. I'll come with you" - Lux
"Okay. But we find Symmetry FIRST, okay?" - Samael
"DO you know where she'll be?" - Excalibur
Samael remembers Cobalt booking the restaurant
"Yeah" - Samael
...
And so we finally wrap all the way around to the flash forward in 3.1!
After everything that's happened, Rex and Gemma made a pact to escape for just this one
evening. They can put all of the disturbing revelations about Persephone aside for now and
concentrate on themselves.
They make it almost all the way through the starters before the door of the restaurant bangs
open, snow swirling in on the heels of Samael, Excalibur and Lux.
"The hounds are back!" - Excalibur
"We can't let him get there first!" - Lux
Cobalt and Symmetry grimace and call for the bill.
"What do you mean they're back?" - Symmetry
"You may have noticed the weather" - Samael
"Crap. They left Durham when?" - Cobalt
"Durham? Why should they be in Durham?" - Symmetry
"About forty minutes ago? They're going fast" - Excalibur, not answering Symm
"Magog says they're like seven-league boots" - Samael
"We need reinforcements. Aquila and Sef. Who's on guard tonight?" - Cobalt
"Aegis" - Excalibur and Symmetry simultaneously
"There's two possible reasons. The weather or her change" - Cobalt
He phones Sef
...
Sef looks apologetically at Aquila as she fishes out her mobile
"What is it?" - Persephone, whispering
"Defcon One. The Hounds are back" - Cobalt
"Oh, shit" - Persephone
"Evidence points to them heading here. Probably to Karen's place" - Cobalt
"We're near there" - Persephone
...
Cobalt hangs up, then looks around.
Everyone in the restaurant is looking at them

"Hi!" - Excalibur
They get out of there.
...
"I don't like this weather, like" - Taxi Driver
Excalibur, Symmetry, Cobalt, Lux and Samael are crammed into the back of a cab
"Good evening?" - Taxi Driver
"Not really" - Cobalt
"She said no?" - Taxi Driver
"You don't want to know what she said" - Cobalt
"What THE HELL" - Taxi Driver
There appears to be a battle going on - flashes of light and sounds of detonation. There's a
strange sound, like a thunderbolt, and a Hound comes flying out of the back street behind
Karen's house, bounces off a wall and goes running back in.
They pile out of the Taxi
"Get out of here!" - Cobalt
And run for the back street
"Where's Aegis?" - Samael
Aegis, it turns out, is down the back street. Magog and Aegis are back-to-back, a Hound on either
side of them. Aegis appears to be made out of stone right now. When his Hound gets too close,
he punches it with a rock-encrusted fist. Magog is playing baseball with his magic staff, batting
Hounds away. As the one he flung out returns, he caves in it's skull then turns to help Aegis out.
"LAST ONE" - Aegis
Persephone and Aquila come running from the other direction as Excalibur and the Auric Horizon
charge in. In the end, trapped between everyone, the Hound falls to a blast of Spirit energy from
Aquila.
And THEN a large, furry something bursts out of Karen’s house and charges them. They scatter
like ninepins, the form spasming through multiple shapes as it throws itself against walls and
barriers - the latter created by Aegis and Cobalt. Samael cats Control Friction beneath it,
rendering it incapable of escaping. Eventually, Karen falls unconscious and reverts to human
shape.
And then it's over.
...
Fifteenth February
Karen is taken off to the forest in Gaunt's ambulance to be handed over to the Werewolves.
The long process of debrief and recrimination gets underway. Key and Lux are blamed in the
Mysterium for the debacle and reprimanded for not taking proper precautions. The Mysterium
asks for it's books back from Cobra. Cobra asks 'what books?' The Mysterium says 'come on' and
the Free Council lorehouse increases in size by a few books.
Ouch. Glory for Cobra, but not particularly good for Order relations
Chris: At least he's not trying to get guns off people. I can live with the loss of some mystery to the
Lorehouse
Dave2: If there's one group which came out of this story looking good, it's the Smoke Eaters
Dave: True that - I think Cobra and Company's place in the world is much better defined now.
Dave2: They're nuts, they're thick but their hearts are in the right place
Bede, of course, had nothing to do with any of this.

Lux finds himself nearly ostracised by his own Cabal - which, let's face it, he deserves. He
thought he was right, but no one will ever know.
Samael is of the opinion that no one died and therefore it's a win.
Chris: None of the official blame hits Samael, which leaves him feeling slightly guilty despite the fact
that he didn't actually get involved in the dognapping and did his job well as a neokoros. He still was
the person who first thought up the idea of grabbing the dogs.
Symmetry is furious with Lux, and to a lesser extent Excalibur and Samael who also did end-runs
behind her back. Talk amongst the Free Council is more that Symmetry tried her best but didn't
have control over the situation - the other orders did whatever they liked.
Magog received part of the collective Kudos, and appears to have changed tactic. He never
criticises Symmetry, just says that it was a difficult situation, and he's glad no one died. Without
him outwardly saying anything, the word in the Assembly turns to the fact that the other Orders
can't be trusted. Quark's way of doing things is blatantly just wrong - you *can't*, as it turns out,
play nice with the other Orders. They'll treat you like the Mysterium treated Symmetry.
Isn't he a shit?
Symmetry points out, late one night in the Lighthouse (she's been staying with the Cabal a lot
since everything happened), that if there was a new vote on Emissary Quark would lose.
Cobalt asks her, half-joking, if they should join the Arrow or the Mysterium.
Excalibur is well and truly in the dog house. The subtle word (from the Smoke Eaters, who have
Arrow members) is that Aurora is furious. The supernatural battle in Newcastle. The breaking of,
and thefts from, the Aetheneum. Bede and Quark are blaming one another for everything and
Aurora is making noises that if Excalibur is going to be this partisan, maybe she needs to have a
Durham sentinel as well.
Lastly, Symmetry is no longer Strategos. And the subtle undercurrent is that she'll never be one
ever again.
What does the Auric Horizon do when the going gets like this?
Chris, Dave2 and Agena: We fuck off!
Yes, yes they do. Story Four is coming next.
1. When You Were Young

When You Were Young
Session 4.1
Welcome back faithful readers!
I went into When You Were Young determined to do a number of things - after the somewhat tangled, tortured path of
last story, I wanted to lay the cards out on the table as early as possible, presenting a truly difficult situation and then
seeing what the player characters would do. I wanted to move the main plot of the chronicle along significantly. I
wanted to finally get Samael into the Sphinx, Cobalt into the as-yet-unnamed Legacy of two and Sef into the
Parliament. I wanted to do a story in three sessions rather than the five we've been drifting towards... Though I doubt
that I'll manage that. I wanted to pick up the plot threads left hanging after Welcome to the Jungle, with storyteller
characters from that turning up here as allies of the cabal.
This story is brought to you by Shadows of the UK, specifically the parts that talk about the London Consilium, and how
it's an extremely strict regime run by the Guardians of the Veil. For the story, I needed somewhere where the
characters could find out significant details of what's been going on behind their backs but deny them the ability to
walk up and solve it - a setting where what to do would require a lot of thought. That met with London's description of
a legalistic Consilium, very harsh on people breaking the rules to the extent that Aurora up in Durham openly tolerates.
They do things differently in the capital, and the cabal's provincial ways won't do them any good.
So this story sees the Cabal head to London so that Cobalt can join Ashlar's Legacy. Persephone finds Hadrian while the
web of Fate around the Cabal begins to tighten enough for Samael to see - but after the Paris Incident the Cabal need
to keep their heads down. Civitas will not be well inclined towards Cognos' students, and after the object lesson of
Symmetry, Lux and Excalibur the Auric Horizon are desperate to avoid making trouble for Pandora and Ashlar.
So what do they do when Samael finds an Echo Walker in town?
As for the title, this story is the end of innocence for the Cabal. The plot is thickening, revelations are beginning to
come out and even those parts of the plan that they don't know are semi-visible. Samael feels like there's a web of
connections and plots around him, drawing tighter. Some errors in their thinking are about to be corrected, some
connections they haven't suspected will come into the open.
There may be trouble ahead.
The Auric Horizon head south, having warded the Lighthouse and removed all the Tass from the Hallow.
On the to-do list, Cobalt intends to join Ashlar's Legacy and look at some skulls. Samael is also intending to look
at some skulls, investigate the mysterious artist and see Pandora. Persephone is intending to look for Hadrian
in hospitals.
Archimedes safely in a box, the Cabal make the journey to London in Cobalt's car, eventually ending up in the
rain-soaked capital. It is the early evening when they finally find the entrance to the underground garage and
take the elevator up to Ashlar's apartment.
The door is flung open, Ashlar looking the same as always - maybe a few more worry-lines - enthused to see
them all
"Cobalt! Sylph! Samael! How are you all!?" - Ashlar
"Well, you know. Things to do. People to see. Not bad in all. You?" - Cobalt
"Crystal skulls to break... observe" - Sylph
Just when things weren't confusing enough, remember that Persephone decided to call herself Sylph in the Amazon, so
that's what Ashlar knows her as.
"Now, young lady, we'll have none of that here" - Ashlar, good-natured
"No observing?" - Sylph
"And no digging, either" - Cobalt, referencing the old joke
Ashlar waves them inside. His apartment is nice. He has many oddments lining shelves on his walls. There's an
old wood and brass globe, which has too many continents depicted upon it. What appears to be a petrified
woman. A glass bust of a woman's head with two grey stone eyes inserted. Many books, both of the ancient
tome and the modern variety.
"Unfortunately, I only have the one spare room, so..." - Ashlar
"I can do sofa" - Cobalt
"We can find accommodation..." - Samael
"I wouldn't dream of it. We'll find a camp bed somewhere. If Sylph takes the room then we can put you boys up.
If the worst comes to the worst, I think Pandora has a spare room" - Ashlar
Ashlar is not Cognos, so there is no hint of a wink there. The Mystagogues are of subtler bent. He does,
however, seem distracted. Maybe even worried.
"I hope we didn't come at a bad time" - Sylph
"Oh, no. Not at all. The gentleman from the collection should be arriving with the skulls" - Ashlar
"You want us to hide behind the furniture when he does?" - Cobalt
"Oh, no no no no no no no. No. I want to introduce you. It's perfectly fine. He's a good lad, is Djehuty. Just try
not to act too Libertine around him, okay?" - Ashlar
"Have we ever?" - Sylph, innocently
"There have been occasions. All right. London. Welcome to London. This is me doing my responsible Provost
routine. I've visited Durham. I know what you're like up there. It's pretty much a big clique around Aurora and
then everyone else, right? Things are young and the Order rivalries are friendly?" - Ashlar
"Yes" - Cobalt
"Order rivalries in London are not friendly" - Ashlar
"I see" - Cobalt
"London is extremely traditional. We have been ruled by Guardians for the last three Hierarchs and Civitas is
especially hard line; Vulgar spells require prior authorisation" - Ashlar
Sef sniggers
"You snigger, Sylph, but this is serious" - Ashlar

"Yeah. I can believe it" - Cobalt
"He is aware that I have three guests from the expedition, but should you cast a Vulgar spell and they detect it
then there will be questions to answer... and it may come out whose apprentice you are" - Ashlar
Sylph looks confused
"No one is mentioning headgear yet" - Cobalt, to Sylph.
Ashlar nods confirming it - he hasn't told Civitas his guests are Cognos (of the wig-burning)'s apprentices
"Civitas does not like the Free Council. He is fond of traditional magic practiced by mages who sit in clubs and
discuss the occult happenings of the day over brandy and newspapers like respectable people. He is... of a
mindset." - Ashlar
"Is that why vulgar magic is banned?" - Samael
"Yes. We're living under a hard-line Guardian regime. We tolerate it because London has vast occult resources
and is the second-largest Consilium in the country" - Ashlar
"What's the largest?" - Samael, curious
"North Wales. One Consilium including several dozen Hallows and some Demesnes said to be tapped by Merlin.
London is the largest urban one" - Ashlar
"Merlin" being the name of an Acanthus archmaster in the Dark Ages is from, I think, Tome of the Watchtowers, and
something that I allow past the "no historical person was Awakened" filter because he's legendary rather than a real
person. I just think it's neat that Mages don't know if certain important Awakened from history name themselves
*after* mythic wizards and sorcerers (like Kosciej did) or if the Sleeper myths are based on those Mage's careers (like
Merlin). I want to get into Arthurian mythology later in the chronicle.
"You're not even allowed to perform vulgar magic in your home?" - Cobalt
"Not if you get found out, I imagine" - Samael
"I have certain leeway within my Sanctum, because I'm a Provost. You don't have Provosts up there, either, do
you?" - Ashlar
They look blank
"You have a Councillor, a head of each order, yes? We have two. You'll find this in large Consilia, where the
Councillor advises the Hierarch on matters pertaining to the Path and Order while their Provost is the one who
does the job of running the Order. I run the Mysterium in London, but I'm not the Mysterium's Councillor; I'm its
Provost. I don't have the ear of Civitas" - Ashlar
"Do we have to meet him?" - Sylph
"Unless you're very unlucky no. Hopefully you won't have to" - Ashlar
"Is there anyone you *can* introduce us to?" - Cobalt
"The rest of the Mysterium, except for the Cabal of my superior. Unfortunately some of the Order are more
aligned to Civitas than they are to me through the Councillor. On top of that, I can't introduce you to the local
Libertines because... When I said that tensions were high, most of the local Libertines have rejected Civitas'
rule and are outcasts. The Libertine Assembly runs as a sort of Shadow Consilium that takes on disaffected
mages and commits acts of magical terrorism. They call themselves the Guy Fawkes Precedent. They like to
wear masks" - Ashlar
Groans all round.
"They quote a lot of literature too. They hide their identities" - Ashlar
"I don't blame them to be honest" - Cobalt
"We think we've pinned down ten or so members, but their Cabal is based around roles; one is the speaker who
talks to outsiders, one is the logistics man and so on, but we think they swap roles regularly. There are ten
Shadow names, but the mage behind the mask and name changes all the time" - Ashlar
"Even if you kill one, another jumps in" - Cobalt, sort of admiring
"Which in itself is a deeply cutting satire on the Guardians of the Veil, many offices of which work on the same
principle. Like the Interfector" - Ashlar
"Apart from crazy terrorist Free Councillors and paranoid Guardians, are their any others? Seers? Banishers?" -
Samael
"We have rather a lot of Seers here. For the most part there is a detente. They manage their affairs and Civitas
has carefully brought us to a mutual standoff. We do not attack them, they do not attack us and all is right with
the world. Everyone points wands at one another" - Ashlar
"But they're certain their long game will beat the other long game" - Cobalt
"Exactly. There has been a standoff for 50 years. Civitas remains such a strong Hierarch because he has
brought and maintained peace, with the Seers, the Vampires, the Werewolves, the Faeries... He maintains
peace by banning everything, but he does maintain peace. It helps that the other shadow people have their
own problems. Usually, a city has one vampire court. We have two - the ones in the Underground and the ones
in the city above, that kill one another when they stray into one another's territory" - Ashlar
"Charming" - Sylph
"We have enough trouble finding werewolves" (off Ashlar's look) "Long story" - Cobalt
"London. It's a paranoid town" - Ashlar
"We are so dead. And he's" (pointing at Archimedes) "going to get fat" - Cobalt
"Oh, is there something wrong with Archimedes?" - Ashlar
"Archimedes is a little fear sprite" - Cobalt
"Well, yes, I knew that much. Oh! Right" - Ashlar, realising
"Because we're outsiders, is anyone going to be gunning for us?" - Samael
"Not unless you've brought your own troubles with you. Did you come here fleeing anyone?" - Ashlar
Chorus of "No"s
"Well, that's all right then. Civitas tends to discourage people bringing their troubles into London" - Ashlar
"It's not a Sanctuary for those in need?" - Cobalt
"It is, mostly because if somebody... A case from three years ago. There was a dispute over an artefact. A
young mage of the Silver Ladder fled into London, hid out. His rival - also a Ladder - chased him down and
attacked him magically. Civitas executed the attacker and then banished the other" - Ashlar
"One was a troublemaker and could be thrown out, the other caused it" - Cobalt
"'We will have no trouble here'" - Ashlar
Ashlar is quoting the League of Gentlemen, a very dark Brit-com, for Americans curious as to why there's three quote
marks there.
"Well... We're so dead" - Cobalt
"Don't worry about it, Rex. You'll be fine. You people are fine, upstanding young mages. You don't go around
raising hell and making enemies" - Ashlar
Ah, poor Ashlar. He clearly hasn't been paying attention. Last time he met the Cabal, he jumped off the top of a
ziggurat while a millennia-old archspell with murderous intent rushed towards him. Now, I'm not saying that was
Cobalt's fault per se, but the Auric Horizon do have a bit of the Jessica Fletchers about them.
Cobalt laughs
"Oh, hell no. In our Consilium we're model citizens" - Cobalt
"Cobalt is aspiring to become the leader of the Assembly" - Sylph
"So you've nearly convinced the rest of the village fete committee, then?" - Ashlar, deadpan
"oooh. Just because we don't get snappy masks like the locals doesn't mean we're lesser mages" - Cobalt
"Oh! Yes! You asked about Banishers. We do have Banishers." - Ashlar
"What are Banishers?" - Sylph
"Mad mages" - Samael
"Stay away from certain places. I'll..." - Ashlar

"...If you could give us a run-down when you can, so we can avoid Bestials and the Hierarch, that'd be good" -
Samael
Cobalt nods
"If people ask you if you want your 'Aggressive Interloper Count' measured - don't" - Ashlar
Brief digression here to explain that Scientologists in the World of Darkness are a front for a Banisher cult.
"We'll keep that in mind. And our eyes open when we're out about town" - Samael
"So pretty much; we glare and point wands at anyone we feel like, but don't pull the trigger?" - Cobalt
"I think we can avoid even the glaring and just get on with what we're here to do" - Samael
"Well there is that" (off Ashlar's look) "Man's here to take in the sights. Art" - Cobalt
"And also take a look at the skull. What's the plan on that, by the way? The skull?" - Samael
"The?" - Ashlar
"Crystal skull" - Samael
"Which one?" - Ashlar
"Either" - Samael
"The plan? Djehuty should be bringing them over. One of the ones from the British Museum, a Sleeper-
manufactured skull discovered in the 40s and made sometime in the 19th century, and the one we recovered
from Acre, which he has taken out of the library" - Ashlar
"How do they compare?" - Samael
"Well, that's one of the things we'll find out" - Ashlar
Nods.
"Do we have anything to eat?" - Sylph
Ashlar, prodded into action, begins to cook.
"Whilst we're waiting, I know that the boy here wants to study; I can see the Soul Marks starting on the pair of
you" (to Samael and Persephone) "What did you manage to find for yourselves?" - Ashlar
That's news to Samael. Cobalt casts Soul Marks and gives him the stink eye.
Samael is indeed beginning to develop a Legacy
"How mysterious" - Cobalt
"Well, it is our trademark, isn't it?" - Samael, worried
"Terribly mysterious" - Cobalt
Ashlar takes a close look
"Ooooh. Forget I said anything. I wouldn't want to spoil the surprise" - Ashlar
He's just realised Samael's becoming a Sphinx
"Riiight. I'll take your word for it" - Samael
He's slightly reassured that Ashlar thinks whatever's happening is okay. Sef, for her part, breathes a sigh of
relief that Ashlar doesn't ask about *her* Legacy.
Cobalt thinks for a while
"Does the Legacy have a name yet?" - Cobalt
"To be honest, I was going to leave it up to you, lad" - Ashlar
"Fair enough" - Cobalt

Ashlar finishes cooking, dishing food out to the Cabal and - in a saucer on the floor - to Archimedes
"So, do you have any plans?" - Ashlar, chewing, to Samael
"Well, I've got to do a bit of wandering around. Going to have a look at the skulls. I was going to ask you if I
could get into the local Athenaeum, actually, see what you've got down here" - Samael
"I'll get Djehuty to take you in on his ticket" - Ashlar
"Don't break anything" - Cobalt
"I'll try not to break anything. At least there's no Libertines going in, given what happens when they enter
Athenaeums" - Samael
"What? It's good for the Lorehouse. And it's good for the people who are bleeding inside as well" - Cobalt
"Now I know why Libertines run around with such deep pockets all the time" - Samael
Ashlar looks quizzical
"Long story. It's involves some crazy, ah..." - Cobalt
"...There was an accident at the Athenaeum up North, resulting in a big hole in the wall" - Samael
"And some large dangerous things running around" - Cobalt
"Suffice to say there were some Libertines on hand. One in particular availed himself of some of the contents
amid the chaos and destruction" - Samael
Cobalt shrugs
"There are other copies in the world. A little bit of action" - Cobalt
"But good for the Soul, I suppose. Action, I mean. Not thieving from the Athenaeum. I would have to discourage
that MOST strongly" - Ashlar
"Nothing was proven" - Sylph
"Other than watching him put it in his pocket" - Samael
"I didn't see anything" - Sylph
"You weren't there" - Samael
"That's why we didn't see anything. We had better things to do on Valentine's day" - Cobalt
"HE didn't" - Samael
"Are you surprised?" - Cobalt
"No... No, not really" - Samael
"Sorry. We shouldn't talk Consilium." - Cobalt
"Were you planning on seeing Pandora?" - Ashlar, changing the subject
Yeahs all round
"She'd be pleased to see you" - Ashlar
"I hear she's been having a rough time of it" - Samael
"Yes" - Ashlar, sadly
"Have you been all right?" - Samael
"My position insulates me from such things. It helps that Samson died a hero" - Ashlar, sad
"Is the fallout from Lilith pretty serious?" - Cobalt
"Yes. They weren't pleased. Unfortunately, one of the power blocks in the Mysterium are the Athenaeum
keepers. They're allied to the Guardians, as the library is joint project, and the Lilith statue was irreplaceable.
The double blow of Duma's death - Duma was one of the few Mystagogues who had Civitas' ear - and the
statue..." - Ashlar
"Quite a loss for the Order. Samson as well. Still.. successful expedition in some ways. I don't know how much
what we found out has gone to make up for..." - Samael
"Fool's Errand" - Ashlar
"Well, we discovered an actual Atlantean training ground. Not every day you do that" - Samael
"We kind of broke it, though" - Cobalt
"That was always going to happen. Given the danger levels - and this way we neutralised the danger, too" -
Samael
"Agreed" - Cobalt
"hm. This way no one can make the same discovery ever again" - Sylph
"Not there" - Cobalt
"And if that was the only one of it's kind, then we've rid the world of them" - Samael
"Get your death scarabs here" - Cobalt
"Limited edition" - Sylph
Ashlar nods, grinning
"Hang on. Does everyone have a login? I thought it was just the Guardians" - Cobalt
"Everyone just loves the Free Council board" - Sylph
"I suppose if the Mysterium had an internet, we'd be [i]so]/i] there" - Cobalt
"If the Mysterium had an internet, it would have been created in the 18th century and rigorously tested" -
Ashlar
"You guys use 18th century technology? You *are* coming on" - Cobalt
"We still prefer books" - Samael
"Book are harder to copy. Though you can fit more books than you can fit mainframes in your pocket" - Cobalt
"The Mysterium philosophy is not one of carrying stuff in your pockets" - Samael
"It's to keep things locked up and look at them through the glass" - Sylph
"Hey. Let's keep that one down while we're eating the man's food and expecting the Artefact he's snuck out
from under the glass for us" - Cobalt
He and Ashlar clink glasses
"And if Persephone's out of the bedroom now, I'll take the nice warm bed" - Samael
Ah, Samael. He of subterfuge one. Slip of the tongue there, that I only noticed when I came to transcribe the session
1. There is a knock at the door
"Now, remember. Djehuty is from the Archivists and as such... He's a good egg, but his is the
Cabal which has condemned Pandora's actions. He himself is fine, but let's not incite any duels" -
Ashlar
Ashlar opens the door, revealing a young man of middle eastern appearance dressed in a suit
and sporting small, round sunglasses despite the dark.
Let's give him a big hand people! Djehuty has entered the building!
"Good evening" - Djehuty
Ashlar introduces Samael by his full title and rank ("Neokoros, Disciple of Forces, Disciple of
Prime") and then waves a hand in Cobalt and Sylph's direction
"...And also Cobalt and Sylph of the Libertines" - Ashlar, lamely
Djehuty flicks a hand sign at Samael. The Londoner is higher ranking, though not as high as
Ashlar.
Djehuty is carrying a large square case, which he puts on the table and starts to unlock. It folds
open revealing, carefully packed in shock-absorbing houses, two Crystal skulls.
He carefully lifts out the rougher-looking of the two
"There will be hell to pay if this doesn't come back" - Djehuty
"We have a spare" - Cobalt, pointing at the magical one
"Most amusing" - Djehuty, completely deadpan
Mage sights and camera come out. After Djehuty lifts the magical skull out, he retreats to hang
back with Ashlar while the Cabal work. They're talking about someone being in the Library,
though they don't name the person they're talking about nor why they're interested. It makes
about as much sense to the Cabal (who aren't really paying much attention anyway) as their
jabbering about Cobra must have made to Ashlar. Djehuty is, however, watching every move the
gang make around the skulls.
The Sleeper-made skull is rougher, and has tool marks that Cobalt's Dark Matter can pick up. The
Atlantean one from Acre is perfect. After they've exhausted passive detection, Djehuty steps over
and does something to the Atlantean skull which begins to glow softly, the light coming from
inside. Ashlar turns the lights out so they can see it properly.
Samael tries to see if the fake one has been designed to look like the real one when it's glowing.
This whole section has a barrage of skill checks and magic rolls behind it as they conduct their research
"Cobalt. Think of this as an instruction. You've been working on your Time Arcanum?" - Ashlar
"I have" - Cobalt
"The Atlantean skull is perfect and has endured because it's made of Adamant. The Sleeper-made
one has degraded with age. Try turning the clock back on it, see if you can tell what it looked like
when new" - Ashlar
The Time and Matter spell Cobalt is about to attempt will, at end of this story, be one of his Attainments
"Like postcognition but a little different" - Sylph, encouraging
Cobalt thinks through the proper Imago and casts.
Getting 5 successes
The skull has changed colour with age. It would have been, when new, the colour that the real
one is glowing. And it's about 150 years old.
"Colours fade with time" - Cobalt
Samael, the glassblower, concurs.
And, Cobalt realises, the colour that it's glowing would correspond, if it were an Aura, to
"idealistic calm". He theorises this to the others
"That's one of our best guesses. There's no right answer; no one knows what the crystal skulls of
Atlantis were for" - Djehuty
"That could be why it was in a healing place" - Sylph
"Assists meditation. Calming" - Cobalt
"The Seed-pod thing was a healing device, it could be linked to that" - Samael
"Also, the Atlanteans did not interact with the Astral worlds as we do. They trained to be able to
meditate into Astral reality even when they weren't in a Demesne. When they *were* they could
meditate their way all the way into the Supernal Realms before the world broke. We know they
had a great amount of Astral Science, so some kind of meditation aid would fit. Something to
focus on while you're meditating" - Ashlar
"Which begs the question about the construction of the new one" - Samael
"How deep into the Astral would this be visible?" - Cobalt
"Not at all, nowadays, but the world is a harsher place and the walls are thicker. We know, for
example, that the Atlanteans used to practice cultural reprogramming. They would construct
artefacts within the Temenos realms corresponding to barbarian nations in order to alter their
culture by modifying their collective consciousness. It's theoretically possible even now, but the
sheer scale is unimaginable. The interesting thing is that such things have been found, these
Astral Terraforming engines; they are almost universally in the shape of Watchtowers. Our path
watchtowers are presumably a very much larger version" - Ashlar
"Someone out there is responsible for me having Death magic?" - Cobalt
"Yes: The Stygian Oracle, whoever he or she may be" - Ashlar
"That's presuming it's not a predestined thing. It may be you would have that form of magic
anyway but the Watchtower meant you survived the process, or it allowed you to form a clear
link" - Samael
"I'm not in a position to discuss Supernal physics, especially pre-fall. The realms are probably
tied, I just don't like the association" - Cobalt
"I understand. I tend to see the Death aspect of our Path more as consulting the spirits of the
deceased" - Djehuty
"And you're much less creepy than the guy in Brazil" - Cobalt
"The Helots? No, I'm from an Egyptian Praxis. I come to it by a quite different route." - Djehuty
"What can I say? I'm a scientist" - Cobalt, shrugging
"You have the deep respect from me than one gives when someone is doing something important
but doomed" - Djehuty
"It's like Archaeology" (with the air of having given this speech many times before) "Archaeology
is the attempt to study the culture of a past society through fragments of its material remains.
Which is impossible. You can't, unless you use Time magic which no Sleeper archaeologist does.
You can't find out what people hundreds of years ago were thinking by looking at a tiny fraction
of their rubbish. It's impossible, and all the more important for being so. And THAT, unfortunately,
is how most of our Order see Science" - Ashlar
"It has religion beat" - Cobalt
"Oh, religion too. Studying the laws the Exarchs have programmed into this world I think is a
noble pursuit. It's not real, but the Enemy would have it so and this world reacts as though it
were, so it's worth knowing" - Ashlar
"When you know the laws well enough you don't have to break them so often" - Cobalt
"Exactly. It's like pacing out the dimensions of your cell" - Ashlar
"Might help getting out" - Samael
Ashlar and Cobalt both beam as though Samael were a bright pupil
I'm trying, in this scene, to establish Ashlar as a natural mentor for Cobalt - basically an older version of
Cobalt - despite the fact that they're in different Orders. They have more in common than Ashlar does
with Djehuty or Samael, who are both of mystical bents. But Ashlar and Cobalt are scientists, they know
the laws of the Fallen World, and I wanted to set out my stall as to why that's a valuable thing to know
in Mage's Gnostic setting.
Plus, I get to do the talk about the doomed nature of archaeological enquiry. You can tell I used to be
one.
"I don't think anyone who saw me embarrass myself about Cobalt's exoteric experience in Rio
would be under the illusion that I hate science. too many mages" (to Djehuty) "just dismiss it all
as being irrelevant" - Ashlar
Djehuty looks suitably abashed
"I can see the wisdom in reading what past prisoners have written on the walls, but it figures that
if they'd written the way out there we'd all be out by now" - Cobalt
Which is why Cobalt's a Libertine not a Mystagogue.
"Well, not everyone realises that they are in a cell." - Sylph

"That's true" - Cobalt
"Not everyone can see the walls, so they can't see what's written there" - Sylph
"Very true. Also very philosophical" - Cobalt
"Yeah, surprisingly" - Sylph
Cobalt chuckles
"We're getting that way" - Cobalt
"There must be some reason that those who Ascend don't tell the rest of us how. Maybe
whenever someone does escape the route is sealed up so it only works for one person" - Ashlar
"Or maybe they *do* tell us what's going on from time to time. With Fate sight you can see
threads..." - Samael
"Are you implying there are mystic patterns in the world around us, put there by Oracles to pave
our future?" - Cobalt
"I'm implying the Oracles may try to do what they can" - Samael
"And they say religion's dead!" - Cobalt
"Cobalt" - Ashlar, reprovingly
"Sorry" - Cobalt
He thinks
"Have you thought about... I had a brainwave on the way down here. We might actually have,
with the recordings of the spell, some idea of the Mana differential. It consumed so much Mana
that people burnt up in seconds from trying to fuel it..." - Cobalt
"You mean we could find out how little Mana we have compared..." - Ashlar
"Exactly. The spell's purpose was physical violence. It was meant to have been already powered
before hunts or to be able to absorb background amounts. So we might be able to get an idea" -
Cobalt
"Of what the pre-Fall background Mana of the world was. Very good thought, Cobalt" - Ashlar
"If it was higher, it's likely that these skulls were much more potent in the past" - Samael
"Or whatever they were meant to do is gone. There are some people who think they're
components of bigger things, like maybe somewhere in some temple there's a crystal skeleton
missing it's head" - Ashlar
A groan from Dave, who'd seen Indy at this point
"I suspect it's a skull for a reason, being a skull serves no particular purpose. A skull is very
specific and symbolic" - Samael
"Bearing in mind that the caves on Atlantis were natural Demesnes, powered by Dragon bones
made of crystal. The ancients would have associated crystalline skeletons with Awakening, with
voyaging into the Astral, and with journeying into one's soul. The caves of the ocean spire would
have had Dragon skulls made of crystal in them. And this is a human crystal skull" - Ashlar
"Might have been a reminder of whatever power the Dragons have. I'm interested if the
reconstruction was by mages, though it seems to be tool worked..." - Cobalt
"It's more simple than that. People knew about the skulls in South America; there were legends
about them. Perhaps one found it's way into the panoply of a local monarch, but the idea of
glowing crystal skulls with magical properties worked it's way into the folklore of the region. This
is a fake, made by a Victorian explorer. It's no more magically inspired than a fake Ark of the
Covenant" - Djehuty
"The colour is too good" - Cobalt
"It would be like making a fake of the Ark of the Covenant that actually had the capacity to hold a
divine spark. It doesn't have the grand power and it doesn't hold God, but it's a reflection" -
Samael
"No no. It's like discovering that while they may have complet... Why does it look..." - Cobalt
"The coincidence is too great" - Ashlar
"Yes. Did the person who created this actually see a real one?" - Cobalt
"Even then the skill in creating it is fantastic to manage that. We can see tool work on it, to the
point that one has to think that even if they thought they were creating a fake or a replica, they
may have made something beyond that without realising it." - Samael
"They may have been inspired without knowing it" - Djehuty
"Good questions" - Ashlar
"If these things were used as some sort of launching point into the Astral, it may have been
something coming to them from their own soul, coming back down into human life" - Samael
"There is the Mystagogue crystal skull imagery out there" - Cobalt
"Forthcoming movies" - Ashlar
Cobalt laughs
"Which I'm greatly looking forward to" - Ashlar
"Oh yes. Savage beetle swarms anyone?" - Cobalt, lightly
"There's another one. Beetle swarms in the Mummy. There may be a point at which it's just Man's
ingenuity coming up with the same thing from different angles, but these things... The glow. It's
just too accurate" - Samael
"Ancient Egyptian magical sites are odd in that they're not Atlantean. An ancient Egyptian temple
may be magical in origin, and there may be magical artefacts - the pharaohs had court wizards
who were almost certainly mages - but they weren't Atlantean. The Pharaohs were obsessed with
finding Atlantis; Pharaonic Egypt, with the Pyramid building and the Two Lands, is the first
definite post-Atlantean civilisation" - Djehuty
"Aspiring to Atlantis" - Cobalt
"The first culture we're aware of that was after Atlantis' influence. They were trying to find it.
Many mages consider it to be where history begins" - Djehuty
"You know, they do fantastic things nowadays with reconstruction from skeletons, modelling what
people would have looked like. I'd be interested to know what it'd look like if you took these skulls
and turned them into faces" - Samael
"Well, the Sleeper one would look like no one alive - it's too rough. But the other... That's quite a
good thought" - Ashlar, nodding enthusiastically
"I'm curious as to if it's the platonic ideal of a skull and if so if there's a platonic ideal of a face
that goes with it. And if *that*'s true it may be somebody's face in particular" - Samael
"The Greeks had an ideal face, didn't they? Based on geometry and symmetry, which can't
happen in life. No one's face is perfectly symmetrical" - Sylph
"Not naturally, no. But with Life magic you could alter the features" - Cobalt
"There's a lot of possibilities if they had an ideal like that" - Samael
"I've seen those reconstructions. They always look like Patrick Stewart" - Ashlar
They do! It's uncanny.
"Like I said. Maybe it's a reflection from a mythic age. Maybe that's the ideal man" - Samael,
grinning
"Good thinking Neokoros. I'll look into it" - Ashlar
"We need a paleao..." - Cobalt
"Paleaopathologist. Either an Awakened Palaeopathologist or a Sleeper we can give a model to.

But we'll definitely give you the results" - Ashlar
Ashlar and Djehuty return to their conversation while Samael takes measurements. Cobalt uses
One Mind, Two Thoughts to listen to Ashlar.
Whoever "He" is, he's got permission to enter the Library to see "the Sophiad". Ashlar asks which
part of the Sophiad, and Djehuty says it was volume five. Judging by the thickness of the pages
on the table, "He" was about half an inch through it.
There is the sense that Djehuty should not have been watching a patron of the Athenaeum too
closely, but did it as a favour to Ashlar.
"So where are you guys from?" - Djehuty
"Newcastle" - Ashlar
They continue examining. Ashlar says he's seen three Crystal Skulls in various collections, and
they're all identical
"And I can tell you - years of archaeological experience - that it's a man" - Ashlar
He points out a slight ridge on the back of the skull, and a heavy brow.
"So where is he now?" - Ashlar, to Djehuty
"With the Guardians" - Djehuty
Well, at least the mystery man isn't Cognos
"How do these react to Mana?" - Samael
"The fake doesn't. The Atlantean one glows. The Mana sits in the centre and diffuses through the
rest of the skull" - Djehuty
Eventually, they're all researched out. Djehuty begins to pack the skulls away
"Pleasure to meet you" - Djehuty
"It's been a great help, thank you" - Samael
"Samael was hoping to peruse the library" - Ashlar
"Ah. The Library of St John the Beheaded is not technically an Athenaeum; it's a Censorium, a
high-security Athenaeum. There's a low-clearance wing which we use like an Athenaeum, but the
majority of the archive is made of objects collected from Guardians and Mystagogues the world
over that we carefully catalogue, make sense and lock away. Most Censoria are small cupboards
within an Athenaeum - ours is a legacy of the Empire" - Djehuty
"What are the chances of me getting in?" - Samael
"With your rank, You will be admitted to the Athenaeum and I could take you on a tour of the
upper archives. For your own safety, you'd be restricting to examining the artefacts' descriptions
and looking through vault doors at them. I'll get you in" - Djehuty
"When would that be?" - Samael
"Maybe... I can give you pointers on what to look for, Samael, things that will get you ahead in
your career" - Ashlar
"I'll talk to my superiors" - Djehuty
He leaves
"Did that help?" - Ashlar
"Absolutley" - Cobalt
Ashlar starts talking about how someone took a very thin slice of the Sleeper-cult's neck off for
analysis
"That's how it was dated, actually... Cobalt, did I teach you how to date objects magically?" -
Ashlar
"Not specifically" - Cobalt
"Well, we'll make sure you can do that. They ran the sample through luminosity tests and a mass-
spectrometer" - Ashlar
Ashlar's phone rings
"Yes? Yes. I've just had Djehuty here; he's confirmed He's looking at the Sophiad. About an inch
through book five. Yeah Cobalt, Samael and Sylph are all safe and sound here. I was going to, but
then Djehuty turned up. Okay, fine. Stay safe" - Ashlar
He hangs up.
"Trouble?" - Sylph
"Probably, yes" - Ashlar, mildly
"We can help if you want. As long as it didn't follow us here" - Cobalt
"Nothing we caused?" - Samael
"Unfortunately, that remains to be seen" - Ashlar
"Oh" - Cobalt
"I can assure you we didn't intend to bring trouble" - Samael
"You are not the only guests of our Consilium at this time" - Ashlar
"Oh, crap" - Samael
"There is a young man - older than you, younger than me. Everyone’s young to me. Staying with
the Cabal of St John. Seems nice enough; a Mystagogue from foreign parts come to research
something. He presented himself to Civitas with all due pomp and circumstance and begged
leave to research here for a few months. Civitas was so pleased someone followed his protocols
he was lenient. This man's done nothing wrong so far - he keeps to himself and reads his book. A
while back, though, I was passing through and - it's a bad habit I picked up from Cobalt..." -
Ashlar
Cobalt realises
"You checked the Soul Marks" - Cobalt
"I did indeed" - Ashlar
Silence
"Are you telling me he matches?" - Cobalt
"He matched Duma" - Ashlar
The Echo Walkers. The Echo Walkers are here.

"Oh, Shit" - Samael
"Would you like to tell me what's going on, Samael?" - Ashlar
"Does he have a name?" - Sylph
"That's the question" - Cobalt
Samael is digging through his belongings
"By your panicking, my young friends, and the way you're looking for something, Samael..." - Ashlar
"Duma left a list of the other apprentices of Chayot and the apprentices that he knew that they had" - Cobalt
"Of Duma's mysterious Left-Handed Legacy, yes?" - Ashlar
"Yes" - Cobalt
"It's because of your allegations back in the Amazon that I've been keeping my eye on this young man and
exactly what he's doing. Because if he does match Duma, well..." - Ashlar
"See? Something good came out of my loose tongue" - Sylph

Samael fishes Duma's letter out.
"His name's Archon" - Ashlar

Archon, also sometimes just called "Arc", is an anthropologist and archaeomancer like us. Last I heard he was
in Peru studying the Incan religion and trying to find connections to the Aether. I haven't heard of any trails of
serial killers in his wake, so he's being careful if he hasn't managed to kick the habit entirely. I believe he's
based out of the New York Consilum.
Samael is grim. He'd been hoping it was one of the younger ones.
"One of the originals. In from Peru, perhaps, or New York?" - Samael
"He has a twang" - Ashlar
"Nottingham twang?" - Samael
"Is that a robin hood joke?" - Cobalt
"Yes" - Ashlar and Samael
"We'll have to tread carefully, mainly because he's not an out-and-out psychopath..." - Samael
"Samael. What in buggery is going on?" - Ashlar
"Well, as we told you, he is one of the other members of Duma's Legacy, and he's one of.. not what I'd call the
Originals, but one of Duma's original group. Duma's period." - Samael
"Chayot found a Daimonicon that taught him the Legacy. He convinced his students to read it" - Cobalt
"I think the Daimonicon is bound with a spell that makes you want to read it" - Samael
"There are quite a few books like that in the Censorium - written by Scelesti wanting to force people into
following their footsteps" - Ashlar
"Let's just say that this is like those and it's locked away. Or I hope it's still locked away. But it took it's toll on
the people who read it: Archon is one of Duma breed, one of the original gang. Duma says that he hasn't been..
Well, some of them leave a trail of damage behind them. Duma couldn't discern such a trail with Archon, so it's
possible that he's not dangerous" - Samael
"In Acre you said they damage people's souls" - Ashlar
"That's the trail we're talking about" - Cobalt
He tells Ashlar about the Dominic incident up North, and what Vahishta did
"It's possible that Archon's harmless, but he may just be disguising his passage... We've got to be careful. I
don't know if Archon knows that we know about Archon. Therefore..." - Samael
"I don't know how much Duma trusted Civitas with the affairs of his Legacy. It's possible that Civitas knows who
this man is but he doesn't know that Civitas knows" - Ashlar
"The Guardians could have him under surveillance" - Samael
"Interesting, though, that he came here..." - Cobalt
"To look at a book" - Ashlar
Cobalt shakes his head
"He came here openly, but he waited until after Duma was gone" - Cobalt
"But if you've picked up Cobalt's dirty little habit, I'd say the Guardians have too. But I don't know what they
know about the Legacy. I'm not going to knock on Civitas' door and ask 'by the way, did you know Archon
tortures Souls'" - Samael
"How healthy was the soul?" - Cobalt
"As damaged as the rest of us" (sighs) "I mean - I've killed men. You've killed men." - Ashlar
"I'm not saying that, but he isn't at the frothing monster stage yet?" - Cobalt
"No. But that could just be the sign of a life carefully led" - Ashlar
"As we've seen, Left Handed Legacies have a way of winding people in; 'you'll only be killing bad people'" -
Samael
Ashlar is deep in thought
"The Sophiad..." - Ashlar
"The Sophiad?" - Samael, thinking it sounds familiar, but he can't quite place where.
"It's very long. Interesting that Chayot never made you read it. The Sophiad.. It's like, in Greek, the Aenead is
the story of Aeneas, the Oddessy the story of Oddesseus and so on, yes? The Sophiad is the story of Sophia.
Who is an Archmaster" - Ashlar
"I *did* know about this one. I got confused with the Corpus" - Samael
"She's not the Corpus author. She was an arch... Oh! I know where you've heard of it! She was an Archmaster,
originally of the Mysterium, who became an Archmage in the 18th century. Many wonders are attributed to her
both before and after she achieved the Imperial Practices of Prime" - Ashlar
"She was an Obrimos?" - Cobalt
"She was; she made the Lilith statue." - Ashlar
Samael nods in recognition
"You've heard of her because the Lilith statue was one of hers." - Ashlar
"But the significance in this case is?" - Samael
"No idea" - Ashlar
"It's like a religious text" - Samael
"It's an account of her life and all the things she did" - Ashlar
"That's what I mean: It's a story rather than a manual or a spellbook. In which case why has he come to read...
Has he been reading other books?
Ashlar digresses about why "Sophia"; the Shadow name named after the feminine aspect of God
"He's been reading other books, but only ones he didn't have to request. But in the rare books of the
Scriptorium they have an illustrated Sophiad, very old. It's that he's been reading" - Ashlar
"What are the illustrations?" - Samael
"Yeah, what's in the pictures?" - Sylph
"They're of... some diagrams, mandalas, depictions of essence flows, pictures of Artefacts" - Ashlar
"No coded imagery?" - Samael
"Oh, it's probably full of coded imagery. It was supposedly dictated by an Archmaster. It just depends on the
ability to read it" - Ashlar
"Which Archon may have" - Samael
Pause for thought
"In a way, it's good that we know he's here" - Samael
"And he doesn't know you're here. I told you about our 'do not bring outside fights in' policy for a reason" -
Ashlar
"There's not a lot we can do about this" - Samael
"Left-Handed or not, Civitas will not look kindly on you duelling in the streets" - Ashlar
"It's beneficial that we know. this gives us a lock on where one of them is, and gives us a trail we can follow
later; we can ask about where he went from here" - Samael
"He was last heard of Artefact-hunting in Peru. Could be he's found something he thinks matches an
illustration" - Cobalt
"Or that he's trying to identify" - Sylph
"That's a good thought" - Samael
"If most Mystagogues have access to a copy, he has to be looking for something that he needs the illustrations
for - as pure a copy of the book as he can get" - Cobalt
"Or, he was trying to find connections to Aether. It's possible he got something back, the same thing that she
was drawing on... Anyway, we're just speculating here. Too many possibilities and we can't do much about it" -
Samael
"You could go read the book" - Ashlar
"Precisely what I was hoping to do, if I can get in there" - Samael
"He'll be there" - Sylph
"That won't be a problem. I wasn't going to start flinging spells in the stacks" - Samael
"Or you could just ignore him" - Sylph
"Have you ever met him?" - Ashlar
"No" - Samael
"How does he know what you look like?" - Ashlar
"I don't even know what *he* looks like" - Samael
"So it should be fine. You don't have the Soul Marks of his Legacy on you" - Ashlar
"I think it'll be fine. I'm just interested to know what he's interested in" - Samael
"Just try not to be formally introduced" - Cobalt
"It might help to get the measure of the man if I get to see him. Anyway; like I said, we'll how it goes when I get
a ticket in there. We've seen the skulls, we got a lot of useful info there - and thank you again, that was a huge
favour. We've got bits and pieces to be doing.. What's our itinerary?" - Samael
It's late. The plan is to crash, get up early and start side quests.
And so ends probably the longest scene we've ever done in the chronicle. Blimey. over half the game session.
So: Djehuty - was that good for you?
Chris: Question is - will he survive?
...
Samael and Cobalt wake up. The Magic Shields Samael cast in a fit of paranoia before bed are still intact
"And we live for another day" - Samael
...
Sef and Cobalt - Supernal Vision cast on Cobalt by Samael - set off on their hunt for Hadrian. Lacking his ticket
to the Athenaeum, Samael sets off to look for his artist.
Bit of a digression happened here, in which we decided, lacking information, that when someone casts one of the Mage
Sight-granting spells on another, the recipient gets the description of the Mage sight the caster has. Samael's Fate
sight "looks" different to Persephone's, stylised to fit his character's praxis and Path.
Before they leave, Cobalt starts working out a training regimen with Ashlar. Ashlar's looking forward to finally
having a student in the Legacy - it's a whole new curriculum.
Samael texts Pandora, saying that they arrived late the day before and asking if she wants to come over to
Ashlar's that evening.
...
The hospital first on Cobalt and Sylph's list proves disappointing. After a bit of thought of how to best get into
the coma ward, they decide to go with just allowing themselves to be escorted by a nurse. There's no Hadrian,
but just before they leave, Cobalt casts Soul Marks on a hunch, looking for Echo Walker victims.
And he finds one. Been here for at least five months, according to the chart.
Could have been anyone - even Duma
The Soul is pretty tattered. The mind is in there, but is at the low ebb of someone in a coma. It's not the effect
that Vahishta did: the coma seems, if anything, almost coincidental. Sylph can't physically get to him to cast
postcognition.
...
Samael is at the Tate Modern, viewing a Peter Rice installation. This one is based on sound; a room with jagged
coloured Perspex, floating in mid air (actually on wires), each colour-shape emitting the sound that it actually is
- the room is a commentary on how one might see sounds. Samael experiences it, and regrets that he lacks the
Mind Arcanum necessary for making himself synesthetic.
On his way out, reading the notes, he spots that the artist is going to be giving a talk in two days time,
answering questions about his work. Samael mentally underlines the date.
Chris has been doing a lot of research about Synesthesia, including the Armageddon-music of Alexander Scriabin, an
epic composition that was intended to end the world. It incorporated Synesthetic qualities and was called...
...Mysterium.
How cool is THAT? I have got to get that into the chronicle somehow.
...
Cobalt and Sylph are at the second hospital on their list. Second time lucky, as it turns out.
There he is.
Found him.
Somehow, Sef thought it would be harder than that.
Sylph tries not to show that it's the one they're looking for on her face, and makes an effort to project an air of
disappointment.
Cobalt notices the slight amount of Mana still in his pattern, though, and something more - under Soul Marks,
by an amazing coincidence, Hadrian is shown to have been attacked by an Echo Walker. And his mind is not in
there.
Not knowing that it's Hadrian, Cobalt's first thought is that Vahishta has struck again.
They head outdoors and walk the short distance to the river, looking across at the Houses of Parliament. Sitting
on the wall together, Sylph turns serious.
"The third guy in there. His soul's melted, and his mind's gone" - Cobalt
"It's him" - Sylph, quietly
Cobalt nods, sadly
"As I said..." - Cobalt
"I can't believe he's there" - Sylph
"No he's not" - Cobalt
-Well, most of him's there, but the mind is in Mictlan- - Kosciej
Nearly three hours into the session before Kosciej makes an appearance - now that his origin story's been done, the
character should continue at this sort of level unless the story's especially focusing on the Parliament.
Kosciej has appeared, sitting on the wall on the other side of Sef to Cobalt
"How was Duma at Death magic? Because as I understand it, it takes an Adept to shift a Mage's soul like that.
Which means there's someone else" - Cobalt
"Or something else is making similar damage to the Soul and we only know about the Echo Walkers" - Sylph
"Thing is, most Echo Walkers don't leave bodies like this lying around. You know he had a Soul when he was
around..." - Cobalt
"Do I?" - Sylph

"I get what you're saying, but I think you would have sensed something was off. I think someone's going around
preying... Arc is being discrete. He's finding people who won't wake up" - Cobalt
"You think Arc is preying on comatose people?" - Sylph
"I do" - Cobalt
"But Arc just arrived, but that guy was lying there for five months" - Sylph
"Doesn't have to be the magic that caused his coma. I'll recognise the resonance of whoever cast it again; it's
not Duma. It IS the same person who did both Hadrian and the other. Another Echo Walker has been through" -
Cobalt
"Vahishta is the most advanced of them, right? But she doesn't have the Death Arcanum high enough to do it
to Mages. And even if Hadrian's in a coma, he's still a Mage" - Sylph
"We don't know the others don't have the skill, just that Vahishta doesn't. Maybe she found another handy
friend. I'll recognise him if I see him cast; You'll be glad to know he's not the one who bonded Archimedes to
you either. I've got my list. A little list, in my head, of evil doers' nimbuses" - Cobalt, quiet and serious
"I think we could possibly take a look at Arc's resonance if not Arc himself, and you could maybe check if it was
him" - Sylph
"That would be a start" - Cobalt
"And if it turns out to be him, we'll know what to look for if we go after him again
Cobalt is troubled.
"It's... It's just that it's a way of doing it that morally... It's a trap. Doing something that horrible to someone else
because they won't be able to tell anyone else, you pretend that it never happened."
"That irrationality always bubbles out. And it all makes sense if you're able to do it to Mages too, as they think
Mages give a clearer view" - Sylph
"There must be few who would consent, and someone who's gone missing through other means would make an
easy target" (sighs deeply) "Well. Cheerful news, that. Shall we tell Samael?" - Cobalt
In praise of Dave, part the whatever: I really like Cobalt's world-weary, faintly despairing reaction to what the Cabal's
enemies do. Sometimes, he really hates being a Moros.
...
As they head back to meet Samael, they spot a man on the tube, at the far end of the Carriage to them,
wearing a V for Vendetta mask.
Either the Libertines, or Anonymous. My version of the Guy Fawkes Precedent is a little closer to the source material
than they are as presented in Shadows of the UK. But Masks are a theme of this chronicle - is what the Precedent do
really that different from Catherine's multiple-choice Shadow name?
He nods to them, and gets off the train. Sylph immediately gets off, too, and nudges Cobalt to follow.
They follow him through the station, ducking into a service tunnel.
There, lurking, is the stranger.
"Greetings! How are you guys doing?" - Cobalt, faux-cheerful
"Tolerably. What brings you to our fair city?" - Libertine
"Visiting friends. We're down from Newcastle - we were part of an expedition in Brazil, and one of our friends
top-side offered to get us a look at the Artefacts we recovered, so we're in town for a few days" - Cobalt
"With the Jamaican, yes?" - Libertine
Cobalt nods.
"I hear you have a hard time here" - Sylph
"We give as good as we get. Be careful of the circles in which you walk. You are encroaching on affairs that our
beloved leader has taken for his own." - Libertine
"Thank you for the warning" - Cobalt

"As a friendly gesture from one freedom-loving soul to another" - Libertine
"Well, our names will not go down well with the aforementioned Tyrant of London anyway" - Cobalt
"Yes, the Children of Cognos" - Libertine
"You heard about the wig thing" - Cobalt
"How did you know?" - Sylph
"You are here from an expedition, down from the North" - Libertine
"That does correlate us" - Cobalt
"You are therefore the Cobalt and Sylph spoken of in the Jamaican's papers on that expedition" - Libertine
"Does he mention who we were the apprentices of in his papers?" - Sylph
"That in itself is not that hard to figure out. When you see your master again, do offer him the Precedent's
deepest regards" - Libertine
"I'll pass that along" - Cobalt
"And if you find you need friends in this city, do watch out for us" - Libertine
And then he leaves.
-What a nice man- - Kosciej
"Well, he seemed a perfectly nice individual. I wish him the best of luck. It must be hard - Civitas no longer has
a wig. Finding something else to set fire to that will piss him off just as much must be difficult" - Cobalt
"Outmatching Cognos is hard. What do you think he meant - the artefacts or what we were doing this
morning?" - Sylph
"I suspect... Oh. Guardians. They had Duma on their friends list..." (thinks through the options) "It could be
anything. Wheels within wheels, just waiting for grit to jam them up" - Cobalt
"That's us" - Sylph, brightly
The Auric Horizon, nobly putting their foot into bear traps since 2007. Blundering their happy way through the delicate
socio-politics of Awakened England and shouting 'hey, you! You're evil!'...
...
The Auric Horizon meet in a restaurant, to go over the day's events.
"Fruitful morning?" - Samael
"Oh, yes" - Sylph
Cobalt sighs and tries to think how to say this
"That doesn't sound good" - Samael, wary
-I believe the appropriate term is Clusterfuck- - Kosciej
-I don't know where you've heard such words- - Sylph
"There was... a familiar face. And someone like Duma but not had been there first. Somebody is reconciling
their conscience by people who won't wake up again" - Cobalt
"Or didn't give a shit but for not wanting to be noticed" - Samael
"I'm pretty sure I'll recognise them if I see them again" - Cobalt
"And you're sure it's not Duma?" - Samael
"Yes" - Cobalt
"They did this to the person you were looking for?" - Samael
"It's not Vahishta either" - Cobalt
"Which puts Archon as the only one we know has been in the area. Doesn't mean it is him, just that he's prime
suspect... That's problematic. Not only does he not have a mind, he doesn't have much of a soul left" - Samael
"We've also been warned to not dig too deeply into certain things" - Sylph
"Yeah. We checked in" - Cobalt
"Oh god..." - Samael
"Nothing detonated. Some people said 'Hi!' to a man of our acquaintance. You can guess which one" - Cobalt
"But that's why I'm not sure how free we are to speak in the open" - Sylph
"If you were... If we could find somewhere out of the way we can seal. Somewhere random. I get the general
gist of what you're talking about. The real question is what you plan to do next - get him out of there?" - Samael
"We'd need someone with enough medical knowledge to help... And enough Mind to do what Cicero did" - Sylph
-I advise extreme caution. My original host was assuming that because his mind was trapped he would be in a
coma without any obvious magical sign, but if his soul was damaged as well, it is easier to find him. The people
who attacked us could be watching him for people coming to find him- - Kosciej
Sef relays that
"Using him as bait. This robbery he was involved in took place in London, right? That could be an alternative
route in - we have to tred very carefully around him himself, but if we can find out what led him there - what he
took - it might lend us some insight" - Samael
-I was assuming that I was inside the Safe Deposit box, actually- - Kosciej
"It may also open up avenues for people looking for me" - Sylph
"So you're just going to go home now? It's a case of either work out what we're going to do or get more
information" - Samael
"Do you remember how we cleaned the resonance off operation Free Love?" - Cobalt
"Yeah - it's a Prime Spell" - Samael
"An anonymous tip" - Cobalt
"About what?" - Samael
"A bank robber" - Cobalt
"That might get him taken completely out of our reach" - Samael
"But it'll shake the tree. Wheels will go round, and we might see who moves" -
"No. I don't think so" - Sylph
"We're in London. This is the closest we're going to get to investigate the robbery" - Samael
"You can check if the Mystagogues know of anything that was in the bank" - Sylph
"I can try. My guess is that it'll come up nothing, but I'll see. My hunch is that if they knew about something
hidden in mundane security like that they'd have taken it and put it into their archive" - Samael
"I'm reminded of the Evil Overlord List: 'The item of power I rely upon will not be guarded by magic, but will be
put into an anonymous safe-deposit box'" - Cobalt
-Exactly. My thinking is that whatever the Soul Cage was, we were just locked away somewhere. The
coincidence is too great - I must have been there- - Kosciej
"I agree that it was probably there to keep it anonymous, but that's precisely why I don't think the Mystagogues
will know anything about it. I'll ask, but don't set yourselves up for any excitement" - Samael
"Maybe it's best not to ask" - Sylph
"Lay low" - Cobalt
-We've walked into a nest of vipers here, boss- - Kosciej
"The important thing is that you've found him" - Samael

"And that we've been warned to watch what we do. We're interfering in something" - Cobalt
"We're pissing in somebody's Cheerios, but don't know whose" - Samael
"Oh, we know *whose*. We just don't know which bowl we're pissing in" - Cobalt
"In two days time I have an art appointment to attend, and whenever I get to go to the Athenaeum. You need to
work out what you want to do with Hadrian" - Samael
"I want to look into his Oneiros" - Sylph
"Which means we need to physically move him to a Demesne... Or... Can we connect into him remotely?"
(thinks) "We'd need someone with enough Mind magic to do it that we trust. We might still need to move him to
heal his soul beforehand" - Samael
He outlines his thinking - if Hadrian somehow wakes without his soul being healed, he may go on a rampage.
"He won't be irrecoverably deranged by his experienced, because he hasn't actually experienced any of it. He
might not have had a chance to do anything after having his soul damaged. Plus, he's a Mage - he'll know
what's happening to him and might be able to control it better" - Cobalt
"We don't know anyone who's had the spell cast on them that could tell us what it feels like" - Samael
-There is one person- - Kosciej
Sef mentally arches an eyebrow at him
-Duma's letter said that the Daimonicon cast the spell on those who read it, so that they would be more
inclined to enter the Legacy. Archon knows what the spell feels like- - Kosciej
She mentally nods
"Archon would know" - Sylph
"But we'd have to know what his game is first. If you're willing to go through with this and move him out of the
hospital, we need to figure out how many toes we'll tread on doing it and what the reaction is likely to be" -
Samael
"This isn't something I can decide now"
"But we can start. We know what the aim is - get him out and sane. We need to figure out how to heal his soul,
get him out of the hospital, keep him alive once he's out of the hospital but still in a coma, free his mind from
the Wards and put his Oneiros back together from the inside. That's going to be long, complicated and involves
Arcana we don't have. But we can *start* thinking about it" - Samael
"Sef. This is a tragic cliché... But he's not going anywhere" - Cobalt
"We might have to leave him until we get enough grip on the relevant Arcana" - Sylph
-I stand ready to help, boss. Just say the word and I'll start working on how we can best accomplish it- - Kosciej
-I say the word. Go- - Sylph
Kosciej vanishes
The cabal discuss what do to now.
"Pandora plans to go to Ashlar's tonight to meet us" - Samael
"Cool" - Sylph
"We could go watch a film?" - Samael
"I should probably get started with Ashlar" - Cobalt
"All right, let's go back" - Samael
"You kids don't have to follow me around, I'm okay" - Cobalt
"Nah - I'd like to read through on the skull" - Samael
Sef makes a disappointed face
"What?" - Samael
"Nothing" - Sylph
"You're lying" - Samael
"Have I ever lied to you?" - Sylph
"Yes" - Cobalt and Samael
"I don't think there's one of us who can claim they haven't" - Cobalt
...
The early evening passes, back at Ashlar's. Ashlar and Cobalt start their study: Ashlar hands Cobalt what look
like lumps of red metal, which are actually objects so corroded they're unrecognisable, getting Cobalt used to
casting the spells that will soon be his Attainments. Samael reads over his notes. Sylph appears to be idly
leafing through Ashlar's library, not really reading it. She's *actually* getting Kosciej to copy them into her
Oneiros for later retrieval.
Djehuty contacts them, saying he'll take Samael to the Athenaeum the next day.
...
And then, several hours later, Pandora arrives. Sylph hugs and air-kisses her. Pandora smiles wearily at
everyone, then gets out of the way so that the other guest can come in...
...Rodriguez!
And the players give a cheer hitherto reserved for the Fonz appearing on Happy Days.

I knew one other character from Welcome to the Jungle would be appearing in this story, but for the longest time (most
of last story, in fact) it was going to be Orchid. But after this one began to take shape in my mind and I realised just
how much of a steel trap the London Setting was, I decided that I needed an agent of chaos.
Other than the Cabal.
So Rodriguez it was. Judging by the gang's reaction, this was a popular decision
"My friends! Rodriguez is here!" - Rodriguez
"Awesome" - Samael
Sylph gives him a deeper hug
"Haven't expected to see YOU here" - Sylph
"When I heard how Dora was being treated, I thought 'This Will Not Stand!' And so across I came" - Rodriguez
The Acanthus seems much the same as before - his concession to the weather is to wear a t-shirt under his
suit, and his lapel-flower is an English Rose. Despite them not being in season. The twin handguns Urim and
Thummin are not in evidence, either.
"Fantastic" - Samael
I don't know if I mentioned in his last appearance that Rodriguez' gold-plated Desert Eagles are named after the two
types of Seer of the Throne mind-control Artefacts.
Really, Rod is designed to be an outrageous example of a certain type of player character. He's a combat-built
Acanthus because, despite the popular misconception of Obrimos, Acanthus are the true powergamer's weapon of
choice. He lacks only the Katana and the flaming background, and I'm sure those could be provided. As a PC he would
be obnoxious as hell. As an allied storyteller character, his appearances are looked forward to.
I should note that it wasn't me who said they were Desert Eagles, either. That was t'other Dave, who decided they
were the most likely thing for a Acanthus take-off of El Mariachi to use.
One day, Rod will turn up in a story bearing a guitar case full of guns, and the reference will be complete.
Samael and Rodriguez share a man-hug and a jokey faux-punch
"And how are you, my friends?" - Rodriguez
"Pretty good. I was actually thinking about you..." - Persephone

The recap sadly cannot capture the dirty grin I/Rod gave her then.
Rodriguez smoothes a moustache.
"Sylph. My darling. You only have to say. Whisper, and Rodriguez will come" - Rodriguez
"...As you did, apparently" - Sylph
Pandora rolls her eyes in the background
"Beside which, I should be here for the relaying of the findings. The lecture on the Temple by our good friend
here" - Rodriguez
"When's that?" - Samael, to Ashlar
"Next week" - Ashlar
The Mystagogue pours Rodriguez a drink and hands it to him.
"So... Righting wrongs?" - Rodriguez
"A little. Hopefully we won't find too many wrongs to be righted" - Samael
"There has been some righting" - Cobalt
"Of course" - Rodriguez
"Wrongs were not as bad as they could have been had they not been righted" - Samael
"And somehow they got worse again" - Cobalt
"They were solved" - Samael
"Caged" - Sylph
"Solved. Permanently" - Samael
Rodriguez watches the banter like a tennis match, head turning from one Auric to another
"How have you been, Pandora?" - Sylph, changing the subject
Pandora gives another wan smile
"Pretty terrible. I am feeling the shove-off. Someone has to.. You guys get the glory for what happened, but
someone has to take the blame for what happened. For Samson, for Duma, for Crick and for Christopher" -
Pandora
"Balam says hello" - Rodriguez
"Send our greetings back to him" - Cobalt
"You people... You are in London now?" - Rodriguez
"Temporarily" - Samael
"Wouldn't miss the lecture" - Cobalt
"I understand" - Rodriguez
"All the interesting things happen in London" - Sylph
"Quite true.. I for example will be registering my complaint with the Hierarch of this place" - Rodriguez
"About what?" - Samael
"Pandora's treatment" - Rodriguez, swallowing his whiskey
"Wouldn't it be better to..." - Samael
"I am going to duel" - Rodriguez
"Who?" - Samael
"The Mystagogues" - Rodriguez, simply
"All of them?" - Samael
"Of course not all of them" - Rodriguez
He points to Samael, Pandora and Ashlar in turn
"There are ring leaders. Whenever someone is turned upon by a group there are ringleaders. These small-
minded men, these bullies. I will have satisfaction" - Rodriguez
"... ... Have you duelled often?" - Samael
Rodriguez gives a moderately insane grin. He's duelled often.
"When do you plan to do this?" - Sylph
"I go to Civitas tomorrow to issue my challenge to the Mystagogue councillor" - Rodriguez
"Who IS the Mystagogue Councillor?" - Samael, to Ashlar
Ashlar looks like this is the first he's heard of this "plan"
Samael thinks this is a wonderful plan.
"Do the powers-that-be know you're around?" - Cobalt
"They will after tomorrow" - Samael, taking a long, long drink
"I think I need a drink for this one" - Cobalt
"I so want to see this" - Sylph
"Have you any plan on how to take him down?" - Samael
Rodriguez shrugs
"I am man. He is weasel" - Rodriguez
"Very... ... Very simply put, there" - Samael
Pandora's expression is a conflict between wanting to see her persecutors smacked around a squared circle by
Rodriguez, and terror at the shit-storm the Mexican is about to merrily cause.
Rodriguez has crossed the Atlantic to make a diplomatic incident
Chris: He's really going all-out for that point of xp, isn't he?
This is cheering Samael up something powerful
"When are you planning on the duels being? Issue tomorrow, but before or after the lecture? If after, they have
an opportunity to publicly renounce their ways. Beforehand, they get beaten up" - Cobalt
"Which does have a certain appeal to it" - Samael
Rodriguez ponders strategy.
"If you do it beforehand and win, they are forced to humbly go to the lecture. But if after, they might decide to
cause trouble. Many variables" - Samael
"The Councillor is a Thrice-Great Obrimos, name of Caduceus. He's extremely traditional - the sort of man who
will only cast a ritual spell in a sanctified pentagram made of inlaid silver." - Ashlar
"Probably a tough Duellist, then" - Samael
"He's potent in the art, but Rod has vim on his side. What are you now, Rodriguez? A second-degree Adept?" -
Ashlar
Rodriguez nods
"You have to tell us when this is" - Sylph
"I'm going to run a book" - Cobalt
Pandora has apparently made up her mind. She's horrified.

"So when we're there at this formal function, do we have to wear wizard hats? Because I know where we can
get some" - Cobalt
"We so have to wear wizard hats!" - Sylph
"Cobalt, if you rub too many people up the wrong way you'll end up in a duel again, and you know how fast
they tend to go for you" - Samael
"Watch it, sonny" - Cobalt
"Ah. I see. The Rodriguez can give you pointers" - Rodriguez
"He needs them" - Samael
"I need a second Arcanum, that's my flaw" - Cobalt
"You could use an actual shield" - Samael
"I tend to dispense with it myself" - Rodriguez
"What?" - Sylph
"I use both Arcanum as weapons" - Rodriguez
"Can you do that? You didn't say I could do that!" - Sylph, to Samael
"I didn't *know* you could do that" - Samael
"Enough talk of Duelling. Tonight, we drink!" - Cobalt
Rod produces a bottle which surely did not come through customs.
"I have some good stuff which I'm not allowed to show you" - Cobalt
"It's against the laws of magic to produce it here" - Samael
Rod raises his glass.
"To Samson!" - Rodriguez
And they toast, one by one, their fallen comrades from the Jungle.
...
"Do you know what's going on?" - Pandora
She's caught Samael in a quiet moment later, while Rod is telling an adoring Sylph tall tales of High Adventure.
"I wish I didn't have to say this, but - going on in terms of what?" - Samael
"Have you heard about Arc?" - Pandora
"Yes. But I'm not sure what he's up to with the Sophiad. I was hoping to get a look at it myself... Does Civitas
know much about it?" - Samael
"Duma and Civitas talked often. Duma probably told Civitas more than he told me or Ashlar" - Pandora
"How much did Duma tell you?" - Samael
"That he was a member of a Left-Handed Legacy he'd been tricked into joining, and that he was devoted to
hunting down other Left-Handed mages" - Pandora
"Couple of things. First is whether or not the Guardians have anyone watching him already. Second, we were
pretty worried when we realised something. The Legacy is Obrimos, so Death is not their strength, but the
Legacy needs Death magic. So we were worried when... Any Echo Walker with a Moros in tow..." - Samael
Pandora stiffens
"So he only hung around me because..?" - Pandora
"I'm not saying that. But given the last Echo Walker we'd seen needed a Moros it rang alarm bells. It's worth
noting whether or not Arc has Moros associates or allies. My Cabal-mates think he might be practicing his
'work' in the city. When did he arrive?" - Samael
"Last week" - Pandora
"What Duma told you, in as much as he told you, seems to be true. Duma left me with a list. Arc's on it. Did he
tell you the others?" - Samael
She shakes her head
"You must have seen the Soul Marks then" - Samael
"When I saw, I immediately told Ashlar" - Pandora
"Duma seems to have been trying to turn his powers to the public good, but we have no such assurance with
Arc. He's what I term one of the Quiet Ones, doesn't go around rampaging and screwing people over. We
weren't expecting him - I wasn't expecting him here. It's made this whole situation harder than I thought it was
going to be. Are the wider Mysterium aware of what he is?" - Samael
She half-laughs
"If the wider Mysterium told me anything I'd tell you" - Pandora
"Ashlar?" - Samael
"No. Not a peep. If anyone knows what he is they're not talking" - Ashlar
Samael jumps a little in his seat
Agena: Ashlar's scary - he always smoothly enters conversations like that
Me: the habits of an advanced Acanthus. He always wanders over at precisely the right moment
"I want to get a look of what he's looking at. Maybe also check his resonance. Have you got a plan?" - Samael
"For Arc? There's nothing I can do. I've had my Athenaeum privileges revoked" - Pandora
"Really? That's harsh. I'm not sure what I'll do until I've met the guy" - Samael
In the background, Rodriguez is miming a huge explosion as part of his story.
...
Later still, the evening is winding down. Pandora and Samael have rejoined the rest of them. Much drink is had.
"Where are you staying?" - Samael, to Rodriguez
Rod is, by now, very drunk
"With Dora, but it does not feel right that I should do so. She is still grieving for Duma, and I fear the effect my
presence will have" - Rodriguez
He turns to Sylph, also more than a little drunk
"Sylph... For the safety of all good men and women, and the sanctity of Duma's memory... Will you take
Rodriguez into your bed tonight?" - Rodriguez
Samael sprays drink from his mouth. Cobalt's eyebrows do a dance.
Sylph's face says "Man, what?". She opens her mouth to reply, shuts it again, and realises that she's not all that
sure that she *wants* to say no.
"For the good of our friend, you must sleep with me tonight" - Rodriguez
Kosciej appears behind him, holding up a sign reading "I have no words"
"There's a camp-bed here, man" - Samael
"Samael. You are a very attractive man" - Rodriguez
"You're too much Rodriguez even for me" - Samael
"You are my friend, Samael, I have saved your life, you have saved my life. I would snap you like balsa wood" -
Rodriguez
Samael can't keep the laughter in any more. He cracks up.

Rodriguez turns back to Sylph, awaiting her answer.
Considering her reply carefully, she inhales...
And that, my friends, is where we leave it. A different sort of cliff-hanger, I feel.
Until next time, farewell!

Session 4.2
Welcome back faithful readers! Thanks for the understanding regarding lack of recap lately, but the extra evenings
made me able to finish writing on a book for White Wolf. That's two, now - when the NDA expires I'm going to be all
excited.
For now, though, there is excitement to be had right here. This session contains the big revelations regarding the
chronicle's main arc. Put on your plot-hats. I will insert flashbacks where significant things are found out, pointing out
where they were foreshadowed.
As for the cliffhanger, I'm afraid those waiting for fanservice will be disappointed. She said no, so as we begin Sef has
been staying with Pandora while Rod has been with other boys. Fanservice will come *next* recap, in 4.3 or, as I like to
call it "Dave had a bad night".
Let's begin...
Sef and Pandora go shopping, Sef's reasoning being that if she's going to watch Rodriguez' duel she should look
good and so should Pandora. Kosciej stumps along, holding illusionary shopping bags. Along the way, Pandora
asks about Samael. How he's doing. If he's seeing anyone.
"Yeah - Loads of girls, every night a different one. He goes out every night, ever since the jungle" - Sylph, off-
hand.
Which is a bare-faced stretch of the truth that may come to gaunt Sef later.
Agena: I'm doing this for Samael?

Chris: In what way?
Dave2: Maybe that he'll feel guilty if he takes advantage of Pandora
Chris: Maybe he has a heart condition
Dave2: His soul will go and he'll turn evil again!
Pandora describes how Civitas hasn't spoken to her since Duma died, and how she knows the Hierarch knew
things about Duma she didn't. Then again, Civitas appeared to be tiring of Duma anyway: Last May, Duma was
sent off on a wild goose chase for several weeks on highly spurious reasoning.
The date screams at her. Or maybe it's just Kosciej hitting her over the head
-PAY ATTENTION!- - Kosciej
-I *was*- - Sylph
She lets Pandora ramble on, saying that it was her and Duma's anniversary when it happened.
Persephone does the math in her head, and figures out that Duma was sent out of the city when she and
Hadrian were here.
That can't be a coincidence.
-You think Civitas is Hadrian's boss?- - Sylph
-Civitas is a Guardian of the Veil. I think that Hadrian was done in by an Echo Walker. It would seem Civitas
didn't want Duma to know there was another Echo Walker in town, which implies Civitas knew about the hit
beforehand. Therefore, Civitas attacked the person who attacked us- - Kosciej
-We don't know when he was struck by an Echo Walker. It might have been last week.- - Sylph
-Why get rid of Duma?- - Kosciej
-Maybe he wanted the stone to be recovered. Maybe Hadrian was in a Left-Handed Legacy- - Sylph
-Duma said he was in on the hunt for one of our Soul Stones- - Kosciej
-Maybe he found more than it.- - Sylph
-Including whatever the Soul Cage was? So Hadrian stole me *from* Duma?- - Kosciej
-Yeah- - Sylph
-That's a good thought. I'll run the numbers on that, see if it works- - Kosciej
-You don't remember Civitas or anything?- - Sylph
-No- - Kosciej
...
At Ashlar's, Ashlar and Cobalt practice while Rodriguez practices for his duel, making sure he can throw the
correct gestures fast. It looks vaugely ridiculous, though Cobalt's sure it'll be effective inside a squared circle.
Samael takes a car out with Djehuty to an anonymous street. Continuing on foot they turn and twist through
streets and side streets. Samael gets the distinct feeling he's being watched - that guy in that car, that window
up there.
He asks Djehuty about it
"Guards" - Djehuty
"Quite a lot of them" - Samael
"Mm" - Djehuty, agreeing
"They all mages?" - Samael
"No. Two families, both of which have some Proximi and are rivals for the patronage of the Awakened
community. They compete to find people stealing from the Aetheneum. If one group catches someone and the
other didn't, the ones who didn't lose face. It's an elaborate system but it does work" - Djehuty
"Fair enough. So where is the library?" - Samael
"Beneath our feet" - Djehuty
"It's underground?" - Samael
"Parts of it. Parts are in this building" - Djehuty
Samael realises that he can't tell where in London he is. He appears to be being deliberately confused on that
issue.
"How do we get in? Just walk in through the front door?" - Samael
"Yes" - Djehuty
"Anything I should know?" - Samael
"You're about to be scanned. Don't worry about it" - Djehuty
Samael feels as though he's being scrutinised by Mage Sight. The person who cast it, approaching them, has a
very faint nimbus. He nods and opens the door.
"One of the Proximi" - Djehuty, to Samael as they enter.
Samael is enlightened.
I love Proximi. They so neat - filling the niche in Awakening that linear mages used to have in Ascension of half-
Awakened helpers. They're families of Sleepwalkers that can be carefully trained to cast limited lists of spells. Dominic
from Story One was one.
Samael passes by a plaque denoting this to be The Library of Saint John the Beheaded.
"What is this place to outsiders?" - Samael
"A library, but a private one. We don't advertise" - Djehuty
It's quite nice in here. Black and white tiled floors. Vaulting. Gargyoyles. There's a grand staircase and many
doors. Looking through the ones that are open indicates to Samael that the above-ground regions are more for
relaxation; there are armchairs, fireplaces and bookshelves heaving with old tomes.
Djehuty opens the elevator - one of the old style with the cage - and they descend.
They step out of the elevator, through a ward, and into another corridor which is much more dimly lit. This time
the Gargoyles are watching them, turning their heads to track them as they walk. The library isn't one big
grand hall - it's converted out of basements, cellars, tunnels and the hodge-podge of London Below, carefully
sealed and interconnected. One room, filled high with bookshelves, appears to have once been a London
Underground station. Before long, Samael is well and truly lost. The collection is about 50:50 books and
miscellaneous objects. Samael recognises himself as being in the Miscelleny, the highest part of the
Aetheneum. Every now and again there's a mage reading.
"Was there anything in particular you wanted?" - Djehuty
"I have a short list" - Samael, hands over the list Ashlar made him of things to help his career
Djehuty takes it
"And also the Illustrated Sophiad" - Samael
"These are fine. This" (tapping one thing) "is a restricted item. I will have to get permission to bring it out, so
not today. The Sophiad and these" (indicates some of the titles Ashlar wrote down) "are in the Scriptorium" -
Djehuty
"Is that accessible?" - Samael
"Yes, it should be" - Djehuty
They walk some more, through another ward - this one with an actual guard posted outside it. A proximus,
according to the badge he's wearing.
They descend some stairs into the Scriptorium. A circular-ish room which may have started life as a cellar, with
book-cages radiating out from it. The cages are tightly packed with moveable shelves and are blocked off by
cell doors. The central area has several workbenches, and Samael feels a spell on the area. There's a hatch on
the wall, runed and covered by protections, that presumably allows Grimoires deemed to dangerous to be kept
even here to be brought up for study.
A scriptorium is the part of an Aetheneum where Grimoires and rotes are kept - the "active" texts.
An old man is walking over. He's got a smile on his face, though he doesn't look Samael or Djehuty in the eye,
not once. He's pale, lined with care-lines and squints occasionally. He has a potent Mage Sight spell active.
"Djehuty" - Tiresias
"Sir" - Djehuty
Samael and the librarian flicker handsigns at one another. He's higher ranking.
Djehuty explains what Samael is after.
"Well, thank you very much, Djehuty, I'll take it from here. And once he's done here I'll take him around the rest
of his way" - Tiresias
Dismissed, Djehuty leaves.
"Please, Neokoros, take a seat" - Tiresias, waving
"Thank you" - Djehuty
"I'm the Curator. My name is Tiresias" - Tiresias
Tiresias was the Greek wandering sage who pronounced Oeidepus' doom. Kind of an ancient Greek version of Merlin,
famous for wandering in and out of the Oeidepus-Antigone story and for once spending seven years as a woman
learning the other gender's traditional magic as well as his own. Very symbolic.
For a Sphinx.
He goes into the cages and finds a book on Samael's list - which turns out to describe several rote imagos of
Mind and Fate spells.
Which? No idea. Samael's Mystery Initiation merit gives him access to rotes as powerful as he can cast right now
anyway - this visit is the excuse for Chris to spend any xp he gets from this story on rotes if he wants to.
A Proximus starts fetching the books on the list that are up in the Miscellenia.
"What is it you are looking for?" - Tiresias
"Partly it's just the chance to just be here. The Aethenum in Newcastle is much smaller..." - Samael
"Yes, I know" - Tiresias
"And there are some of my personal research. I've exhausted what I have access to up North. Seeing some
rarities like the Sophiad" - Samael
"I am afraid our other guest is not here right now" - Tiresias
Samael makes polite noises for a second, figuring out what to say
"Has he found much of interest?" - Samael
"I wouldn't presume to intrude on another mage's research" - Tiresias
He places the first volume of the Sophiad on the desk, along with a pair of gloves
"Thank you. I look forward to experiencing it" - Samael, pulling the gloves on
The illustrations are highly stylised
Like the pictures in Mage
Dave2: Like the guy on the Unicycle?
No, not like the guy on the Unicycle.
Before using any magic, Samael opens it and leafs through, appreciating the craftsmanship and familiarising
himself with it.
This first volume is about Sophia's mortal life, in which she was the wife of an alchemist, a "petty magician who
had not seen the watchtowers". Her Awakening as an Obrimos, in which the angels seemed to impart some sort
of design to her, and her quest to find Supernal messages from the angels and Oracle in sleeper mysticism. She
became a Kaballist" (even though, Samael realises, women aren't allowed; it's not mentioned how) and studied
Alchemy. Her magical praxis was all about sifting through base principles looking for Supernal truth.
It's innocent so far, but Samael can see how the story would appeal to an Echo Walker.
Tiresias approaches with the second volume
"I visited Newcastle. Who was your mentor?" - Tiresias
"He was a fellow living... not in any of the cabals... name of Chayot" - Samael
"Yes, yes, I knew Chayot" - Tiresias
He exchanges the volumes
"How well did you know him?" - Samael
"Chayot? Well, I knew him when he was here, obviously" - Tiresias
"I never knew much about his earlier life. Was he in a Cabal?" - Samael
"The Cabal of Six Wings. A group of young Obrimos decided to name themselves after Angels" - Tiresias
"It strikes me as strange to have such a strong theme" - Samael
"Some themes are stronger than others. Civitas knew your mentor best" - Tiresias
"Did they get on well, or is it something I should avoid mentioning?" - Samael
"They got on well until he left. I don't know if the friendship continued through correspondence" - Tiresias
"I understand. Chayot never mentioned it to me" - Samael
Originally Posted by Session 0.2

"I've spent some time in London, with Civitas. Advising him on a problem with a Legacy" - Duma
Chayot does not seem impressed by the name-dropping.

"Thank for you telling me. It's interesting to know he left a legacy behind him" - Samael
"Yes, he certainly has done that" - Tiresias, with a straight face
Ba-DUM-tsh
Samael starts looking through the second volume. Now it's the story of her career as a mage, though rather
confusingly it calls her "Him" for the first third with no explanation, then goes back to calling she a she. Then it
describes, in very loose terms, her beginning her quest for her quintessence and her acceptance into the ranks
of the archmasters.
Tiresias brings volume three out. This is very sketchy, describing her Archmastery of Prime. It's the story of her
quitting her Consilium and performing many quests to gain the Imperial Practices. It doesn't say how she got it,
and then the narrative switches to the long view, with accounts of people meeting her over the years, the tasks
she sets them to and the things she gives them in return. There are some Prime and Forces rotes Samael is in
no way capable of casting.
"Done with that one already?" - Tiresias
"What is the origin of this... I mean this particular physical book?" - Samael
"They were illuminated by a distant ancestor of mine in my Legacy. He claimed to have met her in the Astral
and had the text dictated to him while they shared a voyage to Saturn together. It was the work of years once
he returned" - Tiresias
It should be pointed out that all actions in the Whorl - the Astral realm of the Dreamtime in which the planets and stars
are reflected - take the same amount of objective time but however much subjective time they would. The voyage to
Saturn would have lasted years to the Mage Tiresias is talking about, but would have actually only taken a few
seconds.
No one has managed to get to another star system without going mad through subjective elapsed time. The mage in
question was frankly lucky he had someone to talk to on his trip to the gas giants.
"Some of the diagrams, as for example, that are used as backgrounds in the illustrations are supposed to be
things he saw on the voyage. To him, it took seven years. They reputedly became lovers. At the end of his life
he vanished, putting all his affairs in order and left saying that she had told him she would admit him to her
Chantry. Whether or not he made it I don't know, but I'm a sucker for a good love story" - Tiresias
This is foreshadowing, not just setting detail.
"Has anything been found in the illustrations?" - Samael
"Yes. Many members of the Legacy have discovered new Forces and Prime rotes encoded within" - Tiresias
He puts down volumes four and five
"Here's the one you've been waiting for" - Tiresias
Samael looks through the book, wondering if each page is the one Arc was looking at.
"If you would take an old man's advice, try not to obsess over every possibility. Try instead to open your mind to
all of those involved and the correct answer will leap out at you" - Tiresias
Both volumes are filled with pictures of artefacts and descriptions of encounters - Samael finds the Lilith statue,
which the narrator says she made in the image of the Aeon (and implies that Sophia is on speaking terms with
the real Lilith).
Half an inch through volume five, Samael finds an illustration of the Ankh.
It's not, Sef and Cobalt to the contrary, called the Ankh of Sandrino. It's called the Golden Physician, as was
made to be a healing device. Made of Orichalcum Sophia summoned from the Aether, it's used to perform
surgery on Souls. In extreme cases, it can maintain a Soul for years and help the user to home in on the rightful
owner so that the Soul can be returned to it's proper place. If used on a Soul Stone it will disintegrate it, and if
then used on the person who donated the stone they will have their potential restored.
Samael reads on through the rest of the book, particularly descriptions Sophia gave the narrator of Aether.
The book is also, in the descriptions of the narrator's long philosophical conversations with the archmage about the
Supernal being found throughout the Fallen World, loaded with Sphinx propaganda
"Is there anything else I can help you with?" - Tiresias
"That's it for the books" - Samael
"Have any more possibilities opened?" - Tiresias
"More reinforcement of conclusions" - Samael

Tiresias seems faintly disappointed.
Chris: Right! You're out! Go join the Tamers of Fire...
"It does beg a few more questions" - Samael
"Take your time. Try to ignore the things that you think you already know. It is very easy to become trapped in a
hypothesis." - Tiresias
Samael thinks.
"What do you know?" - Tiresias
Samael thinks some more. Strictly very little, he muses
"No - that's not true. What do you actually know? List your facts and be careful of the ones you just think are
facts" - Tiresias
Yes, Tiresias just read his mind. The gang picked up on that. What they didn't get was my descriptions of him always
looking past people, never focusing on them, and always having Mage Sights active. He's blind.
"Simple hard facts I believe I know, assuming my perceptions can be relied upon. There is an Ankh matching
this description which doesn't *have* to be the same Ankh but probably is..." - Samael
And, Samael thinks, he doesn't know how Chayot got his hands on it.
Tiresias smiles
Nor why the Echo Walkers started looking for it now.
Tiresias smiles wider.
Potentially, it's useful for Echo Walkers who want their consiences salved...
"Good. Meditate on those. Don't think to hard about them, and you may find some answers" - Tiresias
He takes the books, leaving a small work about Archaeomancy that was on Ashlar's list.
After Samael's finished with that, the Proximus comes to take him out. Tiresias tells the sleepwalker to take him
via a specific route, one which turns out to take longer.
"I'm sorry about this sir, the Curator was specific about the route" - Proximus
"Specific in what way?" - Samael
"Don't know, sir" - Proximus
They walk through a reading room, and Samael's eyes briefly meet those of a dark-haired man in his apparent
50s, but a peak-of-health 50s at that.
Samael has a Mage Sight active, and this is the only person he meets on the way out.
Thinking that it's probably Arc, he memorises the man's resonance.
Then he gets searched, twice, and then let out.

Pandora and Sylph arrive at Ashlar's. Sylph is wearing a smart businesswoman's suit, with a very short skirt and
high heels. Her hair's been curled extensively.
"Who are you looking to impress, young lady?" - Cobalt
"Thank you!" - Sylph, beaming
"Ladies" - Rodriguez
"In a.." - Sylph
"Cobalt. My friend. Will you be my second in this matter?" - Rodriguez
"It will be an honour, Rod. Best to keep Ashlar out of it - us Libertine subversives need to keep our collaborators
clean" - Cobalt
"Absolutely" - Rodriguez
"So, do we want wizard's hats? I got some in case" - Sylph
Ashlar shakes his head
"I'll just leave them here" - Sylph
Ashlar nods his head
"I think it best if we're serious" - Cobalt
"I'm very serious. Look at me" - Sylph, indicating her shocking hemline
"Rodriguez. Are you absolutely sure you want to do this?" - Ashlar
"Of course" - Rodriguez
Ashlar pinches his nose. He doesn't look like he got much sleep.
"All right, all right. I'll take you to Civitas. You two - you know what that means?" - Ashlar
"No one mentions hair" - Cobalt
"He probably already knows" - Ashlar
"So it probably doesn't matter. If anyone does ask, we want to make a name for ourselves rather than be
overshadowed by our Mentors" - Sylph
"If anything does go badly, let me do the mouthing off. It's not our place to upset this society" - Cobalt
"It's mine" - Rodriguez
"Rod, you have to visit our Consilium" - Sylph
"Do you have politics that need to be rearranged?" - Rodriguez
"Oh yes! There's someone you have to meet" - Sylph
"I see. What's she like?" - Rodriguez
"If you hit on Symmetry..." - Cobalt, warning
"The mysterious lady! You must tell me what she's like after the match" - Rodriguez
"After the match" - Cobalt
"Ashlar. I am capable of fighting your entire Order, of course, but this Cadaceaus - does his Cabal follow the
right of Nemesis?" - Rodriguez
Ashlar thinks
"Yes" - Ashlar
"Excellent. Then by their own hide-bound traditionalist rules, they must accept" - Rodriguez
"... ...Did we take that one?" - Cobalt
...
Ashlar drives them to the middle of Knightsbridge, parking in a private space. They're going into a club - and
not a nightclub. This is a place where brandy is sniffed, the world is put to rights and women are only admitted
if they're Margaret Thatcher. On the way, Sylph has interrogated Kosciej on proper etiquette. The Daimon
advises her, if things get heated, to demand her right to have the case heard by a neutral Lictor.
-That'll screw em up, and give you a few weeks' breathing space. In the meantime we can get a friendly Silver
Ladder, maybe Gabrielle over from Paris, to tie them up in litigation- - Kosciej
She texts Samael with their destination.
He's still reading the Sophiad at this point

They walk through the club, Pandora and Sylph attracting glances. In a back room, the Heirarch is holding his
weekly Salon.
Civitas and Decurion - his Provost - are at the back of the room, with assembled Mystagogues, Arrows and
Ladders arrayed before him. Under Cobalt's Soul Marks, Civitas is the same Legacy as Cicero up in Newcastle.
Ashlar indicates which Mystagogue is Cadaceaus - bald on top, proper white beard, tanned to the point of
walnut-colour by too much UV exposure or Paradox branding. Civitas is well-dressed, would have an impressive
roman nose if it hadn't been broken in his youth, has a habitual scowl and does not wear a wig.
Not any more.
"Ashlar. What have you found?" - Civitas
"Hierarch, Councillors, Leigemen. May I present Disciple Cobalt, student of..." - Ashlar
"The inestimable Cognos" - Cobalt
Civitas scowls deeper.
"...latterly. Now student of myself, Leigeman of the Durham Consilium. Disciple Sylph, former student of
Cognos, free Leigewoman of the Durham Consilium and Rodriguez, Second-degree Adept, Free Herald and
Leigeman of the Mexico City Consilium" - Ashlar
"Libertines all" - Civitas
"Yes, that is correct" - Rodriguez, buffing a fingernail
"Why have you brought them to the Salon? And where is the other one?" - Civitas
"My third guest is taking in the wisdom of the Aetheneum" - Ashlar
"Hopefully not literally. One trusts he will not share it with his companions" - Cadaceus
"I do not think his presence here affects his loyalties" - Cobalt
Sylph smiles sweetly as Cadacaeus. He does not seem impressed.
"Well. Out with it" - Civitas
"My colleague from the Mexico..." - Cobalt
"...I declare the right of Nemesis" - Rodriguez
"...Wishes to declare the Right of Nemesis on Cadacaeus..." - Cobalt
"PREPOSTEROUS" - Cadacaeus
Cobalt sighs at being constantly interrupted
"For his unspoken accusation, persecution and denial of privaleges appropriate to her rank and scholastic value
of Pandora, leader of the successful expedition to the Ungula Draconis ruins in distant Brazil" - Cobalt
"Heirarch, a foreign Libertine cannot dictate the inner workings of our city's Mysterium" - Cadacaeus
"So you do not follow the Right of Nemesis?" - Cobalt
"I will thank you now, Disciple, to leave the talking to your bette.." - Cadacaeus
Civitas raises a finger. Cadacaeus shuts up.
All three Libertines give him "hah!" expressions.
"You see Cadacaeus? This is why you should be always mindful of people's allies. How is your Mentor, young
man?" - Civitas
Cobalt thinks
"You can ask the good man yourself" - Cobalt, indicating Ashlar
That gets a laugh. Civitas acknowledges the correction with a tiny nod
"As to the previous Mentor, there was an incident" - Cobalt
"There usually is" - Civitas

"Late last year a friend of his was killed" - Cobalt
The Heirarch frowns, as though trying to decypher some kind of coded threat.
Because Civitas, as Samael has just found out, was friends with Chayot. He's now trying to figure out how much Cobalt
knows
"Very well, Cadacaeus. You will accept the challenge" - Civitas
"Who will stand as your second, sir?" - Cobalt
"Heirarch..." - Cadacaeus
"Decurion. Second the Mystagogue Councillor" - Civitas
Decurion - a hard-faced man, thin and gaunt, raises his hand. He's wearing some kind of ring which, to the
Cabal's Mage Sights, is highly magical.
Decurion is the first *statted* character from a World of Darkness book to make it into the Chronicle (Civitas is named
and described, but not given mechanics). He's in Shadows of the UK
"And who will Square it?" - Cadacaeus
"Dare I suggest the member of my Cabal who is in good standing?" - Cobalt
"No, you may not. Ashlar - you do it. Gentlemen" (to Cobalt and Decurion) "I expect you to hash out the details
by the end of the day. Cadacaeus, you have been served with a challenge. Sir, you have served your challenge
successfully. If either of you leave the city you will be assumed to have forfeited. If you cannot take the Circle
and your second cannot take your place, you will be assumed to have forfeited. That's all" - Civitas
Sylph considers whether to commit a diplomatic incident, while Decurion and Cobalt talk matters through.
Decurion looks Cobalt up and down
"You're a Disciple?" - Decurion
"I Awakened late" - Cobalt
He gets that a lot
"You realise that if your man doesn't turn up, you'll have to fight me?" - Decurion
"Is that a threat?" - Sylph
"No, and this is a private discussion between Seconds" - Decurion
"I understand. What happens if one person's second doesn't turn up? Sorry - I'm complicating matters. I
understand the position, and wish to avoid it. I'll make sure nothing happens to my charge" - Cobalt
"The city's duelling ring is held by a Silver Ladder Cabal. I'll give you the address and the phone number of the
Cabal's Hearthtender so you can make the arrangements. Three days is traditional" - Decurion
"We were hoping to do some sightseeing" - Cobalt
"Surely there will be time after you win" - Decurion, deadpan
"I'm not sure how popular we'll be after we do" - Cobalt
"To be honest, you and your friends may not be welcome at the 'sights' regardless" - Decurion
Cobalt sighs
"Rash hearts have prevailed in this city" - Cobalt
"Rash hearts like walking into Salon and Declaring Nemesis against the Council?" - Decurion
"What can I say?" - Cobalt
"You're merely along for the ride, I understand" - Decurion
"No. I agree with what he said - I'm heartily behind her actions on the expedition. And when Master Cadacaeus
finds himself in combat with an Imperial spell cast by an Exarch, he can call her record into question and count
the cost of that" - Cobalt
They confirm date and time. High noon, two days. The Ladder mage to talk to is named Constantine.
"I shall see you across the Circle" - Decurion
"Look forward to it" - Cobalt
They shake on it.
Ashlar leads the troops out again
"I think that went well" - Rodriguez
"Well... I think we ruined their day" - Cobalt
"Now we just have to fend off the ninjas who will come for you" - Sylph, cheery
"Yes. I got that impression. If something happens to you, I have to fight that man." - Cobalt
"Cadacaeus is a first-degree Master" - Ashlar, worried
"Is Constantine a friend of yours?" - Sylph
"He's a Ladder, I barely know him. I could find out if he's amenable to bribery" - Ashlar
"I wasn't talking bribery" - Cobalt
"I know him a little better" - Pandora
"Time to meet him before Decurion gets there and bans everything" - Sylph
"Bear in mind that Rodriguez going missing is Cadacaeus' best option" - Pandora
"Yes. Rod; you stay in a large group at all times for fear of Ninjas. Pandora and Cobalt can go to Constantine to
sort things... And we should pick up Samael. Let's all go back to mine and talk this out" - Ashlar
...
Back at Ashlar's, they find Samael waiting for them
"Sorry to keep you waiting old man. You get the text?" - Cobalt
"Hi Samael" - Sylph
"You look good; all dressed up for the Heirarch then. Did he let you in?" - Samael, to Sylph
Cobalt answers for her
"The C word was mentioned twice. I alluded to Chayot..." - Cobalt
"Civitas knew him" - Samael
"He may have met him a lot, but by the end I doubt he knew him" - Cobalt
"We don't know - that's the worrying thing. How did everything go? All set?" - Samael
"In three days we shall see the poor quality of his bravery" - Rodriguez
"The whole city saw that already" - Cobalt
Samael looks questioning
"He tried to weasel out of it. His Hierarch had to tell him that no, he actually did need to fight" - Rodriguez
Pandora seems to be edging back up to amusement about the whole thing.
"We need some kind of..." - Rodriguez
"Banners?" - Cobalt
Rod is looking at Sylph and Pandora
"I'm thinking Cheerleaders" - Rodriguez
"What did the other accused look like? Their faces?" - Samael
"Surprised. The more traditional members were edging on outraged. Cad tried to play the Foreign Libertine
card, but has to accept a Nemesis challenge by the laws of the Consilium" - Ashlar
"Civitas insisted. There was this bit where Cadacaeus told me to let my betters do the talking, and Civitas shut
him up to speak over him. It was perfectly timed..." (thinks) "...almost like Civitas was on our side" - Cobalt
"Actually... Disregarding whose apprentices you are... he might be" - Ashlar
"What's the relationship between them?" - Samael
"They're supposed to get on well. So well we share a Caucaus Sanctum. There are the occasional inter-
department rivalries; they accuse use of harbouring demons, we accuse them of burning books" - Ashlar
"The wacky differences that keep us interested" - Cobalt
"I'll ask around. if Cadacaus has annoyed Civitas in some way this could be an appropriately humiliating way to
get back at him" - Ashlar
"Are they in the same Cabal?" - Cobalt
"No" - Ashlar
"He could see it as a way to heal the rift in the Mysterium one way or another. It'll be settled regardless" -
Cobalt
"Cobalt. You're my second, and a Moros. Run me up some Mexican-flag Cheerleader outfits" - Rodriguez
"That would be Vulgar. Ashlar! Get me the forms I need to transmute clothing" - Cobalt
Samael pours cold water on the enterprise, pointing out that they're trying to get the Mystagogues to *respect*
'Dora
"We probably need to go see the man" - Cobalt
"We probably do. Anyone want to come see the Ladder with us?" - Pandora
"We don't have to do it now. We could enjoy a slap-up dinner first" - Cobalt
"I feel the call to cook" - Ashlar
"Not necessarily you" - Cobalt
"Samael has a secret sauce" - Sylph
"I'm in the Mysterium. I know well the secret sauce" - Ashlar
"We have a Northern varient" - Samael
"Wow us with your Northern Sauce" - Ashlar
...
Samael is cooking
"Did you have a good time in the Aetheneum?" - Ashlar
"Interesting. Learned a lot. I need to have a chat with Cobalt, actually, about some things" - Samael
"Was he there?" - Ashlar
"Maybe. We weren't introduced, but I did by chance run into someone that might have been him. I got the
measure" - Samael
He describes the man he saw
"Yes. That's Arc. I knew Tiresias would sort you out" - Ashlar
"Tires... Where do I know that name?" - Cobalt
"Oeidipus" - Samael
"Of course. The floppier side of my academics is a little rusty" - Cobalt

"No, he was good. Sent Djehuty packing pretty quickly" - Samael
"He's Djehuty's boss, and I don't think he approves. Tiresias is neutral in all things, has to be, but Djehuty may
have been tarred through guilt with association after his Cabal's treatment of Pandora" - Ashlar
"Is he THE Curator or a Curator?" - Samael
"The. He looks after the inside of the library, but he doesn't control who's allowed in. Civitas is in charge of
Guardian invites and Cadacaeus of Mystagogue ones. Djehuty is in Cadacaeus' Cabal" - Ashlar
"Did you find anything in the Sophiad?" - Cobalt
"I did" - Samael, stirring
"Well, tell us" - Cobalt
"I'm cooking" - Samael
He looks around. Pandora and Rod are talking at the far end of the apartment. Everyone else is here.
"Our friend from the North is one one of Sophia's creations" - Samael
"Bede?" - Cobalt
"Golden friend" - Samael
"What? Just.. Speak plainly. The Ankh, right?" - Cobalt
"The Ankh of Sandrino!" - Sylph
"It's not the Ankh of Sandrino, it's the Ankh of Sophia. Well, 'The Golden Physician' actually" - Samael
"I like Ankh of Sandrino better" - Sylph
"It's likely that's what he was looking at in the book" - Samael
"This Ankh is what Chayot was killed for?" - Ashlar
"Yes. What I'd be interested in is if there are any records of where the Ankh has been and how it moved and
changed hands, because I have no idea how Chayot got it" - Samael
"We could try to look it up" - Ashlar
"That's the plan" - Samael
"We could ask Tiresias if he has anything tracking artifacts" - Ashlar
"If we fill out the background, we might learn something" - Samael
"Remember that crossword puzzle? Doughnut Trust Beads Story? What's the one thing Bede's told us?" - Cobalt
"He's the head of the Mysterium in Durham?" - Samael
"That much I can tell you is true" - Pandora
She and Rod have wandered over
"One was Chayot's funeral. But the other one I'm thinking of is that he got nothing from Quiet's body" - Cobalt
"Not much of a story, really" - Samael, dubious
"You talked to Scribe more..." - Cobalt
"Bede's a Stone Scribe. If you give him a corpse he can summon someone's Ghost" - Pandora
"He said he didn't have a strong enough connection to Quiet" - Samael
"That sounds like a story it's easy to call bullshit on" - Cobalt
"If he had this Quiet's body, I think that would be strong enough. We could ask Scribe - I don't have her number
but she's friends with Logos, and we could phone her to ask" - Pandora
"You know Logos?" - Cobalt

"I used to be Bede's apprentice, until I decided I didn't want to be a Stone Scribe." - Pandora
"Of course. Where did he learn?" - Cobalt
"I have no idea. He is very venerable" - Pandora
Heh
"You decided you didn't want to spend your evenings outside hospitals?" - Samael
"Something like that" - Pandora
What actually happened between them has never been stated. It's not like Duma and Chayot's student-master falling
out, but it's not entirely friendly.
If I were in the Cabal's shoes, I'd ask Pandora why she invited them on the mission to the Amazon despite the way she
talks about Bede. That might tell them something.
"Cobalt. COuld you tell me something about this resonance?" - Samael
He uses prime magic to reproduce Arc
"Sorry, man. It's not him" - Cobalt, disappointed
"Is it wrong I was hoping it was him?" - Ashlar
"It would be simpler. But simpler is not necessarily the right thing" - Samael
"Did he arrive alone?" - Sylph
Ashlar nods
"No Moros?" - Sylph
"No. Reassessing his actions in THAT light then, we know the Echo Walkers found out about the Ankh. We know
he was in Peru. Maybe he's just late to the party" - Ashlar
"We've got to keep track of this guy before he wanders off and starts yanking souls for a laugh" - Cobalt
Samael points out that he just cast a spell altering Resonance.
Cobalt asks if anyone else got scrutinised by Civitas. He speculates that the Hierarch must know.
"And there's one thing in Duma's letter. An omission. He never says how he could know so much about where
the others were. He hunted Left-Handed Legacies but he never moved against any of them. He was going after
Vahishta now, but only because he had something specific to get her on" - Cobalt
"If Duma managed to keep himself largely on the straight and narrow, he might have been hoping... Going after
your own Cabal mates must be hard" - Samael
"Duma got sent out on missions by Civitas. He was lent to other Consilii. I was telling Sylph earlier; he got sent
out of the city on our anniversary last May" - Pandora
"Did he get sent away five months ago?" - Cobalt
"No. About then we were setting up the expedition. A little later he went up North looking for an old friend" -
Pandora
"He came to deliver a message to Chayot. He told us he'd found out they knew about the Ankh. There's many
ways they could have found out, but how did HE find out in turn?" - Samael
Samael can start to feel the shape of destiny forming around him. The pattern is moving.
"Did anyone unusual come into contact with him?" - Sylph
Pandora shakes her head
"I'd like to make a posit. Civitas knows about the Echo Walkers. Duma would have shared everything he knew,
as part of his acceptance. He would have described Arc, meaning Civitas has met Arc and must know he's an
Echo Walker. Therefore Civitas knows about them and has let more than just Duma operate in the city" - Cobalt
He looks at Pandora
"This is the part when you can ask me to shut up" - Cobalt
"No. I trust all of you" - Pandora
Rodriguez seems pleased by that
"This places suspicion on your Hierarch" - Cobalt
"But at the same time it's not enough to come up with anything certain. It's reasonable that he'd know about
the Echo Walkers, and that a Guardian of the Veil Hierarch would keep track of Left Handed mages. Arc maybe
under heavy surveillance. We can't rule out the possibility, though, that the third Echo Walker came here
without his knowledge" - Samael
"Twice" (to Ashlar) "How easy would it be to evade notice?" - Cobalt
"If they stayed covert? In a city this size? Easy" - Ashlar
"The Seers wouldn't be a problem" - Samael
"Nor the Guy Fawkes... We're talking to one possible group - we're talking to the Diamond. Maybe the Assembly
know something" - Ashlar
"Maybe our masked friends" - Samael
"They KNEW! Of course! This is the bowl of Cheerios! They told you you were messing with something close to
the heart of the dear leader" - Cobalt
"Can you get away with contacting them? I'm worrying about ramifications" - Samael
"Me or Rod" - Cobalt
"Exactly. We can't afford either of you to get caught" - Samael
"It's cool - I'll go" - Sylph
"Do you know how to find them?" - Samael
(utterly certain) "Yeah" - Sylph
Ashlar asks where the victim was. There is some talk about maybe getting close enough for a postcognition
somehow.
"Maybe a distraction?" - Sylph
"There is a bunch of mages who like vulgar distractions. The precedent might be up for lending a hand" -
Samael
"I don't see what would be in it for them apart from an opportunity to get killed" - Cobalt
"I'll try to think of a way to get to him" - Ashlar
"I'll talk to the Precedent" - Sylph
Rodriguez tries to insist he go with Sylph on that task, but wiser heads prevail and he is forced to agree to stay
in safety in case theoretical ninjas attack.
"So. To recap. Tomorrow, Cobalt and Pandora are heading to the Silver Ladder. Sylph is going to go and try to
talk to the Precedent and Samael is..." - Ashlar
"Going to an Art showing" (off expressions) "Seriously! And I'm also going to try to see if I can trace the path of
the Ankh. " - Samael
"In the which case I will stay here at mission control and defend Rod from the inevitable army of ninjas" - Ashlar
"I'd be disappointed if you had a Ninja attack and didn't invite us" - Cobalt
"I hearby adjourn this court" - Ashlar
He thumps the salt cellar
"I have one very important question, before we sit down, about this afternoon... Does Civitas have a new wig?"
- Samael
"No. His heart was broken" - Ashlar

In the morning, Samael and Ashlar distribute Mage Sight spells.
"We should be okay" - Cobalt
"Oh, the Ladder are fine" - Pandora
"One bad experience doesn't taint an Order" - Cobalt
"We didn't have a bad experience except for Hatfield" - Sylph
"That was the one" - Cobalt
"You know Hatfield?" - Pandora
"Hatfield is a lovely man as long as you agree with everything he says" - Cobalt
"Or intimidate him" - Samael
"We tried that once too often and he complained to Aurora. Poor Cal" - Cobalt
"Was Aurora Heirarch when you were in Durham?" - Samael
Pandora nods
"How long has she been Hierarch?" - Samael
"Ten years? She's older than she looks" - Pandora
"Life magic" - Sylph
"She's worth it" - Pandora
Sef giggles
"Who is this Aurora?" - Rodriguez
"Ah, Rod, you should meet her. She would find your charms irresistible. A tough woman, standing on her own,
an island in the storm. Meeting you could really change her" - Samael
"Toughest thing north of the Watford Gap" - Cobalt
"So. Good day all" - Samael
"Good luck everyone" - Ashlar
"Watch out for the Ninjas" - Sylph
The group agree that the codeword to get back in is "The Flywheel has met the Monkey".
"To be honest, they were asking for it having the flywheel that close to the Monkey..." - Cobalt, to Pandora
...
Sylph considers how she's going to find the Libertines, gets out her Compass and follows the needle.
She ends up on a park bench, feeding the ducks alongside a man in a guy fawkes mask
"We meet again" - Libertine
"Indeed we do. I didn't really think you wore that mask all the time" - Sylph, a little weirded out
Actually, he isn't wearing a mask. It's a Mage-Sight blocking Phantasm, produced by an Imbued item secreted about
his person. Sleepers just see a guy (with an Incognito Presence up), while mages see the Mask.
I play in a Ghost in the Shell game online, you see. The Laughing Man was in my thoughts when I ran this.
"What is it I can do for you?" - Libertine
"I seek information" - Sylph
"Information wants to be free but sadly is not" - Libertine, smoothly

"I know. It needs to pay the rent. What do you want for it?" - Sylph
"Your friend is already causing trouble. We like trouble" - Libertine
"The Mexican friend?" - Sylph
"The Mexican friend" - Libertine
"The faces on the high-ups were priceless" - Sylph
"I think you'll find they had a very specific price attached. Your credit is good so far. What did you wish to
know?" - Libertine
"In that case.. You have already been warning us about meddling in the interests of the Heirarch, but
unfortunately it doesn't look like we can stop. So I was wondering what you could tell me about it" - Sylph
"The man you visited in the hospital is under surveillance from the Heirarch using Sleepers told to phone when
suspicious individuals come calling. You should expect Civitas has already been informed of your visit. We don't
know who the young man is. We know he's a mage and we know the Heirarch had him installed there, likely
something to do with the damage to his soul" - Libertine
"When was he put there?" - Sylph
"Last May" - Libertine
"The damage to his soul was there?" - Sylph
The mask nods
"We know that there are five others. All young men, all with damage to their soul, installed over the same
period with records altered, but only one is a mage. I would suggest someone is playing a shell game" -
Libertine
"You don't know who did the damage to the soul?" - Sylph
"No. Nor, before you ask, do we know who he is. I suspect you have the better of us there" - Libertine
"I know who he is, and maybe why he's there. I don't know why the Heirarch is involved. The information can
be traded" - Sylph
"Very well. If we find out why the Heirarch is involved and share that with you, you tell us who he is" - Libertine
"All right. Also, I'd like to know if you have any more information about the Awakened visiting the city" - Sylph
"Awakened visit the city all the time. Be more specific" - Libertine
"Do you know the one call Duma?" - Sylph
"We knew him" - Libertine
"Do you know about his Legacy?" - Sylph
"We knew he was in one. Possibly a Guardian of the Veil only one, and his membership was sponsored by
Civitas which would be why he was so beholden to Civitas. That's our running theory" - Libertine
"Have you seen anyone else with the Legacy around?" - Sylph
"I will have to ask. Is there a way to reach you?" - Libertine
They agree that they'll leave word at Ashlar's if they want to get in contact.
...
Cobalt and Pandora, on their way to see Constantine
"So how's life up North?" - Pandora
"It was entertaining for a while. Have we told you the story of the great big dogs?" - Cobalt
"Yes" - Pandora
"Aside from the Dogs it's all right. I'm continuing my exoteric research: I have a job to go back to. Samael's
okay - he's concentrating on esoterics, trying to figure out if sympathetic connections remain when you can't
remember your name, or if they're loosened" - Cobalt
"Yes. No" - Pandora
"I figured as much" - Cobalt
"Sef says he goes out a lot" - Pandora
"He's young. He comes back late at night, terribly hung over. Sef seems fine, I think she's gotten over her crush
on Samael. There's a guy up there named Aquila" - Cobalt
"Sef had a crush?" - Pandora
"Gone now. So I guess we're settling down, the Lighthouse Family. Reaching out to the community and bringing
the crazy on a regular basis" - Cobalt
They reach their destination and get out of the car. Nice house.
At which point, bats started diving at the open window out into the street. Damn flying rats.
ETA: I mean in the real world. Our game got bat-bombed. I think they live in the Bristol cliff side.
They're met by Constantine: rake-thin, tanned, wearing what is probably his best guess at what a casual young
person wears. He's not quite got the details
"Hi! How you doing?" - Constantine
"Not bad. Have the other side been here first?" - Cobalt
"No, but knowing Decurion he'll leave it to the last minute and keep me indoors waiting all day. I've heard
what's going on" (to Pandora) "And I'm sorry" - Constantine
"Thank you" - Pandora
"I'm here to..." - Cobalt
"Here to inspect the Circle! if you want to come and inspect it we'll get the show on the road"
He shows them through the Cabal house, another Ladder (named Maeve) saying hello as they pass through. In
the Cabal's gym there's a duelling circle, inlaid in silver into the floor.
Cobalt inspects it with Dark Matter
"Great workmanship. Who made it?" - Cobalt
"A Moros in the last generation of our Cabal. He melted the silver, made it run to shape then solidified it. We
can accommodate about eight spectators on either side" - Constantine
"I'll keep to my limit if they can keep to theres. How many people need to act as observers?" - Cobalt
"Myself and my colleagues have no stake in this, so we'll act as marshals. It's a tenet of my Order to support
peaceful resolution of problems" - Constantine
"Understood. Now the complicated part. My colleague from Mexico uses..." - Cobalt
"...A different duelling rite to everyone else" - Constantine, as though he has heard this one before
"I'm sorry" - Cobalt
"It's all right. We entered a tournament last year, had a Cabal down from Manchester whose prize fighter used
a weird duelling rite he'd picked up in Jamaica. It's fine - it happens with regional differences. What's your man
used to? Lycean rite? Falcon Dive?" - Constantine
"I'm afraid I don't know the technical terms. I'm new to the art" - Cobalt
"That's nothing to be ashamed of" - Constantine
"My challenger doesn't use a Shield. He uses two Swords" - Cobalt
"Oh, one of those" - Constantine
"He'd be disappointed if there were a technical term for it, I suspect" - Cobalt
"There is, but in that case I won't disappoint him" - Constantine

"Mums the word. The one squaring the circle knows, but I wanted to tell the owners of the circle" - Cobalt
"Very good of you. I'll have to warn your opposition that it's likely to happen" - Constantine
"Understood" - Cobalt
"For his part, Cadacaus often uses the rite wherein combatants can only exchange Arcana three times,
favouring the specialist over the lucky generalist. Is either man in a Legacy?" - Constantine
"I've been told Cadacaus is Thrice-Great" - Cobalt
"That shouldn't affect the duelling. Does your man have any attainments that will interfere with the process?" -
Constantine
"He's not in a Legacy" - Cobalt
"All right then. Two day's time at high noon" - Constantine
"Tradition" - Cobalt
"We'll see you here. Good to meet you" - Constantine
They are shown out
"That went well. Told you they were nice. If you accept the Lex Magica and the Ladder's way of doing things,
they'll go out of their way to help you" - Pandora
"We may have gained points coming here early" - Cobalt
They talk about how duelling may be flashy but IS non-Lethal, which is why the Ladder promotes it.
They get back into the car
"So Samael goes out a lot and then comes back alone?" - Pandora
"I think he's partly doing it for the experience. I think if you talk to him about it he'll tell you. He meets up with
some of the other mages. To my knowledge, there's no secret society involved. Except for the Cabals" - Cobalt
...
Samael is at the Tate, taking in the Peter Rice show. Tiresias has also turned up, and is sat calmly listening to
the show.
Samael's so rattled he fails to cast Supernal Vision.
Rice gives his lecture. Samael checks to see if he's Awakened - he isn't. Apparantly, Rice hears people's auras
in their voice.
During the after lecture hobknobbing, Rice thanks Tiresias for the sizeable donation.
Suitable wigged out, Samael corners the artist and introduces himself as a fan from Newcastle. They discuss
colour and light, and why the colours of emotions (/Auras) seem to match up with folklore - green for envy, red
for anger and so on.
Pain. Anger. Watercolours, mostly
Samael and Tiresias meet up on the edge of the party.
"He's nearly got it, hasn't he?" - Tiresias
"Yeah. It's, uh..." - Samael
"We have high hopes for Peter" - Tiresias
"Do you think he'll Awaken?" - Samael
"We've spent a lot of time and money on him in the hopes that he will. He's not quite there yet. The revelation
has to come on it's own pace, as I tried to tell you yesterday you can't rush these things. How goes your
enquiry?" - Tiresias
"Since yesterday no massive distance" - Samael
"I heard about your Cabal" - Tiresias, amused

"Trying to right wrongs. We seem to get into these situations - into trouble and out again. It'll be quite a show,
no doubt" - Samael
"Don't let it distract you. Well... It may be useful, but it may get in the way. Just remember what I told you -
keep your mind open and let the solutions fall in." (changes subject) "In any case, I've been reading Ashlar's
papers on South America. Learning about your exploits. Very impressive" - Tiresias
"Mostly trying to not get killed. It was an experience, I'll give you that" - Samael
"Samael. There are things going on around you: that much you know. Who do you think I am?" - Tiresias
"How many answers am I allowed to give?" - Samael
Tiresias grins
"A myriad of things. A mage, with a Shadow name. Whatever symbolic connections are attached to that name.
You're a Curator and Theonom but also a guide of some sort... I'm loath to make inferences based on Shadow
name, after seeing the insult some people take, but... I think you're interesting" - Samael
"You're trying to find out about the Echo Walkers" - Tiresias
"Yes" - Samael
"And the Ankh" - Tiresias
"Yes" - Samael
"And what Bede told you" - Tiresias
"Yes" - Samael
"I'm a representative of a Legacy you've probably heard of. We're called Pathfinders or Sphinxes. Logos in your
home Consilium was my student. We've had our eye on you for a while and we have high hopes for you, just as
we do for Mr Rice. You know what it is we do?" - Tiresias
"I've heard stories, but..." - Samael
"We find hidden Meaning. We look at the world and see the Truth of what it means, picking up Supernal Truth
buried away inside the world. I think you can relate" - Tiresias
"Yes... Yes" - Samael
"There is something going on around you. Logos has sensed it and alerted me to it. there are plans and tangled
meetings and destinies and fates that have you at their edge. You seem to be moving closer to the centre
without understanding the greater web, and it's tightening around you. Unless you're able to see who is doing
what to who it may strangle you. I can't tell you what's going on; you have to learn it for yourself" - Tiresias
"Any advice?" - Samael
"Just what I've already offered. Don't cling to faulty facts. Allow all data to wash through you and look for the
hidden truth. Look for the past of things. You tried to find where the Ankh was before - keep that up" - Tiresias
"Can I use the Aetheneum?" - Samael
"Arc is there today. I can tell you that he has been looking up texts mentioning artefacts. From our records, the
last known movement of the Ankh was in 1922 where it was received from a grateful travelling mage by the
Hierarch of the Cambridge Consiium." - Tiresias
Agena: Duhn duhn duuuuh
"It vanished from Cambridge in 1952; reported stolen, though they never found the culprit" - Tiresias
Samael opens his mouth
"Don't leap at it. You'll probably come to the wrong conclusion" - Tiresias
"A futher question. Will the other Aetheneums now know it's been found up North?" - Samael
"I haven't told them. It's up North? Well then; how did it get up North?" - Tiresias
"Interesting question" - Samael
"As I said, I've been impressed with your actions. Given what you're trying to find, and the nature of what's
happened... Shall we go to Ashlars?" - Tiresias
1. When you Were Young
Back at Ashlar's
"No Ninjas?" - sylph
"Legions" - Rodgriguez
"We were very manly" - Ashlar
Samael and Tiresias turn up
"Oh, hi! Everyone, this is Tiresias. He's the Curator of the Aetheneum" - Ashlar
"The keeper of things under glass? Pleased to meet you" - Sylph
"Well, you know what it's like. Sometimes butterflies have to have needles put through them" - Tiresias
She gives him the stink-eye
Yeah. He knows.
"He's also our Theonom" (off the Libertine's blank stares) "Person who does our initiation rites" - Ashlar
"Speaking of which. Pandora - has Samael proven he can act without supervision?" - Tiresias
Pandora, put on the spot, is taken aback
"Uh.. Yes?" - Pandora
"You people are all his friends. Does he see his place in the universe? Make his own goals?" - Tiresias
"Walks his own path" - Cobalt, nodding
"Why, then, is he still a Neokoros?" - Tiresias
Dave2: Because he hasn't spent the xp yet?
"Bede doesn't like him?" - Cobalt
"He's not done well enough at Kareoke?" - Sylph
"Well, the training I intend to put Samael through cannot be applied to a Neokoros. It's just unacceptable. He
isn't deep enough in initiation... So I intend to promote him" - Tiresias
The next Mystery Initiation up from where Samael is right now - the Mysterium Anima, I think, though I don't have my
book to hand - involves going into the Astral and understanding how you fit into the pattern of the universe. Very
appropriate for a Sphinx, and there are concepts involved that will make it easier for Tiresias to induct Samael into the
Legacy once Samael has the security clearance to know them.
Besides which, Chris has been playing Samael as acting like a Dudekos for a long time. He may as well buy the Merit
dot to have the character's rank match the way he's been portrayed.
Silence
"I agree!" - Sylph, loudly
"Very well. We will use my Demesne. Ashlar, Pandora. If you need any books, get in touch. Sir. Sir" (to Cobalt
and Rodriguez) "Miss" (to Sylph) "Sir" (to Sylph again) - Tiresias
And then he departs
"Well... He was terribly mysterious" - Ashlar
Sylph turns to Cobalt
"He's a Sphinx" - Cobalt
"I KNEW it!" - Sylph
Ashlar is congratulating Samael - he's impressed the Sphinx enough that they've actually turned up.
The gang compare notes and synchronise again. Cobalt thinks the Silver Ladder will do right by them, and
shares the hint about how Cadacaus likes to fight.
"He's a first degree Master. He'll probably use his Mastery as a Shield" - Ashlar
"His pattern suggests defensive thinking" - Rodriguez
Cobalt says he's probably going to run a book.
Sylph says she met a nice man in a mask who told her Civitas is playing the shell game.
"I've been thinking. It doesn't have to be an Echo Walker - it's a Death spell, yes?" - Sylph
"We don't know enough about the Legacy" - Samael
"All of them were attacked last May" - Cobalt
"When Duma was sent away" - Pandora
"And all with tampered records, put there by the Heirarch. They're finding out if anyone other than Duma and
Arc were in town, and why the Hierarch is involved" - Sylph
Cobalt questions how much the Precedent know. Sylph says they think the Echo Walkers are a Guardian Legacy
"We have to separate what the Precedent think they know from what they actually know" - Samael, getting into
the spirit of his nascent Legacy
Samael's turn
"The Ankh was not officially in Chayot's possession. Last reported 1922 in Cambridge. Gone in 1952: Stolen" -
Samael
Cobalt speculates if the Ankh is the Soul Cage
-Were you around Cambridge in 1922?- - Sylph
-In the 1920s I was in America. Hadrian was from Cambridge- - Kosciej
-Yeah, I know- - Sylph
"When did you see it at Chayot's?" - Cobalt
"Last summer..." - Samael
He thinks, hard. He honestly can't remember if he saw it before or after May last year
"There was so much going on..." - Samael
He thinks really hard
And uses Destiny on the memory check
"Chayot went on a trip in May. He had the Ankh when he came back" - Samael
"Oh, SHIT" - Cobalt
Everyone looks at him
Dave gets the hefty Arcane Experience award here, as he figures it out
"Could you, for me, please recreate Chayot's Resonance?" - Cobalt
Samael blinks
"I don't mean to question your mentor..." - Cobalt
"No. Don't say anything. Let me do it" - Samael
Samael casts a minor, brief Phantasm, cloaked to appear to be cast by Chayot
.
.
"It was him. It was Chayot" - Cobalt
Hubbub
"How practised was he in Spirit?" - Cobalt
"I never saw him use it" - Samael
"Civitas?" - Cobalt
"No" - Ashlar
"Then we still don't know where Archimedies came from, but the men in the hospital? It was either Chayot or
someone recreating his resonance" - Cobalt
"If there wasn't expecting anyone to check, there'd be no reason for them to fake it. He could have disguised it,
but for every single one of those spells he'd have had to use a ritual casting" - Samael
"Civitas must know" - Sylph
"He sent Duma out of the city when Chayot came in" - Samael
Ashlar and Pandora look lost. Rodriguez looked lost ages ago
"The man in the coma is a Guardian of the Veil from Cambridge. That's the pea in the shell game" - Cobalt, by
way of explanation
"Hang on" - Ashlar
Ashlar starts digging through books
"I have a bare contact list for other Aethenea and Consilii - just Shadow Names and PO Box numbers, really..." -
Ashlar, still looking
Samael seems to have accepted the theory
"He came home after hospitalising all these men, and didn't so much as blink. I never knew" - Samael
"And he brought the Ankh" - Sylph
"He brought the Ankh back. But he didn't use it on them. He just left them there" - Samael
"Maybe he didn't work with Civitas. Maybe he didn't want Civitas to..." - Sylph
"Sylph. Our friends are missing a piece of this puzzle. You could..." - Cobalt
She shakes her head
"Okay" - Cobalt, sadly
Ashlar waves a book, triumphantly
"Aha! Here we are. Cambridge. The Mystagogue Hierophant is named Ovid, and the Hierarch is a Guardian
Thyrsus named Solemn" - Ashlar
Originally Posted by Session 3.5

"There were a few Guardian Cabals that hunted us" - Galatea
"Any names to watch out for?" - Persephone
"Keep an eye out for anyone named Solemn. There have been at least five Guardians taking that Shadow
Name - I think Kosciej killed one of them" - Galatea
"How close are they to your Consilium?" - Cobalt
"We had the joint operation; Duma got sent up to help them with something" - Pandora
"Oh" - Cobalt
Kosciej is waving an imaginary copy of the letter at Sylph

I took part in the hunt for the lost Soul Stone of Koschei the Deathless and was with the Adamantine Arrow
when the Cambridge Tremere were broken
"They had a Liche problem" - Ashlar
"Nasty" - Cobalt
-Yeah, you've got to watch out for them Liches- - Kosciej
"Okay... Okay... What the hell do we DO? We can tell them their man's down here, but... Walking into a man's
private club and challenging his friend to a duel is one thing, but accusing him of this..." - Cobalt
"Maybe he put those people..." - Sylph
"It may have been payment" - Samael
That feels oddly *right* to Samael
"The Echo Walkers want this thing. Chayot came South and was jolting souls. What did Civitas want? What was
the service for which he paid? If Civitas wanted the Artefact, why did he let Chayot walk off with it?" - Samael
"You make a good case. Chayot wanted the Ankh" - Cobalt
"He left a lot of people down here" - Samael
"And that was the job" - Cobalt
Samael sits back, lost in thought, going over everything he can remember looking for hints.
They haven't got it all - they need a *motive*. And the motive of our mysterious Thyrsus. What does the Heirarch of
Cambridge have to do with all of this?
Anyway - that's all for this week, folks!

