[Mage: The Awakening] The Soul Cage - part two

[DaveB]

This is a continuation of The Soul Cage (http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?t=375715), my M:TAw Actual Play thread, which exceeded 1000 posts some time ago and is now approximately half way through my planned chronicle.

Before we get the recap for session 6.1, I'll start the thread off with some well-overdue metadata. A list of all the Storyteller Characters will probably be the most useful - and that'll be on Wednesday I think - but for tonight, I'll just start off with an episode guide to the previous thread.

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Soul Cage, if you haven't read the previous thread, is the story of a Cabal of young Mages living in North-East England who are contending with a Left-Handed Legacy in the Mysterium, another left-Handed Legacy in the Guardians of the Veil, an Astral Lorehouse of Libertine Ghost-Mages and the Lambton Worm.

[DaveB]

The following Episode Guide takes you to the first post in each game session's recap;

Prelude: The Beginning Is The End Is The Beginning
The one with all the hopping about in time, the introductions and the fight on the train.

Session 0.1 (http://forum.rpg.net/showpost.php?p=8474054&postcount=102), in which the Cabal-to-be face off with a rogue Moros on the late train to Edinburgh, a Ghost is bisected by an enchanted door and we see Cobalt and Samael's Awakenings.
Session 0.2 (http://forum.rpg.net/showpost.php?p=8509916&postcount=129), in which Cobalt is recruited to the Free Council by Cognos, the Cabal-to-be meet for the first time and we see Persephone's Awakening.
Session 0.3 (http://forum.rpg.net/showpost.php?p=8576435&postcount=174), in which the Consilium is introduced, Cognos leaves and Chayot is killed.

Story One: The Mourning After
The one where the Cabal form officially, the other Mages are introduced properly and what seems to be a quiet investigation into a ghost turns into an Astral journey into the Oneiros of a soul-damaged Proximus.

Session 1.1 (http://forum.rpg.net/showpost.php?p=8609036&postcount=199), in which the Auric Horizon is named, Bede is shady and Cobalt meets Symmetry.
Session 1.2 (http://forum.rpg.net/showpost.php?p=8650519&postcount=219), in which the Ghost turns out to not be a Ghost after all, and we see the Farthest Legion's Sanctum.
Session 1.3 (http://forum.rpg.net/showpost.php?p=8650843&postcount=223), in which the Cabal and Cicero plunge into the depths of Dominic's Oneiros and are forced to make a harsh decision.

Story Two: Welcome To The Jungle
The one where the Cabal go to Brazil to join an Archaeomancer expedition, and end up fighting an ancient magical being and a group of local Seers of the Throne.

Session 2.1 (http://forum.rpg.net/showpost.php?p=8687863&postcount=257), in which the Cabal go to Rio and meet the rest of the team. And Cognos makes a Christmas appearance.
Session 2.2 (http://forum.rpg.net/showpost.php?p=8756548&postcount=301), in which there's a high-stakes game of volleyball and the Expedition's members capture a Seer. With sleep-disturbing consequences for Cobalt.
Session 2.3 (http://forum.rpg.net/showpost.php?p=8825958&postcount=327), in which the Expedition set off to Acre province, Samael and Duma clash and the Seers ambush the convoy.
Session 2.4 (http://forum.rpg.net/showpost.php?p=8929072&postcount=359), in which the Atlantean temple is reached and the Expedition come under attack from both sides.
Session 2.5 (http://forum.rpg.net/showpost.php?p=8949721&postcount=380), in which Persephone and Orchid flee the wreckage, Samael and Duma try to understand the temple's interior and Cobalt and Ashlar try to survive.

Story Three: The Hounds Of Winter
The one with the Barghests, the Werewolf and the Mysterium screwing over the Free Council. Also with the introduction of Kosciej, and the revelation of just what's going on inside Persephone's head.

Session 3.1 (http://forum.rpg.net/showpost.php?p=8985543&postcount=416), in which Persephone enters her Oneiros and finds Kosciej lurking there, Excalibur tries to watch a hockey game and the others find a frozen corpse.
Session 3.2 (http://forum.rpg.net/showpost.php?p=9024433&postcount=494), in which the gang break into a Police Station and Persephone explains Kosciej to Cobalt before having a huge fight with Samael.
Session 3.3 (http://forum.rpg.net/showpost.php?p=9067045&postcount=517), in which Cobalt learns to Duel, the investigation continues and the Hounds are found in a most unlikely place.
Session 3.4 (http://forum.rpg.net/showpost.php?p=9104110&postcount=554), in which a delicate situation becomes even more so and Persephone goes in search of the Parliament of the Needle
Session 3.5 (http://forum.rpg.net/showpost.php?p=9109184&postcount=572), in which the real Kosciej is contacted and the Mysterium bite off more than they can chew, to the detriment of Symmetry's career.

Story Four: When You Were Young
The one where the Cabal go to London for a holiday and end up getting deeper into the conspiracy, fighting off fear spirits and a particularly single-minded Echo Walker while trying to not get arrested by the paranoid Guardian of the Veil regime.

Session 4.1 (http://forum.rpg.net/showpost.php?p=9166282&postcount=636), in which Ashlar, Pandora and Rodriguez return to the Chronicle and Crystal Skulls are examined.
Session 4.2 (http://forum.rpg.net/showpost.php?p=9248861&postcount=711), in which Samael examines the Sophiad and learns about the Ankh and Cobalt and Persephone find Hadrian.
Session 4.3 (http://forum.rpg.net/showpost.php?p=9342384&postcount=737), in which the Cabal are attacked by fear Spirits and figure out what Chayot was up to last summer.
Session 4.4 (http://forum.rpg.net/showpost.php?p=9368172&postcount=791), in which Rodriguez wins his Duel, Pandora and Samael become too close for Persephone's comfort and Astral Journies are made.
Session 4.5 (http://forum.rpg.net/showpost.php?p=9395402&postcount=846), in which a soul-damaged Samael refuses to face off against Arc, leaving Cobalt to do it instead.

Story Five: Monster
The one where the Cabal stumble across the Lambton Worm, the Consilium is attacked from within by a small group determined to see it in civil war and Arc continues his one-man campaign.

Session 5.1 (http://forum.rpg.net/showpost.php?p=9473084&postcount=912), in which Cobalt picks up his mail and discovers an ancient monster out of folklore living under Tynemouth Priory.
Session 5.2 (http://forum.rpg.net/showpost.php?p=9564138&postcount=961), in which the Cabal's attempts to heal the Consilium coincide with someone else's much more concerted attempts to crack it like an egg.
Session 5.3 (http://forum.rpg.net/showpost.php?p=9620089&postcount=1032), in which the investigation into the break-ins gathers pace like a rolling boulder, until the traitors are brought down by the angry mob and the Cabal realise just how bad things are looking for Cat.
Session 5.4 (http://forum.rpg.net/showpost.php?p=9647648&postcount=1059), in which the Cabal fight off the Lambton Worm and Samael goes to see Key.
Session 5.5 (http://forum.rpg.net/showpost.php?p=9703125&postcount=1097), in which the Consilium decides on many matters, Arc presents a proposed deal and one of the Cabal's allies is banished.

[DaveB]

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)


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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.

Coming next: Character Sheets. Players - if you have your sheets, now is the time for stattage.

[Kelreth]

Have we been told about the left-handed legacy of the GotV? I can't remember reading about them

[Solarious]

Well, Solemn's big secret is that he's Nephandi; Logophages eat and delete knowledge from the Fallen World, instead of simply hiding it forevermore as most Guardians do. As of 5.5, we haven't covered this yet in-story, but Dave is exposing Solemn now.

Also, Lankin is a Seer of the Throne! And he has it in for Cobalt, which is hilarious. At least Dave had the courtesy of not misspelling his name this time. ;)

[Spectrum]

Good lord 5.5 is awesome. You reminded me of why I sometimes love political games. I'll need to re-read it slowly in order to see if I understood everything, though. I *think* I did, but I'm sure there's nuance I missed.

[Raphael]

I'm just bouncing. Your political story was simply brilliant; a fantastic read. Now I'm wondering if I can slip in a Mage one-shot with my old group when I go home for holiday. Poor them. :D

Once again, thank you so much for sharing these with us. Looking forward to the next with indescribable glee.

[mhacdebhandia]

Great stuff, Dave and co.! I loved it.

[Lankin the Mad Mage]

Erm....not to be too complaining here, but isn't it kinda spoiling the future plot when you tell us that certain people belong to certain left-handed legacies or that someone is a seer when that hasn't been revealed in the story yet?

[Uber]

I hate you DaveB. Hate you like I hate J. K. Rowling, Iain Banks and M. John Harrison :D

You magnificent bastard. Halfway through and I'm squee-ing like a fanboy. Damn you. I nearly wet myself when Cal spoke to Samael about the coup. And about fifty othertimes reading 5.5.

Boo on the spoilers though, although I suppose you saved me a pair of pants for finding out the Logophage thing.

There needs to be a novelisation of your APs, damnit. White Wolf needs to get off their buns and publish this stuff.

[Kelreth]

Hmm so that begs the questions. Is Solemn trying to get access to the Parliament so that he can erase it and destroy a beacon of knowledge or simply because he has an axe to grind. I'm guessing a combo

And where was Lankin(sp?) introduced? I don't remember reading about him instory.

[Inostra]

Glorious, as always; my applauds.

[DaveB]

Apologies for those going "boo". I just sidn't want it to go out of date within five minutes. Neither revelation (Lankin and Solemn) are particularly earth-shattering, and will be in the first post of 6.1, as they were in the first half hour of the game.

There is a rather huge revelation coming at about the same time, though, which I am deliberately concealing. Just to show I have double standards.

Speaking of which.


Coming Next on the Thread!

Butterflies and Hurricanes, in which the Cabal find more missing pieces of the puzzle and go in search of more. Yes, it's time for the story-long expedition into the Astral Realms in search of Hadrian's Oneiros, the Echo Walkers' Temenos realm and, ultimately, Sophia.

[Kelreth]

The Echo Walkers' have their own little place in the collective sub-conscious? That sounds like a scary freaking place.

[DaveB]

The Echo Walkers' have their own little place in the collective sub-conscious? That sounds like a scary freaking place.

Every single human group, story or shared narrative has a place there. So all Legacies do, *if* you can find their realm. The opportunity for getting info on your enemie's beliefs this presents is one of the neater implications of the Temenos.

[Maninblue]

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)

[DaveB]

I'll do the writeups for the two unique Legacies, I think.

[Mozart]

Glorious!

Are we going to get more information on Auroa's motives in future? Is she trying to split the consilium or is she just a tad incompetent at the hierarch thing? Are there other forces at play here?

[GarethC]

First off, DaveB, many plaudits to yourself for putting the effort in to write this up so I could enjoy it as much as I did Broken Diamond, and to your players for playing characters who are smart, but also essentially moral and uplifting.

Second,
Symmetry, Free Council Thyrsus. Vetinarian, long-established voice of reason in the Consilium and Cobalt's girlfriend.
Lemme guess, long ago, there was a Banisher cabal masquerading as a troupe of mimes... :)

[Shisumo]

I'd really like to say how awesome all this is, but a) it's been done before and b) there's really not enough superlatives in the English langauge.

Suffice to say, I'm posting to subscribe again, due to exceeding awesomeness.

[markpank]

Wow, so there's still a whole thread of awesome to come? :D

[Isator Levie]

On the subject of spoilers:

I dunno, given what we know of Solemn, I kinda saw the Logophage thing coming. Though that may be because I am quite obsessed with them. Which in itself might because of the two namedrops of that Legacy at strategic points of this very chronicle (FORESHADOWING!).

And as for Lankin being a Seer of the Throne, well;
"Not evil. Just genius."

[Lankin the Mad Mage]

And as for Lankin being a Seer of the Throne, well;
"Not evil. Just genius."
What? I'm innocent, innocent I tell you! :o

Yeah, ok, so maybe Seer of the Throne isn't too far off. I do feel I'm right and people should just do things my way. Still, it was a fairly surprising choice of Path and Order, and my group found it rather amusing (the ST as a Seer of the Throne? No jokes to be made there, no sir!).

