[IC] [Mage: the Awakening 2E] The Supernal Suburbia

[MagicSwordsman]

BINDER
Willpower: 0/7 Mana: 0/10 Health: LBBBBBO (-0)
[Scoured: -1 Str] [Shaken] [Mind Over Matter Pot 3]
Mage Sight: Peripheral
Beats: 1 Arcane Beats: 4

The unnatural fear lessens, but Binder is still shaken by his incompetence in the face of such a foe.

The only way I can help is to get through this...

As he begins casting, Binder realizes that the others might benefit from his spell as well.

I feel kind of stupid doing basically the same thing again, but here we are.

Casting Mind over Matter (Mind 2)
Reach: 2 Free; spending for instant speed, advanced duration, sensory range, and advanced scale.
Containing Paradox: 2 - 2 (dedicated tool) vs Wisdom 7 = 0 vs 7 -> 0 vs 2

Yantras: Knife (reflexive, dedicated)
Factors: Potency 3, Druation Scene, Scale 5 Subjects (Binder, Pheonix, Moonstone, Ragnar, Lynx)
Spellcasting: Gnosis 1 + Mind 3 - 2 (wounds) = 2 -> 1 success!!!

Binder feels the spell settle over him like a shroud, blunting the worst of his pain.

[rwknoll]

Ragnar
The Gulmoth turns to look at you -- that is to say, the upper half of its torso twists to position its face towards you, but the rest of its shadowy form remains facing the rest of the group. "Be careful, son," Mathias warns you, eyes flickering towards you as he slashes his crystal wand towards the Gulmoth and casts his spell.


Binder

Your spell will succeed and take effect, but not until your turn in initiative. So it will help you this round, but not Phoenix until next round.

Initiative
Alux (20) -- Blast
Ragnar (17) -- Draw attention to himself
Mathias (16) -- The Perfect Strike
Phoenix (13) -- Attack
Moonstone (12) -- Glory Days
Binder (12) -- Mind over Matter
Lynx (12) -- Knit

[Caladriu]

Moonstone
Active Sight: Mind/Space | Active Spells: Telepathy
Conditions: Divergent (Active)
Health: LLBOOO | Willpower: 1/8 | Mana: 1/10 | Beats: 0/5 | Arcane Beats: 4/5

Alux.

Well, this experience is burning itself into the ol' long-term memory.

Resist Insanity, 6 dice: 1 success on the very last die, barely made it. Also cancelling Telepathy.

He tries to tug himself away from the mental link, but it's painfully hard, like when your muscles lock up on a power line. Think of something else: something, anything to fill the empty void. Memories of camaraderie with the Knights of Alhambra, learning to fight under Ghost Dog, dreaming of being useful to the masters as a warrior if he couldn't be a sorcerer...

Focus! That's you! Not a mess- not a wreck- not crazy- not corrupted! You're better than this! You've fought monsters, you can fight them again!

Casting the Merit-gaining spell we talked about in the OOC thread. Mind 2 Ruling, primary factor Potency. I gain [Potency] Merit dots in a single Merit, and can use them for [Potency] actions during the spell's Duration. Merits have to be things the subject might plausibly have had experience with. +1 Reach to let me spend Potency on a second Merit.

1 Reach for Instant, +1 for Scene duration, +1 to access 2 Merits. Containing any Paradox. 2 Paradox dice, +1 for risking Paradox this scene, 3 dice: 0 successes.

Gnosis 1, Mind 2, Willpower 3, +Potency -2, 4 dice: 1 success and I'm at 0 Willpower.

So this is Potency 3 and lasts for up to a scene. I can make 3 rolls that benefit from my new Merits in that time. I'm taking Quick Draw (Weaponry) 1 and Fighting Style: Light Weapons 2. This will let me pick up/draw a weapon reflexively, and sacrifice points of Defense 1:1 for bonus dice on an attack roll if I haven't used Defense yet that turn.

A human shape rises up out of the bubbling shadows, congealing into a young-looking Vietnamese dude with gloved hands and a messenger bag and a ballcap and a leather jacket over what appears to be an ink-black hoodie. He grabs the runic staff on the way up, tests the balance, turns it over in his right hand, and he's in the ready position by the time he solidifies. He's aware of the other Minds in this Space at this Time, but he's focused on the weapon and the enemy. Feels right.