Session 4.3
Apologies one and all for the slight delay in getting this to you, and for the fact that this session is a bit of a short one.
It's short because it's primarily one long action sequence, of the sort that fills lots of minutes on the audio recording of
the section and eats into the clock but doesn't take that long to type out. The delay is because I've been freelancing
again (yes, again).
There is also a reason why this session is rather... odd, in terms of how it meshes with the rest of the chronicle and the
World of Darkness as a whole. Put simply, I got myself into a car accident on the way to the game, so we started an
hour later than normal and I was still rattled.
As a result, this gets out of genre very quickly. I can only say that 4.4 brings us right back to the usual feel. And has a
hell of a cliffhanger.
But before we get there, we need to grit our teeth and get through this one. Everyone ready? Set? Here we go...
Well, eventually, anyway. We blathered, sang theme tunes from old cartoons (Bananaman!) made the sign of the
Imperial Eagle for half an hour and told anecdotes of the original Mage: The Ascension chronicle Cobalt is from (Liquid
Toast) before we actually started.
But when we did start, we started with.
Dave: Roll Initiative!
Faced with nothing practical to do about their situation, the cabal and their allies decide to sleep on it.
Samael offers Pandora and Sylph Magic Shields
"If Cadacaus is going to try anything, it won't be us he goes after. If he will attack, he will attack you. We aren't
involved in the duel" - Sylph
Even so, he casts it.
"Don't brood over this. You need to sleep" - Sylph
"Don't worry. I'll get some" - Samael
The storyteller, though, has other plans...
Sylph and Pandora get to her house. Pandora asking, concerned, how Sylph thinks Samael will cope.
"Oh, he'll be fine. He's harder than he looks" - Sylph
Pandora goes to bed. Sylph stays up for a while with a notepad, trying to figure out a timeline of known events.
Chris: Atlantis: Pre-Fall

Dave2: Bo Radly is born from an egg!
...
It is a dark and stormy night.
Samael and Cobalt, sleeping in Ashlar's living room, are half-woken by Archimedies using his Numina on them.
"Go away, Archimedes" - Samael
Cobalt mutters to himself in his half-sleep.
And then they both realise that Archimedes is with Sylph at Pandora's house, and wake up very quickly.
"Do you feel that?" - Cobalt
"Yes" - Samael, climbing out of the camp bed
"You saw Archimedies go, right?" - Cobalt
Samael casts Supernal Vision in answer, but can't see anything.
Cobalt's Grim Sight can, though. Perched on the globe of too many continents is a creature in Twilight, like a
cross between a fox and a chimpanzee. It's snarling. Another is climbing up over the window ledge and passing
- as it's immaterial - through the glass. The third is blocking the front door
"Okay. What the bloody hell are you?" - Cobalt
"ASHLAR! PROBLEM!" - Samael
The one at the window lunges at Samael
"Duck left!" - Cobalt
Ashlar opens the door to his room and blearily looks out, then reacts - seeing the creatures, evidentially. The
one on the globe fades into Samael's view as it Materialises. It snarls at the three again.
Ashlar casts a Spirit Mage Sight spell on Samael, allowing him to see the creatures circling them
"It's your sanctum. How does Vulgar magic stand?" - Samael
"Defending myself from an attack? Acceptable" - Ashlar
"How about us?" - Samael
"I should think so. We can argue it later" - Ashlar
Samael nods.
A fourth creature has climbed up the outside of the building
"Shit. Okay" - Cobalt
"Do you get the feeling we're being surrounded?" - Ashlar
"Yes. Time to start making holes in the one that has a body" - Cobalt
He activates his multitool, the metal flowing into the shape of a scimitar.
Not a Katana.
Not yet, anyway
The creature on the globe opens it's mouth and HOWLS, the sound reverberating around the room and shaking
the Mage's souls. They are gripped by an unnatural fear, and pile into Ashlar's room. As they run, the
manifested spirit lunges at Cobalt, but he dodges out of the way.
"ROD!" - Cobalt
That was the "Howl" Numina. These things are the Fear spirits from Book of Spirits.
Cobalt recovers his senses first. He's at the door. Samael's halfway through the room. Ashlar's in the en-suite.
"We should probably open the door before it batters it down" - Cobalt
"Wait" - Ashlar
The older mage casts a Spiritual Mage Armour spell on them all
Cobalt pushes the door open, scimitar in hand. He sees one of the creatures clawing at Rod's door.
His mobile phone rings
"Yes?" - Cobalt, calmly answering while the creatures turn around and watch him
"Rex?" - Symmetry
That got a laugh
"Hi!" - Cobalt
"I don't mean to worry you, but the Spirit Ward on your lighthouse was just breached" - Symmetry
"Really? Thanks for the warning" - Cobalt
"Cobalt! Watch out! It's getting closer!" - Samael
"I can see it" - Cobalt, gritting his teeth
"What's getting closer?" - Symmetry
"The small pack of attack spirits" - Cobalt
"The.. Oh god. I should... I should get off the phone, right?" - Symmetry
"Call you back" - Cobalt
She hangs up. He drops the phone and takes a grip on his sword as the materialised spirit advances. They
swipe at one another.
And now, Cobalt versus the Fox-Spirit. The formula for figuring out the defence of Spirits is rather... Well, Cobalt was
rolling chance dice to attack the damn thing, even with the sword.
Samael considers his options
It is a dark and stormy night. And one of the creatures has materialised while being on the far side of the
window.
Samael focuses, forms an Imago and hopes to hell he's got the distances right. A fork of lightning flashes down
from the storm clouds, hitting the spirit square in the head. There's an enormous sonic boom as the lightning
strikes and Ashlar's windows are shattered, the glass propelled inward by the thunderclap.
The creature becomes so much charred and rapidly evaporating ephemera.
Three to go.
Cobalt, with electricity on his mind, tries to cast Alter Conductivity to set up his and Samael's party trick... but
fails. Ashlar tries to cast Harm Spirit, bruises appearing as he desperately contains a nasty paradox. Samael
casts Control Electricity to ramp up the power in the sockets.
That's quickly becoming Samael and Cobalt's versionof the fastball special. They've found their one utterly broken
combat tactic and they're sticking to it...
The other bedroom door is kicked open.
"Hello" - Rodriguez, brandishing handguns.
He shoots the materialised spirit that's fighting Cobalt, reducing it's head to dissolving ephemera.
Not just Bullets. Enchanted bullets.
Ashlar pulls some kind of artifact off the wall - it's made of metal and has a sharp end. He's evidently
Enchanting it.
The four mages advance upon the remaining Fox spirits. One lunges at them, materialising as it comes, while
the other jumps out through the now-open window.
Cobalt casts Alter Conductivity again, this time successfully forming the Imago. The materialised spirit is
trapped, burning up from the feet.
With no more threats apparent, Samael carefully reduces the charge in Ashlar's electrical system to normal.
"Sorry about the window" - Samael
Ashlar rolls his eyes and puts his hand to one of the shattered teeth of glass sticking out of the frame. As
Samael watches, the window flows back together - first as a sort of ghostly after image but then coloring in and
gaining definition, until it's good as new.
Which, I believe, is the first time Ashlar and Cobalt's Legacy has actually been *seen*. That was the second
attainment.
Samael phones Sylph.
...
A short time previously, Sylph is sat in bed, wide awake. She's thinking about what Tiresias said, hinting that he
knows about Kosciej and the parliament. She's stroking Archimedes, who has been good and not used his
Numina for the first time in weeks.
Although she may have thought that too soon, as she feels the pull of unseen influence on her emotions. She
looks at the cat, disappointed.
"You've been so good" - Sylph
Archimedes turns his nose up at her. As she continually threatens, Sylph takes his Essence into her own pattern
and sublimates it into Mana.
The Familiar hops down off the bed and stalks out. The last thing Sylph feels down the link is a certain sense of
"this'll teach you" before the two Fox-headed chimp things materialise either side of her.
Sylph screams like she's in a horror movie and runs out of the room, down the hall and into Pandora's room.
She slams the door behind her.
"Okay... WHAT?" - Pandora, in bed
Chris: have we slipped into Rodriguez' dreams?
"The... there are two... there..." - Sylph
Chris: Rod didn't wake up because of the howl. Clearly he sensed a disturbance in the force.
"There are two monsters in the other room!" - Sylph
"What?" - Pandora
'Dora grabs her dressing gown and gets out of bed. At which point there is scratching from the other side of the
door
"Tell me that's Archimedes" - Pandora
"They look like monkeys" - Sylph
Pandora casts something, sealing the door by melding the wood to its door frame.
"They just appeared out of nowhere!" - Sylph
"Monkey things. Are they flying?" - Pandora, with black humor
"I didn't see" - Sylph, not getting it
Pandora goes to the window and opens the curtains. There's another Spirit on the other side. Sef shrieks and
clutches at Pandora.
"What are we going to do!? What IS it?" - Sylph
"It's some kind of Spirit or demon, or... Cadacaus! He's trying to get rid of us before the fight!" - Pandora,
leaping to the wrong conclusion
"My magic doesn't work on Spirits! What are we going to do!?" - Sylph, shaking her
The door cracks as one of the creatures rips a plank out. Sylph throws off a quick Evil Eye while Pandora speaks
in the High Speech, her Nimbus - an odd sensation of things rushing past the observer away from her - flaring
as she disintegrates the floor beneath herself and Sef.
3D thinking, you see.
Sylph and Pandora drop into the dining room below Pandora's bedroom in a shower of masonry dust. The
monkey-beasts break through the bedroom door above and Howl, the sound penetrating to the primal "flight"
instinct in their souls.
They both run, screaming, into the Kitchen.
This is getting a bit exploitation now. Somewhere, Rodriguez is begging to be teleported.
Dav2: Let's get through the Fanservice.
Dave: You said it, bro
Sef closes the door behind them, grabs the biggest knife in the knife block and casts Superlative Luck. Pandora
casts [i[Alter Efficiency[/i] on the Knife for good measure and grabs the Electric Roast-Carver
Chris: Ah, the tiny cousin of the chainsaw.
Dave2: Which as we all know can cut through anything. Like a Katana.
One of the Spirits throws itself at the kitchen door, which judders with the impact. The girls, brandishing
weapons, move to the back of the kitchen.
The door gives out, and the Spirits leap in, clawing at them as they stab back with the improvised weapons.
The third Spirit Howls again.
The only place for the women to flee is out into the storm. They charge out, the Spirits loping steadily after
them after taking a swipe when they turn to flee. Pandora grabs Sef's hand and leads her around the side of the
house, where her car is.
They get to the car - a Jaguar - but it's locked, and 'Dora doesn't have the Forces magic to actually unlock it. Or
turn on the ignition. Sylph is hiding on the other side of the car as the creatures slowly advance, chuckling to
themselves like hyenas.

Back at Ashlar's, Rodriguez has been persuaded to put some clothes on, having emerged to fight the good fight
in the alltogether. Fresh from that victory, Cobalt is persuading Samael to likewise get himself ready for battle.
Samael, though, is more concerned about the fact that neither Sef nor Pandora are answering the phone.
"We have to get over there!" - Samael
"Put some pants on first!" - Cobalt
"None of us can Portal!" - Ashlar
"Scrying!" - Samael.
He dives into his luggage, and then holds the Telescope aloft.
"But it takes a lot of power to cast through a connection..." - Samael
"Me and Rod are Adepts. We can cast attack spells through the connection" - Ashlar
Samael digs through for the Christmas present Sef gave him, a bracelet with a piece of her hair woven into it.
He activates Cognos' gift to him, scrying on the girls as they flee from the kitchen.
Rodriguez emerges again, having put on his trousers (if nothing else).
Rodriguez and Ashlar have a brief tug of war over the telescope.
"Just give it HERE" - Samael
...
The Car unlocks itself.
As Samael casts a Forces spell down the telescope at it.
Pandora and Sylph get in. The car starts itself. Sylph slaps the central lock button. Pandora puts foot to metal.
...
"Ashlar, where're they going to drive TO?" - Samael
"I have no idea" - Ashlar
Rodriguez is busily cursing Spirits through the telescope. Samael tugs the scope back, and casts a spell turning
the car radio into a reciever.
...
"Can anyone hear us?" - Samael
"ARG! Where did you come from?" - Sylph, jumping in her seat
"The Radio" - Samael
"He got smaller" - Cobalt, sarcastically
"Look - drive to Ashlar's. We got attacked as well, but we fought them off" - Samael
...
Back at Ashlar's, Samael retrieves his very cool coat.
"RIGHT" - Samael
The menfolk stride out into the rain. Samael starts to figure out an Imago for a forked Lightning blast, while
Rodriguez makes himself useful casting luck-enhancing spells on the group.
Cobalt got 5 8-agains. Rodriguez cast 8-again on himself, and used that to cast 8-again on everyone else one after the
other.
Cobalt looks at the shirtless but cool-coated Samael and the only-wearing trousers and guns Rodriguez, both
specimens of manliness in the rain.
"This calls for a Katana" - Cobalt
And he commands his multitool to become such.
Pandora's car streaks around the corner, Spirits hot on it's wheels. Samael lets the Lightning he's been aiming
slam down, vaporising the Spirits.
We figure that you can take the Aim action to, well... aim Aimed spells, like Call Lightning. That's what Samael was
doing a second ago. He bought spell factors to gain extra targets on the Call Lightning, which (as it wasn't his first
tonight) was sadly vulgar. Fun, though!
The car squeals to a halt. Pandora and Sylph jump out and both hug Samael in thanks.
Thunderstorm, remember. Vertical downpour. Sef is in her bedclothes. Pandora has a thin dressing gown on. Samael is
shirtless. Rodriguez and Cobalt are Men of Action in the background. Even Ashlar looks good.
When I said this session went off the rails with Sexy results, I meant it. :/
"Quiet" - Rodriguez
Ashlar and Cobalt are looking around, too. Ashlar extends the Spirit-Sight to Pandora and Sef as well. A
shopping-trolley spirit rushes past them buy buy buy buy. And then something very very large this way comes.
"Samael..." - Cobalt
"I see it" - Samael
"Quit with the Fanservice and make with the affects ephemeral" - Cobalt
The monster resembles the smaller ones. If they looked like chimp-foxes, this thing looks like king kong-
Cerberus. It has three heads.
Samael looks around.
"I'm really sorry about this" - Samael, to Pandora
He casts Ephemeral Enchantment on the car
"Good thought" - Rodriguez
Rod gets into the driver's side and gives it an experimental revv.
"REALLY sorry" - Samael
Lights flick on in the nearby buildings, the commotion beginning to wake the neighbours
Cobalt is feeling left out of teh drahma, so begins chanting in High Speech, up to a backup plan.
Pandora clings to Samael. Sylph clings to the other side of Samael. Kosciej, wearing a soaked-through
nightdress, clings to the other side of Sylph.
Say-uhve me!- -Kosciej
Some more of the smaller creatures advance in the distance, barely seen through the rain.
Ashlar casts transmute liquid and then ignites the curtain of petrol he's made out of the abundant rainwater
resources, blocking the smaller Spirits' advance with a wall of fire.
And now we have a flaming background to go with the Lightning, the scantily-clad women, the madman in the sports
car, the be-coated hero and the katana-wielding other hero.
Dave2: And they say the Gonzo's gone
Agena: Are you sure we're playing the NEW World of Darkness?
Chris: The spirit of Ascension is alive and well!
Dave: Quick! Everyone stand on top of buildings! And be drawn by Lief Jones!
Dave2: I actually have a plan here. It's a three-stage plan; Stage one. Create large thing made out of water. Stage two,
have it wrestle the cerberus-beast and transmute it to petrol. Stage three, set it on fire.
Chris: A plan with no drawbacks
Rod accelerates, hits the kerb to jump the car and ploughs into the creature. As it's in Twilight, the car remains
unscathed (and Rod does a handbrake turn-stop on the other side of the creature), but the giant spirit is
toppled as the car takes out the Spirit's legs. Rod dives out of the car as it stops, guns blazing.
He needs his own soundtrack really.
Dave2: With stage one pre-empted by Ashlar, time to work on controlling the curtain of fire by shaping the liquid it's
burning.
Cobalt begins his attempt to control the magically-created fuel, Ashlar and Pandora pitching in to help.
It goes.. rather well. Cobalt starts to feel the Abyss encroaching on the spell, but their combined determination
is too great.
For which read: Ashlar spent the paradox roll down to a chance die, which then got a dramatic failure, so paradox can
go take a running jump for this particular spell. Given that Pandora and Ashlar's aiding pools ended up adding 12 dice
to Cobalt's roll, the resulting monstrosity is the size of a swimming pool, has strength 5 and, thanks to Cobalts' 4
successes on the Dex + Crafts roll to get a particular shape...
The curtain of burning petrol gathers itself up. An arm extends, vague palm-shape to the ground, then another.
The humanoid figure made of burning fuel rears up out of the pool. Not just a man, either. A man with a
crowbar.
The larger spirit Howls, and everyone scatters. The smaller creatures, fortunately, have been killed by having
the flaming background fall on them.
Chris: Giant flaming Gordon Freeman! This is the true power of science!
Dave2: The oWoD wasn't Gonzo enough
Chris: The Guy Fawkes precedent are going to love us.

Dave: Civitas will do his nut
Chris: Everything I've cast so far has been covert. Well, the second lightning strike was improbable, but other than that
no vulgar magic for me. One day paradox will catch up with me in a back alley and administer a swift kicking in the
ribs.
By the time everyone but Rodriguez (who was on the far side) come to a halt, the giant Spirit has picked itself
up again
"Is ever... Where's Rod?" - Samael
"He was on the far side. Until it manifests..." - Cobalt
There's a gut-wrenching feeling as the Spirit uses Gauntlet Breach to return to the Shadow.
"If it's got Rodriguez..." - Cobalt
"I don't think it has" - Ashlar
Chris: If it has, the Shadow is in for a whole world of hurt
Ashlar casts Peer Across the Gauntlet and looks momentarily surprised
"SCATTER!" - Ashlar
Everyone dives in opposite directions, narrowly avoiding a hole in the Gauntlet that suddenly tears itself open
right on top of them. Sylph feels something drawing her to the hole, but sheer adrenaline shakes it off.
The Spirit is attempting to use it's "Fearstruck" Numina to immobilize Sef and then abduct her into the Shadow, where
it thinks the others can't follow it. That, plus the fact that it's a giant *FEAR* Spirit, should give an indication of who
sent it to regular viewers.
"Back to the Construct!" - Cobalt, pointing at "Gordon"
"Freeman can save us!" - Samael
"If we can bring it into the physical..." - Cobalt
"How were you planning to do that!?" - Samael
"Ashlar - what are our chances if we Ghost Gate?" - Cobalt
"If it comes through, we'll still be going two rounds with Godzilla" - Ashlar
"The Car! We still have the Car!" - Samael
Samael considers the lights that are now on in the nearby apartment buildings as they run.
"Excellent point!" - Ashlar
He and Pandora cast Ghost Gate as they run and Cobalt guides "Freeman" in through it, shifting the giant
flaming construct into twilight.
Samael Tunes in to local phone calls, and hears far too many 999 calls for his liking about fires and car chases
out in the street. He concentrates on making CCTV cameras overload and burn out.
The giant spirit has now pulled it's way back through the Gauntlet (though it's in Twilight).
With their Mage Sights, the assorted Mages watch the burning man grapple with the creature. From around the
corner, Rodriguez drives at high speed. Pandora's car is partially on fire and looking dinted, but they gang get a
brief flash of Rod's mad grin before he drives through the Ghost Gate, sending both him and the car into
Twilight... Where they impact the Spirit and the Flame-man at high speed. Rod bails out at the last moment,
takes aim as the car and the Spirit tumble and shoots the gas tank.
Fortunately, the huge explosion is in Twilight. And therefore completely harmless.
"ROD!" - Cobalt, at the Ghost Gate
Car vanishing into thin air, leaving only two burning tire-tracks behind? Err...
Rodriguez, singed, strolls back out of the Ghost Gate, which Pandora cancels behind him.
"So. Duel tomorrow. Rodriguez needs sleep" - Rodriguez, walking past them without looking
What a Guy!
Sef stands, shivering in the rain.
"Time to push my luck" - Cobalt
A corridor opens in the rain as he pushes the water away.
...
Back upstairs at Ashlar's
"Council of War" - Ashlar
"Who is this Cadacaus, this girly man who must send the Spirits against me?" - Rodriguez
Sef is curled up on the sofa, mug of tea in hand
"What he is is rightfully afraid of getting his butt kicked" - Cobalt
Samael puts a blanket around Pandora's shoulders
"I can't believe Cadacaus did this" - Ashlar
"CRAP. It might not be him. Symmetry" - Cobalt
"... Didn't you say something about our..." - Samael, catching up
"The lighthouse. The wards went down just as the things were attacking" - Cobalt
"Did you Cadacaus' resonance?" - Sylph, to all concerned
Cobalt thinks about the resonance he saw on the Hellmonkeys. He's seen it before. gThe mystery man who
summoned Archimedes
"I've seen this before. On Archimedes" - Cobalt
"Motherfucker" - Samael
Cobalt phones Symmetry. In the background, there are the hellish sounds of Fear-spirits being disintegrated by
Aquila
"Hi honey! Bit busy - probably the same busy as you" - Symmetry
"Has there been a three-headed giant one yet?" - Cobalt
"Just it's little cousins" - Symmetry
"Call me back when you're done" - Cobalt
He hangs up
"They're there too. I heard Aquila in the background giving a crazed warcry. I think they've got it sorted" -
Cobalt
"Have you phoned the Sentinel? We don't want anyone coming down on us like a ton of bricks" - Samael, to
Ashlar
"If these things are attacking your place up North, you realise that this is a magical combat you've brought into
the city?" - Ashlar
"Shit on a stick. That means we get kicked out, doesn't it?" - Cobalt
"We didn't know about it - it's not like that other guy" - Sylph
"Whoever it was took a pop at the Provost of the Mysterium too" - Samael
Ashlar goes to make the call.
"...Archimedes is still in the House" - Sylph
"Nuts to Archimedes" - Pandora
Sylph can feel the familiar calmly drinking milk

"Traitor" - Sylph, sadly
"You knew he was a quisling. Did he help them, or just get out of dodge?" - Cobalt
"He IS just a cat. There's not a lot he could have done" - Samael
"There's a certain obligation" - Cobalt
"Was he acting strangely?" - Samael
Kosciej, in Sylph's perception, is sat in Ashlar's rocking chair reading "101 ways to skin a cat"
"I felt the fear, and I obviously thought it was him" - Sylph
"That was my first reaction" - Samael
"So I took some Mana from him, and he..." - Sylph
"Got narked off with you?" - Samael
"I don't blame him" - Sylph
"Alright. Who's for Cocoa?" - Cobalt
Symmetry calls him back
"All done. We're securing your Sanctum. Are you sitting down? Because there's something you need to know...
Whoever summoned them summoned Archimedes" - Symmetry
"Little bastard didn't warn Sef" - Cobalt
"Is Archimedes there?" - Symmetry
"No. He got left behind." - Cobalt
"Right" - Symmetry
"Is everyone okay up there?" - Cobalt
"We're fine" - Symmetry
"How many were there?" - Cobalt
"Aquila - Cal. How many did we kill?... ...Cal says ten" - Symmetry
"Damn. That's pretty much what we had" - Cobalt
"Do you want us to come down? Excalibur's making the International hand signal for 'Portal'" - Symmetry
"Hold off - we're in trouble as it is. We might be getting kicked out of London as it is" - Cobalt
"Okay. Now he's making the International Hand Sign for 'Jailbreak if you need it'" - Symmetry
"Give him a thumbs-up from me. Take care, and I'll call you when we've got news" - Cobalt
He hangs up
The cabal plus allies discuss why the Spirits attacked the three sites at once. And why it seems it's places
Archimedes has stayed. Cobalt's theory is that Archimedes is somehow telling them where he is, maybe
involuntarily.
Samael's more interested in what they might have been after. Sylph suggests they were looking for something.
Samael points out there are more deadly Spirits to use - why Fear?
-What do you think?- - Sylph
-What do I think? I think that whoever has it in for us is starting to come out into the open, so we must be
starting to kick over some anthills. But that's a BAD thing, and if they're tracking where Archimedes has been
I'm very grateful we time-shielded the meeting with Galatea- - Kosciej
Cobalt asks Rod if he does this sort of thing for a living. Kind of, is the mexican's reply. Samael apologises for
destroying the car again, and it's only with that that Pandora appears to realise that her car is in pieces. In
Twilight.
Cobalt and Ashlar are confident they can restore it, though. Ashlar says bringing it back will be something of a
training project for Cobalt.
"So it wasn't in vain!" - Ashlar
"Me and my big mouth" - Cobalt
"They're going to send Decurion around tomorrow morning. IF he holds us up, he won't be at the match, Cobalt
won't be, Rod won't be but Cadacaus WILL, and we'll lose by default" - Ashlar
Cobalt checks that Ashlar didn't say who was actually at his apartment, and suggests they send Rodriguez to
Pandora's. He can secure the building while he's at it.
"I hope to see you all at the duel" - Rodriguez
"Indeed" - Cobalt, weary
And he leaves
"At least he doesn't have a guitar case full of guns. With him" - Cobalt
"I've been to his house in Mexico city. It would put Sarah Connor to shame" - Ashlar
Ashlar, half-dead through paradox backlash, goes to bed. With the girls in the spare room, Cobalt nursing HIS
paradox backlash wounds on the sofa and Samael on watch, they sleep.

In the morning, Decurion comes around. He looks deeply unimpressed.
Agena: Sef's clothes are at Pandora's house. So are Pandora's
Dave: Pandora and Ashlar are both Matter Adepts. Clothes are not an issue.
Decurion squints at them all and looks around.
"Rough night. How about you?" - Cobalt, deadpan
Samael tries very hard not to laugh
"Where is he?" - Decurion
"At my house. Getting some rest before the big fight" - Pandora
"Do you want to know where it happened?" - Samael
Decurion looks out of the window at the black tire-marks on the street.
"Okay. That's where the fire started. The tire-tracks go to where the Ghost Gate was" - Cobalt
"Most of it took place in Twilight" - Samael
"Other than people's vague accounts, they won't remember the Spirit and the Car's vanished. It was just two
lightning strikes and a fire." - Cobalt
"I shut down recordings as best I could. There were a fair number of Fear Spirits around" - Samael, helpfully
"At least ten, and the larger one" - Cobalt
"I'd estimate it as a noble" - Samael
Decurion sits down
"Let's go through this from the top" - Decurion
"We were attacked about quarter past two" - Ashlar
"First aware of it when they used their powers" - Samael
"Primarilly fear based" - Cobalt
Decurion goes through the whole encounter, asking them to repeat parts and clarify points, dragging the
matter out as much as possible. When the clock hits the time of the fight, Decurion drags the interview on for a
little bit more. The cabal, wise to him, obligingly go into hyper-detail on their descriptions, interrupting one
another to describe details and comparisons.
And, once the time's up, Decurion leaves.
"Let's go see who won" - Cobalt
Everyone piles into Ashlar and Cobalt's cars, Pandora wincing at the tire-tracks. They arrive at the Silver Ladder
Sanctum at the same time as Decurion, who is glaring at an assortment of people outside. Two males and one
female, wearing Guy Fawkes masks and T-shirts depicting a cartoon of a sports car jumping through a flaming
hoop at a three-headed monkey. Sef tries very hard not to giggle as the Cabal pass their admirers, who salute
as they go in.
The ephemeral Jaguar may get the same place in the folklore of such things as the terrible wig incident.
"How are the fireworks inside?" - Cobalt
"We're not allowed in, but see for yourself" - Libertine
"Sharp T-Shirt" - Samael, approvingly
They go in, to find Cadacaus and Rodriguez stood on either side of the Circle. Constantine looks up
"Are we ready to start now?" - Constantine
"Apologies" (glances at Decurion) "we were delayed" - Cobalt
The Ladder have held the match until the Cabal get there, despite Decurion's attempt at filibustering. It's a subtle little
thing, but I'm trying to have the Ladder come across as not being, well... bastards. The Free Council can disagree with
elements of the Ladder's doctrine, but it's a bit too pat if you change the Thearchs from being the well-meaning guys
trying to create an actual society out of the Awakened into being douchebags. I see it a lot, and I'm kind of guilty of it
myself (viz: Hatfield), but if you turn the Ladder evil, you've got nowhere for the Seers to be, thematically.
Samael surveys the crowd: Lots of Mystagogues (including Djehuty and Tiresias) and Civitas. Samael nods
respectfully to the Heirarch, who nods back to him and Ashlar. Cobalt nods as well... and then salutes. Sef
waves. Civitas ignores the two Libertines.
Cobalt moves to Rodriguez' side, and then the combatants take their places on the circle.
And now: The Duel Arcane! For the purposes of this (and to make tactics, dice rolling and such easier) the players took
control of Rodriguez for the duel.
Rod is Presence + Intimidation 7, Gnosis 5, using Time 4 and Fate 4 with Space 2 and Mind 2 as a backup. His
Willpower is 8, Health 8 and has two dots of the Destiny background. The heroic stride at the end of the fight last night
refreshed his Willpower (Pride and Hope, baby!)
Cadacaus is Manipulation + Subterfuge 6, Gnosis 6, using Spirit 5, Prime 4 with Forces 3 as backup. His attainments
are not applicable for the fight. His willpower is 6 and his Health 7.
Constantine casts Squaring the Circle as Samael distributes Supernal Vision to the Cabal. Samael's version of
the spell causes magic to appear as colour playing on the surface of whatever's being affected, as though there
were stained glass between it and any light sources. The lights dim and the lines of the duelling ring begin to
glow white as the Duel starts. Samael takes a damn good look at the circle, making sure there's no other spells
being layered in. Constantine's Nimbus is a pair of glowing wings.
As Rodriguez and Cadacaus enter, their full Nimbuses manifest. Rodriguez' is one of flaming backgrounds,
danger, the smell of petrol and the plucking of an electric guitar chord. Cadacaus' is starlit and complex, with
points of light playing over him. Cadacaus is classical music. Rodriguez is rock.
Sylph waves a small mexican flag.
Rodriguez concentrates, Swords of Fate and Time forming around his forearms. Cadacaus is shielded by a wall
of shadowy movement and aggression, and has a Sword of pure Mana.
First, the face-off. Cadacaus tries to look more impressive than he is. Rodriguez is trying to express the fact that
he's perfectly impressive anyone.
"And now, we see if you have the courage of your actions" - Rodriguez
Voiced by Chris, there
Cadacaus stares Rod down, then twitches.
Cadacaus lost the face-off and so goes first.

Cadacaus' nimbus coalesces from many points of light to one brilliant beam which shoots out at the
defenceless Rodriguez
Doing four Willpower damage - half Rod's supply
Rodriguez answers, Time and Fate forming guns which blast away, Cadacaus' Shield rippling with the impacts.
Doing four Willpower damage - Rod is winning.
Chris: And now we pray that Rod survives the next hit
Cadacaus strikes again. Rod wavers, grimacing. Constantine looks to him to see if he wants to yield, but
Rodriguez shakes his head.
Another four - but Rod, under Dave2's direction, burns Health to stay in the game
Rodriguez' next attack nearly knocks Cadacaus down.
Another four - putting Cadacaus on all his willpower gone and two bashing damage on top.
Cadacaus' next strike doesn't have the power, nor does Rodriguez'. Both combatants look like they're getting
tired.
Both men score two successes on their next attacks, so Rod has six health boxes left and cadacaus has three.
Cadacaus makes a hefty effort, making Rodriguez wince, clearly in pain.
Another three - Rod is nearly at his wound penalties
Rodriguez grunts, attacking for what turns out to be the last time. Cadacaus wobbles on his feet, blood trickling
from his nose, and drops heavily to his knees before falling forward, unconscious.
Constantine, moving rapidly, cancels the Squaring the Circle and runs to see if Cadacaus is okay. The lights
instantly come back on.
Sylph cheers. Samael hugs Pandora, who looks like a great weight has been lifted.
"Rodriguez wins" - Rodriguez
Cobalt steps in to help Rodriguez walk, and nods to Decurion, who is picking Cadacaus up off the floor. Samael
goes to help pick Cadacaus (he is, after all, still a Heirophant of the Mysterium).
"Complainant Victory" - Constantine, loud so the audience to hear.
Tiresias seems pleased with the outcome, congratulating Rod as Djehuty - one of the Mystagogues who'd been
told to ostracise her - congratulates Pandora
"Good shot, man" - Cobalt, happily
"I felt all your eyes behind me" - Rodriguez
Going back up to Willpower 1 from Pride
"This calls for a celebration!" - Sylph
Outside, the assembled Libertines have set up a Mariachi band. Cobalt holds Rod's hand up, prize-fighter style.
...
And, oddly, they all wind up in a bar.
"I'm getting to old for this" - Rodriguez
"Looking good with it, though" - Samael
"I don't know how this started. I guess I was good at it, and there is always a need for people to do..." -
Rodriguez
"Insane things?" - Pandora, cheerful
"Right things. Even though they're insane" - Cobalt
"Word" - Sylph
"But you, you my friends. You produced the flame, kept those creatures off. This was a team effort. To team
efforts!" - Rodriguez
They all raise their glasses
"Let's not forget the guys who made the Ghost Gate, nor the nutjob who drove a flaming car through it at a
Cerberus-beast" - Cobalt
"Sometimes my life is very strange" - Rodriguez
"Hang around us and you'll get that" - Sylph
"I just seem to be in explosions around you" - Rodriguez
"Yeah... That does seem to be a trend" - Samael
Every now and again, Libertines and Mystagogues stop by to pay their respects to the victorious party. One of
the last people to come through is Arc.
Samael stiffens in his seat.
"Congratulations. Very well fought" - Arc
Cobalt casts Aura Perception. Arc is dark blue as he shakes Pandora's hand, and glances back at Samael as he
leaves
Here comes the table...
"I do believe that man suspects you of something" - Cobalt
"There's a lot of mutual suspicion going around" - Samael
"Yeah. You're dark blue, too" - Cobalt
He sits back and, after enough of a pause to be comfortable, slowly looks around the rest of the group. Ashlar is
light blue, Rod is a sharp, flickering deep red, Pandora is vermilion and bright blue, Samael's (Samael is
deliberately not looking at Pandora while Cobalt is Aura-reading) is light green and Sylph's
Vermilion with splotches of light blue. Under that is light green and dark green. And a tinge of bright blue.
Sylph's complicated.
Arc = Suspicious. Ashlar = calm, Rod = Daydreaming and Lustful (kind of his ground state), Pandora = happy and
lovestruck, Samael = suspicious (he knows Cobalt's watching) and Sylph's happy and calm, with undercurrents of
distrust, envy and love
"Got a look at his resonance. Not him with the fear spirits" - Cobalt
"Good for future reference. I'm surprised he came to congratulate you, being an out of towner" - Samael
"Probably wanted to eyeball you" - Cobalt
Samael acknowledges that.
"It's lunchtime, then" - Samael
"I've drunk so much I don't want to eat" - Sylph
"You need to, believe me. So what's for the afternoon?" - Samael
"I believe I need to go put back together a car" - Cobalt
"Yes, there is always that. Still, it'll be instructive. And fun!" - Ashlar, trying to rouse Cobalt's spirits
"Actually, Pandora, did you need a hand putting your house back together?" - Cobalt
Pandora looks quite comfortable where she is, next to Samael (much to Sylph's dismay)
"I... I'm okay, thanks Cobalt. I can do it myself" - Pandora
"Thought I'd ask anyway. Did the Maricarchis have anything for us?" - Cobalt
"A stirring tune?" - Samael
"I think they were basking in the glory" - Cobalt

"It's a good time for them. Without them doing anything there's been flying cars and the Mystagogue
Heirophant knocked unconscious" - samael
"Because the Free Council rocks. Unlike some other Orders" - Sylph
Pandora frowns
"Hey - there's nothing wrong with the other Orders. And sometimes they're better. But they just don't rock." -
Cobalt
"It was a 50:50 effort with the Mysterium on driving the flying car through the wormhole at the monster" -
Samael
"It'll already be on Youtube" - Ashlar
"I zapped what I could" - Samael
"You can't get them all. As with Pokemon" - Sylph
"Surely the point of Pokemon is that you can get them all?" - Samael
"The point is to *try* to collect them all, but you never quite do" - Sylph
"I don't know. There are some pretty determined kids out there. Someone must have them all" - Samael
"Why do you think new editions come out all the time?" - Sylph
"So that there's more, but you can get all of those, too" - Samael
"It's an elaborate Lie" - Sylph
Cobalt considers
"I want to know how Mew is a higher number than MewTwo, which is a clone of it" - Cobalt
Samael's jaw drops as the university lecturer reveals hitherto-unrevealed depths of knowledge regarding
Nintendo properties.
Cobalt shrugs
"I work with children" - Cobalt
"You work at a University!" - Samael
"You think students are adults?" - Cobalt
"I beg your pardon" - Sylph
"It's their last chance. Have you given any thought to courses, Sylph? I recommend Chemistry. Physics will do,
though" - Cobalt
"Er... We'll see" - Sylph
"Hold on. You may work with students, but you have a great knowledge of Pokemon. Sounds like you're
teaching a course" - Samael
"That was the first movie, okay?" - Cobalt
"There are movies?" - Samael
"You need to get out more" - Cobalt
"Do they have subliminal messages in all the flashing lights? Gotta catch them all gotta catch them all?" -
Samael
"Can we move on?" - Cobalt
"Okay, past your Pokemon obsession..." - Samael
"All right, Sphinx boy." - Cobalt
"Young people, nowadays" - Ashlar
"Okay. Mentor?" - Cobalt

"Come, young Padawan. It is time you learn much of the living force. Also auto-repair" - Ashlar
At this point, Chris and Agena started singing the Star Wars rap. Me and Dave responded with "They're taking the
Hobbits to Isengard".
"'Dora, you're fully-comp, aren't you? Ashlar and I have the two cars here." (gives her his keys) "Don't give Rod
the keys" - Cobalt
Cobalt and Ashlar get out of there
"How long do you give it before the catfight starts?"
"Rod is the player in the mix. I don't know how much of that deep blue was going his way"
"Poor Rod. Always the Deep Red, never the Deep Blue" - Ashlar
"He's a stuntman, come on. Surely he's rolling in chicks" - Cobalt
"Is that what he told you?" - Ashlar
"He said he did it for a living - Cobalt
"Before he Awoke, Rod was a smuggler" - Ashlar
"Aha" - Cobalt
"And then *after* he Awoke... He's a smuggler. I'm sure it's an act. It has to be at least partly an act" - Ashlar
"Good man. I'm just worried he's burning out" - Cobalt
"The life he leads... Sooner or later, he's not going to get out of the flaming, flying car. Sooner or later, Rod will
get himself killed. He has to realise that. He's an Acanthus, he's lucky. *I'm* an Acanthus, and I don't act like
that. There's such a thing as tempting Fate." - Ashlar
Silence
"So. Do you want to tell me why someone's sending armies of Spirits after Sylph?" - Ashlar
"Technically, the answer is 'no' because she asked me not to. Off record, there was a portion of a soul stored in
an artefact that Hadrian stole. We think the piece of soul was put into Sylph. She was with Hadrian. His cover
story" - Cobalt
Ashlar thinks it through
"Okay. Well, it should be fairly easy to check. Tiresias is opening his demesne up so Samael can go on his vision
quest. We can go have a look inside Sef's soul and see if there are any foreign elements" - Ashlar
"Ah. Er. We're pretty sure there are foreign elements, but it's in the things I'm not meant to talk about. It's
manageable, though it makes her retarded sometimes. We think Archimedes was put on her by someone else -
the same person who sent the Fear monsters" - Cobalt
"So there's someone out there with a fetish for fear spirits and a hate on?" - Ashlar
"Yeah, but we don't know what for. We know Hadrian's Awakened, and his Mind's elsewhere. If we can get into
his Oneiros, we could get a lot of answers" - Cobalt
"We'd have to ask Tiresias. We'd need an Adept of Mind to tunnel into his Oneiros" - Ashlar
"The Adept of Mind we know in Newcastle is a Guardian of the Veil, and let's just say that we have reason to
suspect Solemn specifically" - Cobalt
"The guy in Cambridge?" - Ashlar
"We were told to look out for people of that name even before we knew he was linked to Hadrian" - Cobalt
"I could try to get Sylph to open up" - Cobalt
Ashlar waves it off
"She'll tell us when she needs to. Thank you, though. Mum is the word" - Ashlar
"There's two trees to shake. One is Hadrian's Oneiros. The other is Bede, but that might not go well back home"
- Cobalt
"Do you care enough about back home as you appear to about our political stability?" - Ashlar
"Ouch. Look, I know Civitas is very scary and will potentially do all manner of horrible things, but back home
Aurora will personally kick us in the testicles. It's much more intimidating where you live. Ultimately, Aurora
never had a bad wig. You can't really fear a man who got caught in a Cognos incident. I love the man, but his
timing... Is it possible to have a negative relationship with the Fate arcanum?" - Cobalt
"You think he's cursed?" - Ashlar, amused
"I think he's unlucky. But he means well" - Cobalt
And that, much delayed, is that! See you next time!
1. Legacy Attainments
At this point in the narrative, we paused (just before running 4.4, which I'm writing the recap for now) to settle
the attainments for Sylph and Cobalt once and for all prior to them joining their Legacies. I held off detailing
Cobalt's legacy as long as I could, but he joins it in the opening moments of this session so I figured I'd write
them down now.
PARLIAMENT OF THE NEEDLE
The Parliament has the Mind Arcanum as it's primary, with Death secondary for the second and third levels.
First attainment - Mind 2 - almost Identical to the Dreamspeakers' first attainment; the Legacy member can
enter Astral Space as an instant action rather than an extended one and doesn't spend mana to break the
dreamshell. Once in, they can flip between them with a turn's concentration or act simultaneously which, as
Legacies: The Ancient notes, tends to make the mage look a little crazy, talking to people that aren't there and
interacting with objects that are only in their mind. They don't get the Dreamspeakers' ability to enter the
dreaming-land of their locality, but they do get a mental effect that duplicates "Follow-Through" but for mind
portals rather than space ones, allowing them to access the central Oneiros-space. There's no optional Death
power, as (like, in fact, the Dreamspeakers) this is powerful enough as it is.
Second attainment - Mind 3 - Duplicates the skill-adding spell from Free Council, with the Legacy member
having a floating pool of her dots in Mind to assign to skills, rearranging them requiring a meditation roll.
There's an optional Death 3 attainment that reproduces the effects of "postcognition" but from the Ghost's
point of view, allowing the living memories of dead people to be accessed.
third attainment - Mind 4 - Creates the central dream-space, acting as the dream-bridge Oneiros-tunnelling
spell from Astral Realms to anyone with the soul-bond created by learning the Legacy from the character.
Optional Death 4 allows the user to swap Daimons with a supplicant, and allows that Daimon to then use the
dream-bridge attainment once, linking that person back.
As part of the peculiarities of the way they spread, the Legacy can functionally only be taught by a Gnosis-
seven member. A Gnosis five member CAN, in theory, teach it, but the new member then won't get into the
Astral Lorehouse until they themselves reach Gnosis 7 or a Gnosis 7 member takes over as their mentor.
ASHLAR AND COBALT'S UNNAMED LEGACY
The unnamed Legacy have Time & Matter based primary attainments, with secondary death ones.
First attainment - Time 2 (primary) & Matter 1, which reveals the original state of any object on a successful.
Essentially, it duplicaes postcognition but only on an object within sensory range of the legacy member - Ashlar
uses this to see what ruins looked like when inhabited, for instance. There's an optional Death 2 power that
grants the benefits of "touch of the grave", allowing the legacy member to interact with and sculpt ectoplasm
and beings in Twilight.
Second attainment - Time 3 & Matter 3, which is as the first attainment but also duplicates "repair object",
allowing the item to be returned to any state it was in during it's timeline. Burnt ashes can be reconstituted into
books, broken glass can be turned back into a window (like Ashlar does in 4.3) and lumps of corrosion turned
back into metal artifacts. Moreover, objects can be aged as well as made "younger": grape juice becomes wine,
wood becomes dust and iron rusts away to nothing with a touch. The only limitation is that the materials to be
reconstituted must be present - if there's a highly tarnished silver ring, say, that's had the diamonds removed,
the attainment could bring back the ring but not the gem. With Death 3, the legacy member can pull items in
Twilight into physical reality, allowing items to be ressurected if they only exist as ghosts.
Third attainment - as yet undecided. Ashlar's Gnosis 7, but he's developing the Legacy himself so won't get the
attainment until he grows in understanding again. It would theoretically be a Time 4 / Matter 4 power, which
gives all manner of potential abuses - at the very least, it would overcome the "absent materials" flaw in the
second attainment, ranging from disintegrate to transmute gold.

Session 4.4
Welcome back, faithful readers! This session returns to the cut and thrust of our narrative after the oddity that was 4.3.
The issue of the duel has now been settled, which leaves the Auric Horizon with everything else to sort out.
Watch out for the cliffhanger, it's a doozie!
Chris: This time, we spend three hours in a fight with a small dog and three rodents!
Agena: We are serious Mages, and this is serious business.
Chris: We're a Cabal with combat skills. Seven dots between us, in fact.
Dave: Throwing rocks is our best plan.
Back in the restaurant, Samael is beginning to realise that there's a bit of tension in the air. Pandora to his left
is obviously into him. Sef to his right is getting increasingly hacked off. Rodriguez to her right is drunk and
staring into space.
Being a practical man of action, and wishing to avoid violence directed toward him from Sef, Samael asks
Pandora what he should do to prepare for his Initiation
"Oh, right! You'll be fine. It takes place in the Astral Realm. Tieresias will go with you; think of it as a roller
coaster. Tieresias will do all the driving, you juist have to experience" (off his sceptical look) "it's fun! You might
enjoy it" - Pandora
"I've had bad experiences in the Astral in the past" - Samael
"It's not like a normal Astral journey. Your Daimon will go with you as well"
"Him again" - Samael
"But no - it's going to be great once you're a Dadukos; the same rank as me. We'll be able to talk about things"
- Pandora
Sef gives her a glare
-PAY ATTENTION- - Kosciej, clapping his hands in front of her face.
-What?- - Sylph
-We have better things to be worrying about!- - Kosciej
-I can't do anything about them now- - Sylph
Kosciej, sat across the table from her, waves his arms in an exasperated fashion
-Has it escaped your attention that Archimedes is still out there, and is very possible working for our bad guy?-
- Kosciej
-No, it hasn't- - Sylph
-The spirits - the dog things. They were summoned by the same person- - Kosciej
-I know that. Cobalt already said- - Sylph
-Well?- - Kosciej
-Well, what? He's not intelligent enough to do this. Besides, they attacked the Lighthouse and the other place.
What do you want me to do - go and find him?- - Sylph
-Do something other than obsess about Samael- - Kosciej
She slaps Kosciej
-I thought we got over this? I thought we had a big dramatic tearful reconciliation? I thought Smash Brothers
was involved, and big crashing waves in the background. I thought we were with Aquila now. Why? Why are
you backsliding? We're over this! You... You HAD this talk with him. You fought a duel with him about it- - Kosciej
She mentally waves her own arms while Kosciej toys with a beer mat. She's holding one with her real hands
herself, to stop herself from launching herself at imaginary irritants.
-LOOK AT HER. And him. How do you expect me not to.. she's schmoozing all over him! I can't stand this!- -
Sylph
Kosciej growls in frustration, clenching his fist and crushing the beer mat. Sef realises that the mangled remains
are tight in her own fist, in the real world where Kosciej doesn't exist.
The Daimon stands, drawing wounded dignity about itself
-WHEN this comes to bite us in the ass, I reserve the right to say I told you so- - Kosciej
-You always tell me so- - Sylph, sulking
-More than- - Kosciej
He vanishes
-YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING SOMETHING- - Sylph
They are SUCH a married couple
She checks her link to Archimedes. He seems to still be at Pandora's.
"I return to Ashlar's, I think" - Rodriguez, getting up shakily
"You all right? Need a hand?" - Samael
"Sylph. Why don't you come back with me?" - Rodriguez
She throws away the mangled beer mat
"Yeah... Okay" - Sylph
She gets up, too, and they leave.
"Ah, Sylph. Sylph" - Rodriguez, patting her arm as they look for a taxi
"What?" - Sylph
"We can't get in the way of young love" - Rodriguez
"I don't know what you're talking about" - Sylph, snottily
She considers
"Can we go by Pandora's? I need to pick Archimedes up" - Sylph
Eventually, Archimedes in a cat carrier (when they picked him up the cat seemed especially watchful for some
reason, but Sef puts it down to looking for food) they rejoin Cobalt and Ashlar.
---
Pandora and Samael.
"So your cabal say you go out clubbing a lot" - Pandora
"Once or twice" - Samael
"Something about sympathetic ranges?" - Pandora
"Yes! Theory of names and conciousness and so forth" - Samael
"... ... Do you actually know any Space magic, Samael?" - Pandora
"No" - Samael
"Okay. Just thought I'd check" - Pandora
"I know about it but don't know any of it. It's on the to-do list" - Samael
"Well, while you're in London you must take advantage of the facilities" - Pandora
"What do you mean?" - Samael
"Well, we have clubs" - Pandora
"Sounds like an idea. I have the initiation first, but.. Anywhere in mind?" - Samael
"I'll find somewhere" - Pandora
"Okay" - Samael
"We'd better get back to Ashlar's" - Pandora
"Yeah" - Samael
"But okay. It's a date" - Pandora
Awww. And with that, the split party is rejoined.
---
Back at Ashlar's, the group are feeling the effects of the disturbed previous night
"So what have you taught him?" - Samael, to Ashlar
"Thus far, Cobalt can pierce the veil of history with his mind's eye" - Ashlar
"'Cause, you know, Excalibur can set things on fire. And there's those Guardians of the Veil that can rewrite
people's memories, so I'm expecting something flashy" - Samael, good-natured
"No" - Cobalt
"No" - Samael, mock-disappointed
"Not yet. The flashy thing comes from understanding the other half of my path" - Cobalt
"Ah! Zombies at dawn, then?" - Samael
"Unleash the unliving horde!" - Sylph
"NO. No Zombies. Bringing objects out of twilight, yes. But seeing things for as they were, like the fact that that
shirt has faded in the wash" - Cobalt, to Sylph
"No it hasn't! I just bought it yesterday" - Sylph, defensive
"Nontheless. Who owned it before you did?" - Cobalt
"Are you implying I'm buying second hand things?" - Sylph
"A slightly different shade of red when first made" - Cobalt
"Our legacy rocks" - Ashlar
"Cobalt, you won't get far with Symmetry with comments like that" - Sylph
"I'm not going to make comments like that to her" - Cobalt
The door is knocked upon. Ashlar goes to answer...
... It's Decurion and Civitas
Samael carefully waits to see Ashlar's reaction before moving
"Hierarch!" - Ashlar, loud enough for the gang to get a split second's warning
Decurion barges his way in. Civitas strolls after him, looking around idly
Archimedes looks at Civitas and hisses. Civitas wanders the room, flicking a piece of non-existent dust off the
petrified woman.
"To what do we owe this visit?" - Cobalt
Civitas stops when he sees an open bottle of red wine. Just for a moment, before the terror passes.
The flywheels! The terrible flywheels!

Decurion has closed the door and is checking the windows. The gang notice that he's wearing a sword as he
reaches up to close the curtains. Civitas nods to him, and Decurion starts casting something - some kind of
Shielding practice, but not of any Arcanum the Auric Horizon possess. Nodding to Civitas, Decurion then stands
next to Samael.
"Right" - Civitas
He pulls a chair over, legs scraping on the floor, before sitting.
"Would you mind telling me whast on Earth is going on?" - Civitas
"The honest answer to that is 'yes'. Because if I was going to tell you, that would imply that I somehow knew
myself. Unfortunately, we only have one side of it" - Cobalt
"What was going on with what?" - Sylph
Samael gives them both a 'don't talk lip to the Heirarch' look.
"I don't know what kind of vendetta you people have going with Solemn, but you can tell him next time you see
him that you are to keep your squabbles out of my city" - Civitas
"Wait. Are you saying it was the Heirarch of Cambridge who sent those spirits?" - Samael, watching Civitas
carefully
"Yes, it is Solemn" (beat) "You didn't know" - Civitas
"We've never met the man before" - Samael
He looks at Archimedes
"I find that hard to believe" - Civitas
"We don't remember havng met him before" - Samael
"Ah. Now I understand" - Civitas
He looks right at Sef
"What?" - Sylph
"If you think it was Solemn behind our friend here, we don't know what his interest is in all this" - Samael
"It's the motivation angle that's troubling us" - Cobalt
"You see, we'd be quite happy to our squabbles out of your domain" - Samael
"Why are YOU here, Samael? Why are you interfering in Arc's business?" - Civitas
"I'd like to think I haven't interfered in it. I'm here on various personal matters" - Samael, desperately thinking
how he might have interfered in Arc's business
"He demanded to know why you were here. Not an hour ago. He believes that you are responsible for Chayot's
death; that you have killed first Chayot, then Duma and are now after him" - Civitas
"That's absurd!" - Sylph
The lads relax a little
"Fortunately, there are plenty of people who can account for that, especially up North" - Samael
"I can attest to Chayot's death - indeed, we tracked down the murderer" - Cobalt
"Use of Time spells up North. Many people can answer that I was not responsible for Chayot's death" - Samael
"Bede, for example" - Cobalt
"Bede?" - Civitas, distinctly unimpressed
Dave2: Which tells us that Bede isn't working for Civitas
"You can tell Arc that my business in London is the pursuit of my own Sophiad" - Samael
Brief explanation - Sophiad ("journey of wisdom") is what the Mysterium call the progress of an individual member of
the Order through their magical research and experiences. As opposed to using the word "Wisdom" as a name
("Sophia"), lending the title ("journey of Sophia" = "Sophiad") to the Grimoire which is the chronicle of the Sophiad of
Sophia.
It's a double-meaning title, you see.
"Unfortunately, he is wrapped up in this business" - Civitas
"What business?" - Sylph
"Solemn" - Civitas
"He's working for Solemn?" - Sylph
Civitas laughs. It isn't a pleasent laugh.
"Quite the opposite" - Civitas
"I take it you have an antagonistic relationship with the gentleman in question?" - Cobalt
"With Solemn? Solemn killed Chayot" - Civitas
"Quiet killed Chayot" - Samael, confused
Fortunately, Cobalt is a little more on the ball
"He told them" - Cobalt
Civitas nods
"Solemn threatened Chayot. Shortly after Solemn threatened Chayot the Echo Walkers discovered the Ankh" -
Civitas
"I see. How did Solemn find out Chayot had the Ankh?" - Samael, grim
"We gave it to him" - Civitas
"You and Solemn gave it to him? What was the nature of the threat? Why threaten him? For what purpose?" -
Samael
Civitas is looking a little confused now, though recovering - he plainly thought the Cabal were a little more
knowledgeable than they are. The Cabal, for their part, smell revelation like sharks scenting blood.
"Once you gave him the Ankh, why did Solemn threaten him?" - Samael
Civitas thinks, and addresses Sylph
"May I... Have you told them?" - Civitas
"What? Told them what?" - Sylph
Civitas casts something. To Cobalt's eye, it's probably Soul Marks
"Heirarch. You can stop undressing me with your gaze and speak clearly. My Cabal mates know everything" -
Sylph, levelly
"Ah! they know everything" - Civitas
"Everything I do" - Sylph
"Forgive the pretence. Best if we pretend that we don't" - Cobalt
"Of course. Solemn contacted me with an aim to pursue his own little vendetta. I assure you, sir" (to Sylph) "I
have no personal stake in this. Solemn had some kind of... shall we say... leverage over me at the time and he
wanted some things done. He wanted one of his own people taken out when they came to London so I arranged
it. The payment for my man carrying out the mission was to be the artifact the person had on them" - Civitas
"Why?" - Sylph
"Solemn was blackmailing me with the fact that there were Echo Walkers working for me. He'd discovered it
when Duma visited Cambridge the year before. He wanted something taken care of. He wanted our friend here"
(nodding to Sylph) "Taken care of, in return for which the payment would be that which had imprisoned your
cabalmate. When you were freed from it Chayot took the item. I arranged it to be Chayot because I knew what
the Ankh could do; it could give Chayot his chance at a normal life. For some reason Solemn was not satisfied.
We did everything he asked; the young man is still comatose as you're well aware. Solemn would not let the
matter lie. He knew you'd transferred yourself into the girl and wanted my help to do something about it. I
refused him, having taken as much as I was willing take from the man. He wanted me to relay a message to
Chayot, to tell Chayot he wasn't retired after all and should use the Artifact to eliminate you again. Chayot
refused, and Solemn started issuing threats, saying he was going to take matters into his own hands" - Civitas
"And suddenly, all the other Echo Walkers learnt the powers and location of the Artifact" - Cobalt
"And started converging, yes" - Civitas
"Is Arc one of those, or does he work for you as well?" - Samael
"Arc has no idea. He's been out of contact; he knows Duma's dead and Chayot's dead. I have promised to
deliver the person responsible" - Civitas
"The person responsible is dead" - Sylph
"No, the person who did it is" - Cobalt
"I was going to send him off to Cambridge, allow him to tilt at that windmill, but he seems to have latched onto
Samael here as the villain as soon as Samael wandered through his field of vision" - Civitas
"One question. Well; a few" - Cobalt
"I have something important. We know that Hadrian got hold of the ankh in the first place, is that correct? He
got it out of a bank?" - Samael
"Hadrian was sent to London to retrieve the item containing your friend from a bank, yes" - Civitas
"And having done that Solemn didn't want him to do anything? It was the plan all along to take him down? Why
didn't Solemn just have him killed?" - Samael
"I'm not sure" - Civitas
"Doubtless at this point Solemn thought..." - Samael
"That Hadrian would be Kosciej" - Civitas
Chorus of "ahhh"s
"That's why incapacitate him" - Samael
"He wanted Kosciej comatose and helpless. But he didn't realise Kosciej was clever enough to transfer into
hadrian's girlfriend" (to Sylph) "And may I say, you look much better for it" - Civitas
"Or what if Hadrian, not wanting to do it to himself, set someone up to take the fall for him?" - Cobalt
"Or being aware of what was about to happen, tried to keep it out of their hands. second question: If Solemn
attached Sylph's familiar, when did he do it and why didn't he grab her then?" - Samael
"He seems to have been waiting to see if you would manifest, sir. At the time, she wasn't Awakened, so you
were dormant inside the girl" - Civitas
As should now be obvious, Civitas thinks that Sef IS Kosciej, possessing Sef's body. He believes the stories.
"The girl is here, you know!" - Sylph
"Yes, yes. The girl hadn't Awakened, so he attached a spirit to watch over her. When she DID Awaken he
provided a Familiar to keep a closer watch" - Civitas
"To see if Kosciej would manifest" - Samael
"I find it curious she wound up living across the road from Chayot. In fact, if I were to make a guess I would say
that... He's good with Spirits, especially emotionally-based Spirits. If i have the shape of it, he would have been
attempting to make sure that your host ended up as Chayot's apprentice. And missed slightly" - Civitas
"Trying to drive her to Chayot" - Samael
"When the familiar was interviewed it said it's purpose was to make you run" - Cobalt
"Presumably, if he granted the Familiar, Solemn still has some kind of connection" - Samael
"Which is why I have come straight away" - Civitas
"Can we cut that? Without killing the familiar?" - Samael

"Any Mastigos of reasonable power can suppress a Sympathetic connection" - Civitas
"Any Fate-based way?" - Samael, hopefully
"Yes, but you won't like it" - Ashlar
"What the Provost is attempting to say is that an Acanthus of his skill can destroy the bond between a Familiar
and it's Mage" - Civitas
"... ... It's an option" - Cobalt
"We'll think about it" - Sylph, coldly
"Why is Solemn attacking so openly now - in your territory?" - Samael
"Because you've shown yourself. He's now certain that you are who you are, and he's sure that I won't give him
a damn thing any more. I have no more Echo Walkers, leaving him with nothing to blackmail me with" - Civitas
"Problem is if he keeps coming. We may have to find a Mastigos to break the link temporarily so he can't lock
on to you using it. Heirarch - do you know the workings of such a spell?" - Samael
Civitas quirks an eyebrow at Sylph
"Why don't you do it?" - Civitas
"I... Can't, yet" - Sylph
"The powers have not fully manifested" - Cobalt
Gears turn in Civitas' head
-Why's he looking at me like that!?- - Sylph
-He's probably just figured out we're not Kosciej- - Kosciej
-Shit- - Sylph
"Why'd he wait until last year?" - Cobalt
"I don't know. I was rather hoping, Master Kosciej, that you would be able to tell me" - Civitas
-Are we?- - Sylph
-Buh?!- - Kosciej
"Kosciej has spent a lot of years in a box" - Samael
"Given your people's reputation, it must be something that you know. You will know some dark secret of
Solemn's" - Civitas
"Apparantly there's been a chain of Solemns" - Samael
"Not in itself unusual. Many men eventually become their Masters" - Civitas. To Samael. Pointedly.
"We need that connection suppressed" - Samael
"And we need to figure out what we're going to do about the Heirarch of Cambridge" - Cobalt
"Take it outside" - Civitas
"We intend to" - Samael
"I'll do you a deal, Kosciej. I have no especial wish to see your Legacy destroyed. Contrary to popular opinion,
my Order's relationship with yours is not necessarily antagonistic. To be blunt; I don't much care. The
association I was being blackmailed with is gone, dead in the Amazon jungle. My friend has been killed. This
man has invaded my sovereign territory. If you wish to retaliate - and given your reputation I can't see you
letting this lie - do it out of my city and give him one for Chayot's memory" - Civitas
"What about the boy?" - Sylph
"I'll trade. Tell me what it is Solemn is so afraid of. We Guardians keep watch on ourselves as well as others;
Solemn has gone to incredible lengths to have something covered up, murdering you and your students in the
endeavour. That says to me that it is something the rest of the Order should know. Tell me what it is Solemn is
afraid we'll find out, and you can have the boy" - Civitas
"When we find out, we'll tell you" - Sylph
"We'll assume Hadrian is safe until then" - Samael
"Yes, but as you are now painfully aware it is impossible to completely seal a city. Solemn likely found out you
were here because you went to visit the boy. He'll be watching him as much as I" - Civitas
"The less we do to Hadrian right now the safer he'll be" - Samael
"Agreed" - Cobalt
"May I ask what you're planning to do about Arc?" - Samael
"Arc? Not my problem. I'll send him on his way" - Civitas
"What is the status of the Echo Walkers?" - Cobalt
"They've not been declared Left-handed, but they've not been active very long and they're very spread out.
Such declarations over an entire Legacy would require a Convocation of interested Consilii influential enough to
spread the ruling to other cities. The two that I know are dead. Arc came here asking about his former cabal
mates. I'll try to keep him out of your way" - Civitas
"We'll try to avoid riling him" - Samael
"It would not be wise, especially in the city. We have a duty as guests" - Cobalt
I know it's a spoiler, and all, but Cobalt's line here? Especially funny when around this time next session Cobalt
attempts to hit Arc in the face with an ounce of Nitroglycerin propelled by a water-snake
in the main chapel of St Paul's cathedral
"But you have roused his suspicions. It's probably all the Moros you associate with" - Civitas, looking at Cobalt
and Pandora
Back atcha!
Civitas gets up, brushes himself down, and leaves, Decurion trailing after him.

Ashlar, Pandora and Rodriguez look pointedly at Sylph
"What?" - Sylph, defensive
"Do you want me to do the big reveal?" - Cobalt
"She has the soul of..." - Samael
"She has the DAIMON of Kosciej the Deathless..." - Cobalt
Cobalt proceeds to explain it all - Mictlan, the Daimon-swapping, the whole archive-of-the-dead, everything.
And that Solemn is trying to kill them
"HOW long have you been Kosciej the Deathless?" - Ashlar
"I'm not" - Sylph, mumbling
"You'd think this is the kind of thing people would tell me" - Ashlar
"She's not. The real Kosciej is sitting laughing in the astral realm. We've talked; he's a lot more rational than the
Daimon" - Cobalt
"We think Persephone got his sense of humor" - Samael
Wrong Shadow name, dude!
"Don't listen to them" - Sylph
"This is why she's.. There's a weird, crazy guy talking to her in her head" - Samael
Pandora looks like this explains everything.
"And the Guardians hate it as something they can't put black marker pen all over?" - Ashlar
"Exactly. It's a stockpile of knowledge they just can't get at. Except Solemn's been trying to do so. They may
have been trying to sacrifice Hadrian as a bridge in" - Samael
"So why can't you go in yet?" - Ashlar
"I'm not in the Legacy properly" - Sylph
"She needs to further her studies of the Mind Arcanum. Soon, hopefully, but we can't get the answers we need
until she's in there" - Samael
"Does anyone else remember the bit where Tiresias addressed you as 'Sir'?" - Cobalt
"Tiresias knows everything, or gives the impression he does. You think that's annoying? Samael's becoming one
of these people" - Ashlar
"I know. But we have goods on Samael" - Cobalt
"Anyway. Right now, there's not a lot we can do to Hadrian without dealing with Solemn" - Samael
"We can access his mind, we can also... " (trails off) "oh, dear. Bede isn't working for Civitas. So either he has
another agenda, or he's working for Solemn. Ergo, the ankh might have made it's way back to Cambridge" -
Cobalt
"If Solemn's plan was to guide Sylph into the Mysterium so Chayot could use the ankh, then it makes sense for
Bede to be in his pay. But he wasn't exactly hammering at the Lighthouse door demanding you join up" -
Samael
"He didn't know. Cognos didn't introduce me to anyone" - Sylph
"He's a bloody Heirophant. He'd have the capacity to find you" - Samael
"Still think he's suspicious" - Cobalt
"I studied under the man. Some of the things you describe him doing - like Chayot's funeral? That doesn't
sound like him" - Pandora
"What about the funeral?" - Cobalt
"I wasn't allowed to attend. He came up with an excuse about ranks" - Samael
"Which was bullshit" - Pandora
"I kind of took it at face value. Wasn't allowed to go to the funeral. Couldn't get answers from Quiet's corpse.
But again, it doesn't seem to match up if he was working for Solemn
"Maybe he just wanted the Ankh for himself" - Pandora
"And now he has it" - Sylph
"Maybe he's just a dick" - Cobalt
"It looks like he's been dishonest, no matter his reasons" - Ashlar, darkly
Another brief explanation of Mysterium culture - they're not supposed to lie. Ever. Refuse to tell you, yes, or tell you
half-truths, but flat-out lying about magical matters increases Pancryptia and destroys the mysteries. Especially lying
to another Mystagogue.
"Whatever his angle, he's on the other end of the country" - Samael
"And Solemn's, what, a hundred miles away? Probably summoning another army" - Ashlar
"We need the sympathetic connection reduced" - Cobalt
"We can ask Tiresias when he comes to pick Samael up" (to Sylph) "What do you need to get into the
Lorehouse?" - Ashlar
"Mind?" - Sylph
"We can ask him about that, too" - Ashlar
"Can you get in just from the Astral Realm?" - Samael

"And end up like Hadrian?" - Sylph
-Teaching you will go faster if you're in here with me- - Kosciej
-How's the Gate?- - Sylph
-Forming. It won't open until you're ready- - Kosciej
There is another knock at Ashlar's door
"I wonder who this is" - Cobalt, getting up to answer and being more than a little frustrated about it
"Don't tempt fate" - Samael
It's a man in a Guy Fawkes mask
"Oh! It's for me!" - Sylph
She hops down from her stool at Ashlar's dining table and goes to the door.
"We have discovered the information you requested" - Libertine
"Awesome!" - Sylph
"The gentleman in question was named Chayot. Civitas and he were old friends and presumably kept in touch.
We understand he is somewhere up North. In recompense, I believe you were going to tell us who the young
man in the Hospital was?" - Libertine
"Let's take a walk" - Sylph
Better late than never!
Chris: Tell them you're Kosciej! Get your own adoring cult of Libertines!
"Mind if I come?" - Cobalt
"Sure you can" - Sylph
Cobalt and Ashlar's eyes meet
"Sorry, boss" - Cobalt
"Hey - it's okay. We're the most normal legacy in the room" - Ashlar
"I look forward to the day that we wonder about these mysteries and Samael can just tell us the answers" -
Cobalt
"It was colonel Mustard in the dining room with the candlestick" - Samael
"Damn that Mustard" - Cobalt
"We knew he was a wrong un" - Ashlar
"Have fun. Don't topple any governments" - Samael
They leave.
...
"So. the Heirarch has already told us what I wanted to know, but I did promise, so I will tell you. The man in the
hospital is a Guardian of the Veil from Cambridge. He was sent here by his own Heirarch to die" - Sylph
"Not die - to be put into that state to be used as a bridge to somewhere else" - Cobalt
"Do you know a Legacy called the Parliament of the Needle?" - Sylph
"No. I can try to find out for you" - Libertine
"This will not be necessary" - Sylph
She thinks
"He has been sent here to retrieve a bit of this Legacy and... Then... The Heirarch of Cambridge wanted to use
it to get into the Astral Realm where most of the Legacy reside" - Sylph
"Left over business from the Nameless war. The Parliament got hold of information. We don't know what they've
got on Solemn, but they don't forget. Members of the Legacy who join it gain access to the knowledge of ones
gone by, so the only way for Solemn to destroy it is to kill all the members. A piece of the Legacy was stored in
a device Hadrian was sent to steal. Solemn then blackmailed Civitas into sending an Echo Walker to do the next
step: displacing the man's soul" - Cobalt
"Do you know what he blackmailed Civitas with?" - Libertine, veeeery interested
"He doesn't have it any more" - Sylph
"Do you know the Echo Walker legacy?" - Cobalt
"This does seem to be the confluence of several Legacies from outside the city" - Libertine
"Don't look at me. I'm a completely new one. The Echo Walkers aren't Left Handed, but only for lack of a
Convocation to make them so" - Cobalt
"This would be the means by which they made the man comatose?" - Libertine
"But Civitas doesn't have any Echo Walkers any more. We think" - Sylph
"Because Duma is dead. Congratulations on that, by the way" - Libertine
"We didn't do it" - Cobalt, patiently
"Of course" - Libertine, in tone of voice indicating he flatly doesn't believe it
Every assumes the Auric Horizon are spymasters.
Chris: Some death-dealing hit squad, assassinating important mages.
All of the bad guys assume that they're smarter than they are. This is their power.
"Solemn can't blackmail Civitas any more, so Civitas doesn't care about anything else Solemn wants" - Solemn
"Basically told him to go jump" - Cobalt
"Our Heirarch's mercurial 'what's in it for me' attitude is one of his most endearing qualities" - Libertine
"He'd be a good Libertine if he wasn't so uptight" - Sylph
"That's like saying Hitler would havebeen a nice person if he hadn't been Hitler" - Cobalt
"Well, then. We wish you luck" - Libertine
"You, too" - Cobalt
"There is another thing. We did tell you a lot, and you have information on us now. I'd like to ask you a favour,
in the name of our mentor..." - Sylph
"You want us to not tell?" - Libertine
"No. I want you to watch over Hadrian" - Sylph
"If it will hurt the Guardian's plans?" - Libertine
"Not all Guardians, it would seem, give a shit, but Solemn really does. I'm willing to put any credit I have into
sticking one in his eye" - Cobalt
"Very well" - Libertine
"Thank you" - Sylph
"Goodbye for now" - Libertine
...
Back at the flat, Samael has been rounded upon by allies wanting to know why he didn't tell them sooner.
"Which BIT?" - Samael
"The whole ancient Lorehouse full of Liches bit?" - Ashlar
"We were coming to a city full of Guardians, and we didn't want it to just be let slip where it could be heard by
the wrong people. Also, it was Sylph's decision. She didn't want it to be known yet. She hasn't got access to all
this power yet; people thinking she's the incarnation of this Nameless master could get her killed in their name"
- Samael
Cobalt and Sylph return. Everyone else smiles in a we-totally-weren't-talking-about-you way
"Top-secret information. It was Chayot" - Cobalt, wearily
"Well, I'm reassured" - Ashlar
"They'll keep a watch out for Hadrian just in case" - Cobalt
"I feel sorry for them, really. We keep finding things out that we've already asked them for" - Sylph
"But they're gaining a lot of knowledge in the process" - Samael
"We aren't" - Sylph
"What do you mean 'we aren't?' The Hierarch spilled his guts earlier" - Samael
"Also, it's nice to have corroboration. The Mysterium may not lie but the Guardians DO. When you do get
access, you can tell us what Solemn wants and you" (to Samael) "Can tell us why" - Cobalt
"And we can mend some pots" - Ashlar
Cobalt mutters something about Archaeology
"It's probably something inconsequential. Kosciej probably spilled his pint or something" - Samael
"I would point out that the ability to bring something ephemeral solid doesn't seem useful at first, but by the
time you're ready to do that you'll be capable of... sculpting ectoplasm into any form you desire. Neither that
sculpting spell" (casts) "Nor the attainment are vulgar" - Ashlar
He gestures, and plucks a cuckoo clock out of mid-air.
"But the spell to destroy it again sadly is. So... does anyone want a clock?" - Ashlar
"Um. Would it add to the ambiance of the Lighthouse?" - Cobalt
"It certainly would" - Samael
They talk about Cobalt and Ashlar's Legacy. Ashlar has had an idea for a third attainment - reproducing
Disintegration to lock on to one object within a greater mass and then remove everything else. Kind of a speed-
excavation ability.
"I'm already famous on Youtube for dying in the ocean" - Cobalt
"Now you can show up Tony Robinson" - Samael
Cobalt talks about his day job - trying to figure out what he can do for research. He can take short cuts with
magic, but needs to be able to then prove the results he gets through Knowing spells with evidence.
Samael, hoping Tiresias will turn up soon, surveys the crowd for their reactions. Ashlar is deep in thought and
wishes they'd told him sooner. Pandora looks like it's confirmed suspicions rather than anything else. Rodriguez,
still half-comatose from the fight and the drink, looks like he finds the notion of Sylph having several decades-
dead Nameless watching everything from inside her skull strangely erotic. Rod then goes to bed.
He'll be in his bunk
Cobalt examines the Petrified woman with his Attainment. He thinks it might actually be a Petrified woman.
And then Tiresias turns up
"Greetings!" - Tiresias
"You okay?" - Cobalt
"Well" - Tiresias, looking past everyone
"We have a request, sir" - Samael
"I'm sure he knows anyway" - Sylph, grumpy

"It's polite to ask" - Tiresias and Samael, simultaneously
"Could I use your Demesne?" - Sylph
"I don't see why not" - Tiresias
"And would you be able to cut a spatial sympathy link... For instance, between a cat and whoever attached it?"
- Samael
Sylph lifts Archimedies by the scruff of his neck
"This is a familiar, yes? You want me to cut the connection between whoever cast bestow familiar to it and it to
them?" - Tiresias
Samael nods
"Yes. Yes, I can. And it won't wear off, but I should caution that unless they relinquished the spell they will be
able to tell if I do this, and will still have the spell in his own pattern" - Tiresias
Interesting note - Familiar Pact is lasting. Grant Familiar is prolonged. Which is weird. And probably an error
"Chance we'll have to take" - Samael
"Alright, young lady. This won't take long. I should also caution that as he knows Archimedies another Mastigos
could just cast this very spell in reverse" - Tiresias
"It'll make it tougher" - Samael
Archimedies squirms in Sef's arms as Tiresias breaks the sympathetic connections
"There, now? That's better, isn't it?" - Cobalt, to the cat
"It's done?" - Samael
"It's done" - Tiresias
Archimedies flees into the other room, where he pounces on the sleeping Rodriguez.
"I'm ready to head off, unless I need to bring anything with me" - Samael
"No" (fake dramatic voice) "Just your WITS" - Tiresias
"And who else is coming?" - Samael
"Anyone who wishes to explore the Inner Realms, please feel free. The Initiation itself will take place on
Samael's own Soul Journey, so we do not need exclusive use of the Demesne" - Tiresias
Sef grabs her things (checking she still has the pocketwatch
"We'll, uh... Hold the fort" - Ashlar
"And the cat" - Pandora

Tiresias takes them to his own Sanctum, in a townhouse near the Atheneaum. The Demesne is in the attic. The
walls are painted blue, and there are various artworks hung around the place and comfy reclining chairs. And a
sensory deprivation chamber.
"Where will you two be travelling to? If you wish, I could link you together" - Tiresias, to Sylph and Cobalt
"He could teach you Mind magic too" - Sylph
"I know enough to read Auras. Anything beats Grim Sight" - Cobalt
"The Moros path is not an easy one" - Tiresias
"Grim Sight is named for a reason" - Cobalt
"I give you Supernal vision as often as I can" - Samael
"I know. And it's all shiny happy people. With the occassional vampire" - Cobalt
"If it's not the vampires it's the werewolves. And if not them, the Grue" - Tiresias
"The Grue?" - Sylph
"In the dark. Now, if you two will hold still..." (to Cobalt) "Do you wish to appear in the lady's dream vestibule or
would you just prefer a tunnel?" - Tiresias
"A tunnel please" (to Sylph) "That way you can kick me out" - Cobalt
Tiresias casts the spell
(to Samael) "Alright. We should let your friends get started first" - Tiresias
Samael sits down to think through things. Tiresias passes him some herbs to chew on, which taste oddly bitter
and numb the tongue, while the others meditate their way in.
-How I long for the day you can just close your eyes and come in- - Kosciej
-Not helping- - Sylph
The setting gives a +3 bonus to the meditation roll. Cobalt and Sylph take two hours to get in.
And now the Mysterium Secret Sauce
Chris: Now we teach you how to add the THIRD spice!
The next part of the ceremony for Samael is to settle the Mana in his pattern. Tiresias offers him a nightstick
and a dagger. Samael takes the dagger, using it to cut himself before using Mana to pattern restore.
And then, feeling dizzy from the leaves and buzzing from the Mana, Samael tries to meditate himself into his
own Oneiros.
An hour and a half for him
Samael walks along his Astral Path, Tiresias alongside him. The dreamworld feels strange (that'll be the drugs).
He pushes his way through the Astral Barrier and into his "nightclub" Dream Vestibule, which appears to have
been slowed down somehow. Or Samael's perceptions have sped up.
"Last time, my Daimon found me. Where is it likely to reside?" - Samael
"It moves around, performing it's role. It knows what our purpose here is" - Tiresias
...
Within Cobalt's mind, Cobalt arrives at the airport departure lounge that is his own Vestibule, the information
boards clattering to tell him things that are flickering across his consciousness.
We were last here in 1.3, I think. Go back and read it again if you get stuck. Essentially, navigation works thusly - the
character picks an exit. The player rolls Wits+Composure. If they succeed, the player gives three options for where the
link they've followed might go and I pick depending on what amuses me most. On an exceptional success, the player
picks.
Cobalt reads the ticker-boards.
FEELING GUILTY ABOUT BEING WELLADJUSTED GATE 3 NOW BOARDING
WHY CANT YOUR LEGACY HAVE READY MADE ANTAGONISTS GATE 1
YOUR JUST GORDON FREEMAN YOU KNOW GATE 5
REMEMBER THAT SEERS LAST WORDS GATE 15
(pointing) "You don't get to play any more. You cut it out with the insecurities. I know you're out there. I have
them, yes. Keep to the back" - Cobalt
YOU WEILD THE POWER OF CREATION TO PUT POTS BACK TOGETHER GATE 17
SECRETLY AFRAID THAT YOUR NOT WELL ADJUSTED GATE 4
STILL IT BEATS ZOMBIES I SUPPOSE
"Oh, to hell with this" - Cobalt
YOU HAVE TO KEEP YOUR AIMS LOW AND YOUR HORIZONS NARROW GATE 3
AT LEAST SYMMETRY FULFILLS A VACANT NICHE IN THE CABAL IF SAMAEL STARTS DATING PANDORA YOULL BE
REDUNDANT GATE 9
"I am *far* too sarcastic for my own good" - Cobalt
WHY CANT HE HAVE SEX WITH A MASTIGOS GATE 18
Cobalt considers, and uses Perfect Timing as he walks to help find the correct gate to find his Daimon. He's
focusing on his feelings of wondering, now that he's helping everyone else achieve their own goals, what he
himself is supposed to do?
-Especially once Samael and Pandora hook up. Thank you, insecurities- - Cobalt, to himself
Looking for self-improvement, the gate could also lead to ambition and pride or insecurity given his current line of
thought. For the record, Cobalt's vice is Envy.
Because it's funny, we went with Pride
Cobalt walks down the airport tunnel and emerges into the lighthouse.
The live studio audience applauds as he enters, the set wobbling slightly as he closes the door.
"Oh, thank goodness you're here!" - Symmetry
Symmetry is dressed as a 1950s American housewife. Cobalt is wearing a pastel blue suit, and carrying a
briefcase.
"They've made such a mess" - Symmetry
The audience laughs
"No - no - Catherine! Stop that!" - Symmetry
The creature that enters resembles Persephone, animated and cell-shaded and drawn as a Chibi then badly
superimposed onto the live studio action of the rest of the sitcom. Chaos and Destruction follow in lil
Catherine's wake. And then lil Samael, puttering along on a tricycle.
It's Muppet Babies. And he's the Nanny
Samael slaps the horn on his tricycle
"I like puzzles!" - Lil Samael
"I could watch this all day" - Cobalt
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!" - Lil Excalibur
"Come on now, Lil Cal. Enough of that. Now, Lil Catherine - you have to do your homework" - Cobalt
"I don like doin it! there's no pictures!" - Lil Catherine, tugging at the library card around her neck
"Have you asked the nice Librarian?" - Cobalt
There's a sharp pain in his shin. Lil Kosciej has snuck up and kicked him
"Hehehe! Boogers!" - Lil Kosciej
And then the demonic cartoon Kosciej runs away
"On second thought, stuff the Librarian" - Cobalt
"Honey! Could you take your father's meal up? He's been such trouble all day" - Symmetry
The audience laughs again
"I'll see what I can do" - Cobalt
He takes the proferred tray, steps over the tripwire Lil Kosciej has assembled and heads upstairs. There,
covered in blankets, is Cognos
"What's that!? Who's there?" - Cognos, putting an ear trumpet to his meal
"I brought your meal" - Cobalt
"WHAT!? WHAT!?" - Ashlar, from the other bed

"He's YOUR boy" - Cognos
"He's YOURS" - Ashlar
They start duelling with walking sticks
Cobalt goes downstairs, takes lil Catherine and decides to go for a walk. Hoping to escape his own head.
...
Catherine walks into her Dream Vestibule, feeling her clothes constrict into Kismet's. The Vestibule-lighthouse
has been decked out for a party, complete with "welcome" banner. Kosciej is there, wearing a paper hat
"What is this?" - Persephone
"Do you like it? We have Jelly!" - Kosciej
"Jelly for the mind" - Persephone
She throws some jelly at him out of reflex
"We're waiting for cobalt and then we can start" - Persephone
She checks the watch. She's been asleep for two hours and forty minutes
"So" (primly) "If you embarress me in front of Cobalt, I will kill you" - Persephone
"If [u]I[/i] embarress you?" - Kosciej
"Yes! Like the first time you met him! And if you keep calling me by my given name, I will kill you!" -
Persephone
"Yes, mistress! Absolutely, mistress!" - Kosciej
"look. I had a hard day, okay?" - Persephone
She tries a bit of cake idly. It's like the best birthday cake.. No - wait. It IS the best birthday cake she's ever had.
From her eighth birthday if she's not mistaken.
...
Cobalt attempts to navigate his way to Catherine.
eOptions - the dream bridge, the web of conspiricy and secrets and the damsel in distress
Chris: whiny damsel
Agena: When was the last time I was whining?
Dave2: About then
Dave: Okay. Let me check: Cobalt's of the right age to have seen Wacky Races, yes?
Dave2: Oh, god
And so Cobalt steps out into the crowd at the edge of a dirt track.
"And there's no word on Persephone Pitstop! Persephone Pitstop has left the race track! Who could have taken
her? We know some people that might know the answers! Here come... The Phalanx!" - Tannoy
The "vehicle" is covered, tortoise-style, in Roman shields, spears sticking out at all angles. Excalibur and Aquila
are stood on the top
"We'll save her!" - Aegis
Chris: Oh, my word, your mind is so fucked up!
"And in second place it's the Mictlan Mobile!" - Tannoy
The Mobile is a glass ball with a city inside. Propelling it by running on the spot is Kosciej
Chris: I thought you wanted to regain seriousness?
Dave: Cobalt's brain has taken a turn for the Hannah-barbera

Cobalt watches Magog go by on his motorbike, followed by the Smoke Eaters on a push-lever cart, taking tokes
from a hookah as they propel themselves.
"And in fifth place, the Rodriguez Rocket!" - Tannoy
Cartoon-Rod goes past in a burning car
"And we're sure they had nothing to do with it, but here comes Mick Misanthrope!" - Tannoy
Cobalt's never met Solemn, so it's a cartoon version of what he thinks the Guardian might look like, but it does
feature a three-headed, sniggering dog.
"Time to get on my OWN vehicle!" - Cobalt
Chris: I hope we never have to go into Cobalt's Oneiros. Psychotic necromancers in one room and next door it's the
wacky races!
Cobalt gets on his Ben-Hur chariot, cracking the whip at his four horses.
"Onward!" - Cobalt
He overtakes the Smoke Eaters and the Rodriguez Rocket. He passes a sign for "Old Abandoned Mine: Do Not
Enter", reverses and heads off that way.
The Civitas car tries to go past him, flaming wig and a monkey hanging off the back, which has jumped from
the Cognosicar (propelled by a flywheel cranked by more Simians)
"More Speed! More Speed! No Bojo! Stop throwing Bananas!" - Cognos
Inside the mine, Persephone Pitstop is tied to the train track.
Because there are trains in mines. Obviously
Even though he just passed him on the road, Solemn Dasterdly is mwhuh-ha-haaing to himself. Well, actually,
it's "The Hooded Guardian". Which is Solemn in a domino mask.
The three-headed dog is driving the train. It has a train-driver's hat. And a string that makes it go "choo choo"
"Hey-ulp!" - Persephone
All the men in her life are colliding in their efforts to get to her, achieving nothing. The Roman Boys seem to be
trying to help out, but don't know how.
Is this a subtle reflection on how Cobalt sees her? Probably. Mostly, it's funny.
Cobalt Reshapes the train tracks, so that the train flies off vertically. Solemn's jaw literally hits the floor before
he turns into a cat and runs for it
"Get him!" - The Roman Boys
"Good plan!" - Cobalt, untying the damsel and finally, thankfully, achieving the Dream Bridge
Dave2: At least I didn't have to do the spinach trick again?
Dave: It was the Digital Web in oMage. It was a younger time
...
"Cobalt. You're cell-shaded" - Persephone
Cobalt has walked in through the Lighthouse door into Sef's Vestibule
"I wasn't going to say anything. I thought it was rude" - Kosciej
"I have had a hell of a day" - Cobalt, returning to photorealism
"What happened?" - Persephone
"Persephone Pitstop got tied to the railroad by the Hooded guardian. It went downhill from there.... Ooo! Is that
JELLY?!" - Cobalt
He starts to eat the party food.
And then there is a montage.

Kosciej pulls up a blackboard and starts teaching them both the Mind Arcanum. Kosciej refers to her throughout
as "The Dread Mistress"
"That's going to be in my brain later" - Cobalt
"Mine, too" - Kosciej
"You live IN here" - Cobalt
"The leather outfit doesn't help" - Kosciej
Sylph rolls her eyes and concentrates on cake. She drops it and bends over to retrieve it, away from Cobalt
"So. In the cavalcade of menfolk surrounding the Dread Mistress, how come you've never tried to tap that?" -
Kosciej, conversationally
Cobalt is speachless
"Because you might think that she doesn't go for older men..." - Kosciej
"How does one say it? You know how Vista looks really good but there's a whole load of bugs underneath?" -
Cobalt
"Broken interface. I understand" - Kosciej, eating Doritos
"She's a teenager, and I get enough of them at work. Young, free, whatever - it's a fantasy, and yes tap that,
but as a person I like Catherine, and I have to deal with her on a repeated basis" - Cobalt
"Ah. I understand. Tell you what - while she's doing these exercises, why don't we go off and visit Catherine's
Lust? Lust has this trick..." - Kosciej
"Is this why you call her the Dread Mistress?" - Cobalt
"No, she just told me I was forbidden to refer to her by name. So she's the Dark Goddess that Rules My World" -
Kosciej
"I'd... better give that the skip. What if it crept up into her consciousness? And then there's the Symmetry
issue" - Cobalt
"I quite understand" - Kosciej
Cobalt thinks
"Plus, there's the paternal role I seem to have taken on" - Cobalt
I like how he says that *last*
"You could possibly convince her to go into Hadrian's" - Cobalt
"Don't get me started" - Kosciej, muttering
"How far into the original Kosciej's mind do you go? Up to the Legacy?" - Cobalt
"Yes" - Kosciej
"Do you have any idea why Solemn is after you guys?" - Cobalt
"Presumably we did something to Solemn's forebears after we formed" - Kosciej
"Because he's acting like you killed his mother" - Cobalt
"Maybe we did" (shrugs) "It would be a question to ask the Dread Master" - Kosciej
Cobalt and Persphone both give him a Look
"What?" - Kosciej
"I find it funny, and it's funny to annoy her. Are you sure the Big K will enjoy you calling him that?" - Cobalt
"What's he going to do? Get rid of me? I'm more valuable to the parliament than SHE is" - Kosciej
"Arguably, she has a future. When she gets good enough she can charge up any Daimon that comes through
her. like her own, if we ever find it..." (thinks) "Maybe... Just maybe you have her Daimon in here somewhere.
After all, you came from an Artifact that had no Daimon in it" - Cobalt
"What kind of sick, twisted creature do you take me for? The sort that imprisons her real Daimon somewhere
and tells it to put the lotion in the basket or it gets the hose?" - Kosciej
"Yes" - Cobalt
"Yes" - Perspehone, on her way to the blackboard
"I'm hurt. I'm terribly hurt" - Kosciej, watching her go
"Sorry. The old man counselling routine isn't working so well" - Cobalt
"Could you talk to her? Could you talk to the Dark Goddess Whose Name is Not to be Uttered about the Samael
issue?" - Kosciej
"Well, it's one of those things she has to make up her own mind about before the poaching happens. I'm getting
the idea that Samael is getting the idea on the other front but I don't think he is here. When I took Archimedes
that time and left them to sort it out I was expecting to find that they'd have resolved their issues and done the
nasty" - Cobalt
"Me too. I tried to tell her" - Kosciej, eating crisps
He passes the bowl to Cobalt, who takes a handful
"I'm not going to tell her to do anything, it's just a window there that's going to close. if she decides after that...
It's going to get messy. Do you think she's listening to this whole thing and is going to hit me and hate me or
take this the right way?" - Cobalt
"You are in my brain, you know" - Persephone
"I'm just getting the opinion of your cabal mate, oh One Who All Shall... Er..." - Kosciej
"Don't bother" - Cobalt
"One Who All Shall Love And Despair" - Kosciej
"Sorry... But... He had Jelly"
"Jelly?" - Kosciej, offerring
"And a trip through my own mind has convinced me I'm taking things too seriously" - Cobalt
"Is that why you were two dimensional?" - Kosciej
Cobalt nods. Persephone looks irritable.
"Look. It's your choice, but I'm thinking that if you don't take some time to work it out, possibly with him..." -
Cobalt
"...He's going to be banging Pandora before you say anything" - Kosciej
"The rafters will be shaking" - Cobalt
They both nod simultaneously. Persephone is put in mind of Statler and Waldorf from the Muppets
And I think this sort of thing defines Cobalt as a character. He interacts with npcs as peers to an extent the others don't
- like this here with Kosciej, and with Ashlar last session and at the end of next session, too. Mostly, I think, it's because
me and Dave have known each other for so long we're good at the double acts
"She thinks of him as a younger, sexier, less fucked up in the head version of Duma" - Kosciej
"Are the two of you DONE?"
"Not by a long shot" - Cobalt
"Not quite yet" - Kosciej
"We can shut up at any time. You just have to say, oh Dark..." - Cobalt
"I'll just leave you to yourselves" - Persephone
She pulls a chain, causing a box to fall on them from a great height
"You know, this would be impressive if I didn't control this Onerios" - Kosciej, casually disintegrating it
"Of course, you have all your Arcana here" - Cobalt
"Not just that, I'm a frikken Daimon!" - Kosciej
"How does one go about finding one's Daimon? I was looking for some advice, and I found a sitcom" - Cobalt
"I can give you advice!" - Kosciej, enthusiastic
"I know. That's why I wanted to find another Daimon" - Cobalt
Kosciej slides over a psychiatrist's couch
"Take a seat" - Kosciej
"Okay, Dr K" - Cobalt
"Tell me" (German accent) "So. Begin. Tell me all of the GOOD things about... Your mother" - Kosciej
"You're not doing Freud on me" - Cobalt
"Okay" (to Sef) "Oh, um, Beauty of the Inner Realms Whose Breasts Are Like Honey and Whose Tresses are Like
the Night Sky Or Something..." - Kosciej
"...Made by Bees" - Cobalt
"...Spun by ravens or something or other" - Kosciej
"WHAT?" - Persephone
"I need to move us to a new scene" - Kosciej
...
Kosciej sits back, taking a drag on his cigarette over the hiss of the Voigt-Campf test's compressor. A hovercar
flies past the window.
"You watch too many movies" - Persephone
"You're in a Desert. You see a Turtle. You turn it over. It's dying, and you're not turning it back over. Why?" -
Kosciej
"It killed my father" - Cobalt
Kosciej blinks
"Seriously. What else would a Turtle be doing in a Desert? it's an aquatic animal. It must be hiding out from me
for some terrible crime" - Cobalt
"... ... ... Back to Jelly, I think" - Kosciej
"Either that, or she should brush up on some real psychology... Oh!" (to Sylph) "Have you considered
Psychology as a degree? You should look into it. it would help you restrain this guy, and improve the quality of
his analyses" - Cobalt
"With her in that outfit, she doesn't need the help. Do you want to see the gate?" - Kosciej
"Okay" - Sylph
The last vestiges of hair vanish from Kosciej's scalp, and he produces a harmonica
"THIS WAY!" - Kosciej, running off at full pelt
"Come on, Hardcase!" - Persephone
"No, no - this is a five-minute physical game. Before your time, I'm afraid" - Cobalt
Dave has correctly spotted the reference to The Crystal Maze, a game show hosted by Richard O'Brian in the 90s
"Watching reruns on challange TV!" - Kosciej
They give chase, Persephone flying in the manner of a superheroine
"This way! To the Kosciej cave! To My Fortress of Solitude! My Home on the Psyche!" - Kosciej, gambolling
through dream-scenes
"Just to warn you - this is where Kosciej brings things he likes in my dreamscape. It'll be full of crap" -
Persephone
"As long as he doesn't have a girl over. Does it bother you, by the way, that you're flying at supersonic speeds
while I'm strolling along and keeping pace with you?" - Cobalt
"No" - Persephone
"It's kind of creeping me out. I apologise for disrupting your idiom" - Cobalt
They arrive at a metal door.
"Ba-da-da-da-daa-daaaa-daaaaaaaaaaaaa" - Kosciej, hauling the door open
A beach ball, a teddy bear and a microwave oven fall out. They were the least stable components of the pile.
"Cobalt. Promise me one thing - don't ask him where he got that" - Persephone
"I assume the beach ball came from a beach..." - Cobalt
"Don't ask EVER" - Persephone
"I'm not going to ask! I could suggest wild things" - Cobalt
"NO" - Persephone
They go in. The floor is stone, and warm to the touch, but everywhere else there are great piles of random
objects, organised into heaps that curve over their heads in defiance of gravity. Bubblegum machines. Stop
Signs. Many, many shopping trolleys. Children's books. DVDs. Items of clothing. A couple of mannequins. Big
foam hands. Pugil Sticks. A wide variety of costuming. The Apollo 12 Moon Lander. A stuffed Tyrannosaurus Rex.
A Giant, inflatable banaa. An eight foot vinyl statue of Daffy Duck. Lots of televisions. A Morris Minor.
Everything electrical is "on". The TVs are

all showing static
Chris: The male of the species often decorates it's nest to impress the female
"Where's the gate?" - Cobalt
"This way!" - Kosciej, leading them on.
Half an hour later;
"How deep does this go?" - Cobalt, crouching
The tunnel has gotten narrower and narrower
"Quite a long way. Quite long" - Kosciej, miner's helmet glowing
The tunnel gets so narrow they'll have to crawl
"You first" - Kosciej, to Persephone
"Why?" - Persephone
"We're entering the darkest reaches of your brain" - Kosciej
They crawl
"Look at it this way; all her Daimon ever did was write poetry and blog occasionally" - Kosciej
"I'm worried if your Daimon does get out she'll be a bit Goth after being so long locked away with nothing but
pain" - Cobalt
They come up out of a hatch
"Ah! Overflow area!" - Kosciej
"What!?" - Persephone
The sky is grey, and they're standing on a landfill site stretching from horizon to horizon, littered with hills of
random artifacts
"Okay... this place needs a tidy" - Cobalt
"Oh, you should see the rest of the Oneiros. It's sparkling" - Kosciej
"You've been throwing everything here!?" - Persephone
"Yup!" - Kosciej, happily
"There's such a thing as a filing system..." - Cobalt
"I know where everything is" - Kosciej
The Daimon gets shorter and bow-legged, like a chimpanzee
"To THE MONOLITH!" - Kosciej
And he runs off up a "hill", displacing the world's collection of My Little Ponies as he goes
Persephone picks up a crystal ball near her feet, "hms" and puts it back.
They give chase
Kosciej has reached a huge jet-black slab at the top of the tallest hill
"DA! DAA! DAAAAH! DA-DA! DUM-DA DUM-DA DUM-DA DUM-DA!" - Kosciej
Cobalt slaps him
"Good man" - Sylph
"There's drama, melodrama and melomelodrama with extra ham, lightly baked... Actually, this was half-baked"
- Cobalt
Kosciej looks like a scolded child
"Aw. You're hurting his feelings" - Persephone
"At least point at it with a big foam hand" - Cobalt
The Daimon does so. Sef sighs.
"BEHOLD! Yonder lies the castle ov my fadda, tha king!" - Kosciej
...
The Gateway is now stood on top of the bluff where the Lighthouse normally is. Chayot's house is burning in the
distance
"This is the gate? Why isn't it more Gate-y?" - Persephone
"you don't have the Attainment yet" - Kosciej
"It's full of stars" - Cobalt
"No it's not" - Persephone, irritated
Cobalt waves it off
"We'll know if you're in if you manage to turn it into a real gate" - Kosciej
"How do I do that?" - Persephone
"beats me" - Kosciej
She knocks on it. It makes no sound
"I think you're supposed to imagine it turning into some kind of portol" - Kosciej
She closes her eyes, imagining a crack of shining light spreading across it.
They look at it expectently.
And some more

A tiny white crack appears
"You did it! It's worked!" - Kosciej
"It's alive" - Cobalt, wearily
"IT'S ALIVE! It'll open by itself now! You can come back whenever now - you and me kid, this is the beginning of
a wonderful partnership" - Kosciej, hugging her
She can sense her real body, back in the Demesne. Which is odd.
Sef puts her eye to the crack. nothing.
"I understand if you want to go now. Well, you can just open your eyes and walk around" - Kosciej
"I was going to take her back to mine" - Cobalt
"I'll stay guard" - Kosciej
Persephone twitches her real hand, experimentally.
And then the two of them go back into Cobalt
Second Legacy - achieved!