You do remind me that I still haven't got an avatar for RPG.net though. Just realized that the quote you wrote won't mean much to people here, since that avatar is too big for these boards. Ah, I'll see what I can find. EDIT: And the issue is fixed. Still not my precious 'Not evil. Just genius' favorite, but c'est la vie.


And I'll just chime in to say this has been incredibly mindblowing from start to finish, and I'm eagerly awaiting further development.

[aryth]

It's not so much a spoiler, as it is a quick fix. ;)

[DaveB]

Which in itself might because of the two namedrops of that Legacy at strategic points of this very chronicle (FORESHADOWING!)


Well, at least someone noticed...

:D

[Acrozatarim]

And here's Samael, as of the beginning of 6.1. He's fallen behind a bit on the Arcana side of things, mainly as I have been saving up towards getting Prime 4. Knowing that story 6 was to contain lots of Astral travel, it was a difficult choice between getting Composure 3 and Life 2 (oh lovely, lovely healing magic) and in the end the Composure won.

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)

[Kythras]

What's this "Profession" Merit, and where can I find it?

[DaveB]

In Hunter: The Vigil. It's a superior way to model an nWoD character that has a "day-job".

[Kythras]

Eeeeeeenteresting... thanks for that, I'll be sure to check it out...

[Mrok Girl]

And last but not least: Sef.

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

[Inostra]

Fighting Style: Archery 1 without any correlating skill?

[DaveB]

Fighting Style: Archery 1 without any correlating skill?

Archery's under Athletics. She has it at 2

EDIT - just checked. The Fighting Style's prerequisites are Strength 2, Dexterity 2 and Athletics 2.

[Inostra]

Archery's under Athletics. She has it at 2

EDIT - just checked. The Fighting Style's prerequisites are Strength 2, Dexterity 2 and Athletics 2.

ah, cool.

[DaveB]

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 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

[DaveB]

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 :D

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

[DaveB]

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

<<post break>>

"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

-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

-[i]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

<<post break>>

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!

[DaveB]

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!

[Lankin the Mad Mage]

Can't.....stop.....laughing. Good lord, I though I was going to die when I came to the Indiana Jones scene. Good lord this is awesome stuff. Of course, now it'll be that much more difficult to run Astral Stories, since it'll be continually measured against THIS, but it's the price we pay for having access to this superb story.

Also, woot for finally showing up in the story! Yay! Both as sneaky Seer leader with threats and schemes, AND as nazi villain in a Jones flick. I mean, honestly, "tie him up and explain our plans to him"? I must have been a saint in a previous life or something to get a line like that!

Marvelous as always DaveB & crew. Simply marvelous.

[Solarious]

Oh, Dave. Never change, never change. Ilsa, She Wolf of the SS? Lankin-in-Joyce's-body? Cobalt in a Box? The Legacy Races? The Council of Elrond as imagined by the Daimon of Kosciej? As if Cobalt's last trip into the wonderful world of DaveB's sadism wasn't enough. I always know I'm in for a treat when I read an update.

Samael's observations about Cobalt and Persephone are quite astute. Although Cobalt is mechanically the weakest member of the Auric Horizon, he isn't even a second degree disciple yet, he still manages to divine all kinds of wonderful insight into the nature of the Chronicle; discovering how Cobra got framed and being the first to realize that Chayot was the Echo Walker responsible for disjoining Hadrian's soul as two prominent examples. Persephone too, as she's the most powerful mage of the bunch, being a third degree Disciple now, yet somewhat unfocused and drifting along. The plan in 5.5 with Arc as a fast one from left field for me. Too bad Excalibur sank that ship.

It's very nice to see these updates pouring in so quickly. Don't feel any obligation to us: this is all community service. Just saying. :D

[medic]

question for DaveB and company: was Arc really a villain?

"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

this makes him look less like an uber-powerful archvillain and more like a really powerful pawn. like a queen-pawn. ...?

so i wonder how bad he really was? i mean, sure, the blatant attack in broad daylight is one thing, but if you thought persons A, B, and C murdered your friends and people you trusted told you that they did, you'd go after them.

and bravo on the sessions. i, for one, vote for the monkey familiar. having a monkey as a pet might be illegal, sure... but what if you're training a helper monkey (http://www.monkeyhelpers.org/)?

[Spectrum]

The whole bit about Magog being a (ex) Seer? Makes a hell of a lot sense in hindsight, damned if it doesn't.
and bravo on the sessions. i, for one, vote for the monkey familiar. having a monkey as a pet might be illegal, sure... but what if you're training a helper monkey (http://www.monkeyhelpers.org/)?
It's important the familiar to be awesome and powerful, as befitting an awesome and powerful mage.

Therefore, I vote to drag a baby velociraptor out of your dreams, or wherever else would be appropriate.

[DaveB]

question for DaveB and company: was Arc really a villain?

this makes him look less like an uber-powerful archvillain and more like a really powerful pawn. like a queen-pawn. ...?

so i wonder how bad he really was? i mean, sure, the blatant attack in broad daylight is one thing, but if you thought persons A, B, and C murdered your friends and people you trusted told you that they did, you'd go after them.

That's what I was going for, yes - look at it from Arc's point of view.

He arrives in London, looking for his old friend Duma. He discovers that;

Duma is dead, killed with the only witness being Chayot's apprentice.

Duma's girlfriend is now with said apprentice, and is being shunned by the local Mysterium for dangerous lack of judgement.

Chayot, it turns out, is also dead - he was doing something for the Heirarch of Cambridge, though. And the people in London say Duma also went off to work for said Heirarch the year before.

Word from up North is that Quiet has been killed. By... That mysterious Apprentice. Who recovered an Artifact from him.

An Artifact which, once you research it, turns out to be awfully useful to your shameful Legacy.

And then the Apprentice turns up in town. And clocks you in the Aetheneum.

What does it look like to you?

People have been attacked for less solid evidence, frankly - Arc shouldn't have made a preemptitive strike, and a more Moral mage would have listened to Cobalt's protestations of innocence. He was right to seek further clarification when he fled London, but the best lead he had - tragically - was to go see the man Chayot and Duma had met.

Which led him into Solemn's clutches, and turned him into yet another weapon aimed at the Cabal.

Arc's whole tragic misunderstanding was meant to be a mirror of the way the Cabal acted to Duma in Welcome to the Jungle - you know how they assumed he was evil, denounced him in front of everyone, etc? Arc just did the same thing back to them. Difference is that they, who haven't suffered Wisdom loss through membership of a twisted, Left-Handed Legacy, knew when to back off. Even then, they only really believed him after he died.

Arc, with his low Wisdom, lost his sense of appropriate response a long time ago.


So yes, he was a soul-destroying monster, but like Duma he was forced to become one. He just lacked the self-awareness to stop his own tragic downfall. So ends the story of Arc.

(Compare to Vahishta, actually - she's much more clinical in her use of the rote, and appears to be a long-term planner... But it was her Sleeper husband that Chayot used as his first victim, back in the day, and she was the first one that he forced to join the Legacy. How culpable for her condition is she, when she was kicked onto her downward path by that big a trauma?)

[Mrok Girl]

Arc's whole tragic misunderstanding was meant to be a mirror of the way the Cabal acted to Duma in Welcome to the Jungle - you know how they assumed he was evil, denounced him in front of everyone, etc? Arc just did the same thing back to them. Difference is that they, who haven't suffered Wisdom loss through membership of a twisted, Left-Handed Legacy, knew when to back off. Even then, they only really believed him after he died.

That is not true, as witnessed by Sef's proposition of cooperation. She believed he was manipulated and could see reason before he was stabbed. She wanted to help him see said reason.

[DaveB]

That is not true, as witnessed by Sef's proposition of cooperation. She believed he was manipulated and could see reason before he was stabbed. She wanted to help him see said reason.

Arc yes. Duma no - Sef even said that she know understood why Samael was upset about Duma.

Arc reacted to you the way you reacted to Duma. :p

[Kelreth]

(Compare to Vahishta, actually - she's much more clinical in her use of the rote, and appears to be a long-term planner... But it was her Sleeper husband that Chayot used as his first victim, back in the day, and she was the first one that he forced to join the Legacy. How culpable for her condition is she, when she was kicked onto her downward path by that big a trauma?)

Eh that would be a legitimate source for reprisal against Chayot. Taking out one's anger on other people who have (to the rest of us) no connection to the event is excessive. That is presuming though that the trauma of having your spouses soul ripped apart and then your own wouldn't blatantly send you down the path to luny ville.

O ya, props on having Magog be a seer and his friends looking for him.

[aryth]

Great stuff; I'm really looking forward to seeing more astral adventures and (possibly, if not minded) mining for potential ideas down the road. The Astral Realms are more fascinating to me than the Shadow, but even after reading Astral Realms, I'm not sure how to make use of them in a story, really.

As for the Butterfly in the Hurricane... uh, is it referencing that song by Muse or that independent "documentary which follows Alisanne Casey, an American Muay Thai boxer, 24 hours before, during and after one of her fights?"

That's all I've got.

Back to my headache, and my job!

And thanks so much for taking the time to put these up here; they really make my work day a lot more interesting!

[Isator Levie]

Well, Persephone's nimbus is made up of butterflies.

Could the "hurricane" be a reference to a another mage's nimbus (perhaps Solemn's or Lankin's)?

Or perhaps Solemn's next move will be to have a Master of Forces who owes him a favour attack the cabal with a hurricane?:)

OR, perhaps Solemn or Lankin (who I notice are both Thyrsus) will summon a storm elemental and sic it on the Cosillium, which can create the mystery of which of the two enemy mages is responsible!:D

After all, big, highly destructive storms have been increasingly common throughout the UK, which would make their use as a weapon somewhat less noticeable to the Sleeper population.

(By the way, on the off-chance that any of these theories are remotely correct, I would prefer my name spelt without the "e" at the end, like it is on the White Wolf Forums. I had to do it this way since I messed up my first login attempt.:confused:)

[DaveB]

Keep them coming!

And now, before word sneaks out through other threads, livejournals or the like...

Dave2 has a new job. Over a hundred miles away from where we play.

Our usual every other Tuesday is therefore no longer viable.

Now, we were going to do a big time advance (a kind of year in baltar's hair, for Galactica fans) at the halfway point of Soul Cage. That's going to be at the end of 7.1

It would do as a chronicle end (though we'd all like to figure something out to carry on) but in short...

We just played 6.3. We have time for two more sessions before Dave can't do game night any more - 6.4 and 7.1. That gives us a natural hiatus point. After that, we'll see whether we can sort out playing on weekends or something. If we can't, there are further discussions to be had regarding writing Cobalt out or just ending the Chronicle.

It's my own fault. My plan for story 8 was to run a plot I was going to run in Broken Diamond, before that chronicle ended by employer implosion. I fear it is a cursed plotline...

:(

[Ageis]

:eek:
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

Keep it together now.
Don't ... let them ... see ... you ... cry...


If you need me for anything I'll be off weeping quietly in a darkened room.

[Solarious]

Damnit, Dave, you know better than letting Time Archmages muddy up the lines over and over until you're forced to end a chronicle! Why?

WHRRRRYYYYY!!!!

Okay. I'm good. I'm okay.

Everything is going to be fine.

It will be.

It must.

...

...

...

No, I'm not okay.

I'll be sobbing on my Far Edge of Sanity, if you need me.

[Spectrum]

...

...

...I think...you just stole my Christmas, you Grinch you. :(

[DaveB]

As for the Butterfly in the Hurricane... uh, is it referencing that song by Muse or that independent "documentary which follows Alisanne Casey, an American Muay Thai boxer, 24 hours before, during and after one of her fights?"

Six in and you haven't noticed all the stories are song titles? :eek:

It's the Muse track.


As for the game, we all want to carry on in some form. Dave2 is keen to somehow work out a way in which we can keep playing, even if we end o up playing less (maybe Monthly longer sessions).

In the meantime, I have two sessions to AP (The Temenos realm of stage illusionists! More evidence of Bede's perfidy!) and the "last" two to really plan the hell out of until they squeal. Much to do, much to do.