Shadow Flesh ends, Moonstone is solid again. Reflexively picking up the staff and wielding it as a one-handed weapon. I have Initiative 11 and Defense 9 next turn, or Defense 10 if Alux counts as "unarmed or wielding weapons of Size 1."

[Kvitebjørn Kong Valemon]

LYNX

Active Sight: None
Active Spells: Heightened Senses (Life 2; Potency 1, 1 week duration: +1 to Perception rolls) (Ends this post); Body Control (Life 2; Potency 2, 1 week duration) (Ends this post);
Willpower: 1/5. Mana: 7/10
Conditions/Tilts: Inspired

Ah... the fear is gone! Good!

As fear fades, Lynx glances at the spectacle and his would-be allies, before his focus returns to Ragnar and the other man.

Okay, first things first. I need to take care of that man's wounds.

Lynx sees it in his mind, the Primal Wild surging through the man's flesh, sealing the wounds, leaving him whole... yet as he brings it to reality, he feels the lingering chill in his soul, already burdened with the Wild.

No, not like that. Too dangerous... Is it my other spells? Yeah, that feels right.

He lets go of the spells that surround his soul, brushing them away into non-existence. His breath returns to normal, and his senses are blunted, much to his frustration. He clenches his fists as he clutches his necklace with his left hand; with his right, he weaves the Wild into the man's body.

"I call the wild! O' Great Bear," Lynx says instinctively as the spell shapes, "I ask of you: please! Heal him!"

The Wild surges through him, his shadow momentarily turning into a bear: large, bristling, enveloping the area momentarily with a display of endurance, and full of fury, primal anger directed towards the twisted and malevolent entity.

"Ragnar and... and guy! I've got your backs, but be careful!"

Lynx cancels his Body Control and Heightened Senses spells. This reduces Ragnar and Lynx's Initiative by 2.

He then attempts to cast Life 3 "Knit" on Phoenix as an instant action through Sensory range, Reaching to heal Lethal damage, and gains 2 successes, healing Phoenix for 3 Lethal Damage.

Potency: 3
1 target: Phoenix
Duration: Instant.
Yantra: Dedicated Tool (-2 Paradox dice)
Base Dice Pool: Life 3 "Knit": Life (3) + Gnosis (1) + Willpower (3)
Reaches: 1 Free Reach: 1 spent on Instant Cast. 2 Extra Reaches for Sensory Range (1 reach) and for Knit to heal 1 Lethal per Potency rather than 2 Bashing (1 reach).

Base Paradox Dice pool: 2.
Paradox modifiers: -2 from Dedicated Tool.
Final Paradox Dice pool: 0.
If Paradox is obtained, Lynx will release it.

Roll for Paradox → 0 successes.

Roll for Life 3 "Knit" → 2 successes.

[crapcarp]

Phoenix
Peripheral Sight | Armor: Forces | Active Spell(s): Kinetic Blow [Potency 2, Scene-long]
Health: LBBBOOO | WP: 2/5 | Mana: 2/10 | Wisdom: 7 (Understanding)
Conditions: Grieving [Guilty] | Tilts: None

Payback time, bitch. I charge straight towards the "bargain brand dementor".

Closes in on Alux and makes a Brawl attack

Strength 3 + Brawl 4 + 3 WP + 1 Exceptional Luck - 3 Wounds = 8 dice → 5 successes MOTHAFUCKA!!!

FALCON PAAAUNCH!!!

I open with fist straight to the gut, utilize the head's downward momentum to guide the jaw right into a rising knee, then thrust the foot right into its wide open chest. Normally, a combo like that would leave someone on the ground and not being able to speak properly for at least a week. However, nothing about this situation was normal. With my spell, that attack would mince a normal human into Ragu pasta sauce. This thing? Haven't a clue, but it certainly seems like I hurt the fucker something fierce.

And there goes quite a bit of blood as I pant from the exhaustion. Or there would be, if my wounds didn't suddenly seal up. Wait...why are my wounds sealing up?

Perception to notice Lynx healing Phoenix

Wits 3 + Composure 2 = 5 dice → 0 successes

Looks like you did a thankless job, Lynx

Y'know what? Doesn't matter. I need to focus on dealing with this thing.

[rwknoll]

Phoenix
Your attack is an example of perfection.