Meanwhile, in the eternal mystery of Samael's brain...
Dave: Have you figured out how to find your Daimon yet?
Chris: I had, but I forgot it through laughing too hard
Samael, remembering he last saw his Daimon outside "Bede's Office", tries to focus on thoughts of that.
1: Corridor outside Bede's room. 2: Something else to do with Passages. 3: Something else to do with Bede
Samael finds himself in Bede's office again, being given the brush-off. But Bede has strings attached, and
there's no roof on this puppet theatre. Samael tugs on one of the strings, watching the shadowy pupeteer, as
Tiresias looks on with quiet interest.
Samael climbs up the string.
He's up, at a great height. He feels like he's coming down after having a great revelation.
He's stood on top of the step ladder as the church catches fire, in the very moment after his Awakening. He
climbed, and SAW, and now he's stumbling back down. He can't keep his balanced.
He falls to the hard floor as the flames erupt around him.
"THIS IS YOUR AWAKENING?" - Tiresias
"YES!" - Samael, rolling
"TRY TO HOLD ONTO THE FEELING - THE REVELATION" - Tiresias
Samael gets to his feet and jumps, smashing through the window and out of the window of Chayot's house,
which is burning behind him.
It's the same feeling. The feeling of buildings burning. The feeling that Samael's world - his ladder - has been
rocked while he had his mind on higher things.
The beauty of the Oneiros is that I can point out such things. For fun, look for other examples in the Chronicle!
He tries to shift the scene. Duma burns in front of him, trapped underneath the world. the furthest down
Samael's ever been, but the walls are flickering with the same flame as the church and Chayot's house.
He rises on the power of his Path, attempting to exert control. He rises into the burning Atheneaum after the
Barghests smashed their way out of it, the result of the time he tried to control things.
Those would be the freezer-hounds
He heads deeper into the Atheaneum, which turns to the London Aetheneum. The Sophiad is glowing on the
desk.
He's surrounded by a ring of fire. Looking around the edges, he sees shadowy forms moving ont he other side
of the flame. He can't see them properly through the fire.
Samael, gritting his teeth, walks through the fire.
The fire becomes glass.
He's still in the Scriptorium, but he can't see the walls - he's surrounded by stained glass, illuminated from all
angles. There are shadowy things on the far side of the glass. The flames have coelesced into a pillar of fire,
burning in the centre next to the Sophiad.
Samael, rejecting the option of peering too deeply at the forms, approaches the pillar. As he walks closer, the
light behind the stained glass dims and goes out. Tiresias looks expectant.
Samael thinks he's found his Daimon
"Greetings" - Samael
The pillar crackles
"What do you have to say for us?" - Samael
Samael puts a hand close to it. The fire spreads down his hand, but fades once he pulls it away.
He steps inside the Pillar, becoming one with the power. For a split-second he can see clearly, seeing the things
Outside. If only he could remember later.
Samael is now the Fire. The Sophiad becomes more real than anything else in the room. Samael - the
Lightbringer - approaches the book and opens it. The book burns as he holds it, pages flipping to the picture of
the Ankh, which seems very very real.
Samael picks the Ankh up out of the book as everything around goes black. He holds the Ankh out at chest
height and takes a step back.
The Ankh is being worn around the neck of Persephone. She smiles, though her eyes are the wrong colour.
As he watches, Persephone's features dessicate, as though she's mummifying. Eventually, she has some kind
of undead thing superimposed over her.
"Kosciej" - Samael
Then, in a blink, the stars appear above him. The Ankh, when he averts his eyes from the strange
constellations, is being worn by Pandora.
As he watches, Pandora gains the Echo Walker Nimbus - the strange halo he remembers from Duma when he
used his Attainments.
That layer vanishes. Standing there, still wearing the Ankh, is an older woman of about Cobalt's age. She's
blonde, dressed in a robe.
They are both standing on a beach of black sand, next to a black sea. The woman points over his shoulder. He
turns to look...
...And wakes up in the Demesne.
Persephone is looking around the paintings.
"What do you think?" - Tiresias
"That was interesting" - Samael
"Oh, hello" - Tiresias, to Sylph
Cobalt is still meditating
"He must have found something interesting to watch" - Tiresias
"Actually, we're talking" - Sylph
She means with Cobalt - she's in his Oneiros at the same time as she's wandering around the Demesne
"Are we supposed to reveal the secrets of the universe to the Libertines?" - Samael
Tiresias smiles
"We'll go elsewhere" - Tiresias
He puts away the leaves. He and Samael go downstairs.
And then, Archimedes tests the edges of the link between himself and Sylph. Something's happening back at
Ashlar's. Archimedes is running somewhere... Now he's NOT in Ashlar's apartment. Sylph gets the sense that
someone's chasing him.
-Something's going on- - Sylph
-Ah well, just... Think about it, okay?- - Cobalt
He blinks, waking up.
"Someone's chasing Archimedes" - Sylph
Now that she's not in Cobalt's Oneiros, Kosciej can talk to her
-AWOOGA! AWOOGA! THIS IS THE AWOOGA!- - Kosciej
-What?- - Sylph
-He's done a runner!- - Kosciej
She shakes Cobalt to wake him faster
"Come on! No time for tea!" - Sylph
She tries to sense what's going on, and fails
"Where? What?" - Cobalt
"There!" - Sylph, pointing in a direction
"What there?" - Cobalt
"Archimedes is on the run! Either he's escaped from Ashlar's or something happened there!" - Sylph
"Let's find out" - Cobalt
He phones Ashlar
Ashlar answers in the tone of a 50-year old man trying to chase a cat through the night streets of London. A
little bit of pee may be coming out
(panting) - Ashlar
"Apparantly the cat's running away from something" - Cobalt
(pants) "us" - Ashlar
"..." - Cobalt
"Big flare of his... Numina... then he made for the window" - Ashlar
"He's trying to re-establish the connection" - Cobalt, to Sylph
"We think he's trying to get back to Solemn" - Ashlar
"That'll do it" - Cobalt
"How do you catch a cat in a city this size?" - Ashlar
"We'll get back to you on that" - Cobalt
"We think he went down this... Rod!? Rod!? Which way? Rod thinks Left. I think he's making it up" - Ashlar
"I hope he gets lucky! Where to start?" - Cobalt
"My place!" - Ashlar
He hangs up
"He's running away from the guys" - Cobalt
"At least they're okay. let's get him" - Sylph
"he's headed away from them" - Cobalt
"I know what direction he's in" - Sylph
"Let's leave a note for Samael... Paper... Cat escaped. Back with Box. Call for Help. Love. Persephone. X. X. X." -
Cobalt
And away, getting into Cobalt's car
"You didn't have to say that!" - Sylph
"If you want to win, you have to let him know you're in the race" - Cobalt
...
Samael and Tiresias are talking through his vision. Tiresias is intrigued by the fact that he apparantly saw
Sophia at the last moment - and as the Mysterium Anima draw one out of the Oneiros, that may have actually
been The Whorl, and therefore might have actually been the archmaster herself. The quest seems to be trying
to tell Samael that the power is used to illuminate, but if he focuses too far on what he can use it *for* rather
than it itself, peril approaches - the Things the Echo Walkers worship and the disasters brought on by trying to
control his fellow mages, as examples.
"But now it is nearly dawn, and you need to go" - Tiresias
Samael nods
There are only two more things Samael needs to experience before he becomes a Sphinx. Tiresias doesn't know
what they are, but is sure they'll be unpleasant given Samael's apparent metaphysical need to understand his
enemies and how that draws his from the careful balance of his Sophiad.
"I don't know what will happen, Samael. But this is going to hurt" - Tiresias.
Samael thanks him, and leaves.
No taxis here. Samael walks to the main street, hoping to hail a cab. He's aware, for a split-second, of someone
being behind him when he is struck by something metal. Falling to the floor, Samael gets a glimpse of an iron
bar being wielded by a familiar face.
Arc. "Holy" aura surrounding him, giving him Strength
Samael winces as Arc picks him up off the floor.
"Chayot's little student, hanging around with Duma's ex-girlfriend. You want to be one of us? I can make you
one of us" - Arc, snarling
And he casts "the spell" on Samael
:shocked: !!!
Samael's soul is now knocked out. The spell is Lasting: Samael is essentially a sociopath and any wisdom checks
automatically fail. The damage can only be healed by associating with other human beings, which in the state he's in
will be difficult. He does, however, have one advantage - he knows what's happened to him. Most victims don't.
Even so, a member of the cast is killed next session.
What Samael's going through in the whole Astral sequence is the Mysterium Anima, the third Initiation ceremony of the
Order which marks the boundary between Neokoros (status 1) and Dadukos (status 2) - just as his off-screen initiation
between 1.3 and 2.1 was his graduation from "apprentice not told anything" to "trusted follower who can be told what
he needs to know for his job", this marks the leap to "full, card-carrying member of the Order who can requisition
resources and run his own projects".
The initiation is described in the Mysterium book. In brief, what's happening is a guided Astral Journey under the
influence of various experience-heightening drugs, in which Samael is forbidden to use magic. The journey is supposed
to teach him how magic (which the Mysterium, remember, conceive of as a living force) uses *him*, rather than the
other way around. It's meant to show him how he fits into the universe. His Daimon, normally a burning, angelic form
of his own appearance (it appears in 1.3), appears in a much more primordial form as the fire of heaven that Samael
inadvertently summoned during his Awakening. The finale, where the Daimon propels him past the Boundary Stone to
the edge of Astral Space, is probably the most profound experience a Mage can have short of their own Awakening. It's
meant to reveal a deep, deep secret about their place in the universe and, although Samael comes out of it changed
and with a sense of himself, he's not meant to get what it means straight away if at all. It's a Gnostic experience. Some
parts of the astral trip have already erased themselves from his memory, unable to be held in a mortal mind - these
have not been included in the recap as (to save Chris the effort of remembering that Samael doesn't remember them)
they weren't played. He may have flashbacks in later stories, though. An important part to note is that he does, during
the journey, apparantly realise what the things the Echo Walkers worship *are*, but can't remember once the vision
wears off. But he does remember remembering.
It's a mystery.
The interpretation Tiresias gives him (with Sphinx-powa) is pretty close to the truth of the revelation his Daimon was
giving him for the bulk of the journey, though; Samael is in great peril when he ignores the magic and focuses instead
on what it can be used for. He needs to forget about the Echo Walkers and their flawed path - oppose them when they
appear, yes, but turning away from Truth to chase down their Lie will only result in disaster.
In the time-honoured spirit of the music hall farce, this is almost immediately followed by Arc attacking him and
removing his ability to care about anything else.
See you next time for more thrilling heroics!
1. A handy timeline to aid in comprehension;
1800s Parliament of the Needle created in Nameless War. Kosciej kills the first Solemn
1922 Ankh given to Cambridge Atheaneum as a donation. Kosciej's host in America.
1952 Ankh reported stolen. Over in the Parliament, Kosciej moves into new recruit.
1953 Kosciej's host zapped by "something". Solemn the Younger Epotet of Cambridge Guardians.
2006 Duma goes to Cambridge to help them with Tremere. Gets Stink-Eyed by Solemn the Even
Younger. Samael Awakens.
2007 (April) Solemn the Even Younger blackmails Civitas regarding pet Echo Walkers. Requests
his help on a job.
2007 May - Chayot heads South at Civitas' request while Duma is out of town. Soul-jabs several
people. Goes back up North with the Ankh. Sef Awakens. Solemn the Even Younger attaches
Archimedes to Sef and tries to steer her North so Chayot can finish the job. Chayot points out he
did his job and got paid for it already.
2007 June - Sef joins Free Council by accident. Spirit-steering not an exact science. Chayot
ignores demands he do one last one last job.
2007 November - Solemn the Even Younger issues final warning to Chayot. Chayot ignores it.
Civitas learns the Echo Walkers know about the Ankh and sends Duma to try to persuade Chayot
to do it already or at least run away. Chayot *still* refuses, and gets killed when Vahishta comes
to town. Cabal get the Ankh, and give it to Bede who acts all shifty about it.
2007 Dec - Cabal mysteriously receive invitation to join Pandora's expedition. They really must
get around to checking whose idea that was. Solemn starts messing with Sef's mind - imaginary
thorns and suchlike.
2008 Jan - Kosciej manifests in Sef's head, causing Archimedes to step up it's use of Numina on
Sef and get increasingly rebellious. Solemn tries to get Civitas to help him again. Without any
Echo Walker henchmen to be blackmailed about, Civitas tells Solemn where to shove it.
2008 Feb - Bede getting increasingly shifty. Logos realises something's going on and alerts
Tiresias. Archimedes increasingly rebellious, despite tough-love attempts by the Cabal. Sef
agrees to join Parliament.
2008 March - Cabal go to London and find Hadrian. Solemn, certain now that Sef is Kosciej or
about to be, sends a small army of spirits. Small army of spirits defeated by Gordon Freeman.
Civitas, furious at the battle in his city, tells Samael about Solemn blackmailing him. Arc -
thinking Samael is an assassin after him - soul-jabs Samael.

Session 4.5
Welcome back, faithful readers, to the conclusion of the London-set storyline. We kick off with a big battle in which we
learn that a fight between one guy with several Adept Arcana versus three Disciples turns into a simple matter of who
runs out of Mana first, and then follow it up with a good large helping of utter knife-twisting angst.
Mmm. Angst.
Cobalt and Sylph are in Cobalt's car, giving chase using Sef's compass and empathic link as waypoint-finders.
One day we'll have to actually say what kind of car Cobalt drives. You know - for descriptive purposes.
Dave2: Otherwise it'll end up as a Eurocar Westwind like everyone else's.
Dave: Okay, dude - this is not Shadowrun. I know you sometimes get confused...
Agena: Let's cut to the chase
Dave: See? She's been in this country long enough that she's punning.
Archimedes is moving awfully fast. Because, as Sylph realises, he's gotten on the damn tube.
"Which way?" - Cobalt
"THAT way. He's on the Tube" - Sylph
"Do you have a map?" - Cobalt
She starts rummaging around the back seat for the road atlas, eventually finding a map of the city
"Okay. We can try to cut him off at the pass. Which line? tell me it's not the Circle line" - Cobalt
"It's the circle line" - Sylph
He seems to be heading for King's Cross.
Cobalt concludes that the cat is trying to sneak on board a train heading for Cambridge. As Archimedes is on
the tube, though, and Sef and Cobalt can go the direct route in a car, they...
...hit traffic.
"Do you have any way of making this quicker?" - Cobalt
"I'm making the magic" - Sylph
She feels Archimedes use his fear power on someone.
"Could you just pull all his Mana? Or how about you get off here and use the Northern Line while I sulk my way
through traffic?" - Cobalt
She casts a combined compelling spell of Fate and Time, and suddenly all the lights in Cobalt's way are green.
"You can ride shotgun any time" - Cobalt
...
They arrive at King's Cross. While Cobalt gets the cat carrier, Sylph runs into the station. She takes Essence
from Archimedes, hoping it will make the familiar less willing to use Numina against her. If she's reading the
time hand on her compass properly, if she stays up top she'll never meet him but as she walks towards the
Tube station the closer their encounter gets.
Some distance behind her - delayed by parking the car - Cobalt struggles through the morning rush-hour crowd
and heads for the tube himself.
Sef feels Archimedes be picked up by someone - someone he isn't fear-zapping. In fact, Archimedes likes
whoever this is.
She runs back toward Cobalt, who is casting grim Sight and Aura Perception just in case.
"Cobalt!" - Sylph
"That's my name. Need a carrier?" - Cobalt
"Someone he likes has picked him up" - Sylph

"Okay... This could turn into a scene, you know" - Cobalt
"What are you going to do?" - Sylph, fretting
"Well, setting him on fire seems a little extreme. We need to get Archimedes back or cut him off for good" -
Cobalt
"We can't make a scene here - look at all these people!" - Sylph
Cobalt grins
"There are scenes and then there are scenes. It doesn't have to be a giant flaming Gordon Freeman" - Cobalt
Chris keeps trying to interject helpful advice throughout this scene on the recording. Hearing Agena tell him to shut it
and concentrate on preparing to be Evil is amusing me as I transcribe.
Whoever's holding Archimedes is on an escalator - or standing still while moving at any rate. Cobalt and Sylph
decide to wait at the top, Sylph nudging the crowd a little with Fate magic to block the exits and casting Evil
Eye on the carrying person through Archimedes.
Up the escalator comes a thuggish young man, pinched features suggestive of drug use, baseball cap, jogging
clothes and wide, staring eyes.
Cobalt sees something unpleasant moving in his Soul. He's possessed.
"He's ridden" - Cobalt
"any ideas?" - Sylph
"Grab the cat and run? I dunno. He's almost certainly a minion of the bad guy" - Cobalt
An innocent passer-by jostles the possessed chav, who stares her down and uses the Fearstruck Numina on her
- not just a spirit, a FEAR spirit.
Sylph manoeuvres herself close, attempting to grab Archimedies from the possessed man's arms. She gets hold
of Archimedes' scruff, but the spirit-ridden man attempts to grab HER. It uses the familiar Numina on her, but
Sylph is well used to this kind of thing by now and shakes it off, turning and running as the possessed grabs at
empty air.
And now - the footchase rules! The characters were wearing reasonably comfy clothes, but the chav - as chavs are
wont - is wearing £100 trainers. Cobalt starts running, but deliberately slowly so that Sylph can catch him and hand
Archimedes off to him, but doing so runs the risk of the possessed catching him.
The foot race doesn't last very long - Cobalt and Sylph start running, but the possessed minion catches up with
her and grabs her arm. They struggle back and forth.
Cobalt considers the crowd
"GET OFF HER, YOU BASTARD!" - Cobalt
Archimedes attempts to use his Numina on her as the crowd turns ugly. First impressions count, and as far as
the crowd can see there's a young woman being mugged. Sylph is concentrating on holding Archimedes while
breaking free of the minion.
Chris: So what's Archimedes' strength?
Dave: He's a cat, yeah?
Chris: Oh, my...
We fear the creature stats in nWoD.
Dave: 3
Agena: That's higher than mine!
Archimedes struggles, twisting and turning, but she does indeed keep her grip AND break free of the minion,
which attempts to lurch after her but is set upon by Cobalt and the Angry Mob. After an illustrative shove to
break the ice and make everyone think that hostilities have started, Cobalt lets the crowd do their work - the
possessed man gets a metal briefcase in the shins within seconds before having his arm wrenched into a
submission hold while a bowler-hat wearing businessman gives him a kicking. Within a minute armed police
(King's Cross Station is one of the places the cops in the UK carry mp5s) arrive to arrest him. The possessing
spirit, not understanding, attempts to use it's Numina on an armed policewoman who pepper-sprays it in the
face, handcuffs it and leads it off.
Cobalt retrieves the slightly scuffed cat carrier, and they shove Archimedes into it. Cobalt jumps as a bit of the
Fear power gets through.
"Yah! YOU carry him!" - Cobalt
"You okay?" - Sylph
"I... Dislike that spirit. The spirit in that cat. He's a bad un" - Cobalt
"Let's go get the others" - Sylph
He phones Ashlar
"We got him" - Cobalt
(pants) "Thank God" - Ashlar
"All that good luck and you never thought to use the Tube?" - Cobalt, amused
Chris: Bad rolls
"Yes, thank you Cobalt" - Ashlar
"Sorry man. Do you need picking up on our way back?" - Cobalt
"Rod! They've found it... Yeah. Yeah, okay" - Ashlar
In the meantime, Sylph calls Samael...
...
Meanwhile, across town, Samael is lying in the gutter, coming back to conciousness and wincing at the morning
sunlight. He gets up, noting that there's an awful lot of blood on the floor, but putting his hand to his head
doesn't reveal anything.
Arc healed him.
He feels... far away, as though he were controlling his own body like a puppet. It's cold, and there's some kind
of... wall... between him and other people. A lack of empathy.
He's not worried about that right now, though - he uses the Telescope and concentrates on Arc. The sympathy
is very weak, but he gets brief glance at the interior of a church... A church that Samael, habitual student of
religious architecture as he is, recognises as St Paul's Cathedral.
The scrying, I should point out, is at -8 dice. The beating counts as "encountered", but Samael doesn't know Archon's
real name. Willpower puts him on two dice, and Destiny puts him on Four, which gave him (as was statistically likely)
one successes. Phew!
He tries to phone Cobalt, but gets no answer (as Cobalt us underground fighting evil possessed youths).
He sets off, and five minutes later Sef calls him back.
"Sorry about leaving you like that. We had a minor emergency..." - Sylph
"Just after you left Arc attacked me" - Samael, curt
"What!?" - Sylph
"Arc attacked me. He used the soul spell on me. I believe he's heading to St Paul's, and that's where I'm
heading now" - Samael
"Just... Don't do anything silly, okay? We'll be right there" - Sylph
"Get here soon" - Samael
He picks up the pace.
...
"What? Seriously, your half of that sounded dangerous" - Cobalt, at the wheel of his car
"Arc used the spell on him! The soul-spell! We have to get to him quickly - to St Paul's Cathedral!" - Sylph
"To St Pauls?" - Cobalt

"yeah" - Sylph
"Okay, but I'm picking up the guys on the way" - Cobalt
"But he's already THERE! We don't have time to get Ashlar - remember what that Proximus was like under the
influence? We can't risk Samael doing something stupid" - Sylph
"You tell them - they're expecting a pick-up" - Cobalt
She calls Rodriguez
"Hi Rod, we're having a little problem with Samael here. We're not going to be able to pick you up..." - Sylph
...
As he walks, Samael boosts the electrical charge inside his phone's battery to potentially stunning levels,
modified with Fate to last until Samael next speaks.
After the immediate morning rush, this part of town is quite quiet now - St Paul's is in the middle of an office
district, and all the workers have now taken their places.
As he enters, Samael casts Supernal Vision and pushes the door open. There's a tour of Japanese
schoolchildren being shown around. The Cathedral is roughly cross-shaped, with the four towers meeting the
central dome. Samael saw Arc up in the Whispering Gallery, the thin passageway that goes around the
circumference of the dome high above the Cathedral floor.
Samael spots Arc almost immediately, sat in the pews. And then another by a tomb. And then another by the
gift shop. Arc appears to have altered people's resonances to look like his own, knowing that Samael knows
he's good enough at Life magic to shapechange. Samael won't know which one is him until the real Arc
activates his Nephelim Body and attacks...
... Or maybe it's the best form of shell game. Maybe none of them are Arc.
Samael sits down, taking a prayer book, and flicks through it, casting Synchronisity to try to arrive at a helpful
passage. It costs Mana, but then so do all the shell-people Arc's made.
Trying to think clearly, Samael considers. Arc is trying to set up some kind of duel. He's not a raving lunatic, so
he's unlikely to want to fight in amongst these children. He's also likely to have seen Samael already, so if
Samael goes somewhere secluded Arc will probably show himself.
But if that's what Arc wants, it's not what Samael wants. If the fight does happen among witnesses, Samael has
the battery. But Arc has superhuman strength.
...
Cobalt and Sylph have entered the square mile.
"I'll find a Parking space! Get going and I'll catch up!" - Cobalt
At Sylph's Fate-nudging, a car park sign flashes from FULL to FEW REMAINING, and Cobalt yanks on the steering
wheel
"There are times I throw you out of the car. This isn't one of them - but we're leaving the damn cat behind" -
Cobalt
Archimedes looks pleased at that.
"If there are more possessed people, do you want them to break into your car?" - Sylph
"okay. We'll take him. For the sake of my paintwork" - Cobalt

Samael has a thought, and begins using his Supernal Vision to search for the telltale ripples of magic hiding
someone that's Invisible.
...
Sylph and Cobalt are running from the car park towards the Cathedral. Cobalt's going faster than Sylph, not
looking around and not slowing down for her.
...
Having had no luck, Samael switches to searching for heat using an Unveiling spell of Forces. There are the
faint traces of someone having gone up into one of the towers. Which is a problem - Arc could have come out of
any of the others by negotiating the internal spaces.
His Unseen Senses register the impression of someone casting a spell. He tries to Counterspell Prime it
reflexively, turning to look, but he knows that the spell went off regardless. He can't see Arc, up in the
whispering gallery, but he knows that he was there a second ago. There are big lamps up there illuminating the
dome's interior, so he could maybe shoot electricity out of one, but he'd be firing blind so rejects the idea.
But he knows he's up there.
And he's already performed a public Vulgar spell.
Samael gets his phone out, intending to call the Guardians of the Veil. It'll waste the electrical attack spell he
made, but it has a certain irony about it.
He feels another spell ripple through, and his phone goes dead.
Samael narrows his eyes and tries something he'd been theoretically working out for a while now -
echolocation. A pulse of high-frequency sound combined with a spell to perceive the echoes of same goes out.
Arc made himself invisible to sight, but he didn't think about other senses.
Arc is flying, hovering in mid-air in the centre of the Cathedral, below the dome.
Samael tries to dispel Arc's flight spell, Fraying at the Forces magics keeping the Echo Walker aloft. Arc can't
counterspell it without losing his concentration on his Invisibility spell, so swoops down to solid ground.
Samael's dispelation goes off and he gets a brief glimpse of Arc heading into one of the towers before the fire
alarm goes off.
The amassed worshippers look up and start to head out. Samael realises that there won't be sprinklers in a
Cathedral - but the place will be linked directly to the Fire Department.
Cobalt arrives and starts fighting his way through the crowd. A cathedral worker gets in his way
"I'm sorry sir, we're having to close for the moment. The fire alarm has been set off" - Man
"What can I do to help?" - Cobalt
He starts to organise people leaving, holding the door open. The action appears to confuse the worker enough
to let him keep doing it.
Samael, sat calmly in the pews, uses Forces magic to phone Ashlar
"Samael? What's wrong?" - Ashlar
"Arc has attacked me. He's in St Paul's, and he's committed multiple violations of the veil. You might want to let
the Guardians know" - Samael, curt
"Okay... He's trying to lure you into a fight? You're resisting the urge?" - Ashlar
"I'm not going to fight him on his own terms" - Samael
"I'll get on it. I'll tell Decurion..." - Ashlar
"Ashlar. If he attacks me i will defend myself" - Samael
"We'll sort it out after, okay?" - Ashlar
Over by the doors, the last civilian has left the building
"Okay, now sir, come on" (to Samael) "and you sir" - Man
"Sam..." - Cobalt
"I'm afraid I saw a man run off upstairs" - Samael, calmly
"Oh - Brian" (another man comes over) "Could you check the North Tower?" - Man
Samael gets up and heads after "Brian".
"Ah, no - sir..." - Man
While the priest is thoroughly distracted with Samael, Cobalt uses Death to wrap shadows around himself,
vanishing from plain sight.
Both Brian and his friend have turned on Samael, insisting that he leave. Samael is becoming more and more
irate, thoroughly annoyed with these meddling creatures. Only the thought of Paradox is holding him back.
Dave2: I've only got Death 2. I can stop any time I like...
Samael allows the priests to usher him out. They close the doors.
Locking Cobalt in.
Samael shrugs as Sylph runs up, fighting her way through the crowd.
"Samael! You okay?" - Sylph
"How do we get back in?" - Samael
"Get back in?" - Sylph, confused
"Arc's inside. If we don't keep tabs on him he could leave" - Samael, monotone
"Where's Cobalt?" - Sylph, worried
"Inside, last I saw him" - Samael
"Well... Uh... he'll keep an eye on him" - Sylph
"Cobalt is a Disciple in one Arcanum. ONE. Arc is a very competant mage. How long do you think Cobalt's going
to last?" - Samael, cold
"How long would you last?" - Sylph
He sneers. He actually sneers
"Yes, but then if we all went inside there'd be three against one. And I lasted well enough so far. We have to get
back inside" - Samael
"Look, we can't get back inside" - Sylph
Archimedes attempts to use it's fear Numina on Samael, but fails. Sylph hurriedly removes the last of it's
Essence
He stares at the cat, which hisses back at him
"We HAVE to get inside" - Samael
"Look... just calm down, okay?" - Sylph
Samael, despite her words, seems quite calm as he scans the sky for invisible flying escaping Adepts.
...
Cobalt looks around, checking the surroundings, and after spotting a font animates the water.
"So what are you, then?" - Arc, from every direction
Cobalt glances around
"Hitman?" - Arc
"Doorwarden of the Auric Horizon" - Cobalt
"I used to be a Doorwarden" - Arc
"Of the Cabal of Six Wings. How did that work out?" - Cobalt
"Not well" - Arc
"Is there any particular reason for trying to turn Samael into one of you?" - Cobalt
"Satisfaction. I thought it would make him face me" - Arc
"And what the fuck do you have against him?" - Cobalt

"He's killed two of us already. three if you count Quiet" - Arc
"Good guess but no. Quiet killed Chayot" - Cobalt
"You expect me to believe that?" - Arc
"Not really, no. Duma died to a monster in the Amazon. I can't vouch for that one, as Samael was with him. But
I saw the creature and yeah - it could kill any of us" - Cobalt
Arc snorts derisively.
"Well done. Duma's letter said you were discreet or had given up. You were lowest on our list - Vahishta was
first, but congratulations. You're now ticket number one" - Cobalt
"Ticket Number One?" - Arc, mocking
"As in take a ticket and get in line" - Cobalt
"Are you speaking in your capacity as a doorwarden?" - Arc
"We're in the right in this. Civitas will have your hide" - Cobalt
"Civitas can try to catch me. I declare the right of nemesis" - Arc
Cobalt laughs
"Do you have a second?" - Cobalt
"Not on me. You?" - Arc
"I can rustle one up" - Cobalt
...
Samael walks around the outside, looking for fire exits
"Samael.. What are you doing? You can't fight him!" - Sylph
"With you me AND Cobalt we probably could" - Samael
"I... It... I don't mean that we couldn't do it. I mean that we shouldn't" - Sylph
"Someone is going to have to fight him at some point" - Samael
"Why did he attack you?" - Sylph
"You tell me" - Samael
"Keep in mind the health of your soul. Don't do anything you'll regret later" - Sylph
"If you want to make sure I won't regret anything, could you please bestow Luck on me" - Samael
"Only if you'll swear you won't kill him" - Sylph
He gives her a look
"I have no intention of killing him" - Samael
"Swear it" - Sylph
"I don't intend to kill him. I have no idea what he'll try to do; so I'm not going to swear it as I don't know if he'll
try to kill me" - Samael
He reaches a fire door and blasts it in with a focused strike of Forces.
"You don't know that" - Sylph
"What about Quiet? You didn't intend to kill him" - Samael
"This is... different" - Sylph, unsure
"So don't try to make me swear to something when we don't know how it'll turn out. You can't tell what the
future holds" - Samael
She tries to see if giving him Luck will help - it will, so she casts Bestow Exceptional Luck.
...
"So are you going to show yourself or just scream 'nemesis' to give your backstabbing some legitimacy?" -
Cobalt
Arc appears, spending the Mana to activate his Nephelim form. He is surrounded by holy light, eyes blazing.
Beneath it, the Obrimos is in his early fifties, bearded, weathered and scarred from more fights than he should
have seen.
On their way through the corridors, Sylph casts Gain Skill on herself
Giving herself Brawl dots
"Here I am, then. Take your best shot" - Arc
"Do you mind if I have a run up?" - Cobalt
Cobalt commands the water in the font to leap on him while stepping back, and transmute liquids the very front
of the spell into a tiny amount of nitroglycerin.
Subtlety has now shuffled off to lunch.
Arc, sensing Cobalt casting, throws a hand up in a rote mudra and casts... something big. The water-snake
detonates, but the blast wave from the explosion slows to a near-stop, the noise sounding as though it's coming
from underwater. The amount of light around Arc seems to diminish, somehow, as he strolls away from the
slow-motion explosion.
This spell is called Containment, from "Mysterium", it reduces anything to a maximum speed of ten, reduces all
electricity and fire to the lowest level and dampens all Forces in the area - like the explosion. Arc needs to spend a
Mana for everything that the field suppresses, so this tactic will greatly eat his reserves, but it dealt with Cobalt's party
trick quickly enough.
Cobalt looks for cover as Arc advances upon him. Samael and Sylph arrive in the main part of the Cathedral,
coming in behind Arc's back.
"OVER HERE, YOU PATHETIC WRETCH" - Samael
Arc casts Telekinetic Strike on Cobalt, but although he's winded Cobalt isn't greatly hurt.
Samael tries to figure out how much longer Arc can go before running out of Mana, watching him smack Cobalt
around.
Sylph having cast Exceptional Luck on herself, tries to cast Moment of Doubt on Arc.
Arc, too, has figured out that he's running low on Mana. He gestures at Cobalt and casts Siphon Mana on him,
draining Cobalt of some of his own reserves. Cobalt lunges forward and grabs Arc, or more exactly Arc's shirt -
which he then turns to very heavy stone using Transmute Earth.
Which is slowing him down, and preventing him from using Rote mudras or resisting the grapple.
Sylph casts Evil Eye on Arc, running for the cover of a pillar.
Arc snarls and casts Firey Transformation, turning his own flesh into fire. The stone shirt drops and falls through
him, and Cobalt finds himself holding onto flame, wincing from the sudden heat.
Cobalt takes 4 lethal damage from the burns.
Dave2: I'm still conscious!
Chris: Oh, that's all right then.
Samael tries - and fails - to dispel the Containment.
Cobalt desperately needs something between him and Arc, and - stumbling backward - turns his multitool into a
medieval-style shield with a cross of St George for an emblem.
Arc's next spell goes wrong - he has to take backlash from paradox - but works. The cabal get a brief flash of
colour as the still-flaming Arc runs past them, scattering them like ninepins.
He used Burst of Speed to increase his speed to 72. Why? He was running low on mana and the Cabal were about to
be able to actually hurt him.
And then he's gone. Out of a window, maybe, with only the short-lived fire trail left behind.
Cobalt leans heavily on a wall, wincing at his burns.
"We'd better get out of here" - Sylph
Archimedes hisses from his cage, discarded on the floor
"Let's just LEAVE. The Guardians can handle him" - Sylph
They go out the way Samael and Sylph came in, phoning Ashlar
"What the hell is going on!?" - Ashlar
"Arc just used vulgar magic to escape the cathedral" - Samael
"Uh, guys?" - Cobalt
Samael looks at him blankly. Sef helps him out of there.
"Samael. Come on and help" - Sylph
"Is Cobalt capable of walking?" - Samael
Cobalt is on 6 lethal and 2 bashing, out of eight. He's barely conscious.
Dave2: I remembered the rules as being you have to make a stamina check (at penalty) when you hit your top wounds
of bashing. With Iron
Stamina at level 2, I still had two dice and got a success: hence my earlier declaration that I was still conscious.
I didn't feel the need to tell Dave, since it avoided any chance of him pulling the punch and looking like a softy on the
thread.
Samael scowls and helps them out. As they leave, the firemen go in through the front.
Arc has burnt the word "SOON" into the grass outside.
What a ham
"Where the hell is everyone?" - Samael, into his phone
He then sees Decurion in the crowd, actively searching for people with Mage Sight spells. He's going into the
Cathedral.
"Let's just keep a little way away" - Cobalt, phoning Decurion
"Where are you?"
"Out the back, near the word 'SOON' burnt into the grass" - Cobalt
"How very melodramatic. I'll be there soon" - Decurion
Decurion arrives, looking them over, examining the threat.
"Do you want the general gist or the play by play?" - Cobalt
"Two fights. Two Fire Fights. No physicists this time, though. Font water all over the floor" - Decurion
"It served as a distraction, but he still pummelled me within an inch of my life, set himself on fire and fled at
high speed" - Cobalt
"And attacked Samael" - Sylph, helpfully
"He attacked me with vulgar magic. When I chased him down he was cloaked by several more vulgar spells,
which is when I contacted the authorities. At this point Arc did everything he could to escalate the situation, but
I didn't attack him" - Samael
"He genuinely was" - Cobalt
"vendettas. Let's get you off the streets, man" - Decurion, disgusted
He leads them to the back of a van, which he opens.
"SIT" - Decurion
Cobalt sits down as Decurion activates his ring, takes it off and - without asking - jams it on Cobalt's finger.
Cobalt has the interesting feeling of his badly blistered hands regenerating, the nerves popping back to life one
by one. Decurion casts several more spells, presumably contacting his fellow Guardians.
Decurion's ring is technically a Life Armour artefact, at least according to Shadows of the UK, but that's a bit.. .useless.
So it's a ring of regeneration. Because I say so.
Once Cobalt's done, Decurion pulls the ring off and puts it on Sef
"You know, it's customary to ask first" - Sylph
"Dinner and chocolates?" - Cobalt
"Got an injury?" - Decurion, to Samael - ignoring the others
"No. I didn't rise to his provocation" - Samael
"He declared the Right of Nemesis" - Cobalt
"In the which case he should have taken it to the Heirarch as your companion did" - Decurion
"Agreed"
"And it would have been a duel. Our city's Lex Magica does not afford people the right to have pitched battles
in the middle of saint Paul's fucking Cathedral" - Decurion
"If you have the Death sight, you can see the effect on Samael's soul. We need to get him to Newcastle" -
Cobalt
"Why?" - Samael, dismissive
"The ankh" - Cobalt
"Do you remember Duma's letter? This will wear off. There's no need to go to Newcastle" - Samael
"Yeah... i think there is. Or we can get it brought down here. The fact is, left to your own devices to socialise
and heal you'd be fine. Attacked by this nutbar - you're going to lose it, Sam" - Cobalt
"Only if he can find me" - Samael
"If you start hiding from him, you'll not be socializing" - Sylph
"We've got too much to be doing down here to be running away to get something which may speed up my
healing. He may attack me anyway. He can still get access to me" - Samael
"I'm talking about coming back" - Cobalt
"To be honest, you might not be allowed to reenter our city" - Decurion
"I understand the sentiment. I apologise for the disturbance" - Cobalt
Decurion opens the van doors and lets them out
"We'll track him. Go and lie low" - Decurion
"We can't afford to leave the city now" - Samael
Decurion slams the van door and starts the engine.
"Sam. I didn't get the childish cat and mouse. I got a man on fire trying to beat my head in" - Cobalt
"So your reaction is to allow him to do more damage to us?" - Samael
"Is that you talking?" - Cobalt
"the spell can be reversed here. We don't need the Ankh. Do you want to go North and haggle with Bede" -
Samael
"I was going to appeal to the Consilium" - Cobalt
"You know as well as anyone the political entanglements that will involve. By that time I'll be healed anyway" -
Samael
"We're not doing anything today. Let's get back to the others, see if they'll let us stay and... you're not going
anywhere alone" - Cobalt
"That's fine" - Samael
"Good. You're not having any... urges, are you? To crack people's souls open?" - Cobalt
"I can't even use the Death Arcanum" - Samael
"Doesn't stop you having the urge" - Sylph, quietly
Samael gives her a deadly look and, cowed, she shuts up.
They consider the fight.
"I didn't even get a weapon out" - Cobalt
"That was dumb of you" - Samael
"He's convinced you murdered Chayot and Duma" - Cobalt
"That's because he's an idiot" - Samael
"I could see him. He's wearing his rage on his skin - he's not in control of it" - Cobalt

And so, to the apartment, where they tell Ashlar and Rod what's wrong with Samael and where Ashlar bustles
around assuring everyone that the Guardians have scrying teams tracking Arc's resonance through the city. If
he casts a vulgar spell - or even uses Mana - he'll appear to their spells. It's the kind of tracking network that
you can only do with big populations of Mages.
Samael points out that they might get ejected from the city anyway.
"We'll need a lawyer. It wasn't your fault - he attacked you. And the night before Solemn attacked us. We'll get
a lawyer and argue it" - Ashlar
"Call a Lictor" - Sylph
"It would certainly delay things" - Cobalt
"Like Gabrielle" - Sylph
"She's in France" - Samael
"She's a Lictor. And she's coming to the lecture anyway - besides, she's only in Paris. it's what, three hours train
away? Rod?" - Ashlar
"Yeah?" - Rodriguez
Ashlar asks Rod to fetch out a box from the spare room, which contains small green glass bottles.
"Consumable tass" - Ashlar
Cobalt thankfully takes one. Samael knocks his back.
"I'm still half full" - Sylph, handing hers to Cobalt.
Cobalt refreshes all his Willpower through Fortitude. Especially as Arc was going to hit him that last time, which as
Dave hadn't said how low on Health he was would have killed Cobalt outright.
Arc's really hard, but fortunately runs away once hurt
Dave2: Oh, my god - he's Starscream
He's nuts, paranoid, prone to making grandiose speeches, if you scratch him he leaves to nuke you from orbit another
day and was his team's legbreaker. Yeah, he's Starscream.
Rodriguez makes a half-hearted attempt to engage Samael in conversation, aware like everyone else that
Samael needs to talk to people to heal. He doesn't get very far.
"How did your initiation go?" - Sylph
"What initiation?" - Samael

"The whole drug-fuelled vision thing?" - Cobalt
"It was very interesting" - Samael, monotone
In the background, Pandora has arrived. Ashlar is explaining what's happened to Samael to her.
"Can anything be done about it?" - Pandora
"Social interaction" - Samael, wearily
"No - no - I mean a quick way. But it's probably best to not start yanking it around without study" - Ashlar
It can, in fact, be healed instantly by an Adept of Spirit. But they're fresh out of them
Pandora sits next to Samael to keep him company, telling him that Gabrielle is on her way to see everyone and
fight their case if needed.
"She's bringing her silver robes and everything. She says she's going to be offensivly French and cultured at
Civitas - he'll not want to upset her Consilium what with the Convocation coming up" - Pandora
'Dora's line about the Convocation is brought up in the brief bit of downtime between 4.5 and 5.1 - I'll post it in a bit.
She asks him if he wants to come out clubbing anyway.
"Because if social interaction helps..." - Pandora
"Yes" - Samael
Sylph gives Pandora an evil look
"Yeah! We should all go" - Sylph
"You're not going anywhere" - Ashlar, to Sylph
"Me?" - Sylph, confused
Ashlar nods to Cobalt, who's now blocking the door.
"Sef. We need to talk about your cat" - Cobalt
"We need to talk about Archimedes" - Ashlar
"This is an intervention. Park yourself" - Cobalt
Cobalt and Ashlar really, really work well together. It's the mentor-student bond I'm proudest of in either Mage
Chronicle.
Pandora and Samael slip out, leaving Sylph to Ashlar and Cobalt's worried gazes.
Samael glances back at the door
"You don't want to be there" - Pandora
"Yes. It's not going to be pleasant for her. She's grown attached to the cat" - Samael
"Especially in your condition. Let's go try to enjoy ourselves" - Pandora
Samael frowns, aware that he should care about Sylph's feelings, but still not doing so. But it's progress.
...
"Okay. We're fucked" - Ashlar
"Tell me" - Sylph, quietly
"Archimedes is not going to stop trying to escape. He will constantly try to get to Solemn" - Ashlar
"Solemn has agents in the city" - Cobalt
"We've analysed Archimedes. We've analysed his resonance - we can do that much. He isn't a natural spirit that
was put into the cat. It's possible for a Master of Spirit to create a new spirit out of raw ephemera, to just
design it from scratch. A master Moros can create Ghosts that were never alive, and a Mastigos can make an
independent mind. The spirit inside Archimedes was created by Solemn" - Ashlar
"He's a Master of Spirit?" - Sylph
"Yes, but we knew that anyway. To reprogram Archimedes we need another Master of the Spirit Arcanum..."
(deep, bitter sigh) "...And Cadacaus has refused to help" - Ashlar
"I wonder why" - Sylph, sarcastic
Rodriguez, silent in the background, looks really guilty.
"NO! No, Rod - this isn't your fault..." - Sylph, on verge of tears
"Rod - he wouldn't have done it anyway. He's a coward, a dick and a weasel" - Cobalt
"Si. But still..." - Rodriguez, miserable
"There is one thing that I can do" - Ashlar
"Snap the bond" - Sylph
"Yeah. Either myself or Rodriguez can destroy the bond. It needs an Adept Acanthus" - Ashlar
She looks between the two of them. Neither man looks happy about it.
"It's not a quick process. Against a familiar, the bond is so strong that the magic will only suppress it for a time,
during which we must then exorcise and kill the Familiar-Spirit" - Ashlar
"No..." - Sylph
"We can try to exorcise the spirit out of the cat but it's been there so long that the cat is thoroughly Ridden. We
may have to kill the cat. We'll do everything possible to avoid that, but... I would advise that if you have
anywhere you can go? Inside your head? I would recommend that you not be around for this" - Ashlar
"Why?" - Sylph
"Because it'll hurt" - Ashlar
"I'm sorry Sef. Solemn will use him to attack us - to attack you" - Cobalt
Sylph looks pensive, and downright miserable.
-Persephone?- - Kosciej
...
Inside her Oneiros, Persephone is in the lighthouse kitchen, sat opposite Kosciej.
"As you said, I've been pulling things out of memories and have some conclusions if you want to look at them" -
Kosciej
The Daimon isn't looking her in the eye, busying himself with files open on the table. There are blurry photos.
"We don't have much, but what we do have.. This is the last thing we saw" - Kosciej
"Why are you bringing this up NOW?" - Persephone
"Because..." (taps the photo) "...Because they're doing it now" - Kosciej
"What?" - Sylph
"So... Blackcurrent jelly or Lime-green jelly?" - Kosciej
She pushes her way out, intent on leaving Kosciej and going somewhere. The gate seems to be the only calm
bit of her mind where no memories would hit her.
"Yes! yes! Let's go inspect the gate!" - Kosciej
...
Back in Ashlar's apartment, Ashlar is casting Destroy Bindings.
...
"As you can see, the gate is making progress. And look!" - Kosciej
He brandishes a plastic thing at her
"It's your favourite toy from when you were three!" - Kosciej
She ignores him.
Kosciej trying to take her mind off the others killing Archimedes is probably the most selfless thing it's done.
"Favourite toy!" - Kosciej
It's head falls off
"Shit" - Kosciej
"You TRAITOR" - Persephone
"I'm not a Traitor!" - Kosciej
"You're conspiring with them!" - Persephone
"With.. who?" - Kosciej
"THEM" - Persephone, waving at the sky
"Did I think you would prefer to be in here while they do this? Yes. I AM a traitor in that case" - Kosciej
Sef gives him an EVIL look. Very unamused, very hurt, very betrayed, very angry.
It's because she wanted to be there. She wanted to feel the bond snapping, a bit for the small cat, because she felt she
owed it to it, but also for herself.
But Kosciej denied it to her, probably because he thought it would be best for her. Still, Sef feels denied of something
important and doesn't want to have anything to do with Kosciej for some time.
"I'm sorry. It's done. We return you to... Well... The gate's nearly ready. A couple of days. Look - I know that I
may have said things like 'let's kill the cat' quite a lot, but..." - Kosciej
He shuffles his feet and walks away.
She sits and watches the gate.
...
"Sef? SYLPH?" - Ashlar
She doesn't respond
"Is this new?" - Ashlar, worried
"It's fairly recent. She can act in both worlds at once, like a Dreamspeaker" - Cobalt
"Sylph? Sylph?" - Ashlar
"What?" - Sylph, quietly
"It's over, if you want to come back" - Ashlar
"I know. I don't" - Sylph
"Okay. We'll put you in the spare..." - Ashlar
"I can put myself" - Sylph
She gets up and shuffles off, not looking at anyone.
Dave: blue or green?
Agena: Green
(both dice come up the same)
Dave: Tie. Blue or Green?
Agena: Green
(blue die comes up higher)
Dave: Archimedes dies
Entire player group: Awwww
...
While Rodriguez stands silent guard outside Sylph's room, Ashlar and Cobalt head to the private park for the
building to perform a burial.
A winner is Aegis!
"I'm told he was an adorable kitten. To be fair, he was pretty cute even when he was betraying us" - Cobalt
"I'm sorry" - Ashlar
"You did what you could" - Cobalt
They both dig the hole using spades. No magic here.
"We're in this together now. Solemn's going to keep coming. Now I've fucked his plans up" - Ashlar
"Sorry to drag you into this" - Cobalt
"I don't mind. I'm an old man. To be honest, you kids bring some excitement into my life" - Ashlar
"We seem to do that a lot" - Rex
"My name's Rufus" - Ashlar
"Rex Williams" - Cobalt
"Pleased to meet you Rex" - Ashlar
"And you, Rufe. So.. Are you from Kingston?" - Cobalt
"Originally, yes. Back in... A long time ago. Different world." - Ashlar
Note to anyone that isn't Pathstrider: 'Rufus' was Dave2's character in my final Mage: The Ascension chronicle, while
'Cobalt' was his character in my first. I think Dave's been suspecting it ever since Ashlar was intro'd as being Jamaican.
...
Samael and Pandora are dancing away. His habit of using Life magic to sense the flow of the crowd is helping
the state of his soul.
...
Montage!
Sef spends the next few days in the room. The boys take turns asking her if she needs anything. At some point
Samael comes to talk to her. They sit there for about an hour and then leave the house together for the
afternoon. Sef still doesn't talk to anyone else.
Rodriguez' real name is Carlos.
It turns out that the Cabal's enrolment on the expedition was Duma's idea... And therefore Civitas' idea.
Pandora and Samael go out a lot - to clubs, bars... Pandora is helping to heal him and working on seducing him
in the process.
Decurion says that according to the tracking spells Arc has fled the city. He drained a Hallow on his way out of
town - one of the Pentacle's. No one was permenantly hurt. Decurion says that if Arc makes any further
attempts on their life it'll probably be out of London, and therefore not his concern. Comforting.
Gabrielle arrives and efficiently begins fighting the Cabal's corner - eventually, they are allowed to stay and
even return, though on future visits they have to be escorted by a Guardian at all times and will be on
probation.
Tiresias inducts Samael into the Sphinxes, apologetic that he couldn't sense how bad it was going to be. Arc is
trouble, says Samael's mentor, but at least Samael experienced the spell at the hands of the member of that
Legacy least likely to follow through. And now Arc is afraid of him. Tiresias says that he should try to follow up
on the visions he had in the Mysterium Anima.
The Amazonian Lecture happens. No one else from the expedition makes it - Orchid sends her apologies, but
she's apparently really busy doing something involving Dinosaurs.
After the lecture, Civitas tells Sylph to get in contact if she remembers what he needs.
Just before they leave, Tiresias takes Samael aside.
"You're going to encounter something that an Obrimos can't fight. There might be an oppertunity in that. Talk to
Logos" - Tiresias
The Cabal head North, with Pandora and Rodriguez along for the ride - Rod promised to visit Newcastle and
Pandora wants to catch up with her old stomping grounds. Besides, she and Samael are now firmly an item, and
she doesn't want to say goodbye just yet.
This does not help Sylph's gnawing feelings of jealousy, nor the feeling of emptiness where Archimedes used to
be.
Five people in the car. Rod in the front, Samael and the girls in the back.
Sef sulks, staring out of the window while Pandora and Samael chat. Rodriguez is giving Cobalt driving tips -
how to get the maximum speed out of it, advising him to drive on the verge. Cobalt is keeping it in mind that
this is HIS car, and has no intention of letting Rod near the steering wheel.
...
Halfway up the M1, the gateway opens in Sef's mind.
Kosciej, in a butler's outfit, brushes himself down. He's constructed steps leading to the gateway, a sort of
processional.
Persephone dresses her Astral form in a serious frock - long train, sparkling highlights and coiling hairdo.
"Good luck. Make a good impression" - Kosciej, adjusting her dress
"You're not coming?" - Persephone
"I can't go in" - Kosciej
She smiles
"In there you have the real one" - Kosciej
"He doesn't make sarky comments" - Persephone
"I hope you make lots of friends, and learn many interesting things" - Kosciej
She turns, gathers her skirt and starts climbing the steps. Kosciej, left behind, calls out to her
"Don't get into fights with the other children!"
She climbs the steps
"Try to find someone to talk to at lunchtime!" - Kosciej
She continues climbing
"It's okay to cry!" - Kosciej
She steps through the Gate, and slams it shut.
And then she looks around.
Mictlan's theme appears to be brass, steeples and cogs. Pistons. Moving parts.
There is noise of someone clearing his throat
Persephone follows the pathways and buildings curving over her head like some impossible miniature dyson
sphere, then realises she's not alone.
The cough was from Kosciej, the real Kosciej, stood at the head of a collection of 27... freaks. A tall figure with
deer antlers. A woman made of crystal. A shop-dummy. A tiny, wizened male creature half-melted into a
hovering throne.
Not one of them looks human.
"Welcome!" - R!Kosciej
And with that, 'When You Were Young' concludes. Join us next time for 'Monster'.
1. 4.6
Special Bonus Features!
Q&A with Samael
The following exchange clears up a few loose ends and describes some more background to the Chronicle in
preparation for next story. Black text is Chris, Blue text is me.
This is reproduced from an email with Chris' permission.
First off, on the soul dislocation and its effects during the game. I hope I played Soul-Jabbed-Samael ok; I must
admit that I found it kinda difficult, mainly since the situation didn't seem to be one where he could do anything
particularly unpleasant without it being a relatively bad move, regardless of morals. Assuming that the soul
dislocation just makes one somewhat unhinged at first, rather than stark raving mad, I had a tough enough
time justifying him going after Arc in the first place (hurt Pride, maybe, but it seemed a bit flimsy in place of
going and tending to his wound, and I mainly went after Arc because it seemed like the more interesting thing
to do). I apologise for the resulting long stand-off in the cathedral but I was guessing that evil, self-interested
Samael would still be bright enough to realise that going one-on-one with Arc would almost certainly get him
killed At the end of the session, I felt like I'd missed something though, and I'm not sure whether having
Samael being coldly angry rather than displaying badly-controlled temper was the right thing to do for the
effects of the spell, even if I didn't feel the latter really made sense at the time. Something just didn't feel
satisfying about the whole thing, though I can't place my finger on what.
Meh. You played it fine. I was hoping you'd at lose a Wisdom dot before recovering, though, but that would have
been unfair to ask for.
Before leaving London, Samael will spend time thoroughly questioning Tireseus (did I spell that right?) on the
Legacy - history of the Sphinxes
Have always existed - they're an Ancient Legacy, with no clear origin (so are supposed to be Atlantean). Various
reorganisations and attempts to produce a clear doctrine, though; the last of which was by the Sophiad author.
, whether the Legacy has any coherent network or organisation in the UK, etc etc.
The Sphinx Network is global. Organisation tends to be on a 'anyone with high Attainments trains anyone lower
than them that asks' basis. The network communicates by planting subliminal messages into various media,
especially classified adverts in newspapers and forum posts on the Internet. Tiresias also teaches you how to
understand Glossalia - you can't cast it yourself yet, but if you have Mind 3 you can cast that translation-spell in
reverse, removing your own ability to use language. The resulting babble of noise (speaking in tongues) is
completely incomprehensible except to a Sphinx using the first Attainment.
It's a bit more secure than the Mysterium hand signals.
He will also talk with his mentor about the vision from the initiation - not just the initial part but the three
women on the shore as well (can't remember if we covered this in the brief chat between Samael leaving his
Oneiros and being crowbarred by Arc.
You spoke about the initial part in session - his interpretation was that you had a tendency to get drawn in by
the power and miss your own unstable footing; Samael focuses so much on one thing that he misses
everything else around him and doesn't check his assumptions. After the event, he thinks that the attack by Arc
was meant in some way to show you the consequences of such things, and notes that you and Arc set fire to a
church.
That seems to happen to you a lot, doesn't it?
He didn't know that Arc was going to attack you, but he DID have an inkling that you were about to fall off the
stepladder, metaphorically speaking, after getting so obsessed with the Echo Walkers - you stared too hard at
the Left-Handed mages, and got a taste of what it's like to be one of them in return. Tieresias advises you that
if you devote your existence to hunting them, you could easily get lost in it and lose more than you think. The
abyss also staring back at you and so forth.
Also, he notes that Arc thinks you killed Chayot. He's acting out of a misplaced need for justice. Ask yourself - if
you didn't know all of the facts, and Arc seemed like he'd done it, would you have gone after him?
The lesson is that the Echo Walkers are so obsessed with what they think is the Truth that they ignore any
Truths that don't fit. Don't be an Echo Walker.
As for the dream, he notes that people traditionally come in threes, and suggests you look at the individuals
depicted and the order in which they appeared. He would normally suggest that you go to the place you saw
them, but notes that it's the very edge of Astral Space - the journey to the shore of the Abyss is long and
perilous, and you should prepare yourself, practice your mental discipline and do your background reading
before attempting it.
He will also ask Tireseus for info on Solemn, Bede, and the Cabal of the Six Wings. On Solemn and Bede, well,
honestly the cabal don't actually know much about either man and any background knowledge the mentor can
supply will be useful.
Solemn is a Guardian - the University at Cambridge has been a Labyrinth since it's founding, wrapping the
occult-minded thinkers of the country up in knots of false ritual, funny handshakes and univeristy societies. The
Epotet (Labyrinth-Tender) of the Consilium has always been named Solemn, after the Labyrinth's guiding
principle of granting weight and ceremony to entirely fictitious things. The line of Solemns - each taught by his
predecessor - is unbroken for centuries, and each post-holder has been known as particularly humourless. They
take the Guardian ideal of the mortification of the self to a fervant level, denying themselves sleeper lives and
practicing sin-eating, where they take the moral lapses of their order into themselves to ease the conciences of
younger Guardians. The current Solemn is a Master Thyrsus. He doesn't know if he's in a Legacy.
Bede is born and bred in the Durham Consilium - he's been there for over a decade now, practicing his art. He's
one of the very few mages in the Consilium to be a Master (of Death) and holds the position of Heirophant
through simple seniority. He was the Theonom before he became Heirophant. Tiresias doesn't know of any
political alliances Bede might have - maybe to the York Consilium, which is small but Mysterium-led. Bede's
Legacy, the Stone Scribes, straddle the line of Left-Handedness, and are banned in some countries - Tiresias
notes that the practice of looking for Truth in the final Name of a person, and the temptation to kill in order to
ensure conditions are perfect, is curiously similar to the temptation of the Echo Walkers. The Left-Handed
version of the Scribes are called Nametakers and share the exact same Attainments, to the point that they can
train one another. One day, perhaps the two Legacies will split.
On the Cabal, Samael wants to research the history of the group, how it came to be, where it got the
daemonomicon from, where the cabal actually used to live and how long they were able to operate as Echo
Walkers without anyone noticing.
They were five bright young Obrimos (some didn't survive their Soul-disrupting initiation) that were collectively
taken in by Chayot, who was a tutor in the London Mysterium at the time; the person who taught new members
and prospects their initial rotes. They all shared visions of the Angels on their Awakenings, and united in the
quest for them.
The Daemonomicon was uncovered when Chayot gained entry to the Paris Censorium as part of a diplomatic
effort between the two capitals wherin they take turns, every leap year, to send envoys to one another as a
cultural exchange - they alternate between the French coming to the UK and the other way around. On the 29th
February the guest list is confirmed, but the full party doesn't happen until summer. On midsummer the
Aetheneum of the hosts is opened to inspection by the guests, and it was at one of these that Chayot found the
Grimoire - he later got permission to borrow it. Tiresias doesn't know how Chayot found out it was in there. He
suggests you ask the French if they'll tell you.
The Six Wings broke up immediately after becoming Echo Walkers - off to persue the quest in different
directions, following the deaths of those that didn't survive being made irrational. Chayot left London under
something of a cloud due to the deaths - popular opinion was that he was somehow accidentally responsible.
Which turns out to be true.
It was at just such an exchange, incidentally, four years ago that Civitas had the wig incident. 2008 is the Paris
Consilium's turn to visit London.
At some point, he will ask Pandora about whose idea it was to invite the cabal to the Amazon trip - I know you
already said it was Duma, and hence probably Civitas' influence, but Samael will see if Pandora has any ideas
as to *why* that might be the case.
It was Duma's - he told her that he'd met you up North, and she was open to the idea of trying new people out.
Especially when Ashlar got all enthusiastic about Cobalt. Given what you now know about what was going on,
she suggests that maybe - *maybe* - Duma did so at Civitas' request. Maybe Civitas was trying to get you and
Cobalt away from Sef. Or get Sef out of the country. That's just her speculation, though.
As to Pandora's amorous approaches and, uh, life-affirming human interaction, Samael will be quite happy with
this, especially once he is recovering from having Arc hit him over the head and soul-jab him. I'm curious as to
whether there really is any new stuff she can divulge to him now he is a daduchos, as she hinted earlier before
his second initiation.
You're now trusted to make your own agenda, and to get deeper background information on the Order's affairs -
I've given you a lot of info above under Tiresias' bits, but Pandora will confirm a lot of it. You're also now able to
take students (you won't be expected to until you're an Adept, though) and direct resources, so you could plan
your own expeditions.
Speaking of which, Pandora is getting her Archaemancer urges, and she calls around friends in other Consilii a
lot, seeing if there's a dig to be dug anywhere. She says you're welcome to be co-director with her and Ashlar
once they find a project; if you can stand taking Duma's job, that is.
But she notes that as you're now a Sphinx and a Dudekos, Logos will probably fill you in on all kinds of odd
things and investigations she has running in parallel, and be glad of the help.
Regardless, he's happy to have the affection and attention, and he's also concerned about her well-being once
he has enough empathy to handle that again - given how much she's been through with the Amazon and her
own Order snubbing her.
When they are together somewhere relatively peaceful, he'll tell her some of his Initiation visions and also
about her presence in his vision of Persephone-Pandora-Sophia, to see what her reaction and thoughts are on
that. Her appearance in it definitely took him off-guard and he's trying to figure out what that might mean.
She offers the opinion that maybe it's a progression thing - your early career revolved around Persephone,
whether you knew it or not, what with Chayot being supposed to take Kosciej out and all. You were also Sef's
peer - not especially important in your order, buffeted about by agendas you didn't control. Now you're a
Dudekos, one of the peer-group that runs the Mysterium, you and Pandora are partners (more ways than one),
so she'd be your present.
And the Archmage?
He'll ask her at some stage about Bede, to see if he can fathom the man's angle on the Ankh a bit better, and
will share his own experiences of the Mysterium situation in the north to update her on what things are like
there before they travel there.
She thinks Bede is dour, unfriendly and gave her the cold shoulder once she said she didn't want to be a Stone
Scribe to the point that she left, but malice? She thinks not - or at least, she doesn't want to think Bede's an
outright bad guy. She's willing to concede that he may be being controlled, though; Bede's not especially well-
connected politically, which might leave him vulnerable to more organised types with agendas to run.
Pandora's pretty excited to be going back to Durham, actually. She left to define herself away from Bede's
disappointment, but has missed everyone - Key, Logos, Scribe et al.
You get the feeling she might be intending to stay, after everything that happened down South. Her honour's
been restored, but she doesn't trust Cadacaeus and his friends any more.
I'm slightly lost as to what Samael's general frame of mind and psyche is at the moment. With all the
revelations going on, there have been a few that have rocked his emotions around a fair bit, especially the role
of Chayot in preceedings and the attack by Arc. He's probably very disturbed at the experience of the soul-
dislocation and how he reacted during it - much as the feeling of being under the spell is that of distance, I'm
guessing that after you recover, looking back at that period of time seems like looking at the actions of a
different person in turn.
Yes, that's about right
I'm just not sure yet what feelings will crystallise about the Echo Walkers as a result. He's also been pounced on
by Pandora, which is good as long as he doesn't think about Duma too much, and seen his cabalmate sink into
unhappiness over her dead familiar, which is not good. Hopefully a chat between Samael and Persephone will
clear some of this up, but I spend some of my time worrying that I don't portray Samael as mentally scarred
enough given all the shenanigans going on
Thinking about it, there's also the question of what to do about Arc, and the Echo Walker List in general, etc etc.
Loads of things to consider and I haven't managed to get them all sorted out so I'm a bit confused about who
Samael 'is' at the moment, if that makes sense :P Writing this email has helped organise some of it a little, but I
am hard-pressed to work out the conclusions of it all yet.
Oh, and also there's now being a Sphinx, so I need to check that first attainment again and try to work out how
*that* will change his world view :P
In terms of future Arcana development, I think I'm planning to go for Prime 4, especially as that makes
permanent Imbued items possible. Forces 4 is tempting as well, though, especially given that the fight with Arc
mostly involved the cabal slapping ineffectually at his defences; I guess if Samael goes down the 'angry' route
then it might be more likely a choice. Who would be the appropriate tutors up in Newcastle for further training
in Forces and Prime?
Best Tutor for you (there are Mystagogues with either Arcanum, but you're not really friendly with any of them
except for Lux, who's now at the same level as you) is Excalibur. He likes the Cabal and he's an Adept of both.
1. 4.7
A Tourist's Guide to Mictlan
Super-bonus special 2!
This, again, is reproduced from an email. The "you" in the email is Persephone.
----------------
A tourist's guide to Mictlan
Or: So you joined the Parliament of the Needle.
History
Mictlan was first conceived of by Kosciej and his cabal of Nameless before the Great Refusal, but only actually
created in 1902 after the Free Council was formed. Until then, there weren't enough members of the Legacy to
do it - Kosciej had reached the third attainment (which allows the permanent dream-bridges to be made) but
the others hadn't, so everyone kind of camped out in his Oneiros in a temporary Mictlan called simply "The
Forum". It's regarded by the current members of the Legacy kind of like the heyday of Usenet newsgroups are
on the net - something old-timers swap stories about but which no one has any desire to see back.
Because Kosciej maintained The Forum, someone else had to build the permanent replacement for it, which is
why Mictlan is called Mictlan - it's in honour of Mictlantecuhtli, who was the *second* member to reach Gnosis 7
and therefore served as the Architect for the project. Even so, Mictlantecuhtli's version of Mictlan was only the
Hub and the Regions (I'll explain those later), which stretched into infinity. Chronos (the third fully-powered
member) put limits on the city, declaring a boundary and building the Outer Shell. That seems odd as progress,
especially when you realise that Mictlan is still infinite in size on the *inside*, but it needed to have a defined
exterior in order to be able to change how that exterior interacted with things beyond it. In other words, to
make it *move*. So - Kosciej had the plan, Mictlantecuhtli built the city and Chronos made it fly.
The other three members of the original Cabal are Daedelus, Schezerade and Lazarus. Schezerade and Lazarus
have since left Mictlan to properly die - they're among The Departed (again, see later). The four men that
remain (Schezerade was the token woman in the original group) are sometimes refered to jokingly as "Uncle",
eg "Uncle Chronos".
Inhabitants
Members of the Parliament, who are after all a commune of like-minded individuals, refer to one another as
"Cousin" and then their chosen Shadow Name. "Uncle" is sometimes used for the founders as a gentle warning
that they are trying to assume more control than their fair share - when Kosciej goes off on one of his grand
schemes, calling him "Uncle Kosciej" in a childish tone is a way to upbraid him and remind him he's only one
among equals. Everyone calls you "Cousin Persephone". No one EVER calls you "Catherine"; it's extremely rude
and shocking to call a Cousin by their real name.
The Cousins refer to the 9 members who gave up their place in Mictlan in order to properly die as "The
Departed". Their regions are sealed and can only be accessed with the aid of Xolotl.
Xolotl itself is an artificial intelligence that the Cousins describe to you as being kind of like a Ghost that was
never alive (that is, it was created with Mind 5 and Death 5 - it's a magically-created artificial ghost). It does the
thankless task of actually running the thought-city and maintaining Mictlan's integrity. Without it, the Cousins
would have to do it themselves, which is possible (Xolotl was created in 1918) but distracting. Any Cousin can,
by concentrating, override Xolotl to make changes to the Hub, the Boundary or their own Region. Think of it as
the communal Daimon for the communal Oneiros that is Mictlan. It looks like a huge dog, or a dog-headed man,
when it manifests.
Because Xolotl is busy a lot, there also exist the Drudges and the Cihuateteo. The Drudges are vaguely
humanoid servants - they're mindless and obey verbal commands. Basically lifters of heavy objects and
cleaners. The Cihuateteo are attack spirits created by Cousin Cihuacoatl to repel any invading Ghosts or Astral
entities - they look like skull-faced women with eagle talons instead of fingernails, and perch in two Aeries near
each of the Two Gates.
Last are the Shadows, the Daimons of the Legacy-members, who are confined to each member's Oneiros. They
can be summoned into the Region of their host (and banished at will), but frankly so far you haven't seen fit to
summon D!Kosciej into your Region. You're still enjoying having a break from him.
The Cousins still in Mictlan are;
Kosciej, founder of the Legacy
Mictlantecuhtli, architect and builder of Mictlan

Chronos, creator of boundaries and the Engines of Chronos
Daedelus, the founder who recruited most of the second generation of Cousins
Mictecacihuatl, Mictlantecuhtli's wife and the creator of Xolotl
Mot
Galatea, the only other still-living Cousin
Vyvain
Titania
Oberon, Titania's husband
Anubis
Arawn, who spent three hours regailing Persephone of the great fun he had using zombie shock-troopers during
the Nameless War
Morrigan
Baal
Nergal, Galatea's old tutor into the Legacy
Harlequin, who seems to be the practical joker of the group and a nasty sort
Isis
Europa
Haruspex
Jodrell, who constructed vast telescope-shaped apparatuses on the outer surface of Mictlan for the observation
of the strange realities beyond
Harbringer
Azrael
Shelley
Cihuacoatl, who created the Cihuateteo
Chaucer
The Departed are/were Chauntess, Fomorian, Newton, Lazarus, Joan, Kant, Pictre, Schezerade and Calliope.
Philosophical Geography
Mictlan can be thought of as an onion, or four spheres inside one another. Each layer is actually infinite within
itself and under no requirement to look like a sphere, or obey any laws of gravity or geometry at all.
The "innermost" area is "The Hub", which is what Persephone was thinking of as "Mictlan" - this is the eye-
bending escher-city that wraps around itself. The Hub is shared equally between all the Cousins, who can bring
things into it from their own Regions by thinking about it. Navigation is a matter of walking, though if you get
lost you can alter the structure to give you a direct bridge or doorway to wherever you were trying to get to.
Most of the Hub resembles a vast Free Council lorehouse crossed with an escher painting, and it's architectural
style and decoration change according to what's fashionable among the Cousins - two notable locations that
remain more or less stable are the Library of all Worlds, a central library of knowledge made up of donations
from the Oneiroi of the Parliament's members, and the Deliberative - the meeting-hall where the Cousins hang
out and debate what they're going to do. Everyone has one vote, majority is binding. There is no tie-breaker - if
a vote is locked, you have to persuade an abstainer to join your side.
"Around" The Hub (although, confusingly, it appears at the moment to be beneath it, in that you can see the
hub stretching above you when you're in it) is the "Gateway Ring", the area where the portols to each
member's Oneiros are located. It usually appears as one area containing all of the gateways that then extends
into a network of passageways, bridges, canals or other paths that go from it into the Hub, to each Region and
bypassing the Regions entirely to the Boundary.
Each Cousin (and Departed) have a Region - the part of Mictlan that is their own private territory, but open to
the others to enter. If your Oneiros is your house, your Region is your Garden - it's where you hold parties, meet
your friends and experiment in dream-shaping. A Region is a sandbox, able to be reconfigured according to
your whim (with practice) so there's a certain amount of showing off involved. The Departed Regions are
sealed, shrunk down to virtually nothing so that running them doesn't strain Xolotl in the absence of their
owner.
When you first arrived in Mictlan, your Region had been shaped by Xolotl, after a vote by the Cousins, to
resemble the Greek Underworld - it was seperated from the Gateway Ring by the River Styx, crossed by a
Drudge-Ferryman, and set up with appropriate decor.
Within the Regions, most Cousins maintain a Residence, which is your home in Mictlan. Yours was shaped to
look like Persephone and Hades' palace, complete with Iron Thrones. You've been inside Galatea's Region -
she's made hers into a forest, with a vast tree-house for a Residence - but no one else has invited you to a
party yet. Though you occassionally hear people talk about a vote on "The Celebration" that happened just
before you arrived.
Beyond the Regions is The Boundary, the outer limit of Mictlan. It's as infinite as the rest of the realm (there's
no wall you can stand on beyond which is the Temenos, for instance), but it has a definite feeling of being
empty, somehow. Great industrial things resembling clockwork or engines litter the place, and the majority of
Cousins don't spend time here. It is, however, the place for experiments and the place where Mictlan connects
with the wider universe - Kosciej has built himself a tower here which reaches out (while being entirely within
Mictlan) into the Underworld, from which he Contemplates Death. Other highlights include the Unseen
Observatory, built by Jodrell to gaze at the strange stars of Astral Space. You were shown the Two Gates - the
Gate of Life, which leads to Astral Space, and the Gate of Death, which leads to the Underworld. They are both
closed and barred, guarded by Cihuateteo, and each Gate is flanked by two massive structures called the
Engines of Chronos. The Engines aren't what Persephone was thinking of when they said "engines" - Mictlan
doesn't really fly, because it's an entire realm. there's nothing to fly *through*. They do serve the same
purpose, though, in that they change Mictlan's relationship to the other realms. Or, in other words, each pair of
Engines is actually a great big portal-creating Artifact that creates a connection to the Temenos or Underworld
realm of your choice. It's a considerable effort and consumption of Mictlan's Mana to fire them up, so Galatea
just goes out of her gateway, through her Oneiros into her Dream vestibule, out onto her Astral Path and into
the Temenos from there when she wants to go voyaging, but the deceased cousins can't do that - if they want
to leave into Astral Space they have to use the Engines, and both you and they need to use the Gate of Death if
you have a deep desire to poke about in the Underworld. More to the point, things can come *in* through the
Gates when they're activated - Mictlan can, in fact, welcome visitors if they arrive by proper channels, though
they are at the mercy of it's inhabitants.
Which brings us to Hadrian. He did not arrive by proper channels, instead accessing Mictlan by a variation of a
Mind Spell that lets you target which Astral Realm your path goes to using the sympathy to Mictlan found in the
stolen Soul. Normally, when you Astrally travel, you go inside your own Soul - someone using the Gate of Life to
come in invited would be technically finding Mictlan within their soul (or within the soul of all humanity, at any
rate) and although they'd need to spend Mana periodically, their own soul's protection would grant them the
ability to at least walk and talk inside. But as Hadrian didn't, his Soul bounced off the barriers while his Psyche
made it in. So, as Chronos explains it, he can't act - there's nothing animating his mind, so he's mentally frozen.
To him, no time has passed at all, but beyond the Cousins moving him around like a Drudge he just remains in
place (which would be the point of the Barrier, and which Chronos is choosing to take as a validation of his
design). The more theoretically-minded Cousins are trying to figure out if a Cousin could somehow give up or
lend the volition to act inside Mictlan to him, which would reanimate him temporarily, but Galatea cautions you
that his Mind is still lacking a connection to his own Soul, so he will morally degenerate when animated.
The upside, she hopefully says, is that that means he *hasn't* morally degenerated so far. If you can somehow
put him back together again, he won't suffer any ill-effects. But they don't know how to get his Mind back out of
Mictlan and into the physical world. Kosciej has muttered something about that being a foolish plan, stalked off
to his own Oneiros and hasn't been seen ever since.
1. Monster
Session 5.1
"Monster"
And now for something completely different. Wanting to get into the North-East's mythology some more and to move
the main plot along again, I decided to tackle the Lambton Worm in blithe ignorance that it had been written into the
nWoD in the new Gangrel Clanbook. Ah, well. Anyhoos - I have a very different take on the beast, based on Mage's
setting biases and the player characters.
It's not really about the Monster. It's about what the Monster represents.
My source material for the story is a White Wolf game (note - NOT Mage) that will remain nameless until the reveal,
and an old horror novel by Ian Watson (of much 80s Games Workshop writing) called "The Fire Worm".
The characters had a slight restat to apply five merit dots each: Mictlan counts as a five-dot Library for Sef, Cobalt has
Professional Training: Scientist at the maximum level and Samael has Professional Training: artist at three and a two-
dot Contact representing the Sphinx network, as per Legacies: the Ancient.
The Auric Horizon have been back a week, but the Lighthouse is barely any busier. Persephone claims that
there isn't enough room for everyone to stay there, hoping to force Pandora to stay in Durham with her friends.
This plan has backfired.
Pandora did indeed go to Durham to stay with Logos, but Samael went with her. Symmetry and Cobalt have
decamped to Cobalt's house in Newcastle. Rodriguez has rented a room in a tiny Bed and Breakfast in Whitley
Bay, the sole guest of the little old lady acting as proprietor.
And so Persephone is in the lighthouse. All by her self, except when Aquila comes around.
Dave2: Rex mostly decamped to avoid the sound of Sef's grinding teeth.
Rex has headed into the University to pick up his mail.
"Rex, do you have a minute?" - Joyce
"I have a few. What can I do for you?" - Rex, flicking through envelopes. Journal. Journal. Memos. Note about
parking spaces. Union newsletter - no strike this year.
"Joyce", is Rex's head of department - she was seen all the way back in 0.2
"Just catching up - halfway through your leave now, so seeing how you were doing. And also wondering if you
were up for a spot of consultation" - Joyce
"What sort of consultation?" - Rex
"Do you know Dr Judson over at Geology?" - Joyce
"Frank?" - Rex
"Yes! Frank's found some unusual samples and it looks like it might be related to magnetic deposits, and he
wanted to know if you were able to take a look and see if there's anything he's missed" - Joyce
"Absolutely" - Rex
"He's being quite surreptitious about it - doesn't want to many people to know. To be honest, it's probably just
an experimental error but he's working himself up over it and can't explain it. He needs someone to take a look
and tell him he's not crazy" - Joyce
"Well, I'm desperately curious by this point. I'll look him up on my way out" - Rex
Dr Judson is named for the mathematician that unleashes an ancient curse in Doctor Who's "The Curse of Fenric". The
soundtrack to that serial is one of my tone notes for this story.
They chat some more, establishing that Rex is available to mark exam papers, and then he leaves.
In Geology, Frank Judson looks like he hasn't slept.
"Hi Rex! Come through..." - Judson
He explains as they walk
"So it was a routine thing. We were taking samples from the local coastal strata to see if we could date their
formation and there's one which is defying us" - Judson
"Defying how?" - Rex
Judson starts rambling about the structure of the rock.
There followed a brief precis on Luminosity Dating and other scientific dating techniques. I was an Archaeologist at Uni.
Dave2 was a mathematician.
The gist is that the sample - a cylinder of rock cut out by a bore - dates normally at either end but the middle of
the shaft is far, far too young - years rather than millions of years, to the point that it barely responds at all.
"I know you helped Archaeology out with that Dendrochronology problem..." - Judson
"Sounds like a challenge. Where was the dig?" - Rex
"Tynemouth Priory" - Judson
Another brief pause to explain where the Priory is to Ag. Get ye to wikipedia. In brief - Tynemouth Castle and Priory is
on a rocky promentary coming out of the coast of Newcastle called the Pen Bal Crag. The Crag is made of igneous rock;
the geology of the North East is of a massive sedimentary lump (which contains the coal veins the region built it's
economy on) with volcanic formations like the Crag bursting up around it's edges - Holy Isle further up the coast and
the Cheviot hills to the West are similarly volcanic.
"That should be the dawn of time" - Rex
"I've got to take a tutorial, but I'll be back in an hour. Take a look and see what you think. Anything you can
suggest..." - Judson
He leaves, leaving Rex alone with the cylinder of stone.
"Time to cheat" - Cobalt
Cobalt uses his Attainment on the sample.
Lava lava lava lava flesh lava lava lava lava.
The meat region - or the region that was originally meat - is less than a foot wide. Use of Dark Matter reveals it
to be exactly the same rock as the rest of the sample, but Cobalt's Attainment reveals it to have originally been
flesh. Whenever "originally" was. Cobalt's not good enough at medicine to identify any internal organs.
Thinking, Cobalt casts dating spells. If he tries to date the rock, he gets the "geological ages" response he was
expecting - even if he tries to date the rock sample that used to be flesh, in fact. under a carefully-constructed
Knowing Imago of Matter and Time, though, that reveals when the Rock was not Rock, he gets the answer of 14
years plus a small amount of change.
Time to put up the Mage-signal. And try to think of something he can tell Frank.
By the time Frank gets back, Rex's best guess is that the rock was somehow heated - the site was used as a
base during World War II, so lost munitions could be involved. Maybe a coal-mine fire. Frank looks dubious, but
he's willing to grasp any rope Rex throws him. They don't have to explain how it was heated now - just that it
was.
Rex offers to go take a look. Frank says he'll contact the caretaker to have them show Rex the drill site. The
Castle and attached Priory is now open to the public during the day as a heritage site, but the Crag is mostly
used as a base-station for the coastguard, the lifeboats themselves launching from a shallower bit of shore a
mile or so North.
...
Meanwhile, in Durham, the Quarterly Mysterium Caucus is being held.
Dave2: Is this the one with kareoke?
As is the way, the Dadukoi are meeting beforehand to decide the direction of the Order in the coming three
months, ready to communicate their decisions to the Neokoroi at the Caucus proper. Present are Samael,
Pandora, Lux, Logos and Key - Bede is a Heirophant while Scribe, Cat, Dowse and Agaric are Neokoroi.
Key's office is rather cramped with everyone in it, but this is Samael's first time so he's intent upon what's
happening rather than comfort. Top of the agenda - there have been further thefts from the Aetheneum - it
seems that security was irrecoverably damaged, so they have decided to move it. Bede has told them to
discuss whether or not they should take retaliatory action, up to and including Interdiction. Missing are a
Grimoire noone has copied yet, some old notes and a collection of cursed coins from a Roman Horde.
Interdiction is where the Mysterium en masse refuse to pass on any knowledge, magical or mundane, to any other
member of the Consilium until the offending behaviour (usually only by one member of the Consilium) is corrected. As
Chris says, it's the ultimate in peer-pressure making passive-aggressive behaviour.
Samael is against Interdiction. Key - being the humiliated Curator - is all for it. Lux is wavering, due to already
being on his own Cabal's shit list; if there's an interdiction against the Free Council, Lux will be ruined.
Pandora's abstaining, not being here when it went off. Logos is against it. Key tries to work on Lux's pride in his
Order. Samael notes that some of the Free Council were helping to defend the Aetheneum following the
Mysterium's error, and collective punishment would disincline them to do so again.
The other possibility is to send Dowse and Cat (the Reclaimists) to steal the thefted objects back from the
Libertine lorehouse. They are to scope out the lorehouse and watch for signs of the missing materials. Key
thoughtfully raises the possibility of taking "damages" by not restricting themselves to retrieving their own
property. Samael points out that that will lead to escalation.
The Mysterium isn't a democracy - the Dadukoi argue until they reach a conclusion. That's it. Complicating
matters is the fact that the lorehouse is kept by Babel, who is in Cat and Lux's cabal.
Key ventures the opinion that the Newcastle Cabals obviously need to split along Order lines. Lux has been
having troubles since the Barghest incident (and no, no one has forgotten that it was Samael's idea) with his
Cabal - Symmetry especially.
Samael argues that to do so would throw away any chance they have of controlling the Free Council.
"Which has nothing to do with the fact that you're out-numbered in your own Cabal?" - Lux
"I piss the Free Council off every day I make them a shitty breakfast" - Samael
In fact, Symmetry still isn't talking to Samael, even though she spends a lot of time with Cobalt. She's not
hostile about it - and she's certainly worse to Lux. To Symm's mind, Samael was a junior mystagogue, but Lux
was her own Cabal mate who betrayed her. It's kind of Samael's fault, but it's more Lux's fault. Through Cobalt,
she has expressed the fact that she will get over it eventually, just not.. yet.
Samael raises the "maybe the Libertines didn't do it" angle, and is met by resounding silence and a smile from
Logos.
Dave2: Dear readers, I should note that it was 20 minutes into the scene before anyone raised the idea it wasn't us.
Logos smoothly suggests that she and Samael look into the breakins "amongst other things"
"So that we can all decide from an informed perspective" - Logos
Next item is the question of whether or not to make Agaric a Savant.
A Savant is a mystagogue specialist in one esoteric and one exoteric subject - Lux is a Savant of History and
Phantasms.
General consensus is that Agaric is too low-ranking. She would be one of hearth-remedies and Life magic.
"Ask her to provide some contribution to the aetheneum" - Samael
"Which may go some way to preparing her for the Mysterium Anima. She's been a Neokoros for five years -
that's about average to move up" (sidelong glance at Samael) - Lux
It is decided to request Agaric submit a dissertation on her subjects - something original for the Aetheneum.
Next are the research topics for the coming Quarter. Pandora is hanging out, re-affirming her guanxi with the
North East and picking a new expedition subject. Logos has a stained glass problem Samael (the new boy) can
help her out with as well as being the "break-in reponse" committee. Lux is on gardening leave following the
debacle. Given that noone outside the order really want to talk to him right now, Lux is in charge of teaching
the Neokoroi. Key is being the Curator, trying to find a site for the new Aetheneum. As for the Neokoroi - Cat
and Dowse have already been decided, Scribe's time is taken up with Herald duties for the Consilium and
Agaric is going to be working on her dissertation. Bede says he's continuing to work on his Chronicle.
And, that decided, they call the Neokoroi in to hold the Caucus.
Wasn't it easier when you just got told what to do?
...
While the Mysterium are meeting and Cobalt is doing his real job, the Admantine Arrow (well, the Legion) are
having a party, which Persephone is attending as Aquila's date. There's some sort of celebration going on
beyond "a day ending in Y" based on the date, but mostly it consists of listening to Excalibur's bitching about
the Consilium on a shift system. Despite being surrounded by Arrow and Guardians, Sef's having a good time.
Aegis tells her that having had time to study Magog's fighting a few times, they have now reverse-engineered
the magic used in magog's staff and are willing to teach it to anyone. It's a Forces spell, though.
On the way in, Aquila and Militas gave her the low-down on what's wrong with Excalibur. Loki. Another
Adamantine Arrow (an Acanthus) in Aurora's Cabal, Loki has been made Sentinal for the southern part of the
Consilium's territory, while Excalibur has been told in no uncertain terms that his jurisdiction ends at the river
Tyne.
"Apparantly, the Mysterium have been complaining about further break-ins. During the fight with the
Barghests, Cal said that the Libertines could keep whatever they wanted as far as he was concerned.
Understandable in the heat of things, but in the aftermath Aurora says she can't have him having authority
over the Aetheneum - it's in Loki's new territory" - Militas
Possibly the longest thing Militas has ever said, that. He's only been seen from afar - he's the guy in the Legion with
the "Giant" Merit.
"
Oh dear" - Persephone
"Because Cal can't be trusted. He's not a happy sausage" - Militas
Excalibur, in the other end of the room, scowls and drinks
"Surely he meant we should give things back after the trouble, right?" - Persephone
"Right - you get it, and you're a Libertine. Aurora could make Cobra give the stuff back, but she hasn't" - Aquila
"Too many people want to split. Why? Why would Aurora want to split the Consilium? Isn't it better for her
larger?" - Persephone
"She seems to be trying to reduce everyone else's spheres of influence" - Aquila
"Surely she must realise all the undercurrents of splitting Newcastle and Durham will meet, turn into a river and
divide us" - Persephone
"the split won't happen because Newcastle has no one to be Heirarch" - Cicero, interjecting
"No one wants to do it?" - Persephone
"There aren't enough Libertines for Quark to make a decent go of it. I don't want to do it. The best candidate for
leader we have is Excalibur, who has sworn an oath to follow Aurora" - Cicero
"I see the problem"
"And oaths are very important to the Arrow" - Cicero
Thinking about it, Sef excuses herself from the party and phones Quark to organise an Assembly. Quark seems
a little startled, but is willing to get the Libertines together - just as long as she'll tell him why she wants one
called.
"Introduce Rodriguez, explain the attack on the lighthouse... And there's this situation brewing with the
Mystagogues" - Persephone
"Oh, the Mystagogues" (disgruntled) "spare me from Mystagogues. Traiterous... Well, never mind. I'll organise
the Assembly" - Quark
...
The next day, the Auric Horizon plus friends are gathered at the Lighthouse. Excalibur, Aegis, Aquila,
Symmetry, Pandora and Rodriguez sit the Cabal down.
"Now, we haven't said anything up to now... But you three are trouble" - Aquila
"Me and Rodriguez have been comparing notes" - Excalibur
Rodriguez nods enthusiastically
"...Rod and Pandora have told us what happened in the Jungle and London" - Symmetry
"...And we've been told what happened up here" - Pandora
"...You people just keep getting attacked by unlikely things, don't you?" - Excalibur
"In my defense, it's them that are attacked. I just get in the way" - Cobalt
"At the moment, you're getting by on pluck and determination. But your luck will run out" - Excalibur
"Time to learn how to fight" - Rodriguez
Cobalt agrees. Samael and Persephone slightly more reluctantly.
Montage!
Excalibur and Rodriguez attempt to instill some knowledge of weaponry and firearms, and then in the afternoon
each Cabal member is shown some combat spells - by Excalibur for Samael, Aegis for Cobalt and Rodriguez for
Persephone.
This intervention is the excuse to buy combat skills at the end of this story, and hints n tips about offensive and
defensive magic, including Aegis' midrange Armouring spell, which gives the caster Durability and Structure from an
armoured shell (though, as Cobalt doesn't have the Life Arcanum, he can't do the full "turn body into metal" spell).
Rodriguez coaches Sef in the unfair use of Time and Fate (including spells from Grimoire of Grimoires) while Excalibur
teaches Samael Optimise Kinetic Attack and Sorcerer's Retribution in among teaching him swordfighting the hard way.
Also, at Chris' request, a flash-bang spell, like a stun grenade, that I have yet to figure out the rules for.
Rodriguez' instruction for Persephone is along the lines of "acting like Rod will get you killed" - from the fact that she's
not physically strong enough to use one of his handguns properly, to the fact that he has been regularly rewinding
time during fights - it's just that the characters haven't had Time mage sights up to see him do it.
1. Monster
And then, later still, their friends as one decamp, leaving the threesome alone.
"It's fair. The one time we came out with a no-score draw was the time we were by ourselves" - Cobalt
"That's true" - Samael
"Though we were in a fight with a..." - Persephone
"...Multiple Adept way more powerful than any of us" - Cobalt
"You need to know more Arcana to be the Doorwarden" - Persephone
"I need to know more Arcana to be a mage of my age. You young punks show me up on a regular basis" -
Cobalt
"And then there's the magic as well" - Samael
They look out the window in the direction of the village pub.
"We could go join them" - Persephone
"They're probably talking about us" - Samael
"Besides, we could go look at a petrified corpse" - Cobalt
"Ooo! Like Ashlar's statue?" - Persephone
"Could be" - Cobalt
He explains the rock sampling, and what it turned up. Samael and Persephone are intrigued.
"That's... Both creepy and weird" - Persephone
"Is it like a layer of beefburger, or are we talking body?"- Samael
"Doesn't have to be a body, but 14 years ago it was meat and now it's Basalt" - Cobalt
If they go there, Cobalt could see what it originally was with his Attainment
"To the batmobile!" - Persephone
"We don't have a batmobile" - Cobalt
"To the AuricMobile!" - Persephone
On the way out, Persephone asks Samael about the rumors that a Libertine has been taking Liberties with the
Athaeneum.
"I'm not sure yet - it's one of the things we're going to look into. There's a difference between Cobra being
oppertunist when there's a hole in the wall and breaking back in" - Samael
"He is an oppertunist son of a bitch" - Cobalt
"At this point we're making assumptions" - Samael
"Do you know what's missing?" - Cobalt
"Yes" - Samael
"Tell you what, then. Once we get back home I'll get on to Babel and ask if I can borrow a copy of them from the
Lorehouse" - Cobalt
"I'll have to guage exactly what's missing. If I say 'we've lost the soul-drinking sword of nakkaref' and it turns
out to not be you guys but that we've just lost it, that could be politically sensitive" - Samael
"I think we'd have noticed Elric wandering around the town" - Cobalt
"We took long enough to notice the hell dogs" - Samael
He and Sef explain their plan to try to boost their Hallow by adding appropriate stained glass to the lamp-
chamber windows.
"Porn?" - Cobalt
"I wasn't going to go onto the internet and render it in glass. We can be appropriate without being lewd" -
Samael
"Imagine lighting the lamp, though" - Persephone
"Yeah - we'd be wreckers in no time. Ships would come running" - Samael
-Cousin, are you busy? - Chronos
Within the Region of Persephone, deep in the Astral Realm of Mictlan, home of the Parliament of the Needle,
Persephone looks up at the person who has entered her Residence. By her side, Hadrian sits on his companion
throne, blank-eyed and immobile.
The newcomer is a tiny, shrunken man the colour of old teak, eyes peering suspiciously out over a wispy beard.
His temples erupt into curling horns, and he sits partially melded into a carved wooden chair that moves
silently through Mictlan's halls, not floating so much as being-someplace-else.
This is Cousin Chronos
"Cousin?" - Chronos
"What can I do for you?" - Persephone
The tiny man clears his throat
"Cousin Kosciej has emerged from his Region" - Chronos
"Hold on a bit, guys. Kosciej has just come out of his tower" - Persephone
"Big K or little K?" - Cobalt
Samael laughs, swearing to refer to them by that from now on
"Big K. I haven't seen the other one since I got into Mictlan. He can't go there!" - Persephone, giggling slightly
madly
"That's a fair recourse, I just don't want to think about what he's doing in your Oneiros by himself. And I'm still
not convinced your original Daimon isn't in there somewhere" - Cobalt
Probably in a refrigerator somewhere at the back.
Persephone and Chronos are joined by Baal, a Cousin from the 40s who chooses to appear as a cartoon devil
with bright tomato-red skin, smoking jacket, plastic slicked black hair and triangular goatee.
"Why hello! Is there something going on?" - Baal
Baal's mouth does not move when he speaks
"Kosciej's out" - Chronos
"Come along" - Persephone
Chronos is already moving off
"Keep up, girl" - Chronos
They hover (and fly, in Persephone's case) up the Gateway Ring, currently manifesting as a smooth metal
pathway floating above the structures. They spot Kosciej in the distance.
"Cousin Kosciej! A Word" - Chronos
"Oh, it's the two of you. The young and the old" - Kosciej
"I'm a *year* younger than YOU" - Chronos, jabbing Kosciej with a stick.
"Cousin Persephone. I have not as of yet discovered an answer to your problem" - Kosciej
"I haven't asked you yet" - Persephone
"You want to rescue the boy?" - Kosciej

"Well...Yeah. But there's another question. It's about Solemn" - Persephone
"Yes?" - Kosciej
"I need to know why he's so intent on killing us or breaching Mictlan. Why are they all so obsessed? There's at
least three of them now - and it has been suggested" (looking at Chronos) "That you might know" - Persephone
Kosciej regards Chronos. Chronos scowls back.
"It is possible that I may have killed the original Solemn" - Kosciej
"And... That's it?" - Persephone
"I killed him during the Nameless War. I would put it down to a simple hereditary grudge" - Kosciej
"That... Seems excessive, even for a Guardian. He doesn't want to destroy Mictlan - from what I understand he
wants to get in and personally kick your ass. Is there anything about his death, maybe something you saw?
Around it?" - Persephone
"To be perfectly honest, Cousin, they all looked the same to me. And it is hard to pick individuals out in my
memory" - Kosciej
"Bollocks" - Chronos
Kosciej and Chronos have a glare-off
"Hmm. It seems Kosciej's hiding something" - Persephone
"Well, yes. Might be because it would get you into more trouble, but he doesn't seem the type" - Cobalt
"Could be out of self interest. Might be something that would make you do something" - Samael
"Which is my concern" - Cobalt
"Kosciej, it would really be in our interests if I knew why he was doing this" - Persephone
"I will try to think of why they might have kept the grudge for this long" - Kosciej
At this point, Chris jokingly suggested the Kosciej killed the Heiromagus by accident
"Why don't you make the memory publicly available? Then we could all work on it" - Persephone, looking to
Chronos for support
Chronos is still glaring at Kosciej
"I'll think about it" - Kosciej
He starts walking back towards his own Region
"You owe her an explanation, JACK!" - Chronos
Kosciej stops, stiffens, then marches away
Remember, dear reader, the taboo the Parliament have about using one another's real names.
Kosciej owes as much as he does to the Nightmare Before Christmas as he does to Farscape. Youtube up "Jack's
Lament".
There are few who'd deny...
"Don't worry, Cousin. We'll get to the bottom of this" - Chronos
"I hope he'll tell me" - Persephone
"It's in his own best interests to" - Chronos
"Solemn's attacked me once already" - Persephone
"I can't think of a reason. Perhaps it's embarressing - if he hasn't shared it with the rest of us" - Chronos
"Solemn hasn't shared it with the other Guardians either" - Persephone
She tells the others what's what.

"They were once lovers!" - Samael
"That wasn't my thought. Maybe it's not Kosciej, but *Solemn* the Deathless. Maybe Solemn is still the original
Solemn and Kosciej, knew of it" - Cobalt
"The boy has interesting theories. We shall consult Nergal" - Chronos
...
Back in the real world, the Cabal reach Tynemouth. Simultaneously in Mictlan, Persephone and Chronos have
asked five Cousins and a Drudge where Nergal is and are on the verge of asking Xolotl. She's explaining what's
going on to her Cousins, who offer their assistance in theorising if she gets stuck.
-I think Vyvain once petrified someone. We shall ask her- - Chronos
"Okay. Now, we think this is a single person?" - Samael
"It's always a person. Ever seen a horror movie?" - Persephone
"I mean we don't know if it's *one* person" - Samael
"I do hope it's not some kind of mass grave. That asks more questions than it answers" - Cobalt
"How big?" (he holds his hands out. She twists until her waist is in the same orientation) "see? That's about
person-sized" - Persephone
-When you see it, draw it for us and we'll have a look. Vyvain! VYVAIN!- - Chronos
A woman made entirely out of Crystal floats into the view of dream-Persephone
-What is it, old man?- - Vyvain
-When a hundred and fifty years old YOU reach, look as good, you will not (winks at Persephone) [i]Petrification.
Cousin Persephone has a possible Petrified Corpse on her hands. You turned some people to stone, didn't you?
[i]- - Chronos
-I turned them to Quartz- - Vyvain
Chris: As if that's somehow better...
Dave2: Technically, it's stone, but it's *classier* stone
-What's required to do that?- - Persphone
-A high aptitude of the Life and Matter Arcana. But it wears off- - Vyvain
-It does?- - Persephone
-When cast by a Mage. It hurts like hell and is terrifying for the victim, but after a few months at most it will
wear off- - Vyvain
-What else could it be?- - Persephone
"Hmmm. It wouldn't last long enough by magic" - Cobalt, simultaneously reaching the same conclusion
"Could be a pattern attack - a particularly odd Fraying spell that killed them *by* turning them to stone" -
Samael
-It could be made permenant on a dead person. If used on a body it could be made indefinite. See if you can
figure out if they were alive when Petrified- - Vyvain
"I was hoping you could use the Secret Sauce to find out if there were any Bestiaries... Some kind of burrowing
creature that turns people to stone" - Cobalt, to Samael
"Maybe. Or worse, maybe it's the work of a Basilisk or a Cockatrice. Seems unlikely, but only back in February
we were fighting dogs that breathed ice" - Samael
-Alternatively, perhaps some kind of creature such as a Basilisk?- - Vyvain
"Basilisks? Do we have those in the UK?" - Persephone, simultaneously in both worlds
"I refuse to die to a Cockatrice. It would be too embarrassing" - Cobalt
-Or a Gorgon. Have you been anywhere near Greece?- - Vyvain

-We're in Jolly old England- - Persephone
-Which part?- - Vyvain
-North- - Persephone
-North-West or North-East- - Vyvain
-East- - Persephone
"It should be just up here" - Cobalt, pointing as they walk
-I shall Consult Oberon. He's the best with Mythological Beasts- - Vyvain
Tynemouth is a tiny High Street. There's a church which is now a trendy shopping mall of tiny booth-like stalls.
There's an "award winning" chip shop, and the Priory's carpark.
"I assume you know where we're going?" - Samael
Cobalt describes how the Geologists took the samples from the base of the cliffs - it's possible to get down
there, but the access is restricted from the public as it's too dangerous
"We need to find the caretaker" - Cobalt
"Tell him we're your students or something" - Persephone
"It's not like he'll watch over us all the time" - Samael
When they find him, it turns out the Caretaker is more than willing to help
"Hello Doctor Williams! Yes - your colleague said you'd be dropping by" - Caretaker
He shows them to a crudely-stepped pathway cut into the cliff when the ruins were used as a base in the War.
There's no rope, and they're slick with sea-spray. The Cabal are all wearing hard hats as they gingerly descend
to the tiny pebble-strewn sandy beach at the base, no more than three meters wide.
It's late in the afternoon, and the sun is on the wrong side of the cliff, so they're plunged into shadow as they
walk around to the drill-site. Near an area that was carved into great buttresses, a rectangle of rock has been
cleaned and cut off so that it's a flat surface. The sample has been drilled out it sideways by some sort of
machine.
"I was expecting a vertical shaft. If that IS a person, then they were standing up" - Cobalt
The gang scrutinise the area with various Mage Sight spells as Cobalt examines the rock face. He shines a torch
down the shaft, then casts Dark Matter and uses his Attainment.
What he didn't notice before - because the entire core was taken from it - but two years ago there was a sea
cave here big enough to walk through. And now there isn't. Now there's just the millenia-old cliffface. Before
there was a cave, there was the present cliff.
"This is weirder and weirder" - Cobalt, describing what his attainment is telling him
Samael casts a spell amplifying his own tapping on the rock combined with an Unveiling spell to detect the
echoes as a sort of ground-penetrating radar
"It's solid now" - Samael
"Exactly. It was solid before, it's solid now. But for about a day fourteen years ago - when whoever it is was
alive - there was a cave.
Samael closes his eyes then opens them again, seeing with his Sphinx Attainment
There are strong suggestions to him that he's looking at one small instance of something larger. It's connected
intimately to ... him. To his Destiny.
He tries to trace any threads leading to other people. Difficult without Space, but... There has been a mage
here recently, probing with magic.
"Someone's probably already seen this" - Samael
Cobalt switches to Grim Sight while using his Attainment to "dial back" the rock.
"It's a woman. She's just... standing there" - Cobalt, creeped out
"Is she dead?" - Persephone
"Yes, of course she's dead" - Cobalt, snapping
"If I can take a look with Supernal Vision, I can maybe tell if she had a spell on her forcing her to stay" - Samael
"She was transformed to the rock 14 years ago" - Cobalt
"It's not what we'd expect from a transmogrification spell..." - Samael
"The guys in Mictlan say we need to figure out if she was dead or alive. One could turn a dead body into stone,
apparently" - Persephone
The crowd of Cousins, now a dozen strong and watching what's going on in the real world on a television
Persephone has summoned for them, nod enthusiastically
"Oh, of course!" - Cobalt, slapping his own forehead
He casts Forensic Gaze
"She died... when... Hang on. She's still alive" - Cobalt
The other two - with the Life Arcanum - look down the hole to check.
-She's still alive? That's out of our realm of experience- - Baal
"She's not dead because... Her body doesn't exist any more? So she can't die, but is in stasis? Some kind of
Legacy, maybe?" - Samael
"It's not a Supernal effect" - Cobalt, thinking
"Can you describe her and the cave?" - Samael
She's about 23. Dressed in the fashions of 1993-ish. And...
"...She seems to be in some kind of rapture. There's no indication that she's in pain" - Cobalt
"Storage? Some people might freeze food..." - Samael
Persephone blinks. The word "storage" caused a flock of Butterflies under her own Fate sight
"You think there's more?" - Cobalt
He activates his Attainment again and goes for a brief walk. Within the first few minutes he's found three more
not-caves. Samael goes to work on the Interconnections running to and thro. One in particular feels like it's
been subverted in some way.
-So do you still think it's a Basilisk?- - Persephone
-Maybe a Xorn- - Baal
-Xorn are fictional. They're from that game- - Chronos
-Guys, FOCUS- - Persephone
"Is this the only one with a person inside?" - Persephone
Cobalt concentrates harder, seeing if the Cave has been here before 14 years ago... 2... 14...32... 75...158...
202... There's no discernable difference, but it goes back centuries.
Persephone asks him to check when it was, so that they can use Postcognition...
-And then the young man can see what happened!- - Chronos
-I can, too- - Persephone
"Group cast it. More powerful" - Samael
While they're doing that, Samael draws all the Consilium's cabal sigils and checks, using his attainment, if
there's an interconnection between the mage who was down here and any of them
"It's not any of us" - Samael

"When was he down here?" - Cobalt
"A few days ago. Maybe?" - Samael, going by how strong it is
"Are you including Magog?" - Cobalt
"Yes" - Samael
"The Seers?" - Persephone
Samael thinks and draws the "S-over-a-Y" High Speech rune for the Seers of the Throne. And it registers a
connection.
"It's a Seer" (grim) "Doesn't mean they did this, but they *know* about it" - Samael
"There are Seers in town?" - Cobalt, worried
"Of *course* there are Seers in town" - Samael
Samael's actually shocked that people think the Seers haven't been here all along
-So the enemy have noticed this phenomenon as well. On the one hand it means they didn't do it- - Chronos
-Or they were checking up- - Persephone
"Samael... When was he here?" - Cobalt
"I don't know. Maybe a week, but I'm guessing. When was the drilling?" - Samael
"About a week ago. Which means they knew the geologists were here" - Cobalt
"When you're next in the University, keep your eyes open. It's possible one of the University staff may be a
Seer or one of their Thralls" - Samael
"Drop a Supernal Vision on me next time I pick up my mail" - Cobalt
He and Persephone return to figuring out merging their powers to cast together, aiming to start 30 seconds
before the woman turned to stone.
Cobalt aiding Persephone on the casting roll - they both have Time 2, they're both Free Councillors and they trained
together. If anyone can cooperatively cast, it's them. In the end, they got a minute of postcognition
They see the girl, drunk, bottle of White Lightning in hand. She seems deeply upset, and is looking out of the
cave towards "them".
"TOMMY! COME BACK!" - Girl
And then... There's no cave there. Without any visible transition.
Just like that.
1. Monster
"Right. So... That's what happens. People get lured in and the caves close around them" - Cobalt
But, as he thinks over the vision, he realises. There's something... There was something moving in the back of
the cave.
-Guys?- - Persephone
The Cousins go to work on the vision, displaying it, slowing it down to a crawl and peering at the black depths
beyond the unfortunate woman
-What IS that? Scales? Are we, in fact, dealing with a Basilisk?- - Baal
-I think you may be making things up- - Persephone
"Okay... What did you see?" - Cobalt, to Sef
-It's a lighter colour than the cave background, Cousin. Whatever it is is white- - Chronos, squinting
She relays that

"Many things that live underground are white. They lack pigmentation" - Samael
"How deep is the cave? If it was right behind her, it ought to have been inside the cave, but there's no sign of it
trapped there now" - Cobalt
"Maybe it can move through rock" - Samael
The Parliament of the Needle call for Cousin Jodrell, famed Astrologer and a good eye for distance.
"If we want to check when the cave *opened* I can give that time too" - Cobalt
"I have a query about how your Time magic works. you can see the location, but if I cast something affecting
your eyesight on you, would it combine?" - Samael
"If it's an Unveiling spell, then yes. I think" - Cobalt
Samael then gives them Nightvision
"So... We cast on the cave this time, yeah? When it opened?" - Cobalt
They begin again.
"There's something moving back there.. I can't see it" - Cobalt
"Here she comes" - Persephone
They watch as, fourteen years ago, the girl and a young man enter the cave (which appears just before they
arrive) and start to have sex. Something happens at the end - when the man gets up, and the lovers begin to
have an argument before he leaves, there's a glimpse of a white.. thing. A piece of the rock wall right at the
back of the cave turns white and bulges, then goes back to normal. Like something rippling underneath it, or
like a whale breaching the surface.
"Something's swimming through the rock" - Persephone
"Some kind of Cryptid" - Samael
-Something that feeds on sexual energy?- - Vyvain
"This has a predatory feel to it. Like a hunting ground" - Cobalt
"Maybe it's to do with the rock" - Samael
-Why this hunting ground, though? Perhaps it's the Priory: Many such institutions were built on remembered
places of power, to cover up pagan sites.- - Chronos
-We could look into what the site contained before it was a Priory- - Titania
"Two things. One - we don't know it's confined to this area. Two - even if it is, you saw other caves, yes? Can
you check if they have someone in them?" - Samael
Cobalt thinks about it. His Attainment only works on what he can so he can rewind the caves, but that won't
reveal the people inside...
... He heads for the next "cave" and casts Steel Windows, creating a shaft running through the cave. Once he's
done that, Samael and Persephone can then use Life sight to see them.
The second "inhabited" cave they find is not so pleasant. A rape victim, dumped here still alive and then
trapped when the cave vanished.
Cobalt winces and checks the next one.
This is a murder - a schoolboy, his head caved in with a rock. Cobalt checks with Grim Sight, but he's not dead -
he's been trapped eternally in the process of dying.
"Are they being tapped into or leached from? Is the whatever it is feeding from them?" - Samael
That feels almost right, but it's not feeding in the sense of a Spirit. It's not what they're doing, he realises, but
it's what they represent - it's using them as *symbols*. And that would indicate something supernal.
And they all have that subverted Interconnection...
He shares that.
"Maybe they're a symbol of being betrayed?" - Persephone
"It's not one person betraying all of them. The commonality is the subversion" - Samael
"You know what I think?" - Cobalt
"We dynamite the cliffs?" - Samael
"No. I think we need to extract someone's midriff and put it back in; as in, get hold of the core sample and
cover this up. And if we're covering something up we need to talk to Cicero" - Cobalt
"More than that we need to work out what the hell's going on here. Going to be blunt here, too - putting that
woman's midriff back is not a priority until we know if we need to be concerned about them coming back to life.
She's not likely to change any time soon" - Samael
The tide is beginning to come up, so the Cabal begin walking back to the steps.
"Unless anything very unusual happens they're not going to turn back" - Samael
"I just know that if we leave it it'll be one of those things that we end up not doing" - Cobalt, unhappy
"What'll happen to the core sample now?" - Samael
Cobalt describes how it'll probably be wrapped, sealed up, carefully labelled and then stored away with
thousands of other samples in a storeroom somewhere underneath the Geology department
"We have another problem - unless you get the orientation exactly right, even if you can get hold of the
sample, then it won't line up. She can't survive with her guts rotated" - Samael
"Sorry... Yes I can. Matter Mage? I can. I can repair the connection as though it had never been cut which would
align it correctly" - Cobalt
"How are you going to get it back, then?" - Samael
"The question is..." - Cobalt
-Maybe he could steal it- - Chronos
"you might have to nick it" - Persephone, steadying herself as she climbs the steps
"I have a better idea, if we want to find out what's going on here; but it still works towards your thing. The
problem we're going to have in getting this rock tube and putting it back in is that someone will ask questions
about what it's doing back in there. How about we take her out? It has the advantage that if there's a giant
angry Stone Whale in there, we'll provoke it" - Samael
"Yes, that was what I was aiming at. Point up, do we cover up the fact that there was an anomaly here? I'm not
talking about taking the whole sample, just that section" - Cobalt
-Or, he could...- - Nergal
-We were LOOKING for you!- - Chronos, peeved
-What? You could make another core sample, one that isn't on an anomaly, then exchange it for the magical
one- - Nergal
"Yeah, I thought of that" - Persephone
She shares the theory
"But you'd have to explain any tests already done on the real one, and..." - Samael
"...Hey! I know! why don't we ask the Guardians of the Veil how to cover this up from Sleeper recognition?" -
Cobalt
Persephone winces. The Cousins don't like that - there's a chorus of "boo"s
"You might not like the method. They probably wouldn't kill the researchers" - Samael
A tad harsh on the Guardians, I think
"We're not saying about the stone whale, just about what the best strategy for swapping core samples is. The
moment Gaunt gets his knife out is when we start begging for calm" - Cobalt
"Just take a rock from here, meld it with the tube and say you fixed it" - Persephone
"It'll then be a different anomaly" - Samael
They're now leaving the gates and heading for the car
"The only anomalies are the people" - Cobalt
"Can't you make it strange for them? Provide a new sample with an anomaly in?" - Persephone
"It would be untraceable to their methods... Yes. We could do this, without involving the Guardians even, but if
the researchers continue digging further to figure out what's wrong even if what's wrong is now different or try
to replicate the anomalies, they'll piss off the whale and get trapped and killed" - Cobalt
"We don't want to make any changes that get them more interested. We want to make them minimally
interested; something that makes them go 'eh, whatever, we don't need to look into that any more'. If anything
makes them go 'ooo, what's in here' then next thing we know they're digging more samples" - Samael
"Why don't you go do something to their measuring devices? Then you could explain it as an experiment gone
wrong?" - Persephone
"You have a remarkably.. simplistic... view of the scientific method. I know what you mean; I can think about it,
but it's not my specialist machinery and it might not be physically possible to make it get the wrong results on
just one area" - Cobalt
"It's a machine, it can always go wrong" - Persephone, with the happy assuredness of a Fate mage who just
have been told by Rod how many things in a gun can go wrong. And a gun is a small machine.
"Oh yes - but can it go right right right right wrong right right? You see what I mean? It's only reading wrong in
that middle section and.. give me some time to think about it?" - Cobalt
Agena: Now in hindsight, I am not quite sure why we were so intent to give Cobalt an idea of what might he do right
there and then AFTER he asked 3 times to give him some time to think about it. I'm sorry
"Our best bet is to make the anomaly completely unremarkable" - Samael
Cobalt is getting increasingly wound up by his Cabal's lack of understanding of science. There's probably a bit
of vestigal guilt at altering the experimental results of another scientist in there, too, which rankles him as an
Academic and a Libertine.
"Yes, because a millions of years age gap is easily explained" - Cobalt, snapping
"But on the other hand if you can blag it from heat from exploding War munitions..." - Samael
"Or a meteor!" - Persephone
(grumpy) "We'll look into it" (sighs) "Sorry to be angry" - Cobalt
"You don't have to be angry" - Persephone
"It just seems the thing to do" - Cobalt
"Shall we have a look at the Priory since we're here?" - Samael, gesturing back at it
The "priory" is a ruined priory and castle. Cobalt uses his Attainment to see what it would have looked like in
use.
"When was it built?" - Persephone
"Seventh Century. Then abandoned, then rebuilt in the tenth" - Samael, the resident expert on churches
"Should I postcognition the site before or after the Romans?" - Persephone
-Either way, you'll only get a few minutes, so choose carefully- - Chronos
"The fanciful explanation of these sites being built over older sites is that they were built to cover up places of
evil - the prayers kind of cancelling out dark energies. It could have been built to Holy-fy the area" - Cobalt
"They could have been sacrificing people to the Stone Whale" - Persephone
"We've got to get a better name for it" - Cobalt
"Stone Leviathan, okay? That's a bit more apocalyptic" - Samael
Persephone decides to go for 500 years before it was built.