After that, we'll see. There's my Star Wars game I could AP. Or, if we're unable to carry Soul Cage on in a regular basis, maybe the Everway game I've been planning for the last couple of months...

[Shadowchaser]

Fantastic session, as always. You make the Astral Plane rock.
And the Magog idea? Pure gold.

As for the good/sad news... I wish the best to Dave2, and to your gaming group (in the meantime being terribly curious about the step in the future)
Can't wait to see the rest, and to grab Seers of the Throne

[Newbunkle]

I guess Cobalt could always be sacrificed to the sea to kill the worm then, but... hmm. Maybe the rest of you could move the 100 miles with him. Just a thought.

[PhoenixAndy]

Well I might as well be the first to suggest that the entire group move to the Bradford area instead. It's not as if Dave doesn't already have any Mage playersin the area...







What?

[aryth]

Six in and you haven't noticed all the stories are song titles? :eek:

It's the Muse track.



Well, actually, that's why I was leaning towards the Muse track; because I was thinking about the Sting (ST-ing? Coincidence?) references way at the beginning. But, the wikipedia article said it was partly about chaos theory, so I was confused.. and thought the Muay-Thai boxer documentary to be significantly clandestine! :D

[Kaiten]

Man, gamers today! Back when I was gaming, going over a hundred miles to game was nothing. Feh! We only wish it a mere hundred miles. We usually had to hike 200 miles on foot just to play. In the snow! Without shoes! And we had to walk backwards!

More seriously, though, this is a real shame. Cobalt is a great character, possibly my favorite in this chronicle (which is odd, because my favorite from Broken Diamond was Wolsey, and the two could not be more different), and it seems like a lot of his major plot points are just getting off the ground with the King of the Sea and the Seers. If it comes to much less frequent sessions, well, then that's fine. I'll still faithfully read every one.

And hey, if Cobalt does have to be written out, I've every reason to believe that it would make an epic read. Writing a character out of the story doesn't necessarily mean untimely death, now that I think on it. Maybe Rod and Cal need a materials scientist on their adventures....

[Maninblue]

Man, gamers today! Back when I was gaming, going over a hundred miles to game was nothing. Feh! We only wish it a mere hundred miles. We usually had to hike 200 miles on foot just to play. In the snow! Without shoes! And we had to walk backwards!When Dave B says it's a100 miles away, he means that its a hundred miles away from my current residence, which is already 50 miles away from the game location... Grognard all you like, but I'm not putting in a 300 mile round trip on a work night.
My other weekly game is 80 miles each way (luckily for me, in the same direction as the job) and hence I end up tired and cranky on Friday mornings. ;)

More seriously, though, this is a real shame. Cobalt is a great character, possibly my favorite in this chronicle (which is odd, because my favorite from Broken Diamond was Wolsey, and the two could not be more different), and it seems like a lot of his major plot points are just getting off the ground with the King of the Sea and the Seers. If it comes to much less frequent sessions, well, then that's fine. I'll still faithfully read every one.

And hey, if Cobalt does have to be written out, I've every reason to believe that it would make an epic read. Writing a character out of the story doesn't necessarily mean untimely death, now that I think on it. Maybe Rod and Cal need a materials scientist on their adventures....Thanks for the compliment: I'm definately enjoying playing Cobalt and Dave B. is a heck of GM so I'm desperate to keep involved.

That being said, I do have some easy exit scenarios in mind...
- the Seers knowledge of his location and identity could force him out of the city, from which he could end up with Rod, Cal and Natalie on their journey through the wilds of Britain or just end up on various Archeomantic digs and write letters to folks whenever I get bored OC.
- if my sinister plans come to fruition and I usurp Aurora to be Heirarch of the Consillium then Dave might feel justified in NPC-ing me.
- a terrible event could lead to him losing faith in the Free Council and heading off to an Arrow training camp for the next X years.
- he could fail to redeem Magog and be brainwashed in return, betraying the cabal to the Throne!
- he could up his Death, wear his underpants on the outside of his trousers and terrorise the Sleepers as a Grimdark Supervillain until Cicero has to try to put him down...

[DaveB]

spoilers, man! spoilers!

But yeah - we'll likely figure something out. Like moving the game to Fridays or less-frequent Saturdays or something.

I won't write him out, though - I have plenty of other campaigns in me. I'll just not run Soul Cage unless Dave2 can do it.

[Kiero]

After that, we'll see. There's my Star Wars game I could AP.

*cough* :D

[markpank]

I feel your pain, Dave - my two remaining D&D players are currently in the process of emigrating to the Philippines, so my game is going to have to end prematurely too.

I'll be sad to see Soul Cage end - a fantastic story as always, with no less credit deserved to your excellent players.
Incidentally, you may add me to your list of "people who have gotten into nWoD as a result of reading a DaveB AP thread". We start playing in the new year. :D

With endings come new beginnings, though... did I hear Everway mentioned back there? Long Road Home rocked my socks. More Everway would make me squeal like a girly girl.

Also - *slaps self* for catching up with the thread late as usual; I would've guessed at the Muse song too. Can't imagine "markpank" making a very good NPC name, though ;)

[Newbunkle]

Idea: Have someone cast a spell which sends Cobalt into the future. Play the end of the chronicle first, and then go back and play the rest as a flashback. :D

[Ageis]

Idea: Have someone cast a spell which sends Cobalt into the future. Play the end of the chronicle first, and then go back and play the rest as a flashback. :D


Dear God.
Imagine that
Cobalt stumbles out of a temporal portal only to be confronted by a older, battle scarred Samuel.
By the way his very cool coat hangs open and he can see the armoured strips sewn into its lining. In his hand is a long delicate blade fashioned from coloured glass which fairly crackles with barely contained energies.
"Cobalt! Where the hell have you been? You look different? Did you get a haircut?"
"I ... Well ... there was a ... temporal inversion in the ... em ... thingy... and I ..."
"We've no time for your senile gibbering old man we have to go! The Echo Walkers are attacking the population at large! Mobs of soul damaged homicidal sociopaths are roaming the streets cracking open skulls and feasting on the sticky goo within! To think that Solemn would go so far for a mere distraction!"
"Distraction? Look where's Persephone? I'm hoping her sanity has survived the years a little better."
"Persephone? Who do you think we're going to rescue you dithering octogenarian? Now quickly get on you slippers and slightly-less-cool-than-mine coat and fetch your force staff from beside the rocking chair you’re so fond of. We have to get there before that damned logophage succeeds in forcing open the gates of Mictlan and uses the chronos engines to channel the raw entropic force of the underworld directly into the temenos obliterating the dreams and collected memories of all mankind! Only your uncanny mastery of the Death arcana can save us now my bus pass holding friend.”
“Right then .... we’re screwed .... and I’m not that BLOODY OLD!!!”

[Mrok Girl]

We have to get there before that damned logophage succeeds in forcing open the gates of Mictlan and uses the chronos engines to channel the raw entropic force of the underworld directly into the temenos obliterating the dreams and collected memories of all mankind!

That is...

such a COOL plan!
Quick, edit it out, don't let DaveB read it! :D

[DaveB]

Well,m the two sessions I have left should hopefully take me up to what would have been Soul Cage's halfway point cliffhanger - the "season end", if you will, where plotlines are finished and others started.

And seriously, barring further unfortunate events we WILL play on past that point, even if it's only once a month for longer.

In the meantime, I have made the executive decision to do the AP for the Star Wars game after all (Hi Keiro!) and, if it turns out Mage won't be returning fortnightly, pitch Everway III to the Star Wars group.

Ah, Everway III. Product of a year's rumination about "what would I want to run after Mage", re-reading old threads and ebaying to complete my collection of the trading cards issued for the game. I have a basic storyline (it would be set many thousands of years after the last Everway thread/game I did).

Then again, maybe Star Wars'll just go weekly.

Back to writing the recap for me...

[Kiero]

In the meantime, I have made the executive decision to do the AP for the Star Wars game after all (Hi Keiro!)

Woohoo! :cool:

Then again, maybe Star Wars'll just go weekly.

Back to writing the recap for me...

Can't say I'd be averse to playing Star Wars every week...

[PhoenixAndy]

ebaying to complete my collection of the trading cards issued for the game.

If you're still missing any of these, give me a shout, as I have a stack of spares lying around that you'd be welcome to if they'd be of use.

[weiknarf]

That being said, I do have some easy exit scenarios in mind...
- the Seers knowledge of his location and identity could force him out of the city, from which he could end up with Rod, Cal and Natalie on their journey through the wilds of Britain or just end up on various Archeomantic digs and write letters to folks whenever I get bored OC.


Who's Natalie?

[Kelreth]

there were some spoilers on the last update from one of the players, we haven't met natalie yet

[narfanator]

I'd look into stuff like Skype; I've run games via VOIP both as a player and a GM, it works fairly well, and a game I just joined runs only via VOIP.

[Kythras]

Hey DaveB, in Session 5.4 Aegis cast a Matter 4, Life 4 spell that turned his skin to living metal, I don't suppose you could write up the details?

[DaveB]

Hey DaveB, in Session 5.4 Aegis cast a Matter 4, Life 4 spell that turned his skin to living metal, I don't suppose you could write up the details?

Alternative version of Body of Fire (the Life 4 Forces 4 spell that turns you into living flame.

Lemme see my notes...

"Aegis"

Instant Casting
Duration Prolonged (1 Scene)
Costs 1 mana

Converts the caster's body to living metal. The caster gains Durability equal to successes on the casting roll (ie, all attacks are reduced by that amount, and failure to reach that amount of successes damages weapons used against the caster), though his Health and Wounds aren't altered.

Doesn't stack with Mage Armour spells. At Matter 5 / Life 5 can be cast on another person.

Rote pool is Stamina, Athletics and Matter.

[Valanti]

I second the use of Skype for long-distance gaming. We've been using it for a game for over a year now, and aside from the occasional lost connection, it's great. Especially for being free. Plus you can IM to send secret messages. It's the next best thing to being around the table.

[Kythras]

Awesome, thanks!

[Ageis]

Skype is a wonderful thing.
I've played a couple of games over it with a fair bit of success.
And when your players cannot make it in person due to other commitments, impractical travel distances and in one memorable case living on a different continent.
It is a far better choice than not gaming at all.

Of course there are some downsides to it over sitting around a nice big table.
The atmosphere tends to be not quite the same.
And to quote Nobilis
"By tradition the storytellers drinks and snacks are free. If your players do not physically visit you, they cannot bring you free drinks and snacks."
A dire matter I'm sure that you will agree.

[Djehuty3]

You do realise, of course, that should Dave actually start using Skype, that sets a dangerous precedent? Pretty much everyone would be desperately trying to get into the game- Soul Cage would either turn into an MMO, or everyone would be so alienated about not getting to play they wouldn't read it any more!

[DaveB]

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

[DaveB]

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.

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.

[DaveB]

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

"Thanks, man" - Cobalt

"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.

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?

Y

--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

N

--1b) Put it in someone

M

--2 Daimon 2a) this one

N

--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.

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!

[Maninblue]

Cobalt's mental notes, #6.4:
Mordred, is a dick.

[DaveB]

When he says Mordred, he's not talking about a Shadow Name. Those that wanted the chronicle to include the Aeons will get their wish in the recap after next.

And after running through them, I now wish I'd focused less on the Oneiros in my constant Astral subplots and used the Temenos and Anima Mundi more. Especially the Anima Mundi. The Ecstatic Winds are fun.

[Lankin the Mad Mage]

I'm looking forwards to seeing your take on the Dreamtime. It's the part of the Astral Realms I'm having the most problems wrapping my brains around, especially when it comes to what sort of plot and story one might make there. Apart from the Aeons, the Ocean Ouroboros and the old man in his hut I simply can't come up with interesting stuff.


As for where one enters the Temenos: Genius! We had a long discussion about this, and couldn't come up with any good answer or solution. The book didn't say, and all our ideas seemed less than workable. But here you come and glibly fling a perfect solution to us in a small paragraph making a comment on the game. There is little one can do but bow down in awe.


The story itself is brilliant, of course, but by this time I merely feel like I'm repeating myself. I did like the indication that Hadrian had totally different motives and emotions than had been suspected all along. A nice twist that one.