You know from the moment you throw your first punch that you have the perfect angle of attack. The creature has swiveled away to face the young man drawing attention to himself, looking away from you for the first time since you came out of the portal, at precisely the moment you moved forward. Your arm moves with supernatural speed and force, colliding with the creature's physical form with a force that could kill a normal man with a single blow. Somehow, the creature shifts at the worst possible time, twisting its form in such a way that you land your blows exactly where you wanted to. The Gulmoth screams, letting out another angry roar that makes the air tremble and causes flashes of light to explode around it.

But this creature is not a normal man -- there's nothing normal about it at all. You see a large crack extending across its torso, and tendrils of dark energy seem to be leaking out from its surface. But It doesn't seem very fazed; in fact, you watch as the shadows swirl around the creature's body and the large crack already begins to reform. You have the sense that this thing has natural resistance to physical harm.

Although you don't know where it comes from, you feel two separate pulses of energy on your Periphery. Your wounds start to knit themselves back together, causing instant relief of the pain you were feeling from your most grievous wounds that adrenaline was holding at bay. You also feel a sense of peace in your mind that gives you clarity through the remaining pain. You feel as if you're uninjured, even though you know you still are.

I think the bonus from Exceptional Luck will wear off this turn, but there is one more use of Grave Misfortune and The Perfect Strike active on the Gulmoth, so the next successful attack by any character will ignore Defense and apply an extra 2 damage. You also temporarily ignore wound penalties due to Binder's spell.

You also gain a beneficial Condition of your choice (e.g., Steadfast, Inspired) for the exceptional success on your Brawl roll. Go ahead and pick one, and then put it in your header on your next post.

Moonstone
You very narrowly manage to rip yourself away from the mental connection, clearing your mind as best as possible. Now that it's easier for you to focus, you spring into action and return to your human form. The staff feels warm to the touch.

Through your Active Sight, you see spells springing into shape around you. Many of the spells include Arcana that you don't know, but you know enough about Supernal magic to make some logical guesses. The young, bear-like man casts something that knits Phoenix's wounds back together. Binder casts a Mind spell that settles on all of you, and it provides a blanket over your physical distress that suggests it will block pain reception.

Phoenix strikes the creature hard, with a force that could kill a man. But you remember from your lessons with Hakim and his cabal that Gulmoth, like spirits, are resistant to physical damage when they take on a physical form in the Fallen World.

You can see the spells being cast, but don't forget that any rolls unrelated to using/perceiving magic (including Weaponry) are at -2.

You get +1 Defense against this creature using the staff. However, why is your Defense 9? I see you have a base Defense of 6, so that would make it 7 with the staff. Are you using some kind of Mage Armor?

Lynx
You watch with a surge of pleasure as your spell takes hold, wrapping up around the athletic man and knitting his wounds back together. The largest lacerations and open cuts simply vanish as his skin reforms.


Alux
The Gulmoth spins around, staring at each of you with a look of calculated fury. It settles its gaze on Ragnar and raises its arms, shrieking with an alien voice that sends chills up your spine. Each of you feels a powerful pulse of energy on your Periphery.

Thick, inky-black spears of energy explode out, thicker than you have previously seen. They shred into Ragnar's body, inflicting massive damage. Large gashes create sprays of blood, which falls on each of you nearby. "Noooo!" Mathias screams in horror. Ragnar looks to be on the cusp of passing out; you're not sure how he's still standing.

Alux spends 6 Essence and a WP to use its Blast Numen on Ragnar, making it a +3L firearm attack. Blast (14) + WP (3) = 4 successes, resulting in 7 lethal damage. You are welcome to activate Fate Armor and/or Dodge, but per our rolling convention, unfortunately all of the successes came at the start of the roll, so even Dodging won't change the damage you take. Fortunately you benefit from Binder's spell, so you temporarily ignore wound penalties.

Mathias
The older mage grits his teeth and looks to Phoenix and Moonstone. "We need to take this thing out, now! If we hit it hard enough, it will either discorporate or flee," he quickly explains. He waves his crystal wand and yells, creating another powerful burst of energy on your Periphery.

Mathias will attempt to cast another Fate spell to help, using his Praxis Superlative Luck.

Superlative Luck (p. 137)
Yantra: Path tool
Reach: 2 free; spending 2 on instant casting and sensory range
Scale: 2 subjects
Potency: 2
Duration: 5 rounds

No Paradox roll. Spellcasting: Gnosis (3) + Fate (4) + Yantra (1) + WP (3) - Factors (4) = 7d10: 2 successes (bummer, no exceptional success). Phoenix and Moonstone each gain 2 uses of rote quality rolls on mundane actions in the next 5 rounds. Specify in advance which rolls you want to apply the rote quality to.