"Grass... Seagulls... Nothing" - Persephone
"So we have something swimming in the rock. We don't know if it's a creature or a magical effect, or how it's
connected to the petrification" - Samael, thinking about this like a Mystagogue
"Flowing through the rock, not parting it - the rock didn't bulge" - Cobalt, thinking like a scientist
"Maybe it's another of those pre-Fall spells?" - Persephone, thinking like a survivor of the Amazon incident
"I don't think it's a spell because if it was..." - Samael
"You could have detected residue of it" - Cobalt
"Mainly, I think someone would have picked it up with magical senses by now" - Samael
"But if it's inside the rock..." - Persephone
He shakes his head
"It's reaching out to open and close the caves - if it's a spell that has to be covered in it's extent. If it's a
creature or entity operating with it's own supernatural abilities there's less chance of detecting it. Whatever it
is, it's probably directly associated with these openings and closings..." - Samael
And then they realise that they're being watched.
Agena got four successes on the roll to notice the caretaker. On three dice.
It's the caretaker, lurking behind the next ruin. He's been listening to them.
Samael activates his Attainment on a hunch. The Caretaker has an interconnection to the symbol he drew down
below. He's a Seer of the Throne, or one of their pawns.
"Motherfucker" - Samael
"Samael?" - Cobalt
"Amway dupe" - Samael
"Destroy the Followers of the Lie?" - Persephone
Samael mutters to himself.
Cobalt, remembering the Seer he killed in Rio, casts Augury on the Caretaker.
Will his report damage our cause? ... No
Deciding to not risk the confrontation, they head back to the car. Samael checks for carbombs with Forces, for
spells with Supernal Vision and Cobalt looks for recent modifications.
1. Monster
After they start driving, everyone relaxes slightly
"I think what we need to think about doing is trying to find a clear pattern of subjects - it's using them as
symbols, so what are they symbols of? Why does it choose particular people?" - Samael
"We can look into our Cryptozoology library too" - Persephone
"Yeah - things that live underground and move through rock, things that use people as symbols..." - Samael
Cobalt turns left
"...Was I the only one planning on bringing others in?" - Cobalt
Silence
"...Especially with the Seers that way" - Cobalt
"You're right, I just think we should do a quick check on things before jumping in" - Samael
"You can give people questions without conclusions" - Cobalt

"But if we do our background first we can present a more complete body of information. If only so we can turn
to the others and say 'we've ruled out this'. The one thing we don't want is to spread a panic; if we present
information we don't know how far it'll go. Do you want Magog down there hitting the wall and shouting 'come
out, you bastard'?" - Samael
"Maybe it'll eat him" - Persephone, looking on the bright side
"That seems an overly simplistic argument" - Cobalt, frowning
"I know, but it's a good example. I think if we..." - Samael
"Why are we trying to control this information?" - Cobalt, interrupting
Because he's a Mystagogue, Cobalt, and you're a Libertine. This next, long, escalating argument is, I think, the result of
tensions between the two men stemming from Samael's behaviour when he was evil last story, coupled with the
pressures Cobalt's under and Cobalt's emerging distaste for the Awakened tendency to hoard useful knowledge. Cobalt
is pinning his colours to the mast as a Free Councillor here - and he'll make a great leader of that Order given time, I
think, while his "we're all in this together, let's do the investigation as a community" attitude is alien to Samael.
Note that they're also both blowing one another's positions out of all proportion. Samael just wants to do a day's
research before presenting findings. Cobalt's overreacting - but Samael is overreacting too, going on about the
potential dangers of spreading the mysteries without thought.
"The Seers already know, so..." - Persephone
"The Seers know. We know the Seers know. We know the identity of at least one of their servants and the
location of another" - Cobalt
"If a load of mages start piling in the Seers might detect it, which will lead to them getting involved with a
reaction we're not intending to get" - Samael
"We should warn our people that there are Seers around. Even if it's only the Furthest Legion" - Persephone
"That's what I'm saying - why not involve the professionals?" - Cobalt
"Very basic information gathering isn't going to take more than a day, then we can go to our allies with perhaps
more information. If we can rule out some things we'll make everyone's life easier" - Samael
"Go alone. Lone wolf" (disgusted) "Why do we have this phobia about being a community?" - Cobalt
"Why do we have a phobia about getting information first?" - Samael
"We have found some information. Why aren't we including the professionals in this - people who hunt
supernatural monsters for a living?" - Cobalt
"We've found a bunch of questions. What if it isn't a supernatural monster?" - Samael
"It might be a rare giant snake from the amazon basin" - Cobalt
"That would be a supernatural monster" - Samael
"No, that would be a giant snake. this thing can tunnel through rock like it's moving through air, can open and
close caves at will and can turn people to stone and preserve their lifeforce. Tell me how this is fitting in with
the natural order of the Fallen World" - Cobalt
"It may not be a 'creature' full stop" - Samael
"Your definition of creature seems slightly more limited than mine. What is not a creature?" - Cobalt
-Guys, any ideas about this?- - Persephone
-We have ruled out Basilisks- - Chronos
"The usual definition. If it's a spell, it's not a creature" - Samael
"I thought you'd ruled that out" - Cobalt
"I've maybe ruled that out..." - Samael, on the back foot
"And how will your research rule it out further before we warn people?" - Cobalt, a tad snippy
"We'll warn people about the caves, just do some preparation first" - Samael
"Going behind people's backs" - Cobalt

"How is going to look it up going behind people's backs?" - Samael
-We suggest you find out who these people were - their backgrounds. See if there is anything similar to them.- -
R!Kosciej
"I wasn't considering outright secrecy. Just going to find out the relevant details" - Samael
"I think I'd rather tell people there's a problem. I know it's a problem that's been going on for hundreds of
years..." - Cobalt
"...That's fine. you seem to think I'm intending to cloak everything in secrecy. I want to look at our resources
first" - Samael
"I don't want to play our entire hand on the first day - I don't want to go and say 'this is all we can find out, over
to you lads'. If we tell them first, we then lead the effort to research rather than coming across as passing the
buck" - Cobalt
"That wouldn't be what I was intending or even suggesting" - Samael
"You'd want to say 'we decided you weren't ready to tell you about it'" - Cobalt
"That's not what I intended!" - Samael
"That's how you're coming across" - Cobalt
"Because you're being really agressive for some reason" - Samael
"I think... I think Samael just wants to impress the others with the knowledge we already have" - Persephone
"Mmm hmm" - Cobalt
"No, I just thought we could look at it... We can go ahead and tell people. You seem to be assuming I want to
keep it secret, I don't" - Samael
"Every time I try to talk about telling someone else you say 'no, no! Let's not! we mustn't tell anyone!'" - Cobalt
"I never said that" - Samael
"Every time I brought it up you told me..." - Cobalt
"GUYS. Guys." - Persephone
Agena: This is the moment when Sef realised the discussion has degraded into accusing one another and that they are
going in circles, that it's not going anywhere and that they need to stop or something bad will happen.
"That is NOT what I said" - Samael
"No we don't bring in the Guardians. No we don't tell the Legion. No we don't warn any of our friends" - Cobalt
"Guys..." - Persephone
"You're attributing things to me that I didn't say now" - Samael
"Pardon me I can't quote you perfectly" - Cobalt
"Pardon me I didn't say these things" - Samael
Actually...
"...Hey! I know! why don't we ask the Guardians of the Veil how to cover this up from Sleeper recognition?" - Cobalt
Persephone winces. The Cousins don't like that - there's a chorus of "boo"s
"You might not like the method. They probably wouldn't kill the researchers" - Samael
---
"The one thing we don't want is to spread a panic; if we present information we don't know how far it'll go. Do you
want Magog down there hitting the wall and shouting 'come out, you bastard'?" - Samael
Taken out of context, I know, but he DID say those things, and Cobalt - smarting from the last few months (remember -
Samael betrayed Cobalt because he wanted to take something out of public domain - not just Symmetry, he betrayed
Cobalt) - fixated on them. Cobalt's been making remarks about it since it happened (they're peppered throughout last
story too, though harder to spot. Dave says Cobalt's main problem is that Samael has gotten away with it without
repercussion, letting Lux take all the blame for it and apparently not feeling the slightest bit guilty about it
And then Samael gets the sense that he knows what the connection between the people is. It's this - what's
happening to the Cabal right now. Unfortunately, he still has his Pride.
"Three times now you've shot down the idea of bringing in other people" - Cobalt
"I didn't. I just said that the Guardians might use tactics you didn't approve of" - Samael
"You did!" - Cobal
"Guys!" - Persephone
"I never..." - Samael
"GUYS!" - Persephone
Samael starts talking again
"This is not helping! Stop talking!" - Persephone
"I have something relevant to say. You will let me say it. But first..." - Samael, said in the same tone of voice as
when he was soul-jabbed
"Does anoyone want to walk home?" - Cobalt, dangerously
"I just have a couple of things to run through in my mind. I have more to say in a second, okay?" - Samael
"Okay, you want to prove your point before saying anything useful. Fine" - Cobalt
Samael tries to concentrate, feeling the... whatever drew the people in is starting to draw him in.
"This is one of the things that sets off my weird-shit-o-metre. People go missing, petrified, and you have to
identify them by dead man's diary. The more people know about this the more chance we have of getting
rescued next time we get in over our heads" - Cobalt
"Cobalt... I apologise" - Samael
"You didn't directly say we shouldn't tell anyone" - Cobalt, meeting him halfway
The tension is suddenly gone. They go over what they both actually said and see how the argument appeared
out of nothing.
And the connection is now fading.
Samael, shaken, tells them.
"It's stronger when we're arguing" - Samael
He and Persephone look using Fate sight. There's something tugging at Samael
"It's latched onto you" - Persephone
"Next victim?" - Cobalt
"I'm wondering whether that indicates that it's preying on people who are... Just a negative emotion doesn't
make sense" - Samael
"We could look at their emotional state to see if there's a pattern. The boy was betrayed and beaten, the girl
betrayed and raped..." - Cobalt
"What confuses me is that we have those two and the woman who'd been rejected by her boyfriend, which is
out of scale with the other two. Let's... let's say I carry on arguing with you. Let's say we get really angry with
one another..." - Samael
"And walk home. Or go back there to find something out" - Cobalt
"If I get seperated from you two... Would the Seers take a pop at me? Are they feeding people to it?" - Samael
"You're the Sphinx. Does that ring true to your brain? You saw a Seer inspect it" - Cobalt
"If we say they know something's going on and put the curator in place then they know that the site's special.
They therefore know roughly what's what - they might have just noticed something and be keeping watch over
it same as we are" - Samael
"We can almost date their involvement by when that curator was put in place" - Cobalt
"Maybe. He could have replaced someone" - Samael
"Or been subverted in situ" - Cobalt
"We should assume they know at least what we do. Presuming they know that there's something in the cliff, it
doesn't rule out they're feeding people to it, but it doesn't mean there are" - Samael
-The other thing is to look for legends about that site- - Chronos
"Yeah, we figured that one out. Someone might have written down details about goings-on there" - Persephone
"Do the Legion know anything - I mean, do they keep records of monster sightings?" - Samael
"It'd be shocked if they didn't keep records of local folklore. If they don't, someone ought to start and we'll have
found a niche... Wait a minute! Isn't that what the Black Seam do!?" - Cobalt
And one of the black seam, they remember, specialises in the underground. If anyone knows about rock-
burrowing monsters, it will be Limnal
"We have an Assembly in a week. I could ask it be brought forward"

- Persephone
"Do we, in the end, want to do our homework before filing a missing persons report for the past 200 years?" -
Cobalt
"Sources: Limnal. Missing Persons. The Legion's records. Our own Library. Mictlan" - Samael
"Missing persons will be easier with the Legion's help. Cicero has his claws in that kind of thing" - Cobalt
"The other thing is the Seers. Who knows about the Seers?" - Samael
The only person they've heard talk about the local Seers... Is Symmetry
"This is going to sound paranoid, but..." - Samael
"...I get what you mean. The last time we mentioned something like this Magog got stuck in" - Cobalt
"Different sort of paranoid. What if the Seers have an informatin tap into the Consilium?" - Samael
"One of us is a..?" - Persephone
"I don't want to say that. I was thinking more of bugs in phones" - Samael
"They know who I am" - Cobalt
"We have to be careful. AND of Magog being eaten by a giant stone whale" - Samael
"It won't eat him, just.. what kind of thing eats Symbolism?" - Cobalt
"I don't like the whole symbolism link to me. Why me, specifically?" - Samael
"What if the common link was betrayal?" - Cobalt
"The people inside were the ones betrayed. Even if you guys made me walk home, I don't think think you'd be
*betraying* me" - Samael
-Not betrayal. Rejection- - R!Kosciej
-Mmm- - Persephone
"Rejection?" - Persephone, out loud
"We've got a Rejection Whale?" - Samael
Rejection Leviathan, please
"The boy was rejected. The second one could have..." - Cobalt
"There's lots of ways that could have happened. I'm tempted now to try some kind of set up, but I imagine it
has to be genuine" - Samael
"I don't want to conspire with my friends to put another of my friends through that, no matter how much
Symmetry is bitching about Lux..." - Cobalt
Samael and Persephone's active Fate sights, capable of spotting significant phrases, flare.
Lux.
"Oh, SHIT!" - Samael
"That was a JOKE!" - Cobalt
"No! No! What if... Lux is a big fucking beacon of rejection. What if it's luring people in?" - Samael
"And it's luring Lux in?" - Cobalt
"Maybe not, but who is the likely target?" - Samael
Persephone starts phoning Lux
"Tell him we love him" - Samael
The Obrimos answers his phone
"Where are you?" - Persephone
"I can't actually tell you that, Persephone, as it's an Order secret" - Lux
"Right. Can we meet up somewhere?" - Persephone
"What, just you and me?" - Lux
"Well, We and You" - Persephone
"Who's we?" - Lux
"Cobalt and Samael" - Persephone
"Are you going to try to get me involved in one of your..." - Lux
"No no no no no. Just hang out, go to the pub" - Persephone
"Won't Symmetry be pissed?" - Lux
"Nah. She's not here" - Persephone
"Okay, yeah, sure" - Lux
She hangs up
"Double-time on the rejection team - how's Cal? Actually, it's worse - everyone in Newcastle is rejected by
Aurora" - Cobalt
"Is it looking for anyone who'se been rejected, or is it more specific?" - Samael
"My initial impression is that we amplify it - it'll go for an Awakened more" - Cobalt
"Samael, when have you been rejected?" - Persephone
In fact, Samael was completely disconnected from the rest of humanity less than a month ago.
"What kind of symbolism do we have for things that have been rejected, thrown away - dropped down a well?" -
Cobalt
They briefly consider spirits, and getting one of their friendly Thyrsus to take a look
"But a Spirit that does that would be very, very powerful" - Samael
"It has batteries! at least three people to feed off"
"Spirits feed on a momentary basis. It freezes them" - Samael
"It couldn't feed off them like Archimedes and your fear. It's not draining them" - Cobalt
"So probably not a spirit" - Persephone, disappointed
"It's like it had a fire and is warming itself against the hearth..." - Cobalt
And that, too, pings on the Mage sight."
"That's a good analogy" - Samael
Fire. The volcanic rock. Fire as a symbol for emotion - as Excalibur has told them many times.
"... I have no idea what's going on" - Samael, admitting defeat
He thinks
"Quick recap. What are we going to do when?" - Samael
"Let's talk to Lux. It's past time someone got over it. A hand out to him can't hurt. I'll take my punishment for
doing so, but I'll talk to Symm" - Cobalt
"Once they start talking again they might remember why they're Cabalmates" - Samael
"Fingers crossed" - Cobalt
"Are you going to tell the Free Council?" - Samael, to Persephone
"About Mictlan? yes; That's why I asked for an Assembly" - Persephone
"It's important. Almost as important as talking to Cicero" - Cobalt
"I was going to put a vote to Assembly about whether we were going to tell anyone else" - Persephone
"My main thought was that he could be an ally if he's not a friend of Solemn's. He's always been friendly to us;
my main trouble is his Legacy. If he tells us he's okay with it we'll believe him" - Cobalt
"I forgot he's a Bearer of the Eternal Voice" - Samael
"We can ask him all the probing questions beforehand, but we'll just hear what we want to" - Cobalt
"One of those times when you just have to act and hope for the best, then" - Samael
"That's my thought. As I say, though - it's Persephone's secret to tell" - Cobalt
First point of call, then: Lux.
And that's all for this session!
1. Monster
Session 5.2
Once again, I must apologise for the delay. We are now well and truly behind on the recaps.
Having introduced the fact of the Worm's existance (though not that it's the worm, yet - that's to come this session -
and as of the end of 5.3 still not *what* it is) our story now takes a two-session detour to confront the issues going on
in the Consilium, specifically the breakdown of the Mysterium and the Free Council. With the threat of the worm in
mind, and the idea that it will consume anyone who gets ostracised, the Cabal spend a lot of this session healing
wounds and encouraging people to mend bridges and most of *next* session on the hunt for those that have been
burning those bridges down. So to speak.
We did, however, achieve a few set pieces this session that I feel make it worth the price of admission. First and
Foremost is the sequence about halfway through which calls back to "The Soul Cage"'s lyrics, as at the start of this
thread. It's a setting element that I've been meaning to introduce given half the chance that's been waiting, ready to
ambush Cobalt like a bad surprise, since Story Two.
So yeah. No worms this time. But I think I did a fair job of making the Cabal's situation both better, thanks to their
sterling efforts, and much much worse.
The Cabal waste no time - they go straight to the arranged public drinking house to meet Lux. On the way,
Persephone casts Exceptional Luck on the Cabal
The characters are using a lot more Mana since they gained their Legacies and with them, Oblations outside Hallows
"We also need to call Symmetry to the pub. 20 minutes?" - Persephone
"Good idea. I'll tell her about the Seers" - Cobalt

.
The Cabal reach the bar, Sef casting Shield of Chronos as they sit down, mindful of the Seer (or at the least
Seer's agent) they just met.
They briefly debate strategy
"Are we going to tell Symmetry privately 'look, you're going to have to be friendly to Lux or he'll be eaten by a
giant stone whale?" - Samael
(confident) "Nah, no - we'll have a public intervention and confront them with the fact that they're being...
Well... we'll raise the stakes and tell her that if they don't change he's going to get eaten" - Cobalt
"And the best part, you get put in the doghouse if this goes horribly wrong" - Samael
"I get put in it if it goes horribly right" - Cobalt
"It's your sacrifice, not mine. You say how long you need to wait before we call Symm in" - Samael
Cobalt phones her
"Hey. What's up?" - Symmetry, sounding distracted
"Something wrong?" - Cobalt
"What? uh... Not at... No" - Symmetry
"We just had a run-in with a Seeror one of their dupes. I was hoping to report it to you" - Cobalt
"Oh, CRAP! Oh! Not just me - Cal and Cicero need to know" - Symmetry
"Okay..." - Cobalt
"Where are you?" - Symmetry
"We've left the scene." - Cobalt
He names the pub, and promises to get on to Cal and Cicero
"Did he cast anything? Did he SEE you?" - Symmetry
"It's complicated. Come here and we'll tell you - we made no direct contact with the mage, but we got a
temporal blip on the radar and I'm pretty certain the guy listening in was a dupe" - Cobalt
She promises to hurry and hangs up. And then Lux enters the bar.
Cobalt text-messages Excalibur under the table, smiling for Lux
"SEERZ! CUM QUIK!"
Lux looks like crap. He is sporting several days stubble (a terrible thing on a blond man). Sef throws a quick
spell on him to try to bring him slightly increased fortune, and he frowns as he senses the energies.
"Not that I don't appreciate the sentiment, but could you NOT cast spells on me without permission?" - Lux
"Sorry" - Persephone
"Lux, what's up? You look worse than last time I saw you" - Samael
"I've not been sleeping very well" - Lux
"Anything in particular?" - Samael
Lux shakes his head
"I don't know. I've just been waking up" - Lux
He looks at Cobalt
"Well?" - Lux
"Where to start? Frankly, this is getting boring. So we're going to try to build bridges, mend fences, the works. I
think you're a nice guy, I don't want to see you get cut out of things. And the thing under Tynemouth Priory is
going to eat you if we do, so..." - Cobalt
"The what now?" - Lux
"The monster under Tynemouth Priory" - Samael, helpfully
"It feeds from rejection" - Cobalt
"Is this like the Cookie Monster?" - Lux, skeptical
"No, it's more of a giant stone-swimming whale. Look, long story..." - Cobalt
He tells the tale of the core samples, the trapped people and the Beast beneath the Rock
"Mr Terribly Mysterious over there" (nods at Samael) "Got a ping between it and you" - Cobalt
"We're not entirely sure how strong this link is, but frankly..." - Samael
"I should stay away from Tynemouth" - Lux
"And start patching things up with your Cabal" - Cobalt
Lux makes a face
"Yeah, I know, it's sucky, but there are more important things to be worrying about. And also Giant Stone
Whales" - Samael
"Normally, we'd let this sort of thing blow over, but if there's something tampering in the situation and trying to
eat one of our friends, we get involved" - Cobalt
"It's coming after me specifically?" - Lux
"It's more like it has a broad platter of targets" - Samael
"But yeah, you're on the list" - Cobalt
"Like Samael" - Persephone
"You're on the list too?" - Lux
Samael nods
"All the Mystagogues might be. And Excalibur" - Persephone
"Main point is, if we can seal all the rifts going on symbolically then we can hold off the creature's influence.
And then we can have a chance to figure out what the hell's going on without one or more of us vanishing" -
Samael
"And working together we can probably work to save the people trapped there, and starve the bastard thing
into coming into the open where we can drive it off or negotiate depending on how intelligent it turns out to be"
- Cobalt
"Or how terrifyingly powerful" - Samael
"It's a monster. We don't negotiate with monsters. It's like terrorists" - Persephone
"I suppose it is" - Cobalt
"Besides, we could do with keeping the Free Council and the Mystagogues a bit closer together" - Samael
"That could be easier said than done. The thing..." - Lux, significantly to Samael
"That can be dealt with" - Samael, with confidence Lux doesn't share
"Even if they aren't happy about it, once you start talking again, with that old friendship coming to the fore..." -
Cobalt
"It's not just my Cabal. Samael knows what I'm talking about" - Lux
"You're right, it's not just your Cabal" - Samael
"...But we took the worst of it" - Lux
"Is this the thing where we're being accused of theft?" - Cobalt
Lux nods
"I'm calling an Assembly next weekend. I can find out if we actually have the items that you've found missing.
We've also noticed a Seer minion hanging around" - Persephone
"Seers? Have you told Excalibur?" - Lux
"He's on the way" - Cobalt
"To be honest, we could be facing something more terrifying than some petty thefts" - Samael
"Monsters. Seers of the Throne. Never mind the Assembly, we should call the Consilium." - Lux
"First, we need to get the basic knowledge out there so that we don't jump to anything we shouldn't" - Samael
"In the spirit of reconciliation, If you're serious about patching things between the Orders, you're going to have
a Consilium. Quark and Bede can have a duel about it if it needs settling immediately" - Lux
"I agree. On the other hand I want to know if Excalibur's going to turn out to have the monster in his records
before I go to Consilium with it" - Samael
"Someone has been stealing from you guys and if - posit a theory - it's not us, then who the fuck is it? That's a
pretty short list of candidates, and the Seers are at the top" - Cobalt
"How is it possible that with all the magic we have you haven't managed to find the culprit?" - Persephone,
raising a fairly good point
"Oh, shit! Option number two - it could be Echo Walkers looking for the Ankh" - Cobalt
"Not really their style" - Samael
"Yeah, they'd be more subtle" - Cobalt, slightly sarcastic
"Well, some might. I think they'd either do it with far more finesse or just take the wall out. They seem to vary
between extreme competence and extreme psychosis" - Samael
"We've only met the one guy and seen another in action" - Cobalt
"Too early to speculate. Right now we need to focus on the fact that there's a monster under Tynemouth" -
Samael
And then Symmetry arrives, looking like she's arrived in a hurry. Lux contemplates his fate while Persephone
waves.
"I need a piss. Tell her what you told me" - Lux
"When you come back, you're sitting down at this table" - Samael
Symm seems more confused than angered, though
"Take a seat" - Cobalt
"Okay... So Seers" - Symmetry, not sitting yet
"Seers!" - Cobalt
"We've got bigger problems" - Samael
"Damn right we do. I shouldn't be talking to you and I *definitely* shouldn't be talking to Lux. Good thing I got
here before word petered out" - Symmetry
"What?" - Samael, confused
"Someone stole the Lorehouse" - Symmetry, taking her coat off and sitting down next to Cobalt
1. Monster
"How do you steal the Lorehouse?" - Samael
"It's not very big." - Symmetry, taking the drink Cobalt bought her in preparation
Samael gapes. Eventually, Cobalt explains how the Free Council "Lorehouse" was reduced to microfilm for long-
term storage, and how Babel (who keeps it) uses his magic to pull information out of it and into his own brain
whenever needed.
"Someone stole Babel's brain?" - Samael
"No. The physical archive" - Symmetry
"I hate to say this, Symmetry, but we have bigger problems than a stolen Lorehouse" - Samael
She does not seem to dispute that
"Too right! Seers of the Throne" - Symmetry
"No, we have a bigger problem than them, too" - Samael
"We can't weight our problem sizes! One - people stealing shit. If someone's stolen from us AND from you, then
it's probably not either of us" - Cobalt
"I had got there" - Symmetry, calmly
Which explains her cool attitude to the theft - it proves, in it's own weird way, that the Libertines *didn't* do what the
Mystagogues are accusing them of. What was a nasty situation between the orders has been turned in her mind into
an external threat, as she simply doesn't think the Mysterium are dumb enough to try reprisals of this nature.
The fact that the Mysterium only didn't DO reprisals of that nature and instead opted for merely casing the joint in
preparation for doing so is entirely unknown to her.
"On a purely physical scale, we have *bigger* problems" - Samael
"It's a giant whale living under Tynemouth Priory, it's feeding off rejection and that's why we're going to put you
and Lux through an intervention" - Cobalt
"Uh... Run that by me again?" - Symmetry
They explain the creature. Again. Symm hasn't heard of any such cryptid, but she does say that the Furthest
Legion are good at Teratology. The gang say they plan on consulting Limnal as well, and note that the Seers
appear to be investigating the creature too. Cobalt suspects they got in the same way he did, meaning the
Enemy have a man at the university. All are agreed that the orders need to work together, despite the wild
accusations going around.
"Best way to nip this in the bud is to put out the message that we don't believe one another to be guilty" -
Samael
"Well, a Consilium's been called on Saturday, after the Assembly. Bede and Quark are screaming at one
another" - Symmetry
"We need to stop the likes of Lux from being eaten, and your Cabal are best placed to serve as a symbol of
unity" - Samael
Lux is, in fact, trying to lurk in the background
"Oh, for God's sake Lux, sit down" - Symmetry
"I'll get another round. And I think I'll lay in Cal's usual as well" - Cobalt, standing
...
When he returns, they get down to the reason they gave for calling her which, giant stone whales aside, is also
an urgent matter.
"Okay. How much do you know about the Seers of the Throne?" - Symmetry
"They're like us but evil. They like small items engraved with a magic word as their path tools" - Cobalt
"Magical Amway that use humans as puppets" - Samael
"They do?" - Persephone
"Right. The Diamond Orders. You know the magical fairy tale that they all lived happily on a magic island? And
they got kicked off the magic island by the kings of the magic island who wanted to build a giant portal to the
Supernal Realms, kill the Gods, replace them and rule they Universe? And how conveniently everyone in the
Diamond is descended from the people who got kicked off who were then the rag-tag group of rebels that came
back, had a big battle and accidentally blew the portal up?" - Symmetry
Samael winces at the descriptions

"Everyone in the Diamond says they're traced back to the people that were exiled, rather than the people who
stayed serving the mage-kings. The Seers of the Throne are descended from THOSE guys. They have the same
magic fairy tale as the Diamond except while the Diamond think they're rebels against the god-kings of the
universe, the Seers have decided 'screw that'" - Symmetry
"And work for the God-Kings" - Cobalt
"In the promise of becoming rich and powerful in this world and eventually maybe becoming god-kings
themselves" - Symmetry
"Hence Amway" - Cobalt, understanding
"Hence Amway. Your order has the tenet 'destroy the followers of the lie?' These guys are those followers of the
lie. It's in their interests to keep humanity under control" - Samael
"We're good with that bit" - Persephone
"Because their masters, if they exist, made this world" - Symmetry
"I was more looking for organisations... habits..." - Cobalt
"They call their Cabals 'Pylons'. As far as we can tell - and they're even more secretive than the Guardians -
they're like a priesthood of their god-kings" - Symmetry
"Do they worship them all or are they more specific?" - Cobalt
"We don't know; it might vary by Seer. You know how some people see miracles everywhere and signs of God's
will? The Seers are like that. They're big into Astrology, reading cards and various divination methods. Like the
Sphinx look for the signs of the supernal, the Seers do that but they're looking for messages and commands
the Exarchs have left for them. Internally, above Pylons - like our Orders - they have things called Ministries.
The Diamond orders are based on the castes of magical fairy land, but as far as we can tell the Ministries are
divided by job. These seers will be the spies, these will run human religion, or warfare, or finance. Some Pylons
have more than one Ministry represented, some don't. You can apparantly be a Seer without being in a Ministry.
The important thing, given you saw a stooge, is that whether they're right or not about the Exarchs, Seers tend
to have more magical artefacts than the rest of us" - Symmetry
"Which come from somewhere, and the Seers believe they're gifts from the Exarchs" - Samael
"Or when they left Atlantis they took boatloads of crap with them" - Cobalt
"One thing that happens a lot - it's not like your multitool, which is unique. Lots of Seers all over the world have
access to the same sort of artefacts, which indicates either something's giving them to them or they have a
means of production" - Symmetry
"Which does not itself rule out the idea that they're being given to them by the Exarchs" - Samael
"As far as we can tell, our Archmages leave - when a Pentacle mage becomes an Archmage, they're supposed
to leave their Consilium. Rumour has it that if they didn't the Exarchs would kill them, but according to legend
Seer Archmages don't. They still have their most powerful members, right at the top of their Amway. But
anyway - these things are robes that allow any Sleeper the Seer has sympathy to to be remote-controlled. They
can walk around in their followers' bodies, controlling them like puppets" - Symmetry
"Is it a Spirit effect?" - Samael, thinking of countermeasures
"No - that's why I came at once. It's a Space effect" - Symmetry
"Ah, shit" - Samael
Space! The nemesis of the Auric Horizon! (It's one of the few Arcana they don't have)
"And mind?" - Samael
"If you knew the person, and what their mind was meant to feel like, you could spot it" - Symmetry
"It's looking more and more like I've been set up" - Cobalt
"Any Sleeper is potentially an agent of the enemy" - Samael
Persephone looks around the bar at all the Sleepers and shudders
"That's creepy" - Persephone
"As far as we can tell, Newcastle and Gateshead contains two Pylons. Maybe" - Symmetry
"As opposed to our five Cabals" - Persephone, feeling confident
"How big are the Pylons?" - Samael, shaking his head
"Exactly. We think they have one of these robes between them" - Symmetry
"One is too many" - Samael
"Whoever has it is probably the leader of his Pylon" - Symmetry
"And probably the bigger of the two leaders" - Cobalt
"Do we know how many of them there are?" - Persephone
"No. If you think about it, it's really hard to tell" - Symmetry
"We don't know what their involvement is. They're aware of it." - Samael, thinking it through
"The Seers are like the Guardians on Crack" - Symmetry
"Or, if you prefer, the Guardians are Seers-lite" - Lux
"The Seers' masters created the world. They like the world the way it is - the Seers are cover-up agents and
magic-hoarders. If it's supernal, it's theirs" - Symmetry
"So if there's a Seer at the university, he'll try to cover up the thng you were shown?" - Persephone
"Unless they set me up to drive us to it" - Cobalt
"Why would they do that?" - Persephone
"If it's the magical equivalent of a wild ravening beast, maybe they want us to spend all our resources fighting
it rather than them having to" - Samael
"If they've known about it for centuries, then they're probably it's jailors" - Symmetry
"In which case they probably won't want us fucking with it" - Cobalt
"I suggest we make sure the sample doesn't vanish from the university" - Persephone
"That's for tomorrow. Tonight, we need to get Cal" - Cobalt
And in Excalibur comes.
He sees the mixed table of Libertines and Mystagogues
"Have you guys heard..." - Excalibur
"Yes" - Everyone
"Cal. Quick summary... One: Someone is trying to pit the Mystagogues and Free Council against one another" -
Samael
I'm transcribing their explanations this time as by now it's gotten quite rapid-fire. And darkly amusing.
"Yeah, I had figured that out" - Excalibur
"Two: We found a giant monster underneath Tynemouth Priory" - Samael
"Oh, well done" - Excalibur, mildly
"Three: The Seers may be it's jailors or may have recently found out about it, but they've certainly now found
out we've found out about it" - Samael
"Okay. Mysterious person trying to split the Consilium. Giant Monster under Tynemouth, of all places. I would
have thought at least Whitley Bay. And Seers involved with monster" - Excalibur
"Adding complexity: the monster feeds from Rejection in some way, lures people into caves that don't exist
then petrifies them" - Samael
"And they are on the list" - Persephone, pointing to Lux and Samael
"And you two have been near-ostracised BECAUSE of the Order trouble... So really, it could be ONE problem" -
Excalibur
"You can see why we're giving you the rapid update" - Samael
"Okay, specifics" - Excalibur
They go through it in more detail, describing the various phenomena.
Which I'm not going to transcribe
"Okay. Something must have woken it up" - Excalibur
"It's possible it dozes, wakes up to perform it's feeding strategy then goes back to dormancy. We don't know if
it's actively hunting..." - Samael
"Or if it's passivly attracting people to it" - Cobalt
"We could do with knowing it's range. How far it can 'swim' - is it confined to one rock strata?" - Excalibur
"We could make a really big fish hook" - Cobalt
-[i]COUSIN![i]- - Chronos
Persephone concentrates, entering her Astral form in Mictlan. Samael texts Logos, requesting that she heads
along to meet them all as well.
-Fish hook!- - Chronos
-Fish hook what?- - Persephone
-We have it! Fetch the teratological tomes!- - Chronos, to the other Cousins
They do so, Jodrell taking the imaginary book "On Monsters"
-We have identified your beasty. It was the thing about the fish-hook. It's not a whale - it's a *worm*! Ask your
friends out there about the Lambton Worm. We'll dig up everything we can remember about it, but it may be
best to use the... what was it called? The Wacky-Podium?- - Jodrell
-I'm already firing up my PC- - Galatea
"What if it's a Lambton Worm?" - Persephone, aloud
"*A* Lambton worm? THE Lambton Worm" - Excalibur
"Is that the one with the crusaders?" - Cobalt
"Oh, God, how does this one go?" (thinking) "Bloke's supposed to be at church, goes fishing instead. Catches
what he thinks is a worm. It bites him - it's more like a snakey thing - and he throws it down a well" - Excalibur
"Worm or Wyrm?" - Samael
"This was written in old English. Anyway. He grows up, becomes a Knight and leaves for the Crusades. The
creature grows huge, like a giant wingless and legless dragon - a wyrm - that breathes fire, I think, and slithers
around eating children and livestock. It instantly heals any wound, wraps itself round people like a boa
constrictor to kill people. He comes back from the crusades and, faced with it being his fault, covers his armour
in spikes and blades. He challenges it, it wraps itself around him but because his armour's all spikey it cuts
itself apart in the process" - Excalibur
"He has to fight it in a river, so they get washed away" - Samael, remembering
"Would that be the Tyne?" - Cobalt, seeing where this is going
"Yeah. There's a hill - an iron age hill fort - upriver. People saw it, flat landscape with an odd hill. It's kind of
grooved, from the steppes of the hill fort, but people couldn't explain that back then so it's meant to be where
the creature slept at night, coiled around it" - Excalibur
"What type of rock is that mysterious hill? Crazy question" - Cobalt
No one knows
"It's basically the North-East's local Dragon story" - Excalibur, summing up
"So this thing was created by one man not going to church and fishing it out of the river?" - Samael
"I think 'created' is a bit of a reach" - Cobalt
"Yeah, but it's a lesson. It's meant to be a tale of how you're not supposed to miss church or you'll curse the
land or something" - Samael
"Fairly dumb lesson" - Cobalt
"I thought it was about responsibility. He defeats it when he faces up to what he did" - Excalibur, who as an
Arrow *would* look at it like that
"So you think it's the Lambton Worm?" - Samael
"The geography fits" - Cobalt
"In so much as that's where the bits would have washed up" - Samael
"But the legend doesn't help with properties" - Cobalt
"Except for the regeneration. Beyond that it's not much to go on" - Samael
"It IS subterranean, which would put it in the Black Seam's stuff" - Cobalt
"I don't think we'll find any more on it in the mundane stories. We'll have to look into our own legends" -
PErsephone
-So; did you find anything?- - Persephone
-We're cross-referencing, seeing if the Worm's legend meets the Priory's history in any way- - Chronos
-None of you have ever met the creature on your travels?- - Persephone
-None of us have heard of... well, some of us have heard the story. The earliest recorded form is a song - you
can find it online, or we could sing it to you- - Chronos
-No, no, that's okay- - Persephone, hastily
-I was considered an excellent Baritone in my day. Kosciej has a wonderful singing voice. Mostly Laments- -
Chronos
-Which reminds me - I left his Daimon in my Oneiros a while back and haven't checked in a while. I dread to
think what he's gotten up to by now. If you find anything, leave it in the Region, okay?- - Persephone
Her Astral form moves to the Gate and through into her Oneiros.
It's night-time. Everything is quiet. In the middle distance, a sudden light flares - the light of a refrigerator
lamp. Daimon!Kosciej is stood, wearing mismatched slippers and an old dressing gown over his normal suit,
retrieving one of several hundred Margaritas from the fridge.
-What were you doing? I leave you for a week and what do you do?- - Persephone
-Catherine, please...- - D!Kosciej
She slaps him
-I told you not to call me that any more- - Persephone
-Apologies, dread mistress- - D!Kosciej
-Well?- - Persephone
-I haven't done anything- - D!Kosciej
-I can SEE that- - Persephone
-To be honest, I've been on vacation- - D!Kosciej, drinking the Margarita
-Well, the vacation is OVER. Get to work!- - Persephone
-On WHAT? What can I possibly do that the other Cousins can't? That's why you don't need me any more.
That's why you haven't been back here. I understand - you just dumped me as soon as the younger model
came along...- - D!Kosciej
She is taken aback

-You MISSED me?- - Persephone
Sef's expression, in the pub, changes from horror to complete surprise.
Cobalt explains the Seer's possible involvement in the university to Excalibur
"If the Seers are going to cover it up, then we should let them and note who their agents are. I have no idea
how I'd go about it" - Excalibur
Cobalt raises the possibility of looking for missing persons reports of the people he saw. Cal thinks that's a good
idea, and suggests going through missing persons to find any other likely victims.
"Were the caves all at the base of the cliffs?" - Excalibur
"Mostly" - Samael
"Symm - do you think the King might... Is that in the Kingdom?" - Excalibur
"The who? We're not talking the King of Yellow?" - Cobalt
"No. There's a spirit. Kind of. It's not technically a spirit, or maybe it is... Okay. There's a being. Do you know
what a Verge is?"
Samael does. The others don't. Cal describes one as a place where the physical world and the Shadow have no
difference between them, where the Gauntlet doesn't exist. They only open at certain times and places.
"You have to know how to get into them. There's one in the quayside" - Excalibur
The Quayside, beneath the Tyne Bridge at the base of the cliffs Newcastle's city centre is on top of, has long since
been abandoned as a fishing port and turned into clubland. It's where all the low-rent nightclubs and restaurants
catering to office parties are, including one nightclub that's a former ocean liner, towed into position next to the swing
bridge. The patrons are mostly students.
"If you go into it you enter the Shadow world of the quayside, where lives the Spirit of Drowning" - Excalibur
"Oh, how nice" - Persephone
"Except he's not.. Spirits have to eat spirits of appropriate type, yeah?" - Symmetry
Chorus of "yeahs"
"I explained how if they eat other spirits that are incompatible you get a nightmare hybrid?" - Symmetry
Another affirmative
"The King of the Sea, the thing that lives in the verge, is a Spirit that's eaten a Ghost. It has a real personality
and it's properly sentient. It's the spirit of anyone that dies at sea after leaving Newcastle, of anyone that
drowns in it's waters and of that harbour. It normally would fade, but because it's partially a ghost it just sits
there with a power source. It's very old and powerful and we normally just go to it to confirm drowning in cases
where we suspect it" - Symmetry
"And he's willing to cooperate?" - Persephone
"Normally, yeah. If you do what he asks. He - it - would be able to tell us roughly how many people we're
looking at" - Excalibur
"But they're not dead. They didn't drown" - Persephone
"But people think they DID. So if we check with him who actually HAS from a list of recording disappearances,
we can eliminate prospective victims" - Excalibur
Understanding dawns
"What else can we do tonight?" - Samael
"We can wake Limnal up and get him to prepare a presentation" - Cobalt
"We can go see the King, taking a Moros and a Thyrsus to cover whichever side of the bed he's gotten out of,
but the Verge only opens at night" - Symmetry
Recognise the Ghost-Spirit Magath they're talking about? (And if that's not possible, it damn well is now)? Hint - the
clue is in the title of the thread. Also the first post.
"Of course it does. What sort of things does he ask for?" - Cobalt
"I'll tell you later" - Symmetry
"Unhappy things" - Persephone, guessing
"I'm never sure when it comes to spirits of messy deaths - does he just feed off the ones that happen, or does
he actively encourage them?" - Cobalt
"Bit of both. He encourages it when he can, but he's kept well fed as it is" - Excalibur, darkly
"He might have gone for me once before. In theory" - Cobalt
"Oh, crap! yeah.." - Symmetry
"We can ask him. But we should take Aquila with us just in case" - Symmetry
And now yet another person joins the party - Logos has entered the bar. She sits down serenely.
Samael gives her the three-step summary.
"I don't know about the thefts, but it does sound awfully strange. If it's the Seers doing this, we can't discount
the possibility that one of us is a Seer" - Logos
"Du-du-duuuuhn" - Symmetry
"It wasn't me" - Samael
"Quit it. None of us need to even think that" - Cobalt
"And that's probably what they want us to think" - Logos
"To be honest, since I got here we haven't taken them very seriously. They could have been lying low observing
us - they probably didn't have the Aetheneum pegged until the Barghests, at which point they had opportunity.
When you're then reeling from that they strike us" - Cobalt
"We certainly wouldn't seek the petty revenge of taking the Lorehouse" - Lux
"And even if we did, we'd be out drinking and celebrating now. Ahem" - Samael
"We all know you can't lie a damn, Samael" - Cobalt
"He's been getting better" - Persephone
"I've noticed, but he still can't call you by the right name when we're in London..." - Cobalt
"And on the SECOND point I have been spending most of the day looking at a particular..." (to Samael) "you
remember when I said i had a stained glass problem?"- Logos
She describes a window in a local church that has been replaced by another (as happens quite frequently) but
the original had a rather strange symbol on it, that she wanted to get his opinion on. It was a frog.
As Logos explains - people used to think that toads hibernated somehow within solid rock, and could be freed
by cracking them open. This window is a reference to a Toad in a Stone.
"Because that fits with your petrified people. And the Worm... The Worm..." (uses her Attainment) "I think Cal is
partially right in that the legend is about facing your responsibilities, but the creature itself isn't. There's a
young, feckless layabout who puts something horrid and misshapen into a dark place from which it emerges to
terrorise him" (off their blank looks) "No? The theme? It's pregnancy. Bastard children. Unintended
consequences of being frivolous... Or of doing the forbidden. The deformed children from incest..." - Logos
"We have a giant incest worm?" - Samael
"No! But it's that idea. All of these people are really emotionally invested in something they shouldn't be. When
that comes to fruition and they see what their mistakes have wrought - that's when it freezes them" - Logos
"When they reject what they've made, or are rejected by it" - Cobalt
"It's like creation gone wrong. The thing that's meant to inspire you to create has been perverted. I'm probably
losing you here..." - Logos
"No. I understand" - Persephone
"I can see some symbolism kicking back to the Samael and Lux problem. The breakout of the dogs was your
fault - if that's what tipped the Seers to us there's that, and the tension it caused is what's created the bad
blood in the cabals" - Cobalt
"Is it a symbolic act being played out, or are elements of it being encouraged and guided?" - Samael
"There's no difference between the idea of a thing and the thing itself" - Lux
"But someone could be trying to fuel our conflict in order to guide it. Are we being shaped by a sentient actor?"
- Samael
"Okay. We have an idea of what it is. We should look at old stories - me and Samael can see if anything pops
out at us. Also, the site isn't that far away, we could go up there and have a poke about" - Logos
"Might be some interesting ghosts and spirits about to talk to" - Samael
"There's the King" - Cobalt
"We should do that" - Symmetry
"Pick up Aquila on the way" - Cobalt
"Personally... I kinda want to slay the Dragon" - Excalibur
Don't we all?
"I'll rustle the guys into looking at our teratology records" - Excalibur
"Could you put in an official request for Limnal?" - Cobalt
"Not official - they're a Durham Cabal" - Excalibur, darkly
"So I'm going alone?" - Persephone
"Nah - I'l come with you. But I'll get this on the Consilium's agenda. Raise the flag saying 'Monster!'" - Excalibur
"What's that coming over the hill?" - Cobalt
-1 xp for lampshading
...
The meeting ajourned, the gang split into the teams.
Inside Persephone's psyche, the Daimon is hiding. Sef goes back to her Region, to find Chronos waiting with the
Parliament's report.
-Right. Seems fair. We're narrowing down the date. So. Tynemouth Priory - established in the early 7th century.
Destroyed by Vikings in 875. It got turned into a castle, became a monastery. Disbanded by Henry VIII who sold
it to one of his lackies. Eventually it became a Priory again but got shut down. For a long time there was a
lighthouse, but that's been superseded by the Harbourmouth. Now it's a coastguard station. Now - the Lambton
Worm- - Chronos
One Sunday mornin' Lambton went

A-fishing in the Wear;
An' catched a fish upon he's heuk
He thowt leuk't vary queer.
But whatt'n a kind ov fish it was
Young Lambton cudden't tell-
He waddn't fash te carry'd hyem,
So he hoyed it doon a well
Chorus
Whisht! lads, haad yor gobs,
An' aa'll tell ye aall an aaful story,
Whisht! lads, haad yor gobs,
An' Aa'll tel ye 'boot the worm.
Noo Lambton felt inclined te gan

An' fight i' foreign wars.
He joined a troop ov Knights that cared
For nowther woonds nor scars,
An' off he went te Palestine
Where queer things him befel,
An varry seun forgat aboot
The queer worm i' the well.
But the worm got fat an' growed an' growed,

An' growed an aaful size;
He'd greet big teeth, a greet big gob,
An greet big goggle eyes.
An' when at neets he craaled aboot
Te pick up bits o' news,
If he felt dry upon the road,
He milked a dozen coos.
This feorful worm would often feed

On caalves an' lambs an' sheep,
An' swally little bairns alive
When they laid doon te sleep.
An when he'd eaten aall he cud
An' he had had he's fill,
He craaled away an' lapped he's tail
Ten times roond Pensher Hill.
The news ov this myest aaful worm

An' his queer gannins on
Seun crossed the seas, gat te the ears
Ov brave an' bowld Sor John.
So hyem he cam an' catched the beast
An' cut 'im in twe haalves,
An' that seun stopped hes eatin' bairns
An' sheep an' lambs an' caalves.
So noo ye knaa hoo aall the foaks

On byeth sides ov the Wear
Lost lots o' sheep an' lots o' sleep
An leeved i' mortal feor.
So let's hev one te brave Sor John
That kept the bairns frae harm,
Saved coos an' calves by myekin' haalves
O' the famis Lambton Worm.
-Now, when Lambton fought it, he'd been told by a "witch" that in order to seal it's fate he had to kill the first
thing he saw after the victory. He arranged with his father to blow a horn, at which his dad'd release the family
dog, which he could kill to fulfil the bargain. But his father forget and rushed in for a hug - Lambton refused to
kill him, and the family was cursed for nine generations to die premature deaths. The thing is, we know who
most of them WERE. They believed it, you see - some of them kept loaded muskets under the bed, swords by
the table, that sort of thing, in case violent death came calling. The first one we know of is Robert Lambton. He
was apparantly the grandson of our hero, and died at the battle of Marsden Moor in 1644. A generation
normally takes 25 years, so the creature would have arrived at the priory 1565 - 1575 ish. Which means the
critter would have arrived after the Monestary had been dissolved and sold to the nobility. There would have
been people *living* there, on that rock. Find out if anything happened- - Chronos
-To the people?- Persephone
He nods.
-Thanks! We'll get back to you- Persephone
She sends Cobalt a message, asking him to check the years
...
In Cobalt's car, though, Symmetry has had a brainwave
"Oh! Of COURSE he'll know about it! It was drowning and escaped - never mind the people it's trapped, he'll
know about IT" - Symmetry
"I like it. We've got the era, too - two generations back from Marsden Moor" - Cobalt, reading his mobile
In 1644. Oliver Cromwell (and his warts) born in 1599 and died in 1658 (september) was at first (only) MP for
Huntingdon (but then) he led...
Yeah. I realised I was quoting Monty Python at that point. Having therefore committed the cardinal sin of roleplaying, I
must now commit thread seppuku. 'Tis a shame further recaps will be denied due to my deadened state.
1. Monster
Samael and Logos;
"I honestly don't know if it was us that stole the Lorehouse" - Logos
He's confused
"I'm saying someone might have given the Reclaimists the order to take it. One break in is much more likely
than two" - Logos
"Have you contacted Cat and Dowse?" - Samael
"I've been trying" - Logos
"No response?" - Samael
She shakes her head
"Bear in mind that Cat's cabal mate was just attacked. The Grey Street Runners' house is likely in uproar" -
Logos
"The worst thing they can do is drop out of contact, though - that just makes them look culpable" - Samael
"Yes, it does, doesn't it?" - Logos, mildly
"Do you want that as our priority or our other investigation?" - Samael
"Is there any evidence the creature is eating people now?"
Negative - Samael doesn't know what it's feeding habits are.
"Okay. I think... The traitor will out. Up to you" - Logos
"Where are we going first? While we're on our way I'll give Key a ring" - Samael
He phones the Curator
"Evening Key" - Samael
"Good evening Sam" - Key
"So. How much do you know about what's going on?" - Samael, blunt
"Going on with what?" - Key
"Firstly Lorehouses" - Samael
"Yes. Well, we decided" - Key
"We voted and we agreed Cat and Dowse would hold off until Logos and I determined what to take back" -
Samael, rather accusationary
"Samael, what are you talking about?" - Key
"The Lorehouse has gone" - Samael
"WHAT?" - Key
"I'm going to give you the three step summary. Pay attention" - Samael
He does so.
"The Free Council lorehouse is gone, and we're wondering if we stole it. If we DID, we may have fucked up
royally" - Samael
"On my oath, if our order did this I had nothing to do with it" - Key
"I believe you" - Samael, breathing a sigh of relief
Note that strictly speaking that doesn't mean Key doesn't know who DID do it. Samael points this out next session.
"I'll start contacting everyone" - Key
"Beware of the Seers" - Samael

"And revenge attacks by the Libertines, until we can convince them of our innocence" - Key
"Dowse and Cat being missing looks bad" - Samael
"Very bad" - Key
He hangs up
"Well, let's hope he isn't the traitor, otherwise I just blew our cover" - Samael
He tells her what Key said. Logos points out that while Key can't lie, she didn't deny that she knew who had
given the order, just that she himself didn't.
By the way - the continuity confusion revolving around Key's gender (She was a she in the second session and male
thereafter) has been resolved as of this story - as we'll see in 5.4, Key is a Daksha. He/She is technically both, and can
switch between them. I've always wanted to include the Daksha in a Mage chronicle, and this gave me my chance.
Plus the Legacy fits with Key's personality as shown so far.
...
Persephone and Excalibur are in Cal's landrover, heading out to Limnal's house out in the sticks.
Sef decides to come clean, and tells the Arrow everything. The Parliament of the Needle. The Cambridge
people. The Echo Walkers. Bede possibly being evil.
"...And he wouldn't let Samael go to Chayot's funeral" - Persephone
"I remember. I took Samael there that day, remember? It seemed odd" - Excalibur, processing the infodump
"And he was lying. You know how Mystagogues are about lying" - Persephone
That is - they're not permitted to do it regarding the Mysteries. They can bend the truth, refuse to tell you something or
just not give you pertinent information, but they are prohibited - *especially* at Bede's level of initiation - from
increasing Pancryptia by introducing false data about magic into the world. It's the point of difference between the
order and the Guardians.
"Do you think... Do you think it might be Bede?" - Excalibur
"Doing this? Could be" - Persephone
"My only other option would be Lux, but we've chosen to trust him" - Excalibur
"Maybe Magog. I might just be saying that" - Persephone
"I need to run another background check on him, eh?" - Excalibur
"He just showed up out of nowhere, and now this happens" - Persephone
"Evidence would indicate it's a Mystagogue that's a wrong un. Or possibly a Mystagogue AND a Libertine. We
should look for Mystagogues that hang around Libertines. Other than you guys" - Excalibur
He thinks
"Who are you planning to tell about your little head people?" - Excalibur
"The Assembly. Why?" - Persephone
"The Mysterium will find out very shortly after. Be prepared to be ostracised" - Excalibur, grim
"Why?" - Persephone
"The Mysterium might use you as another excuse" - Excalibur
"I don't get it" - Persephone
"They might try to pin the thefts on you. Your little head person does have a reputation" - Excalibur
"yeah, but I wasn't here. I was in London, and I know no Space. I appear on several Sentinel's reports" -
Persephone
Chris: "Were they in London?" Civitas - "Yes! They fucking well were! I wish they weren't!"
"I'll see if Bede has any links to Cambridge. As much as I can, but in today's political climate there's only so
much I can do South of the Tyne" - Excalibur
"We suspect it, but we have no way of checking" - Persephone
They make small talk
"How's Aquila? Since... Yesterday" - Persephone
"You would know better than me" - Excalibur
...
Cobalt, Symmetry and Lux are joined in Newcastle by Pandora and Aquila
"Dora!" - Cobalt
"Yeah, I know. I know. I was here, in town, with Logos when you called her" - Pandora
She's staying with Logos, remember, following Persephone's machinations
"Do you have any contacts in Cornwall?" - Cobalt
"Cornwall?" - Pandora
"Yeah, on the off chance - you're much further travelled than me" - Cobalt
"There was a guy I was on a dig with from Bristol. That's closer, so he might know someone. Friend of a friend
along with the Guanxi network, and I should be able to find someone. Why?" - Pandora
"I'm doing the paranoid thing and being suspicious of the newcomers" - Cobalt
"Magog?" - Pandora
"He came in a little too strong, a little too good. And this has happened a little too soon afterwards" - Cobalt
"Where's he from?" - Pandora
"The story he gave was from Exeter. He said he had a mentor named 'Cog'" - Cobalt
She agrees to look into it and see if her friends know anyone. Cobalt reckons he should call Cobra and
company, to try to keep a lid on them
"Because if anyone takes retarded action, it'll be our boys" - Cobalt
"Bede is pushing for an interdiction. If you people retaliate, he'll force one through by seniority" - Pandora
"If Magog pulls his usual strings it'd be enough to get action on *our* side. I had no idea things were that bad" -
Cobalt
"Bede's been pushing for interdiction since before we all came up here from London, ever since the first thefts"
- Pandora
"Well, if they hadn't been screwing the frost-pooch we probably would have made recompense" - Cobalt
"You said it" - Symmetry
Aquila looks slightly ashamed of himself - it was, after all - him too.
Cobalt calls Cobra as they walk down the steep streets to the Quayside
"Way-aye" - Cobra
"Hi man! How're you doing?" - Cobalt
"canny, man" - Cobra
"You heard the news?" - Cobalt
Cobra has indeed heard the news
"We're trying to keep people away from Tynemouth Priory, due to the creature..." - Cobalt
"Beastie?" - Cobra
"Yeah - some kind of whale thing swimming through the rock, trapping people in the cliffs like flies in amber" -
Cobalt
"So you're not talking about the lorehouse?" - Cobra
"Yeah. That happened too. We'll have that out at the Consilium, but the monster is bigger on the list of things to
do right now. Plus we have Seers hanging around" - Cobalt
"Narcs? So wait - monster in the cliffs? You been sinking some?" - Cobra
"I wish" - Cobalt
Cobalt hears muttered conversation in the background.
"On the level. Rumour has it this might be the Lambton Worm itself. BUT there'll be a competition for killing it
once we figure out how. Stands to reason if there's a big-ass critter there'll be a bunch of guys trying to take it
down. Once it's weak spot is found, hunting season" - Cobalt
Cobra seems excited by that prospect and hangs up
"With luck, they'll be sufficiently distracted by that" - Cobalt
"Did you just sic Cobra, Magog and company on the Worm? Do you not think it might EAT them?" - Symmetry
"Part of me says..." - Cobalt
"Can you imagine what would happen if Magog killed it?" - Symmetry
"Fair call. I don't even know what makes it surface. But that crew aren't likely to reject one another. It's a risk,
but it keeps them out of the people pissing on people contests" - Cobalt
"Should we tell Rod?" - Pandora
"Yes. Tomorrow" - Cobalt
Chris: Next day, Rod drags the Worm's corpse up to the lighthouse. "It iz done. It waz eazy"
...
Samael and Logos are in the church
"So this is where the frog window was moved from" - Logos, passing him a picture
Samael looks around the church. He doesn't need his Attainment for this - this is what his speciality was in
before he became a Sphinx. The window has come from a tiered arrangement - lots of small windows arranged
in a hierarchy, of angels, saints, popes, kings and then noblemen. In the nobles row, one of the figures depicted
is shown with his head pointed the other way from the others; that's the one that replaced the toad-in-stone,
and Samael can tell that the head isn't the same window as the body. Individual panels from other broken
windows in the vicinity have been pieced together to create it. So when the window was first put in, one of the
depicted noblemen was rendered as a toad trapped in stone.
Someone *knew*.
"Who are the guys on either side?" - Logos
"Looks like it might be a family. And it's from... 1112" - Samael
Which means that Lambton was not the first to encounter it.
"We need to find out who paid for the church to be built" - Samael
Logos casts postcognition and points to a flagstone, the inscription of which has been worn away.
"There" - Logos
The flagstone has a barely-perceptible symbol carved in but worn down through the centuries. Logos casts
postcognition on Samael to show him what she saw: the symbol is of a frog. Or a toad.
"Is this a memorial plaque or is there something underneath it?" - Samael
He places his hand flat on the stone and casts a Forces spell, sending a pulse through it and sensing the echoes
as a form of ground-penetrating radar.
"There seems to be nothing underneath it. Where did the window end up?" - Samael
"A village church out in the countryside. Well and truly shut by now. It just wound up there - some sort of repair,
or kept as a spare" - Logos
"Do we know where it went in between?" - Samael
"No. I was hoping you could shed some light - I'm really better with stories and such" - Logos
They decide to look into it later, and head back to Logos' house. At the least they can watch DVDs of old horror
films like "lair of the white worm" with their attainments on and see if anything leaps out at them.
...
Excalibur and Persephone have arrived and recieved at Limnal's house. Limnal is in his 60s - he was a Miner in
his youth and has kept the wiry build.
"Not often I get visitors. Are you here about Pythagoras' boy?" - Limnal
"Magog? What about him?" - Persephone
"I just assumed you were here about him. People have asked me about Magog a few times; what's it like to
have him in the cabal. That sort of thing. To be honest, I haven't noticed" - Limnal
"We've actually come to ask you, as expert on the underground matters, about the Lambton Worm" -
Persephone
"The story? You'd be best to ask Una if you want the folklore" - Limnal
"We think there's a creature living underground near Tynemouth Priory, and wondered if you'd noticed
anything" - Excalibur
"There are... Some stories. I've never seen it myself, but there were some reports from the day of things
moving beneath the surface of the rock" - Limnal
"Any reports of mine tunnels vanishing or appearing?" - Persephone
"Oh, all the time. The Gauntlet's quite thin underground; a lot of the time you track these things down and they
turn out to be Verges or dimensional disturbances. There's a mine in Cullercoats that was closed off long before
the pits were shut due to 'industrial accident'. If you take the wrong turning inside, you end up in an entirely
different mine twenty miles away" - Limnal
Persephone raises her eyebrows
"There's an awful lot of untapped Hallows down in the caves" - Limnal
"So the stories about things under the rock? Are they confined to a particular area?" - Persephone
"Miners have all sorts of stories. Knockers? Ghosts of men killed in accidents which sadly often turn out to be
true. Are you thinking it's trapped somewhere? Under the priory by force of faith?" - Limnal
"Well, Cobalt..." - Persephone
"good lad. He'll go far" - Limnal, interjecting
"...Has a theory that it's confined to the volcanic rock, but we don't know" - Persephone
"Do you know much about the geology of the area?" - Limnal
Sef politely says no. Excalibur has the look of a man that knows nothing about it and wishes he could stay that
way.
"You think it's confined to the Pen Bal Crag?" - Limnal
"Er..?" - Persephone
"The Priory rock. That's what it's called. If it's confined there then it's just in Tynemouth. If it can move into the
Sill then you have big problems. The Sill's massive" - Limnal
"How far?" - Persephone
"Most of Northumbria. There's a great big jagged lump of Dolomite - that's the sedimentary mass with the coal
in it - under all of the region. At the edges of the Sill, there are volcanic outcroppings where material has
pushed it's way up - the Cheviot hills way West of here are one edge, and the Priory rock, Holy Island, the
Faroes and so on are the other side" - Limnal
"Are they connected?" - Persephone

"Only insofar as if you burrow deep enough you get to the magma, but there are deeper strata in the way" -
Limnal
"So if it's confined to the volcanic rock?" - Persephone
"Then it's in Tynemouth. if it can get into the Sill it can go anywhere" - Limnal
"Can you give us anything else?" - Persephone
"Why do you think Volcanic rock?" - Limnal
"That's where we saw it" - Persephone
She describes what they encountered. Limnal says he'll go through his books and focus on the mines near
there. He checks they've heard about the Assembly, and idly notes that Magog thinks the Mysterium are trying
to blame the Libertines for their troubles, but says that he tries to stay out of politics.
...
Cobalt and company - prepared with Grim Sight and Death-based Shielding spells - tap a code out on a brick
wall and walk through an archway. They're suddenly hit by the smell of fish - it feels like walking onto a
Dickensian set of Newcastle-as-was. Exaggerated and dark.
On the quay, there's a mass of lobster cages made of bone, some of which have a faint glow coming from
inside. There's a tin shack with a creature looking like a sailor made out of pieces of lobster shell, driftwood, old
rope and foam sat on a stump outside. It's whittling a small statuette of a man, like an oscar but much less
friendly. It's eyes are the bulging eyes of a drowning man.
The King of the Sea stands, connected to the harbour by it's ropes, and points it's rusting knife at Cobalt
"Evening" - Cobalt
~REX WILLIAMS~ - King of the Sea
"Good guess" - Cobalt
~THE SIXTEENTH DAY OF THE EIGHTH MONTH. YEAR OF OUR LORD TWO THOUSAND AND SEVEN~ - King of the
Sea
That's the day Cobalt Awakened
"Alright. I'll ask it now - did you fuck with my suit?" - Cobalt
The King grimaces. Foam oozes out from the sides of it's mouth.
~NO~ - King of the Sea
"That's all right, then" - Cobalt
~I'VE A SPACE FOR YOU, MASTER WILLIAMS~ - King of the Sea
It points to an open cage, which has Rex's name scrimshawed onto it
~A PLACE THAT LIES EMPTY. FOR THE TIME BEING~ - King of the Sea
"We're here to ask about the other one that got away" - Cobalt
~MANY BELIEVE THEY HAVE ESCAPED ME, ONLY TO FIND THAT THEY HAVE NOT~ - King of the Sea
"Okay" - Cobalt
~WHICH DO YOU SEEK?~ - King of the Sea
"People call it the Lambton Worm. It came down the river" - Cobalt
~LONG TIME AGO. VERY LONG TIME AGO... WHEN I WAS... DIFFERENT~ - King of the Sea
It gets an odd look in it's eye
~APPROPRIATE IT CHOSE THAT PLACE~ - King of the Sea
"The Priory" - Cobalt

~I KNOW NOT WHAT WAS THERE. I CARE NOT WHAT WAS ON THE LAND. THAT'S WHERE THEY COME FROM~ -
King of the Sea
"Who?" - Cobalt
~THE THIEVES. STEALING MY PRIZES!~ - King of the Sea
"The lifeboats, yeah?" - Aquila
~EVER SINCE THAT DAY! THAT DAY! IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN MINE!~ - King of the Sea
The Fisherman's yard shakes, and the black water surges, wetting the mages' shoes.
"How did it get away?" - Cobalt, urgently
~THEY THREW IT A ROPE~ - King of the Sea
"Who?" - Cobalt
~DON'T KNOW. DON'T CARE. THIEVES~ - King of the Sea
"WHEN?" - Cobalt
~THIS IS IMPORTANT TO YOU~ - King of the Sea
"Yes" - Cobalt
Everyone else winces
~I'LL GIVE YOU THE DATE AND THE TIME, IN RETURN FOR AN ASSURANCE~ - King of the Sea, calm now
It jabs it's knife into the stump
~AND ALSO, I'LL GIVE YOU THE SECRET. BUT FIRST, THE DATE AND THE TIME. YOU CAN FIGURE OUT WHO THE
THIEVES ARE WITH THAT. ONLY A SMALL THING. JUST A LITTLE THING~ - King of the Sea
"What do you want?" - Aquila
~WHAT I ALWAYS WANT~ - King of the Sea, irritably, looking at Cobalt
"Say it" - Cobalt
~I'VE BEEN ALL ALONE HERE EVER SINCE MY OLD JACK DIED~ - King of the Sea
It points into it's shack, where there's a dog basket
~JUST A SMALL THING, BY YOUR STANDARDS. NOT EVEN ONE OF YOUR LITTLE ONES~ - King of the Sea
"Here?" - Cobalt, disgusted
~ANYWHERE. CALL MY NAME, THEN COME BACK FOR THE TIME. WE CAN DISCUSS FURTHER DEALS WHEN YOU
KNOW WHO THE THIEVES ARE. AND YOU, MASTER WILLIAMS~ - King of the Sea
"Yes?" - Cobalt
~YOU WILL DIE AT SEA~ - King of the Sea
"I feel so much safer on land. Be seeing you" - Cobalt
They leave the verge, feeling reality reassert itself
"I take it that's something we don't want to fuck with" - Cobalt
"Not really. I was there to fight it to a standstill long enough for you to run away" - Aquila
"I figured as much. So we have a prophecy of doom for me" (Aquila slaps him on the shoulder in manly fashion)
"I feel the urge to go jet-skiing. No - wait." - Cobalt
He pauses
"Do I take it we need to drown a puppy?" - Cobalt
"Looks that way" - Pandora

Looks like a job for evil Samael! Would you like him to kick some kittens as well?
"And that's just to get the date and time. But if the worm has to be drowned to kill it, we need his permission" -
Aquila
Symmetry looks a bit green
"I take it there's no 24 hour pet store?" - Cobalt
At Symm's expression, Aquila coughs
"Look, Symm. We won't do it. I'll go back tomorrow with some other Thyrsus and make it another offer, okay?
Don't worry about it" - Aquila
Cobalt is not entirely convinced Aquila is telling the truth there, but he's not going to argue.
Chris: You can't have a relationship based on lies! Just tell her you'll kill a puppy!
"And Cobalt - stay away from boats" - Aquila
1. Monster
We now broke for a brief congratulation to Dave2 by the others for finally having a big evil nemesis of his own.
That evening, while Samael, Pandora and Logos are at Logos' house watching bad Hugh Grant films and
discussing how the King of the Sea has a hate-on for Cobalt, Logos suggests that "free Cobalt from the King of
the Sea" go in the long-term plan file along with figuring out what Solemn wants. The film is *terrible*. Done in
the high-camp style, with snake-women running around and strange dream sequences involving jesus and air
hostesses.
At the Lighthouse Persephone is chatting to Excalibur, and Symmetry takes cobalt aside in conspiratorial
fashion.
"Is it time to do the intervention?" - Symmetry
Yes, another one
"It's the season for them. Which one?" - Cobalt
"The if he wants some he has to go to Durham one? The 'you've got a boyfriend, get over Samael' one?" -
Symmetry
"Let's finish this day of interventions with the most difficult" - Cobalt
"I'm feeling brave if you are" - Symmetry
"Sef. Could we have a word?" - Cobalt
"Cal?" - Persephone
"I've got to get going" - Excalibur
Traitor
All alone once Cal leaves, Persephone faces her interregators
"And don't run off to your brain city" - Symmetry
"You won't know if I do" - Persephone
"I've seen the shock and awe on your face from mental conversations" - Cobalt
She casts One mind, two thoughts
"Yeah, I have seen that one before. Please - how do we resolve your issues with Samael?" - Cobalt
"This again" - Persephone, with a sinking feeling
"yes. this again. You have to admit you've been a little ratty towards Pandora" - Cobalt
"I've not. I've been fair - we don't have room for both our guests" - Persephone
"We have space. We can make space" - Cobalt

"Where? The Hallow? The basement?" - Persephone
"I think Samael can think of where to stash..." - Cobalt
"You have one spare room. As far as I'm aware only Rodriguez is not sleeping with a member of your Cabal" -
Symmetry
Cobalt casts Aura Perception
Time to consult the chart!
He percieves that she's annoyed and defensive.
"If I have to be given a lecture about being nice to everyone, so do you" - Symmetry
"It's intervention day. Sef - it's hurting you" - Cobalt
"It's hurting you, Samael AND Aquila" - Symmetry
"It's really not fair to him if you're mooning over Samael" - Cobalt
"I'm NOT mooning over Samael. I just don't like her, okay? This has nothing to do with Samael" - Persephone
"This isn't the first time I've read your Aura" - Cobalt, gently
"RIGHT" - Persephone
Sef casts Alter Aura
"If you want to know then there you go. I don't like Pandora, okay? I HAVE gotten over Samael. Is it so difficult
to understand?" - Persephone
"Not a question of understanding. One of believeing" - Cobalt
Symm looks like she's wavering, though
"When I read you back in London, I saw lust" - Cobalt
"Maybe it was Aquila. Did you think about THAT?" - Persephone, defensive
"Not based on the way you're acting" - Cobalt
"I have 27 people in my head. How do you expect me to act?" - Persephone
"You didn't at the time" - Cobalt
"No - just a Daimon, worse than any of them" - Persephone
"You weren't talking to him at the time" - Cobalt
"Are you going to contradict me?" - Persephone
"So you were with Kosicej. As an explanation for why you were feeling lust" - Cobalt, deadpan
Er...
-If it's relationship advice you're after, Cousin, then the Micts are our oldest wedded couple. They make it work
after 150 years, despite both of them being dead. Or Titania and Oberon- - Chronos
-I think I can manage, Cousin. Thank you- - Persephone, closing the live feed from her mind to Mictlan
"I can't help you unless you want to be helped" - Cobalt
"It happens sometimes. People don't like each other. I don't like her. I don't think she likes me" - Persephone
"I think you're taking something out on her" - Cobalt
"Like what?" - Persephone
"The whole Duma issue" - Cobalt
"I have no Duma Issue" - Persephone, annoyed
"The way you just spat the word Duma out? Really believeable there. Think of us as your kindly big brother and
big brother's girlfriend" - Symmetry
"The only problem is Pandora" - Persephone
"Because if she weren't there Samael would be single?" - Cobalt
"NO" - Persephone
"Why do you have a problem with her?" - Cobalt
"LOOK AT HER! EVERYTHING ABOUT HER MAKES ME ANGRY! I HATE HER! She's a Mystagogue and she's Prettier
than me and a better Mage than me and aurghh" - Persephone
"*I'm* a better mage than you" - Symmetry
"I'm not" - Cobalt
"You're not a Mystagogue!" - Persephone
"So she's a hot Grecian/Mexican whatever..." - Symmetry
"Latina" - Cobalt
"Latina Eurotrashy..." - Symmetry
"Whatever. I'm not having her in my house" - Persephone
"Why is she a threat to you by being *arguably* prettier than you and a Mystagogue" - Cobalt
"She doesn't do anything for me" - Symmetry
"Personally, I like redheads" - Cobalt, winking at Symmetry
"Excalibur doesn't go for her that way either. Samael, maybe" - Symmetry
"This is not something I can explain" - Persephone
"Look. Jealousy is a Monster. We're just trying to tell you..." - Symmetry
"I don't think Pandora will be eaten by the worm just because I don't like her" - Persephone
"No, but you might" - Symmetry
"It's a monster in the head. What little I know of mind magic suggests that you have a problem with this" -
Cobalt
"Don't tell me about monsters in my head" - Persephone, quietly
"They're crazy, not monsters" - Cobalt
"You talked to him" - Persephone
"Everyone's Oneiros is fucked up" - Symmetry
"I had the whacky races!" - Cobalt, by way of support
Symmetry stops mid-sentances
"You had the what?" - Symmetry
"If we don't confront our problems, they don't go away" - Cobalt, changing subject back again
"Well, there's a hot Latin Libertine in town" - Symmetry
"Girls do see something in Rodriguez" - Cobalt
"I don't see what" - Symmetry
"He's a dashing man of action and he's very romantic" - Cobalt
Symmetry and Persephone look very dubious
"We're not suggesting you get together with Rodriguez" - Cobalt

"You're upset that Pandora's more powerful than you? What are you going to do when Samael meets the
Archmage?" - Symmetry
that line preceded by five minutes of figuring out if Samael told Cobalt who told Symmetry about Samael's vision in
London
"That might be some time" - Cobalt
"You're worrying too much" - Persephone
"Yes" - Cobalt
"Yes, we are" - Symmetry
"And you're... you're... Riling Aquila up in vain" - Persephone
"We're not telling Aquila about this" - Cobalt
"Someone must have" - Persephone
"It's not always as well hidden as you think" - Cobalt
"He may have noticed" (waving off her protests) "He's making the same conclusions we are" - Symmetry
"The same mistaken ones" - Persephone
"You're going to have to talk to him about it, or you might lose him" - Cobalt
"He hasn't said anything" - Persephone
"Put him before hating her" (brightly) "look at it this way. He's a member of the largest Cabal of available men.
Break up with him..." - Symmetry
"...And I may as well kill myself" - Persephone, sarcastically
"Don't even joke about it" - Cobalt
"So what about this Hadrian guy?" - Symmetry
"Oh, don't start. He's mindless" - Persephone
"And his soul's not in such a good state. When we put him back together we'll have to see what his motives
were. I'm not sure Solemn would have had him killed if he was going along with what Solemn wanted" - Cobalt
"The answers are in him somewhere. And somewhere in Solemn" - Persephone
"And somewhere in Kosciej" - Cobalt
"I know it's a Libertine thing to think that we're all equal. We are. You can't get hung up on the fact that
someone who's been awakened longer is more powerful" - Symmetry
"It's one of many things. How many times do I have to say it?" - Persephone
"Until we believe it. I'm not going to say this isn't a block. We can read clues in the way your voice is. You're
good, but not perfect" - Cobalt
"Like everyone else you're reading it wrong" - Persephone
"I'm concerned is all" - Cobalt
"Fine. I'll talk to Aquila. Happy?" - Persephone
"Please" - Cobalt
Long pause.
"And if the years go by, everyone moves on and you find you still can't stand her I'll push her down a flight of
stairs for you" - Symmetry
1. Monster
"Did you hear? I'm going to die at sea! Do you know what that means? I get to stick two fingers up at Arc next
time I see him" - Cobalt
"Actually, it's good that you said that. I want to do a little experiment" - Persephone
She fetches her Tarot deck and begins casting Divination. She's looking for how Cobalt will die.
Oh, you should never ask a GM like me a question like that...
The answer she gets is a vision of Cobalt lying inside a Duel Arcane ring in the Consilium hall beneath Durham
Castle, electricity playing over him. Standing in the ring is Arc.
When is this going to happen?
Everyone seems to be there - it's at a Consilium.
What will the reason for the Duel be?
There's a splash of blood on the Cabal's sigil, between Cobalt's sigil and the "Doorwarden" sign
Why won't Cobalt yield?
The Lighthouse, abandoned.
Sef goes pale
"I'm not going to rent a jetski. There will be no jumping of sharks... You look like you never want to do
precognition again" - Cobalt
Never ever ask how your friends are going to die. You'll never like the result
"What did you see?" - Cobalt
"The ending of the Auric Horizon" - Persephone
"... ... ...Okay" - Cobalt
"I saw you duelling Arc. He lightning bolted you and you died. It was at a Consilium - I was there" (thinks) "But
Samael wasn't" - Persephone
"Was anyone else not there? Bede? Magog?" - Cobalt
"They were both there. Cal was right by the circle, looking really angry. Logos... Lux.. Symmetry... Babel...
Cicero" - Persephone
She shudders
"If it was at Consilium, Arc could march in and declare Nemesis" - Cobalt
"Pandora *wasn't* there" - Persephone
Between the looks on future-Rod and future-Cal's faces, Arc wouldn't have lasted very long after killing Cobalt
"He might have gotten Pandora and Samael already, and you were then out for blood. Or they were away" -
Persephone
"Samael would probably be the one challenged" - Cobalt
"I tried to see why you wouldn't yield and only saw the abandoned Lighthouse..." - Persephone
She calls Samael, gripped by sudden decision.
"Hello?" - Samael
"Hey Sam. You're with Pandora and Logos?" - Persephone
"Yeah" - Samael, cautious
"Umm" - Persephone
"We think Arc might attack" - Persephone
She says that she made a Divination

"I think it's best if you and Pandora stay at the lighthouse" - Persephone
She hangs up.
Cobalt thinks that deserves a hug.
...
Pandora and Samael drive to the Lighthouse, picking Rodriguez up along the way. He's been staying in Whitley
Bay, the Hen-Night capital of Newcastle. He is a stranger in a strange land.
"My friends! To what do we owe this?" - Rodriguezm entering the Auric Lighthouse
"Party!" - Persephone
She makes a bed up for him
"Mrs Jenson has been an Angel, but this will serve just as well" - Rodriguez
...
Persephone describes her vision
"I recommend avoiding paralysis in the face of a potential future" - Samael
"My friends! What do we speak of?" - Rodriguez
"Arc" - Cobalt
"Apparantly, the future is telling us that the psycho from London is going to make another appearance" -
Samael
"The nefarious Arc?" - Rodriguez
"The very same" - Samael
"She saw an image of him killing me in a duel" - Cobalt
Rodriguez turns serious, and ponders.
"Do not worry. What you see in the future is always changing. Let me see if I can take a look" - Rodriguez
Dave2: Get a bigger Acanthus to use Time 4. I like!
Rodriguez closes his eyes and casts Prophecy. His face turns VERY serious.
"So? WHat do you see?" - Persephone
"It can be averted. I will have to cast the spells again tomorrow. It can only be done once a day and I have
further questions, but it can be averted" - Rodriguez
"Do you know when it's meant to happen?" - Samael
"I get the feeling of soon" - Rodriguez
"It was really clear" - Persephone, worried
"Do not worry, my friends. We have faced many dangers together. Let me be of use to you. I will avert this
disaster" - Rodriguez
"Thanks, man" - Cobalt
"I will continue to cast Prophecies to get the full shape of the matter, but I believe I have a strategy. If I
suddenly tell you to do something, it would be best to comply as soon as possible. I may have foreseen
ourselves at the junction point, or I may have travelled back in time and be trying to avert immediate disaster. I
will steer us safely through these seas" - Rodriguez
Persephone casts Divination on Samael, while Rod casts prophecy
How is Samael going to die?
Of old age, content
When will Arc attack?

Invalid
Bearing in mind she's asking that just after Rod set his plans in motion
"You're safe" - Persephone
"Thank god for that" - Samael
He heads upstairs with Pandora
Cobalt considers.
He casts Augury on Rodriguez
Will Rod die to save us?
Cobalt sees Rodriguez, dead in the ring where Cobalt himself was meant to be. But Arc is badly wounded,
wavering on his feet, and as the circle drops Excalibur and Cobalt are closing in...
Cobalt looks at Rod. Rod winks at Cobalt.
They all go upstairs and get a drink. Aquila turns up, the party wears on, and everyone goes to bed.
Cobalt, telling Symm he's going to the bathroom, heads into Rod's room, where Rodriguez calmly explains his
plan. He's going to kidnap Samael and get him out of harms' way, then wear Arc down enough for Cobalt to
finish him off.
Cobalt promises not to tell.
And I'm only putting it on the thread because Chris and Ag heard what happened (this was done by note-passing) in
intervening weeks.
...
That night, Samael dreams he's walking into a cave in the Priory Rock. He can hear something moving, deep
down. He gets a brief glimpse of white flesh and a wide, fanged maw like an Anglerfish.
And then he wakes up.
And that is all for this session. We're doing the recaps collaborativly for the next one, with Ag already having done the
dialogue leaving only descriptions and blue text for me to stick in. Let's hope it takes less time to do than this one.
1.Deleted Scenes
Aquila and Persephone
The following scene takes place between 5.2 and 5.3. I put it in here because it foreshadows something
coming up later in the chronicle (Specifically, Solarius' reward for the Paris Convocation fanfiction -
we're going to name Sef's new familiar after him) and because without it Sef's reaction to what happens
later this story lacks buildup, as we haven't seen her and Aquila as a functioning couple like we have
Cobalt and Symmetry or even Samael and Pandora.
Yeah. Aquila is one of the A's. But which one?
That night after the party, in Sef's bedroom, Persephone turns to Aquila.
and Agena'd like to point out that Aquila is perhaps the only person who Sef has invited to her room
"Cobalt told me you might think I kicked Pandora out of the Lighthouse because of Samael. This
is not true" - Persephone, studying his face.
"If you say it isn't true I believe you. Look, Sef - you obviously still have things you're working
through about Samael and whoever that guy down South is. I'm not expecting you to stay around
forever, but I'll be here as long as you do need me, okay? I've got no illusions about us" - Aquila
Sef looks away momentarily trying to hide the shame that she's not able to deny his words.
"Uch, don't remind me about him" - Persephone
She looks back at Aquila, emotions cunningly hidden under the memory of Hadrian.
"As soon as I find out what's his exact involvement in this whole plot to kill me, I'm done with
him." - Persephone
She waves a hand dismissively, then sighs, waving her hand somewhere towards the door.
"They don't seem to understand that I might just not like someone." (lies on her back and looks
at the ceiling) "Pandora's like... I look at her and feel that she's better than me in ways
unreachable for
me. And she, instead of staying in London and be out of my sight, comes back here with us" -
Persephone
The last sentence was spoken with a considerable note of accusation, as if Pandora was doing it
on purpose. Sef looks back at Aquila.
"D'you undersatnd now why I didn't want her in my home?" - Persephone
"I understand. But she's not better than you. You will meet many mages in your life - some will be
more powerful than you, more attractive to your cabalmates than you. Doesn't make them
'better', just flawed in different ways" - Aquila
Sef grimaces "I know but..." (sighs) "It doesn't *feel* that way to me. It feels like I'm standing in
her shadow. What can I do to get out of it?" - Persephone
"Stop trying to compete with her on her terms - she'll beat you by simple fact that she has a few
year's head start to grow Wiser than you. I mean Wise in the mage sense, by the way. Find
something *you're* good at" - Aquila, firmly convinced he's right
Sef looks Aquila in the eyes, smiles and nods. "So what do *you* think I'm good at?" - Persephone
"I don't know. You won't either, till you find it" - Aquila
"Meh, not helping" - Persephone
She jokingly pokes Aquila, then goes to her desk to grab a drink. While she's there, she picks up
the spirit charm Aquila gave her and ponders it for a moment, then turns back to the
Thyrsus.
"By the way, thanks for the charm. Really helped when those spirits attacked in London." she
pauses for a moment. "And thanks for defending the Lighthouse. We owe you one" - Persephone
"You don't owe me anything. When you're ready, though, we can talk about replacing your
Familiar" - Aquila
And that's it. 5.3 is well underway, though i'm long since past providing estimates of when recaps might
be finished...
1. Monster
Session 5.3
Welcome, faithful readers! This session builds momentum. up and up and up, from tentative investigations to full-on
thinking with portals and punching out the bad guys. All of our cast get to make declarative speeches, and a previously
maligned storyteller character makes good in impressive fashion. Let"s get right to it.
Following the night after the party, the Cabal and their guests wake with a newfound determination. With Arc
potentially on the loose, they no longer have the luxury of time to deal with the Consilium"s problems -
whatever shenanigans are going on must be sorted *now*. Aquila has gone to see if his tribute to the King of
the Sea was successful. Rodriguez is furthering his cunning plan to save Samael.
Pandora is heading into Durham. She's got the most pull left with the Mysterium, so the idea is that she"ll be
best placed to find out what Bede is up to - and if Arc is in town.
Samael has gotten together with Logos, and they"ve decided to do what they can about the thefts before the
Caucus and Consilium. They"re going to head to the Athaeneum to see if their Attainments can pick anything
up.
Phoning the Legion has ascertained that Excalibur is poking about the Lorehouse (as at least *that* is in his
jurisdiction). Persephone invites herself along, but Cobalt turns down the trip. He has business at Cal's
Sanctum.
"It's actually Cicero I need to speak to" - Cobalt
...
Accordingly, Cobalt heads south to Wallsend, where he's greeted at the door by the man himself.
"Oh, hello, step into my office" - Cicero

The guys always have this fear of talking to Cicero. I don't know why - he's been unfailingly nice to them. Yes, he did
kill that one guy in front of them...
Chris: It's more the way that, as a Bearer of the Eternal Voice, we will always *think* Cicero is on our side.
"How are you? How"s business?" - Cobalt, sitting down
"We are observing growing problems between your order and the Mysterium with certain amount of alarm" -
Cicero
"Yeah, so am I. I'm worried about who's playing us frankly... I really don't believe it was us doing them. I really
don't believe - unless someone was doing it deliberately - I'm not sure I can believe that they are stupid enough
to retaliate. Which means if they did, they skipped several orders in the middle, and someone is doing this
deliberately" - Cobalt
Samael has told Cobalt by now that the Mysterium specifically ordered there wouldn't be a revenge theft
"I'm concerned about myself because somebody is playing this and somebody on one side or the other is
probably not in on it or at least stupid enough to go along with it" - Cobalt
"My concern at the moment, not having the jurisdiction problems that Cal has... I don't have the legal authority
but I do have the pull necessary to try to find Cat and Douse, who are after all the people who can truly tell us
what's going on in the Mysterium" - Cicero
"Very true" - Cobalt
"So I've been trying to find those and we've been scrying for them" (waves hand in a gesture) "Scrying back in
time trying to trace their movements... We haven't had any luck so far, but it's a very imprecise business" -
Cicero
"Understood. Well... thank you. I'm certain it wasn't the Horizon, pretty damn certain it wasn't Grey Street,
chances of the Black Seam pulling this off..." - Cobalt
"...Are minimal" - Cicero, finishing the thought
"Chances of the Smoke Eaters pulling this off AND not bragging about it are trivially small. that's my concern" -
Cobalt
"By Black Seam... are you including Magog?" - Cicero
"No... he was going to be my caveat, but I don't want to damn the man just for being new. I can damn him for
being a smug tit but that isn't the proof of guilt in most cases" - Cobalt
Cicero grins.
"Who do you think is playing them?" - Cicero
Cobalt sighs long and hard, but in the end decides to tell all
"I can prove Bede has lied to people. I know... we brought him the body of Quiet. He outright stated that he
could not use his powers to read anything from him" - Cobalt
"I see... and this proves that..?" - Cicero
"As I understand how the Stone Scribes work, it was a direct lie" - Cobalt
"Yes but what does this to do with the thefts?" - Cicero
"As little as Magog being new." (unhappy) "My trouble is that Cat is a Grey Street Runner; where the Lorehouse
was kept. And she and Dowse are the lowest rung on the Mysterium ladder which means someone could have
ordered them to do it. I get the impression that if the Mysterium have played into their hand it's Bede who's
played it wrong. If there's someone involved it's probably not Lux, if you get what I'm saying" - Cobalt
"I get what you"re saying" - Cicero, reserved
"So.. plenty of suspicion, no evidence" - Cobalt
"You believe that Bede has been less than honest with you about another matter and therefore may be lying
about this matter as well?" - Cicero, summing up
"I know that he has some kind of other motivation or he wouldn"t have lied to us about the other matter" -
cobalt
"Indeed the Mystagogues pride themselves about never lying..." - Cicero, thinking
"Precisely. That makes them damn weasels when they actually say something... If they are any good at it,
which some aren't. that's why I'm certain that certain strata couldn"t have put this into place" - Cobalt
Which is actually a little dig at Samael. Cobalt only doesn't think Samael did it because Sam"s crap at lying and Cobalt
figures he wouldn't have been able to hide it.
"The other reason I came along is... How much have you heard about the monster in the cliff?" - Cobalt
"I've heard something, Excalibur has mentioned it. It seems you"ve had some kind of cryptid sighting?" - Cicero
Cobalt nods
"It has reached us in between Choke asking Excalibur if it's true and Excalibur saying what you told him" -
Cicero
"It was one of the things we're planning to bring up at Consilium, if we could get consiliated enough to talk
about it" - Cobalt
Cicero sighs heavily in understanding.
"Basically when we investigated we got confirmation that there was Narc involvement. A Seer" - Cobalt
"A Seer of the Throne?" - Cicero, turning all businesslike.
"... Had probed the same thing we had gone to and we know that the caretaker of it was listening in and it set
of the significance meter" - Cobalt
"Do you know if that caretaker was a servant or being piloted?" - Cicero
"No mana in the pattern. Beyond that... well I wasn't told what to look for" - Cobalt
"Fair enough. I trust that error has been rectified?" - Cicero
"We... left him in place. Try not to notice we've been noticed before we get advice on the subject" - Cobalt
Not what Cicero asked - he meant "has someone now told you what to look for?"
"That gives me reason to think that I"ve been spotted at the university. Because the only way they could know
about it is at the university, because it's where the core samples came from and my ego says I was asked
because I'm an expert but..." - Cobalt
"But you have suspicions" - Cicero, sympathetically
"I'm an expert in metallurgy" - Cobalt
"Do you wish us to do a background check on your academic colleagues?" - Cicero
"I'm not sure how one does that. I'm just saying that's a possible second sighting of their involvement" - Cobalt
"With your permission, because it involves your real life, we would have to poke around in your real life to find
out if any of them have been controlled" - Cicero
"... Yes. you have my permission to do that. I don't want them to get hurt obviously" - Cobalt
"Oh obviously. And even we would attempt to reform the direct unawakened servants, but if they are actual
Seers or one of their more supernatural minions then we may have to take action. Rest assured we won"t be
having any spell duals through the corridors of academia" - Cicero
"But if you do - invite me, please" (jokingly) "I'll do what I can to help but I thought I'll give you the headsup on
that one" - Cobalt
"We"ll do our best" - Cicero
"there's one other thing that might come up at the Consilium. there's a left-handed Mage of the name of
Archon around. Time scrying says he's going to call us out, use the Consilium to do it and kill me in a dual" -
Cobalt
"You have proof that he's left-handed? Or is it more suspicion?" - Cicero, matter of fact
"Not exactly suspicion. He's a member of a Legacy called the Echo Walkers. The Cabal of the Six Wings they
were called, found a daemononicon and learned the Legacy therin under compulsion. It involves the inversion
of somebody's soul to gain supernal insights; What we found in Dominic. He was done by one of them" - Cobalt
"Like that woman we saw" - Cicero

"Yes, like Vahishta. He's one of her contemporaries, as was Duma, and he blames us for death of Duma and
their old mentor as well. I suggest he's going to cause trouble at the Consilium. it's not been declared Left-
handed because it's not been worth calling a Convocation over. There aren't enough of them and by the sounds
of it it knocked out in the American midwest and died out with it. Before some of them were making waves as
serial killers, some of them are lying low..." - Cobalt
"Very well them. Thank you, I will consult my colleagues. Are you sure he's going to appear at the Consilium?" -
Cicero
"No, but it's one outcome we have seen. Depends if he changes his mind in the last minute" - Cobalt
"I understand. We"ll corroborate it under our own power" - Cicero
"Rodriguez says he has a plan... you"ve met Rodriguez?" - Cobalt
"I have had that pleasure" - Cicero
"He says he's got a plan but I'm not sure I appreciate it. And I don't want to spring too much at the Consilium all
at once. Getting into a habit of bringing that guy as a problem to people"s... well, let"s just say Civitas wasn't
keen on us when we were duking out in the St Paul's Cathedral" - Cobalt
Cicero looks disapproving.
"We sounded fire alarms before anything started" - Co explaining. Cicero looks less disapproving but still kind
of.
"There was a magical assault, he left a trail of breadcrumbs to an ambush which also happened to be
astonishingly in public. We emptied the place, attempted to talk, he jumped us, we would call it a no score
draw but... he's three times adept so he left because he wanted to" - Cobalt
"Thank you, Cobalt. I will consult my colleagues and see if we can offer some kind of response. You did the right
thing coming to us, especially about the Seer" - Cicero
"Yes. I get the impression some of my collegues wanted to present a fait accompli, get as much information as
possible before involving others but... Ah, another one that probably cuts in into your business is the missing
people associated with Cryptid. it's currently holding in stasis possibly hundreds of people back over time. The
best one we have is a woman" (he describes the woman from the cave) "14 years ago, missing on the coast.
Boyfriend's name was Thomas" - Cobalt
"If a missing persons report was filed then we should be able to find something" - Cicero
"Not sure if it's an opportunist or if it's roping things in but that one we can go through on the Consilium" -
Cobalt
"Cobalt, if that's all, if I'm to get any headway on any of these issues before the Consilium I need to get started
now" - Cicero, gently
"Apologies, I'll make myself scarce" - Cobalt
"Unless there's anything else going wrong" - Cicero, smiling
Cobalt sighs
Lots of sighing in this scene. It is the emote of the day
"I think we might even have patched up some of the problems, between the Free Council and Mysterium no
less. The mutual bewilderment might help to heal at least some of wounds. So I'll do what I can on that front to
keep my people being good" - Cobalt
"It is appreciated. As I have previously noted, I always admired the amount of restraint you're able to call from
your fellow Libertines" - Cicero
He lets Cobalt out of his office into the main room of the Legion"s Sanctum, just as Aquila is arriving home.
"Oh, hey Rex" - Aquila
"Heya. What did you get from his fishiness?" - Cobalt
"His barnacle encrusted potency says that he was very pleased with the tribute. he's given us a name for your
holed woman: Danielle Mason" - Aquila
Cicero nods at the name, mentally noting it for the searches

"He also says that this is the last one that got away from him. But he also says that the beast failed to get
somebody else..." - Aquila
"Two years ago?" - Cobalt, guessing.
Which is the dating of the cave that didn"t appear to contain anyone.
"Yeah, apparently sometimes it doesn't actually catch them so you"re looking for a young man named George,
George Hawkin. He is apparently the one that got away two years ago. The beast opened the cave for him but
he didn't come in so I don't know whether he would've seen anything or heard anything, what he"ll be able to
describe, but he apparently got away from it so..." - Aquila
"It's more information that will help. If worst comes to worst we can always scry back then and see what we
get. I'll see what I can find on this Hawkin guy" - Cobalt
"Well, we"ll look into that as well!" - Cicero
---
Meanwhile, Excalibur and Persephone are at the Grey Street Runners" house. Cal seems determined to do a
thorough job on the one site he's actually allowed to investigate thanks to his jurisdictional issues.
Babel is sat, holding an icepack to his head
Which, come to think of it, DOES seem odd given that the break in was the day before at least
"Babel, do you know what time when the things went missing?" - Sef
"About... 8?" - Babel, wincing
"8? Nothing more precise than that?" - Sef, a bit disappointed
"What, that's about the time, it happened about 8. I was in here and I got whacked on the back on the head
and I didn't see anybody" - Babel, exasperated
Cal shrugs to Sef.
The Lorehouse was a secured "room" - actually more of a walk-in closet - with a hefty security door. That
appears to have been cut cleanly open by means of magic.
Persephone concentrates and casts Postcognition on the door, hoping to see how it was done. But the vision
doesn't resolve - all she sees is the haze of a Shield of Chronos.
"Huh... Lux does have an alibi, doesn't he?" - Excalibur
"Yeah, he was with us." - Sef, curious
"Well, it's just that according to my spells Lux cast the Matter spell to remove this door"- Excalibur
She reacts to that
"Does Lux even know the Matter arcanum?" - Sef
"Not to my knowledge, no" - Excalibur, flatly
It's actually quite a good fake resonance, potency-wise. It's just that Lux has an alibi so they don't believe it.
She casts an improvised unveiling spell of Mind and Time and then attempts to discern the resonance of the
Shield of Chronos. Lux did it. Apparently.
She tries to send a Mind spell back through a Postcognition of the storeroom. And finds that the casting was
Lux, motivated by deep jealousy.
The Shield is covering the hour surrounding the theft.
"I'm going to try to see if anyone tried to walk up to the house. Is there any sign which entrance they used?" -
Persephone
"No" - Babel
"So they might have just opened a portal?" - Persephone
"What we have here is a locked room mystery. Which is a lot less impressive than it sounds when one-fifth of
Mages can teleport" - Excalibur
"you think they opened the door from the inside?" - Persephone
"The room was warded. They gained entry to the house somehow, overpowered Babel and then bust the door
down" - Excalibur
"Who else lives here?" - Persephone
"Quark" - Babel
"He's the one who warded it. It could have been Quark, but I very much doubt it" - Excalibur
"Do you think one of the younger Mystagogues could have done it?" - Persephone
"Potentially" (to Babel) "Thank you, Babel. If we find your missing items we'll return them" - Excalibur
Sef has a brainwave and asks Babel if the lorehouse contained the Journal of Voorhas the Damned - one of the
books missing from the Mystagogues. He says no.
They leave
Voorhas is named after the bad guy of Mage: The Ascension's metaplot, who was responsible for ending the old World
of Darkness.
"This is stupid, Cal! Everyone could have used magic! How are we going to do this!?" - Persephone
"It's obvious" - Excalibur
"Mages did it?" - Persephone, sarcastically
"Whoever did it was a bit too thorough covering his tracks. I think Bede did it" - Excalibur
"BEDE?" - Persephone
"Either Bede or Quark. I suspect Bede more" - Excalibur
"Does Bede know the Time Arcanum?" - Persephone
"He's a Master" - Excalibur
"He is?" - Persephone
"And he's a Moros, so he could have cast the shield from Twilight" - Excalibur, quite calm
Sef stops, blinks, then hurries to catch him up
"Unfortunately, Symmetry keeps the house warded from invasion by Spirits" - Excalibur
"Can you see what it's warded against?" - Persephone
"Scrying, remote sensing, teleportation and such. With a spirit fence to keep the boojums out" - Excalibur
"Could Cobalt go into Twilight and then Postcog to see them?" - Persephone
"If, again, he could get through the shield. I'm certain it was Bede... I just can't prove it" - Excalibur
"Quark?" - Persephone
"It might be Quark and Bede working together, but why they'd want their orders fighting I don't know" -
Excalibur
"... ...What if some... number of people with Time gathered here and tried to scry? Could we breach the shield?"
- Persephone
"With enough people, it's possible" - Excalibur
1. Monster
Samael and Logos are in the Aetheneum, conducting their own investigation.
"...I presume the Aetheneum was properly warded against ghosts, spirits, Twilight, portals..." - Samael
His look to Logos says 'I presume but my assumptions about our competence tend to be wrong'
"Ghosts and Time Senses were done by Bede. Key put Prime wards in to prevent outside spells entering" -
Logos
"So at base, we should have wards in place for any kind of entry that a mage would attempt?"- Samael
"Yes" - Logos
"Were any of the wards broken?" - Samael
"No" - Logos
"So whoever did it had a means of getting past them or was let in by them" - Samael, well into 'thinking aloud'
mode
"Yes" - Logos
"Have you tried postcognition around the locations from where the items were stolen?"- Samael
"Yes, I have, but as I said, the Aetheneum is blocked against postcognition, it's time warded" - Logos
"But surely whoever made this ward should be able to allow you... so there's no way circumvent that?"-
Samael, with sinking feeling
"When the aetheneum was built, Bede permanently time warded it" - Logos
"Okay.. um" - Samael
"We could get Scribe to ask the ghosts" - Logos
"Ghosts? How many ghosts do we have?"- Samael
"I"ve never been quite sure, eight I think?" - Logos
He takes the fact that they have watch-ghosts in his stride
"Where is Scribe?"- Samael
"She's getting ready for the Caucus. I'll call her. She won"t be far away" - Logos
"I"d rather have Pandora talking to the ghosts unless there's some reason why Scribe would be a better
choice"- Samael
"Scribe's attainment lets her do it without magic, but if you think Pandora casting would be better then...
where's Dora?" - Log
"In the town. I'll text her" - Samael
He does so.
"What else have you tried that has or hasn't got us any information?"- Samael
"I tried to look for any connections to the anyone unauthorised, but the only ones are to all of us; that implies
that it's either someone who knows how to shield their actions from Fate or that it's one of us" - Logos
"Anything else?"- Samael
"I can tell that the Cursed Horde are related to these things over here..." - Logos, pointing at something
"What does the cursed horde actually do?" - Samael
"It's just desperately unlucky" - Logos
Horde as in "collection of coins". It's one of the things that were stolen
They scrutinise the areas where the items were. Samael percieves a faint resonance to the books that Cobra
took
"It might be that we're going to see someone plant it, which would be the next logical step in fermenting
trouble" - Samael
They turn to considering the basic nonmagical evidence - there wasn't a break-in in the sense of a forced entry.
"Anything else?" - Samael
"The coins are... I think they're with the book Cobra took, but the other things have a thinner connection. I think
they've been split up" - Logos
"So what we lack here is any evidence that the Free Council did it, not just that we can't find the evidence but
it's rather there is evidence that the FC probably didn"t do it"- Samael
"Well there's no evidence either way of who did it and we do have the faint connection to Cobra" - Logos
"But on the other hand we also have a pile of connections to the Mysterium. Those are the connections that we
have. So whether or not it was a Mysterium member, right now the evidence points at the Mysterium"- Samael
She considers
"It does point that way..." - Logos, agreeing
They settle in to wait for Pandora
---
At that point, Cobalt gets a panicked phone call from Cobra, who has just been arrested by Loki for stealing
from the Aetheneum.
"What the!?" - Cobalt
Cobra swears he didn't do it. Loki waved some kind of book at him, which Cobra says he'd never seen before.
Loki also found the books Cobra took back in February.
"Okay, stay with me, man. You"ve been fitted... well kind of. We can work out that, the thing that's missing is...
the one he was waving at you, you swear you've never seen before?" - Cobalt
Cobra IS guilty of stealing from the aetheneum, just not the theft the Mystagogues are in arms about right now
"Never, never mate!" - Cobra
"Right, how often do you look at the trove? I mean when could it have gone in there?" - Cobalt
"I don't know, I Haven't been in there for over a week!" - Cobra
"Wards. What you have on the place?" - Cobalt, brisk
"Um.. loads of spirit wards, death ward, we"ve got the place teleport blocked by Breaker.." - Cobra
"Gotcha. Any way someone could have gotten in and planted it? Is it behind a locked door even?" - Cobalt
"Yeah, it's behind a locked door. I didn't leave it under my bed" - Cobra
Cobalt winces
"Okay, scrying?" - Cobalt
"Scrying? Well, Breaker is a Mastigos, she says that she has the place scrying warded and it didn"t go down
but..." - Cobra
The Smoke Eaters feature a Moros, a Thyrsus, an Obrimos and a Mastigos. They're pretty well Warded. Where
they fall down is the Time barriers.
"Okay, I'll get someone there ASAP, we"ll take a look at your past, see what"s gone on in there. I have your
word. Tell me where the room is" - Cobalt
Cobra describes the area - basically the Smoke Eater's understairs closet
They're such cool guys, the Smoke Eaters
"Right, I'll get down there, I'll get on damage control. Play it low" - Cobalt
"Remember to tell Choke you"re coming in? 'Cos otherwise the watchdog will get you" - Cobra
The Smoke Eater's 'watchdog' is a pollution elemental
"Not keen on that. Look man, play it cool. The stuff you got, Cal took the rap for saying you could keep, they've
already rapped knuckles on that one. The extra stuff... that's a plant" - Cobalt
"I swear it's not me" - Cobra, desperate
"I know it's not you man. You couldn't keep your trap shut about it if it was. Damn that would be a score to get
in there. Look man, I'll do what I can, I'll get on it and nothing is gonna happen before the Consilium. Keep cool,
keep on top of it, keep the guys informed. Good luck" - Cobalt
He hangs up
"WHAT THE FUCK?!" - Cobalt, to himself
He calls Excalibur
"Hello!"- Excalibur
"Hi... developments" - Cobalt
"Developments?" - Excalibur, wary
"Is Sef there with you?" - Cobalt
"Yes, she and the on board crew are all here" - Excalibur
Cal holds the phone so Sef can hear too
This is not the first time Cal will comment on the Parliament of the Needle. He seems to have taken it well
"Bad news, Loki made an arrest. Someone planted one of the extra missing items in Cobra's treasure hoard" -
Cobalt
"Right, to be expected. So... what?" - Excalibur
"So basically he's arrested Cobra for it, taken everything back as evidence. BUT their place was warded to crap:
death, space, spirit, no time. That means if I can get Sef down there... I know you can't officially... we can scry
back but none of them are Acanthus means they can't.." - Cobalt
"Time used to be a friend of mine"- Excalibur, thinking
"Stop cracking jokes, you"re worse than Kosciej" - Sef
"I'll take that as a compliment actually"- Excalibur, to Sef.
"Are you okay?" - Cobalt
"Better than Sef, cos we're stuck up here right now but I'll phone Rodriguez and see if he can do it, 'cos he... no
offence Sef but Rodriguez is a more powerful Acanthus than you"- Excalibur
"Haven't checked with Sam yet" - Cobalt
"Speaking of which, we've found that the Grey Street Runner house has been time bombed. Somebody has
done a wonderful job of shredding the time line around the area of the theft"- Excalibur
"If we find that at Cobra"s place that would be as useful as finding it, because none of them are up to knocking
up a time ward" - Cobalt
"there's only one master of the Arcanum in the Consilium. Which means that whoever is trying to frame Cobra
is probably doing an excellent job of framing Bede at the same time"- Excalibur. Sef makes gestures to Cal to
give her the phone.
"Listen, I have an idea" - Sef to Cobalt
"Gather people who know how to cast postcognition and just try to bomb it in hope that we can break through
the potency of the spell. Are you in?" - Sef
"I'll throw in, yeah. I want to get a read to see if we have another shield down there but afterwards I'll bring Rod
up and we can wedge ourselves" - Cobalt
"Okay, I'll be waiting for you" - Sef, giving back the phone.
Back in
Cobalt punches Rodriguez' number into his phone, pacing while it rings
"Si?" - Rodriguez
"Rodman, you busy?" - Cobalt
"With our mutual problem" - Rodriguez

"No, new problem. I'm looking for someone better than me at looking back at break ins" - Cobalt
"Oookay" - Rodriguez
"Short story, I'll supply you with an address, stay outside or the guard dog will get you. I'll meet you there and
fill you in. But someone's planting evidence and the place isn't time warded so we should be able to watch
them do it" - Cobalt
"Okay, very well" - Rodriguez
---
Over at the Aetheneum, Pandora has arrived. She nods to Logos, hugs Samael and then looks serious
"Hi" - Pandora
"How's things in Durham?" - Samael
She takes a while to answer, thinking of how to put it
"...He's here" - Pandora
"Arc? Making his presence known or just is in the area?"- Samael, wary
She shakes her head
"He turned up and formally announced himself to Aurora and Bede" - Pandora
"And he hasn"t announced that he's wanted by the Consilium of London, I presume" - Samael
"No" - Pandora
"Did you tell them?"- Samael
"Yes. Well... I told Scribe to tell Bede. And I told one of Aurora's cabal to tell her, but they were still meeting with
him when I came back so I'm afraid he has gotten his story in first" - Pandora
Samael kicks a skirting board, and forces himself to focus on the problem at hand
"Reason we called you; what we need is a Moros with enough power we can trust to have a chat with the
ghosts here and maybe get some straight answers about who took the items. Things are not looking good for
any of us at the moment - It doesn't look like the Free Council did it as well. Or at least not the usual suspects.
Ghosts might be a lead, I don't know if they provide any useful information" - Samael
She nods, and starts the High Speech incantation of the spell needed to give Logos and Samael Touch of the
Grave before casting it on herself.
Samael and Logos' eyes turn white, as Pandora's nimbus (the sense that everything is somehow hollow and
empty inside, including themselves - thin veneers over infinite internal gulfs of entropy) washes over them.
They see a man - a librarian - oozing blood from a cut throat.
The Ghost describes the person who commanded it and it's fellows to back off, using the correct passwords.
Magog. And there was someone with him, casting somehow.
Samael doesn't recognise the description, but Logos does.
"Pythagoras. He's an Acanthus Libertine. Recorded as being an Adept of Time. And Magog's a Moros - it could
be the pair of them all the way..." - Logos
"How did they get in?"- Samael
They just opened the door and walked in, according to the Ghost
"Did they give the correct password?"- Samael
Yes they did. Magog did.
Samael activates his Attainment, looking for any strands of Fate Pythagoras might have failed to sever. He finds
one of Magog's.
(to Logos) "Can you verify wether these interconnections are genuine or could someone make them? Could
someone basically set them up with fake interconnections or would we be really now walking into the realm of
hyper-paranoid?"- Samael
"We"re now walking to the realm of hyper-paranoid" - Logos, calmly as usual.
"So it's likely these are genuine interconnections..." (under his breath) "Wanker"- Samael, thinking
"Even if it was Magog, someone gave him the password" - Pandora
"Someone let them in. So we either have a break in the ranks or someone did some excellent espionage and
picked up by various spells and that's a lot less likely because we don't generally go around chatting about
passwords. How often do they get updated?"- Samael
"Since Cobra's break in" - Logos
"...And handed out at Caucus, under warding. Well, bollocks. Can you think of anything else we can do here to
double or triple verify what we"re finding out here or do we just go with this now?"- Samael
"We"ll just go with this now" - Logos
"Do we need to or can we do anything more? Should we notify Bede?"- Samael
"Tell him we"re on to him?" - Logos, disbelieving
"Yeah, tell him we"re on to him possibly, unless they got the information from someone else" - Samael
"Like Cat or Douse" - Logos
"And think about it, if someone is wandering around making awesome time shields to set up the thing, there is
one other person everyone knows can do that, that's Bede" - Samael
Meaning 'they might be framing Bede'
"Or do we keep it to ourselves for now?" - Samael
And risk tipping off an informant in the Mysterium
"Do we tell Loki?" - Logos
"Okay, what we know for now is that Cobra is probably being set up, we don't know where the other items have
gone which may mean that the other items are actually valuable to Pythagoras and Magog or they're being
used to set someone else up. If we tell Loki is it likely to end badly for us? Because it's going to protect people
who otherwise are going to be victims but is it going to screw our chance over of making sure we get the right
people?" - Samael, pondering out loud.
Samael's phone rings.
"Heya Cobalt"- Samael
"I'm on the route to the Smoke Eaters den" - Cobalt
"Has Cobra been framed?"- Samael
"Cobra has been arrested. They found the stash that he got away with but they've bagged something else. Trick
is, the place isn't warded for Time" - Cobalt
"You're not gonna like this, because our investigations may have shown up who it is and you really... Actually,
you are but you're not gonna like the implications of it, of what's going to happen as a result. We are 90%
sure..." - Samael
He flicks a Forces spell onto the line, scrambling the call
"...Magog and Pythagoras. They got in to the Aetheneum, it seems, and they took the items. They warded
themselves pretty well and, you know, Pythagoras is an Acanthus" - Samael
"It's warded pretty well to start with" - Cobalt
"That's precisely the reason why it's very hard to pick up them. They cleaned their tracks pretty well, but they
didn't clean everything. That's why I'm 90% sure. Now the thing is, they got in, they didn't break in; which
means they knew the passwords to get in, which means either one of our guys told them or someone's just
done something stupid like written the password on a piece of paper and Magog's found it" - Samael
"Yeah, I'm not buying the latter explanation" - Cobalt
"I'm not buying the latter. It may well be the former. It may well be something kind of in between" - Samael
"Sef's got a time ward over at they Grey Street Runners place. Basically, she's going to grab a bunch of
Acanthus together once I'm done checking over and we're going to try to punch through it" - Cobalt
"Make sure Pythagoras is not one of them, because if he's responsible he may tamper with the spell" - Samael
"Roger, roger" - Cobalt
"We"re 90% sure. Maybe someone's gone to immense double lengths to backup the backups, a twist within a
twist, maybe, but it's looking pretty bad for those two right now and it's implying that somehow either they've
duped somebody, or someone has willingly helped them inside the Mysterium organisation. So right now on our
end we have a problem with who to tell in the Mysterium" - Samael
"Okay, that depends if you want to gather everyone in the drawing room" - Cobalt
"Don't want to do that, no. We've got the Consilium and everything tomorrow. But the problem is, if Cobra's
being arrested, we could tell Loki right now we think he's been framed, we think it was someone else; but that
is another problem there - it alerts whoever is behind it that we're onto them" - Samael
"That's why we gather everyone in the drawing room. We get together, get a few people, we'll talk, pull
information, pretty sure Cal's got stuff he's not telling us" - Cobalt
"Break that time ward first and tell Cobra that if he can just handle a little bit of time in captivity I will buy him a
couple of beers just if he can handle it for now" - Samael
"You're buying. Gotcha. Can be done. I'll bring you news when I got it" - Cobalt
"Cheers" - Samael
They hang up. Samael looks at Pandora
"Anything else we can do here?" - Samael
"I need to get back to Durham to find out what Arc's up to. I'll keep you informed" - Pandora
"Should I stay away, because it's Arc?" - Samael
"Yes" - Pandora with a smile
"Logos, they are going to try take a big crack at a time ward" - Samael
"I'll go and take a crack at a time ward" - Logos
"In fact we can go and meet up with them up there" - Samael
And they're off, resealing the Aetheneum as they go.
---
Back at the Grey Street Runners house, Persephone is going over the problem of the Shield of Chronos with
Quark
"Quark, as our Councillor, I need your permission to involve people from outside the Free Council" - Persephone
"Like who?" - Quark
"Like... uninterested parties. I don't know, someone who can help" - Sef, vaguely
He regards her dubiously
"Okay, sure" - Quark
"Thanks!" - Persephone
She runs away before he can change his mind, phoning Atia only to learn that she's busy.
Because she's scrying for Seers on behalf of Cobalt
Excalibur calls Sybil, while Sef phones Logos
"Logos.." - Persephone
"I'm heading to the Grey Street Runners to try to punch through any time wards that might be there" - Logos,
interrupting
"... Damn Sphinxes. Right, we"re waiting" - Sef hangs up.