Hades appears to have put sticky notes throughout it - including doodles of the Ankh.

"Awesome" - Cobalt
Given that Magog was standing there with them, this almost seems like either a playful ribbing or a deliberate hint that they haven't forgotten his actions.

It was still fun to watch that they hadn't let go of that one yet. Or perhaps the word just infiltrated their brains more than is healthy. We may never know....

[DaveB]

Playful ribbing, I think. Magog himself hasn't said it. Should he get a big hero-moment in 6.5 (and there will ample opportunity for any and all to have them), he'll probably say it then.

As for the Anima Mundi, we just spent a four and a half hour game session running through a journey from bottom to top - Boundary Stone to Spire Perilous to Dreaming Earth to Whorl, with Ordeals between the stages, three "encounters" in the Spire, two in the Dreaming Earth and three in the Whorl.

The Ocean Oroborous also provided probably Agena's best roleplaying as Persephone, as well.

And Mordred, Aeon of Fate, is indeed a Dick.

But that's time after next. Next time is the Temenos. I got less done (no Midnight Train! Boo!) that I wanted, but I think we still made a fair shake at it.

[etu]

Ok, phew.

I'm finally up to date with DaveB's Mage APs. I too have been addicted. I've also been inspired to start my own Mage chronicle. I think DaveB's APs should carry a health warning.

One observation I'd like to make, not certain if its been made before so I apologise if it has - but it seems to me the two cabals share a lot in common. Both are 3 strong. Both contain a flighty, slightly immature female Acanthus. Both contain a rather practical and down to earth Moros. Obviously the total symmetry breaks there, but I think both Samael and Wosley share a certain amount of Righteous Anger from time to time. Funny how those things work out isn't it...

[DaveB]

Ok, phew.

I'm finally up to date with DaveB's Mage APs. I too have been addicted. I've also been inspired to start my own Mage chronicle. I think DaveB's APs should carry a health warning.

One observation I'd like to make, not certain if its been made before so I apologise if it has - but it seems to me the two cabals share a lot in common. Both are 3 strong. Both contain a flighty, slightly immature female Acanthus. Both contain a rather practical and down to earth Moros. Obviously the total symmetry breaks there, but I think both Samael and Wosley share a certain amount of Righteous Anger from time to time. Funny how those things work out isn't it...


Bearing in mind that the sterotypical Acanthus is flighty and immature and the stereotypical Moros is practical and down to earth, I'd say it is the nature of player characters to get righteously angry at times ;)

In the starting block stages of the chronicle, I wanted Agena to play a different Path (and was pushing for Thyrsus) purely because of the comparison to Kali in Broken Diamond. Personality-wise, other than both being Acanthus, Kali was much more focused in the past - she had an Attainment which gave her postcognition, after all - while Sef doesn't like to use postcognition because it feels like she gets exposed to horrible things without being able to change them. She much prefers to tinker with the future-reading spells, which Kali generally ignored beyond vague "good idea" / "bad idea" reading. Sef is much more interested in Destiny, while Kali ran from it.

But they're both defined in the plot by a mystery in their backgrounds which gets solved over the course of the game, yes.

Cobalt, on t'other hand, I am happier with than I ever was with Damascus. He's got old-Kali's appreciation of the past (an extrernal thing) as compared to Damascus' focus on his mind (internal, and duplication of Wolsey's powers to boot) which thanks to her dislike of postcognition doesn't actually conflict with Sef as an Acanthus. The setting is much more "about" him, as well - while Wolsey was the rising politcal star last time, Cobalt is this time.

I honestly don't see the similarity between Samael and Wolsey.

[aryth]

When he says Mordred, he's not talking about a Shadow Name. Those that wanted the chronicle to include the Aeons will get their wish in the recap after next.


Awesome.

;)

[etu]

Bearing in mind that the sterotypical Acanthus is flighty and immature and the stereotypical Moros is practical and down to earth, I'd say it is the nature of player characters to get righteously angry at times ;)

Very true all of it.

I wouldn't say there's a big similarity between Samael and Wosley at all. Most of what there is comes from dealing with the same sort of dynamics due to their group. I couldn't really put my finger on the other minor resonances I see between them. And I've gotta agree that Cobalt/Sef are very different to Damascus/Kali - it just amused me how things turned out.

[Isator Levie]

If you hadn't already played the session in the Temenos, I would have suggested including a realm representing the death of Woolworths (my mother recently went shopping in one of the emptying skeletons of their stores, and found it rather upsetting).

[lycosidae89]

Hey, Mrok Girl, I have purchased Super Mario Smash Bros based on this AP.

So I've gotta ask, which character is Persephone's favorite to play?

[Kaiten]

Hey, Mrok Girl, I have purchased Super Mario Smash Bros based on this AP.

So I've gotta ask, which character is Persephone's favorite to play?

Is it Jigglypuff? Please tell me it's Jigglypuff. That would make Cobalt's repeated defeats hilarious. :D

[Djehuty3]

Well, I know Cobalt's a Sonic player, so jigglypuff would be funny as hell.

[Mrok Girl]

I can't remember, haven't played myself in ages :o I think it was Princess Peach for comedy value, but I'm sure at one point or another Cobalt has been Smashed with Toon Link, Pikachu and Jigglypuff as well :cool:

[Maninblue]

irl, I've had some of my best results using Princess Peach and Donkey Kong, both of whom are generally bad characters.

I get the impression that Sef is the kind of person who plays it on Random character and then gets lucky with the old button mashing (damned Acanthus). Cobalt, who is trying to master the skills of one character, just hasn't gotten into the spirit of that particular beat-em-up.

[Mrok Girl]

irl, I've had some of my best results using Princess Peach and Donkey Kong, both of whom are generally bad characters.

I get the impression that Sef is the kind of person who plays it on Random character and then gets lucky with the old button mashing (damned Acanthus). Cobalt, who is trying to master the skills of one character, just hasn't gotten into the spirit of that particular beat-em-up.

Yes, that makes sense. But beating Cobalt with Pikachu, Princes Peach or Jigglypuff seems the most humiliating, so Sef would choose them if she would specifically want to Smash Cobalt's ego :p

Also...


Sef cheats. After Arc, as a form of practice to drill into her reflex reactions using Shifting Sands whenever something bad happens, Sef rewinds time in most of the instances when Cobalt happens to win. Whenever she remembers about it that is :D


But shhh don't tell Cobalt ;)

[Spectrum]

Also...

*snip*
Bahahahaha, that's horrible and brilliant.

[lycosidae89]

Hmm, that explains how my friend keeps beating me...

Ah well, always the Cobalt, never the Persephone- story of my life :D

[Mrok Girl]

We've just finished playing the season finale. I'm shattered.

I think it can be best compared to Battlestar Galactica season 2 finale.

:eek::confused::mad::(

[Uber]

Guys, I know that the prostrations of internet people means nothing to your real lives, but please don't end Soul Cage if you can help it. I too have experienced the loss of a player to an interstate move, but it was trivial once we got Skype set up. There were even occasions when the player was back in town for a weekend that gave us the opportunity to do a face to face again. As one badly addicted fanboy, please don't make a decision without exploring the options!

Begging terminated.

[Ageis]

We've just finished playing the season finale. I'm shattered.

I think it can be best compared to Battlestar Galactica season 2 finale.

:eek::confused::mad::(


Hmm I didn't really stick around for the second season of Battlestar Galatica.
Fill me in was the season finale wonderfully exciting and left you emotionally shattered yet all desperately wanting more?
Or was it a terrible crime against fandom which left you weeping bitter salty tears and longing for better days?

I hoping it was the former and not the latter. :(

[DaveB]

Your namesake was very heroic, and saved Aquila's life from the Big Bad of the Chronicle (to be revealed at the end of 6.5!), so Sef doesn't have to mourn another boyfriend. Thank god she insisted he take Aegis along when...

...But we'll get to that.

Coming over the next few weeks on the thread!

(Soon - only an hour of the recording to go) 6.3, in which the Cabal go through the Temenos, discover some upsetting things and get rather annoyed.

6.4, in which the Anima Mundi is ascended, Magog's background comes out, Symmetry communes with an Owl and the Cabal build a handglider in the Dreaming Earth. Also, Mordred is a dick.

and

6.5, where Samael meets Sophia, Cobalt makes two phone calls and gets wrong numbers each time (with earth-shattering results), the membership of the Auric Horizon changes, the Cabal recieve a quest and the chronicle's antagonist finally makes their appearance.

[Maninblue]

Well that was a finale and a half... and after that there is no question of whether we're continuing or not, merely how often we can pull it off. Lets see some player reactions to episode 6.5...
Acrozatarim - "You utter, utter bastard!"
Mrok Girl - "I'll kill you, Dave!"
Maninblue - "... You realise I'm speaking at your wedding, right?"

[Djehuty3]

Oh God. Oh God. I can't take all this foreshadowing. oh God!

[Newbunkle]

IT'S ALIVE!!!! *cackles*

Its great that you've found the time to continue. This is what the internet was made for!

[Ageis]

Oh God. Oh God. I can't take all this foreshadowing. oh God!

God your right.
Waiting for the next update is going to be crippling.
There is only one thing to do.
Quickly to the Time Machine!

[markpank]

Excitement! An imminent big finale, AND the non-demise of Soul Cage... glee!

[NateD]

*dies of anticipation-induced heart attack*

[Uber]

DaveB, Heroic Players, for the gift of not ending Soul Cage I am willing to convert to the worship of the god/idol/concept of your choice.

[lycosidae89]

Can't wait can't wait can't wait ARRGH!:p

[aryth]

It sounds like the Soul Cage team has once again earned some hard-won geek-cred!

I'm glad you guys are going to keep the game going, both for my reading pleasure - and, most importantly, for your playing pleasure!

[Mozart]

Oh God. Oh God. I can't take all this foreshadowing. oh God!
I can. Just as long as they deliver.

[DaveB]

I can. Just as long as they deliver.

The next recap has just been sent to the gang. Not long now.

[Treborn]

Lost my computer, moved, and forgot my log in. Now after all that i get back to Dave B' s world just to find it is going away. Fate must hate me.:eek:

However, got to say love the parlament legacy and the story so far. Also two things i would have like to have seen. 1) a true Tremer showing the other soul ripper group. And with all the fear spirits why no Fang of Mara?

BTW would have love to see the doomed storyline.

[DaveB]

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

[DaveB]

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

[DaveB]

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!

[Uber]

Awesome.

[aryth]

For some reason, after reading that write-up, I've fallen in love with Legacy-realms of the temenos. What an awesome global-communications-network.

[Ageis]

"Rod's number? Are you MAD?" - Persephone

I look forward to seeing how that turns out.

Rod : "So let me see if I have this straight. You are sending me a pretty, young, damsel in distress who is in desperate need of my wisdom and protection? A newly blossomed Mage who will need for me to show her all the beauty and wonder of her new world. Cobalt you are my dearest friend, it is not even my birthday for another three months!"
Cobalt : "Look Rod don't get carried away here. I'm not setting you up on a date, she just need someone to keep an eye on her.
Rod : "Rest assured that I will watch over her closely. I will take her under my muscular and fabulously well toned wing.
Cobalt : Rod I think you may have your selective hearing on again.....
Rod : I must go now my friend you are tying up the line and she could be trying to call upon her devilishly handsome protector at this very moment. Goodbye.
Click
Cobalt : Tell me I should just be happy he going to do it.
Samuel : I'm thinking that leaving her to the astral lynch mob is looking better all the time. I mean sure there would have been a few moments of terror and horrible pain but she wakes up back home more or less intact and having learned a valuable lesson about wandering about the temenos by herself. But directly exposing her to Rodriguez could leave her fragile psyche scarred for life.

[Mrok Girl]

Samuel : I'm thinking that leaving her to the astral lynch mob is looking better all the time. I mean sure there would have been a few moments of terror and horrible pain but she wakes up back home more or less intact and having learned a valuable lesson about wandering about the temenos by herself. But directly exposing her to Rodriguez could leave her fragile psyche scarred for life.