"No go on Sybil. She's on the Worm Monster problem" - Excalibur, hanging up
"Anyone else know the Time arcanum?" - Persephone
Her phone rings
Lots of phone calls in this session, as wheels start turning Consilium-wide and the Cabal organise people
"Sef?" - Cobalt
"Yeah, have you finished?" - Persephone
"No, I'm just calling in now, Rod"s already here. Look, ix-nay on ithagoras-Pay" - Cobalt
"Ooookay?" - Persephone
"Is Sam heading your way?" - Cobalt
"Yeah, he is, I"ve already talked to him" - Persephone
"Has he mentioned his big glowing clue? He has an idea and just.." - Cobalt
"Ooooooooookaaaaaay" - Persephone, slowly connecting the dots.
"I'll let him do the reveal, it's his info. Just don't call in... yeah. You understood who it was" - Cobalt
"Yeah, I did" - Persephone
"Okay, surprised he didn"t say on the phone himself. Still.." - Cobalt
"I wasn"t actually thinking of calling him, but okay" - Persephone
"I'll get on to you once I have a look around" - Cobalt
And they hang up. Again
"There's one other Acanthus that I can think of but you won't.. Well, I won't like it. We could call Hatfield" -
Excalibur
"Hatfield?" - Persephone, sceptically
"He is an Acanthus"- Excalibur
"He is but I don't think he likes us. What do you think, Cal, should we mess with him and Aurora's cabal?" -
Persephone
"Don't know... don't like him"- Excalibur, shrugging.
"Well, let's wait for Samael and Cobalt to come here and we'll ask them what do they think about it. I don't like
the idea but maybe they will think it's good" - Persephone
1. Monster
And now the investigation goes active. First, site 1: The Smoke Eaters' Cabal House
Cobalt and Rodriguez have journeyed south to Middlesborough and the Smoke Eater's house. They're met by
Choke.
"Greetings, this is Rodriguez. We heard about your Cabal member and we're hoping to prove him innocent. Is
there anyone in your cabal capable of casting Time Wards?" - Cobalt, to Choke.
"No" - Choke
"That means we can either see who did it or we can't, in which case it was tampered with by someone capable
of casting a ward. Is it all right if we come in and scry the cupboard under your stairs?" - Cobalt
Choke nods
"Yes, of course" - Choke, letting them in. Cobalt begins to explain.
"We"ve got a lead, we just need more proof. Once we pull the mask off Cobra's a free man. And we offer him
some beer. it's all messy... damn messy. The main problem is, it could have happened anywhere in the last
week" - Cobalt, looking around.
"We"ll need something more specific than that" - Rodriguez
"Quite. Were you guys out...?" - Cobalt to Choke
"We're in and out all the time. Trying to think.." - Choke
"What about visitors?" - Cobalt
"Magog's here all the time" - Choke
"What about his uncle?" - Cobalt
"Oh, Uncle Pythagoras..." - Choke
She thinks
"Sorry, I don't know how close you guys are with Black Seam" - Cobalt
"Reasonably close... well, just with Magog and his uncle" (she ponders) "There is one thing; the wards run out.
The duration run out, the spell wore off and Breaker had to recast it. But it would've only been down for about
an hour and we were all here" - Choke
"But no one was keeping an eye on... So that's an hour window, someone could have gotten in through twilight"
- Cobalt
"Stupid thing really, we should have repaired the roof; a couple of slates came off, they broke the room's
surrounding runes so we had to recast it" - Choke
"I can look back at that, see exactly when it was that the roof ceased to be as it used to be. Then we can scry
that time" - Cobalt
See? That Legacy's paying for itself already
It was very windy - a branch came off the overgrown tree in the garden, hit the edge of the building causing the
slate to drop and hit the runes.
"Looks like a rotten tree. Not the sort that would come off easily... Pure chance, really. Hm. Rodriguez, could
you...?" - Cobalt
"See if someone cursed the roof?" - Rodriguez, guessing.
"Hmm, a good one! I was gonna say, look at the time they were recasting the wards, I'll back you up" - Cobalt
"I see. I'll go inside and have a look at that" - Rodriguez
"But also check if they cursed the roof" - Cobalt
After much deliberation, they arrive at the conclusion: Whoever did this was very clever indeed. First the roof
was cursed, causing (after a while) the integrity of the warding spell's rune boundaries to be compromised.
That made the wards run out. Unfortunately, it was a covert spell so it's hard to get a resonance from. The
book, however, did not appear in the room then - Rodriguez suggests that they cast the spell during the
window, but it was a combined spell of Apportation and Future Legacy. The stolen items were "castled" in -
slow-teleported into the room while the wards were down to reappear hours later, after the spatial wards were
already up.
I was quite fond of that when I thought of it
"It would require a Master of Time" - Rodriguez
"Do you have a resonance?" - Cobalt
"Yes, it is not someone I recognise but if I saw anyone cast the spell..." - Rodriguez
"Can you recreate it for me?" - Cobalt
"I do not have the skill" - Rodriguez
"In which case, can we try that again, me piggybacking on your vision... co-operate. We're both Libertines" -
Cobalt
They do so, and determine the resonance of the caster. It's Lux. Apparantly.
Neither man believes that for a second. Cobalt considers that whoever's doing this is deliberately taunting
them, choosing Lux - the one hurt the most by the tensions - to be their kicking-ball. That doesn't bode well.
"What we need is somebody with Time and Space who can then track it back to where it was cast" - Rodriguez
"People with enough Space to do that..." - Cobalt ponders
"Space is trivial, anyone who's an Apprentice of Space could handle the Apportation, so we're looking for
someone who's at least an Apprentice of Space, so low that it doesn't get recorded officially... But also a Master
of Time" - Rodriguez
"But Mastery to trace the link?" - Cobalt
"Oh, no, tracing will be easier" - Rodriguez
"This is where everyone tells me I ought to learn Space" (to Choke) "Thanks, Choke. We can prove it it was put
there by magic during the time when they broke your wards through a curse. We can't get who the curse was,
we're getting a false trail on the resonance. But it wasn't Cobra. We need to put information together before we
can nail someone to a wall for this. And tell Cobra to sit tight, we"ll make it up to him" - Cobalt
And with that, he and Rod take their leave of the Smoke Eaters.
---
Auric Horizon versus the Time Wards part 2
At the Grey Street Runners, Acanthus Path Mages are gathering.
Samael casts a sound-dampening Shielding spell of Forces over the pair of them, while Persephone casts Shield
of Chronos.
"It's looking bad, because it's looking like both Free Council and Mysterium are going to get screwed over this.
I'm 90% sure, and I say 90% because it's possible someone is hyper-competent and did an amazing twist on us
and cast spells behind spells... If we look at what is very likely I'm fairly sure that Pythagoras and Magog
entered the Mysterium Aetheneum and took the items" - Samael
Persephone glances at Excalibur
"Pythagoras and Magog"- Excalibur, disbelieving.
"Pythagoras and Magog. Now, they did not break in the Aetheneum. They had the password" - Samael, letting
that sink in.
"They had the password"- Excalibur again, thinking.
"You can see the problem now. This is either: one of us was stupid enough to have a password on a piece of
paper lying around, or they got information by duping or with a willing aid inside the Mysterium They entered,
they took the items, covered their tracks pretty well, cleaning up the Fate and Magog repelled the ghosts but
didn't do it well enough, he didn't do it correctly. The ghosts were able to ID him for us and we were able to
confirm it with certain fate lines that they Haven't cleared up. So a few little scraps of information around the
edges but it's pretty damning for those two. Now we know that one of the pieces - the book - has turned up in
Cobra's possession somehow getting into his little stash. This is almost certainly a setup, I don't know the
details yet, hopefully Cobalt will be able to fill us in when he gets back. So we know that it looks like Magog and
Pythagoras were involved in setting Cobra up for starters" - Samael
"Cobra's their friend"- Excalibur, surprised
Cue the speech!
"No, Cobra is their tool. If he wanted some muscle to easily manipulate, they would be a good choice. If then
you need someone else to take the fall for your grand plans of whatever you got in mind, they're expendable in
that respect if you looking at it from that point of view. Now the problem herein lies. We think it's probably
those two on the Free Council side who are involved. We don't know whether they however were the ones to
perform the thefts on the Lorehouse and who performed the actual depositing of the book in Cobra's
possession. They must be involved if what we saw is correct, but they may not have done it themselves or
maybe they involved others. If we get further on this then, we know there's probably someone in the Mysterium
involved, so possibly someone on both sides getting together and having their little coup of how they are going
to manipulate both sides. Now if we turn around and tell Loki 'by the way, Cobra"s not your man', or we tell the
Mystagogues 'shit, we have someone working against us within our ranks' obviously it's going to give whoever
it is time and chance to cover their tracks. So... So basically fuck knows what we do next, but we've gotta make
sure that... We know that this is not some general thing by the Free Council, some general thing by the
Mysterium, it appears to be specific individuals on both ends possibly cooperating with each other for their own
ends. We've got to put stop to this very soon. If we can confirm who it is on the Mysterium side by breaking this
time ward, by any other methods, and if we can find out who it is, that will give us everything we need. Until
that point we"ve got one half of the equation, and even if we knew both, we still don't know 'why'... yet. So this
is where we stand at the moment; Probably Pythagoras and Magog with help from the Mysterium. The only way
is not to be Pythagoras and Magog is someone would have to forge a whole bunch of Fate things in a fairly.."
(looks at Logos) "in a manner they probably wouldn't think of people are gonna check. They would also had to
alter the ghosts' memories, and if it is as the ghosts say then they probably thought they"ve fixed the ghosts
anyway" - Samael
"Or it could"ve been someone looking like Magog" - Persephone
Good thought! Wish I'd thought of that...
"This is a possibility but... Fate points at them as well" - Samael
"Let"s wait for Cobalt and Rod to come back and tell us what they have found" - Persephone
"And then we"ll break this time shield like an egg" - Samael
"Cal said that maybe we should ask Hatfield?" - Sef
"It's more juice and it's also an outsider associated with the Durham clique so if they come along and see it as
well, no-one can turn around and say 'oh, it's the fucking Newcastle people screwing around again' or anything
like that" - Samael
"That's a point"- Excalibur
"Plus, just say 'Hey Hatfield, we need you' and his ego will bring him running" - Samael
Cal goes to swallow his pride and call Hatfield
"Arc's in town. Talking to the Hierarch and Bede" - Samael, quietly to Persephone
"Crap, already?" - Persephone
"Pandora's there keeping an eye for now, we'll find out. This is our priority for now. We'll tell Cobalt when he
gets here" - Samael
Which by law of convenience, is when Cobalt and Rodriguez arrive. Samael tells them about Arc.
"Worse news, we've got a Master. It's an Acanthus, a Master of Time. They have wards all over the place except
when the wards broke, some slates came off the roof during a very convenient storm with a very convenient
branch" - Cobalt
"Confirmed as a spell?" - Samael
"Confirmed as a spell" - Cobalt
"Someone cursed the roof" - Rodriguez
"At that point they teleported the book into the room and forwarded in time. With the Space connection and
intimate knowledge of it they could go in there and forward it in time so it wouldn't appear untill it was there to
be found by Loki" - Cobalt
"But Pythagoras isn't a Master... Unless he just recently become one" - Persephone
"Or he wasn't just telling us. He's old enough to be one, we've just assumed he's off his head" - Cobalt
"What if all the time we thought he's smoking joints he's been, you know, studying?" - Samael
"it's not necessarily him, there is someone else who could it be but the problem is it sounds like he's being set
up but that doesn't mean it isn't that. The resonance of the spell was Lux" - Cobalt
"Much like here" - Persephone
"Which is a pisstake frankly. It's someone playing silly buggers" - Samael
Cobalt casts Grim Sight, establishing that there aren't any Ghosts about
"So it doesn't have to be Pyth. But given what we've got from the Aetheneum it's looking like the evidence is
against him" - Samael
"But it's not just them, you said there was a chance there was a infiltrator?" - Cobalt
"If someone came in here via twilight... It's not that hard to acces twilight, is it? Which Magog could do and then
cast the time spell on that site" - Samael
"You need a desciple to cast from Twilight as long as noone was watching.." - Cobalt, pondering
"They key thing is they have a Mystagogue on their side" - Samael
"And remember there's a Time master, they can do... Remember what Ashlar did in Brazil, with the Seers? They
can do a four hour ritual in a blink of an eye" - Cobalt
"And the interesting thing is of course this opens it up very much as to who the Mystagogue leak might be.
Because if they have the skills between them to do all this, they don't need anyone on our side with specific
powers, they just need someone with the right ambition and knowledge" - Samael
"The two that have gone missing are both low ranking people. One of them is in Quark and Lux' cabal and she
spends a lot of her time here. The other one is almost pretty much directly in Key and Bede's employ" - Logos
"Did you get a straight answer...?" - Cobalt
"I Haven't tried to get another straight answer yet. If we break this time ward, I might be able to catch someone
in lying" - Samael
"Point. Once they're proven liars." - Cobalt
"If someone lies to me, then they're screwed if we can back it up with truth" - Samael
"Okay. Have you tried the Legion, they have any Acanthus?" - Cobalt
"Yeah, but Atia and Sybil are busy with the Wyrm" - Persephone
"Oh, my bad. And the Seers" - Cobalt
"It's ok. But we"ll have to ask Hatfield for help" - Persephone
"I was gonna get on to him" - Cobalt
"Cal's already on the phone" - Sef, nodding at Cal
"Let's see who's behind door number one" - Logos
The great work begins. Persephone uses a Time, Life and Fate combined spell to scry for an occurrence not a
specific time - when Babel got hit, to be exact. Also, the Cabal quickly realise that Cobalt's attainment will tell
him when the door was broken, too.
The door was removed by having the hinges cut off with a Matter spell. At 20.07 the previous evening.
"I could fix that" - Cobalt
"I think the Lorehouse is going to be moving anyway" - Persephone
"Maybe so" - Cobalt
Excalibur has hung up
"Is he coming?" - Persephone
"He's coming"- Excalibur, unhappy.
"He's an Adept, right? Is he likely to swallow Rod being the main caster or will he want to lead?" - Persephone
...
The various casters arrive - Samael shaking everyone's hands and thanking them for coming. Hatfield does
indeed insist on leading the Postcognition party and starts busying himself ordering everyone to forget about
the duration of the vision - they only want a glimpse - but to put everything into overpowering the ward. Under
the Auric Horizon's careful stage-management, everyone goes along with it, making Hatfield feel welcome and
appreciated.
Because as Samael said up-thread, he's a neutral party and in one of the Durham Cabals. It looks much better all
round if it's him in charge.
Dowse.
Dowse dropped out of Twilight, hit Babel over the back of the head, cut the door off, took the items and
vanished again.
And, as far as they can tell, the person responsible for the Time Ward was Dowse using an Imbued Item.
"So not only we did it to you, but you did it to US" - Cobalt
Dowse is from the Dun Cow Sign - Bede's Cabal
"But where does that put Cat?" - Cobalt
"Cat? We still don't know" - Samael
"Precisely. 'Cos Dowse doing this will go to ground almost certainly. Who could have ordered this?" - Cobalt
"Maybe whoever gave the orders, gave them to both of them and Cat refused to do it" - Samael
"Or maybe Cat was just ordered into hiding" - Cobalt
"Possibly. They can't stay hidden forever. It just paints a big target on them" - Samael
"But the only person who knows where the pickup point is going to be..." - Cobalt
"...probably one of two people" - Samael
"Tell me their names" - Cobalt
"Key or Bede. Because Logos didn't do it, I didn't do it, Pandora didn't do it and Lux sure as fuck didn't do it.
We've confirmed these people didn't do it" - Samael
"What is the word on... What did Key say?" - Cobalt
"That he's not responsible" - Samael
"Plus, some fucker is capable of imbuing and item with that Time spell"- Excalibur
"Did you have anything like that in the Atheneum?" - Persephone
"We could have something like that kicking around. Key would know" - Samael
"Do you recognise it from what you saw?" - Samael to Logos
"Frankly, Dowse is an Acanthus and come to think of it he's a disciple of Prime so he could do the faking of
resonance. But he could also have made that himself if he spent enough time making a vast ritual, made
himself incredibly lucky and make the strongest time ward spell he possibly can which he then imbues into a
time bomb with Lux' resonance" - Logos
"Key said he wasn't responsible..." - Samael
Silence.
Broken by Hatfield
"Would someone mind explaining what the fuckery is going on?!" - Hatfield, who just saw a Mystagogue
blasting the Lorehouse.
"Thanks for comming, man. One of the reasons we wanted you here is because you haven't been involved in
this before and you're completely neutral. I didn't know what we"re going to see, I half expected to see a
FreakOunce on the end of that vision. But you can attest that.." - Cobalt
"...But that was Dowse!" - Hatfield
"That individual was Dowse. The resonance was Lux but that can be faked and we can tie Lux's presence, we
were with him at the time so we know that is fake. Basically things have been stolen from the Aetheneum; they
are blaming us. The Lorehouse has been stolen from under us, we have accused them. It turns out..." - Cobalt
"That both are actually correct. Libertines stole from the Atheneum and a Mystagogue has stolen the
Lorehouse" - Hatfield
"Yeah. We Haven't shown you the proof of Libertines stealing" - Cobalt
"But I assume there is" - Hatfield
"There is proof, and the flip side is they had to have had a Mystagogue tell them the password to get in to do
the theft that way" - Cobalt
"A Mystagogue such as our young Mr Dowse" - Hatfield
"Precisely. The question is wether Dowse would do it without orders, which is where we start to get into the
difficult bits, leading to questions like 'where have Cat and Dowse gone?' They've been missing since this
incident happened" - Cobalt
Hatfield gets up to speed quickly, here - and trusts the evidence of his own senses.
Samael is trying to phone Key, who isn't answering her phone. He texts Pandora.
'Do you know where Key is?'
'He just turned up 2 the meeting. Im lurking outside'
'has he gone in?'
'y, with a box'
He starts to tap in 'does the Mysterium frown on murdering fellow Mystagogues', thinks better of it and deletes
it.
He clears his throat, and everyone pays attention
"Okay, I can't get through to Key, he's at the same meeting as Bede" - Samael
"Cat" - Cobalt
"Cat is Quark's cabalmate, can Quark trace her with Space?" - Samael
"Yes, probably..." - Hatfield
"One thing I have to relay first" - Cobalt
"You"re engaged!" - Persephone
At this point, I realised I have no idea where Symmetry is right now. She's probably at work.
"No. I've got to talk to Quark, 'cos I don't think anyone's told him about Cobra. He's going to explode, which
means we need to do damage control NOW" - Cobalt
"Then can we get Cat checked before he explodes?" - Samael
The mass of Magi all march up to Quark's room. Free Councillors, Mystagogues and a very confused Silver
Ladder
"No, seriously, what the fuckery is going on..." - Hatfield
They knock. Quark opens the door. He looks rough.
"Hiiii. We know who stole the Lorehouse.." - Cobalt
"... And we know who stole from the Atheneum..." - Samael
"... But before we tell you..." - Sef
"... what we really need to know right now..." - Samael
"... is where Cat is" - Cobalt
One line each!
"This is important, not least because at this point I'm actually quite worried about what"s happened to Cat. This
is pretty urgent. Can you find her?" - Samael
"I've been trying since this morning but I was unable to get through. I'll try again" - Quark
He casts something, then shakes his head.
"I keep trying to contact her but whenever I do, it breaks down. I get a fleeting sense that she's there but not
where she is and then she's not there, completely gone" - Quark
This is another case of "someone doing something clever with the Arcana", which again I was quite proud of
"Just to satisfy my worry, is she alive?" - Samael
"Does this mean that she's travelling?" - Sef
"No, it just means..." (takes his glasses off) "she's not warded, but whenever I cast the scrying spell on her,
something happens so that the scrying is immediately cut off before the window forms" - Quark
"And the question to ask next is Dowse. Could we find Dowse? If not him, We could find the lorehouse
components" - Cobalt
"Well, I"ve met the man... I don't know his real name... but I shall attempt it" - Quark
Samael worries about what Key is giving Arc from the Aetheneum (though he can guess), while Quark performs
his spells
He finishes, frowning.
"The lorehouse has appeared. It's in a van" - Quark
He consults a map, and reports that the van has been abandoned in the woods
"Quite near Limnal's house, actually" - Quark
"Convenient" - Persephone
"I'm thinking. We have some resonances disguised as Lux. But if you're competent enough with prime you can
see through that" - Samael
"We could ask Arc" - Cobalt
Stares of Disbelief
"Joke" - Cobalt
"Postcognition is an unveiling practice spell. It could be cast on someone else" - Persephone
"Or... We could just dispel it!" - Samael
"The scrying sheild is back in time" - Persephone
"Yes! But the disguise isn't - it's still in play..." - Samael
Excalibur walks over to the door of the lorehouse, draws his sword
Which if you recall is an Artefact weapon of Supernal Dispellation
and taps the door frame with it. To all scrutinising, Dowse's resonance is quite clear.
"Do I get to go hit things now? Bear in mind that I'm legally prohibited from..."- Excalibur
"Not unless we can get evidence for Loki but the only thing that's going to be carrying back the resonance is
the item that's been teleported which is currently being held in evidence" - Cobalt
"And is out my jurisdiction anyway"- Excalibur
"If we do this in the drawing room we could have it brought out" - Cobalt
"The other thing is we could go and have a look at that van and see who put it there" - Samael
"Yeah, let's do it" - Cobalt
"Right! Hit squad ready?" - Samael
"To the Auric Mobile!" - Cobalt
"And associated Vehicles!"- Excalibur
"Ladies and Gentlemen. If you would form an orderly queue..." - Quark
Quark quick-casts a Portal
1. Monster
And they march through into the late afternoon.
Cobalt and Samael check out the van first - which they're very grateful for, as the vehicle has been rigged with
a car bomb. The bomb is hit by a half-dozen spells turning it into an expensive lump.
Cobalt checks over the Lorehouse while Rodriguez examines the driver's seat
"This was not last driven by Dowse. Either that or he adjusted the seat after he'd driven it" - Rodriguez
"Oho! Plain, simple deduction! I like!" - Cobalt, jolly
They try to use postcognition again, but the area has been put under another Shield of Chronos again. Cobalt
uses his Attainment to see when the bomb became a bomb.
With everyone they have, though, the Time Ward is soon dispelled. The van was driven by Cat and Dowse - Cat
did not appear very happy with Dowse
"Clearly Dowse with Cat as an accomplice. Maybe his unknowing accomplice" - Hatfield
"But if that is... Cat might not be willing to ward herself and so someone is cutting it for her. The van was
dumped here" (to Samael and Logos) "Is there any of your Fate linkage between Limnal and this Van?" - Cobalt
"Yes, actually there is a faint link to Limnal, but I think it's been faked" - Logos
"Like with the link to Cobra, this was put here to frame Limnal perhaps" - Samael
"Yeah. I'm beginning to see... hmm" - Cobalt
"This is madness!" - Persephone
Madness!? This is County Durham!
The gang start to look for footprints. Samael calls Lux while they're looking, bringing him up to speed.
Cobalt considers the problem of tracking, seeing if he can use Matter to measure the depth of footprints.
He spends Mana, abusing Perfect Timing as he looks. He picks up Cat and Dowse's footprints leading into the
woods. They meet with the prints of a mysterious other person. Then Cat's stop, and Dowse's and the other
persons are deeper - heavier - as they move off in tandem.
All assembled (Quark, Logos, Hatfield, Rodriguez, Excalibur and the Horizon) consider that.
"I can revert the ground to before the prints were made, find out the time at which that last print of Cat was
made and then we scry that point in the timeline. Hatfield, if you"d take the lead?" - Cobalt
"Certainly" - Hatfield, coldly furious with what appears to have happened.
Together, everyone scries. And see Magog and Dowse hit Cat with Magog's force-staff. Dowse catches her, and
they carry her off
"This is intolerable!" - Hatfield
"Cal, is this your jurisdiction?" - Samael
"No, but fuck it"- Excalibur, spitting
"Quark, do I have your permission to act as the Free Council's investigator in this matter, in recovering the
Lorehouse?" - Cobalt
"I declare you Strategos in the Great Theft matter, to be ratified at Assembly" - Quark
"If we call Loki, and tell him there's a mage in danger and that we're closeby, could we get some kind of a..?" -
Samael
Hatfield waves for attention, puts his finger to his lips and calls Loki
Who is in Hatfield's Cabal, as it happens
Samael gives Hatfield two thumbs up.
"Loki, most terrible thing! Yes! We have evidence to suggest that a Mystagogue has been kidnapped! Yes! Yes I
know! On top of everything else! Yes. We're hot on the chase. I was following up a lead as a favour to the
Mysterium - being a neutral party - and they discovered where she'd been by scrying but asked me to go along.
So I came out here and used postcognition and I've just seen her be attacked and carried off! Yes! Yes,
absolutely. I'm sure I can rustle up some people. Very well. I shall handle this in all due deference to the
accords. Yes. Yes I'll report back to you before the Consilium" - Hatfield
He hangs up
Everyone waits
"I have now been deputised" - Hatfield, smug
A cheer goes up from the assembled gang
"Hatfield, I owe you a BIG favour" - Samael, shaking his hand
Persephone kisses the old Silver Ladder on the cheek
Everyone begins to power up - raising Mage Armour spells, Magic Shields and Fate-based enhancements.
Samael bemoans the fact that Optimise Kinetic Attack doesn't work unarmed
"Samael, it's probably in my range of crafting rather than yours but I'm going to get you some knuckledusters.
It just makes sense" - Cobalt
"Can you make something for now? Or is it too much?" - Samael
"Wait a minute" - Cobalt, thinking
"Where are we going? I'm all for being macho but really..." - Logos
Cobalt wraps a handkerchief around Samael's fists, then gives it the properties of pig-iron. Improvised
knuckledusters.
"Cobalt, we've got the tracks?" - Samael
"I"ve got the tracks" - Cobalt
"We have a problem. We're not the only thing that's got the tracks" - Logos, looking a little Spacey from using
her Attainment
"She's been left out for something" - Cobalt
"No, she's trapped somewhere by herself" - Logos
"What do you mean?" - Cobalt
"The Wyrm!" - Logos
"It's got her?" - Samael
"It's going for her!" - Logos
"Then let"s go with speed!" - Samael
They run, Cobalt in the lead, as they follow the tracks
"Did I already do the Angel joke?"- Excalibur
"Not yet!" - Persephone
"No making jokes that somebody else would, but yes, you get your shot, you take it!" - Cobalt
Samael remembers Tireseas saying that an Obrimos could not defeat the Worm
"I am not at sea... repeat after me.. I am not at sea..." - Cobalt
They reach a road, where the tracks change to vehicle tracks
"Of COURSE" (frustrated) "You said she's been left out for the Worm?" - Cobalt
"I don't think she's been left out for the worm deliberately, but if the Worm is already interested in our situation
because of the whole 'a member of magical community might get abandoned by the others' then..." - Logos
"What"s the quickest way to find this vehicle? Is it good enough for a Space scry?" - Samael
"We can give you the make and model, from Postcognition" - Cobalt
"Okay, they've somehow hidden her, have they hidden themselves? 'Cos so far noone knows that they're
suspects?" - Logos
"Someone could have picked up the resonance..." - Cobalt
"Conveniently, I still have that bit of Magog's hair from the last Assembly" - Persephone
"Oh, excellent. That will do nicely" - Quark
Quark scries on Magog.
...
When retribution comes for Magog, it comes Quickly. A crowd of angry mages pile through a Portal to Magog's
rented bedsit and invites him to try to resist arrest.
He doesn't.
"Where is Cat?" - Samael
"Who?" - Magog
Magical senses and Knowing spells are thrown about. Never has Magog been so scrutinised.
"I want my Lictor" - Magog, sullen
"Emergency situation. All in favour of turning him over to Cicero?" - Hatfield
There is a chorus of "Aye"s
Samael leans close to Magog
"Because you"re an idiot, wether or not you intended to really hurt Cat, you may have gotten her killed
anyway" - Samael
And Quark quick-casts again, this time to the Mithraem.
---
It's gone a bit rollercoaster now - picking up more speed!
The assembled force of Mages appear in Excalibur's Sanctum. The Legion draw weapons and ready spells, only
relaxing when they recognise who just appeared. Excalibur orders Militas to take Magog up to Cicero's
"conversation room". Before that, though, Cobalt gives him a chance.
"You have one chance to do this willingly. One last chance. Save a girl or you can let us save her by pulling it
out in your brain, proving in the Consilium"s eyes, for the lack of a better word, that you didn"t care if you"d
killed her" - Cobalt
"I don't know where she is" - Magog, emphatic
"Who does?" - Samael
"Dowse is the one calling the shots" - Magog
"Right, and it was Dowse's fault that went to the Atheneum and all Dowse's fault that you knocked out Cat,
yadda yadda... you don't know" - Samael
"Dowse said that the Mysterium wanted it doing. He gave us the password to their Aetheneum" - Magog
"And why were you doing what the Mysterium wanted?" - Cobalt
"And why were you trying to frame Cobra?" - Samael
"I wasn't trying to frame Cobra, what the hell you"re on about?" - Magog, confused
"One of the things you took was found in his possession, put there magically by a Master of Time" - Cobalt
"Yeah because I'm a master of Time" - Magog, with great sarcasm
"No but Pythagoras is and he was with you on the Mysterium raid" - Cobalt
"So is Bede" - Magog
"So was Bede?" - Cobalt
"So you say Bede did it?" - Samael
"No, Bede is the Master of Time too" - Magog
"But he doesn't have the control of Fate that Pythagoras has" - Samael
"Can you read his mind or something?" - Persephone to Quark
"First of, where is Dowse?" - Samael
"Don't know where Dowse is either" - Magog
"Well then it's your bad day, my friend" - Samael, menacingly
"Dowse took Cat..." - Magog
"It's still your bad day. Cicero!" - Samael
Cicero emerges
"He's probably trying desperately to make himself look good but I have no doubt that it was actually Dowse's
idea. Well, I have no doubt that the idea was presented to Magog by Dowse" - Cicero
Militas takes Magog upstairs.
"But I don't think it's exactly the case where Magog is all tool. Get what you can out of him. Any hints where
Dowse might have take her. For now we're gonna have to wait until hopefully Pandora is going to tell us when
the highups finish the meeting, then..." - Samael
"We've got to find Cat. It is one place we know, she's in desperate danger from the creature. As far as we know
it only strikes at night, but if she's been left out there for hours..." - Cobalt
"If Dowse is warded and Cat is not either the ward is personal or they are not in the same place" - Cobalt
"Dowse might be there warded and casting it on Cat" - Samael
"And we were quite concerned about the information flow in the Mysterium" - Cobalt
"The information initially flew pretty well, it was 'don't take the Lorehouse!'" - Samael
"Guys, he can't block many scrying portals at once, right? You have the scrying device, Quark can cast a
scrying spell.." - Sef
"I need something of Cat's.." - Samael
He looks at Quark
"I don't know much about Space, but I've got this" (holds out the Telescope) - Samael
"Wait, hand the item to the cabal member, they could use the item at the same time having the sympathetic
connection" - Cobalt
Cobalt looks around. And spots Lux, who has been here while everythings gone on
"Lux, you've got the sympathetic connection" - Samael
Lux tries to use the Telescope while Quark scries
"Nothing, there's nothing there, looks like there is something there to start with and then there's nothing" - Lux
"As in, it's been cut again? Both at the same time, same thing?" - Samael
"I think I cast slightly after Lux" - Quark
"It can't be someone reacting unless it's an area of effect" - Samael
"She might already be gotted" - Persephone
"She might already be gotted in which case the creature is capable of preventing us from easily finding the
victims. That can be confirmed if we have a method of scrying on any one of the victims in the hill" - Samael
"I can go get a bit of the woman's midsection, use that for sympathetic resonance, but that involves
complications in the university" - Cobalt
"And it's nearly night" - Persephone
"We would not advise that" - Atia
"On the other hand we have her real name. Is that going to help, maybe make that be possible to try and scry
on her, see if we get the same effect?" - Samael
"It would make it not impossible but still extremely hard" - Quark
"But all we need is the confirmation it's the same effect that the worm has, really that's all we need" - Samael
"If I can get through at all" - Quark
"It's Danielle Mason" - Samael
"I'm going to need a very good description, a picture or a phantasm" - Quark
Samael nods, making a phantasm of the woman in the cliff
Quark casts, then shakes his head
"Not the same thing at all, she just doesn't exist" - Quark
"Some other effect then" - Samael
On the other hand, that means the worm hasn't got Cat yet
Everyone wracks their brains
"Is there any known spirit power that can do that?" - Cobalt
"The Aetheneum" - Samael to Logos and Lux
"The Aetheneum? You think that's where Dowse is hiding?" - Lux
"I don't think it's where he's taken Cat.." - Samael
"But you think it's where he's hiding..." - Lux
"He could have just put a triggered spell on her" - Persephone
"OOOHHH I know what he's doing" - Atia
Everyone looks at her
"It's a triggered spell. Persephone, I'm really sorry about this but with your permission..." - Atia
She casts something, Persephone vanishes and ten seconds later reappears
"Of course! it's triggered! Whenever you try to scry on her causes the..." - Cobalt
"...The temporal stutter to activate" - Atia
"Meaning that she's not in time for that moment... She jumps out of time" - Cobalt
"Whenever you try to scry on her she jumps out of time" - Atia
"But that drains mana.." - Cobalt
"But he can't cast it! This is an Adept spell!" - Sef
"It's an Adept spell so to imbue that with a temporal trigger you have to be a Master of Time" - Atia
"If it's an imbued item it can be made at any time anywhere" - Samael
"We already know there's a Master of Time involved, that brings down the suspects" - Cobalt
"But he couldn't have made it" - Atia
"It could be a resource but it brings us back to the two known Masters of Time.." - Cobalt
"And both look pretty bad at the moment.." - Samael
"And one of whom has the authority over to order Dowse to do it" - Cobalt
"Of them has the the authority to do it, one of whom has been confirmed to be involved otherwise, I think
they're both in that" - Samael
"He's not necessarily a Master" - Cobalt

"No, but I think they're both in it" - Samael
"Do we bring in Pythagoras as the accomplice?" - Cobalt
"Yes" - Hatfield
"Logos, Lux, we probably should get Scribe if we can, I don't know if we're able to get Agaric, we need to go
into the Aetheneum and we need to hunt down Dowse" - Samael
"Hiding in the stacks" - Logos
"Hiding in the stacks. He is... Let me put it this way, if we put this in mundane terms, he is under the suspicion
of attempted murder, or actual murder, at best manslaughter, oh and also the conspiracy to be a fucking
nutcase. Gotta bring the fucker in" - Samael
"Will the spell also trigger if we try to do Divinations on her?" - Persephone to Atia
"I don't know what triggers whatever it is" - Atia
"Do you have anything that belongs to her?" - Persephone to Quark and Lux
Quark gestures, Apporting a book into his hand
"I think this belongs to her" - Quark
"Can you tell me her name?" - Persephone
Quark leans up to Persephone's ear and whispers to her. Sef casts her Divination, sitting down cross-legged,
using her lucky arrow and muttering in High Speech.
- Where will Cat be when the Time Stutter finishes working on her?
She gets a vision of Cat underground somewhere, in the pitch dark
"It works!" - Persephone
Atia, Hatfield, Rodriguez and Logos all use their own magic
Persephone throws a Fate sight up in case anyone says anything significant.
One by one, the other Time mages finish casting. They confer, and report back that as far as they can tell she's
in a mine. Rodriguez says that the creature is on it's way. It hasn't been summoned by her being trapped down
there - it's attention was attracted by one of the co-conspirators being murdered.
"Get me the internet!" - Cobalt
There is, by now, a hubbub as the Legion are brought up to speed on the day's events. Samael phones Pandora,
pacing back and forth
"Pandora, is everything fine in Durham?" - Samael
"They're STILL in the meeting" - Pandora
"How sealed is the place?" - Samael
"Really sealed" - Pandora
"Someone may be dead there aleady. Someone involved in this conspiracy has recently died. We don't know
when but it attracted the attention of the worm to Cat who is still alive" - Samael
Cobalt is handed a laptop by Aquila, and starts looking for mines in the correct geology.
Persephone concentrates, and projects herself into Mictlan
-[i]GALATEA![i]- - Persephone
-Internet Connection? - Galatea
-Yes! Quickly! - Persephone
-Cousin! Cousin Persephone! there's one co-conspirator remaining unaccounted for. The mage known as
Pythagoras. I think it's quite probable that he's dead. You should instruct your friends to find out if he's dead or
not and if so, scry for his corpse- - Kosciej
-Yeah but we need to get Cat out for now- - Persephone
-And the fastest way to do that will be finding out where Pythagoras was betrayed by Dowse and/or Magog and
killed- - Kosciej
-That is a point. Galatea, please continue your search!- - Sef
"The Geology abutts on loads of mines" - Cobalt
"What"s the fastest way to do this?" - Samael
"My car is not here..." (to Sef) "you've got them working on it, what else?" - Cobalt
"Scry on Pythagoras' corpse, portal to Limnal... I don't know?" - Sef
"Corpse? Of course..." - Cobalt, shuddering
-There are dozens of mineshafts, Cousin Sef- - Galatea
-Yeah but which ones are going into the volcanic rock...- - Sef
-Loads of them are going to the volcanic rock, and many more of them are not but Limnal said that most of the
mine shafts that go into the great big rock bed the volcanic rock is next to... the creature could maybe travel
through them- - Gal
"Quark, can you scry for Pythagoras?" - Samael
"I'm going to bother a man at work. I'll see if Cicero can find out whether Magog left Pythagoras alive" - Cobalt
...
Cicero says he'll work on that, and Cobalt returns to the main room.
The Parliament works desperately on the search, and in the real world everyone is sat biting fingers, waiting for
Quark to finish scrying
"Fuck it. can't you just use your powers? You"re a Sphinx, you should know which mine it is!" - Persephone,
frustrated
"Being a sphinx doesn't tell me... wait, hold on..." - Samael
"We need options for him then, draw a map, draw mineshafts, the guys in your head can see it" - Cobalt
"Yeah, I need a map. And something of Cat's" - Samael
Excalibur produces an Ordinance Survey map of the area. Persephone casts a Time Spell to speed herself up
and, following a guide-map the Cousins are showing her in her mind, marks Mines off. The two Sphinxes then
look at it, seeing where Cat and Dowse were last and the direction they were heading.
In the end, Logos and Samael pick four mines.
"We"ve narrowed it down" - Samael
"Right, that area. Big circle on the map" - Cobalt
Samael casts Synchronicity and jabs his finger down on one of the mines.
"Not 100% sure, but pretty sure" - Samael
Cobalt casts Augury to see if they'll find Cat in that mineshaft
"... ... That's the one!" - Cobalt
"LET'S GO!" - Samael
Everyone springs into action. Quark takes the map coordinates.
"I'm sorry about this man! We"re going to learn space!" - Samael
"We promise!" - Cobalt
"I can't put you into the mine, just outside" - Quark
"If the worm is going to attack, you don't want to split up. Take a small group" - Logos
"Lux, you"re not out of the woods yet, I'm sorry, we can't expose you to this" - Cobalt
"We need a Thyrsus" - Persephone
"We need Cal and his holy firepower" - Cobalt
"I'm not so sure. Something that Tiresias told me in London was that a significant problem that we're going to
hit was gonna be one that an Obrimos wasn't going to be able to solve. I think it's the Worm. I don't know
precisely what the reason is but I think it's something to do with the reason of my calling" - Samael
That sounds right to to Persephone's Fate Sight
"So I'm not saying you have no chance of having a crack on it, Cal but we'll have to prepare before we go in" -
Samael
"This isn't an attack on it, this is a rescue mission" - Cobalt
"Yeah but we might be vulnerable" - Samael
"Take Aegis! You’re going to a mine shaft, take Aegis"- Excalibur
"And Aquila" - Cobalt
"Good choice" - Samael
Logos is organising people. Hatfield and Excalibur will go with her to bust down the Aetheneum doors and
arrest Dowse.
Quark says that Pythagoras HAS been killed. And the corpse disintegrated.
Just as they're about to step through the Portal, Pandora texts Samael
'They've come out of the meeting room and they've given Arc the Ankh'
And on that happy note - we finish! Next session, the glorious rescue of Cat, a terrible fight with the Lambton Worm
and a loaded conversation with Key. This isn't over yet...
1. Monster
Session 5.4
Welcome back, faithful readers, to the fourth of five parts of "Monster". When we left our characters, they (along with
Aegis and Aquila) had jumped through a portal to a disused coal mine, in order to try to find Cat (who has been
trapped down it with some sort of temporal stutter that activates whenever she's scried for) before the Lambton Worm
does.
This session is dominated by a great big fight with the worm. It will hopefully be relatively easy to recap.
It's awfully exciting, though. People get hurt in this session. Big-time ouchy.
And now for the big reveal -
The Lambton Worm is a Greater Lillithim Quashillim, from Promethean's "Pandora's Book". The trap-people power is a
modified version of "Pillar of Salt".
For purposes of this Chronicle, though, the Divine Fire *IS* the Aether. Promethean's mythology is being well and trult
slaved to Mage's here, as is only right and proper.
The five mages feel a rush of cold air as they step through into the countryside at night. They're near the
perimeter fence of the mine complex - there are looming discard heaps, machinery and many dark, deserted
buildings.
Sef casts Momentary Flux, trying to see if continually scrying on Cat (and therefore punting her into the future)
will distract the creature. She sees a brief image of Cat in some kind of underground non-natural chamber.
Tentacles rise up of the ground around her, but an amulet locked around her neck flashes and she vanishes.
The tendrils then divert course and rush straight at Sef's point of view.
Samael grabs a stick and concentrates, trying to make it glow. He does so in too much of a rush, though, and
feels the Abyss creep into the spell. He's not about to absorb a paradox before going into battle, though, so he
lets the spell out of his grip.
Cobalt's obsidian knife starts to glow a sickly green. Samael tries to look like he meant to do that.
The Admantine Arrows heft their weapons (Aquila has a sword, Aegis has a sledgehammer)
"Okay... does anyone know how to get underground?" - Aquila
"We need to find the elevator. There'll be a tower" - Cobalt
"So we look for the elevator, but this place has been decommissioned so we'll probably have to get the lift
working." - Aquila
"That could be done quite easily. Two Moros to fix the machinery and an Obrimos to give it power" - Samael
In Mictlan, Cousin Haruspex turns out to have been an engineer in life - he points out to Persephone which
tower will likely house the lift cage
"This way!" - Persephone
They find the lift cage, and follow the cable to the shed containing the drive wheel it's connected to.
-What you need to do is find a backup generator and get one of your Moroi to create petrol inside it. Once you
fire it up, you can hook it up to this and get the lift working- - Haruspex
Persephone relays that to her living comrades.
"Okay, I'll get repairing this. You guys look for the generator" - Cobalt
Samael, Aquila and Aegis go hunting. Cobalt grins to Persephone while seeing what needs Repair Object cast
on it
"You know, someone's gonna ask you how you know so much about mining. But tell the guys thanks from me" -
Cobalt
She shrugs
"All shall be revealed tomorrow anyway so meh..." - Persephone
The menfolk come running from the generator shed, having got the backup generator working. The lift engine
roars into lift (it's LOUD), and the gang make their way swiftly to the lift cage. Aegis disintegrate-cuts the metal
plating blocking the shaft open.
The metal plate falls down. After what seems like a long time, they hear the thump as it hits the bottom.
They all climb into the lift and press the big red button. It's shaky as hell until Cobalt and Persephone get to
work on it. Then it's the platonic ideal of a lift.
...
Darkness, illuminated only by the green from the glowing knife. Cobalt turns the multitool into a small buckler
while Persephone and Samael recast their luck spells - Persephone manages to cast a VERY powerful Fate-
enhancement on Aegis. Sef adds Sense Conciousness. Aquila uses Space, Prime, Spirit and Life to cast what he
describes as a "motion sensor", allowing them to maybe spot the Worm coming.
"Where to now?" - Samael
"Wherever she is, she's out of my range. The good news is that I can't see any kind of a monster moving in the
walls" - Aquila
"There's nothing in twilight yet. Cobwebs" - Cobalt
There are five potential tunnels to take. The men all look at Sef until she realises what they mean. She casts a
Knowing practice of Fate and feels... Like it's the best spell she's ever cast. The tension obviously agrees with
her.
She got 6 successes on granting Aegis Exceptional Luck. She got 10 successes on the simple Fate spell to pick a
direction.
They hurry as fast as is safe down the tunnel, shivering in the cold. Persephone's spell completes, but Cobalt's
Dark Matter sees footprints in the dust. Completely by "random", they have stumbled on Dowse's footprints.
"This way! Right, we keep talking, we keep... No, we don't keep talking but if you start to get lost, if you start to
get lonely... Make sure we're in contact." - Cobalt
Sef grabs Aquila with one hand and Samael with another. Samael jokingly gives Cobalt a big manly hug.
"No" (shoves Samael off) "I mean: don't get lost! And if you're going to get lost or you see a rock fall over there
and you go 'hmm, I'm a stormtrooper guard and and will investigate this rock falling over and ignore the guy in
the bush behind me'..." - Cobalt
"If you see a giant stone whale snake-sliding through the rock... give us a shout." - Samael
"Stone leviathan, please." - Persephone
"Remember, any cave off the route that these guys took could be fictional. I don't know if I can see them yet." -
Cobalt
"Yep. Got to keep our eyes up" - Samael
They continue for some time, until Aquila raises his hand
"Guys... It's here.." - Aquila
"This is no time to stop" - Persephone
"We better get moving." - Cobalt
Aquila makes choppy gestures, indicating the direction and travel of the creature.
Cobalt comes across the ghost of a 1950s miner.
"Excuse me! Did you see someone coming this way carrying someone?" - Cobalt
"This is no time for this..." - Sef
The ghost stares at him, and points the way they were heading
"Thank you" - Cobalt, to the ghost
They pick up the pace
"What, I know it's unmanly but asking for directions sometimes helps" (to Aquila) "How close?" - Cobalt
"It's circling" - Aquila, looking at the walls
"Us or her?" - Cobalt
"Can't tell. I can't sense her" - Aquila
"Depends how close we are to her, doesn't it?" - Samael
"Shout for her. You're part of her Order. We could be an angry mob, you're here to save her" - Cobalt to Samael
Samael uses Forces to enhance his voice
"CAT! WE'RE HERE TO SAVE YOU!" - Samael
"We can attack the connection to her rejection" - Cobalt
"CAT! WE'RE HERE TO FIND YOU! WE'RE COMING! HOLD ON, CAT, WE'RE COMING!" - Samael, yelling with
Forces again
...
They cross into a junction corridor. The mine cart tracks have all been torn up when the mine was abandoned.
"Everybody wait!" - Aquila
The sickening white bulk of the worm breaches the ceiling - much like a whale, in fact - moving on. It reminds
Samael of ectoplasm - and to Cobalt's Death Sight looks exactly the same in Twilight as it does in the physical.
The hump vanishes as the beast moves on.
"It's going up!" - Aquila
They run
"And now it's going down!" - Aquila

"Is it coming for us? Or are we just on the way?" - Cobalt
"I have no idea!" - Aquila
There's a junction off to the side
"The tracks go this way. Give me a moment. You can't lose me in the dark, cos I have this" - Cobalt waving the
glowing knife
"We can't stand around like lemons!" - Persephone
"Don't stand around just let me trigger a trap if there is one" - Cobalt, tense
And everyone's unseen senses feel something.
Aegis ducks back out of the junction.
"Guys? There was a cave in..." - Aegis
The main corridor had a cave in at some point in the past, blocking it off. They were looking for tunnels that
weren't tunnels, not expecting the Worm to open a passage where there in fact used to BE one.
But now that they've gone through it, the Worm has cancelled whatever power opens the rock up - they're
trapped.
"Of course. Even Cat was only placed here because it let them. Bait." - Cobalt
"So it blocked off our way out. That's all right, we have two Moros." - Samael, trying to keep everyone's spirits
up.
"So we have to get to her, step one. Step two: we make our way out" - Cobalt
"Plan hasn't changed; we keep on going" - Samael
"I can rip tunnel through it. It would take a while but I can do it" - Aegis, grim
"We'll do that once we get Cat anyway" - Samael
They press on, still following Dowse's tracks.
The Worm is altering the tunnels around them.
"This is moving from the realm of dangerous to annoyingly dangerous with side orders of smug" - Cobalt
"So, Aquila, that gate to the spirit world? How fast can you make one?" - Persephone
"Not really fast enough" - Aquila
"The other thing is, we have no guarantee it doesn't work in the spirit realm" - Cobalt
"But it's less likely" - Samael
"Less likely, it's in physical and twilight. It could be something ectoplasmic" - Cobalt
"If it is ectoplasmic it doesn't mean it can necessarily enter the spirit realm; ghosts can't. The advantage would
be if we get to the spirit world - we could probably draft nearby spirits to protect us" - Samael
"We can hope" - Cobalt
"It's a ritual spell, so we would be sat at one place for..." - Aquila
"Long enough" - Cobalt, grim
"... long enough whilst I cast it." - Aquila, nodding
They continue.
"Okay. If we were in the open air and it was flying, I'd say it was setting itself up for an attack run" - Aquila
"We need somewhere with enough space, and I'll check with my Attainment that it's a real tunnel. Last thing we
need is a defensive position where it can trap us" - Cobalt
They come out into another wide tunnel, which is sloping steeply down
"Good a place as any" - Aegis
"Looks like it" - Cobalt
There are two torn-up mine tracks. There's dust everywhere. The air is now getting quite stale - they
reactivated the lift, but not the air pumps. Aegis starts periodically creating oxygen around them.
"All right, so what's the plan?" - Samael
"Okay... wait..." - Aquila
He looks down
"I can't tell the passageways leading to her but she's down there" - Aquila
He points the way they would be going down this tunnel if they weren't making a stand
"She's down there, okay? About... ten-thirty o clock... 150 metres away? I just don't know how to get there" -
Aquila
"This place has been open since it was dug, there's no fake in this passageway" - Cobalt
"She's in a Hallow" - Aquila, peering
There is a chorus of "aaahs"
"Quick decision, boss. Do we split up, do we all try to fend it off for a bit here or do we run for Cat?" - Aegis
"Whatever we do, we stick together" - Samael
"Run for Cat?" - Aquila
Everyone nods. They'll run for Cat.
"And here it comes!" - Aquila
And everyone starts running.
And now Athletics rolls combined with figuring out the footchase speeds in order to figure out how they get strung out.
The footing is crumbling, with occasional pieces of mine track sticking up. Samael trips, landing hard and rolling
before starting to pick himself up. Sef tries to cast acceleration and fails, but slows down and turns around.
Aquila, further down, is also turning around while Aegis and Cobalt are still running.
And then Samael sees it coming. Only the very top of the creature is breaching the floor of the tunnel. It also
appears to be rolling in squamous fashion, so that tentacles coming off the main body whip through the air
every few moments. One of these whips through Samael's leg; he feels a lancing pain - cold somehow, like a
frost burn.
The creature continues down the tunnel, going through Persephone and burning her too as it goes. Cobalt,
though, has enough time to brace himself for impact. Perfect Timing and his Touch of the Grave attainment
mean he hopes he'll actually be able to physically affect the beast.
Dave's turn for the ridiculous roll - an initiative roll of 23
He is vindicated when the tendril whips through the air at him - he strikes with his magically - hardened
obsidian knife, and severs the tentacle about a foot up from it's base. The tendril misses him entirely, flapping
through the air trailing white fluid of some kind, before falling through the floor and vanishing. The Worm
shudders, a hump of it's white "flesh" rising up to try to knock him off his feet. Another tendril passes through
his legs, chilling him to the bone. Later, Cobalt will inspect the wound and find a black line on his shin where
the tendril struck.
The creature has a supply of Pyros points - it's power supply. It does bashing damage by default, but can spend to
upgrade it to Lethal or spend a lot to upgrade it to aggravated. It chose Lethal for hitting Cobalt back.
The creature reaches Aegis, who has cast Aegis, his self-named spell to transform his flesh to steel. He is
knocked down, but unharmed.
Aegis' spell gives him durability points instead of armour - it's a Matter 4 Life 4 spell to convert one's body to living
steel. Importantly, it means that you have to do a minimum amount of damage to him to have anything go through,
and weapons that fail take damage back.
It dives at Aquila, who was in the lead. Aquila has had long enough to prepare, though, and has cast a spell on
himself - he jumps over it as it comes.
The Worm dives into the ground again. Sef's Sense Conciousness picks it up, but it's utterly alien. The being is
all willpower - exceedingly resolute. As though it's consumed utterly by a sense of purpose.
Samael gets a parting shot off - he sits up and hurls Celestial Fire at the creature, which strikes it. The stump
that Cobalt cut off grows back when the fire hits it. His spell healed it.
And then it's gone.
1. Monster
"What did you DO?" - Persephone, to Samael
"It's diving!" - Aquila
Aquila - still in the lead - turns and starts running again, trying to reach Cat
"We still need to get Cat!" - Cobalt
They start running again. Samael wracks his brains. Why did his spell heal it?
"I have no idea why it..." - Samael
"That's why Obrimos can't fight this thing. It might be fire, it might be power. Try for the drain next time" -
Cobalt
"Can't drain it. I don't know what there is to drain..." - Samael
He gets an odd feeling - like he knows what the Worm is - but he can't process it.
"Never mind then" - Cobalt
They reach the bottom of the slope and turn. After a short staging area where equipment would have been
stored before the working shafts, they enter a chamber that was once some kind of dead end.
Everyone can feel that they've entered a Hallow.
"Where is she?" - Persephone
And then Cat reappears in the blink of an eye
Because she was left down here in the pitch dark, Cat has no way of knowing when she's time jumping - to her, the
characters (and their light source) have just appeared in a flash
Cat looks confused, as though she's under some kind of mind effect. She's sitting on the edge of a block.
"I know you." - Cat, confused
"Cat, we've come to rescue you" - Cobalt
Persephone realises that Cat isn't showing up properly on her Mind senses - she scrutinises Cat's pattern,
looking for whatever's happened. It looks like someone has drained her faculties, removing her higher
reasoning.
Or in game terms, Dowse reduced her Intelligence to zero with a Fraying spell of Mind, the mental equivalent of
degrading the form
"Okay then. We don't know if it's the necklace causing it but it's a good start" - Aegis
"Hold on. I might be able to hit it with a dispel" - Samael
The amulet around Cat's neck - locked tightly on - registers as being Imbued. This must be what's casting the
temporal stutter.
Cobalt casts Alter Integrity on the necklace's lock, snapping it. The amulet falls off, but Cat is still feeble-
minded. Samael picks the amulet up.
"Right, now we need a way out" - Cobalt, looking around
"Guess we need to go through the barrier, aren't we? Got no way of communicating with anyone outside" -
Samael
Aegis creates some more air for them, and everyone takes deep breaths
"Do we have any means other than going through the barrier of getting out of here?" - Samael
"Through the spirit world. IF there's a mine shaft here in the Shadow." - Aquila
He casts Peer across the Gauntlet
"But you can tell easily, though surely it will take a while to cast it?" - Samael
"It will take a while to cast but... It's a moot point, there's no shaft in the Shadow" - Aquila
"Damn. Right, we head back the way we came, we'll be able to follow the tracks easily enough. Aquila, you're
over watch, give us warning where you can. Aegis, we'll blaze the trail. You two, get Cat going." - Cobalt
Samael and Persephone take the opportunity of the Hallow to recast their fortune-affecting spells without
draining their Mana reserves. Aegis and Aquila heal the wounds the gang have already sustained. Aegis casts
Honing the form and picks Cat up with one arm, hefting her over his shoulder.
"Time to get the fuck out of here!" - Samael
Outside the Hallow, though, the layout of the tunnels has changed. Cobalt uses his Attainment in vain. He
thinks about the possibility of shifting everyone into Twilight and making an ephemeral ladder to get them up to
surface level, but doesn't like their chances against the Worm in that case.
"We can't use the twisted routes. It can either create rock from nothing or roll back time to before there was a
tunnel here" - Cobalt
"I can blast the cave in upstairs open, but tunnelling out all the way will take forever" - Aegis
"Scry on Quark" - Persephone
"I can't" - Samael
"You have the spyglass" - Persephone
"Yeah - but I don't know his name" - Samael
"I know the name he uses at Durham University. Depends if that's another stage name or his real one" - Cobalt
"If we scry on him he might scry back, see what's going on and make a portal for us" - Persephone
As it turns out, that isn't his real name. But Cobalt got one success anyway
Cobalt sees Quark in the Legion's Sanctum, talking to Cicero. He immediately looks up, straight at the scrying
window, before the spell ends
"He saw me!" - Cobalt
All they now need is for Quark to scry back. Sure enough, they feel a spell go off in their vicinity
"Guys! It's coming back" - Aquila
"Quark! We are evacuating now. I don't know if you can lip read, I don't know how much you can see but Quark,
if you listen to this, we need an evac now. It's coming back for us, it's blocked off the exits, if we go through the
passageways we're going to die" - Cobalt
The sense of being watched vanishes
"Aegis, can you buy us some room? Get some clear space around us above so it can't take us from the air" -
Cobalt
Aegis hands Cat to Samael
"Where is it?" - Persephone to Aquila
"It's beneath us... It's going beneath us." - Aquila
Aegis is widening the corridor to try to give them a fighting space.
"How close to the surface is it?" - Cobalt
"It's doing something down below us" - Aquila
Actually preparing to open a shaft beneath their feet!
"Let's not be standing right above it then" - Samael

"Good idea. Back to the Hallow?" - Aquila
Everyone agrees. They hurry back into the Hallow
"Can you turn solid materials into other solid materials?" - Samael to Cobalt
"Yes" - Cobalt
"Can you lead line the floor or something? I don't know, can it go through metal as well as rock?" - Samael
"I don't know. Why the hell not try?" - Cobalt
"See if you can turn it to iron, probably better for us than lead" - Samael
-We've already spoken about deep vein fires- - Kosciej
-What?- - Persephone
-Deep vein fires. You have an Obrimos. Set fire to the coal- - Kosciej
-Ohh... you must be joking- - Persephone
-If the beast is attracted by Forces, if it's attracted to heat, or to the memory of heat then set the mine on fire- -
Kosciej
-This plan is retarded- - Persephone
"I dread to say this, but we could just set the coal on fire" - Persephone
"What?" - Samael
"Well the monster is apparently attracted to heat so we could set the coal veins on fire" - Persephone
"If we do that then a) we better hope for quick evac, b) I think doing that fucks up the local landscape pretty
badly, there's this place in America which was shafted because of the coal fires" - Samael
"Silent Hill" - Cobalt
"Yeah, that too. That's not a good idea for the local area" - Samael
Bah! Kosciej the Deathless cares not for collatoral damage!
"We'd run out of oxygen, there's no way up" - Cobalt
"We'll run out of oxygen pretty fast if the fire will be in here - and we'll shaft a whole load of people who have
nothing to do with this" - Samael
"Just an idea." - Sef shrugs.
"I'll turn the floor to steel. I think I'll be able to manage the Hallow... or maybe I'll turn it to wood" - Cobalt
"Turn it to wood?" - Aquila
"Steel is metal.." - Cobalt
"Wood is... well it's coal." - Persephone
"Coal is also made of wood" - Aquila
"And it can go through stone so probably doesn't make a difference." - Cobalt
"We don't know if it can go through coal either." - Samael
"Turn it to plastic!" - Persephone
"Fuck yeah, turn it to kevlar!" - Cobalt
"Yeah, what we need right now is some kevlar flooring" - Samael
"I'm not keen on turning it to acid where we stand" - Cobalt
He starts casting
"What's going on?" - Cat, spaced out
"It's okay. We're going home, Cat" - Persephone
"HAH!" - Cobalt
The floor turns to Kevlar
"I hope this works" - Cobalt
"So do I" - Samael
"Quark, if you can hear us or see us, read our lips. Way out would be nice." - Cobalt
He makes hand gestures of the Free Council mudra for Space, a doughnut and an archway
"It's heading straight for us, not through the flooring; it's heading straight for us" - Aquila
"What angle is it coming up?" - Samael
"From the side" - Aquila
"Which side?" - Persephone
"There!" - Aquila, pointing
"Time to test a theory" - Cobalt
Cobalt changes the surface of that wall to kevlar too, wincing as he absorbs the paradox.
And now for the battle royale!
The Worm turns as it comes through the wall, avoiding the shield. It expands as it comes in, like a worm bulging
as it moves. The tip splits open like a ripe fruit, showing fangs of the white material, and it's "face" sprouts
tendrils like a catfish, snaking out towards them.
They feel an emotional aura - after Archimedes they're well used to these - urging them to abandon one
another and fend for themselves. Also, the Hallow's resonance has twisted upon the Worm entering it.
While it's in the Hallow, Virtues and Vices are reversed - fulfilling your Vice regains full Willpower
And then Samael realises what it is - the way it moves, swimming through the solid rock as though it weren't
there? The shape of it's body - central snakelike form with tendrils that come and go at will?
If it were made of fire rather than white matter, it would look like the things he saw in the Aether.
Or the things he saw behind the glass in his Mysterium Anima. The things the Echo Walkers worship.
It's a fallen Angel.
Samael casts Activate Item, holding the Amulet. Both he and Cat vanish, thrown forwards in time.
Revelatory!
Persephone casts Moment of Doubt on the Worm. Aquila and Aegis rush it, getting in-between it and the non-
Arrow mages. Aquila slashes at tentacles with his sword, severing them.
Agena: My man!
Aegis hits it with his hammer.
The creature has the Multiple Limb fighting style from Promethean. And it was with THAT revelation that Dave figured
out it was related to a Pandoran. At which point I told them it was a Lillithim.
Initiative order - the Worm, Aegis, Aquila and Cobalt, Samael then Persephone
The Worm lunges at Aquila, biting him. He screams as his flesh blackens.
They have annoyed it enough to make it use Aggravated Damage
Aegis is burnt, too - less severely, and he's still up. Cobalt pulls out a squeezy bottle, transmuting the sports
drink inside into milk, and then throws the bottle at the Worm's head. It turns it's head and snaps it's jaws shut
on the bottle, eating it.
Persephone tries to rewind time, but fails.

Aegis redoubles his attack on the worm's head, trying to give Aquila space and time to back away. Aquila
makes a fighting retreat, slashing at tentacles that try to get around Aegis to stab at him. The worm squirms
further into the Hallow.
"Fuck... beginning to wonder if setting something on fire might not be the best plan we've got!" - Cobalt
"Where's Samael?!" - Aegis, wrestling with a tendril for control of his hammer
"Out of the timeline!" - Persephone
"Bloody hell!" - Cobalt
"Fighting retreat!" - Aquila, warding off another tendril
"Retreat to where!?" - Persephone
"Just out of this room! It's drawing power from the hallow!" - Cobalt
Aegis and Aquila cover the others - Aegis more than Aquila.
The two Arrow are going full defense, taking the Worm's attacks on the chin.
Cobalt gets back out into the tunnel, and feels his head clear as he leaves the zone of the creature's mental
presence.
Aegis is rammed by the worm's head. While he's off-balance, the Worm strikes at Aquila with it's tendrils,
impaling him through the chest and lifting him off his feet before throwing him bodily out of the Hallow - when
he lands, he doesn't move - his skin is smoking from the cold-burns.
"AQUILA!!" - Persephone, screaming in horror
The creature tries to shove Aegis out of the way again, but he's braced for the impact now, and it bunches up,
unable to get past him.
"RUN!" - Aegis, to the others
Cobalt absorbs another Paradox as he converts the kevlar floor yet again - into Magnesium!
Persephone runs to Aquila's body, failing to cast Life sight as she goes. She tries, slowly, to drag him away from
the Hallow.
Aegis reels as the Worm concentrates it's attacks on him.
It's only getting a few wounds past his Durability every round - it needs to get more than 4 on 9 dice when he's using
full defence and brawling dodge - but he is by now on 5 aggravated wounds. Fortunately, he has 10 Health.
Cobalt slams a fist into the ground. A section of the floor beneath the worm rumples up, crushing the Worm's
midsection.
Which is a Matter-based Fraying spell - 4 bashing damage. Dave had figured out that ranged Fraying attacks do not
subtract the target's defence, so they're the best things to use against a creature with no armour and a high defence
Tears in her eyes, Sef lashes out with Time magic, Fraying the Worm's pattern.
The air ripples as the Worm finally has enough of Aegis and roars at him. Aegis' flesh melts, running like wax.
His eyes fall out of their sockets, hanging on ropes of flesh, and his chest bows in unnaturally. His jaw drops too
far open, tongue hanging down.
Mutagenic Blast for the win! God, I love Promethean
Cobalt charges, cutting at tentacles.
Samael and Cat reappear. Right next to the Worm. Samael tries something he's never tried before - he tries to
cast a spell using the worm as a power source, the way he would use the Hallow. After all, if this IS a being from
the Aether, it must be made of Mana...
He tries to cast Telekinetic Blast. It works, but it feels wrong. Really wrong - a sickening feeling in his stomach.
Samael gains two points of Flux! Hooray!
"GET OUT" - Cobalt
Persephone casts Shifting Sands. Samael vanishes back out of the timestream, Aegis' body returns to it's
(metal-shelled) normal shape and Cobalt is reversed back to being by her side. Finally, the Fraying spell she
cast on the Worm is undone.
And, exhausted, her mental form drops out of Mictlan as she tries to Fray it again.
"AEGIS! Look out!" - Persephone
She's out of Willpower - and that still punts you from the Astral Realms even if your Legacy lets you act in both
simultaneously
The beast oozes white pus-like liquid from many small wounds. It finally has enough of Aegis and roars at him.
Different power this time, though
Aegis just stands there - paralysed or hypnotised. Cobalt, though, performs his Fraying spell instead of charging
in this timeline...
...And the Worm, battered by another burst of rock, bursts in a shower of white goop.
They won!
Didn't kill it. Just reduced it's Corpus to zero. Normally, that would have banished it but there are extenuating
circumstances they might learn about if they ever research the right things.
Against my better judgement, I must point out at Agena's insistence that Sef survived being attacked by the Tentacle
Monster.
Samael and Cat reappear as the Amulet's spell runs out.
Awww. No Flux for him after all
"Aquila... Aquila! Shit... shit!" - Cobalt
Aegis blinks, shaking his head as he shakes whatever the Worm did to him off. He crouches next to Aquila,
doing what he can.
"Right, okay. Sam... frayings." - Cobalt
"Not from me" - Samael, emphatically
"I'm getting that. It doesn't have magical protection, it's just really kind of dodgy" - Cobalt
"It IS magic... It's a supernal creature" - Samael
"It's from the realms?" - Cobalt
"Can you guess where it's from?" - Samael
"Are you telling me this thing is a fallen angel? Pretty damn ugly for a fallen angel" - Cobalt
"Yeah the ones in the Aether are a lot prettier" - Samael
Aegis can't heal the hideous burns that the Worm inflicted during the fight, but *can* heal the smaller wounds
he suffered earlier. And most importantly, stop Aquila from bleeding out.
"Is he going to live?" - Samael
"I think so" - Aegis, relieved
"Is Quark going to open that portal?" - Samael, to the air
"I'm fucking hoping so. If he does, he'll have to base it on one of us. We need to move" - Cobalt
"Let's go." - Samael
"You got Cat, I'll grab Aquila" - Cobalt
Aegis shakes his head - he still has his enhanced Strength working - and hefts Aquila
They start up the tunnel - which in the Worm's absence has thankfully returned to normal - and set Cat and
Aquila down by the cave in while Aegis and Cobalt start tunnelling. Before they get very far, though, a Portal
opens next to them
"Women and children first... That is, those people unconscious" - Cobalt
1. Monster
They emerge into the Legion's Sanctum, Quark dancing with concern
"Her mind has been screwed with" - Samael nodding at Cat as Atia takes her
Militas takes Aquila - and Sef, who stubbornly goes with them - up to the medical room.
"I'm sorry it took so long, something was blocking me" - Quark
"It does that, too" - Cobalt
"We drove it off, don't think it was killed though" - Samael
"It burst... it was bloody anticlimactic if I actually killed it" - Cobalt
A LILLITHIM?
The Lambton Worm in this chronicle is based on Ian Watson's "The Fire Worm", in which the beast is a Salamander
summoned by an Alchemist to try to grant eternal life - and which is seeking out people who were abandoned like it
was and "saving" them by fixing them alchemically. The whole symbolism of a being of willpower, purpose and fire
connections - along with the alchemical origin - suggested Promethean. The creature's symbolism switched more to
being drawn to either the pure fire of it's origin or to "creation gone wrong", disgust at what you've wrought, which
made it a Lillithim. Besides which, that got the whole physical horror aspect of it across. Squirm!
In MY World of Darkness, by the way, the Divine Fire of Promethean is the Aether, and Obimos have the same
relationship to Prometheans and Pyros as Acanthus have to Changelings and Wyrd.
"I don't think it was somehow. It was withdrawing when I reappeared, still I could see this thing oozing away" -
Samael
Quark closes the Portal. Cobalt sits down, biting his lip with pain. He's taken a LOT of Paradox Backlash. Samael
channels Mana from his own Pattern into Cobalt's. Cicero has sat Cat down and has pressed his fingers to her
temples, dispelling whatever it was Dowse did to her.
Samael and Aegis fill Quark in on what happened. The Libertine turns pale as they describe the Worm's powers.
"...Yeah and then it nearly killed me and did some kind of hypnotic attack on me right at the end..." - Aegis
"You know one thing I'd like to use against this thing? Guns. Lots of guns" - Cobalt
Samael phones Pandora and checks his watch. It's now past Midnight.
Sixteen Hours to the Consilium.
Dora is in Durham. Arc is in Bede's Sanctum and they haven't come out.
"I think they've gone to bed" - Pandora
"Where's Aurora gone?" - Samael
"Home, I think" - Pandora
"We've survived. I think it's important we keep Arc away from this thing - or maybe to introduce him to it... We
have to deal with whatever's happening at the Aetheneum now, and then rest" - Samael
Cobalt gets himself a coffee in the background
"Do you want me to come back up to Newcastle or do you want me to stay here and see if anything happens?"
- Pandora
"I'll find out from Logos what's going on first. I might need to come over to Durham to the Aetheneum.
Otherwise come back, don't want you to make a target of yourself if they think you have any information you
shouldn't have" - Samael
Quark goes a bit distant, and then starts casting.
"Oh, hang on - I think we're about to get the Aethenum gang back" - Samael
The Portal to the field outside the Aetheneum opens. Some of the people who went have wounds - Dowse
appears to have fought back - but they have Dowse between them, struggling with a bag over his head.
It doesn't stop him talking, though.

"Looks like they've got him, Dora. Come back." - Samael
He hangs up
"YOU DON'T HAVE JURISDICTION! YOU DON'T HAVE JURISDICTION TO KIDNAP ME!" - Dowse
Excalibur takes a run-up and punches Dowse in the head, knocking him flat and, as it happens, through the
Portal
Cal's increasing tendency to ignore the rules in favour of what's right is going somewhere. It reaches a culmination
next session, but I felt it neccessary to make sure everyone knew, from the outside, that this was legally dodgy.
Righteous, yes, but legally dodgy.
"He may not be in his jurisdiction as a Sentinal but you're still within the Order's jurisdiction wherever you are,
motherfucker" - Samael
"Plus, we went through channels" - Cobalt
Hatfield pulls the bag off Dowse's head.
"Joshua Michael, I, deputised as a Sentinel by order of this Consilium and in my powers as Lictor, do arrest you
for murder. Bitch.' - Hatfield
Samael nods to Hatfield
"We went into the tunnels. We got Cat back" - Samael
"We got the item it was used, we don't know where this wretch dumped Pythagoras' body before he
disintegrated it" - Cobalt
Excalibur takes the Amulet, casts Analyse Magic Item and reports that it was Imbued by Pythagoras
"How long it will last?" - Cobalt
"It's got almost no mana left. It will last a couple of weeks unless it's mana is depleted." - Excalibur
"So it's not permanent... That's okay. We'll hold on to it for now" - Samael
"How'd it go?" - Excalibur, looking for Aegis and Aquila as Persephone comes back downstairs
"The other guys took it bad. We can't fight it. We really can't fight it. It's a... supernal being from guess where.
Sucks our magic right up. Of course when I say supernal being, it's a type of supernal being that's been kicked
out for being way too ugly. But it is magic" - Samael
"Oh yeah... right, let me think. It ate the milk..." - Cobalt
"We're gonna need a bigger cow" - Aegis, dryly
"We need to work out how to kill it" - Samael
"Maybe not milk. If it's like... You say it looks like one of the beings in the Aether but twisted? Rendered
downwards? Like it's been turned from gold to lead?" - Logos
"That wouldn't be the phrase I'd use but I suppose so... It's more like one of those things that have been under
a stone for too long" - Samael
"But, you know, the idea, like it's been turned into something horrible by being here" - Logos
"We don't know if it's because it's here that it's been turned into that or whether it was by it's own choice" -
Samael
"It likes fire..." - Logos
"Does it?" - Samael
"We speculated that it likes fire, because it was living in the volcanic rock?" - Logos
"Probably a good thing I never lit the chamber" - Cobalt
"It might be attracted to purity if it's from the Aether. so... Prime magic, Mana, things that symbolise Purity and
Fire. If it's like a rejection beast it's about disgust and rejection then..." - Logos
"Okay but if it's attracted to purity then it doesn't help us very much, it just means we can make a target and
then what? We feed it?" - Samael
"We need to find a witch" - Persephone
"We have one right here. Okay, so what's your advice?" - Samael
-In the story, the young warrior went to see a witch who advised him to kill it in the river, in the water, and
preform an sacrifice of the first thing he saw to seal it... Which he didn't go through with which I pressume is
why it reformed- Daimon!Kosciej
"How old is the King of the Sea?" - Cobalt
"The King of the Sea? He's couple of centuries old? But he'll have the memories of the harbor spirit from
before" - Excalibur
"My query is; was that sacrifice part of the pact with the river spirit to deal with it?" - Cobalt
"Maybe..." - Samael
"I was thinking, now the spirit of the bay is a ghost and Death is the Arcanum the Aether lacks" - Cobalt
"The only thing is we can't exactly copy the story because whe don't have anyone who can take this thing on" -
Samael
"Difficult. I mean; we killed it" - Cobalt
"With a group of people inculding two of our toughest fighters" - Samael
"Yeah, which means if we draw it, we need to draw it into the open and we need to fight it..." - Cobalt
"We need a trap." - Excalibur
"But the key flaw is if we still have to make some ridiculous deal with something of killing of the first thing we
see and the entire cabal looks at each other. We got a bunch of people... It's gonna be a mess" - Samael
"Bear in mind, the King of the Sea... We're gonna have to wait until Aquila is properly healed. But the King of
the Sea was saying... He was hinting that he has a big thing which is presumably the..." - Excalibur
"Which is presumably how to kill off the thing. I'm surprised it didn't tell him... Aquila was the one who dealt
with him first, maybe he told Aquila what the price is?" - Samael
"He got lots of useful information, he may have been given the price" - Cobalt
"We'll have to wait until we can talk to Aquila" - Samael
"This is gonna be post-Consilium. This is a long-term problem. At the moment..." - Cobalt
"At the moment you guys fought it off" - Excalibur
"More to the point, we may not be able to bring it out to the open until it had the time to heal and recuperate,
and who knows how long that could be. It may just not come if we call it." - Samael
"In short term, I'm concerned about the Seers" - Cobalt
"I'm also concerned about Arc rocking up" - Samael
"Damn it, he's gonna kill me at the Consilium" - Cobalt
"He's not gonna kill you at the Consilium, stop that" (loud, to everyone) "Oh yes, just so everyone knows,
there's a left-handed homicidal maniac who's been outlawed in London who's come up north and is planning to
kill us off. He's called Arc. He's a member of the legacy that disrupts people's souls to get what they believe the
truth. I'm sure you can see the dangers involved with this" - Samael
"Like that proximus" - Persephone
"He's the same kind as the one responsible for Dominic last year" - Samael
"Indeed he is" (re-entering the room, wiping his hands) "She's asleep, I've dispelled what Dowse did to her" -
Cicero
"Did you get more out of Magog? Was he a part of a wider plan?" - Cobalt
"You're not going to like this especially, but no, Magog didn't know about any plans to trap Cat or especially kill
Pythagoras. He was hired - he believed by Bede - to kidnap Cat, as part of a gambit to blame the Free Council
and disrupt them so that Quark could be taken down and Magog would be installed as the new leader, friendlier
to the Mysterium" - Cicero
"Taken down by who?" - Persephone
"Popular accord. He couldn't do anything right" - Cobalt
"You guys were pretty shafted one way or another, if the Mystagogues say: right, fuck it, we're not going to deal
with the Free Councillors, the pressure on you to buck up and deal with the problem is going to be pretty
immense and eventually Quark is going to get in the neck cos he's the person responsible." - Samael
"Yeah..." - Quark
"He has come quietly as they say. He's not resisting arrest. He also is asleep upstairs but the death of his uncle
at the hands of his erstwhile ally... well, he wishes to speak to the legal council but I believe he's ready to make
a plea bargain" - Cicero
"Never saw him for a patsy" - Cobalt
"I think he just was tricked" - Persephone
"Can you find out where the order came from?" - Samael
"You think Dowse was telling Magog the truth?" - Cicero
"I don't know and I need to know before the Mysterium Caucus" - Samael
"I can find out what he honestly believes, but if he was passed a note telling him to do it that he was certain
came from Bede..." - Cicero
"If you can find out who passed the note etcetera as well..." - Samael
"I can just dig through his memories" - Cicero
"That's what I mean, find out where he believes the information came from so if person X gave him note and he
thinks it's person Y..." - Samael
"Likewise if you can find out who planted the evidence on Cobra... We've pretty much cleared him, but..." -
Cobalt
"Oh, that was Pythagoras." - Cicero
"He was better than he was claiming. Damn... we had a Master" - Cobalt
Samael gets his phone out and rings Key. No answer - the Curator's phone is turned off.
"There must be some way of getting hold of him" - Samael to Logos
"At one am? Go to his house, bang on the door until he wakes up?" - Logos
"All right. Do you know where he lives?" - Samael
"Yeah. Back to Durham I'm afraid" - Logos
"Isn't Pandora comming here to meet up with you?" - Cobalt
"Pandora is coming here but I'd rather she was here than in Durham at the moment, given who else is there" -
Samael
"And you're going alone to meet Arc" - Persephone
"I'm not going to meet Arc. I'm going to meet Key" - Samael
"You may not plan to meet Arc. Cobalt... go with him... Cal?" - Persephone
"Cobalt is drained and injured and Cal's... Durham is not a good place for Cal to be" - Samael
"I'll go if you need me." - Excalibur
"Don't worry, I'll go" - Cobalt
"Don't worry man" (to Excalibur) "We don't want to get you in more trouble" - Samael
"I'm staying with Aquila" - Persephone
"I'll go" - Militas

"We'll hit the road" - Samael
"I'm coming with you. I have legal immunity whilst I'm acting as a Lictor. Partly that and partly because we four
represent four other orders... No wait... No we don't... we're missing somebody. We need a Guardian" - Hatfield
"Gaunt" - Cobalt
Gaunt nods and joins the team.
"We have one member of every order now. We're making it very official. This is not an internal Mysterium
matter any more" - Hatfield
"Actually; you were empowered by the Mysterium to investigate the break-ins. I'm empowered by the Free
Council" - Cobalt
"I was made deputy Sentinel to investigate the break-ins. And Gaunt is here as our backup. And Militas... is also
here as our backup" - Hatfield
They leave - by car this time. Poor Quark is quite Portal'd out.
1. Monster
An hour later, they're outside Key's house in the rich part of Durham. Cobalt walks up to the door, preparing to
unlock it.
"We'll do this legitimately" - Samael, knocking
The door is opened by a girl in her early twenties, who appears to recognise Samael even if he can't quite place
her.
"Sir?" - girl
"We need to talk to him, it's very urgent. Can you please give him the message immediately" - Samael
She opens the door
The servant - Samael belatedly recognises her as a Sleepwalker servant of the order - shows them to the sitting
room. It looks like a Mystagogues house - not a comfortable one like Ashlar's, where everything was piled on
discount shelving. Everything at Key's house looks well dusted but oddly soulless.
Everyone sits, apart from Militas who looms, cross-armed, in the background.
Militas has quite a good Intimidate
Key comes down the stairs into the room. It is being an It right now - the first time Samael has seen Key in it's
natural hermaphroditic state. It's wearing an open robe, (thankfully) pyjama trousers and is barefoot. The long
hair covers up the third eye in the back of it's head, though.
The result is oddly attractive, in a disturbing way.
"Key, I apologise to so urgently see you at this time of night, but we have a very serious situation at hand. Do
you mind if I ask you, what is the most critical situation you've faced in your time as a curator?" - Samael
"What IS the most critical time?" - Key, querying his tenses
"The most challenging, most difficult for the order" - Samael
"What an intriguing question" (sits) "Are we talking my entire career?" - Key
"Sure" - Samael
"I would say the difficulties between some of the cabals that existed long before your time were traumatic, with
all Mystagogues within the region wanting to have priority over the Aetheneum, fighting over the collection... In
recent memory the breach of security" - Key
"I'm afraid things are about to get worse. You said you were not responsible for ordering the theft of the
Lorehouse" - Samael
"Indeed" - Key
"Do you know who it was?" - Samael
"Bede... I believe." - Key, calmly and without hesitation
Note the important difference between Key and Bede - when asked a direct question by a fellow Mystagogue, Key
*answers*. He / She is still following the Mysterium's Protocols
"Well then; Bede has violated First Protocol and possibly violated Third Protocol..." - Samael
"Explain yourself" - Key, interrupting
"Well for starters we have one dead mage as a result of his orders, we have conspiracy to manipulate the
Mysterium to interdiction, we have Mysterium members dealing with other Mysterium members in a most
unpleasant way given that we very nearly had a dead Mystagogue as well as a result of the instructions by
Bede if what you said is true..." - Samael
"Dowse came to me with a sealed scroll bearing the authorisation cipher he believed to be Bede's. He asked
me as his Dudekos to confirm that it was Bede's cipher. It was, and so I did" - Key
"Oh, so it was simply to confirm that his orders were from Bede?" - Samael
"He found the scroll somewhere however I didn't see what the actual orders were, I simply confirmed that they
were from Bede" - Key
"How easy could that be falsified?" - cobalt
"Very hard. Theoretically possible if a high ranking Mystagogue was attempting to cause trouble" - Key
"I mean no disrespect so please take my words as a result of the state of mistrust we find ourselves this
evening... You are the only other high ranking Mystagogue we have to verify it's Bede's cipher. Is it... it's
possible you could have told.." - Samael
"The cypher as far as I understood it was Bede's. I am not a Hierophant" - Key
"What I mean is, you must understand we have to be careful still because you could have told our young friend
that it was Bede's cipher while it wasn't. It could have been faked, or you could have been mistaken" - Samael
"Quite so" - Key
"So it still leaves us with questions and possibilities" - Samael
"I'm willing to submit a memory imprint of the event should you wish to bring this to court" - Key, looking at
Hatfield in his official robes
"And indeed even if the investigation goes elsewhere, your willingness to submit that may help us. If Bede is
responsible for this he may attempt to throw his patsy under the bus as it were. You can understand the
seriousness of the situation we find ourselves in here; the Dudekoi are finding our superior to have ordered..." -
Samael
"I cannot believe that Bede ordered Dowse to kill Cat as part of some elaborate scheme" - Key
"But he did order the elaborate scheme to manipulate us into interdiction: Theft. He gave orders for Free
Council to be given access perhaps to the Aetheneum, take things from us. He then lied to us. He's lied to me
before. This is violation of the First Protocol" - Samael
"He arranged for the arrest of one of my people. He killed another" - Cobalt
"Do you have any proof that it was actually him?" - Key
"Bede? Well I know he broke the First Protocol, he's lied to me before. If he was indeed responsible for giving
Dowse orders and we will soon have information from Dowse as to exactly what he was instructed to do then
we'll have... My hope is it's not Bede" - Samael
"Do you not perhaps think that Bede is being set up?" - Key
"That's the possibility. This is one of the things we have to be aware of. On the other hand that may be the
defense he's intending to use which is that he's being set up while he isn't... Problems winding themselves
around one another" - Samael
"This is why we have a legal system." - Hatfield
"Very true" - Cobalt
"My apologies for making it so vitally important to find out what you're able to tell us at this stage" - Samael
"No, I quite understand. As I said I'm willing to submit a memory imprint" - Key
"I'm afraid my faith in our leader is somewhat wobbly, as I said he's violated the First Protocol, he's lied to me,
increased Pancryptia" - Samael
But Samael, that doesn't mean he actually did it. Lying to you about Quiet in the fourth session doesn't mean he's the
evil mastermind here.
Key thinks Samael has been out to get Bede from the start - which is fair, as he has. The Daksha will have to be
persuaded by actual evidence
"Very serious allegations. But not as serious an allegation as murder by proxy" - Key
"Anyway we have the book that was taken back, we haven't recovered the coins and such but presumably once
the information has been recovered from Dowse..." - Samael
"It will all fall apart at Magog's plea bargain" - Cobalt
"But as soon as we have those we'll return them to the Aetheneum. The passwords, have they been changed
since the theft?" - Samael
"Yes. I will see you at the Consilium" - Key
"Is that tomorrow?" - Cobalt
"It is today" - Key, looking at the clock
Cobalt casts Aura Perception, seeing that Key is on the whole calm though suspicious of Samael
"There is of course one other person with sufficient initiation into the Mysteries. Our newcomer" - Key
"Arc" - Samael & Cobalt
"Yes, he is a member of what should be a left-handed legacy. He attempts to view the Supernal through souls
and it very badly damages the souls involved. He's been outlawed in London for the destruction of public
structures and attempts on another mages' lives. I'm not entirely sure why he's come here" - Samael
"He's Bede's guest" - Key
"Still to have managed this he would have to arrived quite some time surely or had influence here long before"
- Samael
"As far as I'm aware he only arrived today" - Key
"Surely he can't have been responsible for this" - Samael
"He presented Bede with a.... true." - Key, conceding the point
"Also, I comitted an Ankh to the care of the Atheneum" - Samael
"Yes it has been given to the newcomer" - Key
"Surely that's a Third Protocol violation. What has he given us?" - Samael
"He has rendered several gifts to Bede which the Hierophant is currently cataloging for inclusion to the
Atheneum" - Key
"I hope they're worthy gifts rather than simple tokens" - Samael, suspicious
"I assume they would be. The Ankh may be an artefact of Sophia herself but in the end it's just one item. If he
can provide more... And he is an archaeomancer... Then he can buy it's worth" - Cobalt
"Ultimately I'm not particularly worried about him having it. If anything it will reduce the damage he does" -
Samael
"I'm mildly concerned about the damage he'll do to me. I'm not in a state to fight a Duel" - Cobalt
"You won't be fighting a Duel, don't worry. As I said, Arc is a dangerous psychopath and if he'd return to London
then would be probably executed" - Samael
Gaunt coughs. Everyone looks at the Guardian
"We are most interested in this Arc fellow. We can corroborate Samael's story very quickly by means of Soul
Marks. If he is of the legacy... If he's of the same lineage that killed Hatfield's student..." - Gaunt
Hatfield realises what they mean
"Yes, Hatfield, he is of the same Legacy. His methods are somewhat different to Vahishta's; I believe she is more
experimental and Arc is more psychotically... smashing through obstacles" - Samael
"He burned the words 'Soon'" - Cobalt
"The Guardians of the Veil in London have no jurisdiction here" - Key, smoothly
"However, we Guardians of the Veil in Durham have declared an interest in this particular legacy. We will see if
he's a member of it at the Consilium tomorrow" - Gaunt
"Furthermore, Key, the Mysterium must have very strong interest in what their members are doing in such
dangerous manner. He should be censored for his behaviour at the very least. Attempting to kill other
Mysterium members is generally frowned upon as I understand" - Samael
"Well then. I shall see you at the Consilium" - Key
"Thank you for the information. I feel that we will be able to find from Dowse what he actually received. I bid
you good night!" - Samael
And they all troop out, back to Gaunt's car
"What do you think?" - Militas
"He is less inclined to believe that it was Bede on the basis that Samael thinks it was Bede. It really doesn't
trust you" - Cobalt
"I don't want to think it's Bede, it's just we got quite a lot of evidence pointing that way, haven't we?" - Samael
"It really doesn't trust you. I don't want to tell you your own internal order business but you really rubbed Key
the wrong way at some point" - Gaunt
"Yes, because I didn't make things easy... I didn't make this plot easy to work! From the beginning I was
resistant to the stupid ideas..." - Samael
"You think he's in on it?" - Gaunt
"Well, I... Possibly he just wanted everyting to be smooth and nice and his life to be easy and he isn't on it and
by me being an asshole and saying 'holy shit what the fuck are we doing?' I've made his life harder and thus he
doesn't like me for it" - Samael
"It'll become even harder if he becomes the senior Mysterium in Durham" - Cobalt
"I'd rather... If he is *not* involved in this plot, I'd rather he was the senior mysterium in Durham. Because if
Bede is responsible for this... so be it." - Samael
"I don't think we'll be able to prove that Bede was responsible for it. All we'll be able to prove is that Dowse
thinks he was" - Gaunt
"Yeah, there's that message, I bet Dowse has destroyed it" - Cobalt
"But the problem is we have mind impressions of the ciphers" - Samael
"Which could be faked, and we don't know who gave the scroll to Dowse" - Hatfield
"The only person who could fake it would be Bede" - Samael
"No, the physical scroll could've been forged." - Gaunt
"Yes but someone has to have had the cipher." - Sam
"So a high ranking Mystagogue" - Gaunt
"Of which we have one" - Samael
"Of which there are many in the world. One of whom is a declared adversary of ours" - Cobalt, thinking of Echo
Walkers
"Or to return to a theory that you have ordained... Another agency" - Gaunt, thinking of Seers
"We might just have to sacrifice Dowse and accept we can't get Bede rather than gun for him" - Samael
"I don't think I can convict Bede unless something unexpected comes out. Dowse is a given but if Bede did this,
I think he might get away with it. Bear in mind, to prosecute the Council I'm gonna need really cast iron proof."
- Hatfield
"Yes, any chance of a Scooby Doo?" - Cobalt
"Every trail just stops. We can see how it could get straight to Bede but..." - Hatfield
"But it doesn't have to. It could be a setup" - Samael
"Or just good planning." - Hatfield
"Can't we just have his mind read?" - Samael
"A Councillor?" - Cobalt
"Yeah, a councillor. If he has nothing to hide the information." - Samael
"Please accept this gross insult towards your pepole but you really *DO* have a few things to hide" - Cobalt
"Presumably we can just get specific information out of the mind read?" - Samael
"There's no guarantee of the mind reader" - Gaunt
"And there's no reason that he should consent if he has sensitive information in his head which someone could
access whilst they're in there" - Cobalt
"He won't consent to it and Aurora won't make him consent to it" - Hatfield
"That's the trick. He could have good reason even if he were innocent so we can't employ the mind probe" -
Cobalt
"The problem is, we can't really leave him in the situation where he might or might have not done it because of
the sheer instability that's gonna cause in the long run's gonna be incredible. We need to exonerate or find
something. We can't just step up and say 'huh not sure really. Hey Bede it could have been you. Eyy.'" - Samael
"Yeah, that's almost cruel" - Cobalt
"If we can't get something on him I'm going to end up publically standing up and saying 'you know, this this
this points at Bede however it looks like it's an attempt to frame him' and go with that because you know..." -
Samael
"Okay, the only chance we have really is trick him into a slip up. The Scooby Doo ending" - Cobalt
"I have no idea how to trick him to slip up. He just needs to keep quiet and say 'it wasn't me'. It depends what
we get out of Dowse to an extent" - Samael
"Yes" - Cobalt
"They're going to start kicking back. Whoever was doing this, we've given them a good pasting tonight. They
are going to start kicking back" - Gaunt
"Yeah" - Cobalt
"They still have Cobra locked up." - Militas
"Yeah but we can get him out of there at any time" - Samael
"Potentially not. The legality..." - Cobalt
"Not legally untill the Consilium" - Hatfield
"The legality of the items he took during the freezhounds incident." - Cobalt
"They could decide to imprison him for that" - Gaunt
"They could and it would be incredibly unfair to Excalibur for his permitting it but arguably that was a ruling of
the Sentinal at the time" - Cobalt
"Can they prove he had those items?" - Samael
"Yeah they found them. The added book was placed on top" - Cobalt
"Well then Cobra may be in trouble but that said, I think it's gonna pale compared to everything else that's
going on. I think it's going to go 'yeah, he's a idiot', he's going to get sentenced for it in some way" - Samael
"I suspect we may have to give those things back. Luckily we got the lorehouse back so... Oh crap. Oh crap" -
Cobalt
"Why 'oh crap'?"- Samael
"I've just been through all this shit and I didn't once call Symmetry!" - Cobalt
"Do it when we get back" - Samael
Cobalt frets
"If we can't get anything on Bede, I'd like a chance tomorrow to speak in his defence then. Because I don't want
to leave it hanging half and half." - Samael to Hatfield
"Sure" - Hatfield
---
Back at the Legion's Sanctum, Sef is dozing at Aquila's bedside. He'll heal eventually, she's been told, but the
Consilium doesn't have a Life mage sufficiently powerful to do it.
---
An hour later still - nearly half two in the morning - the team arrive back. Pandora is sat up with Atia. They've
both looked in on Persephone. Pandora seems shattered - seeing Aquila has made her realise how much danger
Samael was in.
Samael staggers in and sits down next to Pandora.
"Are you okay?" - Samael
"Tired but I'm okay... I saw Aquila" - Pandora
"Dowse got a message from Bede to do all this but it may not be Bede" (to Atia) "Did Cicero say anything what
was in Dowse's head yet?" - Samael
"He's still poking through it" - Atia
"This sofa seems very comfortable..." - Samael
And he falls asleep.
---
The day of the Consilium dawns, and the Legion's Sanctum is host to a general battle meeting and lunchtime
council of interested parties. Symmetry has turned up - she was back at the Grey Street Runners' Sanctum.
Persephone has gone over the events with D!Kosciej, whose opinion is that the Worm will be attracted to
symbols of Purity, but sustains itself by corrupting those symbols to being like itself - a symbol of purity that
has been perverted by the Abyss. He also says that she needs to press R!Kosciej about what happened with
Solemn.
Samael is having a quiet side conversation with Pandora
"I'm not in Key's good books so I want to do something to increase my Guanxi to him..." - Samael
"Do you need me as a Dadukos?" - Pandora
"No, I'm asking for advice because you know Key better than I do" - Samael
"Oh, do him some favors" - Pandora
"Yeah? What kind of things?" - Samael
"As a curator? Help him move the Aetheneum. He'll be appreciative if you put in the hours and help cast the
protection spells, that kind of thing, she'll probably appreciate that" - Pandora
"Anything else? Nice stained glass that she might want?" - Samael
"Daksha are very into Orientalism" - Pandora
"Thank you, this is going to help, because I don't think she likes me very much at the moment, I haven't made
his life very easy..." - Samael
Cicero comes over to report his findings. Cobalt walks up to the conversation as well, listening in.
"Dowse woke up one day to find the cylinder containing his orders. His corroborated that they were from Bede
by going to Key" - Cicero
"Do you know what the orders said?" - Samael
"They basically outlined the scheme. How he should use Pythagoras to perform the Time spells needed and to
then to get rid of his accomplices. He was in fact planning on killing Magog." - Cicero
"So nothing we can reliably tie on Bede for sure?" - Samael
"Messages could have come from anywhere" - Cobalt
"Indeed" - Cicero
They get the distinct impression that Cicero thinks it was Bede who did it. Symmetry and Persephone come
downstairs from Aquila's room and join the group.
"Dowse didn't try to go to Bede and confirm it?" - Samael
Cicero shakes his head
"Stupid motherfucker.." - Samael
"Well, he thought they were secret orders" - Cicero
"You mystagogues are trained to obey orders" - Persephone
"No" (through gritted teeth) "We're not trained to obey orders, we're trained to ask questions" - Samael
"And not give answers" - Cobalt
"Well then clearly someone didn't train Dowse right" – Persephone
"He thought that it was a secret. And Mystagogues do love to keep a lot of secrets" - Cicero
"Sorry man. Gotta live with the stereotype" - Cobalt
"Yeah, as I said we're trying to question, that's why we have all the knowledge we have, not blindly take orders,
that's what the Seers do" - Samael
"In any case, it appears that Magog is an unwilling accesory to his own uncle's murder" - Cicero
"That's punishment enough" - Samael
"Quite" - Cobalt
"Where's Pythagoras' body?" - Persephone
"Disintegrated, scattered to the wind." - Cicero
"Did he leave a ghost..?" - Cobalt
"Did Dowse had some item? Because he's an Acanthus and has Mind *and* Death Arcanum?" - Persephone
"He did in fact use an Imbued item to disintegrate the body" - Cicero
"Wandering tank of magic items..." - Samael
"Bear in mind, Dowse is a Reclaimer, his job in the Mysterium is to steal magic items" - Cicero
"I thought his job is to steal the items for the Mysterium not for himself" - Persephone
"But he'll be equipped with tools to do it" - Samael
"But it's that way of thinking. This whole thing with... He apparently half bullied and half cajoled Pythagoras into
making him that amulet and setting Cobra up... but that's the way Dowse thinks. If he can't do it himself, he
doesn't get another mage to do it, he gets an item that can do it" - Cicero
"He'll have an awful lot of time to think soon. Is there anything else we can do before the Consilium?" - Samael
"Well, there's the Assembly" - Cobalt

"Yeah, we've got the Assembly, and you guys have got the tensest Mysterium Caucus ever" - Symmetry
"I'm really sorry that you came from the fucked up Mysterium in London for a holiday and this happens." -
Samael to Pandora
"How many crazy life threatening things do we have to throw to the Assembly? Possibly four. Rodriguez counts
as well, let's throw five" - Cobalt
"Start simple, tell them there's a giant monster, there's a consparacy..." - Samael
"Monster, the Seers, the conspiracy..." - Cobalt
"The Mexican" - Samael
"The Mexican..." - Cobalt
"Arc" - Persephone
"The crazy lunatic.." - Samael
"..and Arc, and Something Else..." - Cobalt, thinking of the Parliment
"No, that's the conspiracy, isn't it?" - Persephone
"No, the conspiracy is the whole stealing thing." - Cobalt
"Oh yes, so six!" - Persephone
"Six things! Have you explained six impossible things before breakfast? Round it off with dinner at Milliways!" -
Cobalt
"So, Dora, if we get through this, okay, and we don't end up exiled or dead or in trouble, what do you want to
do?" - Samael
"I'm thinking a nice quiet dig, looking for something unimportant like the latrine of the Exarchs... maybe in
Iraq." - Pandora, wryly
---
The Cabal thank everyone - especially Hatfield - and a now-recovered Cat gives her heartfelt thanks for the
rescue. The gathering breaks up as everyone goes to their respective order Caucuses.
Before the Mysterium Caucus, back in Durham again, starts, Samael talks to Key and offers his help with
moving the Aetheneum, which Key takes with good grace.
They both go inside, and Samael sees who else is at the Caucus
"Hello, Samael" - Arc
And on that note, we finish! Next time: The Consilium, in which many tense and angry things are said by many people.
See you then!
1. Monster
Session 5.5
Welcome Back, Faithful Readers! I intended to start recapping my Star Wars game around now, but frankly I'm not sure
I'm going to - especially given how long Soul Cage takes to recap, taking on a second campaign will likely kill me. I
figure I'll just give myself twice as long to do Mage recaps instead.
Speaking of which, this is the end of "Monster". And, as Dave said at the end of the session/story: "The title didn't refer
to the Worm, did it?"
There is closure on some things, though others remain frustratingly unsaid. I went into 6.1 (soooon. Sooooooon I will
write it up) with a laundry-list of things to explain, information to convey and much-needed conversations to have
between certain npcs and the characters. None of that here, though - this session is all about getting to the story-end
scene, which is quite a good one.
So good a one, that we skip entirely over the revelation of just what Kosciej the Deathless has on Solemn in order to
get to it. Parliament of the Needle fans will have to wait until next time to find out that strange and confusing tale...
If this session has a theme, it's "rebound". The characters have done a sterling job in organising npcs and whipping up
a veritable witch-hunt (so to speak), running roughshod over all accepted ways of doing things. You don't do that and
not expect a little push back in the other direction, and here the consequences to the Consilium as a whole become
distressingly clear.
We begin where we left off, with the Mysterium Caucus and the Free Council Assembly both meeting before the
Consilium...
Dave2: "Oh Fuck", thinks Cobalt as he gets out of the car. "I meant to do something about my impending death"
Chris: Get milk. Refill Coffee Jar. Oh shit...
The Assembly. Cobalt and Persephone are in Cobalt's car, going over last details.
"So what do we have to discuss?" - Cobalt
"Rodriguez. The Parliament. The attack on the Lighthouse. The Conspiracy. The Monster. The Seers" -
Persephone, counting them off on her fingers
"I shall wait to see what Quark sets as the agenda" - Cobalt
"Well, I called the Assembly, but you're the Strategos. I'll talk through the Parliament, introduce Rodriguez and
do the attack. You take the rest" - Persephone
They get out. They're at one of Durham University's colleges - the architectural design is odd, like a hexagonal
grid of residence rooms and halls. Following a route handed out by Symmetry, they arrive at a room that
they're pretty sure doesn't exist - Quark has warped Space for the occasion, making geometry squeal like a pig.
And no one not following the very precise route can find the room.
They go in to find that the Agenda in fact has been distributed. There is one item on it, and one item under Any
Other Business.
The latter is "Persephone". The Former is "The Fuck!?"
Chris: I like his way of thinking
"I had a thought. The monster takes people who are alone, right? You have a crazy family living in your head -
as long as you can see Mictlan, you're never alone. They can never reject you" - Cobalt
"It's a point. And even if I drop out I can still see Kosciej" - Persephone
"How's he doing?" - Cobalt
(low voice) "He said he missed me. I haven't talked with him since" - Persephone
"Who would not?" - Rodriguez
They both jump slightly at Rod's appearance.
"It was really weird. I never thought he'd say something like that" - Persephone
"Well, you know. He's probably grown quite attached to you. And now you've got a bigger, grumpier Kosciej to
deal with; he might be feeling left out" - Cobalt
"Maybe he thinks Kosciej is so serious, he's better or something" - Persephone
"I'm not sure Little K values seriousness in that way" - Cobalt
"He's more the 'Why So Serious' kind. Maybe I should invite him up to Mictlan. Or maybe they'd just start
arguing" - Persephone
"You can do that?" - Cobalt
"Sure - I can bring him into my Garden" - Persephone
"He might like that" - Cobalt
"But then my Oneiros will be empty. I understand that's not a good idea" - Persephone
"You can give him time off. He's been working 24/7" - Cobalt
"He hasn't been doing anything! You've seen the rolling plains of junk" - Persephone
"That's where he's been tidying stuff to" - Cobalt
"I'm not sure tidying is supposed to look like that" - Persephone
"I don't know what Oneiroi are supposed to look like. I've had some whacky places. And I mean whacky. It's all
in the head" - Cobalt
"Hey guys" - Symmetry
Symm hands out coffee, to Cobalt's great appreciation.
Daimon!Kosciej likes Cobalt a lot. I get the feeling Cobalt is amused by Daimon!Kosciej too.
Sef yawns
"There was something I was meaning to do..." - Cobalt, with sinking feeling
"Was it about Arc?" - Persephone
"I have already discussed it with Quark. We have the matter well in hand" - Rodriguez
"What have you discussed with Quark?" - Persephone
"We have a cunning plan. Have I ever steered you wrong?" - Rodriguez
"Rod. You know the prospect fills me with dread..." - Cobalt
"Your cunning plans involve daring escapes, jumping through fire..." - Persephone
"Daring escapes, yes" - Rodriguez
"He's got a point. Come on - let's get this party started" - Cobalt
Quark is circling
"Are we expecting everyone who isn't incarcerated?" - Cobalt
Indeed - everyone not incarcerated is here. Even Limnal and Una. Rivet and Viper nod to Cobalt. Persephone
waves.
"No Cobra telling him what to say. No Magog telling him what to say" (happy) "No Magog ever" - Persephone
Want to put money on that, Agena?
"Careful. He went willingly" - Cobalt, mildly disapproving
The Assembly begins.
"All right. In the course of the last few days we have come to the brink of a wizard's war within the Consilium.
One of our members has been murdered. Two others have been arrested. One of those we are now given to
understand is innocent and will be proven innocent at Consilium. The other has admitted culpability" (sits
down, rubs forehead) "Elements within this city's Mysterium appear to be attempting to start aggressive
relations between our orders. We don't know why" - Quark
Sef raises her hand
"We also have some kind of creature on the loose. We have had our lorehouse returned and we are now told
that there is a foreign mage in town gunning for members of the Assembly. Okay. To control rumours - these are
the facts" - Quark
He lays out the scheme as Cicero has been able to find it. Dowse contacted Pythagoras and through him Magog
- Magog thought that the Free Council would be weakened temporarily and he would be able to take over as a
result, but has now been arrested. Dowse attacked Babel, killed Pythagoras and tried to kill Cat. He was
planning on killing Magog once the Libertine ceased to be useful to him.
"An hour ago, Loki of the Admantine Arrow turned up at the Furthest Legion's house in Wallsend and demanded
that Dowse and Magog be turned over to him" - Quark
"Any particular reason?" - Persephone
"According to Loki, it's all connected to his investigation of the Mystagogue house and although we gained
retroactive permission from the Mysterium we had no jurisdiction" - Quark
"He deputised Hatfield!" - Cobalt
"He believes Hatfield has overstepped his remit" - Quark
"I'm sorry to hear that" - Cobalt
"Excalibur told him he could take them over Excalibur's dead body" - Quark
"Did he take him up on it?" - Cobalt, dryly
"He left. It appears from this that the Admantine Arrow are splintering. Much as the Mysterium and Free Council
have had troubles of late, the Admantine Arrow are now at odds with one another"
"...You mend one bridge and two more fall apart" - Cobalt, sighing
"Privately, Excalibur tells me that he believes if he had turned Magog and Dowse over they wouldn't have lived
to see trial" - Quark
"Someone would have covered their tracks" - Cobalt
"He thinks they would fall down some stairs" - Quark
"To reiterate - Dowse was acting on orders in written form only. They bore the secret Mysterium decoder ring
symbols for Bede. This doesn't mean they couldn't have been faked. Dowse destroyed the orders, but he did
seek confirmation beforehand - they must have been made by a high ranking Mystagogue or someone who
knows the codes. Which puts it down to Bede, an External source or the Seers of the Throne if we've been that
badly infiltrated. On the other hand, we can't prove it was anyone even if we might not like them" - Cobalt
"We must go with our priorities. Which are: To get Cobra released" - Quark
"Agreed" - Cobalt
The assembled Libertines are right behind that one.
"This is our priority. One of our own who is innocent has been locked up. Secondly, though it pains me to say it,
to ensure that Magog's punishment is not capital" - Quark
"Agreed. He attempted a political ploy that was not meant to go further than a few minor thefts" - Cobalt
This, though, causes the assembled Libertines a bit more pause.
"And political status" - Persephone
"For personal gain, yes, but he didn't mean for anyone to die. And once he found out what happened he gave
himself up and co-operated entirely. I think we need to get him as lenient a sentence as possible. We just
remember it happened" (looks around) "If that's okay with everyone" - Cobalt
Una and Limnal don't look sure, for obvious reasons.
"I believe we would also be in favour of Dowse swinging, as they say" - Cobalt
That brings them over
"As I see it, if we're going in with these objectives we have two potential forces to push back against. We've got
whoever it is in the Mysterium that wants a war. They'll probably try to use whatever we've done, whatever
they have on us, to fight it. They'll try to leave Cobra in prison. Watch out for people trying to get Dowse's
sentence reduced or free him entirely" - Quark
"The Nuremberg defence, I'm afraid. Following orders does not cut it" - Cobalt
"Leaving Cat to die wasn't even a clean murder. Leaving her in the darkness to starve to death?" - Persephone
"We also have the Admantine Arrow's internal power struggles, wherin Loki and Aurora appear to have it in for
Excalibur. If anyone's going to attack our arrest of Dowse they'll do it through that angle" - Quark
"Through the procedure" - Cobalt
"They'll try to take that apart and claim it was invalid for us to be there" - Quark
"For reasons of expediency, Quark appointed me Strategos with regard to the thefts" - Cobalt
"All those in favour?" - Quark