AHAHAHAHA!
That's almost exactly what Acrozatarim said after we left that bit of Temenos :D It might have been out of character, can't remember, but I'm sure he said something like that :D

[Ageis]

AHAHAHAHA!
That's almost exactly what Acrozatarim said after we left that bit of Temenos :D It might have been out of character, can't remember, but I'm sure he said something like that :D

+1 Telepathy point for me I think you'll find.

I was wondering.
Has there been any attempt to decode the Sphinx riddles yet?
Or in symmetrys case has there been any attempt to work out her question?

[TauCeti]

Hot damn that was amazing... as always. I eagerly await the next installment.

DaveB: You do realize that now you have to run the Rodriguez, Excalibur, & Natalie campaign, right?

[Kelreth]

Hot damn that was amazing... as always. I eagerly await the next installment.

DaveB: You do realize that now you have to run the Rodriguez, Excalibur, & Natalie campaign, right?

that would be interesting, Cal is a master...i think, Rod is pretty close or has two arcana at 4 dots and Natalie is a greeny

sounds fun XD

[Spectrum]

Seconding the awesomeness of the concept of Legacy realms. That kind of blows my mind.

[Djehuty3]

...I am reduced to sheer, awe-inspired silence by the awesomeness of this write-up.

...And I am also wondering about my namesake. More, more!

[Mozart]

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...
I think I can safely say - If you run it, they will play.

[The Watcher]

Awesome. I'm surprised no one thought of using Siegfried and Roy to get from the Zoo to stage magicians.

So, will the questions the npc's asked the Sphinx and the answers given be popping up in future sessions or were they just colour bits?

[DaveB]

Magog's already has (next session, in fact). Symmetry's one day, maybe.

[ChrisFreshman]

Nooooooooooo!

After weeks of reading from the very first post I am now caught up.

Now I have to wait for updates. It's Wheel of Time all over again.:(

Kudos on the amazing story. You have single-handedly rekindled my interest in Mage. I can't wait for more, really.

P.S. As an American, I would love to know how you guys tried to explain Thanksgiving to Mrok Girl.

[Deflare]

*is another fawning admirer who is distressed to have finally hit the end, and is now forced to wait for updates like everyone else* Dammit!

Brilliant, brilliant work, making me highly enthused to run a Mage tabletop game (I help run the local Mage LARP, but that really isn't the same). It's certainly given me a lot to think about in terms of the thematics of the game and how to work with the elements in the corebook.

I, for one, would love to hear a podcast of one of the sessions; hilarious accents aside, I really want to know how you keep all the NPCs straight without boring the players. Especially in combat; back in "Welcome to the Jungle," you had, what, 12 characters in a combat, 9 of whom were played by you? How do you manage all of them without long stretches of rolling dice and talking to yourself about the cool stuff the NPCs are doing? Or in Consilium scenes, where there are a dozen relevant NPCs who are all inclined to talk to each other. I keep imagining that if I can hear what you do, or sit in on a session, I'd learn the secret to efficient game and NPC management and achieve true enlightenment.

I'm also a bit curious as to far out ahead you plan out stories, and in how much detail. It sounds like you have a rough idea of the overall chronicle plotline, and are at least two stories ahead of the current session. How do you guide your players along these paths without railroading them to death (or, at least, without making them feel railroaded), awesome train scenes aside? How much of your plans have a flowcharty nature to them (that is, how many are tagged, 'if the players do this, X happens, if the players do that, Y happens')?

Finally, on a related note: How do you handle the possibility of character failure or death? The PCs have been in some pretty close scrapes here, coming very close to death. I have no doubt that you'd make PC death very interesting and cinematic, but how would you then keep the player involved? New PC? Give them an existing NPC?

Lots of questions, aye, but budding STs want to know. Consider it a compliment to your obvious mastery of the craft.

[Lankin the Mad Mage]

Or in Consilium scenes, where there are a dozen relevant NPCs who are all inclined to talk to each other. I keep imagining that if I can hear what you do, or sit in on a session, I'd learn the secret to efficient game and NPC management and achieve true enlightenment.
This. A thousand times this.

Whenever I've got more than one npc, I always feel totally schizophrenic when I sit there talking to myself as two different people. Just knowing how others handle this would be rather useful, one feels.



Also, I bethinkest myself to notice these odd cravings that happen to be building up within me. Aaaagh. That's the problem with getting addicted to the pure-grade, uncut stuff, y'know. Nothing else can properly satisfy you afterwards. Also, going cold turkey is just so much more nasty.

Ah well. Guess I'll go back and re-read Broken Diamond for the third time. There's always something new to learn there, and it seems to be calming 'the shakes' a bit.

[Uber]

Don't read it three times! You'll finish the embedded ritual and release DaveB's Goetic Demon of his love for Half Life 2 and bring the Combine down upon us all!

[medic]

This. A thousand times this.

Whenever I've got more than one npc, I always feel totally schizophrenic when I sit there talking to myself as two different people. Just knowing how others handle this would be rather useful, one feels.



Also, I bethinkest myself to notice these odd cravings that happen to be building up within me. Aaaagh. That's the problem with getting addicted to the pure-grade, uncut stuff, y'know. Nothing else can properly satisfy you afterwards. Also, going cold turkey is just so much more nasty.

Ah well. Guess I'll go back and re-read Broken Diamond for the third time. There's always something new to learn there, and it seems to be calming 'the shakes' a bit.

every time i read any other AP, i feel like i'm cheating on Broken Diamond. (i consider Soul Cage to be a continuation set far away from the blizzard and far before/after/during the time archmaster)

sorry, other threads.

[DaveB]

every time i read any other AP, i feel like i'm cheating on Broken Diamond. (i consider Soul Cage to be a continuation set far away from the blizzard and far before/after/during the time archmaster)

sorry, other threads.

In fact, one of the stories after the hiatus will be set in post-Shiva DC. And had the characters gone to a City-realm in the last session recapped, they would have run into Trace.

Soul Cage is set in the same universe as Broken Diamond. Always has been.

[medic]

In fact, one of the stories after the hiatus will be set in post-Shiva DC. And had the characters gone to a City-realm in the last session recapped, they would have run into Trace.

Soul Cage is set in the same universe as Broken Diamond. Always has been.

y'know, i knew that and had it in my comment, but deleted the sentences it was in as a byproduct of rephrasing my thought.

*cough* no, totally, i knew that. honestly. ... what?

i've tossed in subtle references in games i've run for some coworkers like a random guy on a cell phone saying, "hey, remember that snowstorm in the DC area, Wosley?" ... sadly, they haven't caught the reference.

which brings up a question. does an archmaster of time have trouble with verb tenses? "yeah, i'll take care of that about an hour ago" "the cardinals won the superbowl tomorrow" and so on.

[AvidAPReader]

which brings up a question. does an archmaster of time have trouble with verb tenses? "yeah, i'll take care of that about an hour ago" "the cardinals won the superbowl tomorrow" and so on.

Yes, and I'm betting high speech has tenses for it. Poul Anderson wrote a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poul_Anderson#Time_Patrol">series of short stories</a> that have been collected a few times that deal with time travel and the language needs.

[Lankin the Mad Mage]

This is a known issue in the Time Travel Genre, and even has a name:

Time Travel Tense Trouble (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TimeTravelTenseTrouble)

[Deflare]

Personally, I like Continuum's solution: Everything is present tense, because really, everything is happening in the same space-time continuum. They also distinguish terms for the 'universal' past (Down), the 'personal' past (Age), the 'universal' future (Up), and the 'personal' future (Yet). Time travelers can pop all around the universal timeline, but they still face the linear progression from Age to Yet in their 'personal' timelines.

[Dr_BadLogic]

DaveB, White Wolf *really* should be giving you some kind of prize for the copies of Mage you're selling on their behalf. :) I was quite a long hold out - I hated the idea of Atlantis, love Ascension... But some of the things people were saying got me curious. Reading the Soul Cage really sold it to me in the end, and I ordered a copy of Awakening online.

So I just wanted to say - great stuff!

[Castille]

And yet another humble worshipper at the feet of DaveB. And yes, reading these threads has prompted me to:
a) register on rpg.net
b) consider playing Mage
c) find a group to play Mage with, and
d) post an Actual Play thread in homage! (coming soon)

I think I'm turning into a fanboy.

-Cas

[aryth]

I I really want to know how you keep all the NPCs straight without boring the players. Especially in combat; back in "Welcome to the Jungle," you had, what, 12 characters in a combat, 9 of whom were played by you? How do you manage all of them without long stretches of rolling dice and talking to yourself about the cool stuff the NPCs are doing? Or in Consilium scenes, where there are a dozen relevant NPCs who are all inclined to talk to each other. I keep imagining that if I can hear what you do, or sit in on a session, I'd learn the secret to efficient game and NPC management and achieve true enlightenment.

I'm also a bit curious as to far out ahead you plan out stories, and in how much detail. It sounds like you have a rough idea of the overall chronicle plotline, and are at least two stories ahead of the current session. How do you guide your players along these paths without railroading them to death (or, at least, without making them feel railroaded), awesome train scenes aside? How much of your plans have a flowcharty nature to them (that is, how many are tagged, 'if the players do this, X happens, if the players do that, Y happens')?

Finally, on a related note: How do you handle the possibility of character failure or death? The PCs have been in some pretty close scrapes here, coming very close to death. I have no doubt that you'd make PC death very interesting and cinematic, but how would you then keep the player involved? New PC? Give them an existing NPC?

Lots of questions, aye, but budding STs want to know. Consider it a compliment to your obvious mastery of the craft.

I'd also love to read an article that focused these topics, for the mage game that I plan on putting together after I digest Seers of the Throne (when it comes out, of course).

[DaveB]

I'm not dead, by the way - I've just not had time to recap lately. I have a freelancing deadline coming up and then, a few weeks after, my wedding and honeymoon. So not much time for recapping.

Mrok Girl is meant to be transcribing the next session in the queue. I don't know how far she's got. Or even if she's started.

The game will return from hiatus once maninblue has settled into his new job and I'm back from Hawaii. Assuming that he doesn't humiliate me too much in March - he's my Best Man.

I will try to assemble an answer for Deflare and company.

[Shadowchaser]

Weeell, that are goooood news :D
Happy for you, DaveB, and good work :)

[Mrok Girl]

Mrok Girl is meant to be transcribing the next session in the queue. I don't know how far she's got. Or even if she's started.

I'm sorry to say that I haven't actually started yet. I figured since this game is not going anywhere for some time, I'll help Acrozatarim catch up with our WFRP writeup first. Also, Dwarf Fortress version of Soul Cage is distracting me a bit :o I can provide some snippets from that instead! :)

[Maninblue]

Dr_BadLogic

I've never seen the bugbear of Atlantis, to be honest. As a victim of almost five years (total) of Dave B's Mage: the Ascension I can firmly say that I am a fan of it... but Atlantis never seemed to me to be more than a random story that the orders used to explain the present state: no worse than any other explanation for it.
Maybe its the VAdept/VEngineer/FreeC attitude I play with, but I've never seen Atlantis as anything more than a distraction from the real question of Mage: what do you do with the powers you have (and why)?

I don't want to attack anyone's view on the matter, but I would like to ask why the Atlantis myth was a barrier between you and nMage?

[Dr_BadLogic]

Dr_BadLogic

I don't want to attack anyone's view on the matter, but I would like to ask why the Atlantis myth was a barrier between you and nMage?

Having spent some time online around certain brands of pagans/ new agers, Atlantis as a concept doesn't have many positive connotations for me. It's generally associated with bad history (which I've also seen in oWoD products. All credit to the nWoD, the writers seem much more in tune with what is actually known about history etc).

It may have been in part a disconnect - I liked that Mage was about ideas, passionate beliefs, and wanting to change the world.

(I would hasten to add that I had flicked through a friend's copy of the new Mage and not been enthused. It wasn't *just* that I made assumptions based on the use of 'Atlantis').

The things that I've liked in people's descriptions of new Mage is how the unified paradigm brings focus to actually trying to uncover stuff. (In old mage, everything is subjective, so why go on a major quest to learn something?)

So there's that- but I also like the Truth vs Lie that comes into play as well. In the Actual Play there's a sort of sense that the Exarchs are the people Keeping You Down.