Hands go up - Viper and Rivet especially quickly
"That makes the investigation official. Loki did the most cursory investigation possible, and we can dismantle
his evidence against Cobra" - Cobalt
"Excalibur and Cicero are on our side. I have assurance from Cicero that the Guardians of the Veil will vote with
us, so we have a two-fifths vote"
"Hatfield is on our side" - Persephone
"Hatfield isn't the leader of his order - this is important. In order to pass capital judgement on someone, the
Consilium requires a three-fifths majority of Councillors and Heirarch. Myself and Cicero are going for it, but that
leaves us a vote short" - Quark
"Aurora, or Bede. Or..." - Cobalt
"...Abbot, Councillor for the Silver Ladder. Now; Bede and Abbot are Cabalmates" - Quark
"That's problematic" - Cobalt
"Which leaves Aurora, who is backing Loki. They may try to get Magog executed, and they technically have
enough votes to do it" - Quark
"But wait - Aurora doesn't bear bullshit. If we explain quickly..." - Persephone
"We're going to have to persuade Aurora to execute Dowse and NOT execute Magog" - Quark
"Can I ask the hard question of priorities? If they kill Magog they have to kill Dowse. If they choose not to kill
Magog they might not execute Dowse, but they can't kill Magog and not punish Dowse" - Cobalt
"They can't let Dowse go unpunished for this. If they decide to imprison him, though..." (looks around at his
constituents) "We have a decision to make, as an assembly. Do we save Magog even if it means saving
Dowse?" - Quark
"Because of the creature, we have to heal the rifts among us. For this reason, I say we save him even if it
means saving Dowse" - Persephone
Silence
"All those in favour?" - Cobalt
This time, it's much narrower. Some people (Limnal. Viper. Rivet. Babel) want to see Dowse dead too badly, and
are not enamoured of Magog. Quark, Rodriguez, Symmetry, Persephone and Una vote to save him. Deadlock -
Cobalt abstains.
"Speaking plainly. If they free Dowse because of something we do, we'll go after him anyway. I'm not saying
we're above the Assembly's decision or anything, but if they free him we'll declare on him" - Limnal
"Nemesis" - Persephone
"And if the Consilium refuses to hear that calling, we'll secede. I for one will withdraw our seal, quit the
Consilium and kill him" - Limnal
"...If it comes to that, I'll join you, and you can move North of the city. That makes my decision. We try to save
Magog" - Cobalt
"If we splinter, we'll make easy pickings for the worm. Or for the Seers" - Persephone
"Speaking of which - next item. The Monster. Limnal and Persephone know the most about it. Cobalt, I believe
you fought with the beast" - Quark
Cobalt explains the Worm - that it's a being of aether, that it can subvert Hallows somehow and feed from
Obrimos
"Now for the bad news. The King of the Sea apparently remembers that this monster has a prohibition, like a
Spirit's Ban. Which is, unfortunately, that if you kill it in flowing water and then kill a member of your
household, it will be prevented from reforming. The one method we know of for killing this thing permanently is
that when we go to fight it, whoever strikes the final blow has to kill one of us to seal the deal. The sacrifice has
to be willing" - Symmetry
"Here I was thinking Dowse would be useful" - Cobalt
"Needless to say, we will not be using this method. We need alternatives" - Quark
"It's a being of rejection. It's physical body can be fought to the point that it discorporates. It is, however, very
VERY dangerous. It took two of the Legion's finest to bring it down. Aquila is going to be in traction for weeks
and Aegis is not a happy man. It's not armoured, so Fraying spells work better than stabbing it to be honest.
Besides which, it has too many limbs to fight man-to-worm. We don't know if it's vulnerable to fire, but we
suspect it can be distracted with milk" - Cobalt
"It can manipulate Earth" - Persephone
"As stated. If you are rejected, it can trap you in earth, store you somehow in hibernation indefinitely" - Cobalt
"Do we know why yet?" - Limnal
"No" - Cobalt
"If it's a supernal being, it must get it's power from somewhere. It has been suggested it may be warming itself
by their subverted feelings as a sort of symbol for fire" - Persephone
"One option is to do something grossly unsubtle and remove people from the cliffs. How we restore them to
people-dom is another matter. But we may deny it it's source of power and locus for reforming. We do,
however, know that the Seers are watching the site" - Cobalt
"And thirdly, the Seers of the Throne. We don't know which Pylon it is but the Seers are interested in this
monster. In fact, given intelligence on us - we don't know how subtle that is, but we can't discount the idea that
one of the mages whose orders are being so antagonistic may turn out to be a Seer spy" - Quark
"It's a possibility" - Cobalt
"Now, I'm not naming any names yet. The obvious suspect is Dowse, but for all my years I suspect he isn't a
Seer. I suspect whoever gave him those orders is" - Quark
He thinks
"What else? What else? Ah yes - Cobalt: Who's this Mystagogue who wants to kill your Cabalmate?" - Quark
"This misbegotten fucktard goes by the name of Archon, abbreviated to Arc. He was formerly the doorwarden
of a cabal named the Six Wings. This group of Obrimos took on a Legacy called the Echo Walkers. They take
people's souls, pull them out and melt them a little in order to see into the Supernal. They were behind the
murder of Chayot last year in order to try to steal the Ankh known as the Golden Physician, produced by the
Archmage Sophia in the year blardy x and which serves the function of restoring a soul. They want it to salve
their consciences, so that no matter how much torture they put someone through they make it better later.
They're divided into at least two factions. The one that caused the death of the Proximus Dominic is known as
Vahishta" - Cobalt
"It should be noted that the last time one of these misbegotton fucktards came to our doors it caused a
member of this Assembly to be hounded out of the Consilium" - Quark
"I haven't forgotten. This one happens to be a member in good standing in the Mysterium. While he's a wanted
man in London, the Mysterions here don't seem to care" - Cobalt
"You won't get much out of citing Civitas to Aurora. Her reaction will likely be 'and?'" - Quark
"He attacked us. Doesn't matter where. He claimed Nemesis but made no attempt to go through the protocols"
- Cobalt
"He appears to have learned from his mistake" - Quark
"And according to divination will kill me this afternoon" - Cobalt
"We have other plans" - Rodriguez
"Samael is one of our few allies with any depth of penetration into the Mysterium. We cannot allow this outsider
to kill him. But we can afford to lose one of our own even less. Therefore, we have contingencies. We have a
plan to evacuate Samael should it come to it" - Quark
"What if he declares? Won't Cobalt have to fight him?" - Persephone
"Our friend from Mexico City" (nods at Rod) "Has a strategy for the event of a duel" - Quark
Cobalt looks pained.
"Is there any way we can persuade Aurora he's a psychopath and we should just off him?" - Persephone,
hopefully
"She will likely say then that there needs to be a trial. And we don't have the majority needed to convict. It will
come down to his word that he has the right to declare Nemesis, which is an enshrined right under the
Pentacle. It will probably come down to a duel over whether he has the right to duel someone" - Quark
"What are the other Golden Rights?" - Persephone
"I am not a Lawyer. But. Magical law works thusly..." - Quark
"Should be noted that these guys have been subtle enough or not around long enough that no Convocation has
declared them Left-Handed" - Cobalt
"If they had been this would be completely different. This is the thing - Pentacle law comes in different stages
named after metals. A more noble metal trumps, so if an Iron Law and a Gold law conflict the Gold Law wins.
Gold Laws are the surviving laws from magical fairy-land, either recorded on an artefact or a spirit has told
someone. The Great Rights of Cabals - including the Right of Nemesis - are Gold. The fact that they exist is. He
has the right to declare Nemesis, but what that means is lower down" -
"What other Gold laws are there?" - Persephone
"Legally challenge one another to binding duels. The Silver Ladder position of Lictor and the Guardian of the
Veil position of Interfector - much as we wish it wasn't" - Quark
"They seem to be using that responsibly. Here at least" - Cobalt
"Actually, it is a possibility. We could ask Cicero to have his Interfector kill him. Silver laws are those that have
been ratified by the Consilium. We have several thousand - every ruling and arbitration made by the council
and Heirarch becomes Silver Law" - Quark
"It's legal to shoot scotsmen from the walls and stuff like that?" - Cobalt
"We do sometimes go through and wipe them out, but they include things like the division of labours, the
number of councillors we have. How we run our one city. The fact that we have Sentinals who can deputise
people"
"We don't much care about Silver if we're up against Gold" - Persephone, impatient
"Ah - but the home Sancta of each Order; my Sanctum, the Aetheneum and so on are Silver Laws" - Quark
"Dowse definitely broke that" - Cobalt
"The position of Sentinal is Gold. The duties of same and the ability to deputise are Silver. I don't see how
Dowse can wiggle out of it but they might try something. Bronze Laws are little local rulings - snap judgements
made by Lictors for ratification later. Iron laws right at the bottom are oaths individual Mages have chosen,
including the ones to join your cabals" - Quark
"Can we make him duel Cobalt in a game of chess or something?" - Persephone
"The right to duel someone is not the right of Nemesis - nemesis is the call to keep open conflict between the
combatants. They're both Gold laws" - Quark
"So it doesn't necessarily mean the duel arcane?" - Persephone
"If he declares Nemesis and has it accepted he could kill Cobalt on the spot. But that won't happen - Samael
will deny it, and they'll have to duel over whether or not he can do so. If he wins the duel he'll likely then kill
Samael on the spot. The Duel isn't the right of nemesis - the duel is about whether he can use the right" -
Quark
Sef, finally understanding, nods. It's a bit technical for her on this little sleep.
"That's why the Cabal would End if the duel didn't happen. If we didn't fight him, he'd get the tacit permission
to jump us at his leisure" - Cobalt
"But does the duel have to be the duel arcane? Can we make him duel in another way?" - Persephone
"That it is the Duel Arcane is one of our Silver Laws" - Quark
They discuss the problem of jurisdiction, and how Excalibur and Aurora have been clashing of late
"Yours might not be the only duel today. The fight list may have to be jiggled" - Quark
"Loki vs Excalibur on who has the right to investigate" - Cobalt
"So we have that problem. Our friend here" (points to Rod) "is confident..." - Quark
"Oh, yes" (addressing the crowd) "This, everyone, is Rodriguez. He comes from Mexico City and is an action
hero par excellance" - Cobalt
"And apparantly a master duellist" - Quark
"He duffed up the head of the Mysterium in London" - Cobalt
Rod preens
"It was fun to watch" - Cobalt
"In fact, our proposal is thus; that Arc only kills Cobalt in the future because he's declaring the right of Nemesis
against the Auric Horizon. So we take Samael out of the picture temporarily and have Rod second him..." -
Quark
"...Rod's not a member of the Auric Horizon, so if he were to lose Arc wouldn't have the right to kill him and Rod
will take enough chunks out that we can beat the crap out him, as once the Right kicks in we can fight back" -
Cobalt
"We're working out the timing, but we think it'll work" - Quark
Rod nods
-Might Work- - Persephone, to Mictlan
Cobalt frowns
"There must be a way to not let him attack us" - Persephone
"Beat his argument at the Consilium" - Cobalt
"Jump him on the way to the Consilium. With sticks" - Quark
"He's a guest of the Mysterium. They've already given him the Ankh" - Cobalt
"Which we want back" - Quark
"It's a fair exchange, but I don't feel in good consience that he should be let out with it. Because of what he'll
do with it" - Cobalt
"So. This is the plan. Don't tell Samael - we know what he's like. If the Duel is given the go ahead by Aurora we
will teleport Samael to a safe location and shuffle more competent duellists in as seconds. Okay?" - Quark
"Hmm" - Persephone, dubious
"Agreed. We'll try to argue against him, but he's already had the chance to make his case" - Cobalt
He thinks of something, but files it away for later just in case
Dave2: ... many weeks later I can actually remember what it was. With effort, but I think went like this:
If Arc is free to attack us as soon as Nemesis is declared, we're free to attack him back. The vague plan went along the
lines of squaring up
to oppose the declaration, then saying "Yeah, okay *blam*" and try to sucker-punch Arc before he can react. This is
why Cobalt later asks to
borrow a gun. Luckily it doesn't go down this way.
"One more thing. Persephone, could we have your signature?" - Quark
He proffers a blank piece of card
"Why?" - Persephone
"Just your signiature and your sigil. Backup plan C" - Quark
"I would like to know what this is for" - Persephone, suspicious
"You'll like backup plan C" - Babel
She eyes him
"We may have to play fast and loose with the law. We'll need a lawyer, and if we have to suddenly react to
something we need to have your authorisation as your cabal's hearthtender to shout 'objection' and the like.
We promise not to screw you over" - Babel
Rodriguez, Babel and Quark are grinning madly
She eyes them some more
"You okay with this?" - Persephone, to Cobalt
"Yes, but it's not my signature. I'd give them mine, but you're the hearthtender" - Cobalt
She complies
"I want this back" - Persephone
"Of course. Now, as to the final matter, Persephone has something to say..." - Quark
1. Monster
And now, on the cusp of Sef's big moment, we cut to the Mysterium!
The Mystagogues are understandably unsettled. Some are furious that Dowse has been arrested. Some are
furious that Dowse has gone quite off-message. Cat is still recovering - minus her and Dowse, everyone's here.
Scribe is looking very worried. Pandora glares daggers at Arc, but Samael makes a point of shaking the Echo
Walkers' hand.
Bede does not look amused.
"Someone tell me what's going on" - Bede, dangerously
Samael raises his hand. Key sees him do so, though, and smoothly launches into the facts. A Deputised
Sentinal asked for access to the Aetheneum. She granted it as per the Consilium's laws, and they arrested
Dowse, forcing him out of the Order's sanctuary. She was later visited by Samael and friends.
Samael fills out some of the details - Dowse's scheme involved using Cat and manipulating Pythagoras and
Magog. It appears he was acting as a rogue agent - Samael very clearly says that Dowse was presumably
acting from faked orders given to him by someone trying to destabilise the Consilium.
"He failed to verify, instead taking action to thieve, decieve and murder. He had at least two more murders
planned, including that of one of our own. Cat" - Samael
"We must seek out whoever it was in the Free Council that gave him the orders" - Bede
"We may need to be alert to other possibilities, such as the Seers" - Samael
"The Seers?" - Bede, incredulous
"There is a Seer Pylon meddling, Heirophant" - Logos
"That was the second matter we wished to bring before the Mystagogues" - Samael
He describes the Lambton Worm - that it appears to be a Supernal Being of Aether - watching Arc's reaction.
The Echo Walker, as Samael predicted, takes the bait.
"Feeds on rejection?" - Bede
"Yes, or some symbol of it" - Samael
"The separation of someone from their society?" - Bede
"Yes, sir" - Samael
Bede nods to Arc, who sagely nods back. Samael tries to ignore the feeling that they're not very impressed with
his attempt to impart the urgency and danger of the situation.
"Perhaps I can help" - Arc
Samael makes polite noises.
"We can discuss later" - Arc, to Bede
"What are we going to do about Dowse?" - Lux
"What are the Consilium's laws?" - Samael
"A two-thirds majority of Councillors is needed to convict, and the sentance decided by them" - Bede
"I would advise, then, that for his own safety we push for a conviction and some form of imprisonment. If he
were to be released he would be killed. People will want vengeance. If we're unable to control how that
vengeance is applied it will be uncontrolled" - Samael
"Sad day that one of our own finds himself in this position. But justice must be done for Cat" - Bede
"Cat will recover. I don't think capital punishment is neccessary" - Samael
"And his libertine accomplices?" - Bede
"One has already paid with his life, the other is an idiot. Magog is very politically ambitious, and that's now
been torpedoed" - Samael
"Ambitious?" - Bede
"He believed he could remove Quark and take his place. Now none of the Libertines will trust him" - Samael
"I find myself following the ambition. If Dowse was following orders and this man thought only of his own
advancement..." - Bede
"Magog has shown a certain amount of cunning. I believe Cicero is making sure who was calling the shots" -
Samael
Samael knows that Magog wasn't behind it - but he's willing to indulge Bede in an attempt to pin it on him if it will get
Bede even slightly more on-side. You play with the fire of expediency, you get burnt.
"As for Pythagoras, there is no further punishment that can be served upon him" - Samael
"Shame. A Master, as well" - Bede, not sounding remotely sorry
"I believe we recovered all the items from the Aetheneum?" - Samael, to Key
The Daksha nods
"All right then. Thank you all" - Bede
Everyone starts filing out. Samael catches up with Arc.
"So, Arc. Do you still believe I killed Duma and Chayot?" - Samael
The Echo Walker considers. He seems much calmer than in London. Maybe it's the Ankh. Maybe it's something
else.
"My troubles with you will be raised at the Consilium" - Arc
"Why?" - Samael
"That is the proper way" - Arc
"Arc. If you believe me to have killed Duma, I still don't know why. If you were to challenge me to a duel, you
would win" - Samael
"I believe..." (very long pause) "...I have had some things explained to me about your background" - Arc
"That's lovely, but as I said" (maybe a leeetle too condescending for his own good) "I want nothing to do with
you or your Legacy - old men yanking people around by the chain for their own purposes. Take the Ankh and
go. I want nothing of it" - Samael
"I thought I might stay a while" - Arc, mildy
"Then stay away from me. If you want to kill me, why pussyfoot around and not just murder me?" - Samael
"There are things I want to accomplish" - Arc, an odd look in his eye
He walks off
Samael turns to Pandora and Logos
"Oh, well. He's still an idiot. It's strange - if I had the capacity to do it, you'd think he wouldn't want to piss me
off" - Samael
"He doesn't think you did it directly, rather are working for those who did. He thinks you're in league with
Vahishta" - Logos, using her Attainment
Samael facepalms
"We'll see what evidence he has" - Samael
...
Back to the Free Council, now, as Persephone finally explains the Parliament of the Needle to her fellows
"The reason Sef called this before the fit hit the shan was that she has something to say" - Cobalt
The assembled Libertines look like they've already heard plenty of strange things so far, and are up for another.
"Some of you may know that our lighthouse was attacked while we were away..." - Persephone
Over the next half hour, she explains everything. Solemn. Kosciej. The Parliament of the Needle. The Daimon-
swapping. The stories about Kosciej back in the day, and how they're exaggerated.
"Oh, he stole stuff" - Cobalt
"Yes, but the fact that he was jumping bodies isn't true" - Persephone
"They have his wisdom..." - Cobalt
-Actually, it is technically possible to briefly co-pilot- - Kosciej
-[i]But... Your Daimon said it could only use your Arcana in my mind- - Persephone
-True. But I'm not a Daimon- - Kosciej
-So... You could use your own? The stories were not exactly untrue?! You lied?!- - Persephone
-No, I said I had no interest in taking your body. Not only could I only stay for a few minutes, but you would
retain equal control. It would be pointless- - Kosciej
-So the stories about you murdering people?- - Persephone
-Oh, they're true- - Kosciej
-You lied to me!- - Persephone
-I did no such thing. You will find that I actually said, back when we first met, that there was a war on and both
sides did terrible things- - Kosciej, smoothly
She gapes. Mentally.
-Yes, Persephone. If you want, I could explain things to your friends myself.- - Kosciej
-NO- - Persephone
-I didn't think so- - Kosciej
Back in the real world, she tells everyone how the stories were horribly exaggerated.
"If the Mysterium find out about this, we're going to be in even more trouble" - Babel, worried
Sef and Cobalt explain about Solemn - how it's actually the Guardians they need to watch for. or a faction of.
Cobalt explains what the Ankh does. By the time Cobalt explains about the Daimon being transferred into
Persephone, Viper is looking very confused.
"Solemn wants to kill..." - Cobalt
"No! It looks like he wants to get in, grab Kosciej by the lapels, kick his ass and wipe the floor with him" -
Persephone
-As if he could- - Kosciej
Cobalt finds himself explaining the Echo Walkers in relation to Hadrian
"Do we need this Ankh?" - Quark
"We..." - Cobalt
"Depends. If Arc is working for Solemn, then we don't want him to have it" - Persephone
"The Argument is that it could let him undo the damage he does. But he'll still be going around causing
horrendous pain" - Cobalt
"But he wouldn't stop without it. In a way, if he's not gunning for my soul I don't mind" - Persephone
"Arguably, the only way to get information out of the minion is to put his soul back" - Cobalt
-And I haven't had time with all the excitement to outline my plans... But we need that Ankh- - Kosciej
-We do?- - Persephone
-We do. As regards Arc, I could slip in...- - Kosciej
-You suddenly seem eager to slip in and kick someone's ass- - Persephone, suspicous
-Don't worry, Cousin. I will restrict myself to cheerleading- - Kosciej
-And when are you going to tell me about Solemn?- - Persephone
-When you don't have quite so much excitement going on- - Kosciej
"Yeah. We'd need the Ankh" - Persephone
"All right. We need the Ankh. We accuse him of being a Left-Handed soul-munching monster and demand the
Artefact" - Quark
"We've made Cicero aware of him - Cicero is heartily interested in which hand the gentleman uses. Hatfield is
also gunning for payback for his Proximus" - Cobalt
"Alright. We're reaching the end of what we can do here by ourselves. We need to talk to our allies - Hatfield,
Cicero, Excalibur and others. We need to see what this person throws at us and respond" - Quark
And so, the Assembly marches down the hill towards the Bailey. Atia meets them on the way in, saying that
Excalibur, Militas and Vernator will be escorting the prisoners in - which means that they can't pre prepare
strategy.
"How much trouble are we expecting?" - Cobalt
"The jurisdiction? Cal might catch hell for it" - Atia
"Cal didn't do it" - Cobalt
"Well, he did punch the guy" - Persephone
Hatfield is hovering, nervous
"How're you doing?" - Cobalt, to Hatfield
"I've just been chewed out by Abbot for last night's work but I think it was worth it" - Hatfield
"He's not happy we saved someone's life?" - Persephone
"He's not happy I led a strike force to invade the Mysterium's sanctum" - Hatfield
"Oh" - Persephone
"How does that impact on the issues?" - Cobalt
"Sentinals have the right to enter Caucus sancta. It's iffy on whether or not Deputies do. At the worst, I'll get
into trouble. Dowse's malfeance is well proven" - Hatfield
"How are you and Cal getting on?" - Cobalt
"He seems to be resenting... Put it this way, if this jurisdiction thing hadn't started, Cal could have arrested
Dowse and we wouldn't be worrying if it were legally sound. I think Excalibur would be annoyed at whoever it
had been, but I was the one who complained about him and started this whole North-South split" - Hatfield
"True. The other thing is that Loki seems to be gunning for Cal" - Cobalt
"Dowse's lawyer is Glorianna. She's in Bede and Abbot's Cabal" - Hatfield
"Right" - Cobalt
"Is there a way to prove that Loki's investigation was lacking?" - Persephone
"Loki is one of my Cabalmates, but I'll do my best. I want to secure this conviction as much as you" - Hatfield
"If there's anything we can do - up to and including shutting up - just let us know" - Cobalt
"I do have an idea. It depends on... We need to file a placeholder note into the agenda, to go in-between any
challenges and their resolution. We need to put it in beforehand" - Hatfield
"What sort of thing?" - Cobalt
"Nothing you have to do beyond play along when the time comes. Nod and pretend it was your idea. Basically,
specific Cabal memberships is Iron Law, but the existence of those Cabals and what the sigils mean is Gold
Law, above everything else" - Hatfield
They both look blank
"Not with me? No? Okay - Arc says 'I challenge the Auric Horizon to a duel', so okay. Fine. We change the
definition of 'The Auric Horizon'" - Hatfield
They get it
"We file a motion on the agenda that your Cabal roster is out of date" - Hatfield
"And make a minor enemy of Scribe, but we can buy her a beer afterward" - Cobalt
"In fact, I was planning on signing up pretty much everyone. I call it the 'I am Spartacus' defence. I'll quit my
Cabal and join the Auric Horizon. Quark?" - Hatfield
"Yeah, I fancy the Lighthouse life" - Quark, deadpan
"I think you make the cut" - Cobalt
"What do you think?" - Hatfield
"Awesome!" - Persephone
-So. What CAN you do?- - Persephone
-Many things- - Kosciej
-You could take a Master on?- - Persephone
-I won't be able to last the entire duel. Not with the amount of power I'd have to expend- - Kosciej
-What were you thinking, then? Blast him before?- - Persephone
-Or finish him after- - Kosciej
-But that would involve someone losing- - Persephone
-I don't believe you could maintain the duel with me possessing you... Things were simpler when I was alive.
We need some kind of upgrade to Mictlan. Some kind of projector so we can come out and play- - Kosciej
"I need a firearm" - Cobalt
Everyone looks at him
"I'm not going to walk in there with it. I'm going to use Jury Rig to walk in there with it" - Cobalt
Rodriguez hands him a gun
-If we could get a Master of Death to cast a spell on you allowing you to fully channel a Ghost's powers, we
could act for a little longer- - Kosciej
-We're fresh out- - Persephone
"Come on. I'm going to spoil Scribe's day. You realise this is the most transparent ploy ever, don't you? We're
going to shaft the system" - Hatfield
"Are you okay with it?" - Cobalt
"If it means we win, sure. It'll be Iron Law'd out of existance within five days" - Hatfield
...
The Free Council plus allies enter, to find the Mysterium already there. Sef waves at Samael, then heads over to
him with Cobalt
"What's up?" - Persephone, looking at Arc, who's talking to Bede and Aurora
"Not a lot. He thinks he has something. I'm not sure what it works on..." - Samael
"Sam. It works on him being able to persuade Aurora to let him be a dick" - Cobalt
Arc and Aurora laugh at a shared joke.
Hatfield is lurking, slightly shunned by the other Silver Ladder
"He's going to gun for me, regardless" - Samael
"We may as well let him do so here where we can spank him" - Rodriguez
Rodriguez and Symmetry have joined the huddle
"Who's his daddy?" - Cobalt
"He just has to convince enough people in power that he's right. I guess we'll see how things unfold" - Samael
"Don't worry, Sam. The only one who's going to fall today is Arc" - Persephone
"I wish no one had to. I wish he'd just bugger off" - Samael
"Are you saying he has nothing better to do with his life?" - Cobalt
"Unfortunately it looks that way. This is what boggles me. He seems to believe I'm some kind of threat to him -
on what basis I don't know - so he's determned to..." - Samael
"Maybe the Angels told him you were" - Symmetry
"There is that. He could be doing so much. Eating souls. Killing babies. But we have bigger things to worry
about than one cretin with a chip on his shoulder" - Samael
"I'm thinking Worm. Seers. Dowse" - Cobalt
"Is it a coincidence he arrived at this time?" - Persephone
"Someone may be trying to rile the worm up. Arc's interested in it, I'll tell you that" - Samael
"Did you warn him he'll feed it?" - Cobalt
"No" - Samael
"Did he ask you directly about it?" - Cobalt
(grin) "No" - Samael
They discuss the trials of Magog and Dowse
"Whatever they do to Magog they have to do more to Dowse. Dowse is a murderer - Magog's a thief" - Cobalt
"I don't know enough about the Durham Cabals to call it. I don't even know all of their names. We outnumber
them..." - Samael
"...It's a question of Councillors, not raw numbers" - Cobalt
"In that case I don't know" - Samael
"We'll have a chance to state our cases" - Cobalt
"Aurora has to know that if she antagonises all of us she'll end up as a Hierarch with no Consilium" - Samael
"That's not something we want to contemplate. We need to stay together" - Cobalt
"But in order to survive we" (indicating all their allies) "May need to band together, in the which case..." -
Samael
"Heirarchy fosters the lie. A revolution once in a while does a body good" - Cobalt
At which point Excalibur and company enter, with the prisoners. Magog looks downcast, Dowse defiant.
"And the curtain rises..." - Cobalt
1. Monster
The Trial Of The Century!
The Consilium takes up the second half of the session. Get your thinking hats on, as the politicking comes thick and
fast from here on in. If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask after the recap.
Dave2: Before this scene, cabal has 1 point of Politics between them. After this scene, cabal has 4 points in politics
between them... funny that
"RIGHT" - Aurora
The hubbub dies down. Everyone pays attention.
"Interesting week we've had. One member of this consilum dead, three hospitalised. One attacked. Two break
ins... " (glares at Hatfield) "...Make that three break ins. How to resolve this? Cicero" - Aurora
Cicero outlines what happened - how Dowse, Pythagoras and Magog did it, gleaned from their memories and
everyone else's deductions. Just the facts.
"Do you have anything to say?" - Aurora
Magog looks at the floor
"You?" - Aurora, to Dowse
He points at Magog
"It was his idea" - Dowse
A cunning ruse!
Magog doesn't move a muscle, not acknowledging what Dowse said. There are rumblings of discontent from
the Free Council
"I would posit that this man would not plan to cause the death of his relative, nor a member of this Consilium.
Whatever part he had to play, murder was not his intent" - Cobalt
"His relative" - Aurora
She pauses, giving everyone time to pay attention to the speech
"Abbot. Tell me what you told me when this individual joined our Consilium?" - Aurora
The Silver Ladder Councillor - an old man in a brown robe - coughs
"Pythagoras and this man are not related. Their Life patterns are incompatible" - Abbot
Cobalt glances at Quark. Quark's expression is one of 'Buh!?'
"The Free Council thanks the gentleman for bringing this to our attention, and we will take it up with Magog
later" - Cobalt
Cobalt is doing the talking here as the Strategos
"Should he survive" - Aurora
"Precisely" - Cobalt
"Do you have anything to say in your defence, Magog?" - Aurora
He's still playing dumb. Cobalt is half admiring his penitence and half thinking it's his best defence
"Can you not see that the man is truly sorry and will gladly take the blame for anything Dowse tries to wriggle
out of?" - Quark
"I will simply refer you to the testament of the Councillor who examined their motives" - Cobalt, bowing to
Cicero
"Yes. The testament that Dowse was following what he believed were legal orders, and Magog was along for his
own personal gain. Which of these sounds like the mastermind to you?" - Bede
"The one who gave the orders" - Cobalt
Persephone glares at Bede
"This Consilium does not know who gave those orders" - Bede, smoothly
Pandora, close to Samael, hisses through her teeth
"I know. However, whoever gave the orders knew high-ranking Mystagogue secrets, and I do not believe Magog
does. Further, I do not believe he would place himself on the murder list. I do not believe, in fact, that he would
have agreed to a murder list in the first place. He believed this to be a dispute he would take advantage of - by
theft, not murder" - Cobalt
"The eloquent young Disciple from the Free Council is correct in so far as my spells can determine" - Cicero
"There is no more evidence that Magog is responsible for those orders than there is that they were faked at all.
Both lines of enquiry are fruitless, serving only as distractions when we should be focused on threats from
without" - Cobalt
"Regardless of who it came from, Dowse is obviously... We hereby wash our hands of him. Do with him as you
will" (to Aurora) "This man is no longer a Mystagogue of our Caucus" - Bede
"Can you confirm, then, that he was not acting under your orders?" - Cobalt
"I cannot legally order a Mystagogue to kill another of our bretheren" - Bede
"In point of fact he didn't - he didn't even try to kill Cat himself, instead leaving her to die of exposure where
he'd shown no conpunction about killing Pythagoras..." - Cobalt
Sef has enough
"...That isn't the point! WAS he following your orders? Because he thought he was" - Persephone
"You raise an excellent point. There are only a few individuals who know the cypher - myself, the gentleman
visiting us from America" (nod to Arc) "...And a master infiltrator who has been known for breaking into secure
sites and stirring up trouble between the Diamond Orders and the Free Council" - Bede
He looks Persephone right in the eye, with a tiny glint of "fuck you for accusing me" there
"I speak, of course, of Kosciej the Deathless" - Bede
Cobalt sighs as the Consilium erupts into shouting - mostly from the Libertines' end
"This doesn't answer my question! WAS DOWSE ACTING ON YOUR ORDERS?" - Persephone
They stare at one another for a long moment.
"NO" - Bede
"That Is... THAT IS..." (waits for the crowd to quiet) "That is all the assurance we need. Thank you" - Cobalt
"Which brings us to another point which we will come to shortly. For now the Council will sequester. Does
anyone else have anything to say regarding these two men?" - Aurora
"I feel at this time the COnsilium has already suffered damage. Regardless of their actions and natures, perhaps
it is better to seek rehabilitating punishments" - Samael
"I question the validity of the arrest!" - Loki, breaking his silence
Militas puts his hand on Excalibur's shoulder, restraining him
"MASTER LOKI! That brings me to the matter of a member of our order. May I ask why he has not been released
into our custody? Indeed, why he is not HERE if he is to be accused?" - Cobalt
"There is an outstanding complaint. Under the circumstances I thought it was of lesser importance" - Loki
"I had believed that complaint resolved" - Cobalt
Pandora steps up
"The items Cobra took have been returned to the Aetheneum" - Pandora
"Does this not foster the spirit of reconciliation?" - Cobalt
"We believe this matter settled, and have no futher complaint against the Libertine" - Key
Key is eying everyone up suspiciously
Chris: He/She's taking an interesting position - trying to remain neutral
Dave; And figure out what's going on. He doesn't trust anyone to tell her anything right now. If you could see his third
eye through his long hair, she's scanning pretty much everyone with it. She's distancing herself - Bede is looking
precarious, but he wants to keep her job. If anyone does prove Bede did it, then Key's priority is to maintain the safety
of the collection. Which means clinging onto her own position no matter what.
Scribe is concerned - she has the idea that something's wrong but doesn't know what's going on. Pandora is
more certain than Samael that Bede is the bad guy. Lux, surprisingly, is wavering - he doesn't know either way.
Logos is firmly on Samael's side.
Logos, after all, sent Samael that cryptic message back in Hounds of Winter. Her attainment picked up that there was
something wrong with Bede a long time ago.
"In which case, Loki, there is no more case to answer" - Cobalt
"There are other side matters from this" (looking at Hatfield and Excalibur) "But in this case... No. Release the
Libertine" - Aurora
"Thank you, Hierarch" - Cobalt
She and the Councillors remove themselves.
Hatfield takes the opportunity to try to explain Plan Spartacus to Excalibur. The Arrow's face is wrinkled with
disgust at working with Hatfield again - the two do dislike one another fairly strongly - but everyone else is on
hand to convince him of the validity of Hatfield's scheme
"Hate the game, not the player" - Cobalt
Samael looks at the crowd. Durham mages on the far side of the hall. Newcastle mages all around him. His
attainment sees the threads grow thin between them - this Consilium is splitting. For their part, the Durham
Cabals are looking at the way that the Newcastle cabals are increasingly acting like one super-Cabal, all friends
in the North together. Or like a mini Consilium.
Hatfield's plan, note, would excacerbate that. They really *would* all be one big Cabal
Samael's concern is with Aurora. What is her problem? Why is she doing this - she must surely realise she's
dividing her own Consilium? He makes sure to go across to speak to Agaric - as a Durham-based Mystagogue,
she's thoroughly confused.
He sits her down and tells her what's going on, doing his duty as a Dadukos.
Agaric reveals that, lost in all this chaos, she finished her report. She has it with her
"Fantastic!" - Samael
He takes it, flipping through it
"I'll make sure Key gets this" - Samael, encouragingly
Remember the report Samael asked Agaric to produce in 5.1? Samael is trying to make sure the Neokoroi stay unified,
despite what may be going on higher up in the order.
Key, meanwhile, is looking at Excalibur and Cobalt with his two primary eyes, meaning that his rear eye is
pointing at the Councillors right at the back of the hall.
Cobalt and Persephone are talking to Una, explaining what's going on and talking about Magog
"He was trying to be a player, and it had terrible consequences" - Cobalt
Cicero joins them, having cast his vote with the other Councillors.
"Magog's background" - Cicero
"How long has that been known?" - Cobalt

"To us? All the time" - Cicero
"We just didn't ask" - Cobalt
"Is it important? Other than Pythagoras not being his uncle?" - Persephone
"I can't tell you in here. I would be betraying the man's confidence, and it would cause a lot of upheaval" -
Cicero
Magog's background - which is a rather complicating factor - is gone into heavily next story.
"I spotted that derailer. It was a nice attempt. Not as good as Loki's, but he had that coming. I think he's just
narked about jurisdiction" - Cobalt
"Well, so's Cal" - Cicero
"Do you know how Dowse disposed of the orders?" - Cobalt
"That's what I came to talk to you about. We know roughly where he disposed of them. I don't know how long
they'll be at this, but we could be away and come back quite quickly. I came to ask you if you were up to
reconstructing them with your Legacy" - Cicero
Cobalt smiles humourlessly
"I happen to know a high-ranking Mystagogue who could verify the cypher if we called him North, and who
could rebuild the orders quite easily" - Cobalt
"It won't help the trial, but for the sake of our own curiosity..." - Cicero
"You'll go now?" - Persephone
"We can't risk anything happening without us. It'll have to be afterward" - Cicero
She looks at Arc
"Afterwards. Okay" - Persephone
"The name you need is Ashlar. If I don't make it past this, Ashlar in London should help" - Cobalt
And then the other Councillors come back.
"Dowse is to be executed. Magog is prohibited from holding any Consilium position and will be imprisoned
pending investigation into how much he had to do with the planning of Dowse's deeds. If we require more
evidence from Dowse, Bede can read it from his corpse" - Aurora
The Auric Horizon do not take pleasure in the announcement.
"Which brings us to Jurisdiction. Magog will be imprisoned under the jurisdiction he was arrested in" - Aurora
Loki struts forward, smug
"I object!" - Excalibur, loud
"Cal..." - Cobalt, through gritted teeth
"He won't see a fair trial, and I do not believe his safety will be properly maintained. The Palatine Sanctum is
not properly fortified as a jailhouse. It would be better to leave him with the Legion" - Excalibur
Aurora seems oddly pleased - as though she's been waiting for Excalibur to start something. The Admantine
Arrow's internal power struggle is now of ugly significance.
"Lictor Hatfield. Your deputation is now cancelled" - Aurora
Loki and Excalibur face off, and then Excalibur starts in on a long speech.
"I have been unfairly treated by this Consilium. The Gold Law enshrines the rank of Sentinal. The Silver Law,
correct me if I'm wrong, states that this Consilium has one Sentinal who may deputise others. I have not
stepped down from my post and not given consent for this man to be given it" - Excalibur
"Who holds the position of Sentinal is decided by the Councillor for the Admantine Arrow" - Aurora
"You are exactly right, madam. However, I gave my oath and you cannot make me go back on it" - Excalibur
"All right. Let's ratify this, then - Two Sentinals?" - Aurora, to the other Councillors
Bede and Abbot nod, swiftly after one another
"There. Silver Law. We now have two Sentinals" - Aurora
"Regardless, you have put me in a position where I cannot fulfil both of my oaths. I cannot obey you AND serve
the Consilium" - Excalibur
"I know this is slightly belated, but I would argue against that. We face a number of threats to the city, the least
of which is those who would set us against one another. Division is surely not the best way to go about this" -
Cobalt
Excalibur puts his finger in the air
"... ... One thing. Who has the position of Sentinal is decided by the leader of the Admantine Arrow" - Excalibur
"I am that leader" - Aurora
"No, you're the Heirarch. You're not an Arrow Warmaster. In the order you're the same rank as me, while in the
city you're the Heirarch... I challenge you for leadership of the order" - Excalibur
Everyone's jaw drops
And certain players started cheering
"Um..." - Samael
"Did you see this one coming?" - Cobalt, to Arc
"That wasn't the plan!!!" - Hatfield, desperately whispering
"You can't release me from my oaths, so the only way to resolve this is if I'm in the position to appoint
Sentinals" - Excalibur
"Well... I... We will resolve this in private" - Aurora
"Unfortunately, we must resolve it now. Because our response" (and he takes in the Newcastle mages with a
sweep of his hand) "depends on the outcome" - Excalibur
Cobalt stands with Cal
"Cobalt, no offence, but you're not an Arrow" - Excalibur
"Against any other threat, you'd have a second" - Cobalt
Cal grins.
The spectators count with their eyes - with Aquila and Aegis not here, both Aurora and Cal have equal numbers
of supporters. It looks like it's going to be Breaker and Choke's contest to call. On the one hand, Cal has been
working to save Cobra. On the other hand, Choke is personally close to Aurora, seeing her as an inspiration as a
female Arrow.
Aurora is emphasising in her speech to the Arrow how they need continuity of leadership. Cal is pointing out
that Loki has arrested the Smoke Eater's leader and sidelining the Legion; there are three Cabals with Arrow in,
and the one including their "leader" has been antagonistic to the other two.
"There are things going on that you don't understand!" - Aurora
"I look forward to reading your handover notes. You're still Heirarch" - Excalibur
Choke and Breaker stand with the Legion
Aurora takes that, and her wounded pride... And retreats.
"RIGHT! SENTINALS! MYSELF AND HATFIELD. THE END!" - Excalibur
The Durham Cabals react positively to Hatfield - one of their own - being made Sentinal. They weren't
expecting that.
Samael, impressed, watches the shifting flows of Fate
Excalibur returns to the crowd, next to Samael
"And that, for your reference, is how you take over an order" - Excalibur, so Samael can hear him
"Very well done" - Samael
"Wait for the encore. We have plan D" - Excalibur
Quark, as the Consilium moves towards the duelling issue, stands right behind the two of them.
"WHAT ELSE?" - Aurora, now furious
Arc raises his hand.
Here we go.
1. Monster
"I come here to warn you. You have amongst you one who is a terrible danger, who has killed members of the
Pentacle and is not repentant. One who is a grave danger..." - Arc
"Correction!" - Cobalt
Samael and Persephone wave at Cobalt to let Arc speak
"I speak of Kosciej the Deathless" - Arc
"Thought so" - Persephone
"You may not be aware that your Leigewoman Persephone is harbouring the liche Kosciej within her Soul, and
all the rest of his Legacy"
"Correction on your earlier statement. Kosciej never killed a member of the Pentacle orders. He lived during the
Nameless War against the Diamond orders. This was a state where conflict was raging..." - Cobalt
-If Cobalt wants to think that, we should not correct him- - Kosciej
"We're all very aware of the history books Cobalt. Persephone - are you this liche? Do you have him in your
brain?" - Aurora
"I am not Kosciej... But I do have contact with him" - Persephone
"Now. You may remember the tragic loss of Chayot. Chayot was a member of my Cabal and the leader of my
Legacy. Due to several of our talents, we were hired to combat the threat to the Diamond orders of this liche,
involving the use of this item" (hefts the Ankh) "Specifically, Chayot was instructed to exorcise the liche from
the young lady's mind. He died before he could perform that duty" - Arc
"This is a baseless assertion..." - Cobalt
"I have more information on this matter..." - Samael
"It is strange that the Ankh went into the possession of those he was meant to use it on" - Arc
"It went into the possession of the Aetheneum" - Samael
"There are irregularities as to what happened on that train" - Arc
Excalibur frowns
"We only have the Auric Horizon's word that they killed Quiet and took the Ankh" - Arc
"Bede. Question - was the body of Quiet rendered to you after death?" - Cobalt
"It was" - Bede
"Is it possible for the Legacy known as the Stone Scribes to read the life history of a person from their corpse?"
- Cobalt
"Given enough of a sympathetic connection, yes" - Bede
Samael looks to Pandora and Scribe for confirmation. Scribe nods back slightly
"Does the body constitute sufficient sympathy?" - Cobalt
"Usually" - Bede
"Did it in this case?" - Cobalt
"yes..." - Bede
"What does it tell you about..." - Cobalt
"...Though not at first. When it first arrived, no - we needed to learn his name. We spent several weeks tracking
down his records through the Edinburgh Consilium and then we were able to summon his shade" - Bede
The players have been assuming all along that Bede was lying about that - but he *did* say back in 1.1 that he needed
a few more details to properly read Quiet's body. Go and check. He did. It's one of those little assumptions that has
become truth to the players - there's another significant one, too, but I'm not spoiling that until it well and truly
blindsides them.
"So you will be able to say that we did kill him on the train. Arc has shown remarkable resistance to facts in the
past, so I'm not sure it will work" - Samael
"Please. The discrepencies" - Cobalt
"The man's last thought was of the young lady shooting him through the throat. Now he did murder Sleepers in
an attempt to escape the Auric Horizon" - Bede
"We would have preferred to bring him in alive" - Samael
"It is still suspicious to me" - Arc
"It was never concealed. Did you learn how he murdered Chayot, stole Artefacts and burnt his house?" - Cobalt,
to Arc
Gaunt and Excalibur, who examined the crime scene, are frowning upon Arc's shenanigans
"Also, Quiet was complicit in the actions taken by the Echo Walker Vahishta against the Proximus Dominic" -
Cobalt
Hatfield nods
"Is this an attempt to blacken our name, or to try to clear that of a former friend of yours? I understand loyalty,
but if you place faith in Quiet as a good and pleasant man who would never do this to Chayot I am sorry to
disabuse you of the notion" - Cobalt
Arc is confused. He half-turns to Bede
"But... You said they killed him" - Arc
"They did" - Bede, annoyed
"Chayot was warned that assassins would be sent after him" - Cobalt
"Because he renaged on the deal..." - Arc
"Because he REFUSED TO MURDER HER" - Samael, driven to anger
"The Deal was between Civitas and Chayot and was completed. Any side bet of murder is the fabrication of
those who would do Chayot's memory ill" - Cobalt
Arc looks at the Ankh, conflicted
"Solemn threatened Chayot. He said he would tell your Legacy about the Ankh - he did and exactly what he
thought would happen did. They killed him for THAT" - Samael, pointing at the Ankh
And now Arc has the hot potato!
"The Ankh was in my possession for about six hours, before I passed it to the Heirophant" - Samael
"You've painted a rather large target on yourself" - Quark, to Arc
"Then... I am sorry. I... This is not as I thought it was" - Arc
They finally persuaded him! They did!
Samael deflates
"Which makes this worse. Because in order for me... I have sworn to fulfil the remaining obligations of my
former master" - Arc
"The only one left is to bring to justice..." - Samael
But Arc is still monologuing
"I promise I will come back and help you with this Supernal Creature... Aid you in any way against it and any of
my former bretheren. But I must fulfil my master's oath to the Heirarch of Cambridge" - Arc
"He already did" - Cobalt
"In practice but not in spirit... I need to know that I..." - Arc
He looks at the Ankh
"I need this" - Arc
Sef hides behind Excalibur
"The only way I can be safe keeping it is to keep my word" - Arc
"You won't be safe at all once Vahishta finds out. They'll all come gunning for you next!" - Samael
"Arc. Say it" - Cobalt
"So what you're" - Samael
"Say it" - Cobalt
"I need to take her to see Solemn" - Arc
"Not going to happen" - Cobalt
"Then we have a dispute. I need to take this admitted criminal in to the Cambridge Guardians. I'm sure he can
be removed the same way he was put in" - Arc
"The presence in her mind is the Daimon of Kosciej. If you remove it you'll destroy her mind" - Cobalt
"You need to find her original Daimon" - Samael
"I am sure he won't want to kill an innocent" - Arc
"Solemn has sacrificed one of his own men. I sincerely doubt he'll stop there. Chayot performed what was
asked of him - he shifted the man's soul" - Samael
"I know it's unpalatable, but this creature you're facing is linked to my powers. It's one of the things that I *see*
when I look through people. It is powered on the rejection of humanity. Whenever I put anyone in tune with the
Ones Before they feel that disconnection. I know this thing. I can help you!" - Arc
"Strange. The only other offer of help also demanded one of our household in payment" - Cobalt
"Then you - and this Consilium - need to decide if you will pay it. I declare, though it greives me to do so, the
Right of Nemesis on Persephone" - Arc
"NO" - Cicero
"Wait a second... ... NO" - Quark
Quark sidles closer to Samael and Persephone
"Heirarch..." - Cobalt, to Aurora
"We will oppose you. I apologise" - Samael, to Arc
"This man has confessed to being a paid assassin" - Cobalt
"THIS 'MAN' IS LEFT-HANDED!" - Rodriguez
Cobalt winces. He forgot about Rodriguez
"These powers you speak of - I have seen the damage they do! Do you deny that you have damaged the soul
of a member of this Consilium? You, sir, speak with devil-tongue! You think that you are doing the right thing,
but you are no better than a Tremere! I Declare the Right of Nemesis... ON YOU!" - Rodriguez
"... ... Who the hell are you?" - Aurora, utterly lost
"I am Rodriguez" - Rodriguez, striking a pose
Guitar sting!
"Is there anyone ELSE from outside this Consilium visiting the Auric Horizon?!" - Aurora
Pandora sheepishly raises her hand in the background
"I oppose this man on the basis that he is Nefandus" - Rodriguez
Abbot is looking a little punch-drunk
Persephone sidles up to Gaunt
"If I turn myself in here, would that settle this?" - Persephone
"It won't absolve him" - Gaunt
"For whatever reason, he's made an oath directly to Solemn" - Samael
"We can sever it. There are Acanthus around..." - Persephone
"It's not that. He's afraid that if he doesn't do it Solemn will kill him. If he'd just listened to me, we could have
avoided this" - Samael
"Do you think he could help with the worm?" - Cobalt
"I think he could understand it better than us, but he would last against it about as long as a baby rabbit" -
Samael
Persephone comes to a decision
"I wish to propose a different course of action!" - Persephone
She steps into sight
"Removing the Legacy would involve removing my soul. This is a sentence for my life. But... Arc. I have the
means to investigate why this has happened and why Solemn wants to destroy this Legacy. But it would require
my use of the Ankh and some time. I ask you to defer fulfilling your oath until I finish the investigation. Then
you can do whatever you want with me" - Persephone
"What?! Wait - hold on..." - Samael
"I'm not asking for much. Just some time, and the Ankh. You can even come with me and join the investigation"
- Persephone
Arc considers
"I believe Solemn has misguided you and is using you. I wish to show you this" - Persephone
Exceptional success on persuading him!
Somewhere, Mictlan are shouting at her to reconsider. She calmly watches Arc.
"Acceptable" - Arc
"UNACCEPTABLE" - Rodriguez
"We can wait. This way, we can figure something out" - Persephone
"One month" - Arc
"UNACCEPTABLE" - Rodriguez
"Agreed" - Persephone, to Arc
Everyone shushes Rodriguez
"Rod... The point of Plan B is that it comes after Plan A" - Cobalt
Excalibur shakes his head to Rod
"Wait" - Excalibur
"In that case, ceasefire?" - Persephone
"For one month. I will assist you all in dealing with this worm. And also in the matter of your investigation. Then
in a month's time you will come with me to Cambridge" - Arc
-This is a gamble I do not advise- - Kosciej, chillingly cold
-Too late now- - Persephone, calmly
-Sometimes one must roll the hard six- - Chronos
"This guy's Left Handed" - Excalibur, muttered
"It needs to be declared so by a Convocation" - Cobalt
"Screw that. He's Left Handed. What's this Solemn going to do to Sef?" - Excalibur
"Who knows?" - Persephone
"Presumably he'll try to use her to break into Mictlan in the same way as he tried to use his servant. I don't
think she'll survive" - Samael
"Are you okay to tell Cicero about the Legacy?" - Cobalt
"He knows anyway now" - Persephone
"I already told him" - Excalibur
"I don't think we'll see her again. He's tried to kill us with Spirits already" - Samael
Arc is shaking hands with people, happy to have resolved this "peacefully"
"Going South is a good reason to visit my old friend Ashlar" - Cobalt
Persephone finds Arc
"I invite you to the Lighthouse. Stay with us" - Persephone
Aurora watches the hubbub, still smarting from her loss of status
"Whatever" (dismissive) "Meeting over. Regarding the creature - the Auric Horizon and their new guest are to
look into it within the next month and see if there's any way of binding or removing it other than the death of
one of our Consilim" - Aurora
"Lock up your Proximi" - Hatfield, snarling
Cicero is talking to Abbot, Bede and Scribe. Scribe starts, as though surprised, as Cicero dictates something
into the Consilium's minutes. Abbot looks outraged at life in general. Cicero then moves around to Quark and
whispers in his ear.
Abbot is partly disgusted at the Echo Walker, partly at everyone playing fast and loose with the Lex Magica and partly
at himself for his support for what's about to happen...
At the back of the room. Cicero coughs
"Late motion one. Councillors?" - Cicero
The four Councillors raise their hands
"What motion?" - Aurora
Excalibur draws his sword and stabs Arc through the heart
1. Monster
Excalibur stabs Arc again.
Arc coughs up blood, staring, as his knees buckle.
Excalibur stabs Arc again, the blade hitting bone with a horrible crunching sound.
Arc looks up at Excalibur with lifeless eyes

"Consider that a 'No'" - Excalibur
Aurora grabs the minutes from Scribe
"Late motion to... Declare the Right of Nemesis on Arc?!" - Aurora
"Had to do it before you offered him Hospitality" - Excalibur
"I DID!" - Persephone
"No you didn't. Have to do that at our borders" - Cobalt
"That wasn't needed..." - Persephone, in tears
Rodriguez looks down at Arc
"Si" - Rodriguez
Rod kicks the body.
Persephone shakes her head and sadly walks out, removing her Astral presence as she walks, not wanting to
hear the furore in Mictlan
As she leaves, she hears Aurora's voice, screaming at Excalibur.
He was pushing it when he declared himself leader of the Arrow
"By your own admission, I'm still the Heirarch. So you can LEAVE. You are released from your oaths, Excalibur...
And BANISHED!" - Aurora
Samael looks at the Councillors
Aurora wheels on them, rage in her eyes and fire crackling between her fingertips - the first time the Cabal
have seen her Attainment.
"Vote against me. I dare you" - Aurora
Bede and Abbot were willing to let Cal kill Arc, but that's as far as they go. They shake their heads. Quark and
Cicero look like they might make something of it, but with the numbers against them they choose the sad path
of staying to fight another day. Cal knew what he was doing.
And she's the head of the Arrow again
"Well... Looks like... Say goodbye to Sef for me, will you guys?" - Excalibur
Key smoothly kneels and retrieves the Ankh, and then exchanges a nod with Samael
"Sorry man" - Cobalt
"Eh, it was worth it" - Excalibur, shrugging
Chris: 'No it wasn't!' Thinks Samael. 'We need Cal!'
Militas salutes him.
Excalibur, much to Aurora's obvious distaste, is grandstanding; shaking everyone's hands, smiling and
reassuring.
Leaving the memory of a hero who did what had to be done. Should Aurora ever fall - they know where to find him
"If you ever need a reference give me a call. We're going to miss you out there" - Cobalt
"I think I'll turn up more than Cognos" - Excalibur, grinning
He starts up the steps
"I wonder if he would be interested in Archaeomancy" - Cobalt
Samael stands over Arc's body
"It wasn't worth losing Cal for that. Putting down a mad dog" - Samael, to himself
He turns away and exchanges nods with Bede.
Aurora finishes with the matter of Sentinals. Again. She's unwilling to go against Abbot - her majority is razor-
thin - so keeps Cal's choice. Hatfield is the city's sole Sentinal
"My plan was SO much better" - Hatfield
"We still have it in reserve" - Samael
"I think it's time to go find Sef" - Cobalt
"I want to just get on with my Sophiad for a while. Every time we turn around something happens" - Samael
"Let's face it, the universe hates us" - Cobalt
They start leaving, ahead of the crowd
"It's like we're psycho-magnets or something" - Samael
Cicero catches them up
"We have a date. There's still that thing" - Cicero
"There's still that thing" - Cobalt
"And we need another way to defeat the Worm" - Cicero
He leaves. They find Sef, down the road.
"Hiya" - Samael
"Come on" - Cobalt
"Let's get home" - Samael
They ponder
"Why?" - Persephone
"It's not just the threat to you" - Samael
"What Rodriguez said was right. He was Nefandus" - Cobalt
"Did Chayot also deserve to die?" - Persephone
"I think he beat it, in the end. He got free. Arc didn't" - Cobalt
"He had a chance! *I* gave him a chance! And Cal took it away! Don't you understand? We could have turned
him to our side - we had a month. I could have saved him" - Persephone
"I know" - Cobalt, quietly
"I don't know whether you're right. But we won't know now" - Samael
"He could see reason. I could see that..." - Persephone
...
And a last goodbye...
Rodriguez runs up
"This is the evening for goodbyes" - Rodriguez
Cobalt hands him his gun back
"Rod?" - Cobalt
"Here, I am just one fish in the pond. You have many allies. Where you are going I think I will not be so useful,
but the young man with the sword..." - Rodriguez
"...Could do with a man at his back" - Cobalt
"And it is best that no one is alone" - Rodriguez
"Happy trails, man" - Cobalt

They shake his hand, embrace him one by one
"See you next dig" - Cobalt
"Yes! We'll see you next dig!" - Rodriguez
He runs off in the direction Cal took
The Sword of Britain and El Mariarchi, travelling the UK in a landrover. Putting right what once went wrong! They fight
crime!
"You're not wrong to feel sad about this; to feel denied your choice. Arc was just one part of this. We've got to
be strong and unified" - Samael
"I'll say the same about Arc as Chayot. There's a different man responsible here - Solemn is as answerable as
Cal for his death" - Cobalt
"The important thing is to not be caught up in the fact that you had a chance. Arc lived his life by his own
decisions. I'm sorry he's dead - and I never thought I'd say that - but you're more important" - Samael
"I see now why you got so worked up about Duma" - Persephone, wiping her face
"What I got from that was that he made his own decisions. Lived and died by them. Arc is a casualty of war - of
the conflict that's going on here for power. Don't blame Cal. I think he did the wrong thing, but maybe we'll find
out he was right. Either way, we need to learn from this and become stronger for it. We have to do something
to fix this mess" - Samael
...
And now, the Coda
TWO NIGHTS LATER
Tiresias arrives as soon as Samael and Logos tell him what's going on.
The Cabal, Tiresias, Cicero and Pandora are in the woods in the dead of night, carefully picking up tiny pieces of
flaked ash, the Moros and the Sphinxes identifying which pieces go where.
"Would you care to do the honours?" - Cicero
Cobalt nods
"Whatever this says - this doesn't go outside this group of people. We can't prove anything regardless of what
this says, and we want to have the ability to prove it" - Cicero
Cobalt puts the jigsaw back together. Tiresias and Samael look at it, and nod.
"So now we now... ... It was Bede" - Cicero
Cobalt raises the tray with the letter on to his lips and blows the evidence back to the wind.
And with that, we conclude "Monster".
And Lankin STILL hasn't turned up!
1. Cast List
The Cast of Soul Cage
The Auric Horizon

Samael, Mysterium Obrimos Sphinx. Glass-worker and Symbologist. Thanks to his deceased Mentor, Samael is
caught up in the business of the Echo Walker Legacy.
Cobalt, Free Council Moros (unnamed Legacy). Doctor of Material Chemistry, University Lecturer and
Archaeomancer. Newer to Magical life than his fellows, he brings the voice of reason and good sense.
Persephone, Free Council Acanthus Parliament of the Needle. Accidental recipient of a Daimon transplant from
an ancient Libertine Master, Sef (for short) is slowly but surely starting to trust people with information about
her shady runaway background.
----
The Durham-Newcastle Consilium

Home sweet home to the Cabal. When it isn't being attacked by monsters "from beyond the wall" or nearly
splintering in two.
The Grey Street Runners

Mostly Libertines and close allies, the GSR are like our Cabal's city-dwelling slightly-more-established cousins.
They argue a lot among themselves, but it's affectionate.
Symmetry, Free Council Thyrsus. Vetinarian, long-established voice of reason in the Consilium and Cobalt's
girlfriend.
Babel, Free Council Mastigos Thredonist. Psychologist (yes, really), though mostly seen as Lorekeeper for the
Libertines and as Quark's assistant.
Scribe, Mysterium Moros Stone Scribe. Consilium Herald and apprentice of Bede.
Lux, Mysterium Obrimos. Expert in Phantasms and Electromagnetism for the Mysterium Caucus. Kind of an
upper-class Samael.
Cat, Mysterium Acanthus. Reclaimer (that is; Artifact-thief) for the Mysterium. Nearly killed by the Lambton
Worm, but rescued by the Cabal.
Quark, Free Council Mastigos Thredonist. Goetic Mage (he has his Lust-Demon as a Goetic Familiar) and
Lecturer in Durham University's physics department. Councillor and chairperson of the Free Council Assembly.
The Farthest Legion

Roman-themed Guardian and Arrow Cabal based in Wallsend, the Eastern terminus of Hadrian's Wall and the
limit of the civilised world in ancient times. Dedicated to fighting the over-average number of cyptids and
monsters Newcastle gets.
Cicero, Guardian of the Veil Mastigos Bearer of the Eternal Voice. Epotet and Councillor. Handy with a knife and
a mind-reading spell.
Aquila, Admantine Arrow Thyrsus. Falconer (his Familiar is a bird of prey) and now the Legion's First Talon.
Persephone's rather casual boyfriend.
Aegis, Admantine Arrow Moros Tamer of Stone. Defensive warrior trained as a bodyguard-for-hire. Has several
self-penned Mage Armor variants. Sometimes misspells his own name.
Vernator, Admantine Arrow Obrimos Tamer of Fire. Excalibur's former apprentice. Urban hunter.
Militas, Admantine Arrow Obrimos. Largest, strongest and most capable warrior still in the Legion. Good at
intimidating suspects.
Atia, Guardian of the Veil Acanthus. The brains of the Cabal, organiser and trainer.
Gaunt, Guardian of the Veil Moros. Paramedic and the Consilium's "cleaner" of supernatural occurances.
Sybil, Guardian of the Veil Acanthus. Fate-witch and threat-detector.
The Smoke Eaters

Young, rambunctious Cabal based in Middlesborough, a heavily-polluted city (lots of chemical works) near
Durham and Newcastle. The Smoke Eaters look up to Cobalt as a role model. He has yet to use this power for
evil.
Cobra, Free Council Thyrsus. Over-enthusiastic, working-class Libertine.

Viper, Free Council Thyrsus. Apprentice? Sidekick? Soul-mate? Cobra's ever-present shadow.
Rivet, Free Council Moros. Shipwrecker - Middlesborough dismantles vessels at the end of their life, among
other industries. Good at the destructive uses of Matter.
Breaker, Admantine Arrow Mastigos. Gang War mage and crowd-stirrer.
Choke, Admantine Arrow Thyrsus Neocologist. Summoner of Pollution Elementals and other odd things from
the Shadow.
The Black Seam

Tiny Cabal of old Libertines based around the mining villages dotting the area.
Pythagoras, Free Council Acanthus. Old-guard Libertine with odd ideas and contacts in other cities. Deceased
after falling for Dowse's scheme.
Limnal, Free Council Obrimos. Ex-Coal Miner and underground explorer. Expert in the area's Hallows.
Una, Free Council Moros. Cultural Historian of the vanishing pit communities.
Magog, Free Council Or is he? Moros. Young pedagogue and powerbroker. Now imprisoned after falling for
Dowse's scheme.
The Dun Cow Sign

The Durham Cabal. Mostly Mystagogues. very old and powerful, politically.
Bede, Mysterium Moros Stone Scribe. Heirophant and Councillor for the Mysterium. May be up to No Good.
Logos, Mysterium Acanthus Sphinx. Symbologist and Samael's partner-in-investigation.
Gloriana, Silver Ladder Obrimos. Church-leader and priest.
Abbot, Silver Ladder Acanthus. Councillor and Educationalist. Dean of Durham University.
Dowse, Mysterium Acanthus. "Obtainer of Rare Antiquities". Imprisoned pending execution for attempted
murder in order to split the Consilium
Key, Mysterium Obrimos Daksha. Historian and Curator of the Aetheneum.
Agaric, Mysterium Thyrsus. Herbalist, folk-remedy expert and hermit.
The Palatines
Barnard Castle Cabal, of a mix of Diamond Orders. The least known by our Cabal.
Fomalhaut, Silver Ladder Obrimos Thrice-Great. Astronomer and Astrologer.
Cuthbert, Silver Ladder Moros. Cryptopoly expert and Lex Magica justice.
Aurora, Admantine Arrow Obrimos Tamer of Fire. Heirarch of the Consilium.
Hatfield, Silver Ladder Acanthus. Lictor and Sentinal of the Consilium. The Cabal's ally in the Palantines.
Interfector, Guardian of the Veil executioner. Identity unknown.
Loki, Admantine Arrow Acanthus. Bitter rival of Excalibur and now Hatfield
Warden, Guardian of the Veil Moros. Churchyard tender and exorcist
Joan, Silver Ladder Moros
----
The London Consilium

A paranoid, Guardian-led city, London is nonetheless home to several allies - and semi-antagonists - of the
Cabal, as well as the Library of St John, one of the two largest Censoria (high-security Aetheneum) in the world.
Civitas, Guardian of the Veil Mastigos. Heirarch of the City. Once lost his wig to Cognos and still has flashbacks.
Decurian, Guardian of the Veil Thyrsus. Sentinal of the City. Has a grudging respect for Cobalt.
Tiresias, Mysterium Mastigos Sphinx. Curator of the Library and Samael's mentor.
Ashlar, Mysterium Acanthus (unnamed Legacy). Archaeomancer and Provost for the Mystagogues of London.
Cobalt's mentor.
Pandora, Mysterium Moros. Archaeomancer and adventuress. Once Duma's lover, now Samael's.
Cadaceus. Mysterium Obrimos Thrice-Great. Councillor and sore loser.
Djehuty. Mysterium Moros. Egyptologist and Artifact expert. More to him than meets the eye.
Duma. Mysterium Obrimos Echo Walker. Nefandus-Hunter and Legacy expert. Deceased, thanks to an angry
Atlantean spell.
Samson. Mysterium Moros. Archaeomancer and Ashlar's student. Killed by Seers of the Throne.
----
Other Allies and neutral third parties
Excalibur, Admantine Arrow Obrimos Tamer of Fire. Sword-wielding hero-Arrow. Banished from the Consilium
after killing Archon.
Rodriguez, Free Council Acanthus. Mexican Luck-warrior, gunslinger, duellist and pilot. Now travelling the UK
and Europe with Excalibur.
Orchid, Mysterium Thyrsus. Member of the San Diego Consilium and Archaeomancer.
Gabrielle, Silver Ladder Obrimos. Artifact specialist and Lictor. Member of the Paris Consilium and the Cabal's
usual Lawyer.
Memento, Mysterium Mastigos. Archaeomancer and Herald from San Diego. Orchid's mentor.
Balam, Adamantine Arrow Thyrsus Ophan of Proteus. Shapeshifter and wilderness tracker. From Mexico.
Galatea, Free Council Moros. Real Identity unknown, the only other living member of the Parliament of the
Needle.
Hades, Guardian of the Veil Moros, also known as "Hadrian". In a coma for just under a year after trying to
enter Mictlan. Persephone's ex-lover.
Eddington, Silver Ladder Mastigos. Councillor in the Cambridge Consilium.
Chayot, Mysterium Obromos Echo Walker. Samael's first mentor, deceased at the hands of his own former
students.
Cognos, Free Council Mastigos. Epicurean and Adventurer. Cobalt and Persephone's first Mentor. He means
well...
Pathstrider, Mysterium Mastigos Sphinx. Long-dead author of the "Sophiad" Grimoire, in whose footsteps
Samael is following.
Sophia, Mysterium Obrimos. Archmage and creator of the Golden Physician, the Artifact at the centre of the
Chronicle (and for which it is named)
----
The Parliament of the Needle

The ghostly inhabitants of Mictlan, the Astral lorehouse Persephone has access to.
Kosciej, Free Council Mastigos. "The Deathless", one of the Nameless war-leaders against the Diamond prior to
the Great Refusal.
Chronos, Free Council Moros. Mental Engineer and expert in thought-constructs.
----
Other Antagonists
Vahishta, Mysterium Obrimos Echo Walker. Most powerful of the Echo Walkers. Responsible for Chayot's death.
Quiet, Mysterium Moros. Vahishta's lackey. Killed by the Cabal in the Prelude.
Archon, Mysterium Obrimos Echo Walker. Archaeomancer and expert in Supernal Emanations. Killed by
Excalibur after first attacking Samael and then trying to capture Persephone for Solemn.
Solemn, Guardian of the Veil Thyrsus Logophage. Cambridge Heirarch, who wants to destroy Mictlan. And is
willing to kill Sef and the Cabal to do it.
Lankin, Seer of the Throne Thyrsus. Leader of Newcastle's Seers. Knows who Cobalt is. This is bad for Cobalt.
----
Non-Awakened
Archimedes, Persephone's familiar and Solemn's spy in the Cabal. Deceased.

Kosciej-the-Daimon, the real Kosciej's daimon, now running Sef's Oneiros. The Chronicle's comic relief.
The King of the Sea, ancient Magath lurking in a verge in Newcastle. Hates Cobalt for escaping his ordained
death at sea.
Karen Newton, Werewolf. Now with a pack in Hamsterly Forest. Who may or may not be Pure.
The Lambton Worm, ancient horror of flesh-made-wrong and alchemical fire. Fallen Angel of the Aether?
Something related to Prometheans? It's big, it phases through rock, it nests (or is trapped) under Tynemouth
Priory and it petrifies the lost, lonely and rejected.
The Smiling Gentleman, never-seen man-shaped creature that left a basket of Barghest Puppies on Karen
Newton's doorstep. Probably a True Fae of some variety.
1. Dave gave a couple of good ones away, but they come out quickly and far less shockingly
than Arc's death. That had us reeling in the game session, jaws dropped and all.
And as you can see, the whole "Baritone" thing was, in fact, a total lie.
Okay, Char sheet coming up... apologies for the formatting...

(DaveB... could you do a write-up of the legacy in question or should I just summarise the details
I know?)
Rex Williams, a.k.a. Cobalt, Free Council Moros, Unnamed Legacy

Virtue: Fortitude, Vice: Envy
Cabal: Auric Horizon, Concept: Man of Reason
Attributes:
Intelligence 3 Strength 2 Presence 2
Wits 3 Dexterity 2 Manipulation 2
Resolve 3 Stamina 3 Composure 3
Skills
Mental
Academics 2 (Profession)
Computer 1
Crafts 2 (rote spec)
Investigation 3 (spec: Artifacts)
Medicine 0
Occult 1
Politics 2
Science 3 (Profession, rote spec, Area of Expertise: Metallurgy)
Physical
Athletics 3
Brawl 2
Drive 1 (spec: pursuit, pilot aircraft)
Firearms 1
Larceny 0
Stealth 1
Survival 1
Weaponry 1
Social
Animal Ken 0
Empathy 1
Expression 1 (Profession, spec: Teaching)
Intimidation 1
Persuasion 1 (rote spec)
Socialize 1
Streetwise 0
Subterfuge 1
Merits
Area of Expertise 2 (Science: Metallurgy)
Profession 5 (Material Sciences Professor)
Resources 3
Barfly 1
Iron Stamina 2
High Speech 1
Hallow 3
Free Council Status 2
Fame 1 (Material Sciences papers)
Arcana
Death 2
Fate 0
Forces 0
Matter 3
Mind 1
Prime 0
Spirit 0
Space 1
Time 2
Health 8, Willpower 6, Gnosis 4, Mana pool 13, Wisdom 6,

Size 5, Speed 9, Defence 2, Initiative mod 5
"Payment in Pain" points stored: 9
Rotes:
Reshape (Matter 3, 9 dice.)
Alter Integrity (Matter 3, 9 dice)
Aura Perception (Mind 1, 5 dice)
Nimbus:
Arcane symbol on three concentric stone discs, the sound of the rings grinding against each
other as they align to the magic in question.
Dedicated Magical Tool: Amulet in the shape of the nimbus (though it doesn't rotate).
Combat items:
Regular handgun (I think its a glock or something. +2 dice).
Obsidian Bowie knife (+4 L , size 1/J, Durability 10, +1 to some craft rolls)
The Subtle Trowel: (Changes shape, size, material and quality at user's commad, Dice pool =
Matter+5, Mana pool of 14, Base paradox pool of 3)
1. Jeremiah Morrison / Samael, Mysterium Obrimos, Sphinx
Cabal: The Auric Horizon

Concept: Prismatic Seeker
Virtue: Hope
Vice: Pride
Attributes:
Intelligence 3 Wits 2 Resolve 3
Strength 3 Dexterity 2 Stamina 3
Presence 3 Manipulation 1 Composure 3
Skills – Mental:
Academics (Religion) 2
Computer 1
Crafts (Glass) 3
Investigation 2
Medicine 1
Occult (Art) 2
Politics 1
Science 2
Skills – Physical:
Athletics 2
Brawl 1
Drive 1
Weaponry 1
Skills – Social:
Empathy 2
Expression 1
Intimidation 1
Persuasion 1
Socialise (Clubs) 2
Streetwise 1
Subterfuge 1
Merits:
Iron Stamina 1
Occultation 1
Striking Looks 2
Resources 2
Profession: Artist 3
Status: Mysterium 2
Mysterium Initiation 1
Destiny 1
High Speech 1
Library 2
Contacts – Sphinxes 2
Arcana:
Fate 2
Forces 3
Life 1
Prime 3
Rotes:
Organic Perception
Lakshi's Touch
Flight of Birds
Gnosis: 4
Wisdom: 7
Health: 8
Willpower: 6
Nimbus: A strengthening and refracting of light around Samael, as if viewed through stained
glass.
Dedicated Magical Tool: Stained glass amulet, with no image depicted – merely fragments of
colours.
Magical Items: The Spyglass That Is Not Amber – Scry (Space 4)
1. Catherine Ashton / Persephone, Free Council Acanthus, Parliment of the Needle
Cabal: The Auric Horizon

Concept: Runnaway climbing back up from the fall
Virtue: Charity
Vice: Pride
Attributes:
Intelligence 2 Strength 2 Presence 2
Wits 3 Dexterity 3 Manipulation 3
Resolve 2 Stamina 2 Composure 4
Skills – Mental:
Academics 1
Computer 1
Crafts (rote) 1
Investigation (Myths of the Awakened) 2
Medicine 1
Occult 1
Politics 1
Science (rote) 1
Skills – Physical:
Athletics 2
Larceny (forgery) 2
Stealth 1
Skills – Social:
Empathy 3
Expression 3
Persuasion (rote) 2
Socialise 1
Subterfuge (lying) 2
Merits:
Familiar 4 (was Archimedes, now waiting for a good moment to get a new one )
Occultation 1
Destiny 2
High Speech 1
Fighting Style: Archery 1
Sanctum 2
Allies - Parliment 5
Arcana:
Death 1
Fate 3
Life 1
Mind 3
Time 3
Rotes:
Winds of Chance (Fate 1, 8 dice)
Fortune's Protection (Fate 2, 9 dice)
The Evil Eye (Fate 2, 9 dice)
Gnosis: 4
Wisdom: 7
Health: 7
Willpower: 6
Nimbus: Swarms of multicolored butterflies made of light
Dedicated Magical Tool: The Lucky Arrow
Magical Items: The Silver Astral Compas - points to the direction of a chosen person and the
distance to her in time needed to reach her (can't find the roll for it anywhere at the momet)
The magic shield amulet (if it still works) - made by Samael before the trip to the jungle, a small
piece of green glass shaped like a shield, holds a Prime shield agaisnt magic.
The spirit charm - made by Aquila before the trip to London, to help Persephone resist
Archimedes' Fear Numina attacks. Not quite sure what it looks like, but possibly there are some
feathers involved.
XP: (after 6.2) 150; free: 4; spent: 146

Arcane XP: 83; free: 10; spent: 73
1. Butterflies and Hurricanes

Butterflies and Hurricanes
Session 6.1
Welcome Back, Faithful Readers! The new thread is distressingly short; we'll have to see what we can do about that.
This is an oportunity to do a story I've had in mind all Chronicle; Yes, pretty much this entire story takes place in Astral
Space, as the Cabal (plus two allies) go on an epic, multi-objective quest i
Into the dreamworlds. The time for being waylaid by Solemn's minions and finding Echo Walkers popping up at random
is over. Soon it will be time to fight back, but this story is about preparing for that fight - learning as much as can be
learned about people who'd rather no one paid them much attention at all.
This session contains two revelations already spoiled in the preamble to this thread, and one that has been kept
carefully secret. Hope you like it!
Oh, BTW - the title means something other than the famous explanation of chaos theory. Answers on a postcard.
Standard prize of having someone named after you.
A week later, and the fallout continues.
Cobalt's position as Strategos, he discovers, has not expired with the Consilium - Magog's arrest is still being
classed as part of the grand thievery escapades, of which Cobalt is in charge of the Free Council's response. As
such, he is informed by Symmetry and Quark, Magog's rehabilitation, imprisonment, work-release or whatever
ends up happening is Cobalt's problem. Cobalt is now responsible for Magog's future.
He only swears a little. And in private.
The Auric Horizon are ambivalent at the revelation that Dowse has not yet been executed - he's under lock and
key at the Farthest Legion's Sanctum, kept in a magically-opened chamber deep underground which can only
be reached by magics he doesn't possess. They haven't executed him yet due to Cicero now knowing that Bede
was actually behind it - they might need Dowse for something, and he'll be just as dead in a month. Publicly,
Interfector is saying that the augurs are not correct for a death yet, and that they must delay.
Persephone found out what was going on with the Parliament and Solemn - she's yet to tell the others, but she
has already contacted Civitas. Hadrian is therefore being moved to one of Newcastle's hospitals.
We'll cover this in flashback in a bit. For now, a scene with Cobalt and Samael
...
Late one evening, the Lighthouse plays host to a council of war. Tiresias, Pandora, Symmetry, Cicero, Cobalt
and Samael meet to discuss the Bede problem. Samael wrestles with whether or not to include Lux and / or Key
in their deliberations. To do so would reveal Bede's actions to more people and make it less secure, but he can't
countenance telling one without also telling the other. They can't risk creating a clique that Key is excluded
from, but they can't trust her yet. In the end, Tiresias makes the approach to Key, offering to let him/her in on
their talks if he wishes to. Symmetry agrees to tell Lux. Cobalt notes that she was probably going to anyway.
"Now, the other matter. Persephone should be... Well, he's in Newcastle now. The comatose gentleman is in the
General" - Cicero
"That's going to require work on her side of the wall he's stuck on" - Samael
"The Demesne is at your disposal. In fact" (glances at Tiresias, who smiles beatifically) "we have something
else for you to look into" - Cicero
Samael gets that sinking feeling. The one which indicates old men are talking about him behind his back.
Chris: Old male Mages talking and making plans. It's always us that get the shitty end of the stick. Kosciej's even dead
and still scheming - death didn't stop him
"Alright" - Samael
"I'll talk to Key, then" - Tiresias
"Cobalt. Could we talk outside?" - Cicero
Tiresias leaves. Cobalt and Cicero head outside.
...
Outside, Cicero and Cobalt walk along the cliff edge
Chris: You have been deemed dangerous. *Shove*

Dave2: I think we still have a cynical outlook on the Guardians...
"So I'm guessing this is about..." - Cobalt
"Our prisoner. We are keeping Dowse alive as long as we can for the purposes of our investigation. However,
should certain things come to light there is the possibility that he may plea himself into a lighter sentence.
There is still scope for Dowse blaming Magog for everything" - Cicero
"Ookay" - Cobalt
"What I am about to tell you must not go to your Cabalmates. I am only telling *you* because you are the
Strategos in this matter. In fact, I persuaded Quark to extend your appointment in order to avoid having to deal
with someone new. I didn't want this getting out into the larger Assembly" - Cicero
Cobalt frowns, but lets him continue.
"So in deference to your quaint beliefs, could you not tell the rest of your order, please?" - Cicero
"Yes, okay. So... I take it Magog and Pythagoras aren't related?" - Cobalt, wary
"No, they are not. These are the facts: It was Pythagoras who was contacted first by Dowse, not Magog. After
Dowse was persuaded by Pythagorass to bring Magog in he was faced with both the orders' apparent
legitimacy and Pythagoras telling him it was a good idea" - Cicero
"Really?" - Cobalt
"The impression is that Pythagoras was a foolish old man who let Magog tell him what to do?" - Cicero
"That was the general impression, yes" - Cobalt
"It's actually close to the other way around. In fact, Pythagoras was calling the shots" - Cicero
"Awesome" - Cobalt
Nice call back, there, Dave!

"Because... Magog was placed with... Pythagoras was involved heavily in cross-Consilium mailing lists and the
like. He was more preoccupied with that than he was about regional matters. It was through one of these that
he was contacted and asked to take Magog in as his apprentice. Basically, Magog is in a protection programme.
He was sent up here to train, change his Shadow Name and advance, but when faced with Dowse's plan and
Pythagoras' support for it he seems to have slipped into old ways and caused this whole mess. Magog is used
to cults of personality - led, though he was trying to become the leader" - Cicero
"I'm guessing where he came from" - Cobalt
"Where do you think?" - Cicero
"Cults of personality say 'Amway' to me" - Cobalt
"Quite so. Magog is a former Seer of the Throne. A minor functionary of the Praetorian Ministry" - Cicero
Told you there was a spoiler yet to come!
"Hence the martial bent and the Rod of Powa" - Cobalt
"And exploiting others to make yourself increase in position. If you look at it, it's obvious. Which is our problem.
Should Dowse find out..." - Cicero
"Magog will be blamed, as a former Seer. How many others know about this?" - Cobalt
"Myself. Pythagoras as was. We're trying to find out if Dowse knew and if so who told him. But there it is. We
need his Force Staff. It's in the Aetheneum; we need it back before someone casts too good an Analyze Magic
Item on it and realises it's origin" - Cicero
"I'll see what I can do. Oddly, this makes him more sympathetic" - Cobalt
"And damned frustrating. If he was supposed to keep a low profile he had a strange way of going about it" -
Cicero
"That's true. On the other hand, there's low profile and profiles you expect to see" - Cobalt
"And you can't break conditioning overnight" - Cicero
"Very true - but as a Syndic looking to fit in, he was believable" - Cobalt
There are no spoilers for Seers of the Throne in this thread. At least until the book comes out. Which is damned
frustrating, let me tell you - my head has been *full* of Seers for half a year now, and I still can't use any of it.
Accordingly, despite their being introduced here, we won't actually see a "vs the local Seers" story until Marchish 2009.
By then, they'll be fair game.
"And as a last thing, we dealt with your core sample" - Cicero
"May I ask how?" - Cobalt
"Aegis has been spending his recovery time making a new one. We have the one containing Ms Mason at our
Sanctum, so once we discover how to free those trapped by the worm it can be returned. As for the Seer, it
appears to have been one of your friend's graduate students. They were funding her through her Masters
program and she was giving them reports on her activities" - Cicero
"Of all the things, you'd not expect them to just pay for information" - Cobalt
"We do it a fair amount ourselves" - Cicero
"Well, good to know it wasn't deeper. And at least it wasn't targetted at me" - Cobalt
"Oh, we have no doubt that it was. The idea to come to you for a consultation was suggested by the girl. The
Seers appear to have tried to sic the Worm on us" - Cicero
"How very interesting. Something tells me they don't want to kill one of theirs any more than we want to kill
one of ours" - Cobalt
"We have since offered that student a more prestigious position elsewhere. What can be bought can be outbid
for" - Cicero
"Information, like people, is not free" - Cobalt
"Some say the Ministries have deep pockets, but fortunately the local Pylons seem limited in this regard. But
one thing to take from this is that the Seers have decided to attack us. They're using convuluted methods, but
it's an attack" - Cicero
They talk for a moment about the spatial distortion visible to Mage Sight when a Seer is piloting someone using
a Profane Urim.
"I'll demonstrate. You go back into the Lighthouse and ask Samael for permission for me to cast upon him, call
me if he gives it and I'll possess him at a distance so you can see what the spell looks like. I should point out
that any Mastigos of great skill can do this without needing an artifact" - Cicero
Cobalt returns to the lighthouse and there is a brief bit of hijinks as Cicero makes his demonstration, making
Samael give commentary in British Sign Language.
...
Persephone, in the hospital room, regards Hadrian. Remembering what Kosciej said...
Cue flashback!
Kosciej and Persephone move through Mictlan - Sef floating and Kosciej walking along the Gateway ring. No
other Cousins are about - Sef gets the impression Kosciej wants to be alone.
The ancient creature breaks the silence, giving her a sidelong glance while clearing his throat.
"There are some things I should show you. Firstly in my own Region" - Kosciej
They travel to Kosciej's Region - a dark, rickety, crooked tower, putting Persephone in mind of a twisted
lighthouse, that juts out into the outer edge of Mictlan. At the top is Kosciej's equivalent of Persephone's throne
room - A gothic octagon, furnished in blood-red leather and mahogany. There are a pair of high-backed
armchairs facing one another across a chessboard. There are high, narrow windows looking out upon the
Underworld. There is an old brass kettle.
He sits, folding his long, thin limbs up carefully. Persephone looks around for a while as he waits. She finds a
Tarot deck with high speech runes on the cards.
"Where did you get this?" - Persephone, running a finger along "The Hermit"
"It is a memory copy. Obviously" - Kosciej
"Is there a real copy anywhere out there still?" - Persephone
"Most likely. Cartomancy was all the rage in my day. The Tarot is interesting - it was invented only a bare few
centuries ago, has no correlation to ancient divination methods and in the hands of a Sleeper is entirely
unremarkable. Yet it has appeared out of nowhere, is the basis of much magical thought and has supernal
weight behind it. A real victory for the Free Council. Always amusing to watch the Mysterium claim it's older
than it is" - Kosciej
She shuffles through the cards, mentally copying them for herself.
"You wanted to show me something?" - Persephone
"I did" - Kosciej
He waves his hand, and the windows to the Underworld changes such that it is now a Kosciej's-point-of-view of
someone moving quickly but stealthily through a darkened... Well, Sef has been in a few storehouses of arcane
lore by now, and this one says "Censorium" to her.
The point of view looks around. There's someone else there - a handsome man, bearded, dressed simply in an
old-style shirt and trousers. The figure nods at the point of view.
"Is that Chronos?" - Persephone
"No - that is Cousin Lazarus" - Kosciej
Lazarus is one of those who have chosen to properly die, leaving Mictlan for the Underworld
The memory-doner reaches a particular cabinet, which they magic open revealing a book. They reach out with
short fingers - too short to be Kosciej's - and flip through the pages
"Here it is!" - POV
"THAT is Cousin Arawn. He was exploring the Underworld at the time..." - Kosciej
"...So you borrowed his body? If I go off into the Astral Realms, could you..?" - Persephone
"We have been through this. No. I could when I was alive" - Kosciej
Clearly she's hit a sore point. Death weighs heavily on Kosciej the Deathless.
The book seems to be speaking of a "false sigil" attack. It's written in some kind of cypher.
Kosciej dismisses the memory with another languid wave of his hand, then gestures to a bookshelf in the back
of the room. The book from the memory - or rather, the memory of the book from the memory, made real in
Mictlan - floats over to her.
"This is what we broke into that Censorium to find" - Kosciej
"What is it?" - Persephone
"It's a Guardian of the Veil account - an internal account - locked away for being classified. It describes what
you might understand as False Flag attacks; they were pretending to be another order. Specifically, these pages
describe the Christmas Day massacre; a notable attack on an aetheneum in 1899. As far as the Mysterium is
aware, it was the Libertines who were responsible just prior to the Great Refusal. Specifically they believe that
it was me who was responsible. I - in Arawn's body - and Lazarus broke in and found the Guardian's own
admission that it was in fact their order that committed that atrocity. This was our proof that the Guardians
were attacking aethenea during the Nameless War in order to remove troublesome lore and blame us for it" -
Kosciej
"And Solemn was the leader of this effort?" - Persephone
"Oh, no" - Kosciej
He makes the book vanish and springs to his feet
"Come with me" - Kosciej
They leave Kosciej's region, seeking Xolotl. Kosciej speaks to the intelligence and orders it to open the Region
of Lazarus. The lights dim slightly as more of Mictlan's resources are diverted to making Lazarus' region
navigable.
They enter - it looks like a cave
"Creepy. I can see why he departed" - Persephone
"You are about to see why he did so - on condition that you do not copy this into your own Region or tell any of
the other Cousins. This is why Solemn wants us" - Kosciej
"I need to tell Civitas anyway - the others, it's just a matter of time" - Persephone
"Tell Civitas by all means, but not the others" - Kosciej
They go to the back of the cave, where Kosciej roots through several chests and trunks, looking for something.
He retrieves a music box which, when opened, plays the memory of the break in again, this time from Lazarus'
point of view.
When it reaches the part when the Cousins reach the book, though, Kosciej stops the memory. He reaches into
it and pulls the book out - it solidifies in his hand with a gentle expression of mental energy.
She looks at it
"I don't get it" - Persephone
She looks closer
"They're different" - Kosciej
She peers at it
"Here. It says that the Libertines carried out the attack. That the Guardians destroyed the Libertine cell that did
it and then chose to publicly blame us, trying to discredit us further" - Kosciej
"So you're not sure which one is true?" - Persephone
"Mine is" - Kosciej
She 'hm's
"I died a year after and brought my copy into Mictlan with me. Our copies were identical. Ten years later,
Lazarus was killed by Solemn... At which point his copy changed. In fact, there are innumerable coding and
copying errors - a significant amount of those items that Lazarus donated to Mictlan are in error. His memory
was altered before he died. The only reason we know about it is that we have my own copy of this event to
compare it to" - Kosciej
He sits back while she thinks it through
"I understand. So someone - presumably the Guardians - altered the memory of Lazarus while he was already
connected to Mictlan" - Persephone
"When they killed him, he appeared here. We found out that he had been corrupted in some way by whatever
they did to him - his memory altered. Mictlan exists to preserve us; that's why he passed on" - Kosciej
"Because his memories were corrupted" - Persephone
"By Solemn. And this is the strange thing - we sent another agent to that library" - Kosciej
"And?" - Persephone
"Lazarus' version. The book has changed. And the only way we know is that they didn't get to me before I died"
- Kosciej
"You think if they'd found you before you died, your version would change?" - Persephone
He nods
"If word of this were to get out we would have a mass Exodus. They've sat here in Mictlan for half a century
because they believe they are preserving the lorehouse for future generations. If our Cousins were to find out
that the Guardians were censoring us... They'd give up" - Kosciej
"And it would be really empty here" - Persephone, sadly
"And I will not allow them to go to the Underworld" - Kosciej
"You can't stop them" - Persephone
He looks completely blank. To his mind, of course he can.
"Somehow, this Solemn - whoever he is - can change a secret. He can write something out of existence. Not
just rewriting memories - that knowledge of what happened that Christmas Day has gone from the Fallen World.
That's why they want to get in here - they don't want us to tell anyone. I suspect that it's some kind of Legacy
that they have; to virally consume knowledge in order to keep it secret" (disgusted) "Guardians" - Kosciej
"Like the letter that he left but didn't?" - Persephone, thinking back
"Exactly" - Kosciej
"So it is possible to spot?" - Persephone
"We don't know if that was something he edited out. But from all my researches the only way you can find out
it's happened is by backing up your memories and comparing. I suppose that if anyone else were to make
storage copies of their memories they would realise something had happened to them" - Kosciej
"Like Quark does. So you think he's on to you because of this book?" - Persephone
"I don't think it's this one incident he's after - it was over a hundred years ago. I suspect that there's something
greater somewhere in our archives that they've erased, that we haven't realised has changed in the Fallen
World. Short of researching everything any of us can remember - the work of several lifetimes - there's no way
to know on our own initiative which titbit of information in the Parliament has Solemn so worked up. It may
even be the fact that we know about him. So when I said that I don't know why he pursues us, I was strictly
telling the truth" - Kosciej
"Why did he preserve your Daimon? He had a chance to destroy him..." - Persephone
"Because he wants to get in here" - Kosciej
"Why?" - Persephone
"To edit us" - Kosciej, patiently
"Why not just destroy us?" - Persephone
"They can't. They've tried - we've hidden our Soul Stones too well, and Galatea is too well undercover. The only
other option is to get in here and do the deed themselves. Destroying my Shadow would be counter-productive.
The best way to do it would be to get a volunteer, use the Daimon to copy the Legacy and then use them as a
bridge once they develop the Attainments. I suspect that's what your boyfriend was doing" - Kosciej
He nests his fingers
"So that is the story. I hope Civitas will find it sufficient" - Kosciej
"I hope so too" (she thinks) "I won't tell the others" - Persephone
"Thank you. And we shall see what your boy can reveal" - Kosciej
"He's not my boyfriend" - Persephone
"He's the only one who knows what Solemn looks like" - Kosciej
"Wait - what if Solemn has erased his memories?" - Persephone
"Well, we will find that out when you go in, won't we?" - Kosciej
They leave, Xolotl closing the region again
"As to your young man, we believe we can wake him for short periods, but we will need his Soul" - Kosciej
"Why?" - Persephone
"Otherwise he will slowly turn sociopathic" - Kosciej
"Do we need to wake him?" - Persephone
"Well, I don't relish him being here. But we will find out once you enter his Oneiros if he's innocent. If he *is* I
have no desire to see him trapped here" - Kosciej
"But if he is, can't we just kick him out of one of the gates?" - Persephone
"It wouldn't really help, and he may be able to tell us things we miss in his dreamscape. In order to restore him
we need his Soul up here. We think we have a way to achieve that" - Kosciej
"Care to tell me?" - Persephone
"First, form his Oneiros - a natural process, which you entering it will achieve. Then... It's sort of like jump-
starting him with a car" - Kosciej
"Zap him with the Ankh?" - Persephone
"Interesting thought, but no. We get someone to cast a spell linking his Soul to yours which will make it start
coming through your Gateway. It's complicated and metaphysical. For now, go to his Oneiros... But good
thought on the Ankh..." (thinking, clearly changing his mind) "There might be some way to use it to do this" -
Kosciej
"I was going to use it to cure the Echo Walker damage. But if you can think of any other ways to use it" -
Persephone
"We'll think it through. Complicated business, this - his psyche is in entirely the wrong place. We think we can
import his Soul so he's concious and sane, but not how to put the two back into his body again" - Kosciej
"Why can't you use the Chronos Engines?" - Persephone
"In order to bring his Soul up... Good plan. I'll consult with Chronos. Don't worry" - Kosciej
"Whenever you say that, I worry" - Persephone
"use the Chronos gate..." - Kosciej, to himself
"That's how he got here, right?" - Persephone
"No - if he had, he'd have been fine. He came in through the wards" - Kosciej
"But he can leave through it" - Persephone
"We'd have to modify it to puncture someone's Oneiros rather than manifest in the Temenos..." - Kosciej,
mulling
Dave2: Like a boarding ramp!

More like an Oviposter
"We have his psyche. His Oneiros is his Soul. If we take his psyche out into the Temenos the dampening field
keeping him dormant will cease, and he'll rapidly diffuse or go mad without contact with his Soul. If, however,
we could dock with his Oneiros... We'd need you to go in first to get Sympathy to it, and I have no idea as to
how we'd navigate or what stresses it would put on the city, but if it could be done, Hadrian could be
reunited..." - Kosciej
The group speculated wildly about just how badly giving Mictlan the ability to invade people's Oneiroi would be - they'd
become Astral pirates, stealing knowledge. Like a great big hive-minded Morphean.
Actually, Mictlan kind of already IS a big hive-minded Morphean, isn't it?
"And the Ankh. If Samael is researching it, you should try to get in on it. Clearly Solemn thought it were capable
of something..." - Kosciej
...
Back in the present, Civitas muttered the word "Logophage" when she told him about Solemn removing
knowledge from the world but not from Mictlan. And that's all she tells him - not that Solemn *did* manage to
effect them, in case the other Cousins look back at the conversation.
True to his word, Civitas sent Hadrian "home", getting together with Cicero to arrange a tearful family to come
forward and claim the John Doe. Hadrian's "parents" look surprisingly like Cicero and Atia, Cicero using his
Bearer of the Eternal Voice attainments liberally to hammer the minds of the nurses into submission.
So there you go - the revelation of Solemn being a Logophage, some ominous foreshadowing and another brief look at
Kosciej's dark, driven, utterly amoral side.
What's next on my list? Ah yes - Lankin

Sef returns to the Lighthouse, to find the boys and their girlfriends still there. Tiresias and Cicero have gone.
"Hey kid" - Samael
She shakes rain off her coat
"Did he say much?" - Symmetry
"Yes. Quite a lot" - Persephone, rolling her eyes
"Reminds me - Samael; are we going to have access to the Ankh on this one?" - Cobalt
"We'd have to ask Key" - Samael
"We can't get access to his Oneiros without it?" - Persephone
"Why not?" - Samael
"because it's shredded" - Persephone
"I have enough Guanxi to request the Ankh from the Aetheneum even if Tiresias doesn't take it. Assuming Bede
hasn't already" - Pandora
"This is our potential problem. Key should give it to anyone with the authority to borrow it, but Bede might
block us" - Samael
"We don't know Bede's angle. Which evil is he working for? The Echo Walkers? Solemn?" - Symmetry
"I think he's working for himself. I just can't figure out how he'd benefit by the conflict he tried to start. He's
already the Heirophant - the only way is up. He makes Dadukoi lives harder, but that's hardly Bond villain" -
Samael
"He's trying to break Newcastle and Durham up - Durham is very old power, established" - Cobalt
"But what would he *gain*?" - Samael
"There might be something he needs that he can't get with us here" - Persephone
"Or he wouldn't be the first person to take a contract from Solemn" - Cobalt
"He'd be doing it in a very roundabout way" - Samael
"I don't think he's working for the Echo Walkers. He dumped Arc as soon as he could" - Cobalt
"He could be working for anyone" - Samael

"We can't check his motivation because we thwarted his plans" - Cobalt
They tell Sef Tiresias is already making overtures of peace and fellowship to Key. Also that they decided to tell
Lux what's going on.
"On the subject of trouble blowing over, it's come to my attention that - and I know this is a tired routine - the
Mysterium have one of our items"
"Which?" - Samael
"Magog's Force Staff" - Cobalt
"It must have made it's way into our coffers. I'm slightly confused as to how..." - Samael
"Lux took it. He considered it fair recompense. In fact, he's still got it as a trophy and hasn't given it to your
Aetheneum. I'll talk to him" - Symmetry
"How'd he get it?" - Samael
"He picked it up when Magog was arrested" - Symmetry
"Nicely done!" - Cobalt
"That makes things easier. The Mysterium was just holding it temporarily" - Samael
"I'll tell him when I tell him Bede's evil" - Symmetry
"'By the way - Bede's evil. Can I have that stick'?" - Samael
"It would make life easier" - Pandora, sighing
"Why can't people just wear black or white hats?" - Samael
"We should get white ones and see if it catches on" - Cobalt
"Give out black or white ones depending" - Samael
"You suck, you're cool, you suck, you're cool, you suck, you suck" - Cobalt
"'Why do I have a black hat' 'Because you're fucking evil'" - Samael
"We can split into two teams - everyone in Newcastle plus Hatfield and Logos on one side, everyone else on the
other" - Symmetry
"So we're just cherry-picking teams to be part of Newcastle?" - Samael
"We'll have the Smoke Eaters" - Symmetry
"We're looking at the Durham Consilium having two Cabals" - Cobalt
"They're big Cabals" - Samael, shrugging
"Not after we've stripped them of everyone we like. We need to try to reverse..." - Cobalt
"The polarity of the neutron flow?" - Symmetry
"Where would I get a neutron at this time of night? No - I meant given that we have such a numerical
advantage, maybe we should reach out to them" - Cobalt
"We need people in Newcastle to knuckle down and learn some magic in order to break their monopoly on
power" - Samael
"We need Cal back. Has anyone heard from them?" - Symmetry, sadly
"Not since a drunken email I received the other day, about a nest of Vampires in a Little Chef. So other than
some gunplay there, I think they're fine" - Samael
From Dusk Till Dawn. With All-Day Breakfasts Included!
"We need one of us to become a Master" - Samael
"And Cal was the closest" - Symmetry

"Or a lot of us to just hit the books" - Samael
"I was going to suggest..." - Cobalt
"Atia's an Adept. Cicero's a Double Adept. Aegis and Aquila are Adepts" - Symmetry
"I'm an Adept" - Pandora, mildly hurt
"I was going to suggest that we try to make contact with the Durham and Barnard Castle crews, find out what
they're about. Help them out if they have problems" - Cobalt
"Socialise. Like Hatfield" - Persephone
"Hatfield came to *us* for the ghost thing" - Cobalt
"He made the effort when we never do" - Symmetry
"Newcastle just appears to be a shit magnet" - Cobalt
"Yeah - either they're very quiet over there or we never hear about problems they have. Which given how many
powerful Mages they have might be true" - Samael
"They have a couple of Arrow, a few Mystagogues... And the entire Silver Ladder. And we know nothing about
them. Do they have the same duelling focus as the ones in London?" - Cobalt
"Maybe we should ask Hatfield to introduce us?" - Persephone
"Maybe one of us could offer to deputise him" - Symmetry
"I need to look up a few points. Especially to do with Magog - I'm approaching this a little blind" - Cobalt
"Oh, yeah! Did you guys hear about this?" - Symmetry, grinning
"What?" - Samael
"Rex is Magog's parole officer" - Symmetry
Persephone laughs
"Way to go, old man" - Persephone, slightly mocking
"I need to rehabilitate him back into society" - Cobalt
"There's something weird going on with that boy. I don't envy you" - Samael
"Sounds like..." - Cobalt
"Are we going to have to put him in our cellar?" - Samael
"Cicero's keeping him. He's on the good rations" - Cobalt
"He's cleaning a lot of floors" - Symmetry
"He could clean our walls" - Persephone
"Paint the lighthouse. Up... Down..." - Symmetry, miming the karate kid
"That would paint over your flowers" - Persephone, to Symm
"Fat lot of good they did" (off their expressions) "Well, they did hold for a few minutes" - Symmetry
"Which if we'd been inside would have given us time to tool up and get ready" - Cobalt
"Rodriguez was tooled up and ready, even if he had no pants on" - Samael
Pandora shudders at the memory of that stupid, stupid night. Symmetry is clearly "into" this story - it's one of
her favourites
"Every now and again I forget it. And then I remember where my car went" - Pandora
"We put it back together!" - Cobalt
"With only three pieces left over" - Pandora

"A screw, a kind of thin metal thing and a ball bearing. Clearly surplus to requirements" - Cobalt
"So... Yeah. Flaming Gordon Freemans aside..." - Samael
"Had we been here the ward would have been very useful. As it was, Ashlar's place wasn't warded. Sounds like
you had more fun than we did anyway, chasing the damn cat" - Cobalt
"On *that* front, once you have a spare day... Aquila's up to it now" - Symmetry, to Persephone
"I don't want him going into the Shadow when he's injured" - Persephone
"He was going to summon one" - Symmetry
"Oh! I thoguht we were going to..." - Persephone
"Go into the Shadow and pick one?" (Sef nods) "I wouldn't suggest that. Too dangerous" - Symmetry
"Go for a parrot!" - Cobalt
"I was going to suggest you come to work with me and we can pick out a host" - Symmetry
"Parrot!" - Cobalt
Symmetry has her tolerant expression on at Cobalt's goofing
"There are no parrots. There's an Iguana..." - Symmetry
"Monkey!" - Cobalt
"They're illegal" - Symmetry
"Goldfish!" - Samael
"Kind of hard to make a familiar out of a Goldfish" - Persephone
"Nah, it's really easy! Hard part is taking it with you" - Cobalt
"Bulletproof goldfish bowl" - Samael
"Anyway. Come pick your animal" - Symmetry
"I'll think about it" - Persephone
...
And now, finally, the Seers!
The next day, Cobalt has to go into the office to check mail, pick up more marking and act like he's doing
something. Symmetry gets up early to go to work. Pandora, being an archaeologist, sleeps in until ten.
This is by way of my observation of female Archaeologists. Males get up at eleven
Samael is looking at making a sculpture from Tass glass - he's working on adding Supernal pieces to things he
produces. Also with an idea of making something that, when taken apart and rearranged, makes a landscape of
Aether, as a means of testing whether sleepers can sense it.
Sef spends the day with Aquila, pondering the symbolism of Lust as a means of improving the lighthouse. It's
less dirty than it sounds.
There is a knock at Cobalt's office door.
"Come in" - Cobalt
It's Joyce. And, to the Mage Sight Cobalt has active, she has a certain something about her...
Cobalt regards her. Whoever's inside her head sees him regard her.
"What can I do for you?" - Cobalt
She sits down
"Do you prefer Doctor Williams or Cobalt?" - Lankin-in-Joyce
"And what may I call you?" - Cobalt

He shuts the door
"You can call me Lankin" - Lankin-in-Joyce
A small, only slightly sarcastic cheer from the crowd at me FINALLY managing to get Lankin into a session. The players
knew Lankin would be a Seer long ago, you see, and my inability to introduce the npc was a running joke.
"You can call me Cobalt, then, if that's the business you're on" - Cobalt
They stare at one another.
"You set us up" - Cobalt
"We did. The creature had lost it's target and we needed to find someone else in a hurry. You presented
yourself" - Lankin
"Thank you very much" - Cobalt
"We didn't think it would take *you* - you're far too socialized" - Lankin
"But you did pour oil on a burning situation... For which I must 'thank' you at some point. You're here for a
reason, or you wouldn't be so overt" - Cobalt
"We have things to discuss. We know that you have been looking into the creature. We know that you fought it
and have put it back into dormancy. It is regenerating as we speak and will try to take someone else within the
year" - Lankin
"At least we have a time frame. What do you know about the requirements of making it dormant?" - Cobalt
"When it feeds it goes back to sleep" - Lankin
"For how long?" - Cobalt
"Years" - Lankin
"And when it wakes up it rumbles around causing trouble..." - Cobalt
"Until we arrange for someone to feed it" - Lankin, matter of fact
"Why did you save it from the sea?" - Cobalt, dangerous
"We were told to. I cannot speak for my ancestors, but I have been Commanded to keep this creature
imprisoned within the earth. If that means throwing it the occassional Sleeper or Atlantean Rabble then that's
what I need to do" - Lankin
He means commanded by the Exarchs. Or thinks he does.
"I happen to be fond of those rabble" (cold) "And of the Sleepers, too. Another way might be found" - Cobalt
(dismissive) "The creature cannot be killed. It is ultimately immortal. It cannot return to whence it came" -
Lankin
"It would be so much easier if it could" - Cobalt
"But it can't. So your options are to let it roam the streets, grow so hungry it warps the community built on it's
prison, or feed it when it wakes up. It shouldn't have been able to get out of the priory rock - that was only
because it was starving. As it grows more desperate it grows more powerful... So we keep it. As long as we feed
it it will stay beneath the Priory" - Lankin
"Needing only a nudge of direction every now and again" - Cobalt, disgusted
"Exactly. We are willing to keep it away from your people and any Sleepers that you nominate, in exchange for
certain things" - Lankin
Cobalt laughs without humor
"Such as?" - Cobalt
"I have been contacted and told to search for one of our brethren sheltering among your kind. A Seer - you
shouldn't have any trouble turning a Seer over to us, should you? A Seer by the Shadow Name of 'Atlas'"
"Why are we sheltering him?" - Cobalt
(smiles, ice-cold) "Presumably he thought he'd get a better offer from the Guardians of the Veil. Turn him over,
and we'll keep the beast docile. As we have for a thousand years and would have done for longer if not for
interference" - Lankin
"Well... That's an offer" - Cobalt
"This is really your own people's fault. One of you caused the premature suicide of the one the beast was
targeting" - Lankin
"Suicide? That gives us a lead" - Cobalt, musing
"We now return to détente" - Lankin
"We do" - Cobalt
They regard one another
"How's the lighthouse?" - Lankin
"Threats? We were getting on so well. I was getting used to where I work being compromised. You didn't have
to throw it in my face that where I live is, too" - Cobalt
"I'm sure you can repatriate Atlas out to us. After all, you *are* the Strategos in charge of his case" - Lankin
Joyce gets up to leave. Cobalt watches her go.
Chris: There's only one way to solve this - shoot Magog!
Five minutes later, Joyce - free of possession - comes back in, asking him to sign some forms.
And then home again.
...
"Good day at the office?" - Samael
Samael has his glass-making kit out on the kitchen table, mixing grains of coloured sand to get the colors he
needs.
"The Seers know where we live. What defences do we have here?" - Cobalt
"Tiresias has been putting up a proper anti-Scrying and Teleport blocker. Am I going to have to put a giant
Sorcerer's Rebuke on the building?" - Samael
"Maybe. We could put up a fence that alerts us" - Cobalt
"We could get a guard Spirit. The Smoke Eaters have their chemical elemental" - Samael
"Spirits aren't my area of expertise. Maybe a ghost" - Cobalt
"I thought you didn't like them" - Samael
"I don't. I was just remarking" - Cobalt
"But yeah. We need to defend ourselves better. I take it you had a chat with one?" - Samael
Cobalt nods, glumly
"Did you destroy the Follower of the Lie?" - Samael
"It wasn't a Follower of the Lie. It was my boss. And she came in again later with no memory of it" - Cobalt
"I hate bosses like that. Alright - is he threatening you?" - Samael
"There was a deal put on the table. They're offering to only feed the Worm people we say don't matter. They
apparently have Orders from 'On High' to keep it imprisoned but alive" - Cobalt
"I can think of no better reason to work out a way to kill it" - Samael
"He implied that it got more powerful as it got hungry. Eventually we'd have a Godzilla situation" - Cobalt
"Admittedly, the Worm attacking Newcastle city centre would shake the Seers' control of the population" -
Samael
"He said that if it wasn't that hungry it wouldn't have been able to leave the Priory" - Cobalt
"That's what he says" - Persephone, quietly
She's been sat on the stairs
"We have to assume they're only telling us what they think will make us act the way they want" - Samael
"Question is, how did one of us cause the suicide of the next intended victim?" - Cobalt
"News to me. Bear in mind it's a Seer saying it, we might have only been vaguely related. He might have been
trying to worry you" - Samael
"Some of the things he said imply a degree of penetration..." - Cobalt
"Any leads?" - Samael
"Yes" - Cobalt
A pause
"Such as?" - Samael
"I need to talk to Cicero. They know too much about... Current events. Any luck on the staff?" - Cobalt
"Don't look at me. Symmetry was getting it" - Samael

Later that evening, the Auric Horizon are invited down to the Farthest Legion's sanctum for another "what do
we do now?" meeting. Tiresias has apparently managed to put together a plan of action.
The sanctum seems quieter without Excalibur. Aquila greets everyone - he's walking with a cane. Slowly. But
he's walking.
Cicero shows everyone into his office, Sef waving at Aquila.
The Guardian closes the doors.
Symmetry is here - with Magog's staff, in it's foot-long form. Tiresias has the Ankh, which he puts on the table.
Pandora sits next to Samael. Hatfield looks around - he's not one of the conspirators, and is curious about
what's going on.
In Mictlan, the Cousins assemble around the live feed to Persephone's senses.
"The purpose of this meeting is to discuss the Echo Walkers and the Lambton Worm. We've been letting the
Echo Walkers slide, but we've now had three attacks on the city. We've lost a Proximus, a respected member of
the community and thanks to this latest one I've lost a Cabal leader and another valuable ally has departed" -
Cicero
"They're circling" - Cobalt
"There's a Convocation. As people have explained many times, the Echo Walkers are not legally Left Handed as
they have not been declared so at Convocation. There is a Convocation in two and a half month's time. We are
working on Abbot to send a delegation, where we will put it on the Agenda to have them declared Nefandus.
Now - one of the Consilii involved is London, and from what you and Master Tiresias say Civitas will be on our
side, but we'll need the evidence to sway any other Consilii that attend" - Cicero
"As I understand it, the Legacy's current incarnation derives from a Daimononicon which is under lock and key
in the Paris Censorium" - Samael
"And it is in Paris that the Convocation will be held" - Cicero
"Sounds like that would be a good piece of evidence in our favour - that the source of the Legacy is deemed
dangerous enough to be in the Shadow Directory" - Samael
"Until then we need to gather as much as we can" - Cicero
"Duma's information is limited, but it's there. Civitas is possessed of significant knowledge, but that's not the
main problem" - Samael
"We have the tale of what happened to Dominic" - Hatfield

"There's a Lictor in Paris that's a friend of ours" - Pandora
"We also have the other victims of the Echo Walker in London. We have Hadrian. I can put forward my own
experiences" - Samael
"I'm about to send Samael onto a mission into the Astral Realms" - Tiresias
Samael blinks. That was news to Samael
<>
"The mission can have a side trip built in - a Legacy is a community of sorts, even one shared by only one
master and student, and as such has a reflection somewhere in the Temenos. If we can get to the realm of the
Echo Walkers..." - Tiresias
"It wouldn't be a very nice place" - Persephone, warning
"Doubtless not, but it would be revelatory. We might divine any plans they have" - Tiresias
"They don't think of themselves as Left-Handed" - Persephone
"But their Realm will be honest about what they believe. If it shows that they truly think that ripping people's
souls apart is justified, then that could be worth something in Paris. It could be damning" - Samael
"Okay" - Persephone
"And the main mission?" - Samael
Tiresias smiles
"The main mission concerns the Worm" - Tiresias
"Don't tell me that's got a reflection, too?" - Samael
"No. Not beyond tales of it. We need to get the worm out of here. It is a being of the higher realms. We need to
move it. The only thing that might be able to move it, if we knew how to use it properly" (taps the Ankh) "Is the
Physician. A Psychopomp Artifact. So we need to learn how to use it. I propose to send Samael to find the
Temenos realm of the Sphinx, to seek the wisdom of the Temenos reflection of Master Pathstrider, the Sphinx
who wrote the Sophiad. Asking it would be considerably easier than reading all of his writings, many of which
are lost" - Tiresias
"That... Is *awesome*. I'm in!" - Persephone
"If it cannot help, it may be able to tell us where to seek Sophia herself. If in doubt, sic an Archmage on it" -
Tiresias
"There's an issue here. We're potentially talking about returning it to the Supernal" - Cobalt
"Or throwing it into the Abyss" - Cicero
"The Seer who approached me said he'd been specifically told not to do that. So I'm in!" - Cobalt
"You've been contacted by a Seer?" - Cicero
"I'm afraid so" - Cobalt
"Which one?" - Hatfield
"Lankin" - Cobalt
"Ah. The man in charge" - Cicero
"He was offering - in return for certain things - to only feed it people we didn't like. He claimed they'd been
keeping it for centuries on behalf of Gods almighty blah blah blah" - Cobalt
"I have no doubt they have" - Cicero
Cobalt explains about the hunger=power thing, and Tiresias nods sagely.
"That rings true. But means that we must seek alternate means of dealing with the beast" - Tiresias
"Potentially, we're talking the Godzilla vs Tokyo scenario" - Cobalt
"Which the Seers wouldn't want, and neither would we. They would bemoan the breaking of the Lie - we the
loss of life" - Tiresias
"If there's a way to make it dormant safely we should take it, but if not we'll have to try kicking into another
world" - Samael
"Trying to find the archmage to ask her if she can maybe sort us out is a desperate measure. The 'good' option
is for one of us to die to permenantly kill it" - Cicero
"Transportation doesn't have to be to the Abyss, though - what would happen if we sent it to the polar ice? Or
the moon?" - Samael
"It'd get hungrier, get more powerful and start moving" - Cobalt
"And who knows where it'd go?" - Cicero
"The polar caps aren't without people. And the moon won't be empty for long" - Persephone
"So how do we punt it?" - Cobalt
"A whole load of non-Obrimos with Forces..." - Samael
"So rather than mounting an all-out assault on it and one of us dying at the hands of the person to land the
final blow, we may as well send a small party into the Temenos to see if we can find a better idea" (to
Persephone) "And, madam, if your other Cabal have any wisdom to lend we would appreciate it" - Hatfield
-You hear that, guys? We're needed!- - Persephone
Kosciej is of the opinion that someone should just take it like a man and give their life. But as she's going into
the Temenos, he has a list of things they'll need to enact the great Docking plan. He'll talk to her about that
later.
"The Farthest Legion can maintain the lives of four people for as long as it takes" - Cicero
Note that I'm spelling Farthest correctly nowadays. I seem to have drifted into "Furthest" earlier in the thread, but it's
meant to be Farthest.
"I won't need that, though" - Persephone
"No, you won't" - Cicero
"You can wander around, eat and drink" - Samael
"This is why we suggest you go - you won't add to the limit" - Cicero
-You will be cut off from us while you're out there, but you can provide updates to your allies in the real world- -
Kosciej
"If a physical connection can be made to an individual I won't name, you could keep in contact with Mictlan" -
Cobalt
-Like an internet chatroom- - Galatea
"Attainments work" - Samael
"Yes, and even some Artifacts transfer in. We're hoping the Ankh will" - Cicero
"It might help us find her" - Persephone
"So, who's going?" - Cicero
"Me!" - Persephone
"Well, yes" - Cicero
"I was thinking of going to the pub, actually" - Samael, drily
"If these two crazies are going, I will" - Cobalt
"We can rock on together man, crowbar some things" - Samael
"Whacky Races" - Persephone
"Always the Gordon Freeman. Never the Lester Knight" - Cobalt
Dave2: Lester Knight was the protagonist in an old computer game named "Another World"... he was a red-haired
particle physicist who got accidentally teleported to the aforementioned other place by a lighting strike when he was
working late at the old particle accelerator during a storm.
In some ways Cobalt is showing his age, in others he is having a subtle dig at the others for not knowing any other
famous scientists to joke about him being. In either case it was never referenced again due to nobody else getting the
reference.
"You, me, Persephone..." - Samael
"Aquila can maintain two more people" - Cicero
"Ok" - Samael
"Better volunteers than pressed men" - Cobalt
"Well, I don't really know who's good at the Temenos thing around here" - Samael
"You" - Persephone, to Symmetry
Samael sighs
"And the thing about pressed men?" - Samael
Symm is more interested as to Persephone's reasoning
"Er... Why?" - Symmetry
"I... Don't know. I just like you" - Persephone
Agena: Arcadia told me to do it :P Acanthus senses tingling etcetc
"Well, Symm, you'll be glad to know that when the multifarious enemies are trying to eat our psyches it'll be
because Sef likes you" - Samael
"You don't have to come..." - Persephone
"No! No, I will... I just don't know how good Life and Spirit will be to you" - Symmetry
"The Life Arcanum will work on anything that looks as though it should" - Cicero
"If we're mentally injured, will healing magic work?" - Samael
"I don't know - I think so" - Symmetry
As it happens, I don't think it does. Ah well
"I would suggest a Mastigos for the last" - Cicero
"Agreed. We're just in short supply" - Samael
"Quark is the obvious choice, but I think he should be spared in case he's needed outside" - Cobalt
"I regret I cannot" - Cicero
"Well, that makes it easier" - Samael
"Is anyone else voting to not phone Cognos?" - Cobalt
"Cognos?" - Persephone
"Not a bad idea, if you can convince him to come" - Samael
"Who else do we have?" - Cobalt
"Quark, one of the Smoke Eaters..." - Samael
"Breaker" - Cobalt
"Babel" - Symmetry
"It's a choice I'm not qualified to make" - Samael
"We can't choose without asking. I'd say see if Babel's up to it" - Cobalt
"If not, recruit someone else. You need a Disciple of Mind at least" - Cicero
"I'm a Disciple of Mind" - Persephone
"Ah! Well, in that case there's less urgency to find a Mastigos" - Cicero
"Especially if you take your Compass - you won't need a Warlock for navigation, then" - Pandora
Much nodding
"Okay. One slot free. Who wants to take it?" - Samael
Hatfield looks around, clearly about to volunteer
"How long should this take?" - Hatfield
Cicero shrugs
"We can keep the team alive and not drowning in their own bodily waste for weeks" - Cicero
"I... Shudder to suggest" - Cobalt
"Rod?" - Samael
"This is another Shudder to Suggest, but - can we work this as community service for Magog?" - Cobalt
"Do we want him exposed to this kind of knowledge? And what use will he be other than a mental meat shield?
I'm wary about putting him out into the Temenos..." - Samael
"He wouldn't be going anywhere, but I'm curious as to your reasoning. I get the community service thing, I do,
but..." - Cicero
The Fifth Team Member
I was not expecting THAT.
As evidenced by his tentative expression of interest, I had intended to nudge Hatfield forward in the line of potential
fifth team members - the Astral journey takes up the remainder of this story, several sessions' worth - and in the spirit
of grand quests across unusual landscapes, it's really more about the party than the scenery. I put the limit at two npcs
of the players' choice as it would give me ample room to really go to town on fleshing them out. I was particularly
pleased when Symmetry got invited along as power-wise she compliments the player characters, she's an interesting
character whose personality deserves to get fleshed out and I was intending to do things with her later on that make
more sense now.
But *Magog*?
I put Cobalt in the position of being responsible for Magog because I owed Dave one - many years ago, Dave spent a
*year* trying to redeem a morally-grey character in a Mage: The Ascension chronicle, who was in fact working for the
bad guy and double-crossing them all along. He was understandably disappointed to find he'd picked the one npc I
couldn't allow him to for his turn-to-the-light idea. Years later, with much more storytelling under my belt, I'd have let
him succeed anyway and rewrote hastily around it, but the important thing is that here and now, in Soul Cage, Cobalt
has the chance to save Magog's soul. He was intended to be someone Cobalt disliked but - around this stage in the
chronicle - went to bat for.
Note that Magog as the penitant bad guy should take no one who's read "Kingdom Come" by surprise.
So I was intrigued. very intrigued. But how to justify it in character? It makes very little sense, but everyone around the
table declared it to be a damned cool idea. We stopped the session for five minutes to work out the angles. In the end,
we went with Cobalt's gut instinct and feeling that if they ran into something Magog knew about from his background
as a Seer he could be useful, Samael's notion that Magog is a competent combatant (certainly more competent than
them - witness the scene at the end of The Hounds of Winter). We seal the deal by me exerting narrative causality on
Tiresias, making the old Sphinx agree with the notion.
Cobalt casts Augury - Will Magog betray them? The answer winds it's way through time to him.. No.
"That makes little sense to me, but..." - Tiresias
He and Samael both nod. It works. For some reason.
"Let's go ask the man" - Cicero
He and Cobalt get up.
Cicero casts Telepathy as they walk
-[i]The bit I didn't mention in front of the others is that the Seers' price for their apparent gift was 'Atlas'. Who
he specifically referenced me as being the parole officer for[i]- - Cobalt
-Well, that gives us extra incentive to have him under high security; in the demesne with you, guarded by the
Legion. Also time for me to find the leak- - Cicero
-And time for him away from them- - Cobalt
They open the door to Magog's room. The Moros looks up at them.
"Magog. Cobalt here has a proposition for you. There's a mission, and we're looking for volunteers" - Cicero
"No one plans for this to be one way - but we're going to take a jaunt into the Temenos. There will be more
information on the way, but we were wondering if you wanted in" - Cobalt
"Technically, your body will still be in custody" - Cicero
"Why do you want me?" - Magog
"You're smart, you can handle yourself in a fight and you have knowledge of things that we don't" - Cobalt
"And we need every warm body we can get. We all have tasks to do, and you don't have the option of sitting
here much longer. If you don't volunteer for this, we'll find something else for you to do to help" - Cicero
Magog nods
"Okay" - Magog
He stands.
"I'm game" - Magog
<>
Cicero, Cobalt and Magog (re)enter the discussion. Samael bites down on the urge to say "awesome".
Magog sits, looking around at everyone, while Cicero explains what's going on - a quest into the Temenos for
information which might not exist. As a side-note, they're taking a foray into a Left-Handed Legacy's Temenos
realm.
"There's a possibility of a second secondary objective of a boarding action into someone's Oneiros" - Cobalt
"But before we can board we have a list of things that we need" - Persephone
"You can explain on the way" - Cobalt
"Boarding action?" - Cicero
Persephone shrugs
"Before we do that, we need to fix his soul and go inside to see if he's going to be an ally" - Cobalt
"Do you need Magog for that part?" - Cicero
"We can heal the soul by driving over to the hospital with the Ankh, but if we're taking Magog with us we're
taking him all the way" - Persephone, firmly
There is much nodding.
"Does that thing make transition to Astral?" - Cobalt, pointing at Magog's force-staff
"It does. But I don't know if... It might attract the wrong sort of attention" - Magog
"Fair call" - Cobalt
-I think that's Magog-speak for 'when wandering the far reaches of the Astral, you don't want a Seer artifact'- -
Cicero
-Especially when trying to persuade Sophia we're good guys- - Cobalt
"Would you mind if the defenders of this place make use of it?" - Cobalt
"No" - Magog
"Right, then. We need to zap Hadrian and get ourselves ready to go" - Cobalt
"I can do the link from here" - Cicero

"The plan is to fix the soul before we enter it" - Samael
"Good plan! Have I mentioned I haven't done this much?" - Symmetry
"Neither have I" - Cobalt
"There ought to be similarities to the Shadow" - Samael
"By the way: Wacky races?" - Symmetry
"Long story" - Cobalt
...
A brief jaunt to the Hospital later, and the Cabal activate the Ankh on Hadrian's body, repairing the damage.
The nurse seems to think they're Hadrian's family. After Cicero talks to them.
All hail the Hypnotoad!
Dave2: It went downhill after the third season...
It seems to have worked to Grim Sight.
On the way back, Tiresias says that he's used his pull - and certain texts - to buy the Ankh entirely. He now
owns it, and is lending it to the Cabal. Key is "on-side" as much as he's been let in on things and asked to
remain neutral, something which fits with his/her aims entirely.
According to Symmetry, Lux is pleased to be being included as well.
...
Back at the Legion's Sanctum, final preparations are made.
"Don't eat anything - but now would be a good time to use the toilet. I'll maintain your bodies, stop them from
producing toxins and such. If you need help, Symmetry can arrange it" - Aquila
Aquila is leaning on his stick. It puts Sef in mind of House, M.D.
"You might want to stretch a bit. You'll be lying down for a long time. We have some crash trolleys for you to lie
on" - Aquila
"I guess we're good, then" - Samael
"Sef will need an Internet connection" - Symmetry
"Down there?" - Aquila
"You can share our pain if you like, or you can sit on the sofa in comfort" - Samael
"Does this need to be closed?" - Persephone, to Cicero
"We're going to seal the Demesne up except when Aquila comes in to cast. He and I are the only two with
access" - Cicero
They head down the tunnel to the Mithraem, climb onto trolleys, take shoes and watches off and so on. Aquila
lights the herbs.
"See you in a couple of hours!" - Persephone
"yeah, yeah" - Samael
"Where are we meeting up?" - Cobalt
"Meeting up in Persephone's Oneiros will be safer. Once you're all in, she can tell me and I'll link her to Hadrian"
- Cicero
Sef and Cicero leave
"See you in a bit, guys!" - Persephone
The door is sealed, and Cicero spends some time thoroughly warding it.
Everyone inside tries to relax

Cue massive dice rolling!

Persephone, once upstairs, bids the Cousins farewell and enters the gateway to her Oneiros, then transitions to
her Dream Vestibule where Daimon!Kosciej is making popcorn on the stove.
"Right! We're having guests, so clean up" - Persephone
"I shall put Lust in a safe place. How shall I decorate? 'Welcome Foreign Dignitaries?'" - D!Kosciej
"It's only Samael and Cobalt. Magog and Symmetry, though, haven't been here before and haven't met you..." -
Persephone
"NEW PEOPLE!!!" - Kosciej
He grins and vanishes
"Oh... Arse" - Persephone
He reappears, a whirlwind of activity as the scene changes around them.
"So... Do we believe the boss' story?" - Kosciej
"For now, I guess. What do you think?" - Persephone
"Well..." (ceases cranking... something... and wipes his forehead) "Before my long imprisonment I would have
said that absolutely the real me would know what was about and would tell us. But for some reason, being in
here with you has given me a new feeling of self-determination" - Kosciej
"Explain yourself" - Persephone
"Well, ordinarily, Mictlan's best interests and Kosciej's best interests are my host's best interests... But in your
case that might not neccessarily be true" - Kosciej
"Wow! You've finally figured it out!" - Persephone
"And if there is something untoward going on, my priority has to be to save myself. Which means saving you"
- Kosciej
"You bastard" - Persephone
He resumes cranking
"Where else will I find such a liberating host? With so pliant a Lust?" - Kosciej
Dave2: I'm really regretting turning down meeting Sef's Lust now.
Dave: Sef's Lust is probably something really boring
"What are you doing?" - Persephone
"I'm cranking! It's symbolic. Look - ultimately, if you need any advice all you have to do is ask. Actually.. I can't
come with you can I?" - Kosciej
"No" - Persephone
"In which case I'll give you this. The Temenos is the realm in which everything is as people think of it. This can
be a subtle and dangerous difference from reality. It is not bound in discreet scenes as the Oneiros, and you
may wander from realm to realm easily. Unlike the Dreamtime where there is a mental vacuum of sorts, and
especially unlike Mictlan, you will find your clothing and carried items changing from realm to realm. And look
for the train" - Kosciej
"The train?" - Persephone
"The train" - Kosciej
"There's a train?" - Persephone
"Oh yes" - Kosciej
"Tell me more" - Persephone

"I knew it as the Midnight Express. It's the idea of 'A Train'. It has stations in most appropriate realms - wait for
it to arrive, pay for a ticket and then travel in style" - Kosciej
"Pay with what?" - Persephone
"Whatever the Conductor feels is appropriate" - Kosciej
"So imaginary things? Not Mana or anything?" - Persephone
"No. Things like the memory of your fifth birthday. You'll find a lot of that as well" - Kosciej
"My birthdays?" - Persephone, confused
"Esoteric payments" - Kosciej
"Would they be gone, or copied?" - Persephone
"Gone" - Kosciej
"Maybe we should make copies of things to Mictlan" - Persephone
"DON'T fare-dodge. If you've agreed to give something up, you should actually give it up. Beware of celebrities"
- Kosciej
"Because?" - Persephone
"They're very powerful and very fickle. The avatar of Tom Cruise is dangerous and convincing. Don't annoy any
gods, and always - before anything - determine what the realm you're in is of. Now; do you have your lunchbox
packed? Do you have your cagoule?" - Kosciej
"I'm... Going to go back to Mictlan to check on things there. Don't trash the place" - Persephone
"Ready and waiting, boss!" - Kosciej
...
Cobalt's Astral Path today is long hike through a desert, heat shimmering all around. He trudges onwards,
looking for the path, feeling his skin burn.
He drinks the last few drops of water from the can he's holding (spending the Mana) and notices something in
the heat-haze. An airstrip. Walking towards it, off the path, he feels as though he's entering something secret
and forbidden - the sure sign of the Oneiros.
Inside the cabin of the airstrip is the familiar "airport departure lounge" of Cobalt's Dream Vestibule, stray
subconscious thoughts that escape his meditation manifesting as the destinations on the boards.
I like the departure boards
'IS THIS THING WITH MAGOG A GOOD IDEA'
'IF SEF IS A LEATHER-CLAD SUPERWOMAN WHAT DOES SYMM LOOK LIKE'
"Occassionally I wonder if my Daimon is just these obnoxious signs" - Cobalt, musing
'IS THE ATTEMPT WITH MAGOG A REACTION TO ARCS DEATH?'(Delayed 1000000000 hours)
Dave2: So close, Onerios, and yet so far. There is far more resonance with the death of the unnamed Seer back in the
early part of Welcome to the Jungle. Cobalt killed the man because they 'had no choice', but now there is plenty of
chance to turn him around and Cobalt doesn't want to be put in the position of having to put a man down again.
He considers some more, remembering that he needs to try to find his feelings about Sef and what's going on.
He decides to head for the boarding tunnel marked "ADVENTURE!"
The options for the next scene were, in Dave's opinion, Indiana Jones world, Black Mesa, the Jungle the Cabal were in.
I honestly couldn't decide, so broke out the dice again...
He pushes his way out of darkness into a cave tunnel. He's wearing a leather jacket, and holding an oversized
plastic Ankh. There's a rumbling noise from behind him.
Cobalt sees the rolling boulder, and knows that his Oneiros hates him.
He runs and jumps out into the jungle clearing. As he lands, face-down, in the mush, he hears the click of
machinegun safeties.
"So, Doktor Williamz" - "Lankin-in-Joyce's body"
Cobalt's mind has chosen to interpret his regarding Lankin as his main opponent right now as Joyce in a "Nazi"
uniform that owes more to Ilsa, She-Wolf of the SS than historical versimilitude.
Once again with his Oneiros hating him.
"Once again, we learn zat there iz nuzink you kan pozezz which I kannot take avay" - "Joyce"
She takes the Ankh as he is manhandled to his feet.
"Take him two hundred feet into ze Jungle, tie him up, explain all our planz to him and zen shoot him" - "Joyce"
The Nazi's plans appear to involve taking the Ankh to the temple of Sandrino, installing it on the statue of the
Exarch there, converting it's awesome cosmic power through the miracle of science into a death ray and
conquering South America.
Chris: An awesome plan. We need to explain that to any Echo Walkers we meet - what's your plan for the Ankh? That's
a shit plan. We have one much better...
The Nazi delivers this exposition standing next to a cliff. A swift left-hook of justice sends the scum flying to his
doom. Cobalt looks around for Ms Persephone, which he rationalises must be the sidekick for this film.
A jeep pulls up, driven by Rodriguez. In a fez.
"Come on!" - "Rodriguez"
"We have to get to Miss Persephone's! Her pentacle is the last component they need to assemble the doom
ray!" - "Cobalt"
One red line drawn over a globe later, and Cobalt and "Rod" arrive in a Nepalese village. In the inn, Persephone
is enaged in a drinking contest with Kosciej.
Cobalt waits, though Kosciej looks like he's winning.
A short, greasy figure that looks like Arc sidles up to the contest
"Miss Persephone" - "Arc"
She waves him off
"Miss Persephone, we had an agreement" - "Arc"
He pulls a gun!
Cobalt punches him. The gun goes flying and somehow starts a tavern fire AND a fist-fight, until eventually
"Persephone" picks the pentacle up
"Where do we go?" - "Persephone"
"We get the hell out of here!" - Cobalt
Leading to the possible realms of Persephone, Getting the hell out of here and self-loathing
Cobalt - now dressed in a suit - arrives at the police station. He looks across the car at Symmetry
"Well go on - I'm not going with you" - "Symmetry"
"This is going on my record, isn't it?" - Cobalt
"We could have used that money. I know she's your daughter, not mine, but you need to talk to her" -
"Symmetry"
"I will" - Cobalt
He gets out and heads into the station. Standing there is teenaged schoolgirl goth Persephone, looking defiant
and sullen. Next to her is her boyfriend, obvious-junkie Kosciej
"h...hh..Hi, Mr Williams" - "Kosciej"
"Hi Dad..." (off his look) "It wasn't OUR fault!" - "Persephone"
"It was Doctor Soloman!" - "Kosciej"

"You know better than to talk to him. You've been listening to that Mark again - you know he's trouble" - Cobalt
"He's not THAT bad. You're just saying that because..." - "Persephone"
"Because you two have gotten into trouble every time you've spoken with him?" - Cobalt
They walk out, accessing the Dream-Bridge
Cobalt arrives in Persephone's Dream Vestibule.
He blinks.
The big round table somehow fitting in here he can handle.
Kosciej wearing a dyed-green bathrobe over his suit he can handle.
It's the plastic elf ears that are giving him pause.
"Welcome!" - Kosciej, beaming
"Thanks, Little K. You're a breath of fresh air. And proof that everyone else's brain is as fucked up as mine" -
Cobalt
...
And, as we had 15 minutes of session left, we do Samael in double time!
Samael walks along a countryside road. He's used this Astral Path before.
Being chased by the bull is new, though.
He jumps through a hedge, being scratched badly as he goes, and flees to a village on the other side of the
field.
He ducks into the village hall and finds himself in his Nightclub Dream-Vestibule
Taking a moment to take stock, he listens to the half-heard snatches of conversation above the music
"Why did Tiresias send me on this mission?"
"Why didn't Pandora volunteer?"
"What am I meant to do if I DO meet the Archmage?"
This time, though, he has an advantage - he's a Sphinx. He opens his mind to his Attainment, analysing the
flickers of thought and information building the scene around him. The Truth of this place is "arrival", with only
the grabbed snatches of thought registering on Fate.
He realises that this is going to come in really useful once they reach the Temenos, and follows the threads of
Fate, thinking about the Cabal.
Missing slightly, and reaching his feelings about Cobalt instead
He arrives at some kind of workshop, the whirring of gears all around. There's a clockwork automaton of Cobalt
there with a coin slot next to it.
£2 per credit
Cobalt is reliable, and Samael doesn't know how he works
Samael pats his pockets, looking for a coin. He finds one, and inserts it into the slot.
The robot whirs
"Hello Cobalt - I need to find Persephone" - Samael
It clanks and points at a door that wasn't there before.
"Thanks!" - Samael
Just as he's on the threshold, he hears "Cobalt" whisper " I'm better than you"
The door opens.
Sef, to Samael, isn't whiny - she's of great power, but lacking in direction. Lots of ability but has no idea what to do
with it, where she's going to go and so on.
Bright sunshine hits his eyes. He blinks and adjusts, feels the hot wind on his face and looks around.
He's in the Bonneville Salt Flats. Massive cars - attempts at breaking the land-speed record - are lined up, their
crews tinkering with them.
"Welcome to the Legacy 500" reads the sign.
He spots Vahishta climbing out of the car that, to him, represents the Echo Walkers.
The announcer, over the crackling tannoy, says that the Echo Walkers have come in at 66.6 seconds. Next up is
the Sphinx
Tiresias is adjusting an old-style helmet and climbing into the drivers' seat. Logos is his copilot.
Samael watches them head off on their run, and then spots Mictlan.
It has a rocket engine attached to the back - it looks so powerful it might fly apart. Kosciej and Persephone,
wearing tight white jumpsuits (on Sef, maybe. On Kosciej - wrongness) adjust their speed-racer helmets and
climb into their bubble-compartments.
Samael climbs on top of the car.
"You're in the way! We're about to leave!" - "Persephone"
"Then let's go!" - Samael
"Oh, hello, Samael. Along for the ride?" - "Kosciej"
"All the way!" - Samael
They coast to the start line, and fire the engine. After a heartstopping accelleration, the car explodes.
Samael appears in Persephone's Dream Vestibule, brushing imaginary salt and bits of metal off.
"Here's your bow sir, and..." - Kosciej
Kosciej hands him a longbow, and then sets a long blond wig on Samael's head
"...Perfection" - Kosciej
TO BE CONTINUED! I'm speeding up on these recaps again. At time of writing, I've only got one more - 6.2 - to go. Mind
you, we play 6.3 in two day's time.
Coming next on Soul Cage, Magog and Symmetry arrive from their own Oneiroi, there is a Council of Elrond, Samael
tells the others what a Logophage is and the Cabal head into Hadrian's Oneiros... Where every preconceived notion
Persephone had is shattered.
See you then!

Session 6.2
Welcome back, faithful readers! The great Astral quest continues in this session, where the Cabal (plus Magog and
Symmetry) explore the Oneiros of Persephone and Hadrian. There are more revelations on the way!
For now, let us catch up with Cobalt and Samael, who had just entered Sef's Dream vestibule to find D!Kosciej in the
guise of Elrond Half-Elven...
Samael blinks, taking in the view. Cobalt shrugs good-naturedly as Persephone tries to get Kosciej to change his
appearance - in vain as it turns out.
Sef herself has been toning down her Astral self-image as the months go by and she gains self-confidence.
She's still wearing a toga, though.
"At least change it into a robe! People are coming!" - Persephone
"People who haven't seen your majestic poise" - Cobalt
Kosciej looks dubious
"How are they going to take you seriously dressed like that?" - Persephone
He takes the dressing gown off, leaving the normal suit. He's still wearing the spock ears, though.
"What do you want to do while we wait?" - Persephone
"I can introduce you to Persephone's Vices..." - D!Kosciej
"NO" - Persephone
She and the Daimon glare at one another
"Anyone for a game of Whist?" - Cobalt, wearily
"I prefer Bridge" - D!Kosciej
"Bridge requires the basics of Whist, and it would take too long" - Cobalt
He explains the rules to Samael and Persephone, and they sit down to play. As they do so, Persephone (who is
now cut off from Mictlan) tells them what Kosciej said about Solemn. And what Cicero said.
"'Logophage'" - Persephone
Samael has heard of them - few Mystagogues haven't. A heretical Legacy within the Guardians of the Veil who
take the order's mission of secrecy too far, actually destroying magical items and knowledge rather than run
the risk of them ever being used. A Logophage can alter memories, wipe things out of existance and gain
power from doing so. Typically, a Logophage will destroy a thing, make sure noone else surviving has any
memory of it and then erase their own memory of it once they're the only ones left. Wiping it out entirely.
They're also - unlike the Echo Walkers - well and truly officially Left-Handed. And if the Convocation sends
someone who can recognise the Legacy's soul marks to Cambridge they'd quickly be able to prove it.
"They tend to go undetected - just especially fervent Guardians - until one of them fixates on something that
they can't get rid off. Driven to increasingly elaborate efforts to remove all traces of whatever it is" - Samael
They think they all know what that looks like.
"And..." (thinks) "...They're in Duma's Letter. He fought them" - Cobalt
"Doesn't specify where in the letter, though" - Samael
Before long, Magog enters the Vestibule. He's wearing a prison jumpsuit.
"WELCOME!!! Pleased to meet you! I am Persephone's better half!" - D!Kosciej, pumping Magog's hand
"Yeah, right" - Persephone
She shows Magog to the table.
"We're still waiting on Symmetry" - Persephone
"And we didn't fancy meeting Persephone's vices" - Samael
"Right" - Magog, looking dubiously at Kosciej
"You didn't get the rundown on the Parliament, did you?" - Cobalt
"I have a Flash presentation! Actually, no. Maybe not the Flash. The public education film!" - D!Kosciej
He wheels in a big black and white TV, showing a picture of Mictlan sporting a large radio attenae.
The film is entitled "so you've joined the parliament of the Needle". Kosciej appears on screen
"Hi! I'm Kosciej the Deathless. you may remember me from films such as the Aetheneum Burning of 1892 Or
the Great Purge of Strasbourg" - TV!Kosciej
Persephone facepalms.
"During the Nameless War I was a famous warrior for the Libertines against the Diamond Orders, who came to
regard me as a boogeyman. And who wouldn't? What we're here to explain is my ability to appear inside the
bodies of my apprentices."
A cartoon outline of a man with a house inside his head appears on screen. The film explains the Gateways,
and how the web of dream bridges eventually breeches the community realm of the Legacy in the Temenos,
forming Mictlan
"..And eventually the shining Metropolis of MICTLAN was born! Give us Knowledge, say the Awakened! No, says
the man in the Aetheneum! That knowledge belongs to the Wise! No, says the man in the Censorium! That
knowledge is not for you! I chose a different path - I chose MICTLAN! This haven of knowledge, open to all who
pass our entry requirements. The Guardians will never censor us here! We believe in a world where a Libertine
can live by the sweat of his, her and/or it's brow!" - TV!Kosciej
The film ends.
Bioshock has a lot to answer for
"Got that?" - Samael
"It's a city in the Temenos. Everything remembered by any of it's members is available to the others. The
Guardians didn't like that" - Cobalt, summarising
"So all along you were part of this... Hive Mind?" - Magog, dubious
Persephone sighs
"Yes. I am one of a hive mind. I will now join you to the hive.... No" - Persephone
"As I understand it, they're a bunch of wacky voices in her head" - Cobalt
"He's the only wacky one. The others are reasonable" - Persephone, pointing accusingly at D!Kosciej
Cobalt explains the Daimon-swapping thing
"I do all right. I do my job very well" - D!Kosciej
"What IS your job?" - Samael
"Taming my vices" - Persephone, resigned
"To force Persephone to confront her unconcious issues and improve as a person. Mostly by reverse
psychology" - D!Kosciej
"One day, soon, I will get rid of you. This will be the happiest day in my life" - Persephone, sweetly
"We'll always have Paris, kid" - D!Kosciej
He reaches under the table and produces drinks
"Banana Daquiris?" - D!Kosciej
"Who had those at the council of Elrond?" - Persephone
Somehow, that offends her more than the information film. Fortunately, Symmetry chooses that moment to
come through - she's dressed as though she's been out jogging.
"Heya! Oh - great. You all made it before me" - Symmetry
"We were catching Magog up on everything"
"Symmetry - meet Kosciej. Ignore any weird things he says. Anything he says about me is a lie" - Persephone
Kosciej, interrupted, pushes his television away in a sulk
"He's cute when he's sulking" - Persephone
"In a horribly wrinkled way. We all set?" - Symmetry
"We could do with the Silver Threads spell Cicero provided last time" - Samael
"If only we had a Master of Mind to do this. Who could help us in this crucial moment?" - Persephone
Kosciej does not respond
"Guess it's Cicero, then" - Samael
---
In the real world, Cicero and Persephone are in Hadrian's hospital room, where Cicero is halfway through the
ritual casting to build the tunnel to Hadrian's Oneiros
---
"We have two options. We ask nicely or we throw peanuts" - Cobalt
"Kosciej, would you please cast Silver Threads upon us?" - Samael
Sef shakes her head sourly at Samael being so quickly to ask D!Kosciej nicely. She doesn't think D!K deserves
nice treatment.
"My price is one comment to the young lady" - D!Kosciej, nodding in Symmetry's direction
They wait
"Just one. One amusing anecdote" - D!Kosciej
"Fine" - Persephone
"Young lady. I shall now reveal to you - and to you alone - the true, terrible secret of what happened to
Persephone when she was nine" - D!Kosciej
He whispers in her ear
"Seriously?" - Symmetry, shocked
The Daimon nods enthusiastically and whispers some more.
"All a lie" - Persephone
"I hope so" - Symmetry
"How bad could it be?" - Cobalt
"We all do things when we're small. You must have" - Persephone
"It was a long time ago, back when we went out and did things. Not like you lot, raised by Nintendo" - Cobalt,
muttering
"Yeah, but now at least I can kick your ass in Smash Brothers" - Persephone, proud
"True. You've had training. Should the Last Starfighter turn out to be true you'll be fine" - Cobalt
The Daimon, grumbling, casts the spell.
Remember - Daimons have the Arcana of their host as Influences. It's lower powered than if the real Kosicej cast it, but
still good enough for government work
Persephone reports that Cicero has finished casting. The dream-bridge to Hadrian should now appear in
whatever part of her Oneiros corresponds to her thoughts about him.
"Kosciej, could you show us the way?" - Persephone
"The bridge lies within the Oneiric scene of your imagined betrayal by Hadrian, the scene of what you think
happened that night. This in and of itself is not that hard to get to as it is quite closely related to... well, us,
really. Best way would be to go to the Gate to Mictlan and follow themes from there" - D!Kosciej
"Okay. This way, everyone" - Persephone
Agena: Ah, what a mistake to make. I should have known to press him further to actually *show* us the bridge.
They set off, opening the Lighthouse door and stepping outside. In front of the Lighthouse, the black slab of the
Gate stands as a kubrikian monolith on the edge of the cliffs, overlooking the sea.
"I don't remember our front garden being quite this large" - Cobalt
"Very 2001. Is that it?" - Symmetry
"Yep" - Persephone
"Does it have to look like that?" - Samael
"I haven't felt like changing it" - Persephone
"Much better here than in the pile of disorganised memories" - Cobalt

"You don't have to remind me, please" - Persephone
"He's tidied up since then" - Cobalt
"I tidied up! Not him - ME" - Persephone
"So where now?" - Samael
"I suggest we start at my Awakening" - Persephone
She looks down the cliff, remembering how Arcadia appeared to her as an ocean with the Watchtower jutting
out from a bluff.
Options for the scene reached by climing down - memories of Awakening, emo thoughts of suicide and the cliffs where
the Lambton Worm lives
They climb down the cliff... To find themselves on top of the cliff, standing in the snow. The lights are on in the
lighthouse. Archimedes is by Persephone's side, and she's looking down at the sea contemplatively.
Magog and Symmetry are looking around, curious. They don't know what the scene is - but Persephone does.
This was during the fight with Samael back during the Barghest incident. She considered killing herself here.
Samael's Attainment reads the theme of the dreamspace and he frowns, disturbed - he never knew this
happened.
"Okay - well, we either go down the track towards Chayot's, or we go inside" - Symmetry
"Lets try going to Chayot's" - Persephone
The quintet set off down the track towards the ruin and the scene shifts again.
They're in Ashlar's apartment - dream actors of Samael, Cobalt, Ashlar, Rodriguez and Pandora are present,
skewed slightly to how Persephone thinks of them. This is not to Pandora's benefit - Ashlar and Rod are iconic,
as they were when she first met them, but the "Pandora" looks like Persephone, but a) better and b) evil. Cobalt
is taller, older and more paternal than he actually is. Looking at him, the onlookers get an air of security.
Samael.. is man-plus. At this moment he is shocked, concerned yet sexily vulnerable.
The real Samael raises an eyebrow.
"Oh, honey" - Symmetry
"Do you feel better about that whole intervention thing? Because I do" - Cobalt
Samael glances at Magog, embarrassed that the Moros is having to see all this.
"This is the scene where we discovered Samael's mentor was an Echo Walker, and had disrupted the soul of
Persephone's ex-boyfriend" - Cobalt
"Who is the guy we're trying to get to?" - Magog
"Yes. So - moving on" - Samael
Persephone rides the feelings of embarrassment and shame, Sef tries to follow that theme - she's looking for a
way to when she thought Hadrian had abandoned her.
"So what do we do now?" - Dream!Ashlar, to Cobalt
Cobalt realises, after a fraction of a second, that the scene thinks he's Persephone.
"I don't know" - Cobalt, simpering
"Do not worry. We will think of something" - Dream!Rodriguez
"I'm sure Samael has a plan" - Dream!Pandora
"Let's just go from here" - Persephone
She opens the door and they stride out...
...Into the bedroom of Catherine's parents house.
Everyone is hit by an overwhelming feeling of angst and the urge to write poetry. Symmetry bursts into tears,
overtaken by the scene.
"CATHERINE!" - voice from downstairs
"Go away!" - Symmetry
We can add her name to the things Magog is inadvertently learning
Cobalt, meanwhile, is going through teen-Catherine's chest of drawers
"What are you doing?!" - Persephone
"Trying to get into the spirit of things" - Cobalt
"We don't want to go deeper into being ashamed. We need to get to HADRIAN... We need to get back to
London" - Persephone
"Do you still have the ticket?" - Cobalt
She roots around in a backpack
"Got it" - Persephone
"So we're clear on this - we're going outside, we're getting the bus to the train station and we're going to
London, yeah?" - Magog
"We're all. Going. To. London" - Cobalt, concentrating
Cobalt opens the door. They experience the walk, the bus and the train ride. To Persephone - also in the real
world - the entire thing flickers by in a split second. That's the first time she's experienced "narrative time", and
it's rather disconcerting.
The experience of the Astral Realms, where only as much time in the Fallen World passes as it takes out of character to
describe what's going on, is wonderfully headache-inducing. There is more playing with the concept later in the story
especially (to be played two days after I write this) in the section set in the Anima Mundi

After a narrative-time recounting of her date in London with Hadrian back in the day, the scene reconfigures
into the Hotel Room. Magog, Symmetry, Persephone and Cobalt are stood to one side (the scene has no use for
them). Samael is not so lucky - Sef's Oneiros appears to have picked him to be "her" for the occassion, and he's
in bed.
There are noises from the bathroom.
"Somebody... Help me" - Samael
The others boggle
"Where do we go from here? SOON, or I'll drag us somewhere unrelated... And what the hell were you
*wearing*?" - Samael
We shall skip over what Samael finds himself wearing under the duvet...
Dave2: Although there is a pay-per-view 'enhanced' version of Soul Cage available!
Fortunately for all concerned, the gateway to Hadrian is here - not in view, but it lies behind the scene.
Also fortunately, Samael spots Hadrian's clothes lying on the floor. A swift grab will prevent him from going
through Hadrian's Oneiros dressed like Frank N Furter.
The gang access the dream bridge to the faint sound of Kosciej sniggering.
"There will be a reckoning" - Persephone
"It's not his fault - it's yours" - Samael
"He could have just shown us the way" - Persephone
"But where's the fun in that?" - Cobalt
"Exactly. There will be a reckoning, I tell you that" - Persephone
"Did it really cost so much?" - Cobalt

"Cost me my god-damned dignity" - Samael
"I don't take complaints from men wearing women's underwear" - Cobalt
Samael changes in the background, Magog studiously avoiding looking and Symmetry trying to sneak a peak.
They emerge from the dream bridge into Hadrian's Dream vestibule. And it's oddly familiar - a student union on
fresher's week
"I'm feeling an odd sense of Deja Vu" - Samael
"Like Dominic's" - Cobalt
The place is packed, jostling and crowded. Samael's Sphinx sense gets random flashes of emotion. Also, the
place seems partially melted
"We need to go behind the vestibule - find the dream spaces" - Symmetry
"We could go up to a desk and join a secret society. Might get us closer to the Guardians" - Cobalt
"Okay" - Persephone
Different objects appear to become Fated and then not, adding to the confusion. The Onerios of a mage
entering the astral realms is normally quiet, due to the meditative state they need to be in to get there.
Hadrian's soul is in overdrive.
"What sort of society?" - Magog
"Debating society's a good recruiting ground, normally" - Cobalt
Magog gets a list off the wall.
"Debating. Assassins. Sports. School Dayz Disco?" - Magog
"Disco!" - Persephone
"Disco is not dead. Disco is life" - Cobalt
"Stick with me, Tony, and you will dance again. I met him clubbing, and I was in sixth form then - so that'll
probably go to how he met me" - Persephone
"Votes for the Disco room?" - Symmetry
"It'll be very useful - not least because it'll show us how he sees Persephone" - Samael
"Oh, thank you" - Persephone, sarcastic
"His opinion matters in our circumstances" - Samael
"Sadly so. Okay - which one of us is the Actor?" - Cobalt
Turns out it's Magog. He asks for directions for Disco, and the gang head that way.
Striding through the doors transitions the scene again
The options are a desire to get back to earlier, happier times, his own schooling, his apprenticeship, how he met
Catherine and his guilt over their relationship.
Dave2: Persephone in schoolgirl outfit is also available for a subscription fee...
And it's Magog navigating. Fortunately, being in someone else's Oneiros means his abysmal Composure doesn't
matter. He got one success allowing them to eliminate two options - after some debate the players removed the guilt
and his mortal schooldays. A desire to go back to happier times won the random selection after that.
The quintet find themselves outside, in the rain. There's a gravel drive leading to a very large, gothic house and
a car cooling after having been driven. The door is being opened by a man in his late 50s, who seems Stern yet
fatherly. Samael gets the same sort of impression here as he gets when he sees Ashlar and Cobalt together.
"A mentor" - Samael
"Hades! Come in, come in" - Eddington
He holds the door open for them
"I was concerned when you phoned me, but whatever it is I'm sure we can figure it out. Why don't you tell me
what's on your mind?" - Eddington, to Samael
"How much have you figured out already?" - Samael
The Dream creature switches it's attention to Symmetry
"Well, I know you and Solemn exchanged words over the resolution of the Tremere hunt. There's something
going on in your personal life?" - Eddington
Symm hesitates, then nods
"What's her name?" - Eddington, shrewdly. And to Cobalt.
"Catherine. She's... She's a beauty" - Cobalt
"They always are" - Eddington
They enter a study, in which Eddington waves Persephone to an armchair
"So which did you want to talk about?" - Eddington
"Solemn" - Persephone
"Well, I believe you did the right thing. Any problems you have within your Order I believe are temporary and
eventually Solemn will - must - come to respect you for your willingness to stick by your principles. That is, I
understand, a Guardian trait" - Eddington
He pauses.
"They weren't my choice of Order for you, but I respect the conclusions you came to after considered thought.
And I respect this decision too. If you need a place to..." - Eddington
"I don't understand why he felt that way" - Persephone
"I imagine that he thought it was simply too dangerous. Your stand was very principled but I imagine that the
Heirarch sometimes believes practicality to be of the essence" - Eddington
"What would he gain from this?" - Persephone
"Surety. If it had been done his way he would be sure it was out of danger" - Eddington
"but it still is, right?" - Persephone
"I am sure the London Censorium is secure - it has never been broken into by my knowledge. The Soul Stone
will be safe with Duma" - Eddington
We now suffer a bit of confusion owing to Agena's continued mistaken belief that the Ankh - which had Kosciej's demon
in - is in any way a Soul Stone. I can see why it happened - Duma's letter made reference to both the Tremere hunt
(which was successful) and to "looking for the lost soul stones of Kosciej the Deathless" (which, according to Kosciej
and Galatea was *not*), but she's getting confused. The Soul Stone Eddington is speaking of it *not* the Ankh. We'll
see it in flashback later this session.
"And really, there are other means by which people can join a Legacy should they be misguided enough" -
Eddington
Okay, so maybe a bit of the confusion was my fault. That's a horribly teasing line
"The Tremere have been a curse for centuries. Just because we've destroyed this one cell does not mean the
Legacy is gone forever. Choosing to preserve the Tremere Master's soul stone rather than destroy it at Solemn's
order is really no risk. And the Mysterium, I understand, was grateful" - Eddington
"His life got complicated after this point" - Cobalt, muttered
"This is where he was hearkening back to a safer time after making a mistake" - Samael
"They thought the Parliament was a Tremere cell?" - Persephone, to the others
"Possible. It would be a mistake to make. But Duma went to Cambridge to fight Tremere" - Samael
"Unless the Tremere had the soul stone and Hadrian thought it was theirs, while Solemn recognised it and
wanted it destroyed. Let's try to move to when he gave it to Duma" - Persephone
"Wait. When he stole the Ankh he stole it from a *bank*, which isn't where Ashlar, Tiresias and company keep
their things. It may just be a Tremere Soul Stone." - Samael
"It's not the Ankh we're talking about here?" - Cobalt
"This guy appears to have previous form in thinking he knows better than Solemn about what to do with the
magical item he's been sent after" - Symmetry
"Yes" - Samael
"Might also be why they tried to get rid of him" - Magog
"If he was unruly he'd make a good sacrifice, in some twisted way where people are expendable" - Cobalt
"So about this Catherine..." - Eddington, to Samael
"It's complicated. She's a Sleeper" - Samael
"Many people.. Finding an Awakened lover is often not possible. Is there another problem?" - Eddington
"I feel.. .Uh... Guilty. That I'm hiding part of my life" - Samael
"Do you wish to work through this like in the old days?" - Eddington
"Sounds good to me" - Samael
"You are attracted to a Sleeper. You are a Guardian of the Veil. Your job is to make certain that Sleepers do not
have any contact with the Mysteries. Your fraternisation risks those values, but you are attracted anyway. How
do you reconcile these?" - Eddington
"That's my problem" - Samael
Inwardly, he thinks that they don't know how *Hades* reacted here, so they don't know what really happened.
Cobalt starts looking around the scenery at the book titles - they're unsually well-defined, as though Hades
knows the room well and it's of emotional significance.
Symmetry joins him, and they hunt for clues as to Eddington's identity
"I would say that your job as a Guardian is defined by concern for Sleepers. You guard them from the Mysteries
because you are concerned for the well being of both. I would say that this is a selfless motive. You should of
course feel attached to a Sleeper. You should feel attached to all Sleepers. When a Guardian loses sight of that,
I would say that is when they should re-examine your motives. If you are focusing on one particular person, is
that wrong?" - Eddington
He sits back, as though to give Samael a turn. Samael recognises the method - this mage seems to work by
argument, teach by debate and trained Hades to think deeply about the ethics of his actions.
EDDINGTON
Eddington was designed quite a while ago (I foolishly expected them to follow up on Hadrian more than they did) as a
Silver Ladder. Up until a few hours before the game, he was called Newton, but Eddington fits him better (the real
Eddington was a cambridge scientist who proved the theory of relativity despite Einstein being a German. In war time.
Because it was the right thing to do.
Cobalt and Symmetry have recognised a few things - Symmetry especially has seen some of the books at her
aunt's. Eddington is a Silver Ladder.
"Should things become difficult, surely she'll be affected by that despite not knowing what's going on?" -
Samael
"I imagine so, yes. You have to make the decison of whether it's worth it. Is the connection to humanity - and all
the good it will do you - worth the risk? If you cut yourself off from Sleepers entirely, what are you really
fighting for?" - Eddington
He now looks at Cobalt
"Thank you" - Cobalt
"I hope I've helped" - Eddington
"You have. I should be up to this myself" - Cobalt
"Don't worry about it... And Hades? Be careful, all right?" - Eddington
"I will" - Cobalt
And the gang leave, Cobalt trying to follow the theme of doing what is right no matter the cost. The Soul Stone.
Solemn. As they transition, he gets a sense that there is a root cause underlying all this...
... And they step back into Eddington's house. It's earlier. The sun is shining, and the birds are singing.
Eddington isn't bald.
Symmetry is standing at the door, the others filed neatly to the side.
"I understand you're upset, but there is a reason he did it" - Eddington
"It... Would help if I knew what those reasons were" - Symmetry
"They judged the risk to be minimal, and the potential for one of them to Awaken was too tempting. It could
advance the cause by years" - Eddington
"The Silver Ladder's cause" - Symmetry, eyes narrowing
Symm, if you'll recall, doesn't agree with the Ladder much
"Yes, the Silver Ladder's cause" - Eddington, sadly
This, Samael thinks, is when Hades left the Ladder. He joined the Guardians over a matter of principle
"And what about the others?" - Symmetry
"The danger was carefully controlled. Look, Hadrian - I'm not trying to make any kind of excuses for them, I'm
trying to explain why they did what they did under the precepts of Cryptopoly" - Eddington
Note the Shadow name. It's Hadrian here, and Hades later
"This sounds like one of the cults they set up to try to Awaken people. They must have been exposing Sleepers
to magic" - Samael
"Why do you think I'm upset about this?" - Samael
"The injuries" - Eddington, sadly
"Precisely" - Samael
"They failed in their duty of care and lives were lost" - Eddington
"Lives were lost. They weren't protected because of the scheme. And we accept that?" - Samael
"No we don't, but I think that means something different to you than to me. I know Solemn has been talking to
you" - Eddington
"Have you heard what he's said?" - Samael
"That our Order has made a vast error of judgement and will be punished for it" - Eddington
"And he's right" - Samael
"Yes he is" - Eddington
"It's one thing to uplift, another to experiment on people. I can't see that the ends justify the means" - Cobalt
"Then you'll what? Become a Guardian? pass the veils?" - Eddington
"I can't stand by" - Cobalt
"I understand. I won't stand in your way if this is your decision" - Eddington
"It is" - Cobalt
And the scene ends
"...And I shall call myself 'Hades'" - Cobalt
"Funny, that - he always told me his name was Hadrian" - Persephone
"It's a reasonably believable name" - Samael
"Maybe he was already having trouble with the Guardians then" - Persephone, thinking
"But it seems that at this point... When we last saw him he was questioning Solemn, not the Order as a whole" -
Samael
"He was questioning the validity of his orders, which is a good thing" - Magog
"If this is when he questioned the Silver Ladder, when did he question the Guardians?" - Cobalt
...
The quintet walk into a new scene.
"... And it's in this location" - Solemn
Solemn pushes a folded piece of paper across the desk. And he looks disappointingly normal. It's always the
quiet ones with the comb-over haircuts.
The Cabal scrutinise their enemy - who they've never actually seen before. The hair is well controlled by
product, the eyes are large, sad an watery. He looks like he should only speak in a whisper, and only to give
bad news.
At Dave2's suggestion, kind of like John Sargeant. Hopefully minus the dancing
Samael picks up the paper and opens it. It's a pitcure of the Ankh
"Understood?" - Solemn
"So what am I meant to do with this?" - Persephone
"Not *again*, Hades. It's a simple mission. Get an alibi - maybe that schoolgirl you like. Go to the bank. Get the
Soul Cage from the deposit box and destroy the soul inside it. Trigger the Ankh, releasing the soul within into
the wild and make sure it disperses. Then come back" - Solemn
"But why do we want to destroy the soul?" - Persephone
"Not the Tremere thing again. Because it's dangerous. Because it's the soul of a madman" - Solemn
"Why in a deposit box? Shouldn't this sort of thing be in a Censorium?" - Persephone
"It *will* be once you retrieve it" - Solemn
"The soul won't be" - Persephone
"The soul caging device will. This man died decades ago, but he was a *monster*. The slightest chance he
could come back - just disperse it. They say he was obsessed with gaining immortality" - Solemn
"How can you be so sure? How did you find out?" - Persephone
"That's beyond your level" - Solemn
"So you don't know?" - Persephone
"I know, but it isn't necessary for you to" - Solemn, irritated.
He gives a codeword which, not being Guardians, means nothing to any of our travellers.
---
Out in the real world, Sef asks Cicero what the codeword means. Turns out it's a rank - one up from Initiate
"How many more above?" - Persephone
"One more above that and then that which there is normally one of in a territory" - Cicero
---
"So what happened next? Why didn't Solemn just off him?" - Samael
"What what what?" - Persephone, literally trying to keep track of two conversations at once
"Well we thought that he sent Hadrian into Mictlan, but he's telling him to destroy the Daimon - kill it straight
away?" - Samael
"Why now?" - Cobalt
"Maybe he doesn't know. Maybe Mictlan interpreted it wrong" - Persephone

"Then why did he do what he did to hadrian? We know that Hadrian *didn't* destroy the soul and..." - Samael
Indeed, his attainment says that Solemn intended to humiliate hadrian into going along with it. But as soon as
Solemn brought up the Tremere matter, Hadrian decided not to go along with it. His mind was made up then
"It's like the Tremere incident again" - Samael
"He tried to follow the bridge. The Soul in the Ankh had a nascant link to Mictlan inside it - he tried to get in..." -
Cobalt
"... to find out what was going on" - Samael
"What was on the far side" - Cobalt
"Why Solemn wanted to destroy it" - Persephone
"I'm curious as to how he did it, and what happened. The Daimon got into *you*... I'm not sure how" - Samael
"Then we follow the strand of defiance" - Cobalt
"Agreed" - Magog
Sef grabs the paper
"Fine. I'll do it" - Persephone
...
And they walk through the door into a hotel room. They're sat on the bed, lined up. Persephone has a phone to
her ear, and is making notes on a handy notepad.
Originally Posted by notepad

Golden Physician - Sophia. Created by AM of the Myst to perform surgery on souls. Can transplant souls/part of.
PARLIAMENT OF THE NEEDLE?
"Yeah, the Parliament of the Needle" - phone
She recognises the voice.
It's Djehuty.
No surprises that Hades researched the Ankh behind Solemn's back, but hopefully the revelation of his research
partner should have made some of you sit up with the implications.

Back to Djehuty giving an entirely Mysterium-centric view of the Parliament of the Needle...
"They were a Free Council Legacy. Well, really a Nameless one. Followers of a man named Koshei the Deathless
- big into Russian mythology. If they weren't so caught up in revolutionary thought they'd probably have been in
the Mysterium, but they rejected Right Authority and Right Exchange. They kept the principle of Pancryptia,
though - they thought that knowledge degraded over time, secrets were lost when the people that had them
died. Their solution was to build an archive that would never die, preserving their knowledge after death.
Koshei himself was a Mastigos, a third-degree Master of Mind, Death and Spirit who was supposed to be able to
possess his apprentices and body-hop in moments of need. Very strange people. Anyway - they died out in the
60s. Every now and again there are rumors of a Soul Stone of Koshei.. In fact, i think a Mystagogue from
London took part in the search for one..." - Djehuty
"Which one?" - Persephone
"Oh! You know him - guy named Duma" - Djehuty
"Does he still have it?" - Persephone
"I don't think they ever found it. I can put you in touch with him if you like" - Djehuty
"I don't think that'll be necessary. What else can you tell me?" - Persephone
"Just that - they were a death-obsessed Mastigos Legacy of the Free Council who all died out in the 60s.
Presumably Koshei the Deathless turned out to not be so deathless after all. Look, Hades - if you need anything
else let me know, but I have to go now" - Djehuty
"Sure" - Persephone
He hangs up
"We can verify what actually happened in that conversation" - Cobalt
"If Djehuty tells us" - Persephone
"He can't lie, remember? Mystagogue" - Cobalt
"Besides, he has no particular allegiance" - Samael
"He has no reason to mislead us" - Cobalt
"Question here is - did Djehuty know about the Ankh being in the bank? It didn't seem like Hadrian told him
he'd found it" - Persephone
"Got it!" - Magog
He holds aloft a book. Sef recognises it - the biased book about the Parliament Quark found her back when she
first met D!Kosciej. Hades appears to have put sticky notes throughout it - including doodles of the Ankh.
"Awesome" - Cobalt
"So he found out it was Kosciej's soul in the Ankh, did his own research on it, found out that they spread the
Legacy by soul-swapping and twigged" - Samael
"We follow the investigation. Next time he found out something - where his curiosity took him" - Cobalt
"So far he's not turning out to be a bad guy" - Symmetry
"I'm not passing judgement until I find out what happened to me" - Persephone
"He's asking questions, like a Mystagogue. Would have made a good one" - Samael
---
In the real world, Persephone text messages Galatea with an update.
Galatea replies that this raises a further question - who, if Solemn didn't, zapped Calliope with the Ankh and
stole the Daimon, then put the Ankh in the bank?
Sef is of the opinion that they will probably never know
I think an updated timeline of backstory is in order soon, what with all the shifts in what the Cabal think is going on.
---
"It's looking more likely that your Daimon is still in your Oneiros somewhere - I'm not seeing how an exchange
happened" - Samael
"Given what little K is like I wouldn't be surprised. He's driven by the need to induct people into the Legacy" -
Persephone
They walk out of the scene, Cobalt trying to follow the thread of the investigation.
They're now in the centre of a town. A dream-version of the young Catherine is a short way off, looking into a
shop window. Cobalt's phone rings, and he answers it
"Hades?" - Djehuty
"Yeah?" - Cobalt
"I don't mean to alarm you, but there was someone here asking about the Ankh. You know the Ankh thing you
were asking me about? There's someone else asking about it. Old guy - I don't know who he is. I've asked
around but I think it's secret" - Djehuty
"Shit" - Cobalt
"He came in here, flashed the correct hand signals, got a look at the book. I got a good look at him - my boss
isn't here, so it's me holding the fort, but.. This guy looks like he means business. Whatever it is you're up to,
you watch your back, okay?" - Djehuty

"I'm out of this now, okay?" - Djehuty
"Okay" - Cobalt
He hangs up
"Hand signals?" - Persephone
"Codes" - Samael
"I'll be watching your hands from now on" - Cobalt
"You won't know what you're looking for. Question is - was that Chayot? Djehuty would recognise Duma. Maybe
not Bede..." - Samael
"Are we going?" - Catherine
Persephone thinks back, trying to remember what actually happened here. She remembers Hadrian taking the
phone call, but not what he said.
Samael reads the scene.
"It's... He's wondering what he's gotten you into. He's concerned. Following the thread again, what next?
Catherine" - Samael
They walk on, transitioning the scene to a hotel at night. Samael is sat at one of the free computers, having an
IM conversation with someone.
Originally Posted by screen

I don't know how much time I have left. Their hitman is probably on his way and I don't know if I'm going to be
able to stay ahead for very long.
--Have you had the change to look at it?
It's not a Soul, it's some kind of Daimon
--Does that change anything?
No. It just means they use them
--Are you still there?
--Think through it
the hitman needs there to either be a daimon or no daimon inside or or they'll know. we now know what
solemn is. we can't let him do this
--1) No Daimon. 1a) destroy it
--1b) Put it in someone
--2 Daimon 2a) this one
--2b) someone else's
M
"It's Eddington. Think about it - rationally working through it" - Cobalt
Samael tries to remember what he knows about how to use the Physician. Not much as it turns out.
Originally Posted by screen

What if I use it on myself?
--That brings us back to sq1

I know
--Random stranger?
There is a feeling of great tension, as though Chayot could pop up at any moment
"We'd never find it" - Persephone
Samael types that in
"Someone I could find then" - Eddington via IM
"That puts her in Danger" - Samael, typing
"...Do you believe it to be worth it?" - Eddington via IM
"We know it has to be a yes in the end, one way or another" - Samael
He types Y.
"Consider: You are a detective. You are aware that the chief of police is a murderer. You can't prove it - the only
way to prove it is to hide a witness with someone you trust. Doing so puts them in danger. Is it worth it?" -
Eddington, via IM
"This must have been the point where he made the decision" - Samael
"To involve a Sleeper" - Persephone
"To involve his lover" - Cobalt
"Who we know he talked to this guy about. Question is what happened to this guy?" - Symmetry
"Eddington?" - Samael
"I don't think he's alive any more. Solemn knew about his connection to Hadrian" - Persephone
"We need to find out" - Cobalt
"You either have an ally or someone else to avenge" - Magog
"Indeed. Removing Eddington is a taller order than Hadrian - he's in a foreign Consilium, alone. Judging by what
I'm reading in this scene he's terrified, with good reason to be given where he is and how vulnerable he is" -
Samael
"Let me ask Cicero to call Hatfield and see if the Ladder can find anyone in Cambridge called Eddington" -
Persephone
"I'd like to know what Chayot did. Whether he followed through with the request" - Cobalt
"Obviously I didn't end up in Cambridge" - Persephone
"If we go to the attack, then one of us will be attacked" - Cobalt
"Which could be potentially dangerous. There's a problem here - we know his last moment will be when his
mind hits the barriers of Mictlan which means Chayot forced him to do it - which seems unlikely - or he did it
*before* Chayot found him. We are presuming that he put the Daimon in Persephone, which means he still had
some means of intruding on Mictlan..." - Samael
"Okay. Watch my back" - Cobalt
Following the fear, Cobalt seeks the point at which Hades was attacked. No such place exists - he was already
gone when Chayot ripped his soul.
The gang appear in the last memory the Oneiros holds, sat in the Hotel room Hades shared with Persephone.
The bed has been pushed aside and the floor marked with runes. Cobalt is in the middle of a ritual spellcasting.
A quick check with Mage Sight indicates that the Ankh - which Cobalt is holding - does not contain a Soul right
now. Whether that's because it actually didn't or if the Oneiros isn't detailed enough to give the correct
response to the spell is another matter. From Cobalt's limited understanding of Space, he's trying to build a
strong sympathetic connection to Mictlan using the Ankh as a reference.
---
Galatea asks what time it is

"The clock in the memory says 2.03am" - Persephone, typing
"He appeared in Mictlan about five hours later" - Galatea
---
She reports that back
"Shit. He actually made it. So what we have here is; he refuses to follow Solemn's orders, tries to get into
Mictlan and gets caught on the defences" - Samael
"if Eddington is onto Solemn as a Logophage he may be mourning his apprentice - or he may have had his
memory erased" - Symmetry
"Or be trying to keep a low profile while he investigates. But the important thing? It makes me give my vote to
getting this guy back into the real world. We don't know much about him, but we could use him as an ally" -
Samael
"He'll complicate your life, but..." - Cobalt
"...He doesn't deserve to be trapped like that" - Samael
---
"We agree" - R!Kosciej, via IM
---
"He's a Guardian" - Persephone
"Was a Guardian. What do they say?" - Cobalt
"They agree" - Persephone
"Where to next?" - Samael
"Out to the Temenos" - Symmetry
"We're done here. Any more questions we can ask him when he wakes up. How do we get.. Do we go back to
our own Oneiroi?" - Samael
"He doesn't have his own Astral Path. Back to our own Oneiroi" - Symmetry
"How?" - Samael
"Back through the portal to Sef, back through to ourselves, up our paths to the Temenos then use the threads
to meet up. We should nominate someone..." - Symmetry
"You" - Persephone
"Okay. You all get to me" - Symmetry
"Let's find what your boyfriend thinks about you" - Samael
"He's not my boyfriend" - Persephone.
...
Hades is up on the roof of the hotel, which - to their senses - is a minor Hallow. He takes a gray smooth rock out
of his coat and places it in the centre of the Hallow.
Recognising a Soul Stone, Cobalt tries to determine which Legacy it's maker was in - it's not one he's seen
before. But it feels *bad*.
"Well, now we know where the Tremere Soul Stone went. And what a liche looks like" - Cobalt
Hadrian points the Ankh at the stone
"How did he get it back?" - Persephone
"Maybe he never handed it over" - Samael
"Maybe he got Djehuty to get it" - Cobalt

Hades triggers the Ankh - the Soul Stone dissolves, and the Hallow becomes a Demesne.
They didn't know it could do THAT
And then he sits down and starts to meditate his way into Astral Space. Which neatly transitions them all back
to his Dream Vestibule, which they stay in for all of a second before using the gateway to Sef.
...
This time, it's Magog in the bed. He gets out, magically alters the clothes on the floor to fit him and dresses
hurridly
"Let's go home" - Samael
"Now" - Magog
They advance the narrative, being waved off at the train station by Hades (now tinged with regret as Sef now
knows he did so knowing Chayot was after him). That, fortunately, counts as a journey and they transition to
Sef's Vestibule.
Kosciej is reading the Reader's Digest. Until Sef smites him with a fireball.
"That was unnecessary" - Cobalt
"THAT was unnecessary?!" - Persephone, incensed
"I take it the trip went well?" - D!Kosciej
"Let's just GO" - Samael
He triggers the path back to himself
"Bye!" - D!Kosciej
Symm is the last to leave
"It wasn't THAT bad" - Symmetry
"You're not a Mystagogue. you can lie" - Persephone
Symm winces, and leaves.
---
"Are we done?" - Cicero
"Yeah. Will there be anyone watching over him?" - Persephone
"Atia will" - Cicero
"Let's go see Hatfield about this guy" - Persephone
---
Samael makes sure he's wearing clothes that actually fit him before leaving his own Vestibule. He swings the
doors open and leaves, out onto his Astral Path
---
Cobalt is also dressing for the Temenos - a gumshoe outfit, complete with Fedora.
---
"So - have you got everything? Lunchbox?" - D!Kosciej
He hands Sef a my-little-pony lunchbox
"Walking stick?" - D!Kosciej
She throws the lunchbox at his head, furious
Agena: yes, Sef is furious at D!K. She tolerated his exploits untill now, but that day he crossed the line. I am now
spending my time thinking of elaborate ways to screw him over.
"Hey! There's chicken in that - you'll feel the benefit later!" - D!Kosciej
"After what you've done today don't even SPEAK to me" - Persephone
"... Kendel Mint Cake?" - D!Kosciej
She gives him a Look
"Look, young lady? Are you really going to go and interface with the collective soul of humanity dressed like
*that*?" - D!Kosciej
She considers
"You're going to go on a long magical journey" - D!Kosciej
"It doesn't matter! You said it will change anyway" - Persephone
"But they'll keep in theme. Do you really want to change between endless varieties of slut?" - D!Kosciej
"It's a toga!" - Persephone
"Which women in Greece didn't wear, unless they were of a certain profession. If Samael wears his coat out
there, he'll be wearing whatever the local equivalent is of a damn cool coat" - D!Kosciej
He shoves her out onto her Astral Path.
She blinks for a few seconds then marches right back in
"Ah! Back for the lunchbox! You'd miss it - Babybel, see?" (opens it, waves the miniature cheese in question)
"Babybel? Little juice?" - D!Kosciej
She rolls her eyes and changes her outfit to the Suit she wore to the meeting with Civitas.
---
Samael walks through the countryside of his Astral Path, keeping a careful eye out for that Bull.
Cobalt got seven on his second of these rolls - he's going to get to the Anima Mundi instantly when the time comes
(you can't, in contradiction to my thoughts in Broken Diamond, overshoot)
Once they pass the Oneiros, the feeling of secret knowledge passes and they individually experience the
Reversal before the Temenos.
Sef reaches the bottom of the cliffs and walks along the beach. Eventually, she spots a pier and a promenade -
signs of civilisation. She checks with Cicero, and he confirms that that's the way to go.
Samael has reached a motorway, cutting across his country idyll. He turns a right-angle and starts walking
along the embankment, until he spots a service station in the distance.
Chris: And a little chef, in which two brave warriors do battle with the creatures of the night
Cobalt comes across a door, slightly ajar, leading out of the service tunnels into a concourse of some kind.
Now, you'll notice if you read it that Astral Realms does not say *where* you appear when you go to the Temenos. The
Oneiros has the Dream Vestibule and the Dreamtime has the Boundary Stone, but there's no entranceway in the
culture-soul.
I therefore portray it as being a function of the Astral Path - you appear in the realm most appropriate to your
imagining of the Temenos from the "outside". So Samael is appearing in the realm of "motorway service stations",
Cobalt in "The London Underground" and Sef "the Sea-side holiday".
Cobalt looks around Mornington Crescent station (at least, that's what the signs say), pushed and jostled by the
many, many dream actors. After the introspection of the Oneiros, the Temenos is coming as a pleasant change -
the feeling that no, it isn't all about you.
He consults the eye-bendingly complicated map, seeing many stations that aren't there. A line to "Metropolis"
catches his eye.
"Good day to you sir!" - Bowler-hatted man
"Morning!" - Cobalt
He nods approvingly. He could get used to this.
He tugs on his silver thread and vanishes.

.
Persephone is walking through The Great British Seaside. She's wearing big sunglasses and an oversized
sunhat.
Piers jut out into the sea, covered in Ferriswheels and rollercoasters
The game kind of broke down at this point as Chris revealed his hitherto-unknown irrational hatred of peirs and all they
involve. Given that our nearest seaside town had it's pier burnt down in an unexplained act of arson earlier last year,
I'm now slightly worried about him...
Chris: I felt a bit bad about the fact that I took such joy in the loss of the livlihoods of so many people, but hey.
There are children playing in rockpools. Donkeys giving rides. A promenade street which is an endless line of
chip shops, amusement arcades and dodgy cabarets.
Samael's location is far less salubrious. There's grime everywhere, including the fast-food outlets.
Which, for purposes of not being sued, is in no way a Wimpy. Got that?
There's a deeply depressing newsagents selling broken holiday furniture, £5 bottles of cola and thumbed
magazines.
He can't yank that thread fast enough.
And that's a wrap! Next time - the Temenos! Featuring the Realms of The Zoo, Stage Magicians, The Echo Walkers, the
Sphinx and Mictlan. More is learned, more is implied and Samael gets righteously angry. Also, they randomly save the
npc that cursed the chronicle to an early grave. As you do.
See you then!

Session 6.3
Welcome back, faithful readers! Our grand tour of the Astral Realms continues in this session, as the Auric Horizon plus
guests take in the Temenos. There are revelations aplenty, so much to chew over. That said, I think that the Temenos
Tour suffered the most out of the sections of the Astral Journey, through the restrictions on time placed on us by the
upcoming hiatus of the game. I'd have really preferred two sessions of the Temenos, and had to jettison much.
One day I'll run the murder mystery story set on the Midnight Train. Kind of like Murder on the Orient Express, with
Rupert the Bear as the victim and a cast of suspects consisting of Seers, Pentacle Mages, Fictional Characters and
Dream Actors. One day.
In the meantime, though, the Cabal are reconvening for the next leg of their journey in the Temenos Realm of The
Zoo...
One by one, the Cabal appear in The Zoo. The enclosures are huge, perfectly kept and well designed. The
animals are large, healthy and impressive-looking. It is the very platonic ideal of the zoological garden.
Samael is by the Lions, Persephone (and Symmetry, as it turns out) are by the Tigers.
Cobalt is at the Bears.
Oh my!
I completely choked here - the first and hopefuly last time that it's happened. Ten minutes of nothing as I tried
desperately to think of something to say. I cannot explain.
Samael starts following the double-thread to the girls, taking in some of the sights as he goes. The Zoo is
arranged as a giant taxonomy - Samael is quite close to the ladies. Cobalt is a bit further away, though. There
are lots of excited children (who upon closer examination are identical) and adult dream-actors. It's a beautiful
sunny day.
"Where next?" - Cobalt, meeting up
"I don't know. I picked Zoos as a starting point because it's safe and there's good links - to the cities, to
boundaries.. Maybe even museums or prisons" - Symmetry
"Predators" - Cobalt
"Yeah - that kind of thing" - Symmetry
"What's first on our list? Echo Walkers, Sphinxes or Mictlan? I suggest Mictlan as it's fun" - Persephone
"What do we need to do in Mictlan?" - Samael
"We need to listen to... I don't know, really..." - Persephone
"We need to get the list of what we need to recover Hadrian" - Cobalt
"Get the list and check it twice" - Persephone
"Couldn't we get that over IM?" - Samael
"He can at least tell us when he has one prepared" - Cobalt
"You don't *have* to come" - Persephone, slightly annoyed
"I just thought that was the point of you being online to Galatea" - Samael
"Let's call it a 3 for now, a good place to rest after we're done with the others" - Cobalt
"Echo Walkers or Sphinxes?" - Persephone
"Either are equally valid" - Samael
"I say we go into the Lion's Den, as it were" - Cobalt
Samael glances at the Tiger enclosure next to them, dubiously
"...Okay, okay - technicalities aside..." - Cobalt
"It would be a very interesting word association to make" - Samael
"Lion's Den to Nemesis to Echo Walkers?" - Cobalt
"I fear we wouldn't get through the Lions to the next realm" - Samael
"Or through the Realm of Nemesis" - Symmetry
"Well, we could get to Sphinxes from Lions fairly easily. Or to Gryphons..." - Persephone
"When we get to one the others would become more accessible" - Cobalt
"There'll be a link between the mythalogical creature and the Legacy" - Samael
"What's the arse-end of a Sphinx?" - Cobalt
"A Lion" - Samael
"Gryphons are the symbol of the Obrimos Path. We could get from there to the Echo Walkers" - Persephone
"There's an awful lot of going through the realms of things that will eat us" - Samael
Kinda. But at least they got the hand of word-association quickly - that's how navigation works in the Temenos, as the
dificulty of moving between realms depends on how related their concepts are.
"And in the mythical Sphinx, we'd have to answer riddles or die" - Symmetry
"May be best to go through Mysteries, then" - Samael
"When I say 'die' I mean wake up with a headache" - Symmetry
"With a list of swear words as long as your legs" - Cobalt
She smiles
"Thank you, Rex" - Symmetry
"Sphinxes or Echo Walkers first?" - Magog
"Echo Walkers. Once we get to Pathstrider we'll want to go straight to the Dreamtime" - Symmetry
"Can we get to a Realm of Legacies?" - Samael
"Mictlan is also a Legacy" - Persephone
"Exactly - that's going to be our hub, I think" - Cobalt

"We should specify we mean Mages that have shaped their souls. We don't want any other meanings" -
Symmetry
"We could end up in Star Wars" - Persephone
Reference to the other ongoing campaign I run - 5 points
"So how do we get to Mages from the Zoo, and then to Legacies?" - Samael
"Thyrsus link from the Zoo?" - Cobalt
"I don't think it works like that. We can maybe get to Legacies from Mages. Mages from Wizards..." - Symmetry
"Stage Magicians! Does this place have a link to Theatres and so on?" - Cobalt
"Funfairs... Carnivals..." - Samael
"This place should go to Carnivals" - Symmetry
"Carnivals to Magicians, Magicians to Mages, Mages to Legacies!" - Cobalt
"Worth a try. Better than the Lions" - Persephone
"All right then" (offers his arm to Symmetry) "Let's go to the fair!" - Cobalt
"After you, dad!" - Persephone
He gives her a hard look for that.
But where in the Realm of the Zoo would the link to Carnivals *be*?
Cobalt does the navigation this time around - and it takes a while
In the end, it takes about two and a half hours for Cobalt to find what he thinks is the way
"Over there - I think that Lion is being tamed" - Cobalt
They pass through a reptile house - at first it seems normal, but the guides explainig things to children become
replaced by guides making balloon animals, and the walls become canvas. Eventually, seamlessly, they are
walking out of a tent. It's night-time, but floodlights (and the lights of the Carnival) provide a certain amount of
illumination. The group's clothes have adapted for the situation.
"So we need the sideshows?" - Samael
"Welcome!" - Ringmaster
He has a red and black suit on, an oiled, curled moustache and a top hat. He bows floridly to the group.
"Welcome, friends. And what a show we have for you tonight! Welcome to the Circus of Wonders! We have
freaks! Geeks! Fortune Tellers! Clowns! Animal Acts! The Big Top! We have rollercoasters, whirleygigs and rides
of many sorts! We have concessionary stands! Magic acts!" - Ringmaster
"Magic Acts and fortune Tellers, please" - Samael
"Take a left at the Hall of Mirrors!" - Ringmaster
It is an ambition of mine to one day adapt / redo "Midnight Circus" for the NWoD, which now that we're almost on the
seventh nWoD game and there are a plethora of minor templates should be possible. I get the urge pretty much any
time I go to a Carnival, in fact.
If only anyone would *play* it...
They walk
"He seemed more real" - Symmetry
"Probably an Astral Spirit. It's an important role" - Samael
Magog's thread appears. A fraction of a second later, Magog himself appears. The Realm has provided him with
jeans, boots, a thick jumper and a duffel coat.
"Alright" - Magog, by way of greeting. Symmetry ignores him, while everyone else nods to him.
"You made it" - Persephone

"We're at the Circus" - Cobalt
"Yeah.. Okay" - Magog
"We're trying to find the magic acts, so we can move on to Mages and then to Legacies" - Cobalt
Sef is offered Candyfloss
"Should we eat things here, or..?" - Samael
He trails off as Sef doesn't wait. She munches away as they pass the Tarot-Reader's caravan, Sef only pausing a
moment.
They find the Hall of Mirrors, and turn left as instructed. They enter a tent containing rows of seating and a
small stage, upon which the Great Zubondi is producing rabbits from hats.
Cobalt makes for the Vanishing Cabinet and the others follow.
Samael's navigation roll gets a bonus for using an appropriate exit - given they're trying to get to Stage Magicians.
"Can we have a volunteer from the audience. YOU, miss!" - The Great Zubondi, pointing at Sef
She heads up to the stage and climbs into the cabinet when instructed. The magician produces a saw. Sef
frowns and looks slightly panicked.
"Don't worry, it's anethesised" - The Great Zubondi
She vanishes, and the others feel the thread to her go taut. They pull the threads and vanish, following her into
the Realm of Stage Magicians. The men all appear in evening wear. Symmetry looks like Zatanna. Persephone
is a Glamorous Assistant, with an outfit consisting of feathers and sequins.
Cobalt starts pulling a long line of handkerchiefs from his cuff, trying it out, until he is prevailed upon to stop.
The Realm is a warren of Backstage corridors, studded by large spaces containing props, depilitated dressing
rooms and "stage" areas (they cannot see beyond the footlights, but there is an impression of an audience).
The floor is covered in mist (or Dry-Ice) although it feels like they're walking on wooden boards. The place is
populated by Magicians, Stagehands and Glamorous Assistants
"Would we be better off going to Illusions, then to Magic, then to Awakened Mages? Illusion might be a props
room" - Samael
"Smoke and Mirrors" - Cobalt
"The seeming impossible" - Samael
"Of course, we could just jump to David Blaine and punch him in the nuts" - Cobalt
"There's always time for that" - Samael
"Excuse me" - Houdini
They have been interrupted by the great Harry Houdini himself - or the Astral Walker of him, at any rate. He's
wearing an undone straight jacket. As he approaches the Quintet, the locks on trunks and lockers spring open
as he passes them.
"New members of the Circle?" - Houdini
"Indeed, pleased to meet you" - Cobalt
"As am I. Your stage name?" - Houdini
"The Great Garbanzo" - Cobalt, smoothly
"And your Assistant?" - Houdini
"Persephone" - Cobalt
Sef swirls her huge feather fans she holds in a stage bow.
"Just right. Aha! I see - you cannot hide the truth from me, sir. I see that the Water Tank is in your past. The
escape from drowning? Just the man to help me in my latest illusion" - Houdini
He strolls off
"Fuck that - props room NOW" - Cobalt, rattled
"We could stay here and look at the girls' legs or run" - Samael
"Illusion to Mirages. Mirages will be a Desert Oasis, yeah? There to Arabian Nights, there to other old legends
and then to Sphinxes" - Magog
"So in fact we've gone the wrong way?" - Samael
"I think we should go for Atlantis" - Persephone
"One thing I know is that you never go looking for Atlantis. Everyone always does and they never ever find it" -
Magog
"There's no consensus to create a realm of it. Assuming it ever existed" - Cobalt
"But if we find *Plato*'s Atlantis we can get to ancient Greek writings, from there to plays, subset of there is
Oedipus, that has a Sphinx in it" - Symmetry
"We *could* go to Boston. To Bourbon Street. To the Moon, to Atlantis on the Moon" - Cobalt
"New Orleans, not Boston" - Symmetry
"Oh, let's just find a station and take the Train" - Persephone
"Let's go another step and see where we go wrong. No sense being pessimistic" - Cobalt
"You're not the one with the costume riding up your..." - Symmetry
The transition is much faster this time. They dive through the clouds of dry ice, seeking a way out, and move
somehow. The dry-ice has turned to Mist all around them. Their costumes have not changed and the threads
are going strange - even though it seems as though they're all still walking together, the threads say otherwise.
Random objects - sections of corridor, Stop signs, fields - appear, but only to one of them at a time.
"We're getting dangerously split up, here. Or at least I think we are" - Symmetry
"Stop for a second. Samael, use your magic to create a Door as a Phantasm" - Cobalt
He nods and outlines a door in light, feeling Mana flow into the Imago - which, unlike in the real world, is
Paradox-free.
And then everyone appears to melt, as though their senses were watercolours someone has poured water on.
"If anyone's doing something, do it quick" - Samael
He wrestles with the door, but it doesn't open.
"It's not working!" - Samael
He failed the navigation roll
Out of the melting blurs of mist, shapes are becoming distinct - vaguely humanoid swirls of colour that are
approaching the Quintet. They appear to have angered the natives. Black cracks, branching like tree limbs,
extend out from the creatures towards the group.
"Quick action or it's back to the real world!" - Samael
"Start running" - Symmetry
"Where!?" - Samael
"That way's good!" - Cobalt
"First one to vanish, the rest of us 'port to them" - Symmetry
"Any exit" - Samael
They leg it. The creature follows Cobalt. The air tastes blue, and he feels pinpricks on his hands. He
concentrates, and the feeling fades.
The creature is a Waxman, an Astral Spirit of hallucination. Cobalt has successfully resisted its' attack
Cobalt vanishes, finding an exit. The others pull themselves along after him.
"Whatever you do, watch out for Evokers!" - Cobalt
We started briefly playing a scene based on Defenders of the Earth, after the only Illusionist Cobalt could think of
turned out to be Mandrake the Magician. But as Ag had never seen the pinnacle of 80s cartoons, it fell like a dead
balloon and we decided to abandon it and do something else. But as everyone has seen an Escher painting at some
point...
They appear, wobbling with Vertigo. They appear to be inside Escher's Staircases painting. Clothing has
become linen, but the eye-twisting geometry (Samael is at a right angle to the others) appears to have had the
artist's attention more.
"I think I'm going to lose my lunch" - Magog
"Your lunch isn't here, remember?" - Samael
"Okay - my bad" - Cobalt
"It's better than the last place" - Symmetry
"Until some 4-dimensional horror comes out of.. Never mind. Let's try..." - Cobalt
"The thing with the staircases. Isn't there a snake or something? A creature coming in and out of archs?" -
Magog, wary
"I don't recall seeing one" - Samael
"You know where we can go to from here?" - Persephone, brightly
"To David Bowie's 'Labyrinth'. That's where we can go. And from there to Jim Henson's Creature Shop, where we
can meet Kermit" - Symmetry, resigned
She sits, defeated, on the edge, legs hanging into impossible n-space
"On the way back, maybe" - Cobalt
"Where can we go from here?" - Samael
"Mictlan, I suppose, but also the funky theories about the universe being donut shaped and such" - Persephone
"Paintings? Art?" - Magog
Cobalt nods at those. Good ideas.
"Physics" - Persephone
"But these are all realms which don't get us closer to where we want to go" - Samael
"Mictlan" - Cobalt
"Can we get to other Legacies from there?" - Samael, to Sef
She nods
"Take us in the front door" - Cobalt
Persephone concentrates, casting a mind spell to increase her ability to spot clues, then starts walking through
the Escher landscape. They follow the twists and turns, learning that applying oneself to a different plane shifts
gravity along the way. They go in through a door and emerge into the waterfall painting - which at least has a
breeze and the scent of fruit trees.
While Sef updates Galatea via IM, warning them that they're coming in through the front door, the Quintet take
a Venetian-style gondola around and around the square canal, Sef punting. As they move, the scenery shifts -
the fruit trees extend upwards and die, becoming skeletal and thin. The sky darkens to black, despite the sun
being up, until they pass through a waterfall...
...And the gondola pushes open a pair of doors, like a fun-house ride, and arrives in a pond set into the base of
the Gate of Life. They're in Mictlan.
"Welcome to Mictlan!" - Persephone
Her clothes flash and become her normal toga, and she starts levitating. Samael looks at the infinite looping
strip of giant, half-described Necrotech Engines with a sense of unease, and tries to figure out why there's no
sky.
"I can't quite figure out how they get from there to there" - Cobalt, pointing
"The transition, young man, is beyond the conceptual barrier" - Chronos
"Everyone - this is Cousin Chronos" - Persephone
"Hi" - Cobalt
The shrunken man nods his overlarge head
"Greetings to you all. I am very pleased to meet you - Cousin Persephone has spoken of you often and shared
many interesting memories" - Chronos
"Very good of her. So how's tricks?" - Cobalt
"Opening the Gate didn't rip the place open. This way - the Parliament is meeting. There's going to be a
discussion, and a welcoming - you're the first mortal guests we've had in quite some time" - Chronos
They move, wrapping inward to the Gateway Ring, as Persephone points out whose Region is whose. Curving
above them is the central area.
"So you're Magog, right?" - Chronos
"Uh.. yeah" - Magog
"Awesome" - Chronos

Our group of Astral Explorers, having reached the city-ship of Mictlan, are now meeting with it's captain.
"Greetings! Good to see you again, sir" (to Cobalt) "And to meet you" (to the other three) "we have prepared
somethign of a feast. It will not sustain your bodies, but we hope you will take the opportunity to sample our
cuisine" - Kosciej
"Little shrimp?" - Cobalt
"... And afterward, perhaps we can meet in my Region to discuss your further travels" - Kosciej
"Sorry to drop in unannounced" - Cobalt
"Do not apologise. You could have easily found yourself lost in Hallucination" - Kosciej
"I get the impression I need a beginner's guide to the Temenos. For example, 'the don't go to Atlantis' thing" -
Chronos
"Well, it's functionally useless. You're sure to find an Atlantis, but it won't be the right one. In general, finding
realms relating to the Awakened is difficult, as there are several powers more Sleepers in the world" - Kosciej
"There is that" - Cobalt
"Good thought on finding Escher to get to us, but that only really works because of Mictlan's design and the
fact that Persephone has sympathy to it. If I were trying to find the Echo Walkers, I would search for a story that
the Sleepers have processed which would be relatively easy to get to. I would look for the original. However, it's
good that you've made it to us. We can equip you - more to the point, we have sufficient magic to make
anything you borrow stay in its configuration." - Kosciej
"Mechanised armour? Tanks?" - Samael
"I can sort you out a World War Two tank, but it would not be appropriate in many Realms. In earlier, happier
days I once drove one through Pride and Prejudice" - Chronos
A sneaky Red Dwarf reference, there, which sailed by.
"The original Echo Walker" (he flourishes, producing a copy of Duma's letter) "was a man named Adam Goode.
A Pilgrim in the colonisation of America. He was many years later hanged as a witch near pennsylvania" -
Kosciej
"We're looking for him being hung?" - Persephone
"Or what happened on the ship" - Samael
"The Salem Witch Trials. The Pilgrim Fathers of America. The history of the state" - Kosciej
"None of those are a tiny jump to the matter of Adam Goode" - Samael
"Pilgrims to the Witch Fever is probably not that bad a jump. Once there, you're looking for a specific example
of same. The connection would be difficult, but no more so than finding Illusion - as bad a misstep as it was -
from Stage Magic" - Kosciej
"Except the Witch Trials in general may be bad for us" - Persephone
"They might border on some Banisher realms, so be careful" - Kosciej
"Where can you put us from here?" - Samael, unimpressed
"We can put you into Cities, Communes... We managed to make a link to the Kibbutz" - Kosciej
"But not Legacies?" - Samael
"There is no central realm of all Legacies. There are some other Legacy Realms we have association with - the
Clavicularius, who are concerned with the Soul, might then in turn have one to the Walkers. But they, like us,
are an active Astral Legacy" - Kosciej
"There would be someone home" - Cobalt
"All Key-Keepers arrive in their realm when they enter Temenos. They have it as a palace, and they're a
worldwide Legacy. There will be some of them there" - Kosciej
"Without an invite it would be rude to try" - Cobalt
"My suggestion is somehow get to the colonisation of America. from there to the Pilgrim fathers, then to witch
fever, and then to the Echo Walkers. And as for the pilgrim fathers - Mictlan can connect to Necropolis, which
can take you to Cities. Washington DC will lead to them. Or, Mictlan has a connection to the Mexican Day of the
Dead..." - Kosciej
"Thanksgiving!" - Cobalt
"That may be faster - and the association to the holiday is strong. Of course, if you're in the Day of the Dead it's
only a step away from Halloween" - Kosciej
"We'd better watch out for the Pumpkin King?" - Cobalt
Kosciej grins his not-entirely-dissimilar-to-Jack-Skellington grin.
"Makes sense to me. Have you figured out the shopping list yet?" - Persephone
"What about this train thing?" - Samael
"The midnight train is easy to get to. It leaves from and goes to any realm that has a train station - you
probably could have gone there from Circus" - Kosciej
"Does Mictlan have a station?" - Cobalt
"I'm afraid not" - Kosciej
"Mictlan is closed" - Persephone
"Which reminds me - how is Hades?" - Cobalt
"What did you find out?" - Kosciej
Cobalt explains what they found - Hades appears to have hidden Kosciej's daimon inside Sef to keep it safe
when he was being hunted.
"He might have been trying to get here to warn you. We do know that Djehuty was in it up to his gills" - Cobalt
"About which we'll have to ask him" - Persephone
She explains how Hades seemed defiant of Solemn
"I want to have a talk to him, once we wake him up" - Cobalt
"We can animate him briefly" - Persephone
"Would he be sociopathic?" - Cobalt
"Not at first" - Persephone, shrugging

"We shouldn't wake him up then put him down again" - Samael
"And it would require concentration from either Persephone or Galatea. If we can get the soul in here we could
give him some agency" - Kosciej
"I got the impression we were going to deposit his mind back into his body somehow" - Cobalt
He and Samael briefly riff on the idea that the Ankh could be used as a way to get his Soul *in*, but they don't
know if it could get his mind *out*.
"We need some means by which we can breach the Astral Barrier from the other side" - Kosciej
"Do you have the list?" - Persephone
"In my region. I'll talk you through it" - Kosciej
"Okay. Let's go eat!" - Persephone
"To the buffet tables!" - Cobalt
They arrive at the feast - every Cousin has provided dishes from their memories. Cobalt finds his Little Shrimp.
"And the parliament must meet - there may be a risk to us, and we will have to use the Chronos Gate. We don't
know what connecting to a foreign Oneiros would do to us, so the Cousins will have to vote" - Kosciej
"he might become a member of the Legacy" - Cobalt
"That may be one of the better methods..." - Kosciej
"I was going to try to recruit him to the Free Council anyway" - Cobalt
"Cobalt... You are a GENIUS! I know how to do it!" - Kosciej, grinning
"Maybe we shouldn't try to decide his future before we.." - Samael
"No! No - I mean I know how to free him. It's the conceptual equivalent of open-heart surgery" - Kosciej
"You know how to inspire an air of confidence" - Cobalt, chewing on something
"Those are falafels" - Kosciej
"So what IS the explanation?" - Chronos
"Aha!" (raises a finger) "it was in the suggestion of taking the Ankh in here" (looks at Samael) "if a soul appears
in the ankh's astral form, then if someone were to activate it on Hades then come in here, where I can" (wiggles
his long, dexterous fingers) "operate, then we can put it and his mind back into his body" - Kosciej
"There's a certain amount of supposition about what the Ankh can do" - Samael
"But if the Ankh can do what you wish it to - if it can take a being and raise it from the Fallen World, then it can
surely do so in reverse" - Kosciej
"Keep working on the Docking idea - that's the most likely to work, with everything else being purely
conjecture" - Samael
"I'll get back to you on the Ankh idea" - Cobalt
"All moral considerations aside" (with the air of someone who has heard of moral considerations but doesn't
personally rate them) "there's not really much call for forcing a Legacy onto someone" - Kosciej
Persephone gives him a 'yeah, really' look
"Well, it's been used to swap Daimons once before. Does it have to be charged?" - Cobalt
"It does. the charging requries a certain amount of magical potential. Galatea could do it by absorbing Soul
Stones" - Kosciej
"That's dangerous" - Samael
"But we could play pass the Daimon until he develops a Gateway. The work of months, sadly" - Kosciej
"So we're back to putting a boarding ramp where one was not meant to be" - Chronos, sourly
"I endeavour to say that it's exactly what is was meant to do. It's the dock that's not designed for it. Still, we
should give you time to consider the options" - Cobalt
"But it's something to work on. So at the moment the shopping list appears to read 'find out about the ankh'. If
the Ankh can't do it, we're going to need another method - there are places, areas of science and certain
natural gateways out there in the temenos that allow access to twilight. Sometimes Walkers possess people, or
dream beings walk as ghosts. If we coudl find such a way and push his mind out it would be free-floating in
twilight, and you'd need a Master of the Mind Arcanum to manage a join" - Kosciej
"Can't we pick him up and carry him?" - Cobalt
"As soon as he leaves he'll reanimate" - Persephone
She starts theorising about moving his mind down a bucket-chain of silver-thread linked people, but the
problem is getting it down the Astral Path.
Eventually, Samael has enough - this can all wait, really.
"We're open to brain waves. We're open to research, but we'd like a cost-estimate for a docking. In the short
term we're looking for Echo Walkers or Sphinxes. I suggest we try Kosciej's suggestion of getting to the Echo
Walkers" (pause) "try some of this dip" - Cobalt
Samael is not touching any of the fake food. He's in a bit of a grump at the sudden stop in their progress, all
told.
Chris: Samael also doesn't like Mictlan and doesn't much trust its mad collection of inhabitants.
Persephone is introducing Cobalt, Symm and Magog to everyone
"If you're done eating, there is the other matter. This way" - Kosciej
They head out to the crooked tower and up the crooked stairs into Kosciej's living room.
Sef points out the Tarot Deck
"Right... Um" (confused) - Samael
"Shiny! I want one!" - Persephone
"Okay" - Samael
Magog wanders over to the window that looks out into the Underworld
You have been deemed... dangerous
"Ah yes. The Underworld" - Kosciej, sourly
Cobalt looks out, and sees a black sea, waves frozen in place. Sef, though, sees a featureless grey plain
"How's the fishing?" - Cobalt
"of course - you associate death with drowning" - Kosciej
"The spirit of drowning in Newcastle has started prophesying" - Cobalt
"It wasn't prophecy. It was just said" - Persephone
"And that's supposed to cheer me up how?" - Cobalt
"I see the English countryside turned to dust, with shackled chain gangs trudging between Dark, Satanic mills.
Bit too much poetry in my youth" - Kosciej
"And you?" - Persephone, quietly, to Magog
Magog shudders and turns away
"And that, boys and girls, is what we have to look forward to. Because the great cosmic joke is that there is no
afterlife. Well, there is - it's called Stygia. But unfortunately Stygia is a Supernal Realm and the Abyss is in the
way. No one has been to the afterlife since the Fall of Atlantis; the Underworld is like a pearl in the clam of
reality. Souls cannot cross the Abyss after death, so they just stop. And that's the Underworld" - Kosciej
"A giant queue" - Cobalt
"A giant queue in which you slowly lose your memories. At the end of which, perhaps, you reincarnate" - Kosciej
"Cheerful. But Necromancers aren't known for their sense of humour" (to Symm) "What about you?" - Cobalt
"A... Cave, I think" - Symmetry
Samael has not looked out - it's more illuminating to listen to everyone else's impressions.
"I was expecting an Elephants Graveyard" - Cobalt
"I'm not Jungle Jane" - Symmetry
The Underworld as envisaged in this chronicle owes a little something to the Greek form of the afterlife and a lot to
Phillip Pullman. I wish to point out that I have not been involved on Geist (and truthfully don't know if Geist is even
about the Underworld) and don't know or care if this matches up with that. It provides Kosciej with his motivation and
makes the universe of Mage a little darker, but is in no way 'official'.
"We're here to talk about the Logophages, which we have not discussed with the other Cousins" - Kosciej
"What can they actually do?" - Samael
"From evidence, erase things from the Fallen World" - Kosciej
"The memory of it or the thing itself?" Cobalt
"Probably everyone's perception of something. At least, that's what I guess" - Samael
Kosciej fills them in on the discrepency in Mictlan's archives
"I was wondering if they had to personally find things and erase them one by one with magic, or if they can
attack a concept via the temenos" - Samael
"Might be both" - Kosciej
"Which would make it Mictlan's wards that protect it. But there's nothing saying that the evidence erasure and
the memory erasure are the same thing. he could have to hunt down all evidence *before* wiping it" - Cobalt
Give that man a cookie. He has it
"Have they been declared Left-Handed?" - Samael
"I believe so, yes" - Kosciej
"The Guardians must try to keep them quiet. We'll have to talk to Cicero" - Cobalt
"If Solemn wanted access to Mictlan, why did he order the Daimon's destruction?" - Samael
"Or if he just wants it destroyed, why only now? Maybe he didn't..." - Cobalt
"...Vexing questions, but I would not advise finding the realm of Logophages. I understand it's the fashion to go
tromping around other people's backyards, but the Realm of the Logophages may be detrimental to one's
sanity" - Kosciej
"He may have even edited it from Hades' memories to be less incriminating" - Samael
"He may have edited it from his own, and not know why he's doing it" - Kosciej
"There's no guaruntee that he's the mastermind" - Cobalt
"Or maybe he is and it's a double bluff" - Persephone
"As for the options of getting Hades out of here, I wanted to talk to you all about it and make sure you were on
the right page. And now we shall equip you, give you your Lemnas bread and send you on your way" - Kosciej
"There have been too many Tolkein references today" - Samael
"Has my Shadow been playing up?" - Kosciej
"We have a Convocation in a few months. We intend to get the Echo Walkers declared Left Handed. Although it
would possibly be the time to have Solemn declared Nephandus also, you should probably work on your own
legal defence against the same" - Cobalt
"The best defense would be to free Hades" - Kosciej
Kosciej checks if anyone wants to take anything - Magog asks for weapons, and Mictlan provides it's armoury
(Cobalt takes a knife, a Tommy gun and a fedora, Samael a Sword, Magog an Axe and Sef her bow). Heading
back out to the Gateway, they wait for Chronos to navigate the gateway to the Realm of The Day of the Dead
"Farewell, young sir" - Chronos
"And you" - Cobalt, shaking his hand
"Perhaps we will meet again under less time-pressed circumstances" - Chronos
"And we can talk about that conceptual barrier" - Cobalt
They step through the door into bright sunshine. There is guitar music, small children wearing skull facepaint
running around and ghosts drifting, unseen, through the crowds.
"Holidays. Who wants to take the lead?" - Cobalt
"You or me, old man" - Persephone
They walk through the market / festival of Day of the Dead town, and feel the neighbourhood shifting around
them as the enter "Holidays". It's a city, by the look of it, with several festivals going on at once. The dream
actors are all celebrating.. something. They are passed by a gaggle of Santas, weaving in and out of a Chinese
Dragon and drinking from beer bottles. In the distance, a ray of sunshine falls upon the Great British Seaside
(which Sef recognises) and upon the Glorious Woods of youth. The sky is marked by constant fireworks, in the
most impressive display they've ever seen. It's invigorating - the quintet feel alive, enjoying themselves... They
don't care much about tomorrow. Or about finding the Echo Walkers
"We could nip to Oktoberfest, get some beers then off to Guy Fawkes night" - Cobalt
His hat has turned into a paper party hat.
Samael is not being affected by the aura of levity. This realm *should* be his sort of thing, but he's focused on
his mission.
"We're going to Thanksgiving" - Samael, with gritted teeth.
Sef starts dancing in the street, as Samael follows the smell of roasting turkey.
The buildings turn into suburbia, there's the strong smell of turkey and snow upon the ground. They try to find
older buildings and head out of town.
We shall skip over Dave and Chris explaining Thanksgiving to Agena. It would probably give American Readers
conniptions.
"This would probably mean more if we were American" - Symmetry, lampshading it
"The founding fathers as they were or as Americans think of them?" - Cobalt
"To get to witch fever? As they were" - Persephone
Cobalt sniffs
"Real wood smoke. That way" - Cobalt
Following the smoke, Suburbia gives way to barren farmland. There are barns that don't look particularly well
built or insulated, which is a shame as it's utterly freezing cold. At least until Samael shields them all from the
temperature. Once again, they're all appropriately dressed for the location (Symm and Persephone are not
impressed). Because Magog and Cobalt have guns (muskets now), they appear to be hunters, while Samael
looks prosperous.
In the barn/meeting hall, dozens of people sit huddled around a big table. It's dead silence, with everyone
shivering, and there's not that much food to go around. The dream actors look ill.
Cobalt, mindful of their destination, looks for an argument or blame. That's what he recalls the Witch fever
being about.
A thin woman spoons out porridge for them, before everyone says grace and the dream actors begin eating.
Cobalt sits. Symmetry examines her porridge. Persephone looks horrified that Cobalt is eating the stuff.
"We're not here to share our dinner with a bunch of Americans" - Samael
"They're not Americans yet" - Cobalt
Cobalt tries to spot the community's pastor. He's at the front, eating his slightly bigger bowl of gruel. Magog, to
Cobalt's left, has a disgusted look on his face.
"Reminds me of the Seers. Two spoonfuls of gruel" - Magog

"That's what they're like" - Cobalt
Dave2: And if they were in on the secret, it would mean so much more than it seems
"So what did you see in the Underworld?" - Symmetry
Her arms are crossed, and her "food" untouched
"Endless rows of prison cells" - Magog
"Prison Cells?" - Persephone
"Long story" - Magog
He puts his spoon down
"There's two ways for a Moros to Awaken, and I took the other one" - Magog
"The personal death experience or the death of others" - Samael
"Oh, I'm sorry. I think" - Persephone
"It's fine" - Magog
He eats the gruel
"Let's not get carried away, man" - Cobalt
"Transition" - Symmetry, through gritted teeth
"Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live" - Cobalt
"You guys sure about this?" - Magog
"May as well try it" - Cobalt
Magog hefts his musket and the gang get up, walking out and into the countryside. After twenty minutes of
walking around the village, they find their way. As they walk, the season shifts - the countryside is no longer
quite so freezing, and there are leaves on the trees. Wandering into the village (now much larger) they spot a
furore going on in one of the fields. There's a lynchmob gathered by a copse of trees.
"Who are you?" - Yokel
"We've come looking for a witch!" - Samael
"A Warlock by the name of Adam Goode!" - Cobalt
"Do you know of his whereabouts?" - Samael
There is a pause as the dream actors react, and then the Pastor-character from before approaches them. His
outfit is much more opulent and his expression even more self-satisfied
"Join us, brothers. We have felt the touch of satan here ourselves" - Pastor
"We almost had him, but he fled" - Cobalt
"As I say, the name's Adam..." - Samael
The pastor character ignores him.
"..Goode" - Samael, to himself
The lynching appears to be in full swing, taking up the dream actor's attention. Samael, annoyed, starts trying
to transition to the specific witch trial
"HELP ME!" - Witch
The witch in question is a teenaged girl
"Your turn to navigate" - Samael, to Cobalt
Cobalt doesn't seem to be paying attention to him either

"You do it" - Cobalt, to Persephone
"Why?" - Persephone
"I'm about to..." - Cobalt
"Oh. I know what you're about to. I'll start" - Persephone
She starts searching for the exit.
"What are you about to do?" - Samael
Cobalt is paying great attention to the lynching. Samael catches on.
"Why? It's not real" - Samael
"We are" - Cobalt
"So... How is doing anything risky going to help us?" - Samael
Cobalt has a bad feeling he's not quite able to articulate. Something is not right. Eventually, once Samael has
stomped off muttering to himself, he realises.
If the witch isn't a real person, why is she wearing trainers?
"I'm REAL!" - Witch
And then Magog, who was silent until now, has had enough. He starts laying into the mob, fighting his way
towards the girl. Cobalt, of slightly more forethought, Frays the rope then shoots someone off Magog's back.
Samael, mindful of the terrible Rah incident, leaves the boys to it.
That terrible incident has scarred poor Samael for all future Astral journeys. Sometimes he wakes up in the middle of
the night, muttering 'Not the Rah, not the Rah!'
"When the rope breaks, run!" - Cobalt
Thanks to his magic, when the girl has the chair kicked out from under her it snaps under her weight. She starts
running towards Symmetry who is making an end-run around the crowd while Cobalt and Magog are brawling
with Scenery People. Once Symm and the girl are clear and heading for the fields, Magog and Cobalt begin a
fighting retreat then leg it once they break free.
"They can catch up with us later, once they've finished being chased by colonists" - Samael, sour
A chase scene! And this time Samael, who isn't the luckiest of characters in this sort of thing, isn't taking part to fall to
the back.
The quartet end up hiding in the lee of an outlying barn, all panting for breath.
"Thanks" - Witch
"Cobalt, Magog, Symmetry" - Cobalt, by way of introduction
"Natalie" - Natalie
The mysterious and curse'd Natalie!
There's a story here.
Nat is technically older, design-wise, than any other character in Soul Cage including the PCs. Because she's from
Broken Diamond. Or at least she *would* have been if the Credit Crunch hadn't taken out the bank I worked at in the
North East forcing me to move house and start a new chronicle.
She was originally a senator's daughter who Awakened and then went on the run, causing a chase between the Seers
of the Throne and the Pentacle (as represented by the pcs) to find her and explain the whole Magic thing according to
their own prejudices. She then would have become Wolsey's apprentice.
Now, Soul Cage (after the upcoming time jump) will be at the stage where the PCs should really be taking apprentices,
and so in preparation I dusted off my old notes and thought "here's a statted-out Obrimos I'm not using for anything
else. She'll do for Samael's student". At which point Dave2 dropped his bombshell and I was left to conclude that the
npc was in fact cursed.
Her inclusion here is by way of a hearty "fuck you" to fate itself, an injoke only I got and indeed could get at the time
and a space marked "for possible future use". Especially given what Cobalt is about to do...
"Where are you from?" - Cobalt
"Sheffield" - Natalie
"Why are you in the American Witch trials?" - Cobalt
"I don't know where I am" - Natalie
"Explain what you do know" - Cobalt
"I've not been.. What's the word? Awakened? Very long. About a week. I found a book..." - Natalie
"Have you made contact with anyone? Any orders of people?" - Cobalt
She shakes her head
"Okay. Here" - Cobalt
He writes a number on her hand
"Memorise that. Call that number. Tell them Cobalt sent you, and ask them to come help you out. Okay - you're
in the collective human subconscious" - Cobalt
"I read that much" - Natalie
"Do you have a teacher?" - Cobalt
"I'm just learning from books" - Natalie
"We can sort that out later. These two guys are good people. Don't listen to their compliments, but they'll see
you all right" - Cobalt
"...How do I wake up?" - Natalie
"The easiest way is to will yourself to. Concentrate. Believe that you're waking up" - Cobalt
She closes her eyes, listening to him.. And then vanishes
"...Well" - Cobalt
"Our good deed for the day" - Symmetry
"WITCH!" - Pastor
The crowd have caught up with them
"BOLLOCKS!" - Cobalt
"CHEESE IT!" - Symmetry
Persephone has found the Way by now, and is waving from the top of a nearby hill. They join her and Samael
and transition again.
The colony has changed again. It's no longer generic, but looks like it might be a real place. There's a gibbet set
up in the village square (the village looks more advanced again), and there's a rather mad-looking man being
escorted up tot he steps. He's shouting that the Pure Ones have shown him the way and will save him upon
death.
"Little does he know he won't ever see them" - Persephone
"That there's a gigantic cock-block in the way?" - Cobalt
Cobalt has a unique way of reducing cosmological vastnesses to simple concepts
"Are we in the Echo Walkers?" - Samael
"Find his house" - Symmetry
They check with a dream actor in the shape of a villager, who reacts as though they are visiting dignitaries and
shows them the way.
They enter the house of Adam Goode, and enter the Realm of the Echo Walkers. It's... A farmhouse, of the
colonial period.
"Finally" - Samael
"Samael. In answer to your question - it doesn't matter if they're real or not; I react as though they are" - Cobalt
"Besides she *was* real" - Symmetry
"Her name's Natalie. Just Awakened. I gave her Rod's number" - Cobalt
Persephone chokes
"Rod's number? Are you MAD?" - Persephone
"They're free agents! They can show her the world, and Cal will keep him in line" - Cobalt
"Cal will keep him in line?" - Persephone
"Yeah, because Cal's never been known to be impulsive" - Symmetry, with some sarcasm
"We can talk to Cal about it when we wake up..." - Cobalt
The door opens behind them, and Adam Goode enters the building
The Astral spirit with the shape of the original(?) Echo Walker looks them up and down.
"Have you heard the Ones Before?" - Adam

Samael flicks Soul Shields onto everyone
"Tell us" - Samael
"They came to me on the voyage - the Angels. They're trapped inside people, but they can be freed. I can show
you how, if you want to see?" - Adam
"We don't want to see, we want to know. Everything should be recorded" - Samael
"Come with me" - Adam
The spirit leads them outside again. While the last few realms closely resembled real places, the Realm of Echo
Walkers is a little odder - it's split down the centre, with the portion the cabal are in resembling a stylised form
of the colonial landscape they've grown to hate.
It's the people.
The inhabitants are running wild - stabbing one another, fighting, copulating. Before the Cabal's eyes, someone
throws a baby from a church window.
Cobalt bites his lip.
"They have seen the Ones Before" - Adam
"And what has it done to them?" - Samael, disgusted
"They are gripped with the ecstasy of the Lord" - Adam
"The Lord is a Lord of Death? Impulse? Murder?" - Samael
"The flesh is unimportant" - Adam
"Adam" begins to glow - they've seen Echo Walkers do this before, take on the mantle of their "angelic"
sponsors
"All that matters is the ONE" - Adam
"Adam" ignites, but the familiar effect spreads upwards and outwards, lighting the entire sky on fire. All of the
dream-actor people in the streets burst, the firey inner beings Adam was obsessed with becoming visible,
coiling out of their hosts.
"FEEL THE GLORY!" - Adam
At which point, the Realm begins an idealogical attack against the travellers. Fortunately, everyone managed to resist
it - they all still have enough willpower at this point.
They feel the Realm trying to slip into their minds, convincing them of the Echo Walkers' cause. Fortunately,
everyone shakes it off.
"Adam. Mind if we take a look at how you passed.." - Samael
"You wished to read the Word?" - Adam
"And see how it progressed" - Samael
The burning man points to a hill, upon which is a colonial mansion of a period later than Adam's.
"Shall we?" - Samael
"Yes" - Cobalt
"You've been very helpful. Have a nice day" - Samael
As they approach Juliet Brown's mansion (for that was the mage who, according to Duma's letter, wrote the
Daimononicon), the fires recede and the colonists resume their elysian madness.
Entering the building, taking in the furnishings and slaves, they are met by the dream-actor of Juliet. An old
matriarch, stiff and formal, she sits calmly and disapprovingly as they track blood and mud into the house.
"Apologies ma'am" - Cobalt
"You're looking for the book" - Juliet
She glances at Samael
"One of you has already found it" - Juliet
"We wish to examine the book" - Samael
"I can't take visitors at just any hour. Why should I let you in?" - Juliet
"Why did you become an Echo Walker?" - Samael, changing tactic
"To see God" - Juliet
"You fed a drive within you, then. We seek knowledge; would you have denied that?" - Samael
"No. I wrote the book to spread the word. Through there" - Juliet
Persephone looks impressed as they walk through the building, turning through corridors that should lead them
back on themselves. The walls transition from wooden panels to being paper... Paper with ink on it. Before long
they're walking through the book itself.
"Don't read too closely. My attainment lets me absorb it without reading it" - Samael
They emerge into a Censorium - to Persephone's eyes the Censorium Kosciej attacked back in the day.
"I've seen here before" - Persephone
They walk onward some more
"Tell me that wasn't the Cambridge Censorium" - Cobalt
"The book's in the Paris one" - Symmetry
"But we've never enquired about when it got there" - Cobalt
"Presumably it wasn't when Chayot found it - he discovered it" - Samael
His attainment has now made him certain that the Daimonicon forces the process on the reader.
"Imagine a brick wall with wallpaper over it - to study the bricks you have to peel the paper, which is no good
for the paper. But we've confirmed that it's as bad as the modern ones would have it seem" - Samael, to
Magog.
They push open a door and emerge into Chayot's house.
"Oh, hello" - Chayot

"Hi. How've you been?" - Cobalt, recovering
Chayot clearly has no idea who they are.
"It's not Chayot. It's the ideals that started this part of the Legacy" - Cobalt
"I know" - Samael, grim
(to Chayot) "We were looking for the Ones who Went Before" - Cobalt
"Ah! Are any of you Obrimos?" - Chayot
"I am" - Samael, wary
"Are any of you Moros?" - Chayot
Cobalt and Magog raise their hands
"Excellent! Then we can demonstrate..." - Chayot
"Tell me, Chayot. When you found the book that started all this, what were you looking for?" - Samael
"I was searching for a way to contact Angels. A route by which I could see the Aether. I heard rumours of an old
Grimoire in America. Eventually I tracked it down" - Chayot
"Where did you find it?" - Samael
"In another Mage's collection. He'd opened it but not properly understood it" - Chayot
"What was his name?" - Samael
"His Shadow Name was Arete" - Chayot
"And you found it, read it, felt the need to teach it and pass it on?" - Samael
"yes! Well, after the initial experiments went well I felt the need to share it with my students" - Chayot
"What happened when it went wrong?" - Samael
"Went wrong?" - Chayot, not comprehending
"Your cabal split" - Samael
"There was some trouble, and the Guardians took the book" - Chayot
"Who?" - Cobalt
"Civitas. He stole the book" - Chayot
"And then you went your separate ways?" - Samael
"We didn't need the book any more. We decided to spread out, conduct our experiments and meet up to share
findings" - Chayot
"How do you keep up?" - Samael
"By simply staying in touch" - Chayot
"How's Vahishta doing?" - Cobalt
"Well. Ever since John was put more in line with the Angels" - Chayot
"So tell me - what does the Cabal do these days? Any grand plans being striven for?" - Samael
"It depends on the individual. We lost contact with Khavanah - we don't know what he's up to. Vahishta is
attempting to make it so that the change sticks, such that a person becomes a One permanently, the pure
essence entering the shell" - Chayot
"And what do you believe the future of the Echo Walkers is?" - Samael
"The future?" - Chayot
It thinks
"The future. I wouldn't talk to him. Don't pay him any attention. If you want to know what we're about, go back
through the bridge and talk to Adam" - Chayot
"I think we should pay attention to the future" - Samael, politely
"The future has nothing to say" - Chayot
"It's a sense of completeness" - Samael
They leave through the front door - it's now London, but the people on the streets are acting like the colonists.
After some discussion, the travellers decide to try to find whoever "The Future" is.
"Leave the city. Leave the madness behind" - Symmetry
"Agreed" - Cobalt
They hike out of the city of the course of several hours, returning to the farmhouse. There's a much older
CHayot here.
"Chayot" - Cobalt
"Cobalt" - Chayot, recognising him
Samael and Persephone greet him
"Are you all early?" - Chayot
"It's possible" - Samael
"I don't think you're meant to be here yet" - Chayot
"Where do you perceive here to be?" - Cobalt
"We're in my house..." (shakes head as though waking up, peers at Persephone) - Chayot
Sef casts Sense Conciousness and Cobalt Grim Sight. The being is definately not a Ghost - it's a Dream Actor. To
Sef's spell, it appears to be trying to decide whether or not to use the Ankh on Persephone
"Chayot. Can you tell us about the Legacy?" - Cobalt
The dream-being leans forward, conspiratorially
"Don't read the book. The others will try to get you to" - Chayot
"We won't" - Samael
"They're not angels" - Chayot
"What are they?" - Samael
"I don't know" - Chayot
"How did you find out they weren't Angels?" - Samael
"I met a real one" - Chayot
"Where?" - Samael
"Near the sea" - Chayot
"Near the Priory?" - Samael
"i don't know" - Chayot
"What did you see in it?" - Samael
"it wasn't what we were led to believe. The book is a trap" - Chayot
"How did you give it up?" - Cobalt, wondering
"I didn't. I tried to. I went months - sometimes over a year - but I never quite gave it up" - Chayot
"How did you keep doing it without Samael noticing?"

"Never while he was here" - Chayot
"WHy?" - Cobalt
"I had to" - Chayot
"What did you plan for me? You were specific in your selection of me, and your comrades believe you had a
purpose in it" - Samael
"You saw Angels. Real Angels. Kill them, Samael. Hunt every last one of my children down and remove them
from the world" - Chayot
"He's stark raving mad" - Persephone, quietly
"You didn't train me to be a warrior" - Samael
"I trained you to see the same things and know they weren't real, to not fall into the trap" - Chayot
"What evidence can be brought forth to prove the nature of this Legacy?" - Samael
"The book. It's all about the book" - Chayot
"Thank you. Oh! Once loast thing - Solemn. Does he have a hold over the Echo Walkers, or simply offer a good
price?" - Samael
"He gave me the Ankh. It lets me go for longer" - Chayot
"He knows an awful lot about you" - Samael
"He knows a great many secrets" - Chayot
"Who is he really?" - Samael
"I don't know. Just a Mage. A Guardian like Civitas but with more vision. I think the past thought that Solemn
could be an ally" - Chayot
"But you know better?" - Samael
"I don't have any allies. Except for Bede" - Chayot
"Tell us about Bede" - Samael
"Bede is my friend" - Chayot
"What does Bede want?" - Samael
"Nothing. To Write his Chronicle" - Chayot
"About who?" - Samael
"Everyone. Bede told me about the Angel" - Chayot
"How long had he known?" - Cobalt, quietly
"I don't know" - Chayot
"He told you to educate..." - Samael
Quiet the Necromancer appears behind Chayot.
"YOU HAVE TO GO!" - Chayot
Cobalt brandishes his musket
"Won't stop the house burning" - Samael
Cobalt fires, blowing Quiet's head off
"I know" - Cobalt
...
The cottage begins to burn, with angry flames that resemble the energies in the sky in Adam's part of the
Realm. Magog kicks the door out allowing the group to escape, but not out of any sense of heroism.
More fuelled by outrage
"Bede KNEW ABOUT THE WORM" - Magog
"Damn him" - Persephone
"I'm beginning to wonder if Bede knows the Throne" - Cobalt
"And now Cicero knows, too" - Persephone, harshly
They take a second to "get" that - She's just told Cicero, in the real world, about the evidence.
Cobalt is of the opinion that Bede might be a Seer, but Samael cautions against it.
"We don't know what his own desires are" - Samael
"His own desires are shockingly close to a kicking right now" - Cobalt
"He knew about Chayot - and the worm - and he didn't tell us" - Persephone
They consider the burning cottage.
"Will there be a realm if we went to the lighthouse?" - Persephone
"The realm of the Auric Horizon should exist, but it'll be very small" - Symmetry
"No - but there's a lighthouse there. We could us it as a symbol of navigation" - Cobalt
"Echo Walkers have one very close tie to the Sphinx - we're both about messages from the Supernal. Is that
close enough for a transition?" - Samael
They decide to give it a try.
And as it was just under an hour until the end of the session, I decided to allow it!
...
It's extremely tenuous, but Samael manages to lead them into the darkness of the night. As they walk through
the snow, the surroundings turn lighter and loose detail until they're walking through a featureless white plain.
Every now and again they can see random objects d'art, which to Samael's eyes are all deeply significant.
And then they're walking through a pair of gates, the ironwork of which appear to be a greeting.
The Realm of the Sphinx is characterised by Greecian architecture. Every smallest detail is laid with layer upon
layer of meaning. There are newspaper stands, magic-eye pictures hung in frames which contain symbols.
Cracks in the pavement make runes. There are peacocks wandering around, the shapes in their tail-feathers
making innuendos.
"It's a distraction. Look over there - the way the light is playing on the floor" - Samael, pointing
The floor tells him that Pathstrider's abode is in a particular direction, beyond the House of the Mother.
In the centre of the Realm is a raised parthenon-style temple, which has a Sphinx sat in it - a Lion-bodied
woman-headed creature. There's a queue of people waiting to speak to it.
"Probably a representation of our role as question-answerers" - Samael
"Greetings, brother!" - Passerby
The newcomer is dressed mostly in a toga, but by the hands of his watch and the colour of his T-shirt he tells
Samael that he's both real and greeting a fellow practitioner of the Legacy.
"Greetings" - Samael
"On a quest?" - Passerby
Samael scratches a brief description of their mission in the dirt with his toe, and the other Sphinx scratches his
arm, saying that the Astral memory of Pathstrider holds court in a building down the way.
Persephone, feeling left out, casts Interconnections. And is immediately overwhelmed - her vision filled with a
hurricane of butterflies, drowning out her hearing with the sound of their wings.
She grabs Symmetry's arm for support and cancels the spell, while the Sphinx introduces himself as "Postulant"
(that's his Shadow Name), from the Seattle Consilium.
"Asleep and dreaming to ask the mother something. Why do you seek Pathstrider? History project?" - Postulant
"We have a Monster" - Persephone
Cobalt makes the introductions
"Samael! Tiresias' boy?" - Postulant
"You're famous?" - Persephone, impressed
"We have a communication network I haven't really taken advantage of" - Samael
"And Logos? Yes, I know the name. From here you go to many other realms. We have excellent interconnections
- you reach the realm of the Eleventh Question, the realm of Riddles and Puzzles... Mythalogical Creatures,
Ancient Greece..." - Postulant
"How would one traverse further?" - Samael
"To the Dreamtime?" - Persephone
"Meditate your way up, from anywhere. You're entering the soul of the world?" - Postulant
"We're looking for a user manual on an artifact" - Cobalt
"I understand" - Postulant
"Our first call is Pathstrider" - Samael
"You know he's not real?" - Postulant
Pathstrider (I don't know if I mentioned this back in 6.1 when the name was first mentioned) was the Sphinx who wrote
the Sophiad. He's also named for Mark's character in Broken Diamond
"We know" - Samael
"The Walker can only really tell you about things the real man wrote" - Postulant
A Walker is a Temenos spirit that's based on a real person - same as Houdini earlier. And for that matter, Adam Goode,
Juliet and Chayot from the Echo Walker realm.
"That's perfect" - Samael
"What is the Mother, by the way?" - Persephone
Postulant points to the Sphinx-being in the temple
"It answers questions with riddles" - Postulant
"Many people probably come here to seek knowledge" - Samael
They start to leave.
"You guys go ahead" - Magog, looking at the temple
Persephone raises an eyebrow
"I fancy having my fortune told" - Magog
"Okay. Just don't go anywhere from here without us" - Persephone
"If you do, you know how to find us" - Cobalt
"Yeah" - Magog
"I'm tempted to try it myself, but.. 'What's a good name for my Legacy'? doesn't quite cut it" - Cobalt
"Maybe we'll go round and see what answers it can give us in a little bit" - Samael
Leaving Magog behind in the queue, they head to the house of Pathstrider - a quiet building on the periphery of
the realm, containing many bookshelves and a small, old man scribbling away in a journal.
"Pathstrider" - Postulant
"Yes?" - Pathstrider
"These people are here to ask you about your writings" - Postulant
The other Sphinx then bows and leaves, off on his own errands
"Which of my books were you interested in?" - Pathstrider
"The Sophiad, most particularly the Golden Physician" - Samael
"Yes" - Pathstrider
He flips back through the book he's writing, until it shows the page on the Ankh in the Grimore as Samael read
it in London
"In any of your other books, did you describe the uses to which it could be put?" - Samael
The Walker flips some more.
"Memoirs. Chapter Three" (clears throat) "'To how many uses can the lifegiver be put', I asked the Lady. 'Many,
for good or ill, but they are closed, shut off'" - Pathstrider
"Is there more than that?" - Samael
"It can be used to transplant souls or parts of souls. It can change the higher and baser natures of a person" -
Pathstrider
"How so?" - Samael
"By altering their soul" - Pathstrider
"I see. That might be what Vahishta wants. To use it to peel people back" - Samael
In game terms, it can alter Vice or Virtue
"Yes, it could do that" - Pathstrider
"And further?" - Samael
"It... What is it that you want it to do?" - Pathstrider
"We are faced with a fallen creature of the Supernal. We hope to employ the physician against it" - Samael
"This I do not know" - Pathstrider
"Can we use the Ankh to transport part of a soul to the whole of it?" - Samael
"Yes. It can create a Demesne, dissolve a Soul Stone..." - Pathstrider
"Can it transport a mind? We have someone trapped in the Temenos" - Cobalt
"Again, this I do not know. However, it works..." (clears throat) "'how does it accomplish these feats?' 'by
tunnelling', said the Lady, 'by making the soul to be and the soul that was the same. If used to exchange parts,
those involved briefly become the same soul'" - Pathstrider
"You can't take a piece out without swapping it with another?" - Persephone, thinking of D!Kosciej
"Holding it in potentia" - Cobalt
"You can" - Pathstrider
"How?" - Persephone
"The command words?" - Pathstrider
"Teach us the command words" - Samael
The Walker begins reciting words in the High Speech. Sef tries to write them down in her real body, as much as
she is able.
"If you take a piece of someone's soul they would be bereft of it. It would not be a thing to do" - Pathstrider
"We may have someone who has had something added" - Samael
"I would seek advice on that" - Pathstrider
"Where would we find sources of advice?" - Persephone
"I met the Lady on the shores of the Abyss. I had something that had been made by her, and when it neared
her it started to... To my abilities it began to show the connection. I had to lower my defenses in order to see it
properly, but when I was far enough into the Soul of the World I was able to follow the line it was making" -
Pathstrider
"So we should progress to the shore of the Abyss" - Samael
"I climbed the world-tree, walked through the Dreaming Earth through the realm of the Stars to the shore of the
black sea, and then followed the call of the item I had" - Pathstrider
"Why?" - Samael
"For the adventure" - Pathstrider, grinning
"Any advice for those who would..?" - Samael
"I met her on the moon of Saturn, next to the buried Angel in the Europan Ice" - Pathstrider
"Buried Angel?" - Samael
"We took a long - to my mind - journey and spoke of many things" - Pathstrider
"Tell me of the angel" - Samael
"Some say there is an angel trapped in the ice of Europa" - Pathstrider
"Do you say that?" - Samael
"I think I saw it. It would not be the strangest thing I have witnessed" - Pathstrider
"You can say that again" - Persephone
"Do you have any advice for those that would travel that far?" - Samael
"The Lady pointed to what to my eyes was a small hut or abode on the shore. 'Do not enter that one'" -
Pathstrider
"Why not?" - Samael
"She didn't say" - Pathstrider
"It might be a fisherman" - Persephone, glancing at Cobalt
"I dread to think what you fish out of that sea" - Cobalt
"I hope I've been helpful" - Pathstrider
"You have. Thank you, Master" - Samael
They leave the Walker to it's eternal writing, and stroll back out into the sunshine.
"You know what we need? The Millenium Falcon" - Persephone
"I left it in my other jacket" - Cobalt
"We should finish up anything we want to do here and then meditate our way up to the Anima Mundi. Do you
want to ask the Sphinx a question?" - Samael
"Could do" - Cobalt
"Alright. I'm ready. What do you want to ask me?" - Samael
"The real one" - Cobalt
"I feel rejected now" - Samael
"Give us a riddle, then" - Cobalt
"I've only got a few. The egg one and the old man / baby ages of man one" - Samael
"The one where you throw it up it's white and when it lands it's yellow?" - Persephone
"No, the one from The Hobbit" - Samael
They get back to the town square. Magog has just emerged, deep in thought
"Helpful?" - Cobalt
"Yeah" - Magog, mulling
"Well, here goes nothing. Symm, you in?" - Cobalt
"I have all the self knowledge I need" - Symmetry
Cobalt and Persephone join the queue. Samael shrugs and heads after them.
"Oh, cock it" - Symmetry, joining the queue.
...
Cobalt gets to the front
"Hello, Rex" - Sphinx
"Hi" - Cobalt
"What do you want to know?" - Sphinx
"Just about everything, but I can work on that on my own. What I really need... is a good name for a Legacy" -
Cobalt
Sef, behind Cobalt in the queue, laughs out loud
"What do you think of when you think of the Legacy?" - Sphinx
"Beer" - Persephone, in the background
"That should be your answer" - Sphinx
Cobalt stands there for a second
"NEXT" - Sphinx
Cobalt leaves.
Much laughter in the group for that.
"Hello Catherine" - Sphinx
"What does Solemn want from me, and how do I fight him?" - Persephone
"He wants nothing that you have. You have no gifts to give him. You should fight him by giving him as many as
you can" - Sphinx
"That... Doesn't make sense at all" - Persephone
"NEXT" - Sphinx
Samael's turn.
"Jeremiah" - Sphinx
"What's the question I should be asking?" - Samael
She considers
"What matter is everyone concerned with in this tale?" - Sphinx
"Hm. So - what do you want to ask me?" - Samael
Chris: Can I eat people again, please? It's been ages?
"How do we touch the bars?" - Sphinx
"...I'll think about it" - Samael

While they wait, they watch Symmetry have her turn. Symm leans in on tip-toe and whispers in the beast's ear.
The Sphinx looks surprised.
"...Inside out" - Sphinx
Symmetry nods to herself, as though that explains everything, and rejoins the gang.
"Okay. Does everyone have an answer?" (nods all round) "Was everyone's better than mine?" - Cobalt
"Come on Beer Archaeologist. Or Poker Digger" - Persephone
"This seems to be as safe a place as any to head up" - Samael
"Any word from Special K?" - Cobalt
---
In the real world, Kosciej (via IM) says that Galatea is looking up the reference works she saw Pathstrider use,
and that they're now all but certain they can use the Ankh rather than risk forcing the Chronos Gate to open
into the wrong layer of reality.
---
"From the Stone we go to either Human Impact on the Environment or the Ladder" - Symmetry
"The Ladder" - Persephone
"And from there to the World, and from the World to Emptiness. The Abyssal Shore is on the far side of
Emptiness" - Symmetry
"How do we keep ourselves together?" - Cobalt
"Cicero said, back when - remember? The Amnion - you concentrate on your nimbus to construct a shell of self-
identity. We can practice when we reach the Boundary Stone" - Samael
They settle down to concentrate, feeling for the end of their Astral Paths - the place where the bridge to the
Supernal should be...
And we will leave it there until next time.
In part 4, we ascend the Dreamtime! See you then!

Session 6.4
Welcome back, faithful readers! Been a while, hasn't it? Almost two months, I think, since we last sat down and had a
story of the Auric Horizon. Too long, I hope you'll agree.
When we last left it, if you'll recall, the Cabal plus Symmetry and Magog had quested through the Temenos for
evidence of the Echo Walker's perfidy and, being successful in both that and (accidentally) discovering that one of the
Councillors of their home Consilium was also a wrong 'un, had now decided to move on to the Anima Mundi in the hope
of discovering the Archmage Sophia, who they believe capable of banishing the Lambton Worm back to the Supernal
Aether.
For those unfamiliar with the Astral Realms, a brief précis of the metaphysical geography follows: The Anima Mundi is
the Soul of the World, as opposed to the soul of humanity or the soul of the individual seen in earlier layers. It touches
on the Temenos at one "end" and bleeds off into the Abyss at the other.
There are four distinct layers - the Omphalamos is the last vestiges of the Temenos, the realm of High Speech that
serves as the interface between humanity and the world. Then there are the twin roads of the Spire Perilous (the
broken remains of the world tree and the Star Ladder of Atlantis) and the Swath (the impact of humanity on the
environment). Then the Dreaming Earth, to the planet as an Oneiros is to a person, and then the thinning reality of the
Whorl as the Astral Realms start to break down with proximity to the Abyss.
Then the Abyss. Always hungry. Always waiting.
I liked this session a lot. I think it worked best out of this story (next week has the humongous cliffhanger, but this
week has the journey, and I'm a sucker for journeys). Hopefully, those of you playing along at home with your own
copies of Astral Realms will get inspiration from it.
Just remember: Mordred, Aeon of Fate, is a dick.
Midnight at the Farthest Legion's Sanctum. Militas has gone to bed. Aegis is on guard at the door to the
Demesne. Cicero has returned from Durham, saying that he couldn't find Bede - but no matter where the old
man has vanished to, he can't evade them for ever. He did manage to contact Hatfield, though, who hasn't
heard of Eddington but is "on to it". Atia is at the hospital guarding Hades' comatose body.
Pandora and Tiresias are about to leave for the night, saying that if Bede can't be found they'll go to Key to tell
him/her about what the Cabal found in the Temenos.
"Is it enough to arrest him?" - Persephone
"No. We can't go just on the word of a being in the Temenos - the spirit could have been lying, or simply
mistaken. But it IS enough to direct our search for evidence in the real world" - Tiresias
"We can ask Key to look for actual evidence that Bede knew about the Worm. Wish Samael... And the others...
Good luck with the Anima Mundi, okay?" - Pandora
And the Mystagogues leave.
Persephone turns back to the PC. Kosciej, via IM via Galatea, says that he's run the numbers and is now sure of
the method of freeing Hades from Mictlan. It's a matter of some magical heavy lifting so best to not try now,
but once things calm down and the hospital can be made secure then it can be achieved.
She frowns, and asks what's involved
The Ankh, apparently - but Persephone isn't capable of casting "her" end of the spell, which is why the
Parliament need the Durham Arrow's undivided attention. Galatea is going to come to Durham and co-cast with
Kosciej, both of them using the Ankh.
Sef queries that with Aegis, who says he'll detail Militas to the Hospital as well.
Last, but not least, she phones Rodriguez. Rod says that Natalie has arranged to meet with him and Cal in two
days.
"I hope you're not going to do things she's not legal for yet" - Persephone
There is silence from Rod's end.
"I was wondering if you could inconspicuously come over from... where are you?" - Persephone
"Belgium. And of COURSE we will..." - Rodriguez
There is a rustling sound as the phone is taken from him by Excalibur
"Is this a 'we need you' thing or a 'we'd like you' thing?" - Excalibur
Persephone asks the difference. Cal says that if he's going to violate his exile and possibly have to kill people in
the Consilium trying to arrest him, he'd like to be sure it's for a good reason.
"I'm not sure how much I can tell through the phone... It's not certain that someone might be in danger, but
they might... No. On second thoughts" - Persephone
"Well, we're going to head back to England, swing through Sheffield to pick this girl up and then... I dunno. Try
to find her a mentor, I guess" - Excalibur
"Stick around. Not violating the exile, but... In range" - Persphone
"After we get Natalie we'll go to Carlisle. I'm friends with the local Cabal and it's only half an hour away" -
Excalibur
"Sounds good. You can always teleport" - Persephone
"If you do need us to evade the MPs like the A-Team and come cruising in building death machines out of used
cars, then do tell us" - Excalibur
"See you soon" - Persephone
She hangs up, sits back in the dim illumination of the Sanctum, and considers.
---
Cobalt walks through the mist.
I know it was a long time ago, but Cobalt exceeded the successes needed to reach the Dreamtime with his roll to get
to the Temenos. He therefore gets to the Boundary Stone before even Persephone (who counts her rolls in minutes, not
hours) does.
His Astral Path has long since broken up, and he's surrounded by mist - though he's walking on warm sand, last
remnant of the visualisation he was following. Eventually, he sees some kind of large shadow emerging from
the fog. Walking towards it, he feels a difference. Much as the Oneiros felt like 'secrecy' and in the Temenos he
constantly had the feeling of being watched, this place feels more real than physical reality. His senses are
sharpened and he feels... good. Euphoric. Given that Samael, Kosciej, Cicero and such have lectured him about
the "Ecstatic Wind", he realises that chasing these sensations of being one with the universe is probably a bad
plan.
"But it would be glorious" - Cobalt, to himself
The Stone wall is rooted in the sand. The top is lost in the clouds, though the sides are sloping as though the
top is smaller than the bottom. From the curvature, Cobalt thinks it would take several hours to walk all the way
around the circumference.
It's also completely covered in writing of all sorts, from cave paintings to Runes in the High Speech.
"Something tells me if I hung upside down and read this carefully for three days good things would happen" -
Cobalt
He is completely and utterly alone.
In the interests of group dynamics, we will acquiesce to Dave's request to delete the Gazebo joke he made here.
He considers.
"Well. Isn't that a thing?" - Cobalt
He touches the side. It feels warm.
---
Samael reaches the Boundary Stone, the motorway of his Astral Path now only cracked asphalt beneath his
feet. He investigates, parallel to Cobalt, the Omphalamos, noting that the mist seems to be seeping out of the
Stone itself.
He starts to walk around the stone, looking for the others. The flooring becomes sandy, and silver threads
appear as the Omphalamos puts him in tune with Cobalt and Persephone.
Sef greets him in Atlantean.
Samael remembers this as the writing on the stone starts to make sense. This is the realm of High Speech, and
mages who breath in the mists gain the ability to converse in the True Tongue.
"Greetings!" - Cobalt
"I Greet Thee, My Fellow Cabal Mates" - Persephone, in Atlantean
"Why do you speak in fake olde English?" - Samael
"Yey, verily, tis just the way Atlantean Sounds" - Cobalt
"Yet I seem to be able to construct sentences normally" - Samael
"Silence, foolish mortal" - Persephone
"This is how the Exarchs happened, isn't it?" - Samael
"Speaketh to the hand" - Persephone
They start giggling

"The fumes are getting to your head" - Samael
"We're sat here on cosmic laughing gas" - Cobalt
Magog appears
"Hellooooo!" - Cobalt, grinning wildly
The Ecstatic Wind is getting to them
And then Symmetry appears
"Been running again?" - Persephone
Symm regards them dubiously
"Have you been licking the Stone?" - Symm
---
A brief discussion on their direction follows
"Did we eventually decide whether we were using the Swath or the Spire?" - Cobalt
"Despite the name, the Spire Perilous, I think. I really don't want to see what humanity's done to the planet in
cosmic form. Getting slapped in the face by the karma of the entire species is a bit much for me" - Samael
Cobalt makes a solemn face
"If we never face up to our responsibilities, Gaia will never... oh, fuck it, let's go up the Spire" - Cobalt
"Maybe not on our first trip, okay? Next time we can..." - Persephone
"We can go back that way" - Cobalt
"I don't want to go that way ever" - Symmetry
"Let's just sing this thing open, shall we? Give me an A?" - Cobalt
"Don't forget to put up your Amnion once things start to get fuzzy" - Samael
"Things are already fuzzy" - Cobalt
"Fuzzier" - Samael
Amni-what?
The Ecstatic Wind is the feeling of euphoric merging with the universe you get in the Anima Mundi as your soul drifts
apart in the lowered pressure of reality, like gas in a vacuum. It gets stronger the closer you get to the Abyss, and we
shall see the effects throughout this session.
Mages can form an Amnion - a visualisation of their Nimbus which keeps their souls together. They degrade over time,
and blunt the experience of being there resulting in reduced Wits dice pools.
Naturally, a lot of dice pools in the Anima Mundi - including, in this story, those for Samael to follow the route the Ankh
is laying out to Sophia - require Wits. Making it a gamble. How long can you last before you succumb?
As a means of putting a cap on far out quests, it's a much better measure than the Avatar Storm from oMage. It
achieves the same thing, though - keeping the far reaches of the metaphysical universe a place Mages can mount
expeditions to, but which they carefully prepare and plan for.
"Do we have to recite the incantation individually?" - Cobalt
"Singing it open makes the passage. We're then tested. Have any of you been through this thing before?" -
Magog
"No. Have you?" - Samael
"Once" - Magog
"Do you know the words?" - Samael
"I've got them" - Persephone
(back in the real world, Persephone has a copy of the Atlantean "Gray Codex" propped up in front of her)
She gives them the chant. Samael takes it up and starts trying to get the tone right.
There is a grinding noise, and a gap appears in the stone
"Here we go" - Samael
"Let's hope you got the chant right" - Symmetry
They squeeze through.
"We went down, which then started going up" - Magog
"The Spire?" - Persephone
"The Spire" - Magog, nodding
Samael in the lead, Cobalt bringing up the rear, they pick their way through the dark, mist-filled squeeze-space.
The passage is curling to the right and sloping down.
They reach the end - someone has bricked the tunnel up
"That's inconsiderate, isn't it?" - Samael
The bricks each have a rune on them.
Cobalt peers at the runes, recognising them as individual syllable-markings
Samael's Sphinx Attainment says that this is a test
Chris: Thank you, Sphinx-o-vision, thank you very much
"There are almost too many starting points" - Cobalt
"When I came through before we had to kill a guardian beast" - Magog
"Maybe we should have brought a sledgehammer" - Samael
"This is your fault, cerebro-boy" - Cobalt
He flicks an imago into his mind, a very basic Unveiling spell of Matter. The bricks are made of Omphalamos
"I don't mean to blast your genius plans, but if we use brute force we might end up in the Swath" - Persephone
"This isn't a Swath kind of a test. The Spire is magic and cleverness" - Symmetry
They recognise, among the runes, the runes for the Arcana. Persephone tries touching Fate and Time, but
nothing happens. Samael tries a Prime spell on Prime to no effect.
Samael, thinking, taps the ten Arcana in the Summoning Sequence.
The mist rushes up, then recedes - there are no bricks there anymore. The Cabal continue.
"That was A test, who's to say there'll only be one?" - Cobalt
Samael and Persephone, at the front, reach a chamber which is actually more of a pit - there's no floor, just an
infinitely dark space.
"Oh, arse" - Samael
"Don't push, guys!" - Persephone, as a pebble displaces and plunges into nothingness.
She glances at Samael
"Another test?" - Persephone
According to his Attainment, yes.
He looks across at the far wall, which has no passageway.
"Check for Lion's Heads" - Cobalt
Spot the reference
"There are handholds" - Samael, pointing down.