The shorter version of the above is that my first contact with new Mage suggested mild fantasy, with overtones of crystal wavers. It's taken time to appreciate the subtleties of the setting.

There are still instances in which I'd prefer to run Ascension than Awakening (ie: for plots about people who desperately want to change How Things Are), but I think there are definate benefits to the aspect of Awakening that says 'no. This is how things *are*'

A little verbose, I'm afraid, but I hope that clears up my past and present positions.

[Dr_BadLogic]

I would add another note, regarding my issues with Atlantis.

In Awakening Atlantis is the party line, to the extent that it is remarkable when one dissents (eg: the Free Council). In Ascension, the Traditions couldn't agree on anything, except that they weren't too keen on getting hosed by the Technocracy and the Nephandi.

I wasn't too keen on the 'and this is how it is.' If there had only been one group spouting the Atlantis line, I'm not sure it'd have been much of an issue for me at all.

(for comparison, in new Vampire, only one group is heavily invested in the Longinus myth, and the rest vary from being happy to work with whatever power structure is there, all the way to 'No. You're Wrong')

[Kelreth]

Congrats on the wedding and honeymoon, have fun in the warm place!

[medic]

I would add another note, regarding my issues with Atlantis.

In Awakening Atlantis is the party line, to the extent that it is remarkable when one dissents (eg: the Free Council). In Ascension, the Traditions couldn't agree on anything, except that they weren't too keen on getting hosed by the Technocracy and the Nephandi.

I wasn't too keen on the 'and this is how it is.' If there had only been one group spouting the Atlantis line, I'm not sure it'd have been much of an issue for me at all.

(for comparison, in new Vampire, only one group is heavily invested in the Longinus myth, and the rest vary from being happy to work with whatever power structure is there, all the way to 'No. You're Wrong')

i think it depends on how you run your nMage game (or how it is run for you). the core book does have a tendency to be Atlantis-Or-Nothing, but i think Magical Traditions fills that gap -- that there are other stories and there are other people out there who use magic of sorts.

plus, it's an RPG. i view all rules/setting as being optional, so i tend to use the view of Atlantis presented by the core book as being how a generic pentacle mage explains The World to a new mage. i figure it's all a lie to keep new mages in check. or is it?

[Lankin the Mad Mage]

There's also the fact that "Atlantis" isn't as monolithic a concept as you might think.

Secrets of the Ruined Temple goes out of its way to point out that 'atlantis' is just the name people use to describe something they've lost the name for, and that Avalon, Hy-Brasil, Aztlan, Midtgard, Ys, all of them could just as well be used.

And that there's not one myth, but thousands. The only thing they have in common is the idea that "somewhere, sometime, there was a magical empire". Or several empires. Or it could have happened in the future and we're remembering it backwards. Or it could all be a scam perpetrated by the Guardians.

All in all, it's more of a fractured collection of various conflicting theories and stories, of which few people can ever agree on or get any valid proof out of, rather than a big Monolothic all-accepted truth. So whenever a mage uses the word "Atlantis", he could be talking about any one of ten thousand different things. Only the word remains consistent, simply because it's easier to use a name everyone recognizes.

Which is why Mages continue to search the world for truth. It's a part of the Mystery theme of the game.

[Dr_BadLogic]

There's also the fact that "Atlantis" isn't as monolithic a concept as you might think.

Secrets of the Ruined Temple goes out of its way to point out that 'atlantis' is just the name people use to describe something they've lost the name for, and that Avalon, Hy-Brasil, Aztlan, Midtgard, Ys, all of them could just as well be used.



But if all you have to go by is the *core*, that'snot the picture you really get. I appreciate that the canon is a bit more complex than it appears from the core. If someone doesn't like what they see in the core, you can't really expect them to go and buy *more* books in order to correct the impression the main book gives.

Now, I really like some of the stuff I've heard about new Mage - but if I hadn't heard people talking about the 'extras', I wouldn't have been won over.

[Lankin the Mad Mage]

You saw a lot of the same in the original Ascension game really. The Technocracy were basically little more than 2D-villains before their supplement came out and made them awesome.

Many people have remarked on it: Mage is a game that only really shines once you get some of the supplements, no matter which edition.

[Mozart]

But if all you have to go by is the *core*, that'snot the picture you really get. I appreciate that the canon is a bit more complex than it appears from the core. If someone doesn't like what they see in the core, you can't really expect them to go and buy *more* books in order to correct the impression the main book gives.
Well, to be fair, the core does spell that out specifically somewhere in the setting chapter. It just seems to be a part of the body of text that people are prone to overlooking, especially if they are already predisposed to dislike the Atlantis story.

While Secrets of the Ruined Temple expands on some ideas and adds some new quirkier ones (astral atlantis, future atlantis) the root explanation that Atlantis is a name of convenience given to a time/place about which little is known and much evidence conflicts is explained in the core.

Atlantis was never portrayed as a factual, historically accurate account of the history of the awakened.

[Kythras]

How're things AP-side? Is there yet reason for me to hurl myself from a bridge?

[Lankin the Mad Mage]

Well, DaveB said that he had to finish a Freelancing job and then, y'know, get married, so I guess a certain amount of waiting period is to be expected and is nothing at all to worry about.

[DaveB]

Plus Acrozatarim was meant to be transcribing the dialogue from the next session so I could get it up before said getting married, but the slacker appears to prefer his own AP thread. ;)

All together, now - SLACKER!

(I's try to do something before end of March, but cannot promise anything)

On the better-news front, though, Dave2 now looks all-but certain to be able to continue with the game, so these aren't the final sessions you're waiting for.

[Spectrum]

On the better-news front, though, Dave2 now looks all-but certain to be able to continue with the game, so these aren't the final sessions you're waiting for.
I think that calls for a celebration.

[Djehuty3]

Oh, thank christ for that!

[Acrozatarim]

Plus Acrozatarim was meant to be transcribing the dialogue from the next session so I could get it up before said getting married, but the slacker appears to prefer his own AP thread. ;)

All together, now - SLACKER!

Boo! Slacke- Wait, that's me :eek:

(I's try to do something before end of March, but cannot promise anything)

On the better-news front, though, Dave2 now looks all-but certain to be able to continue with the game, so these aren't the final sessions you're waiting for.

Cheer!

[CrownedSun]

On the better-news front, though, Dave2 now looks all-but certain to be able to continue with the game, so these aren't the final sessions you're waiting for.

Well, that's certainly good news. You might just get to use your NPC after all, rather than having to submit her to the grim fate of being mentored by Rod.

Boo! Slacke- Wait, that's me :eek:

*snicker*

Looking forward to the next AP :) But, I'm a patient guy. These other folk, though? I dunno! You might wanna put it into gear, man!

[Phantom Stranger]

On the better-news front, though, Dave2 now looks all-but certain to be able to continue with the game, so these aren't the final sessions you're waiting for.

http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa217/DesTROYer8564/Jay_and_Silent_Bob2.jpg
So despite all the zombie cracks, there's still one Moros motherfucker in town!

[Kythras]

Hoorah for Matter Moros!

A thousand apologies; can I ask when the big day is?

[DaveB]

Hello again, faithful readers!

A few updates;

Just as I'd finished organising the wedding (barring the inevitable last-minute 11-the hour fuckups) the redlines for the Super-Secret Squirrel Project arrived, so unless Chris and Agena pull their collective fingers out the next recap will be posted round about this time next month. I know you've already waited a month, and apologize. It's those dirty slackers. Boo! :mad: :D

The next half of the chronicle has been roughly plotted (in that I know what the A-Plot of each story is going to be, barring contact with the enemy the players).

There is a month's time-jump between the cliffhanger ending of Butterflies and Hurricanes and the start of Children of the Revolution. There's then a six month time-jump before the story after that.

Regarding storyteller characters, the best advice I have for running mass combats and the like is an artefact of the nWoD system. Don't roll dice for them.

Determine the dice pools of your stcs for each Arcana and certain likely combat manueveres. Divide each pool by three - that's how many successes they get. 9-Again or 8-Again pools are halved instead. For spellcasting, just apply the number of successes to the spell factor charts, "spending" them on range, area, duration and so until you're left with the Potency.

Only actually roll dice when the action applies to a player character - combat between, say, Ashlar and a Seer is a matter of knocking wounds off each according to their relative pools, but if Ashlar casts a shielding spell on a pc or the Seer attacks one of them the action is properly rolled.

For conversations between two stcs, only actually "play" significant lines, and know who your primary actor is. I might actually say, in session, something like;

(narrator voice) "Aurora goes into a rant, accusing Excalibur of overstepping his authority. He raises his hand to interrupt" (Cal voice) "'With respect, Hierarch, shut it'" (narrator voice) "She splutters" (Aurora voice) "How DARE you?" (narrator voice) "He starts listing the reasons he's in the right, all of which you know - Loki's attitude, the jurisdiction of his Cabal..."

And so on.

Regarding the Natalie, Rodriguez and Excalibur chronicle jokingly mentioned up-thread, an idea has occurred.

You see, I'm spending the proceeds from my first year's worth of freelancing (Seers and Immortal Sinners are out a week today!) on crossing the pond to attend GenCon this year. It looked for a while like the Broken Diamond guys were going to be coming as well, in the which case we'd have organised a reunion tour or something, but that looks less and less likely now.

So, wanting to run something, I need a story with pregenerated characters and a small group of willing players.

I can add one or two more characters to allow more than three of you to take part. Your chance for being immortalised in an rpg.net thread beckons! Who's a) going and b) up for it?

[Shadowchaser]

Hate you hate you hate you all!!
GenCon is half a world away :D

[markpank]

Who's a) going and b) up for it?
I'd be well and truly (b) up for it; unfortunately, I'm not likely to be (a) going, which sort of nips that one in the bud for me. Bah!

Ah well, I'll look forward to (c) reading the AP thread. ;)

[Derendel]

a) Definitely going again this year
b) Would be seriously interested in this. I can also vouch for the friend who turned me onto Broken diamond in the first place.

[Lankin the Mad Mage]

Sweet merciful jehesophat I would SO be there.....if I had sufficient funds to cross the pond, that is. Sadly, finding enough funds to finance my bus pass is hard enough, so I guess I'll have to pass on this rare and awesome opportunity.

I guess the rest of us will just have to settle for a fairly awesome Actual Play to come out of the experience that we can read ;)

[TauCeti]

Regarding the Natalie, Rodriguez and Excalibur chronicle jokingly mentioned up-thread, an idea has occurred.


Who said I was joking?

Darn it... I wish I had time to go to GenCon this year.

Ah well, I'll drop out the manataps to catch some of your radiant awesomeness when you fly (vaguely) over where I live.

[Uber]

Dave, that's (aside from being the coolest thing possible to announce here) unbelievably cruel without some kind of raffle with a trip to Gencon as the prize :D

Maybe WW would care to sponsor this competition? :cool:

[Ageis]

So now that Seers of the Throne is out (and hopefully winging its way towards my post box) does it mean that our crew of errant mystics will be seeing more of Lankin the Mad Mage in the near future?

I seem to remember Dave saying something about having all manner of cool Seer related ideas but being sworn to silence by accursed white wolf contractual obligations.

[aryth]

Congratulations on and best wishes for the wedding!

I'm enjoying Seers of the Throne quite a bit.

This all makes me wish I was going to Gencon this year. We could do a DaveB mage-game-thread panel or something ;P But, alas, I will be staying home and saving money this year.

[DaveB]

Ta! And yes - Seers now being out will make the writeups of the next few sessions *much* easier to write.

I'm off now for a few weeks. Byeeee

[Uber]

Enjoy your honeymoon! It must be good if you're gone for a couple of weeks :)

[Mozart]

I'd go to Gencon for a chance to play in that game!

Happy Honeymoon! (is that even something that you're supposed to say?)

[Derendel]

Another friend has piped in for wanting to play at GenCon so that's three from me (including myself of course). As we now have a hotel and badges preregistered I think its pretty set for us all to be there.

Looking forward to further posts after the honeymoon.

[DaveB]

Hello faithful readers!

I'm back, wed, tanned and raring to go.

I started writing the next recap ten minutes ago.