"Do you want to jump?" - Cobalt
"I've had good experiences with jumping" - Persephone
Samael mulls the task, and casts a Life & Forces spell to greatly increase the friction on his hands and feet
(removing his shoes) to climb down the wall spider-man style.
Cobalt shrugs and starts using the hand holds, soon vanishing out of sight into the darkness. Just as there's
ambient light up above, there seems to be ambient dark down below.
And into the Sphere of Annihilation

"Found anything yet?" - Persephone
They don't hear her. And their threads vanish after a while.
"We'd better join them" - Persephone
She, Magog and Symmetry start down the cliff.
Strength plus Athletics rolls for climbing, a failure being a fall. In order to allow the gang to have a chance in hell,
anyone who passed can then make Wits + Strength rolls to grab people who slip.
The only person with an above average pool is Magog
Symmetry and Persephone both loose their grip - Magog grabs Persephone's wrist as she falls past, while
Samael grabs Symmetry.
"Life magic? Gecko Hands?" - Samael
"Er... Yeah" - Symmetry, casting
"And now everyone's breezing it but me. You all right?" - Cobalt
"Yeah... Yeah" - Symmetry, shaken
They continue down into the darkness for what feels like hours. The silver threads are glowing; the only thing
they can see. Samael creates a floating light, which helps with seeing handholds.
Eventually, they climb down so much that they're actually climbing up. Gravity swings and they find
themselves going feet-first
"Who invited Escher? I think I've reached the change-over..." - Cobalt
His thread vanishes, reappearing as they follow him.
The darkness becomes black clouds. They feel the Atlantean language slip away from their minds.
They emerge from broiling storm clouds.
"This is all very Jack in the Beanstalk" - Symmetry
Up.. they can't see the top. There are clouds at all levels. The spire looks to be as wide as the Omphalamos was
for the most part, stretching up into infinity. The Spire, though, is wounded - great gouges and cracks marr its
surface.
"I think..." (peering up) "I think I can see something, about a mile above us" - Cobalt
There's some kind of structure carved into the Spire
"Definitely something" - Symmetry
"Looks like a long haul, but they might have room service" - Cobalt
Symmetry is farthest to the right.
"I think I can see a ledge closer to us. We could head to that first" - Symmetry
"Lead on" - Cobalt

Talk around the table mostly compared it to Prince of Persia. Inch up crack, swing on beam, wallrun
"I heard it... said that some people... experience this.. thing as a road... through a desert" - Symmetry
"Get away... Why do they... call it the Spire?" - Cobalt
"Most people... get this" - Magog
Magog, the most competent mountaineer, is helping Cobalt and Persephone along while the Life mages Gecko
it.
The wind picks up, and they rest briefly, closing their eyes as giddy feelings wash over them.
First Winds check. Symmetry fails - and she has the best Composure, too. She loses a willpower point and gets an
Ecstatic Stigmata - basically an altered Paradox. Which in this case, "hilariously", came up as Bedlam. Not contagious,
fortunately, and only a mild phobia for a scene.
That said "vertigo" to me.
I won't relate what Dave2 called me at this point
The winds pass. Symmetry is hanging on for dear life, knuckles turning white.
"It's the wind! Throw up an Amnion, everyone. Symm - talk to me" - Cobalt
"I'm.. Uh... Having a problem here" - Symmetry
She looks down
"Don't!" - Cobalt
She made the roll to act despite the phobia, though
"We're nearly at the ledge" - Persephone
Samael looks up, seeing a vast thunderstorm lashing the Spire several miles above them. That, as far as he can
tell, might be a way to the Dreaming Earth. But not an easy one.
Cobalt concentrates, a mandala of light appearing around him in the shape of the sigil he wears and uses as a
magical tool. It plays onto whichever surface he's touching.
Like a paladin's aura in a certain MMORPG
Symmetry's Amnion is a tiger-shaped totemic aura. Magog's is a set of golden hoplite armour, complete with
shield. Persephone and Samael don't put theirs up.
They start to climb some more, and Sef almost immediately slips, being caught (after Samael fumbles the
catch) by Magog.
"Shit! Thanks!" - Persephone
"Can I make a suggestion? Does anyone have any way of making a climbing rope?" - Magog
Unfortunately, Matter 4 is beyond both him and Cobalt.
Sef, sweating, casts Gain SKill to improve her grasp of mountaineering. She includes a conditional duration
factor using Fate, cancelling the spell the next time she slips.
They reach the ledge and take a breather, having now lost all sense of how long they've been climbing.
"About an hour in the real world. I have no idea in here" - Persephone
Symmetry is recovering. Magog is sat, drinking from a water bottle.
"Presumably we don't have to..." - Samael
"No, but it makes me feel better" - Magog
Cobalt sits back, leaning against Symmetry. He takes a deep breath, then starts trying to plan their course to
the "palace" they can see far above them.
"Thanks again" - Persephone, to Magog
He shrugs.
"Let's find out if the palace is inhabited" - Magog
"Everyone good to go? Good. And to the younger generation: You think that's air you're breathing now?" -
Cobalt
He sets off, the other four following him. Persephone bows to public opinion and raises her Amnion of
butterflies. Samael still doesn't want to, though - the Spire is relatively safe Winds-wise, and he doesn't want
the experience diluted.
And then he realises that the Ankh is singing to him.
"The Ankh's beginning to react. It's singing" - Samael
"Singing?" - Persephone
"A note. A word, maybe. It's hard to make out" - Samael
...
An hour or so later, and the Cabal plus Two clamber over the edge of the palace. It looks like someone carved a
villa into the Spire, which has long since fallen into ruin. There are potted trees.
"It looks like Kratos was here" - Cobalt
There is music drifting from inside the villa - it sounds to Samael like a lyre.
"Are we being subtle?" - Cobalt
"Sneaking in might be... well..." - Samael
"Rude?" - Cobalt
Cobalt calls out a greeting, only to be confronted by an extremely old man dressed in a toga.
"Is there... someone there?" - Man, peering past them
"Good evening" - Samael
The being seems to focus on Samael
"Come in" - Man
He's not speaking English
"I know the climb is difficult. I am just taking my evening meal, if you wish to join me..." - Man
The being shuffles away from them, into the structure, the Cabal following. Inside, there is a banquet table
piled high with exotic foodstuffs. Everyone's favourite foods are somewhere among the dishes, which is a sure
sign that something's iffy.
...
In the real world, Persephone asks Galatea and Kosciej if they're advised to eat anything on the Spire Perilous,
and briefly describes what's happened.
Galatea writes back that if someone dies in the Anima Mundi they become trapped on the Spire as Astral
Ghosts, sort of like Mictlan.
"In order to properly die in the Astral Realms you have to be cut off from your body and prevented from
returning. There are two ways it can happen: deliberately, in the case of people who wish to commune with the
universe and choose to advise generations of mages to come..." - R!Kosciej, via IM
Sef thinks of Mictlan
"Or you can be someone so heinously wicked that the best punishment for your crime is to be imprisoned
there, prevented from returning from your body until it starves to death and your spirit remains trapped on the
spire for eternity" - R!Kosciej, via IM
She blinks.
"He's either a very wise sage or a terrible, terrible criminal" - R!Kosciej
...
Sef tells the others the good news.
"It was one of these shades that I was brought to see when I climbed the Spire before. I haven't gone any
further" - Magog
"Was it this guy?" - Persephone
Magog shakes his head
"If it's a ghost, can a Moros see anything about it?" - Samael
"I can talk to ghosts, interact with them and on occasion produce ectoplasm from my nose" - Cobalt, weary
"Because that makes a party" - Symmetry, cheerfully
The joys of only having Death 2
"Soul Marks might tell me something, though" - Cobalt
He and Sef both cast it
It tells them two things:
1. They are inside the ghost: the entire structure is the astral remnant of the ancient mage
2. He is evil to his core
Groans from the players there.
"Please, eat something" - Man
"So... What are you in for, old man?" - Cobalt
"It's been so long that I can no longer remember. I slumber when I do not have visitors" - Man
"Sorry to hear it. Is there anywhere we can bring you news of?" - Cobalt
A sign of how long ago we played this: the group asked if *anyone* they met in the Astral would be nice, and I said
that they couldn't run into any servants of the Exarchs as the rules for them were still under NDA.
If we'd played this yesterday, there'd have totally been a group of Astrally-travelling Seers in this session somewhere.
However, yes - Magog did totally come here during his *seer* training, to commune with a Seer Master's ghost who
was imprisoned here.
"How fares I!xian?" - Man
Cobalt thinks.
"... Not that well, I'm afraid" - Cobalt
(sotto voice) "He's fucking evil, isn't he?" - Persephone
Agena: Is he as evil as Kosciej?
Me: It's hard to say. Kosciej is very evil. In a helpful way, but still evil
She feels dizzy and realises something - time in the real world is rapidly advancing. This scene is taking longer
than it appears.
Samael, activating his Attainment, deduces the same thing - this place is a fly-trap; made to delay them and
run down their Amnion
"Well, we must be going" - Samael, waving the others out
"But night is coming!" - Man
"Sorry" - Samael, muttered
"Don't leave! STAY!" - Man
The last word was some kind of power, but fortunately didn't work. Samael gets out of there.
"Next time you feel like speaking to us like adults, feel free" - Cobalt, to the shade.
It tries to compel him to stay, but again fails.
They exit, to find that it's now night time.
"That place was a trap to delay us, whittle down our shields" - Samael
"He was speeding up time to eventually kill us?" - Cobalt
"Got it in one" - Samael
"What a SHITTY way to spend eternity. He has to have something better to do with his time?" - Cobalt
"This is his punishment for something. And he probably doesn't think about anything else" - Samael
"Besides, does this place exist when we're not here?" - Symmetry
"Good question. Let's leave" - Cobalt
"To contemplate this question elsewhere" - Samael
"I should have noticed the time shift" - Cobalt, kicking himself as he looks for handholds.
"Perception of time is odd here" - Symmetry
Symmetry and Samael cast their climbing spells. Magog takes the lead.
Magog rolled nine successes here.
"Last time I was here I was to talk to an ancient sage during my initiation" - Magog
"Did he have anything worthwhile to say?" - Samael
"A lot of bad advice" - Magog, frowning as he concentrates on a difficult bit
"The trouble is the wise old men are hard to tell from the..." - Cobalt
"...crazed old idiots" - Samael
"I was going to say nasty old men" - Cobalt
"Wise friendly astral sages are difficult to tell from malevolent shades" - Magog, glancing at Persephone
"Oh, it's not just a problem here" - Samael, thinking of Chayot
"I would shrug if I weren't holding on for dear life" - Persephone
"'The old man of the mountain, who's wisdom is beyond compare'" - Cobalt
"You were in a different order before you joined the Free Council?" - Persephone
Agena: Just to elaborate, Sef asks this because a) as far as she knows the Free Council doesn't have any initiation
rituals and b) she heard of people from other orders leaving and joining the FC and wanted to talk to someone who did
for some time now. This is not metagaming
"Don't worry about it" - Cobalt
She frowns at Cobalt. Samael climbs past Cobalt, gecko-palming up the Spire
"No, do worry about it" - Magog
While she relies on him for support when climbing is the BEST time to tell them!
"I... Had the other kind of Moros Awakening" - Magog
"You already said" - Persephone
"I was in prison. At Her Majesty's Pleasure. A brawl kicked off and I kinda accidentally killed someone. And
that's how I Awakened" - Magog
"Okay... Those things happen" - Persephone, thinking of her own Awakening
"Someone identified that I'd Awakened and got me out gratis, wiped out my sentance, got me a new name and
started training me. All awesome, except that they weren't Pentacle mages" - Magog
"They weren't Pentacle mages?" - Persephone
Agena: She wasn't entirely sure how she should react on that. I mean, he just told them he was a seer, but then as
Cobalt says later *was* is the word and Sef thinks that leaving the Seers for the Pentacle is a good thing in general.
But he might be a spy or something.
It's just a lot to think about in a very short time so she reacted as if she wasn't getting it but in fact she was just
pondering.
"Pythagoras was a member of a witness protection program" - CObalt
"You're a fucking SEER?" - Symmetry, a little faster on the uptake
"I... I guess the word is 'was', Symm" - Samael
"Well, let's just say that when the Seer offered to contain the worm for me, the offer was to be in exchange for
a runaway named Atlas" - Cobalt
Cobalt never told Magog that
"That explains the Amnion" - Persephone
"You should have taken them up on it" - Magog
He continues climbing
"He who acts like a dick to achieve good ends is still, at heart, a dick" - Cobalt
"Thus spoke Cobalt in the year 2008" - Samael
"Who knows about this?" - Persephone
"Cicero does, Pythagoras did. Dowse better not or his defense gets more concrete" - Cobalt
"Does Bede?" - Samael
"I don't know. Maybe if Dowse does. It's why we had to get the force staff back, before someone *did* notice" -
Cobalt
"Has makers' marks on it, does it?" - Samael
"Uhuh" - Cobalt
"So why did you leave? What happened?" - Persephone, still thinking it through
"They tried to sell it the world being a prison, and them being the breakout. But the other thing about prisons?
The way gangs work? You end up screwing people over, other prisoners, for the comfort of the person higher up
in the gang. In the end, I decided to go my own way, but they don't take kindly to that" - Magog
They reach a break in the Spire's surface, a great crater gouged out by some ancient catastrophe to the point
that there is some shelter from the wind inside and they're able to stand (or, after the climb from the ghost-
mage's astral palace, lie down and rest).
Cobalt pulls himself over the lip with a grateful expellation of air.
"Difference between a club and a cult comes out when you try to leave" - Cobalt
As they rest, they are unaware of being watched.
So many things are built on the spirit rules in the nWoD - the spirit rules that among other things give horribly high
Initiatives to things.
Oozing out of cracks in the Spire, much deeper in the crater, are black eel-like collections of slime, like dark
mercury. As the Cabal realise that they're there, they begin coiling together, forming into a pair of humanoid
"bodies" each made up of dozens of the blobs.
These are Typhonides, servants of the Aeon of Death. They're dedicated to removing signs of humanity from the Spire.
The Cabal never identify them in the story, though.
The two beings stop halfway into the crater, not advancing towards the Cabal. They seem to be reaching
"down", some of their sub-snakes attaching to the floor.
"Let's... move off" - CObalt
Samael uses his Attainment.

"They're..?" - Cobalt
"Destruction" - Samael
"Left over from the Fall?" - Cobalt
"I have... No idea" - Samael
He examines the edge of the crater, and realises what they might be doing
"Let's move somewhere. I don't like that they're reacting to us and not speaking" - Cobalt
The beings make crackling noises at him
"SPEAK ENGLISH!" - Cobalt
The Cabal start running for one of the sides of the crater, so that they're not standing on the floor that the
beings are interacting with. And not before time, too, as just after the Cabal clear the distance the crater is
enlarged: a huge slice of Spire crumbles, tumbling out into nothingness. The creatures begin climbing the way
the Cabal came, towards the palace.
"My environmental instincts say to stop them. Maybe after they've had a chat with the ghost, though" - Cobalt
Sef slips, and Cobalt steadies her.
Magog of all people falls as his handhold gives way. Samael lunges and grabs him. The Moros looks up, grateful
"Thanks!" - Magog
"Don't get cocky, big man. And YOU" (to Persephone) "You must have the Lemming gene" - Cobalt
"It's slippery! And night time!" - Persephone
After another hours' climbing, the palace (now far below them) explodes in a shower of stone and ornamental
trees. The Cabal watch the fireworks from the temporary safety of a narrow ledge.
After they start climbing again, it begins to rain. Samael considers if telekinetically keeping it off them will
cheapen the experience of the quest, while Cobalt enhances his gloves into climbing gear with magic and
wishes he were an Adept of Matter so that he could do more.
And then the rain turns to hail. Proper marble-sized hailstones that rip into their flesh, leaving icy bruises and
minor lacerations. Everyone hangs on for dear life.
Samael is down half his willpower. Symmetry has two willpower points left.
"I THINK THIS IS THE ORDEAL!" - Cobalt, shouting above the wind.
They try to carry on.
The difficulty of the climbing check now having a negative modifier of the wounds they each took. Miraculously, on one
die, Persephone makes it.
Cobalt loses his grip, but is caught by Samael. Magog helps Symmetry.
Fortunately, the end is in sight. After what seems a short time, they reach a cave in the Spire. Sheltering from
the rain storm inside, they feel wind coming from the inside: it's not a cave but a tunnel. Walking out the other
side they realise that it's now daytime and not raining any more.
More importantly, there is solid ground - they've emerged out of a cave on a hillside in a wild, bleak country.
And the Ecstatic Wind is much, much stronger.
"This would be the Dreaming Earth" - Cobalt

"One Ordeal away from the Whorl" - Samael
"Let's not jump at the first Ordeal to come our way, okay? If anyone asks you your favorite colour at a bridge,
we can pass it up" - Cobalt
After the Spire, though, the Dreaming Earth is almost pleasant - even if they are hiking through moorland. The
trees are taller and oddly animated, turning their pines as the sun - which was rising on the Spire - sets.
"No one mention car parks" - Cobalt
They reach the edge of a primeval forest.
"This is far wilder than the giant redwood forests I've seen" - Cobalt
"It's kind of like the Primal Wild" - Symmetry
And then they see an Owl sat on a branch. It's nearly five feet tall
"Hello" - Cobalt
"It's an Owl, Cobalt" - Persephone
The Owl screeches
"An Owl is also a spirit of wisdom" - Cobalt
"In the Temenos. In the Dreaming Earth it's a night-time predator; death on wings" - Symmetry
Cobalt, however, finds that he can actually communicate after a fashion. The Owl gives off the concept that it is
sizing them up to see if it can kill them. He tries to give the impression that he finds that amusing. The Owl
doesn't understand "humour", but thinks they look like walking Voles.
"Symm?" - Cobalt
"How do we convince it we're not food?" - Persephone
"Convince it we're not prey animals - that we're predators" - Symmetry
Samael raises his hand and majestically fails to blast a branch away with magic.
"Sometimes it just slips away from me" - Samael
"How do we convince it? If it was a cat I would know what to do.." - Persephone
"Find a vole and eat it" - Symmetry
"I am not eating a god-damned vole. I may eat the Owl if it attacks" - Samael
"All right, I'll eat the god-damned vole" - Symmetry

"Where would we find one?" - Cobalt
"I can give you a phantasmal vole" - Samael
"I think it has to be a real one" - Symmetry
Samael's still grumpy about failing to blow up the branch.
"Where do voles live?" - Cobalt
"In the undergrowth" - Symmetry
A subjective half-hour's searching later, and they have a foot-long Vole, which is squirming and trying very hard
to bite their fingers. Symmetry screws her eyes shut and hands it to Magog, who breaks the creature's neck.
She casts sufficient Life magic to make herself able to eat raw meat (and have the predatory teeth necessary).
"You're gonna be tasting that second hand" - Samael, to Cobalt
Symmetry half-eats the vole, then offers the rest of it to the Owl, blood on her chin.
The Cabal watch her communing with the Owl
"Does she do this a lot when you're alone? On romantic walks?" - Samael
"Samael, shut up" - Persephone
"I'd make jokes about her being a wild woman, but they'll just get me in trouble" - Cobalt
Symm is by now screeching away at the Owl - she seems to have made proper communication.
Dave2 wishes to put all readers in mind of Dory talking to the Whale in Finding Nemo. It's a pity you can't hear the
recording of the session - he does a cracking impression of her.
Symmetry now has two dots of Influence: Owls, for two uses. Which is nice, I guess.
The Owl flies off.
"To get to the stars, we have to fly" - Symmetry, wiping her chin
"And I thought you were just telling it not to eat us" - Persephone
"We have to get high up and then fly" - Symmetry
"Like a mountain?" - Persephone
"Or a..." (looks around him) "Tree?" - Cobalt
Persephone finds a tree that looks particularly high. She starts to climb, but doesn't get very far before giving
up.
"Fuck it. Let's face it, I'm not good at climbing" - Persephone
You can say that again.
Cobalt rubs his hands together and starts to climb up himself, eventually making it up through the canopy. He
looks out across the forest, seeing hills in the distance - the sort of hills that want to be mountains when they
grow up. There's a storm raging over there.
"What do you reckon?" - Magog
Cobalt looks around - the ex-Seer has clambered up after him.
"Storm" - Cobalt
"Storm would be air" - Magog
"It's high up" - Cobalt
"We've got... A lot of wood" - Magog, musing
"Ask me about hang-gliders" - Cobalt
They consider, grinning
"Do you know how to make a hang-glider?" - Magog
"I thought you'd never ask" - Cobalt, cheerfully
"What could be more awesome than coming to the Soul of the World and starting to chop down trees?" - Magog
They start to make their descent
"It'll either be the Whorl or the Swath: the Stars or Bust" - Magog, dropping the last few feet
Chris: Oh, God...
"What did you see?" - Persephone
"Actually, we should make it out of deadwood" - Magog
"Basically, there are hills that way" (pointing) "Pretty tall ones, with a Storm ongoing like the one we saw on the
Spire. We figure that's the elements of air and water interacting. So we reckon if we build a hang-glider..." -
Cobalt
"Build a hang-glider" - Persephone, dubious
"...And fly off the hill" - Magog
"You want to build a hang-glider?" - Persephone
"We'll get there" - Cobalt
"Fly like an Owl" - Symmetry
"On a hang-glider?" - Persephone
"Owls glide. They fly as need as they need to to get high and then glide" - Symmetry
"It's why they're such good hunters" - Samael
"They swoop silently down, grab what they want and beat their wings to go up again" - Cobalt
"How are you going to build a hang-glider?" - Persephone
"Well... We manly men..." - Magog
"Sef, they're Moros" - Samael
"Have we not wood?" - Cobalt
"They are the actual A-Team. They can go into a garage with a piece of wood and a BMW and come out with a
battle tank" - Samael
She shakes her head
"Okay. I want to see this" - Persephone
"What are we going to use for wings?" - Symmetry
"Reeds?" - Persephone
"I'm thinking there are more types of tree than these, and some leaves are going to be huge. We can knit them
together" - Cobalt
If you start designing it in your head, then you are no worse than me or Dave
"Is it wrong that I'm thinking of a Forces spell to create propulsion?" - Samael
"Like what? A giant elastic band and a propeller" - Symmetry
"Like some sort of jet engine, pushing air" - Samael
"You could always make a big kite, hang on to it and blow wind at it. People don't use fans pointing at sails
because of the whole opposite reaction thing, but yours is magic, so you just blow. You'd be handy on a boat-
racing team" - Cobalt
"I would suggest building it first and *then* deciding" - Persephone
At which point, Sef, Symmetry and Magog's Amnions crack under the strain of the Dreaming Earth, exposing
them to the fullness of the experience until they put them back up - which they decide to hold off on until they
make the glider. Samael still hasn't raised one the entire trip - he's getting tired, but he's still holding himself
together.
He's running low on Willpower, but he keeps making exceptional successes on the roll to resist the Winds' effects
They start hiking towards the hills, disturbing a Fox-being on the way.
"Why is everything so huge here?" - Persephone
"It's more real than we are. Some parts of the Dreaming Earth correspond to real geography. We could find,
with effort, the part of the Northumbrian coast your lighthouse is on, but it wouldn't be there. But if we went to
where there should be, say, a motorway - a big eight-lane thing - there'd be a dirt track here. Normal roads
wouldn't appear" - Symmetry
"The impact of man is diminished" - Samael
"It's not big, we're just small" - Cobalt
"Nature is important here, we're not" - Symmetry
"Possibly the result of blocking the Temenos off from here with the Stone" - Cobalt
"Except the Swath is steadily eating away at the Dreaming Earth" - Symmetry
"You've been reading a lot about this place?" - Persephone
"I know about the Swath and the Dreaming Earth. Most Thyrsus do; at least we have something that vaguely
resembles our Supernal Realm. Although I suppose if you boys start pining for Stygia you can visit the
Underworld" - Symmetry
"Maybe I'll set up a holiday home" - Cobalt, dryly

And they reach the edge of the forest
"Are we going to try for deadfall?" - Magog
"Rather than piss off the forest" - Cobalt
...
Back at the lighthouse, it's now 3am - the entire days-long journey from the Omphalamos has taken just three
hours.
Sef, low on Mana, ponders the best way to wake up someone who can channel some Mana.
Chris: You could just scourge yourself. It's what I'll be doing
Me: Nuts to your real bodies, after all
...
Magog and Cobalt consider the magic necessary to turn the pile of fallen trees and long grass that they've
found into a handglider.
"I'll make the wings, you make the body" - Magog
"Fair call" - Cobalt
"We need two big wing-shapes. We'll give them the properties of cloth from our clothes to make them flexible" -
Magog
"We need to give the body the properties of Titanium. Anyone have any glasses?" - Cobalt
Samael - in the tattered remains of his cool astral clothes - has a pair of shades.
The Ecstatic Wind blows through the makeshift workcamp. Sef closes her eyes, feeling the rain on her skin...
The storm eases.
...
In the Legion's Sanctum, the lights flicker and Sef's PC crashes.
...
Sef has suffered an Arcadian Anomaly from the winds, dampning the Forces Arcanum in the area
"Raise your Amnion!" - Samael
She does so, as do Symmetry and Magog
Cobalt, though, has a glider to finish making. The Cabal set to work, Cobalt using Plasticity, and eventually
have a passable glider with copious handholds for everyone. It'll be far too heavy to fly without magical
enhancement, but that's the next job.
Cobalt steps back and raises his Amnion, surveying his work.
"Okay..." - Cobalt
Cobalt and Magog both cast their spells, and the wood and grass ladder becomes a titanium and pvc one.
The spell is Transmute Earth, incidentally, chosen after a bit of deliberation despite Magog talking about "properties",
as I thought Jury Rig worked on more things than mechanical objects
"We're going to need a run up" - Magog
"One more important thing we need to do; decide what to shout before we jump" - Cobalt
"'I regret nothing'?" - Samael
Persephone casts Lucky Coin on the glider. Samael contributes a nice, steady, controllable breeze.
Everyone gets ready, lined up along the wingspan holding their handles.
"I never thought I'd be using my magely powers to hang-glide" - Samael
"Really? It sprung to my mind quite early on" - Cobalt, grinning

"When we get out, we should do this anyway. Horribly vulgar hang-gliding" - Samael
I don't know what piloting a hang-glider IS

Agena: Drive?
Me: It's not Drive.
In the end, I went with Athletics
They start running and take off, soaring off into the storm
"I BET NO-ONE ELSE HAS DONE THIS!!!" - Samael
"TO THE REVOLUTION, NOW!" - Cobalt
"BONSAI!" - Persephone
"Don't you mean Bansai?" - Samael
"TO INFINITY AND BEYOND!" - Symmetry
Chris: Magog's probably thinking 'what the hell have I gotten myself into?
"THIS IS CRAZY!" - Magog
"Welcome to the Auric Horizon!" - Samael, grinning
Chris: Because thinking about it, how many staid old archmages made it up here and thought 'I'm going to build a
fucking handglider'. I bet none of them were inventive enough.
Dave2: That's my point with the Free Council. We don't have the ancient wisdom. We don't have the Archmages. We
have a bunch of ingenious people with fun in their souls, trying to hot-wire reality!
The storm almost immediately flips them over. And over. The ground spins all around them as they're whipped
by the winds and Winds.
The glider crashes, and everyone's Amnion takes a battering.
They are now in the Whorl.

Samael got *another* exceptional success resisting the winds.
...
The glider has crashed onto dry, rocky ground. There is mist all around them, and shards of crystal like quartz
emerging from the ground.
"Okay people. Time moves fast here. I advise the shields go up, unless you need to hear the song of that
artifact" - Cobalt
"In fact, we'll probably feel it again once we finish this conversation" - Symmetry
"I'm going to wake Militas up in the real world, we're going to need the Mana" - Persephone
"So" (taking the Ankh out) - Samael
"Do we need to get to the Shore?" - Persephone
"The Farthest Shore? Probably" - Samael
And another point of Amnion goes
Samael can hear the noise of the Ankh loud and clear - in fact, he recognises the word it's saying. He says that
word, and the Orichalcum of the Ankh flows in his hands until it becomes the shape of a rune; the rune that he
just said.
"It seemed to like that" - Cobalt
"Let's hope so" - Samael
And another point of Amnion goes

He waves it around, and quickly realises that the noise rises in pitch when it points a certain way
And another point of Amnion goes.. you get the idea. It's dropping like a rock here in the Whorl - with every single
action, in fact
"Do you know where you're going?" - Cobalt
"No. But it seems to" - Samael
"Good enough for me
They set off.
"You may think that this particular endeavour was remarkably unplanned. However, if you'd been on any of our
previous endeavours, you'd know that we did far more research for this one than we do for most" - Cobalt,
conversationally to Magog
Sef nods enthusiastically
"Oh, that's good, I'd hate to come to something haphazard" - Magog, dryly
"We took whole minutes looking into this one before we plunged in" - Samael
Cobalt remembers that you never get to the place you're looking for in the Whorl first. As one of those Cosmic
Rules no one understands, you can only go directly to something on repeat visits; the first trip always demands
a journey.
...
Sef has woken Militas up and explained the problem. He's collected some Tass.
...
The Cabal are walking through a forest of weeping trees - the trees, making the sound of crying, are the colour
of the sky. The sky is earth-brown.
"I hate to say it, but we didn't follow it's instructions very well when climbing the Spire Perilous" - Cobalt
"We didn't need to. It would have just said 'up'" - Samael, gritting his teeth as the Winds blast through everyone
yet again.
"I just mean that you may be pushing your luck" - Cobalt, concerned
"What's that?" - Magog
There's a man, frozen mid-step. He holds a walking staff and is wearing hiking clothes
"It's a Scandinavian man frozen in mid-step" - Samael, to Magog
"Tell me, is stating the obvious a Dudekos trait?" - Cobalt
"It's an Auric Horizon one" - Samael
"Where's the thing that froze him?" - Persephone, looking around
"Time to reach out and touch someone" - Cobalt
He reaches out, intending to get an idea of the composition. The man immediately springs to life.
"Oh! Travellers" - Man
"Pleased to meet you. Cobalt. Persephone..." - Cobalt, making introductions
The hiker looks at them, sizing them up while Samael observes the Mana in the stranger's pattern. He's a
Mage.
"I apologise. You were frozen" - Cobalt
"I was hiking. on a journey" - Man
"Did you get there?" - Cobalt
"No, because you interrupted me" - Man
"Oh, shit. Sorry about that. Do you have to start again?" - Cobalt
"Yes, but you will perceive me as being frozen in place" - Man
"Is that a property of this realm?" - Cobalt
"If I appear frozen to you, you will have been making a much shorter journey than I. Our travels will take the
same time objectively, but subjectively will appear to take as long as they need" - Man
"And because I interrupted you..." - Cobalt, understanding
"...Our subjective notions of time have equalised" - Man
"Where are you going?" - Persephone
"Myself? Mars" - Man
"Oh! Long trip" - Persephone
"And now we've slowed you down to our speed" - Cobalt
The stranger's Amnion is made of starlight, like constellation maps projected onto him
"Olympus is my name. I am heading to Mars. I have of course experienced Temenotic Mars, but I am going to
the real Mars to make observations" - Olympus
"What sort of observations?" - Samael
"Of the stars. And I am curious to see it - I have heard rumors of ruins there of ancient civilisations. Either the
Atlanteans made it that far out or someone followed them" - Olympus
"On the Whorl-Mars?" - Persephone
"Dreaming Mars will look exactly like real Mars" - Olympus
"Which did the Atlanteans reach?" - Samael
"Dreaming Mars. Well, either that or the natives did. When speaking of the planets, it really makes no
difference" (he looks them over) "Strange to see so young a group; is this your first time?" - Olympus
"Actually, we're all immortal liches..." - Samael, before being elbowed in the ribs by Cobalt
"Well, this is not a pleasure cruise. Young man, you should have a shield" - Olympus
"I have my reasons" - Samael
"He seems unwilling to see counsel on this" - Cobalt
"Young man, I have seen men turned to glass when the Ecstatic Winds take them. Out here in the Whorl, it will
be harsh" - Olympus
"Are you sure I can't guide you?" - Cobalt
"We can test it, but from what Pathstrider said no" - Samael
"We should apologise for bothering you" - Cobalt
"It's really no time out of my trip. For myself, I have been walking for three weeks already" - Olympus
"Must be a pleasant diversion for you, then" - Samael
"It gives one ample time to think" - Olympus
"So I hear" - Samael, thinking of Pathstrider and Sophia's journey to Saturn
"May I ask where you are heading?" - Olympus
"To the Shore" - Cobalt
"Brought our swimming trunks and everything" - Samael
"I hope that was a joke. Your accent is English?" - Olympus
He is himself Danish
"North East" - Cobalt
"Do not Swim in the Abyss. And try to walk a little back from the edge" - Olympus
"Does it attract people?" - Persephone
"Sometimes it washes things up. Good luck to you all; and... Copenhagen Consilium" - Olympus
"Ah! Will you be at the Convocation in Paris?" - Cobalt
"There is a Convocation?" - Olympus
"On midsummer" - Samael
"If there is a Convocation... Good luck to you all" - Olympus
He freezes
"Amnion experimentation" - Samael
And he finally raises his; a prismatic shimmer over his body. The call of the Ankh is reduced back to the dim,
directionless tone it had on the Spire.
He lowers his Amnion again
"It's all or nothing" - Samael
They set off again, leaving Olympus there.
...
Militas has transferred Mana into Persephone
...
"If you need any Mana, Militas is filling me up. Um." - Persephone
"It's not Mana, it's concentration. It's... Distracting. In the Dreaming Earth it's I Am One With the World. In the
Spire it's I Am One With Power. Here it's vaccuum. I'm holding together, but... It's like a noise at the back of
your mind. Eventually it becomes all you can hear" - Samael, wincing
Persephone pats him on the back, sympathetically
They emerge from sand dunes sporting razor-sharp glass grass onto the black sand beach.
They have arrived at the Ocean Oroboros.

The jet-black sea stretches in both directions, the waves only moving when they're not looking at them. The
tide comes in and out in staccato as they blink.
"Do you think it'll be pissed off if we hoi a rock into it?" - Cobalt
"See how many times you can skip it before it turns into an Acamoth" - Samael
Magog carefully puts the rock back down.
"As much as I enjoy our jokes, this is The Abyss" (gesturing) "Maybe we should take it seriously" - Persephone,
worried and awed.
"If I wasn't afraid of it I wouldn't be joking" - Cobalt
More about this very significant line later, from Dave2 himself
"Right or Left?" - Symmetry
"The Call seems to be going Right" - Samael
They start hiking, Samael distracting himself from the pain of the Wind by pointing out things. Odd shells that
harboured no earthly creature. The bleached bones of something, half-buried in the sand.
"Is that a herbivore or a carnivore?" - Cobalt

"I'm pretty sure it's impossible" - Samael
He crouches, picking up a handful of sand and letting it fall through his fingers
"What sort of glass could you make from this?" - Cobalt
"Good point" - Samael
"Evil glass" - Persephone, hugging herself
Samael pokes about, then brushes something off with his hands. It's a lump of glass, fused from the sand of the
beach
"Shame there's no way for us to bring anything like this back into the real world" - Samael
"Would you really want to? I wouldn't" - Persephone
Cobalt considers
"I.." - Cobalt
"Rex, it's been washed up by the Abyss" - Symmetry
"I was thinking more of the sand" - Samael
"The Sand that's been washed over by the Abyss for thousands of years" - Persephone
"We're next to the Abyss, but this is still part of the world" - Samael, still holding the glass
"This is the bleeding edge, the end of existence" - Magog
"This is a place of great power" - Samael
"Ravaged by the Abyss, but still in the world" - Cobalt
"And out there, somewhere" (looking across the Ocean) "Is..." - Symmetry
"...The bit we're missing" - Cobalt, sadly
"This..." (runs sand through his fingers) "Who knows what secrets could be hidden in it's very nature?" - Samael
"... ...NO! I don't know why you're so fascinated by this... remnant. This ASH of what was left of our connection
to the Supernal" - Persephone
"Because it once was the connection to the Supernal" - Samael
"No! The connection to the Supernal is THERE!" (points at the "water") "THIS is just something that's been
sifted through the waves of the Abyss. Don't look at it as a power source. There is nothing there. It has been
scoured of everything" - Persephone
"Remember your myth. This didn't used to be the Abyss. The Abyss flooded in covering up what used to be
here" - Cobalt
"It's not a real sea. There aren't real tides working from real winds" - Samael
"In between the Whorl and the Supernal was a Dragon. They turned the Spire into a Spear to run it through,
and this is it's black blood" - Magog, sounding like he's quoting something
"It's kind of an awesome myth, but I'm not sure... I'm going to be cynical and a Libertine" - Cobalt
"It's academic anyway" (hurt at being called out by Sef) "As we can't do anything about it" - Samael
"If you want to be all Free Council about it, this is a metaphor; it's not the real Abyss, just our brains
interpreting the fact that our conciousnesses are right at the edge of our Souls" - Symmetry
Samael drops the glass. They start walking again.
"What?" (off Sef's look) "You act like I'm becoming a Scelesti" - Samael
Agena: Once again the language barrier didn't let me express my thoughts properly, which as usual Chris mercilessly
used to shoot down my argument by saying that this is not the real sand etc. Now that I had the time to think about it
I'll take this opportunity to explain what I - and Sef - think about the Abyss.
If the Fallen World and the Astral Realms were a tapestry or a carpet, the Abyss would be the nothingness on the edge
of the carpet and the shore they were standing at would be the tattered, bleached, sunscorched, rotted or otherwise
degenerated bits of the carpet hanging over the nothingness. That's why Sef freaked out a bit when the other two
started talking about taking power and secrets from the place - because she thinks any power or knowledge that could
be taken from it - if any - would be degenerated and twisted like the ripped, scorched tatters of a rug are twisted.
Hope it makes sense.
Dave2: I concur with Sef on this one... I would say that it was Samael who really didn't get it in the end.
Dave: Er.. Yeah. Me too. Because from a setting standpoint, you know, Sef's right. Flat-out A-one 100% correct. Samael
is not thinking properly here.
Dave2: As for Cobalt, I winced a little at the sheer number of sarcastic or irreverent one liners he came up with that
session: seems like every other description had a retort lined up against it. Then I found this one...
"If I wasn't afraid of it I wouldn't be joking" - Cobalt
If you think a little about this one and track back through the session, you can see that Cobalt has been far more
nervous than he appeared through most of the journey, but hiding it behind humour. Perhaps I'd been reading a little
too much Dresden and the habit of a sarcastic reaction to powerful things was rubbing off on C.
And then they see the hut.
"Isn't that the hut we're supposed to avoid?" - Persephone
There's a figure next to the hut - a ramshackle building on the very edge of the water - who seems to be
fishing. It looks their way.
They try not to look at him - he looks fine directly, but when they look away they're aware there's something
horrible there.
The Aeon of Paradox smiles at them as they hurry past.
I can live with them avoiding an encounter with the Old Man and his Hut - Sef already said everything that needed
saying about the dangers of where they are.
The winds hit, harder than usual. Samael feels outright pain as they rip into him.
"Gn... It's... It's pulling harder at me" - Samael
He failed to resist that time, though no paradox was rolled.
I now gave the players their choice of which set of Aeons they went to: the Arcadian, Stygian gate or the Aether gate.
The Arcadian gate won out as Samael is on a quest for an Archmage of his path and Cobalt is a Time mage as well as a
Moros.
Chris: Buffs, plx
...
They see the Citadel early. It's big; a great silver-barked tree that has toppled, the branches now resting in the
Ocean while the hollow trunk is on the beach. Moisture hangs in the air around it, leaving fog and oil-slick
rainbows of Abyssal condensation along with giant, unhealthy-looking fungi that glow faintly. The beach around
it is slick with slime and mud.
As they approach, they see the gate guards - a pair of human-shaped maggots, riding Beetles the size of
horses.
"Svartaelfs" - Samael
They recall their lore; once inside, do not accept any gifts (including consumables). Gloriana is the Aeon of
Time. Mordred is the Aeon of Fate. Any and all promises are supernaturally binding.
The guards heft their spears as the Cabal bow and ask for audience. The blackened silver gates open with a
creak and they enter the rotten core of the log.
"Don't promise Him anything. Don't ask Her what will happen. Or, you know, do" - Symmetry
"Given my growing penchant for laissez faire, I'll probably ask her next week's racing results" - Cobalt
They are led through a beautiful garden - which comes as a pleasant surprise - laden with apples. There is a
fountain of sparkling water.
"Feast your eyes" - Persephone
Moving widdershins through the wooden halls, they reach a small room. Smaller than they were expecting;
almost intimate, the size of a long hall. It's a natural space in the tree.
Gloriana of Time is sat at her Loom.
Smash it! all the Sidereal Exalted will die!
As they observe Her, She changes - growing older then younger, oscillating in age. Next to them, sat on a
wooden bench, is a young man in bloodstained armour with deep, dark eyes.
"Welcome, travellers" - Mordred
The Cabal bow. Samael especially to Mordred.
"Three of my children I see before me, and well met" - Mordred
"Well met to you, my lord. And to you, my Queen" - Persephone
Mordred shifts slightly
"To what end do you approach?" - Mordred
"We come seeking wisdom" - Samael, after no one else says anything
"Hah. Your lady of Wisdom, and Wisdom we can provide; perhaps not the Wisdom you were seeking, but
Wisdom none the less. This is my lesson to you, Jeremiah. The downfall of a society is always - ALWAYS - from
Within. A good lesson for all of you" - Mordred
Sophia means "Wisdom", remember?
Also "my children" doesn't mean "mages with the Fate Arcanum". Think about what Mordred just said
"The root of Chayot recruiting me was an internal struggle" - Samael
"The root of Bede's undoing is from within his own plans" - Cobalt
"Not so. The root of Michael's undoing is that he drinks too deeply of his own powers" - Gloriana
"You mean his Stone Scribe powers?" - Samael
Samael doesn't have the Time Arcanum; Gloriana ignores him. Sef tentatively repeats the question.
"I do not" - Gloriana
"But the powers of Time could have led him to scry something... The tradition of a self-fulfilling prophecy" -
Cobalt
"The Doom that has laid low many a magus" - Mordred
"But in fact, he's seeing something..." - Cobalt
"Fact has nothing to do with it. He has seen the destruction you will bring" - Mordred
"So now he's trying to destroy US, and therefore bringing the destruction he saw" - Persephone
"Trying to find out what destruction and what's causing it could be a quick route to causing it" - Cobalt
"Well, this is always the problem isn't it? If he simply said 'hey guys, I saw you set off a nuke under Nova Scotia,
could you not do that' it would work just as well" - Samael
"If that is his aim" - Cobalt
"God knows what he's up to" - Samael
"I get the impression several people know" - Cobalt, looking at the Aeons
"My Lady. My Lord..." - Persephone
The Aeons pay attention
"What did he See?" - Cobalt
"This is my price. We can reveal the doom that Michael-called-Bede saw, at the price of making it certain" -
Mordred
"But the doom could have been beneficial in the long run, but not for him" - Persephone
"But we have no idea" - Samael
"Nothing is ever final. A forest must burn down for new growth to be made" - Gloriana
"Okay. We think that Bede may be acting on some vision he's had of the future. If we take this deal and then try
to make sure it happens, we're just proving him right. If he's seen Sef eating a baby..." - Samael
"Question is; do we want to be fools or bad people? Forgive me, Lord, I am making assumptions" - Cobalt
"Bad people? What does 'Bad' have to do with it, my son?" - Mordred, smirking
"I would like to know... Who placed the Ankh in the safety deposit box?" - Cobalt
Gloriana raises an eyebrow.
"In truth, that's the mystery that has eluded us" - Cobalt
"And is it the same person who zapped Calliope?" - Persephone
Gloriana stops the loom.
"Child who has made it his life's persuit to look back at the Pattern. I can show you on my work what you seek.
My price is that I demand of all Seers: the flaw of Cassandra" - Gloriana
"So Cobalt can know who did it, but he can't tell anyone?" - Symmetry
Mordred grins, evilly
"I lack the power to look myself" - Cobalt
"If we go to London and break into the bank, you do" - Persephone
"We could" - Cobalt
"Or, you will be the only one to know" - Persephone
"That is my price for looking back or forward, should any of you wish to see the pattern" - Gloriana
And slowly being driven mad by not being able to tell is just icing on the cake
"My Lord, what is your price for more power? For the greater mysteries of Fate?" - Persephone
"For the Aucturias Arcanum? Your Doom is nearly upon you; there will come the time when you have the
opportunity to greatly assist one of my sons. My price for the Aucturias is that you will help him to fulfil his
destiny. You need not worry; it will simply happen without your conscious thought" - Mordred
"Is he in this room?" - Persephone
"No" - Mordred
"As... Queen Gloriana said, the forest must burn" - Persephone, a little hesitant but being brave
"Quite so" - Mordred
He picks up a tarnished golden goblet (or, Samael grimly notes, a Grail) from the floor, where He has
apparently been using it as a beer mug. He dips His finger in the foam and draws an unwholesome rune on
Persephone's forehead.
I allowed Agena to pick which of the Auctorias powers she gained here, though as of the end of the session she still
hadn't actually decided. I believe she eventually went for the instant-dispellation of any Fate spell. In any event, she
doesn't use it in this story, so she still has the Auctorias in her pattern.
Cobalt has made his decision
"My Lady. I accept your price" - Cobalt
He closes his eyes, and sees a young man he doesn't recognise, dressed for anonymity in the 1950s, enter the
bank and place the Ankh inside the box after speaking to the clerk. Along the way, Cobalt uses the perfect view
Gloriana has given him to cast Soul Marks.
Cobalt doesn't recognise the man's identity, but he feels a horrible sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach as
he comes back round.
He looks at the others, tasting ashes.

"What you have seen, you must not reveal to anyone else by deed or word" - Gloriana
...
It is now 4am back in the real world, and the electronics are working again. Which is useful, as Pandora phones
the Sanctum. It's answered by Militas
"...Oh, Shit! Yeah, he's in bed. I'll wake him up!" - Militas
He runs for Cicero's room, realises Sef is there and pauses
"As far as we can tell, Bede has assaulted Key. People are on their way here!" - Militas
"Why?" - Persephone
"To ATTACK!" - Militas, running up the stairs
...
The Cabal file out, their audience over, back to the shore of the Abyss. Cobalt lags behind, thinking.
The man who hid the Ankh was a member of the Parliament of the Needle.
And he can't tell a soul.
Duh-Duh-DUUUUUUUUUUH! Double cliffhanger! There's only one session - the big honking bastard cliffhanger - left to
recap, although there is excellent news.
This Friday, six days time at time of writing, will see us play session 7.1. We're BACK, baby!
So you won't be kept in the agony the players have been, at least!

Session 6.5
Welcome back, faithful readers! Listening to the recording for this session is an odd experience - we believed it was
going to be our last when we started playing it, so there's a certain end of an era feel going on. Now that we know
better, it's a sort of a season-ending cliffhanger.
And what a cliffhanger it is.
The end of this session is where the entire chronicle's been going so far - the halfway point and the reveal of the
primary antagonist. I'll write about it at more length once the curtain has been pulled back, but for now, read on,
faithful readers, with the same sense of doom that Cobalt has thanks to Mordred. Something dark is coming...
We have a parallel story thing going on here, with the Cabal still in the furthest regions of the Astral Realms while the
Sanctum housing their bodies is under attack. We began after recapping the story so far to one another. Dave2, who
has been through some of my giant plot-arc stories in rpg campaigns of previous times, was having good fun winding
up the other two. Who didn't, at time of playing, know what Cobalt saw in his vision
Dave2: You'll know it when it happens. Dave doesn't do these things small.
Taking stock: It is 4am. Persephone, Aegis and Militas are the only ones awake in the Farthest Legion sanctum,
Aquila, Vernator, Cicero and (we presume) Dowse are also in the Sanctum but are asleep. 20 minutes drive
away is the Grey Street Runners' Sanctum, containing Lux, Quark, Cat and Scribe. Quark has Teleport as an
Attainment, so should they be woken it's unlikely to actually take them the time to drive.
At their various homes 10-30 minutes away are Atia, Sybil and Gaunt. An hour away are Key, Pandora, Tiresias
and (separately) Hatfield. An hour away in the other direction are the Smoke Eaters, all either asleep or drunk
at this hour. Four hours away are Rodriguez and Excalibur. All of these groups, though, include someone
capable of casting Portol.
As the gang point out, in Mage warfare you have to not only strike before they can get their defensive spells up, but
finish it before their *friends* find out, as Mages can travel very quickly given enough impetus.
Sef is desperately phoning while Aegis wakes the other Arrow up.
---
In the Anima Mundi, by the shore of the Ocean Oroboros, the Cabal feel the Ecstatic Winds sapping their
strength. After exiting the Citadel of Mordred and Gloriana, they found the geography changed - still the beach
of black sand, but the "foothills" look different.
Samael attempts to follow the song of the once-ankh Oricalcum Rune while Sef worriedly says that she doesn't
want to call for help to people who might turn out to be on the other side.
"I can't imagine that Bede has everybody in Durham and Barnard Castle on his side. I can't see Hatfield taking
part" - Symmetry
"He might be bringing non-pentacle Mages. He might be bringing Seers" - Samael
Magog nods
"...I doubt it" - Samael
"...But it's possible" - Cobalt
"Are you with us for this fight?" - Persephone, to Magog
"I'm with you. My body's in that Sanctum too" - Magog
"Plus, it's the right thing to do" - Cobalt
"Besides which, if he knows about me, he might be using me as a reason..." - Magog
"That was Cicero's fear; if it came out, Dowse's line of defence would be that it was all you being sinister" -
Cobalt
There is a pause
"And we know that's not true. It's Bede who's sinister. Loki and Aurora are a concern, though - especially
Aurora. We don't know enough about why..." - Cobalt
"...She's going along with Bede all the time?" - Symmetry
"Either he has something on her - some hold on her, or she's just going mad" - Samael
"Time magic can be very convincing. If he's seen her downfall..." - Cobalt
"..Because of something we do" - Symmetry
"We've seen how he manipulated Arc with half-truths. And then dumped his catspaw in second" - Cobalt
"He could have just lied. He's lied already" - Persephone
"He's good at that" - Cobalt
"He doesn't need to" - Samael
"If I were him, I'd try to make sure we don't wake up" - Symmetry
"Exactly. Which is why we need eyes outside. I'm sorry, Sam, but when they get here I'm waking up" - Cobalt
"That's okay. I can carry on as far as I need to" - Samael
"I'll stay with you" - Persephone
"Not if you're needed out there. You can't afford to split your power to hold an Amnion together" - Samael
"If it comes to it and it looks like they'll breach the Hallow, I'll jack out" - Magog
"If they're going to breach the hallow, we shouldn't leave it that long" - Samael
"I'll jack out now, then. If I'm awake on the inside of the door..." - Magog
"Leave it for now" - Samael
"If I vanish suddenly, something's up. I might not have time to tell you" - Persephone
"Stay sharp, kid" - Cobalt
"I always am, old man" - Persephone
Cobalt laughs hollowly. A little strung out and weary, there is no humor in it
The winds bite into their souls.

At which point I called for a Composure + Survival - 4 roll. Samael got a 0 on his chance die...
There's something small, burrowing under the surface of the sand. Persephone nearly trod on it.
"Incoming!" - Samael
"Don't run into the sea!" - Persephone
"I'm not stupid - I'm just wary of that" - Cobalt
A thing resembling some kind of arthropod surfaces, snaps its claws and scuttles back off into the Abyss.
"Don't eat the seafood" - Samael
"We're not in Kansas... Oh, I'm terribly sorry. We'd managed to get this far without anyone mentioning Kansas" -
Cobalt
"Random American states aside, we should get moving" - Samael
---
Sef has managed to get through to Quark, who is rather bleary-voiced. She shouts enough to impart the need
for him to get over to the Legion's Sanctum pronto.
In the meantime, Aegis and Militas have taken up position outside the sealed door to the Hallow. While Sef adds
a Mage Armour spell to her already-straining Pattern, tables are being overturned and barricades made.
---
The Cabal, back in the Whorl, have come across a signpost, tilted at a dangerous angle.
"London. Three miles. Anyone care to venture an opinion?" - Symmetry
"I was expecting a lamppost" - Cobalt
"I know students get everywhere, but this is ridiculous" - Samael
"I should have thought of that! Bring a traffic cone out here and leave it" - Cobalt
"Come back a year later and it's an Abyssal traffic cone" - Samael
"Like the ones on the M25" - Cobalt
"It's... A signpost" - Samael, returning to the matter at hand
"Was Sophia English?" - Persephone
"I... Don't know" - Samael
"Then I guess we ignore it" - Persephone
Unfortunately, Samael can't tell which way to go from the rune.
"No idea at all?" - Persephone
"No" - Samael
"Probably not toward that" - Symmetry, pointing at the Abyss.
"Well.. We'll get away from the sign, and then you can check again" - Persephone
After a hike, they're walking on tarnished copper. The sun is blue, hanging in a sky like an oil-slick.
Samael gets a strong lock on the direction.
"Aha! This way" - Samael
"Out of interest. This place Sophia lives? Is there any chance she has a minibar?" - Cobalt
The Abyssal Ocean is an unpleasant memory as they wander through the sand dunes into the Whorl proper.
"We must be getting closer" - Persephone

At which point they see a mysterious figure. In a cloak. At least it's a white cloak. The face is a grimacing mask
of bronze.
"Shit. It's Doctor Doom in a variant colour scheme " - Samael
"Like Space Hitler" - Cobalt
"Travellers" - Mysterious cloaked figure
Its voice is deep and resonant, though not (they think) used to speaking English. Or speaking
"Seekers of Knowledge" - M.C.F.
"Two for Two. What can we do for you?" - Cobalt
"The drowning man" - M.C.F.
"Has everyone seen that youtube video? Technically I'm working on the not doing that direction. trying to go
into other business" - Cobalt
"Is that what you seek?" - M.C.F.
"Not to drown? I can do that anywhere" - Cobalt
It approaches.
It's leaving a trail of black sludge behind
"I can assist you with your questions" - M.C.F.
"Thanks! But... No" - Samael
they circle around it
"We can take care of the Worm for you" - M.C.F.
"We've had an offer like that before" - Cobalt
They leg it.
"Never deal with anything you couldn't have as a house guest" - Samael
"White cloak? Black slime? Definately evil" - Persephone
"You are a cynical young woman. It's a sad reflection of our times when Abyssal beings can't walk up to us and
be accepted for what they are" - Cobalt
---
In the real world, Sef is trying to phone the last few people.
---
In the Whorl, time seems to stretch. The Cabal hike along through quasi-real landscapes, feeling the strength of
their souls slowly ebbing away.
It takes, to them, a week. The improvised magics Sef is using to synchronise her experience of time are
stretched to breaking point.
"Jesus, she lives a long way away" - Persephone
On the plus side, they've had plenty of time to plan the defence of the Sanctum in the three seconds of real
time they've actually been walking.
Something like a hot air balloon with no gondola passes by far overhead, humanoid figures clambering over the
rigging-like net that covers it.
---
Quark has now arrived, bringing Lux and Scribe with them. After they find out Bede is the one attacking, Scribe
(Bede's apprentice) flatly refuses to believe it.
"Stay and find out" - Persephone, flatly

Cicero being Cicero and therefore a man to cut to the thrust of a situation, arrests Scribe and puts her in the
oubliette with Dowse under the reasoning that if she won't fight she can be a hostage.
Things may be getting a little tense in the Sanctum.
"You could have used your hypnotoad powers" - Persephone, reproachfully
"I know exactly what I'm doing" - Cicero, grimly.
"You... Know exactly what you're doing" - Persephone
Do you see what the Bearer of the Eternal Voice did there?
She can't get through to the Smoke Eaters, but leaves a message before calling Pandora.
Pandora and company are on their way - they've decided to ditch 'Dora's car and Tiresias is building a Portol.
Key (who has healed herself) is righteously angry about being attacked.
She calls Hatfield
"Sorry to wake you. We seem to be being attacked by Bede and his flunkies..." - Persephone
"What?" - Hatfield
"We seem to be being..." - Persephone
"What?" - Hatfield
She patiently explains. Hatfield swears and hangs up. Sef continues sending messages out, warning the
Consilium what's going on.
Cat isn't up to fighting yet, and Babel is guarding her in case Bede tries to attack the Grey Street house as well.
And then - preparations nearly complete - ghosts start coming in through the walls.
---
"Ghosts!" - Persephone, in the Astral
"Magog - we're going" (to the others) "I'm sorry. But we have to go" - Cobalt
"Go - GO!" - Samael
"We'll hold them off!" - Magog
He and Cobalt vanish
---
Initiative - Ghosts 6, Cobalt 15... Magog 26. I rolled two tens in a row.
Deep in the Demesne chamber, Cobalt blinks and wakes up, feeling like he's been sleeping for days. And
there's something tugging at his leg.
"Something" turns out to be a translucent quasi-human form, clawing and biting at his limb. Fortunately, his
Mage Armour spell is holding.
There are several of these shades - one appears to be trying to gnaw through the Armour spell on Samael's
head - and a taller, wispier being that stikes Cobalt as the ringleader.
Magog jumps up, regrets giving his Force Staff to Militas and casts Touch of the Grave.
Cobalt has his knife, though. Through the big sealed door, he can hear Militas and Aegis fighting something.
---
Upstairs, there are lots of the Ghosts pouring through the walls, but the collective defenders of the Sanctum
were semi-ready. Sef whirls together a Fraying spell of Fate against one of the smaller ones, going for simplicity.
The other mages open fire with spells of their own.
Aquila, leading the effort, waits until the Ghosts are all inside before casting his own spell. A summoning.
The Furthest Legion's Sanctum is built on an ancient Roman Fort - the boundary of Empire. Aquila has just
summoned the Fort's spirit.
Rising up from the floor comes a dark figure in Centurion's Armour, holding a rusting Gladius.
It has Manifested, but doesn't have Materialise. And Aquila will have to pay it back at some point.

In the Astral, Samael is examining the Rune. It seems to have gotten suddenly louder - when the Moroi left.
"Uhm... This may have to end with you two going as well" - Samael
"Okay" - Persephone
"We'll see how it goes" - Samael
They wander through a forest of free-standing archways for what seems like hours, until the landscape begins
to shake. Their Amnions vibrate, and Symmetry seems to be having trouble.
"Don't waste your power trying to stay - there's a fight going on out there" - Samael
Symmetry grimaces and vanishes
"It just got louder" - Samael
"I really don't want to leave you here alone" - Persephone
He smiles, feeling his Soul draining away.
---
Cobalt and Magog are sending Ghosts back to the Underworld, laying about them with fist and knife. Towards
the end of the violence, Symmetry rolls off her own mat and casts something that makes the voice of fatigue
screaming in Cobalt's ear go away for a while. He's aware that he's still dog-tired, he just can't feel it.
---
Upstairs, the Fortress-Spirit has done its grisly work. There is a moment of quiet as they wait to see what Bede
will come up with next, during which Sef casts Augment Mind.
---
Sef and Cobalt, at opposite ends of the building, both cast Grim Sight having had the same idea - that there
might be someone walking in Twilight.
"How are you guys doing inside?" - Aquila
"Magog, Cobalt and Symmetry have jacked out" - Persephone
"Okay. Go see how Aegis and Militas are doing" - Aquila
She nods and hurries down the stairs.
To see the unusual sight of Militas and Aegis having a completely silent battle with Loki, a woman she
recognises as being in the Palantines Cabal and a woman she recognises as being in Bede's Cabal. She thinks
they might be Gloriana and Joan
"GUYS! THEY'RE HERE!" - Persephone
Cobalt, Magog and Symmetry hear that, but the door is locked on the outside. Aegis locked it, and he locked it
damned well.
Not damned well enough for Cobalt to not be able to cut it open with a spell, though.
The fight is silent thanks to a sound-nullification spell Gloriana has cast, so as to not alert the defenders upstairs to
their entrance.
---
Persephone and Samael find themselves somehow back at the shore of the black ocean
"That's weird" - Persephone
"You'd better go" - Samael

In the distance, he can see what looks like a giant humanoid figure, squatting down at the edge of the ocean. A
pathway seems to curl up to the mouth.
"The Citadel of Stygia. let's not go there" - Samael
The rune seems to want to go towards it, but not *to* it.
---
Cobalt, Magog and Symmetry take in the scene in the hallway. Gloriana and Militas are trading Forces blasts,
while Aegis, Loki and Joan are evenly matched 2:1. Magog, seeing an opportunity, lunges at Loki. Cobalt
decides to "interfere" with the spell duel by pointing his knife - previously jury-rigged - at Gloriana and shooting
her.
Ouch
Militas swings his sword - which has had Optimise Kinetic Attack cast on it - which connects with a flash.
Gloriana drops, bleeding and unconscious. Sound returns.
Six against two, now, as Sef comes down the stairs on the far side of Joan and Loki.
Sef gestures at Loki, Fraying his mind, while Aegis left-hooks him in the jaw. Loki wobbles, trying not to fall over
as he blinks in pain.
Loki, desperate, can't rewind time without appearing, wounded, right next to his assailants. He does manage to
cast Acceleration, though, while Joan shifts herself into Twilight.
The Moroi have sufficient Grim Sight and Death spells to affect Twilight beings to not be impressed by that.
I'm vague on those Death spells because, up until the next scene, we thought Touch of the Grave allowed you to
physically interact with things in Twilight. I don't like the idea that you can't, in fact.
---
Samael and Persephone, deep in the Whorl, notice something happening at the Stygian Citadel - a black "line"
is emerging from the humanoid's mouth. As they try to veer away, part of the flowing stream of inky liquid
breaks off and heads toward them, coiling up into one of the creatures that destroyed the Ancestor Garden
back on the spire.
"I'll lead it off!" - Persephone
"Jack out once you're clear" - Samael
She runs towards and then away from it, trying to kite it away from him. She waves her hands, trying and
failing to cast a spell on it, then runs.
They still don't know what a Typhonide is.
Samael, assuming he doesn't have long, runs as far as he can.
The creature trips Sef with a coil of ink, burning into her leg as she face-firsts into the Abyssal Sand.
"JACK OUT!" - Samael, in the distance.
---
Cobalt casts Perfect Timing and shoots at Joan, winging her.
"Not that easy" - Cobalt
Indeed not, for Joan falls through the very solid wall. Cobalt glances at Magog, wondering why the other Moros
didn't join in.
Magog has a personal grudge to take out. He picks his force-staff up off the floor, extends it and throws it like a
javelin, right into the fleeing Loki's back. Loki stumbles and scrambles to the stairs. Magog roars and charges
off after him.
"Symm! While we're winning we're taking prisoners" - Cobalt
Symmetry hauls Gloriana back into the Hallow, where her attempts to close Gloriana's wounds won't require
Symm to spend Mana. Sef joins her.
"Guys - are we going after this bint?" - Aegis

"What's that way?" - Cobalt
"Solid rock and then the Tyne" - Aegis
"She's welcome to it. We need a solution to this, which means making the enemy commander show himself" -
Cobalt
Magog has caught Loki and beat him unconscious. Loki rewound time halfway through, but it didn't help much -
he just got punched twice for his trouble.
---
In the Whorl, Sef (whose body is now in a Hallow, remember) casts Acceleration as she struggles to her feet,
running as fast as she can. The Typhonide gives chase. Just as it reaches her again, leaning out for her neck,
she cancels her Astral form.
Samael is by now in the foothills of the Citadel of Death and Matter (a labyrinth of jagged rock beneath a green
sun)
Dave2; Malfeas!
Chris; I've strayed into Exalted!
Samael - no longer able to see Sef - clambers up a short slope and continues his lonely quest.
---
In the Demesne, the Cabal have taken prisoners.
"He seems okay" - Symmetry, looking at Samael's unconscious body
"Don't wake him up" - Persephone
"He could have had his goolies nibbled off by ghosts and he wouldn't feel it" - Cobalt
"We were being attacked when we woke up" - Magog
"Not very effectively" - Cobalt
"they were probably here as a distraction while these guys attacked" - Aegis
"Even so - very piecemeal" - Cobalt
On a whim, Cobalt phones Bede.
And someone answers.
"Mike?" - Cobalt
That's Bede's real name, as the Aeons told them
Silence
"Okay. this shit is fucked up. Are you going to negotiate, or do we have to come back hard?" - Cobalt
Whoever it is hangs up.
"I think you just scared the crap out of them" - Aegis, approvingly
There is a brief conflab about who should stay with Samael
"I will" - Persephone
"You can't protect against Ghosts" - Aegis
"Both of you, then" - Cobalt
"One physical, one mental. A young priest and an old priest" - Militas
Sef looks at Aegis
"You're the old priest" - Persephone
"Come on guys, let's do the rounds" - Cobalt

And everyone else starts walking up to the main room. To find that there is a tense standoff, as those that were
left behind are facing off against Abbott, Bede, Aurora and Cuthbert.
"And here they are" - Bede
"Well, you could have told me you were here and saved me the phone bill" - Cobalt
Bede furrows his brow
"...You don't have your phone on you, do you?" - Cobalt
"Oh. They've broken the veil as well" - Bede
"Okay. We might as well ask the question of what provoked the attack on a fellow Mystagogue first" - Cobalt
"Fellow Mystagogue?" - Bede, looking dismissivly at Cobalt, Magog and Militas
"We had a call from Key" - Cobalt
Bede now has a *very* swift expression of "fuck. rumbled" before he regains composure.
"Key?" - Abbott
"...I... Had to restrain Key" - Bede
"I'm still curious as to what he... she? Was in on" - Cobalt
Cobalt casts Supress Aura
"I'm still confused on this whole thing. You've lied, manipulated, stolen and set man against brother. You
haven't seen fit to talk to any of us. What the fuck, man? What the fuck? It's getting a little old" - Cobalt
"You've heard my arguments already, Heirarch" - Bede
Aurora is poker-faced
"Yeah, well we had to get them second-hand from Gloriana. Not that Gloriana, the other one. She said your
downfall was linked to your powers, so I'm assuming you've seen something in the future and you're now
causing it while trying to prevent it in one of those self-fulfilling prophecies Mordred likes up the bum" - Cobalt
"yes, that is the shape of it" - Abbott
"So WHAT ARE WE DOING? Seriously! You can tell us 'Don't kill the younglings!' and we WON'T!" - Cobalt
He sighs
"I take it we're accused, Heirarch" - Cobalt
"Not accused, and I appreciate that not of you intend the consequences of your actions, but..." - Aurora
"But the long and short of it is that we must demand the resignation of Quark and Cicero and the end of..." -
Bede
"What he is trying to say is that our colleague has had a vision - confirmed by several other Acanthus, and you
are free to confirm it yourself - that should the three Cabals of the North unite and begin to take over the
Consilium that we will all die" - Abbott
"What then drove you to attack the three cabals, in such a way that their only chance of survival was to band
together?" - Cobalt
"Attack them?" - Abbott
"The three downstairs" - Cobalt
"This was an attempt to capture the Seer of the Throne..." - Abbott
Everyone looks at Magog once they realise who Abbott is looking at.
Magog shrugs in a "well, the jig is up" way
"...And recover our own cabalmate" - Abbott
"EX Seer" - Cobalt (angrily)

"...And to present our demands to Cicero" - Abbott
"Give me a moment to pick this apart stupidity by stupidity" - Cobalt
"What do you mean 'attack the three cabals'?" - Abbott
"Bede knew about the monster. He told Chayot about it, back in the day. That's what made Chayot realise the
Echo Walkers were evil and try to give up his soul-bending ways. That's a bit of character assassination I want
to get right out of the gate at the start" - Cobalt
"At least you're honest about it" - Bede
"Honestly is lacking in our relationship. We are only reacting to being jumped on. We don't HAVE a majority in
the council. Who would you have replace Cicero and Quark? Would you want your own people, so Newcastle
didn't have a choice? NOTHING justifies the attack on Key. We were honest with Key about the message given
to Dowse - specifically that it was written by a certain Heirophant after all" - Cobalt
"He's stalling" - Bede
At which point the air splits open and an enraged Quark appears.
"Would someone explain this to me?" - Quark
Cicero casts something on Quark
"Second point. Magog is here to hide from the Seers. He's on a protection programme arranged by Pythagoras.
I was meant to be keeping that a secret, as apparently the weight of physical and magical evidence against
Dowse might be seen as being fabricated" - Cobalt
"Cicero?" - Aurora
She seems genuinely surprised - she didn't know that. Cicero shrugs.
"You SEE? He's been keeping things from you!" - Bede
"Yes! Like YOU have! Things like you trying to start a war!" - Cicero
"Zing!" - Militas
"I'm surprised to be his parole officer, which turned out to mean looking out for him and making sure
rehabilitation sticks - sorry, man - but I believe him, and he deserves a second chance" - Cobalt
"And even, for the sake of argument, that I don't... you're still a lying, murdering shitbag" - Magog
"And so is Dowse. We are sorry about Scribe" - Cobalt
"We are?" - Cicero
"...I would say we're sorry about Loki, but he's been a dick to my order. I'll apologise to Gloriana for shooting
her when we return to a more peaceful situation. But how do we do that? Do you want us toothless and afraid,
or working with you about everyone dying? Or preferably NO ONE dying. Except, of course, that someone here
has already broken that" - Cobalt
The two Silver Ladder mages look like they smell something bad beneath their noses.
"Do we have any idea what will cause the megadeath? Will we piss off the worm? Will we wake something dark
from beyond the eternity?" - Cobalt
"There is something coming. If things continue as they are, a city will fall into Darkness and be destroyed. I'm
doing this for your own good" - Bede
"No you're not. Trying to kill us is not helping" - Cobalt
"You have no proof" - Bede
At which point, with a flair for dramatic timing, Pandora, Tiresias and Key make it to the Sanctum.
"The burnt orders were reconstructed. The codes were confirmed by a high-ranking Mystagogue. And I believe"
(making room for Key at the front) "That another high-ranking Mystagogue has an opinion on your activities" -
Cobalt
"Heirophant. This does not look good" - Tiresias, stern
Aurora appears to be wavering. Bede turns to her, realising that his number's up
"Even if you... Even if you won't take them in, or fire these two, then remember what I told you - it's YOUR life.
Specifically - YOUR life on the line!" - Bede
Aurora pulls out Bede's mobile phone, and throws it to his feet
Zing!
"When it's JUST my life, we can see what happens" - Aurora
Bede backs off, eyes flashing to the exits. There are a lot of angry mages all around, though
"THIS ENTIRE CITY WILL BE DRAGGED INTO DARKNESS! YOU HAVE SEEN IT!" (To Abbott) "YOU HAVE SEEN IT!"
(to Cuthbert) "LOKI HAS SEEN IT!" - Bede
"Militas. Take this man into custody" - Cicero
"Wait" - Key
Key is a Daksha. Dakhsa have Supreme Honing as an Attainment. Her punch nearly sends him through a
window
"NOW take him into custody" - Key
Cobalt builds an Imago in his mind, sending the question into time: Would Bede's attack, if successful, have
averted the coming disaster?
Yes.
Is there a better way?
No answer.
No successes!
"Okay. I think we need to put our heads together about this" - Cobalt
"Time for a sit-down. Other people will presumably arrive" - Aurora
"I'm afraid so" - Cobalt
They pull up a pair of chairs
"All we knew was that Bede had attacked Key and was coming here" -
"that much we didn't know. All we knew was that there was a reliable prophecy of something awful coming,
caused by the Newcastle cabals. The only way to stop it would be to break the power those Cabals have. There
are other images - the Worm will return..." - Aurora
"So we discovered..." - Cobalt
"...And crucially, Excalibur will kill me" - Aurora
"... ... Ouch" - Cobalt
"I've been trying for months to find some way around it" - Aurora
Which should make her actions make a bit more sense, no?
"Do we know how we're going to fuck everything up, or do we just have to be broken?" - Cobalt
"We only have Bede's word on that, but given that he's never been wrong before, we believed"
"No - he was right. It would have worked" - Cobalt
"We didn't know about you" - Aurora, to Key
"What you also didn't know was that Bede knew about the worm for years. That's what I discovered before I
was attacked. Based on Cobalt and Samael's discoveries I went to the Aethenum and found his notes. He's
been trying to solve the problem by himself by various means including..." - Key, making a face of distaste
"...Including causing the premature deaths of people the Worm targeted" - Tiresias
Cobalt remembers Lankin telling him the worm had been enraged by a suicide, caused by a pentacle mage.
"That matches some things I've been hearing" - Cobalt
Although it's not really gone into here, the Cabal learn it afterwards - Bede's overreaction to the worm, to the point
that he kills its victims, is based on his Legacy. The Stone Book are based on recording a person at the point of death,
but the worm traps its victims like flies in amber - their Final Names are never resolved, and as far as Bede can tell
they aren't truly dead.
"It sounds like it got away with him. He started trying to save the Consilium, didn't trust anyone to help and
ended up making it worse and worse... Where is Samael?" - Aurora
"Literally or Metaphysically?" - Cobalt
"Either" - Aurora
"He was on the Furthest Shore, following the song of the Ankh to find Sophia. His body is in the Demesne" -
Cobalt
Hatfield - late to the party - bursts in
"What the buggering fuck is going on?!" - Hatfield
"Cuthbert, can you get a message to Joan? Tell her to stand down?" - Aurora
Cuthbert nods
"We'll need every Time mage your cabals have" - Aurora
"We'll find a way out of this together" - Cobalt
"I cannot allow a city to be destroyed. You realise that?" - Aurora
"I do. And if I were willing to put up with him being right, we might be willing to deconstruct. But I don't believe
that's the only way, and it just smacks of being one of those things where the harder you pursue it the faster it
catches you" - Cobalt
"There is a tangled web being woven. We have sensed it for months. We don't know how Bede is involved, but
hopefully Samael will return with answers" - Tiresias

Someone has carved a staircase into one of the cliffs Samael is walking around. He struggles up, to the top of
an outcropping. Surrounded by stars and mist, there's nowhere else to go.
The Ankh pulses
The wind bites down
"SOPHIA!" - Samael
There is no answer
The Ankh - and he notices now that it's an Ankh again rather than the odd Rune - is humming.
He pokes it.
"An ordeal. there's an ordeal to be done" - Samael
There's nothing but him and the... Ecstatic Wind
"Balls" - Samael
He tries to flare his Nimbus by channelling Mana out into his surroundings.
And then the Ecstatic Winds bite deep - he buckles in agony as the hand holding the Ankh and the Ankh itsel
blur together, melting into one another.
---
"Err" - Persephone
She points at Samael for Symmetry and Aegis - Samael's left hand has turned to gold.
At this point on the thread, I am obliged to tell you that Dave2 figured out, while Chris was playing his Astral Scene,
what the plot of the story was. Cobalt can't mention the first connection, and the second and third build off it, but his is
a moral victory. And more importantly an xp award
"Does that go away?" - Persephone
"Maybe. We hope" - Symmetry
Aquila comes down to inform them of the developments upstairs, and pass out the call for Acanthus
"Is the prophecy of doom going to strike tonight?" - Persephone
She checks
"It's not. We can wait" - Persephone
"Guys..." - Symmetry
"Where did Samael go?" - Symmetry
And indeed... His body has vanished.
TO BE CONTINUED!
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
RIGHT NOW!
---
In Mictlan, Sef tries to interrupt Chronos to ask for his advice. The city is a hive of activity, Kosciej coordinating
everyone in getting ready for his Grand Plan.
"Can you tell me what happened?" - Persephone
"No one knows. Archmages are terribly mysterious" - Vyvain
"It is said that Archmasters reside in pocket dimensions. It is possible that Samael, having succeeded in
attracting her attention, has been summoned" - Chronos
"So he's coming back, yeah?" - Persephone
The assorted shades look at one another
"Yes, of course he's coming back" - Chronos, flatly
"We must remind you that Galatea will be in Newcastle tomorrow. For security reasons, you must stay away" -
Kosciej
"What about doing it at the Legion's Sanctum?" - Persephone
"We don't trust all of your allies" - Chronos
"like who?" - Persephone, outraged by proxy
"Cicero? Any and all Guardians?" - Kosciej
"Cicero said he didn't care, and I believe him" - Persephone
"Cicero is hypnotic" - Kosciej

"Pick an Arrow" - Chronos
"More than one" - Persephone
---
Upstairs, Cobalt is marshalling Acanthus in mass-casting to Prophecy and Augery.
"Definitely a Consilium falling. However... It's not this one" - Tiresias
The look on Dave's face here (and presumably Cobalt's as well) was hilarious
"And the Aurora-being-stabbed thing? I'll call him in the morning - a word in his ear should sort it. I won't ask for
clemency on his exile, as it sound slike he's having a whale of a time..." - Cobalt
"...It's London. The events in this Consilium will lead to the death of Civitas and all his Councillors, and the
destruction of his Consilium" - Tireasis, pale
Which includes him, Pandora and Ashlar, remember
"You two are *from* London. And your Cabal go there." (to Cobalt) "It has to be something to do with you" -
Aurora
"Very likely" - Cobalt
"Solemn" - Persephone, joing the conversation as she heads upstairs
"Why?" - Cobalt
"Civitas knows Solemn's a Logophage, as do we" - Persephone
"That'll make the Convocation interesting, but I don't think Solemn can get the drop on Civitas like that. Not
least take out everyone else" - Cobalt
"I should return to London in the morning to warn Civitas" - Tiresias
"Oh, shit, yes. If there's anything we can do to stop it, we will" - Cobalt
"Is there anything else for me to look for?" - Tiresias
"...Djehuty. He was in contact with Hadrian" - Cobalt
"Who's Hadrian?" - Aurora
Tiresias waves it off
"Someone no longer in this story. But Djehuty is one of my servants - a Moros Mystagogue who works at the
Aetheneum" - Tiresias
"We know he talked to Hadrian about the Ankh, but it could be innocent" - Cobalt
"The last I heard of Djehuty, he was taking the Artifact you recovered from the Amazon to an Anthropologist to
have a facial reconstruction made" - Tiresias
---
Samael, nursing his solid and frozen hand, turns around. There's a doorway hanging in mid-air, connected to
the spire he's on by a small bridge. He pushes the door open, considers, and steps through.
Dave2: Sphere of Annihilation got another one...
He is no longer Astally-projecting. His body is here, aching and tired. "Here", though, is thick darkness.
"Who are you?" - Pandora
"Samael" - Samael
"The devil? Why is the Devil at my door?" - Pandora
"Not that Samael" - Samael
He looks at the not-Pandora with Supernal Vision. She's not there.
"And who are you?" - Samael

"This form was borrowed. What do you want?" - "Pandora"
"To speak with Sophia" - Samael
"What would you ask of her?" - "Pandora"
"I have questions relating to one of the Artifacts she created" - Samael
She looks at his hand.
"You should come in" - "Pandora"
The veil of darkness over the scene lifts as she turns and walks away, Samael following. He finds himself in a
farmhouse of some kind, somewhere warm. He can smell the sea, and the scent of Orange trees.
It looks like a Mystagogue's house.
"Why the borrowed form?" - Samael
The Archmaster no longer looks quite like Pandora. And shrugs slightly
"Why that specific form?" - Samael
"It was in your mind. The other women in your life were with you on the trip. If I had appeared as Catherine,
you may have thought she had caught up with you" - Sophia
"I wouldn't" - Samael
"You are a riddle-finder?" - Sophia
"One way of putting it" - Samael
"What questions do you have about the Physician?" - Sophia
"In the Fallen World my Consilium faces a fallen Angel of the Aether that has crossed the Abyss and come off
worse for it. Lacking options of how to deal with the entity, a wise member of my Order suggested the Golden
Physician. However, the only person who might know how to use the Artifact in that vein would be you. So the
question I have been tasked to ask is whether it can be used to help us" - Samael
"I do not answer 'tasks', what questions do you wish to ask?" - Sophia
"My most popular one these days is 'what the hell's going on', but I want to get rid of this thing as well" -
Samael
"The Physician cannot achieve this" - Sophia
"What, if anything, can?" - Samael
"Nothing in existence that I know of" - Sophia
"Can something be made?" - Samael
"Yes" - Sophia
"Can you make something?" - Samael
"yes" - Sophia
"Dare I ask what the cost would be?" - Samael
"The Physician can raise or lower the state of a thing in the Fallen World. It can do what the Dead Men in their
ossuary wish it to, but it cannot deal with your Angel. To banish the creature back to the Supernal, if it has been
so warped that it cannot do so itself, I would have to open a portol to the Aether through which anyone could
travel" - Sophia
"It's damaged and corrupted. Would returning it to Aether be the answer?" - Samael
"It would be purified, along with anything else making the journey. Make no mistake - we are speaking of
Ascension. Anyone crossing the threshold will never come back" - Sophia
"You can make such a gate?" - Samael
"It is within my capabilities" - Sophia

"Why haven't you?" - Samael
"I lack the necessary means" - Sophia
He frowns
"Spells of the Higher Mysteries require correspondences; specific sacraments. I would need something to be
able to perform such a working" - Sophia
"What would you need?" - Samael
"A Quintessence. Something that symbolises the spell we intend to make. In this case, it will not be easy. Not
only will you have to find the Quintessence, but... One does not lightly cross the Abyss. The Enemy will attempt
to stop you. Whilst we are here in my Chantry They cannot see us, but when you return to the Fallen World
They will be able to see your life. The great Exarchs of the Aether will see what you are intending to do and
send their agents to stop you" - Sophia
"Stop us from returning the angel?" - Samael
"Stop anyone from crossing the gate. Stop the gate from forming. They will kill me if they get the chance, and
will do no less to you" - Sophia
"Do we stand a chance?" - Samael
"There is always a chance. They are bound by the subtlties of the world they have created; they will send their
Seers. Once the spell begins, though, they will be under no restrictions. We will have to run" - Sophia
"This is the answer to the angel?" - Samael
"Yes. The life freely given will reduce the creature to a portable state, in which it can be bound or returned
through the portal" - Sophia
"Then the gate it is. What do I need to do?" - Samael
"For the breaching of the Supernal Realms, I require three shards of the Celestial Ladder that fell to Earth when
it cracked" (off his expression) "This is not an insurmountable task; you have already held one in your hands" -
Sophia
"The skull?" - Samael
She smiles, and he is enlightened. Yes - the Crystal Skull
"I must bring it here?"
"When you have all three, return" - Sophia
"That's something on the to-do list, then. Do you have any idea where other shards might be?" - Samael
"No. I did not say this would be easy" - Sophia
"So. Find two more shards - which can look like anything - and evade the Seers doing it" - Samael
"This interview is at an end, unless there is anything else you wish to ask" - Sophia
"What kind of answers can you provide? I don't know the breadth of your knowledge?" - Samael
"There is no harm in asking" - Sophia
He considers the Ankh, and the mystery of who put it in the bank. He knows that Cobalt knows who it was, but
can't tell him.
"The answer lies in the history of the Physician. Do you wish me to send you back to somewhere you can
uncover it?" - Sophia
"Somewhere I can find that history?" - Samael
He wracks his brains, trying to think of other questions. Sophia waves off his procastination
"Speak to your mentor. He goes in search of the answers you seek" - Sophia
"I have one question. Has the universe got it in for us, or is the Auric Horizon actually cursed?" - Samael
"Yes, but only in the last day" - Sophia

Because Mordred is a dick
---
Samael rolls out of bed and thumps his head.
He's in the lighthouse.
But he has the Ankh, and a renewed sense of purpose.
"I get the feeling I missed an opportunity there" - Samael
Doubtless you lot can think of something he should have asked her
He flexes his now flesh and blood hand, and tries to find a phone.
---
Back at the Legion, Sef has told those concerned that Samael has vanished. Pandora is fretting.
"Okay, look. If she took him, she can give him back. This is an Archmage - a crazy enlightened woman who
doesn't get any up there" - Cobalt
"If she doesn't give him back by morning we'll go up there and kick her ass" - Persephone
Also on the to-do list, Scribe has come out of the oubliette and Bede has gone *in*.
"Does anyone know if the doom is going to happen today?" - Cobalt
"It's not" - Persephone
"Okay. Then I'm going to bed" - Cobalt
"In fact it seems a way off" - Tiresias
"And I'm having a lie in. That is the plan. Aquila, do you have a bunk I can crash in?" - Cobalt
"We have. You and Symmetry can use Excalibur's room" - Aquila, just as shattered as Cobalt.
In fact, the only person looking chipper and not forming rings under her eyes is Key, who is reasserting her
naturally superior poise.
Speaking of Key, Pandora is worried about Samael and unable to concentrate, Samael is missing and Tiresias is
about to leave for London. It looks like Key may be about to make a play for Heirophant.
"Do we care about the Mystagogue heirarchy?" - Persephone
"Not my problem. Call me if the world ends" - Cobalt
The building's phone rings. Cicero answers
There is a pause.
"EVERYONE! HE'S BACK! Where are you..." - Cicero
More pause
"What are you doing at the lighthouse? Get back here... Teleport or something...I'll come and get you, we've
had some developments... You might want to form an orderly queue for Bede's trial. Also, you have about half
an hour to get here before the old blind man drives off in your girlfriend's car" - Cicero
He hangs up
"Samael is at the lighthouse, I'm going to go get him now" - Cicero
---
When Samael gets there, the crowd is seriously thinned. Cobalt and Symmetry have gone to bed. Quark has
gone. Magog is still here, as is Sef
"Hey! he's back!" - Magog
"You survived!" - Persephone
"Hey" - Samael
He high-fives Magog
"Awesome" - Magog
Pandora and Samael hug
"We were worried about you. Tiresias is about to leave - apparantly something we've done is going to destroy
London" - Pandora
"Somehow... That fits with my day" - Samael
"Did you meet the Archmage?" - Persephone
"I did" - Samael
He and Pandora walk to meet Tiresias, who is coming down the stairs
"The Ankh will help with your fellows" (to Persephone) "But not with the worm. However, I've negotiated with a
different solution..."
"That's how it works. God, I'm stupid. GOD-DAMNIT!" - Aurora
The Heirarch kicks the table football
"Of *course* Excalibur will kill me!" - Aurora
"Why?" - Samael
"Because if we can't deal with the worm it's *MY* Consilium!" - Aurora
So she'd sacrifice herself to imprison the Worm. Chorus of understanding noises from the players here.
"There's another way. The Archmaster can return it to the Aether. There are two problems - this requires
something called a Quintessence. We need to find three pieces of the broken Celestial Ladder to provide the
Sacrament for the spell. The second problem is" (looking at Magog) "The Seers" - Samael
"The Exarchs won't like you doing this" - Magog
"Presumably, they already know. As soon as I left her Sanctum and was no longer under her protection" -
Samael
"Huh?" - Persephone
"The Exarchs control the world. Samael's mind is in the world" - Magog
"I don't think they'll think much of it right away - they must get a million such things every day, people
planning to Ascend somehow" - Samael
"But as soon as you start achieving successes, they'll become more concerned. And dangerous" - Tiresias
"We know where the first piece is - it's in London, the property of the Mysterium" - Samael
Tiresias reads the subtext
"It should be in my Aetheneum" - Tiresias
"The skull?" - Persephone
Samael nods
"It makes sense. Think about it - Atlantis was inhabited by the Dragons, who all Ascended in ancient times.
What did the Atlanteans find when they arrived? Crystal dragon bones, made of the same material as the skull.
The *Human* skull" - Tiresias
"From when the Exarchs Ascended in their turn" - Magog
"An after-image of the body of the one who achieved the Final Key" - Tiresias, nodding
"So.. Wait! We have to warn Djehuty!" - Persephone
"In fact, I'm going to London right now. Is anyone up for coming with me?" - Tiresias, looking at Samael
"Yes, I'll go" - Samael

"And you're not leaving me behind this time" - Pandora
"So that's where we stand. I imagine there's been trouble here and things need to be patched up" (gives
Persephone the Ankh) "But for now, we've gotta go" - Samael
Tiresias nods to everyone
"In better times next time, I hope" - Tiresias
"Tell Cobalt and Symmetry what's happening. We'll see you later" - Pandora
"Okay" - Magog
"Magog - we're going to need a long talk about what to do next" - Samael
"Yeah. If they're going to be coming after you, the least I can do is stick by you" - Magog
---
Outside, while Tiresias builds a Portol, Samael asks Pandora if anyone died.
"Someone called Gloriana was nearly killed by Cobalt and Militas. Magog whaled on Loki" - Pandora
"Bede?" - Samael
"Went without a fight. Cobalt denounced him in front of everyone and talked his allies away" - Pandora
"Good for him" - Samael, approvingly
"I still think Aurora's slightly unstable" - Pandora
"Aurora? She's as mad as a fish" - Samael
"But she's convinced her fortold death is now for a good cause. Key, though, seems to be making a play for
Heirophant" - Pandora
"Depends if she's ready for the Mystery Initiation. If she's not, she's going nowhere. We don't need a Heirophant
anyway - and you? How's your Sophiad going?" - Samael
"We'll see what happens in London. But if you're going in search of Artifacts..." - Pandora
"Feel like going in search of the Latrine of the Exarchs?" - Samael
"I hear Baghdad is lovely this time of year" - Pandora
We've done Jungle. The other two sites will be desert and arctic / antarctic
---
Inside, Persephone is snuggling with Aquila, too wired to go to sleep. Kosciej, in Mictlan, has already started
casting and hanging spells in spell triggers.
-So, how does this work? If I hold the ankh...- - Persephone
-No no no no no. You hand the Ankh off to whichever Arrow you trust. They meet galatea at the hospital. You
don't have the power to cast the neccessary spells. We will remove his soul using the Ankh. His soul will then
appear in the Astral version of the Ankh. I will then perform the delicate operation of teasing his mind back into
it, before Galatea triggers the Ankh again and puts mind and soul back into his body- - Kosciej
-I see- - Persephone
-It hinges on the fact that I, personally, can create Gateways. The Attainment is to charge a Daimon to do so,
but I have the original rote the Attainment was based on. The problem is that I need to access the soul in
question which, trapped in here, I have been unable to do. The Ankh brings the mountain to mohammed, as it
were, where I can make a temporary gateway, shove his mind in and he can be woken up with a few reoccuring
nightmares and maybe some memory loss. But we can sort those out once he's back on his feet- - Kosciej
-So.. You're not going to board any Oneiros?- - Perspephone
-No. Which is handy, as it might have torn Mictlan apart- -Kosciej
-Aww, I liked the idea- - Persephone

-I admit, it had a certain romance about it. Perhaps another time. Do you know what this means?- - Kosciej
-What?- - Persephone
-We have been restricted in our numbers because we have so few living members, but there are many of us in
here with the third attainment. With this device, we can bring souls to us - we can go on a recruitment drive!- -
Kosciej
-No, no no. There's going to be none of that. I'm not going to steal the Ankh- - Perspheone
-Borrow it, then. I thought you wanted to be free of the responsibility?- - Kosciej
-Yes, but I'd be the one doing the recruiting: 'come join the Legacy of Kosciej the Deathless- - Persephone
-I think there are large sections of the Free Council that would be all over it. They'd jump at the chance- -
Kosciej, defensive
-About 1/10ths of which would be crazy Moros necromancers... Or crazy *Mastigos* Necromancers- -
Persephone, pointedly
-We can continue this conversation when I have accomplished the feat - performed without Archmastery - of
returning your boyfriend to you from beyond the grave- - Kosciej
He stalks off
-He's NOT my BOYFRIEND!- - Persephone
Poor Kosciej. She never lets him have any fun.
---
Cobalt and Symmetry wake up and receive the infodump
"First off - chocolate frosted sugar bombs. A man deserves a breakfast" - Cobalt
"Oh! I postcognitioned your speech to Aurora. GREAT speech, man!" - Persephone
"Magog. I heard about the offer to protect Samael. How about we make the whole probationary thing making
sure that the Worm gets out of this place - seeing the task done? That requires proving your loyalty, fear in the
face of death and such" - Cobalt
"..." - Magog
"He's going to need a Cabal, then" - Symmetry
"Okay, I'll talk to Scribe and start getting the Sigil changed" - Cobalt
"Don't you think you should talk to some *other* members of the Cabal?" - Persephone
"You're right! I'll call Samael..." - Cobalt, grinning
"That's it! I'm leaving - you can find some other lighthouse!" - Persephone, in jest
"...I was going to ask... I was talking to Quark about it before he went back. There have been problems in the
last year, between me and the rest of my Cabal. And it seems the fashionable thing to do, so if you're talking to
Scribe, you may as well not have to talk to her twice" - Symmetry
"You too? We might as well wait for Hadrian to wake up and ask *him*" - Persephone
"Yeah, okay" - Cobalt
She blinks
"Are we undesirable?" - Symmetry
"Well... No! You practically live with us anyway! But It's just... I'd like to be informed!" - Persephone
"We'll have a super-secret meeting when Sam gets back, and make these two ask nicely" - Cobalt
Magog grins the grin of a man who has no intention of asking nicely
And Cobalt is no longer Doorwarden. There's a weight off.
"Just one more thing" - Cobalt

He phones Excalibur
"I love the smell of burning Werewolf in the morning. Smells like... Smells like... Rod, where the hell are we?"
(pause) "Smells like Nuneaton, apparently" - Excalibur
"You'll want to hear this - we've gotten to the bottom of it. Apprantly the auric horizon brings doom down on the
London Consilium, as you do, and it turns out that Bede has a rock-solid prophecy of you killing Aurora" - Cobalt
"That would explain some things" - Excalibur
"And she twigged to why" - Cobalt
"The worm. She'd give her life for the Consilium" - Excalibur
"Bang! No word on the Exile, yet, but we're working on it. The prognosis is a bit brighter... So how are you guys
doing? Werewolves, you say?" - Cobalt
"Oh, we've been doing the rounds. It's a regular scoobie-doo season here, except it's not turned out to be the
caretaker so far" - Excalibur
"When I'm old, I'm going to play havok in an amusement park" - Cobalt
"Don't joke. There was a nasty spirit at Alton Towers. Picture, if you will, Rodriguez slaying the manifest spirit of
a rollercoaster. While riding it" - Excalibur
"How did he dive sideways firing two guns?" - Cobalt
"With skill, my friend, with skill" - Excalibur
"Glad to hear you're having a good time" - Cobalt
"Yeah. We're going to pick up that girl you put in touch. Aurora knows my number if she wants to talk" -
Excalibur
He hangs up. Cobalt tells Sef what Rod and Cal have been doing
"Where the hell is Nuneaton?" - Persephone
---
Samael, Tiresias and Pandora have arrived, to find that Djehuty has not been seen for several days.
In fact, there's a bit of a flap. As some items are missing - not the skull, thankfully. Several banned texts,
dangerous grimoires and magical weapons.
Djehuty *could* have taken them.
"Right. Okay. Where do we start looking for him?" - Samael
"He could be anywhere" - Pandora
"He could have fled to Cambridge if he were working for Solemn, but that doesn't feel right. He warned your
Hadrian" - Tiresias
"I'm wondering if Djehuty is considerably more than he appears" - Samael
"What did she say about why you came here with me today?" - Tiresias
"I wanted to know who put the Ankh in the bank vault. She said you were looking for answers to that question"
- Samael
"Yes, I was going to look that up. Forget Djehuty for the time being - he won't get far" - Tiresias
And therin lies Tiresias' big mistake...
Damn you, Doghooter!
---
Persephone has elected Aquila and Aegis to guard the Ankh. Aquila will be in the room, Aegis outside it.
Cobalt is trying to patch things up with the Silver Ladder, especially to Joan and Gloriana. Persephone, trying to
take her mind off what's going on at the hospital, goes with him. Hatfield is hopping mad, and thinking of
defecting to the Newcastle Cabals, but is persuaded not to.
"I am impressed with Abbott, I must say. He was the weak link in that he was reacting to evidence. By
presenting more evidence, he turned to our side. I want to get the measure of the guy" - Cobalt
Aquila phones Sef
"Galatea is here. We're getting ready to start" - Aquila
-We are now ready to begin!- - Kosciej
"Excuse me. They're on" - Persephone
She puts most of her concentration into Mictlan, observing what's going on.
In the gateway ring of Mictlan, Kosciej has created a kind of tiered ampitheatre, putting Sef in mind of victorian
surgeries performed in front of an audience. Kosciej's pattern is laden with hung spells, and the thick leaden air
of mictlan is energised and crackling.
In the centre, Galatea stands, her manniquin-like Astral Form holding the Ankh-shape of the Golden Physician.
Kosciej stands next to her, and the centre space is taken up by the immobile form of Hades.
Persephone sits next to Chronos to watch and casts Grim Sight.
There is a burst of energy, and a soul appears in the Ankh.
Mictlan begins to creak ominously, and the lights flicker.
-Don't worry - she'll hold together long enough- - Kosciej
---
In London, Tiresias has called Ashlar to the library. The four Mystagogues are knee-deep in books, trying to find
something.
In the depths of proceedings of the Caucus, Samael's Attainment activates - he has it.
"Guys" - Samael, holding the parchment up.
He begins to read. At first interested, then with a cold sense of horror as he takes it in.
The account is of the theft of the Golden Physician from the Cambridge Consilium.
Stolen by a Libertine named "Lazarus", who Solemn the elder hunted down and killed - but he never managed
to find the Ankh.
"PHONE! NOW!" - Samael
---
In Mictlan, the background hum is growing. Chronos is looking more and more concerned. Kosciej casts
something on Galatea and then pauses.
"For my next trick..." - Kosciej
He puts his hands out to the Ankh.
And casts Steal Body
It's in Free Council. Go look it up - I can wait

There is an inrush of implosion, a moment of terrible silence and then the sound of tearing iron.
Then come the screams of the Cousins.
Persephone feels herself thrown backwards as Mictlan is torn nearly in half. She gets a split-second view of
Arawn screaming as he's sucked out of the breach into the Underworld, other cousins falling around him, before
she collides with one of the falling towers and is knocked clean out of Astral Space.
In the physical world, she doubles up with pain and falls to her knees
Cobalt's phone rings as Symmetry supports Sef. He answers.

"I've found something - the Ankh relates to Lazarus!" - Samael
"Wait - Are you telling me that the Parliament of the Needle stole the Ankh?" - Cobalt
"I think so!" - Samael
Cobalt feels the Geas from the Aeons lift.
"HOSPITAL!" - Cobalt, running for the exit
"Mictlan... Mictlan just *exploded*!" - Persephone, gasping
"CRAP! The City! The city falling into darkness! Ohhh.. Shit!" - Cobalt
Without any willpower to keep him away, Sef can't keep the Daimon from appearing
-What the buggery is going on!?- - Daimon!Kosciej
"I... I... Sam twigged it. He confirmed..." - Cobalt, getting into the car
"The ankh.. Kosciej put it in that safety-deposit box" - Cobalt
-That back-stabbing bastard!- - D!Kosciej
"He boot-strapped himself into it.. And now we've put a soul into... Oh, god" - Cobalt
"I don't get it!" - Persephone, reeling
"The darkness we unleash on the world. I think it's Kosciej the Deathless" - Cobalt
"Slow down again!" - Persephone
"Why the secrecy about the method? He's put HIMSELF into Hadrian - Call Aegis! Call them all!" - Cobalt
-Aegis and Aquila are probably dead- - D!Kosciej
"Bastard. Bastard" - Persephone
Cobalt exceeds the speed limit
---
They reach the hospital ten minutes later to find a scene of chaos. Nurses and security guards are milling
around. As they arrive, they see Aegis - handcuffed - being put into a police van. His eyes meet Cobalt's across
the tarmac, and Cobalt nods slightly.
Aegis looks injured.
And has decided to be arrested rather than kill Sleepers in order to escape
Sef casts Incognito Presence on herself, Cobalt, Magog and Symmetry
Cobalt fights the tide to get to Hades' room. There's a pair of trolleys outside containing Aquila and an elderly
lady they've never seen before but take to be Galatea. They're unconscious - Galatea is very, very frail. Aquila
looks like he had most of his recovery from the Worm kicked out of him. Both of their patterns appear
damaged, as though they've Scoured themselves.
Bracing themselves, Sef and Cobalt cast independent Postcognition spells.
When Kosciej cast on Galatea , she jerked and operated the Ankh - to Cobalt, trained to recognise such things
by Cicero, it's clear that she acted then under the effects of a possession spell. Aquila - also recognising it -
asked her what the hell was going on.
At which point the Ankh activated on Hades' body, returning his soul - or A soul at any rate - to the body.
Aquila started towards him, but as "Hades"' eyes snapped open, a spell (one of those Kosciej had in a spell
trigger) activated, covering the room in a Suspension. As Aquila and Galatea slowed to a standstill, "Hades"
struggled to sit up. Stretching, he cast a Life spell to allow himself to ignore the effects of being in a coma for
so long. Lurching to his feet with the feel of an entity trying to get used to a new body, he put both hands to
Aquila's head.
The spell he used on Aquila stinks of the Death Arcanum. Aquila screamed in agony and Hades' face twists into
Kosciej's demonic smile as the liche scours Aquila's pattern for Mana. When Aquila drops to the floor, it's
Galatea's turn to have her Pattern ripped apart.
Panting, clutching himself, Kosciej kneels to take Aquila's phone with one hand and the Ankh with the other.
Aegis kicks the door in, alerted by the screams. He meets Kosciej's gaze.
Kosciej gives a jaunty wave and teleports.
...
Cobalt phones Aquila, but gets voicemail.
"Okay. You need to find out what's happened in Mictlan" - Cobalt
"What's happened? Mictlan's destroyed!" - Persephone
-We don't know that- - D!Kosciej
"The gate should still go somewhere. And he's always going to be in Mictlan" - Cobalt
-He's betrayed us, but he's betrayed the other Cousins, too- - D!Kosciej
Cobalt phones Cicero
"Cicero... Cicero... Come on" - Cobalt
Someone answers
"Cicero?" - Cobalt
"Good morning, Cobalt" - Kosciej
The voice is unmistakably both Hadrian's vocal chords and Kosciej's voice
Cobalt stiffens, back straight with anger.
"Okay. There were lines crossed this morning" - Cobalt
"There were lines crossed a long time ago, my young friend" - Kosciej
"How are you?" - Cobalt, with great hostility
"Me? It's liberating, really. Speaking of Liberating, I have made a number of acquisitions. The Lorehouse is
growing in size" - Kosciej
"Nononono" - Cobalt
"...And will be made available to anyone who asks. Anything the Guardians are trying to keep locked up, we will
steal and mass-produce. Anyone that tries to stop us... We'll deal with them on a case by case basis" - Kosciej
"No" - Cobalt
"But don't worry about Solemn. I'll deal with him, too. And who knows? When I'm done, I might give you this toy
back" - Kosciej
He hangs up and smashes the phone.
"MotherFUCKER! We need to get to the Legion's Sanctum! Kosciej answered" - Cobalt
"WHAT!?" - Persephone
"He's going to steal anything the Guardians try to hide... He's going to restart the Nameless War... Djehuty.
Djehuty was in on this - we need to find that rat bastard" - Cobalt
Symmetry's phone rings. She passes it, without a word, to Cobalt
"Good design" - Cobalt, mildly, before answering

"Cobalt? Thank God - I don't know how many people are left... I'm in the Legion's Sanctum still... I've been
hiding upstairs. There's been some kind of fight and I think Cicero's down!" - Scribe, in tears
"Get to him! Try to keep him from dying! We're on our way with reinforcements" - Cobalt
The four mages put their best game faces on, and head back to the car.
TO BE CONTINUED
Damn you, Doghooter!
An explanation will follow, when I'm awake enough to write it.
1. Ah, Djehuty, the Waylon Smithers to Kosciej's Monty Burns. The Braca to his Scorpius.
Sorry, Djehuty3, but you're the bad guy's sidekick.
Everything Kosciej's done (or will do, now that he's ambulatory) makes perfect logical sense (to
him) and is calculated to get the job done with maximum efficiency (for him). But, as Medic says,
his Wisdom is by now so very low that he doesn't consider a few human lives to be worth
worrying about in the course of making greater gains.
This wasn't a Xanatos gambit, by the way - Kosciej does the whole Xanatos chessmaster routine
next story. His "plan" in the chronicle so far has been improvisation after improvisation and
replan after replan, assessing his objectives based on what Sef has been blithly feeding him from
the real world and figuring out what to do based on that.
This;
-About 1/10ths of which would be crazy Moros necromancers... Or crazy *Mastigos* Necromancers- -
Persephone, pointedly
Represents the moment at which he decided, finally, to commit to going through with operation: steal Hades'
body. When Sef refused to use the Ankh to create new members of the Legacy, thus allowing Mictlan to carry
out its original purpose. Without that hope, it became dead weight.
But you can't say he didn't give her a chance.
Because that was the original plan - Kosciej (postmortem) and Lazarus (still alive at the time) cooked up a
scheme between them in the 50s to use the Ankh to spread the Legacy and tweak Solemn-the-Elder's nose
while they were at it, given that the Logophage had inflicted the heavy casualties they were trying to recover
from. Lazarus stole the Ankh from Cambridge and - with Solemn close on his heels - did the dirty work.
Neither of them, both low-wisdom veterans of the Nameless War, really stopped to think that they should tell
the other Cousins what they were planning. After all, using the Ankh to copy Daimon!Kosciej onto the souls of
new recruits required D!K to be in the Ankh, which meant taking him out of Calliope. Acceptable losses.
But after Lazarus deposited the Ankh in the bank, Solemn caught and tortured him to death, scrambling his
memory while he was at it. When Lazarus and Kosciej compared notes, they realised just how screwed the
parliament was - indeed, that the entire point of their jokes of an existence was undermined. Lazarus passed on
into the Underworld and Kosciej brooded.
He never told the other Cousins what they'd found out. To do so would be to reveal that they'd sacrificed
Calliope for nothing, and that would be an admission of failure that Kosciej (Megalomania derangement and
proud of it) couldn't accept. Over the years, he convinced himself that if he *did* tell them, they'd give up the
endless wait for Mictlan to be used by the living and pass on en masse.
Enter the other half of our star-crossed partners - Djehuty.
Djehuty is a Mystagogue of an Egyptian praxis, as was noted in his introduction back in "When You Were
Young". He interprets the Fallen World through the lens of Egyptian gods and magic, and spends a great deal of
time in the Underworld (or, as he calls it, Duat) communing with the spirits of the dead there, faithfully
recording their wisdom.
On one of his jaunts, he came across the gates of Mictlan.
Kosciej built his Region to extrude into the Underworld to contemplate that grim realm during his multi-decade
sulkathon, but it served to keep his and Djehuty's conversations private. The Mystagogue and the Liche would
have long conversations through Kosciej's window like a particularly undead Rapunzel, and they researched the
Ankh together. Kosciej came up with two plans - a short term one to get just revenge against Solemn and a long
term one of grandiose hubris and sheer balls, which impressed Djehuty enough that he was willing to secretly
join the Free Council to see carried out. First, though - revenge.
Djehuty very carefully made a few errors of discretion, alerting Solemn to the Ankh's being in London so that he
- at Kosciej's direction - could set a trap and be waiting with all the deadly artifacts he could filch from the
Aetheneum. The idea was to use the Ankh on Solemn, allowing Kosciej to steal his body. Poetic justice.
Lapse of moral character # 2 - when Hades turned up instead of Solemn, Kosciej hesitated for about three
seconds before declaring that the young Guardian was obviously a Follower of the Lie, and that his physical
form was just as forfeit as Solemn's would have been.
Djehuty wasn't expecting Chayot to turn up and demand all intelligence on the Ankh just as he was meant to
be off trap-setting. He pannicked and improvised, with the end result of Hades' mind getting stuck in Mictlan's
barriers quite (to Kosciej's considerable irritation) soulless, Chayot fleeing North with the Ankh and the Daimon?
Who knew where the Daimon had got to?
When Sef contacted the Parliament in "Hounds of Winter" Kosciej thought that he'd been granted an
unexpected third chance. He spent most of that story desperately trying to get Sef to join the Legacy (to buy
more time, and another potential agent) while piecing together what had happened.
In When You Were Young, Djehuty (for the man in the Guy Fawkes mask was *him*) reported back to Kosciej
when the Cabal found Hades' body. Kosciej put the body-stealing plan back into action, but was constantly
frustrated by the Cabal's refusal to man up and start experimenting with the Ankh. And also by Civitas'
interference, delaying said experiments.
Once Sef joined the Legacy proper, Kosciej started sounding her out to see if she could be trusted. He told her
about the damage to Mictlan, hoping that it would increase her anger at Solemn, but he never gave up on
seeding the idea that Hades' Soul + Ankh = Profit.
He tells himself that he would have been willing to remain in Mictlan, had Sef agreed to go on a recruitment
drive using the Ankh. Had she given any sign that he could trust her with the Long-Term plan. But she has a
mind of her own, unused to the idea of people telling her what to do, so that was right out. In the end, Sef
regards Mictlan as something that's hers, not something to be made relevant - she has no interest in putting it
back on Kosciej and the gang's original purpose, and - damaged as it is - it simply became expendable.
In the end, the Cabal found out Djehuty was linked to Hades. Kosciej and Djehuty knew that they had a matter
of hours to act - Djehuty grabbed what he could carry and fled to the London Assembly, while Kosciej virtually
frogmarched Sef and Galatea into setting it up so he could perform his shell game with souls.
And now he and Djehuty are in hiding with the Guy Fawkes precedent. The Assembly wants him to help them
defeat Civitas and bring down the Consilium. He himself wants to make Solemn, up in an entirely different
Consilium, suffer.
And there's the long-term plan to be getting on with.

Mage The Awakening AP by Dave Brookshaw - Soul Cage Part 1

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Mage The Awakening AP by Dave Brookshaw - Soul Cage Part 1

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

The Soul Cage pt1

1. [Mage: The Awakening] The Soul Cage

The Boy child is locked in the fisherman's yard

Where is the the fisherman, where is the goat?

These are the Soul Cages

He's the king of the ninth world

These are the Soul Cages

'I have a wager' the brave child spoke

'I have here a cask of most magical wine

'And what's in it for me my pretty young thing?

These are the Soul Cages

A body lies open in the fisherman's yard

These are the Soul Cages

Swim to the Light

He dreamed of the ship on the sea

Welcome, faithful reader!

So say hello to Chris (Acrozatarim) and Agena (Mrok Girl)!

Next up: The Initial Spark

I never intended to run Mage again.

Which is where The Soul Cage comes in.

Masks and Identity Crisis / Everybody Lies / Paranoia

Or at least, you'd like to hope you do.

Fighting Fire With Fire / Morals are for Mortals - Wisdom

Because it might come in handy one day.

What if the solution can be found in the Left Hand path?

Atlantis and Alchemy

Rattling The Bars

And that's where the Chronicle got it's name.

The Soul, Caged

Souls are going to be important to the Chronicle.

Now to get me some players.

Originally Posted by DaveB

Mind you, I don't have Skinchangers.

Originally Posted by DaveB

1. Re: [Mage: The Awakening] The Soul Cage

Originally Posted by DaveB

Look up the Sting Lyrics if you like.

Originally Posted by Acrozatarim

People like you

(after a discussion on the Awakening)

Originally Posted by Mrok Girl

And when did the thread get to page 2 already?

(Looks over all the heaps of posts)

1. Re: [Mage: The Awakening] The Soul Cage

Because the Uk doesn't have any Wolves in it.

That's what you said, really, isn't it?

1. Re: [Mage: The Awakening] The Soul Cage

MONKEYS THAT WALK AS MEN

Take a standard 0-xp WoD character.

Real name: Jeremiah Morrison

Rotes: Organic Perception, Flight of Birds, Lhaksmit's Touch

Real name: Rex Williams

Area of Expertise (Science)

Rotes: Alter Shape

Order: Free Council

Rotes: Winds of Change

Put simply, if you think of the progression of events as

Then we have reshuffled them to

E(&A), C(&B), F(&D)

Let's put this train on the rails...

It's 2.13 at night, and the train hurtles North to Oblivion.

Or Edinburgh, whichever is sooner.

"He has to be here somewhere." - Samael

"Not a spirit" - Cobalt

Ah, now Rex has it. He's from the Union...