So... What did you think of Seers?

[DwarfRage]

I've only started reading it (I managed to get Dancers in the Dusk at a convention from the white-wolf table), but I like what I've heard/read so far. There's a good threat on it in open.

[Ageis]

I rather enjoyed the book myself.
I especially liked the sections on the ministries and the iron seals.
It was nice to give the Exarches a little bit more definition while still keeping them as a suitably strange and alien menace. Plus the suggestion that these were simply traits the seers believed to be accurate of their gods meant you could toss it all if it didn’t suit your interpretation.
The insanely labyrinthine power structure of the Iron Pyramid is more than a little bit confusing but entertaining allowing for all kinds of Machiavellian power games. Though there do seem to be an awful lot of masters and archmasters running about.
I would have liked to have read a little on the minor ministries, especially Mammon seeing as it is mentioned several times throughout the course of the book, but I understand that there are only so many pages in the book.
I was delighted to see mention of the Supernal Gods that were cast out and exiled by the Exarches as I’ve often wondered what happened to the former occupants of the celestial thrones. I’d just assumed that they had all ended up in the abyss but having them running around the fallen world makes matters more interesting.
The specialised retainers of the four ministries are great. Humanity twisted and reshaped by the seers in a bid for power. Their interesting and a storyteller could happily build a story around the seers using anyone of them.

If I have a criticism it would be that the chapters seem a little inconsistent from one to the next and at times the seers are presented as a little excessively evil for my tastes.
In the first chapter the seers are described as being primarily selfish individuals sacrificing their freedom to the Exarches in exchange for wealth, power or out of fear of their terribly overlords. They kill and manipulate to achieve their aims and while this is certainly evil it’s a very understandable and human evil. In the later chapters they seem to become ever more EVIL and their painted as carrying out human sacrifice as a matter of course. Torturing and abusing sleepers... as near as I can tell for the hell of it or to prove some manner of philosophical point.
At times they seem to creep from cold, ruthless individuals intent on achieving their own goals at any cost too the kind of moustache twirling villains who perform acts of evil simply for the sake of being evil.
I would have liked to have seen a bit on seers who actually believed they were doing the right thing. Seers who were trying to protect the lie in hopes of protecting the world but now I’m just nit picking

[DaveB]

I was delighted to see mention of the Supernal Gods that were cast out and exiled by the Exarchs as I’ve often wondered what happened to the former occupants of the celestial thrones. I’d just assumed that they had all ended up in the abyss but having them running around the fallen world makes matters more interesting.

See also: The Lambton Worm in Soul Cage. ;)

Well, maybe, anyway. Not a god, but a Supernal being the local Seers have been instructed to keep dormant.

Yes, the book being out will make life a LOT easier in these recaps.

[NateD]

See also: The Lambton Worm in Soul Cage. ;)

I was just about to suggest that! Awesome!

So... which sections did you write? I read the whole thing thinking "I wonder if this bit came from the mad imaginings of DaveB?"

Oh, and congratulations! :D

[Ageis]

Dang I keep forgetting to congratulate you on your marriage don’t I.
So Congratulations to you sir!
May there be many years of niceness ahead of you.

Am I to take it you are responsible for unleashing the supernal gods upon the fallen world and charging the seers of the throne with restraining them?
If so then kudos to you.

Like Nate I’m also curious about which sections of this shiny book bear your grubby finger prints.

Unlike Dwarfrage I don’t have a copy of Dancers in the Dusk. Curse you and your flaunting of advance copies you make my changeling collection sad.

[Nicias]

I'm pretty sure that my read of Seers suffered from "what can this do for my game" on the first time through, but on the whole? Epic win. Main frustration was with contradictions/confusion on exactly how Seers are organized on a 'practical' level - there's parts that seem to talk about a loose consilium equivalent, and others that insist it's a regional thing.

But in terms of material to work with and fleshing out a fairly thinly-developed antagonist faction, the book was excellent. The ministries were made into very interesting, very usable, very real groups, and the legacies were excellent (I want to see you use the Architects of the Future).

Best part of the whole thing was page 124, on the sidebar that compares two different seers in the same position and how they go about their duties. It fleshed out setting, conflict, and character in brilliant, quick strokes. I loved it unduly.

[DaveB]

I wrote the Chrysalides Legacy, the Skopos faction, the Oracle at Delta Phi, all of the Artifacts, half of the spells, half of the Antagonists (Penn, Wing and Maelcon of the fully statted ones) and the servitor appendix of Hollow Ones, Grigori, Hive Souls and Myrmidions.

I also, as of late last night, wrote the recap for session 6.4 of Soul Cage. It is with the players for checking, and once that's done we can get this thread rumbling back up to speed again. :D

[Kelreth]

hmm excellent more of an awesome story

the seers book is awesome btw

[NateD]

I must say, I loved the Grigori and the Hollow Ones. Very "Invisibles". :)

Oh, and I am waiting very (im)patiently for the recap. You're going to be responsible for a worldwide downturn in productivity very soon...

[Grantanz]

I also, as of late last night, wrote the recap for session 6.4 of Soul Cage. It is with the players for checking, and once that's done we can get this thread rumbling back up to speed again. :D

Woohoo! I've been hanging out for this.

[DaveB]

However, being away over the crucial period has meant that there are now no hotel rooms in Indy between the extremes of "ten mile away flea pit" and "luxury".

Which means it looks like I've wasted my badge money and disappointed some of you guys. :(

[DwarfRage]

However, being away over the crucial period has meant that there are now no hotel rooms in Indy between the extremes of "ten mile away flea pit" and "luxury".

Which means it looks like I've wasted my badge money and disappointed some of you guys. :(

Dave - I don't know your level of comfort - but there's almost always room for someone who lives close by, or rooms that open up.

You may want to look at Indianapolis's Craigslist for Housing Wanted (http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/hsw/) or Sublets and Temporary Space (http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/sub/).

[medic]

Dave - I don't know your level of comfort - but there's almost always room for someone who lives close by, or rooms that open up.

You may want to look at Indianapolis's Craigslist for Housing Wanted (http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/hsw/) or Sublets and Temporary Space (http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/sub/).

good call. also, don't forget hotels.com (http://www.hotels.com), travelocity (http://www.travelocity.com/), hotwire.com (http://www.hotwire.com/), and so on.

google maps's Search Nearby (http://maps.google.com/maps?oe=UTF-8&sourceid=navclient&gfns=1&q=indianapolis%20convention%20center&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wl) is pretty handy as well.

[DaveB]

Woohoo! Got one!

On t'other side of the university to GenCon, but within distance.

I now need to save up the air fare by August. :o


EDIT: Here we go!

[DaveB]

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

[DaveB]

"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. :D

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

[DaveB]

"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.

[DaveB]

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.

[DaveB]

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!

[Ageis]

:D
Dave and gang that put a massive smile on my face.
The news that there will indeed be more to follow will most likely see it last a couple of days as I slowly digest the twists and turns that has sprung up from this latest instalment and the audience with the aeons.
Damn cryptic god like beings will have me double guessing the meaning of their words for the better part of the week.

It's good to see everybody's favourite band of wise cracking willworkers back in action.

If you manage to run a game at the convention will you be writing it up here for the entertainment of the masses?
I do hope so.

Yes I know that's shamelessly greedy but as you may have noticed by this point I am something of an addict.

[Kelreth]

Wow.....awesome.

that cliffhanger(double) is even better


to what entity did you sell part of your soul too? I need to learn how to gm much better, i can't even make a pale shadow of this

...who would be brave/stupid enough to attack an Arrow cabals sanctum?

[medic]

Seriously, I could probably waste away weeks reading and re-reading these threads.

One thing though: "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." Don't you mean Co? ;)

[Mrok Girl]

"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." Don't you mean Co? ;)

I see what you did there :cool:

[Lankin the Mad Mage]

Oh sweet lords this was delicious. And as a die-hard Acanthus fanboy allow me to say "Squeeeeeeeee" at the masterful depiction of Mordred and Gloriana. Much, much love sent your way.

As someone who's always had problems with the pacing of astral journeys, and who had trouble understanding how to use the Anima Mundi, this was pure gold to read through. So much inspiration, so little time at the gaming table.

Thoroughly enjoyable read, as always. Very happy to see you guys back again, and to know that there's more to come before too long.

[SimonPip]

First off, just because this really needs to be said (even if it is the umpteenth time): Sweet chocopuffs, you seem like the platonic ideal of the ST. Absolutely love your threads, especially the astral stuff and the prophecies and such.

Now to my actual question:
Olympus, the Danish mage, is he from a specific book/resource, or just a randomly made-up dude. Currently writing a Copenhagen Consillium, but if one already exists as canon, I should probably look at that. If not, I'll tie him in as "lying in a hallow somewhere in the city, on an extended astral journey", if you don't mind me snagging him. :)

[DaveB]

First off, just because this really needs to be said (even if it is the umpteenth time): Sweet chocopuffs, you seem like the platonic ideal of the ST. Absolutely love your threads, especially the astral stuff and the prophecies and such.

Now to my actual question:
Olympus, the Danish mage, is he from a specific book/resource, or just a randomly made-up dude. Currently writing a Copenhagen Consillium, but if one already exists as canon, I should probably look at that. If not, I'll tie him in as "lying in a hallow somewhere in the city, on an extended astral journey", if you don't mind me snagging him. :)

He was made up on the spot to replace an Abyssal entity that I decided against using when I saw how the session was running for time. Last thing we needed was another fight, and I had hopes of reaching Sophia in the session. The player's conversation at the Abyssal shore then scuppered that, but Sophia turns up next session.

Once I get the next session recap up, you'll probably be able to spot what was meant to be the 6.4-6.5 cliffhanger, replaced by the rather clumsy one that we ended up with. Lucky in retrospect that they picked the Acanthus Aeons to go bother - if they'd gone off to see Lilith and Azazel (and remember, I've been seeding the idea that Lilith knows where Sophia's Sanctum is since Welcome to the Jungle) I don't know what I'd have done.

So you can totally use him if you like. He'll probably turn up at the Convocation, too.

[Jon Chung]

Wow. I know there was a reason I liked Astral Realms...

[Mozart]

"Check for Lion's Heads" - Cobalt

Spot the reference
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade "Only in a leap from the lion's head shall he prove his worth"

Did I win anything?

[Maninblue]

Sweet chocopuffs, you seem like the platonic ideal of the ST.
I don't mean to offend here, or sound bitter, but why couldn't you have said that before I delivered a speech to embarrass him? That's a darn good quote to take out of context. ;)

[Maninblue]

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade "Only in a leap from the lion's head shall he prove his worth"

Did I win anything?

Not yet... see if you can pick out three more film quotes from Cobalt's text.
Then we'll talk ;)

[Grantanz]

Loved the bit with the Aeons and their prices.

Perhaps I'd been reading a little too much Dresden

Especially with the next book coming out in a few days, I'm not sure that this is possible. :)

[medic]

Not yet... see if you can pick out three more film quotes from Cobalt's text.
Then we'll talk ;)

three more?

well...
Everyone good to go? Good. And to the younger generation: You think that's air you're breathing now?" - Cobalt -- The Matrix, as spoken by Morpheus to Neo
"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 -- not a direct quote, but a reference to the Bridge of Death. Answer me these questions three, or ne'er the other side you shall see.
"Have we not wood?" - Cobalt -- perhaps unintentional, but reminded me ONLY of the immortal classic, "What do we burn, apart from witches?" "MORE WITCHES!!" "Uh... wood?" "Yes! Wood! And what else do we do with wood?" "Build a bridge out of her!" "Ah! But can you not also build bridges out of stone?"

[Kelreth]

Can any one point me to where the Aeons are listed and the Figures that personify the arcanum in the Astral Realms book?

[Lankin the Mad Mage]

Can any one point me to where the Aeons are listed and the Figures that personify the arcanum in the Astral Realms book?
Well, their main descriptions are found on pages 85-88, but there's mention of them other places too, and Dahak of Pandemonium is found fully statted up in the creature chapter too.

[Kelreth]

Well, their main descriptions are found on pages 85-88, but there's mention of them other places too, and Dahak of Pandemonium is found fully statted up in the creature chapter too.

Thanks, I'll have to search around for the other references

[Djehuty3]

Duuuuuude...

It is SO GOOD to see this thing updated!

[DaveB]

Duuuuuude...

It is SO GOOD to see this thing updated!

Oh, good, you ARE still reading. There are important matters regarding your namesake coming next session. ;)

[iresprite]

"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

Having just finished your Everway AP, I wondered for a moment if this was a riff on the "maybe on the way back" running joke.

[DaveB]

Having just finished your Everway AP, I wondered for a moment if this was a riff on the "maybe on the way back" running joke.

I don't think either of them have read it :D

[TauCeti]

"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

Was anyone else's response to first reading this to... read it two more times. And then to go "Oh [explicative], the Parliament is compromised."

Also, Mordred is a dick.

P.S. In awe, as always.

[Ageis]

Actually that was the one thing I didn't think of.
The downfall of the consilium sure.
The downfall of the free council maybe.
The parliment didn't even occur to me.
Well at least not until Cobalt was good enough to look into the past and spell things out for me in big neon letters.

I'm not good at interpeting Mordred's subtle language.
I'm still trying to work out that whole "my children" thing.
Does this refer to certain of the assembled party having been betrayed by someone?
Or that some of them commited murder at one point or anouther?

[NateD]

Betrayed is what I'm thinkin', too. Sef and Sam, definitely. Cobalt, though...?

Or maybe, betrayers? Magog and Sam (for the whole "hounds of winter" situation), but who else?

Or possibly murderers too, I 'spose. Magog, Cobalt and Sef. Has Sam offed anybody yet, though?

[Acrozatarim]

I'm still trying to work out that whole "my children" thing.
Does this refer to certain of the assembled party having been betrayed by someone?
Or that some of them commited murder at one point or anouther?

I think it was a reference to those in the party who have dots in the fate Arcana.

[Uber]

Free Councillors maybe? Sef, Cobalt and Symmetry?

[Solarious]

I think it was a reference to those in the party who have dots in the fate Arcana.

Not just a working knowledge of fate.

Destiny.

We know 2 PCs who have the Fate arcanum, and both already have destinies. In another universe, both also had 5 dots of Destiny. The only question is, who's lucky child number 3? :D

It's great to see you back, DaveB, showing the world you can have a great story and still have the PCs in thumbscrews.

"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
Why, is that the subtle sound of Mordred being a dick? ;)

[DaveB]

I think it was a reference to those in the party who have dots in the fate Arcana.

Nah. Too easy.

The gang have nearly got it.

[Spectrum]

Free Councillors maybe? Sef, Cobalt and Symmetry?
I thought it was this one also. =X (But that didn't seem to make much sense to me.)

[DaveB]

I thought it was this one also. =X (But that didn't seem to make much sense to me.)


And ignores the fact that, for all his dodgy background, Magog is a Free Councillor.

[aryth]

And ignores the fact that, for all his dodgy background, Magog is a Free Councillor.

Yeah; I was thinking maybe Free Councilors, too - but that would exclude Sam - and I got a feeling that the term referred to the whole group. But, in the end, they're, n the words of Kali, "Yep. Still doomed."

Great game, and also allow me to add my late praise for Seers of the Throne.

[TauCeti]

Actually that was the one thing I didn't think of.
The downfall of the consilium sure.
The downfall of the free council maybe.
The parliment didn't even occur to me.

Well, I thought of the Auric Horizon first, and discounted it because there's only 3 people, and they're all PCs (although there was the possibility that Mordred was taunting them over a traitor who hadn't yet joined the Auric Horizon, or that one of the characters was a traitor unbeknown to his/her player).
Then I discounted the consilium because the PCs already knew about Bede, and all powerful god-things don't taunt you with stuff you already know about.
I didn't think of the Free Council, but if I had I would probably have discounted it as the ex-traitor (Magog) was standing right there.
That left the Parliament, and we already have evidence that there is a traitor there.

The "children" thing has me completely stumped though.

[tabrumj]

Brilliant as always Dave, I'm very glad i took the time to check on the thread.

I would also like to say that I love the Chrysalid legacy. So far it's the only Seer specific legacy that is in use for my Mage game. Thank you very much for it.

[Ageis]

So we're all scratching our heads over the whole Mordred Paternity issue?
Good that makes me feel like much less of a dummy.

Let me see now *Scrolls back up the page*
We know its not down to having the fate arcana because Dave was kind enough to say as much in his tiny blue text.

We know it's not being a rebellious free councilor because that would number four out of our party of five and Mordred only see's three of his children before him.

It could have to do with commiting murder since both Cobalt and Persephone have blood on their hands and being something of a warrior mage Magog could well have killed someone during his time with the seers.

Both Samuel and Persephone have been betrayed. Sam by Chayot and Seph by Hadrian. Symmetry was betrayed by pretty much half of the consilium during the hounds of winter incident.

Having the Destiny merit makes a lot of sense. It does suggest that the Aeon of fate has turned his particular attention to them.
What are the characters bans again?
Cobalts going to die at sea?

Perhaps like Mordred three of the characters are the Doom of someone else? Samuel is the doom of the echo walkers.
Persephone is the doom of a certain Logophage.
Cobalt is gearing up to doom the seers at some point in the near future.

I'm inclined to drop Magog from the equation entirely since Mordred was ignoring him but then again the aeon of fate strikes me as the kind of guy who might not give his kids all the love and affection they need. After all he never got any from Arthur and he turned out just fine...... sorry getting a little bit side tracked there.

[NateD]

Perhaps like Mordred three of the characters are the Doom of someone else? Samuel is the doom of the echo walkers.
Persephone is the doom of a certain Logophage.
Cobalt is gearing up to doom the seers at some point in the near future.



Hmm, you said exactly what I was thinking better than I would've, Ageis. Could it be the reason that Bede is after them - to prevent whatever it is that they're Fated to do...?

[Sintor]

Forgive my poor memory, but don't the three PCs have legacies, and not the two NPCs? Can't see how that would work, but...

And yeah, I caught up a couple of stories into Soul Cage but didn't say anything, so pretend the wall of compliments you guys always get are below this. ;)

[Nicias]

"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

I love Magog.

[medic]

just because someone has to be That Guy and ask...

are we sure this isn't a greatly hyped-up version of The Random GM Die Roll To Confuse And Frighten The Players? (and, in this case, The Readers?)

[Mrok Girl]

We are sure : /

[Ageis]

just because someone has to be That Guy and ask...

are we sure this isn't a greatly hyped-up version of The Random GM Die Roll To Confuse And Frighten The Players? (and, in this case, The Readers?)

What you mean something like....

"Welcome, travellers" - Mordred

The Cabal bow. Samael especially to Mordred.

A solitary ten sided dice rattles across the table and Dave glances down to check the result. Divides by two, rounds up and annonces.

"Three of my children I see before me, and well met" - Mordred

Seems like that would be a rather bad idea in the long run.
I prefer to believe that Dave has simply come up with something creative and fiendishly cunning that isn't immediately obvious to my non-storyteller mind.:confused:

[medic]

What you mean something like....

"Welcome, travellers" - Mordred

The Cabal bow. Samael especially to Mordred.

A solitary ten sided dice rattles across the table and Dave glances down to check the result. Divides by two, rounds up and annonces.

"Three of my children I see before me, and well met" - Mordred

Seems like that would be a rather bad idea in the long run.
I prefer to believe that Dave has simply come up with something creative and fiendishly cunning that isn't immediately obvious to my non-storyteller mind.:confused:

yes, that's my assumption as well, but that's the point. something so cryptic and undefined HAS to be a (creative/devious/incendiary) (puzzle/device/dialogue) of some sort. so the biggest plot twist and most devious bit of dialogue imaginable would be that it's all a MacGuffin (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MacGuffin) to cause the players (and readers) to be thoroughly (confused/obsessed/inquisitive).

...too much? hah :confused:

[The Watcher]

The answer is obvious. Three children, three PC's. Mordred can sense who is a Player Character. :)

[Anglachel]

Personally I thought he was referring to those who had the Destiny merit........

[Kaiten]

Awesome to see this going again! I'll admit to being at a loss as to the meaning of Mordred's hints. I do find it awesome that the aeon of Time is fairly straightforward while the aeon of Fate is more Subtle (note the capital S). :)

Also, Magog is starting to move from the "guy you love to hate" category to being genuinely awesome.

[Disctracted Mage]

The answer is obvious. Three children, three PC's. Mordred can sense who is a Player Character. :) That's one of the theories I've thought of. DaveB has said that he likes to mess with the fourth wall. I also support the Destiny merit theory but I don't remember if anyone has it except Samael and Persephone.

[DaveB]

Oh, fine.

Players who might have the thread subscribed and get digest emails sent, stop reading. And don't quote this post if you reply next.

.
.
.

For those begging to know;

It's people who have been created by a person or society - metaphorically speaking - that will cause that person or society's undoing. Persephone, Samael and Magog. Cobalt isn't a Mordred, which is why Mordred enjoyed toying with him - Cobalt is an *Arthur*.

Which will make much more sense next recap and the recap after that.

[Ageis]

Ahhhhh!
*Rubs temples*

That is so much better, thank you Dave.

Got a headache? Try new Storyteller Exposition, directly targeted to the niggling source of your pain.:)

[Kelreth]

Gah.....

well done dave

[aryth]

Oh, duh, I mean, obviously. Just kidding, and all of that.

Ahhhhh!
*Rubs temples*

That is so much better, thank you Dave.

Got a headache? Try new Storyteller Exposition, directly targeted to the niggling source of your pain.:)

Well said!

[Maninblue]

Thanks, guys... good to know that there's a simple answer to everything out there. Even if it does leave us poor players in the dark still ;)

Alas, Medic... that third one was a little too tenuous.
But then the third quote is probably a little too obscure for even the nerdiest of folks.

[medic]

Thanks, guys... good to know that there's a simple answer to everything out there. Even if it does leave us poor players in the dark still ;)

Alas, Medic... that third one was a little too tenuous.
But then the third quote is probably a little too obscure for even the nerdiest of folks.

so, then, where was the third one? or had it been lost to the recap edit/verification version of the abyss?

[Maninblue]

so, then, where was the third one? or had it been lost to the recap edit/verification version of the abyss?
"To the revolution now!" is shouted by a random dissident early on in Akira.

The guy then pulled the pin on a hand grenade and held on to it grinning. As sentiments go, this one might be coming back to haunt me at some point.

[medic]

"To the revolution now!" is shouted by a random dissident early on in Akira.

The guy then pulled the pin on a hand grenade and held on to it grinning. As sentiments go, this one might be coming back to haunt me at some point.

Ahhh! i feel ashamed that i didn't know that one :|

[Alathon]

"To the revolution now!" is shouted by a random dissident early on in Akira.

The guy then pulled the pin on a hand grenade and held on to it grinning. As sentiments go, this one might be coming back to haunt me at some point.

It's doubly hilarious because he shouts that, pulls the pin on the grenade... but it fizzles and he gets dogpiled by half a dozen cops clubbing the shit outta him. Definately an appropriate bit of self-deprecating humor for a Free Councilor who's feeling a bit dubious about his current endeavor.

On another note, thank you DaveB for doing these writeups. The Soul Cage and The Voice of Freedom writeups have given me a much more positive impression of nMage than I'd had previously. While I'm still keener on Ascension, I can actually see myself playing Awakening and enjoying it.

[Ageis]

Sooo... Dave I know that you and the new Mrs Dave are busy enjoying wedded bliss.
And I know that I'm going to sound like a whiney ungrateful ass for asking this.
But there was some talk of an epic season finale?

A closing chapter to the current story arc said to be so jaw droppingly awesome it left even the hardened band of adventurers you are blessed to call players speechless, their minds boggling at the glorious insanity of it all.

When might we hear this tale of wonder oh wise and beneficent sage of the awakening?

[DaveB]

We are actually now three sessions behind on the recaps. I am working on it. :(

[Mozart]

We are actually now three sessions behind on the recaps. I am working on it. :(
On the plus side, that means there is lots of Soul Cage goodness still to come :D