I don't know how to get the syntax correct on Orokos, unfortunately. So roll normally, look at the results, and roll a second time (also giving URL link here) for any number of dice that come up as 7 or lower on the original roll, then add the successes together. If someone else gets the syntax to work so it's simpler, let me know!

Initiative
Alux (20) -- Blast
Mathias (16) -- Superlative Luck
--> Ragnar (15)
Phoenix (13)
Binder (12)
Moonstone (11)
Lynx (10)

[Haberdasher]

RAGNAR

Mage Sight: Peripheral
Active Spells: None
Conditions/Tilts: None
Health: LLLLOOOO I WP: 0/4 I Mana: 8/10 I Wisdom: 7
Beats: 1/5 I Arcane Beats: 2/5

Ragnar's not sure how it happened. One second, he watches as the muscular young man unleashes a devastating flurry of blows on the gulmoth. His eyes flicker over to the form of a fine-featured Vietnamese man rising from a patch of shadow he has ignored up until that very moment. Then he's suddenly, painfully aware of his heart pounding in his chest from adrenaline and exertion as Lynx dismisses his spell. Then the gulmoth turns back to face him with a blood-curdling shriek, and the bottom of his stomach seems to fall out. Ah, shit. The thing raises its arms, and tendrils of blackness shoot at him like striking snakes.

Ragnar attempts to Dodge the incoming attack. He reflexively invokes Fate Mage Armor, spending a point of Mana to do so. (Defense 4 x 2) + (Fate Mage Armor 2 x 2) -> 12 dice = 3 successes. So I think that leaves 1 success from the roll, and the +3L from the Essence makes that 4. So 4 Lethal in total. Still stings, but not as bad as it was. Let me know if I'm wrong on that.

Ragnar now has Fate Mage Armor active for the rest of the scene.

In the spare few moments he has before the tendrils reach him, he reaches for something deep inside of himself, beyond even the now-depleted strength of his own will, and weaves the threads of Fate around himself, allowing them to pull him away from the tendrils as they will.

He spins away from one, stops just short of moving into the path of another, and then jukes his torso away from the other. Unfortunately, that seems to be the extent of what Fate can do for him, as the remainder slice and stab him. He gasps and cries out at the pain of it, but he seems to be okay for the time being. If not for Fate, the damage would have been much worse.

He looks at the gulmoth with a new sense of caution, but he can't help but offer another insult. "Touchy bastard, ain't cha," he growls at it. All the same, he retreats back towards the others, never taking his eyes of the thing. "Last time I do that," he says to Mathias.

[crapcarp]

Phoenix
Peripheral Sight | Armor: Forces | Active Spell(s): Kinetic Blow [Potency 2, Scene-long]
Health: LBBBOOO | WP: 1/5 | Mana: 2/10 | Wisdom: 7 (Understanding)
Conditions: Grieving [Guilty], Steadfast | Tilts: None

Taking Steadfast from the previous exceptional success

"We need to take this thing out, now!" one of the mages shouts. Don't need to tell me twice. Let's see if I can break its legs.

Targeted attack to the leg, using Focused Attack (from Martial Arts Merit) to reduce the penalty to -1.

Strength 3 + Brawl 4 + 3 WP - 1 Targeted Attack (Leg) w/ Rote quality = 9 dice → 5 successes

When Alux gets back to the Abyss, he's gonna be saying "I used to be a powerful Abyssal like you, but then I took a mage's perfectly-placed foot to the knee.

I land right in the thing's outstretched knee with a kick that would cleave a human's leg in half. Then I follow it up with an uppercut straight to the jaw to sit him down.

[rwknoll]

Ragnar
You pull Fate around you like a shield, and dance your way through part of the attacks. It's not as graceful or as successful as Mathias was, but you can tell that it made a powerful difference. Mathias practically sighs in relief, and offers a quick smile to you. "Just be smart and try not to egg it on too much, ok?" he suggests.


Phoenix
Your fists explode into the Gulmoth with extraordinary precision and force. Once again, you feel like you could take on the world; the creature tries to squirm away but accidentally moves into your follow-up blows.

This time, the strike causes the crack in the Guomoth's body to burst open. Light touching its skin is absorbed into the wound, creating a dark halo of energy around the creature. It growls again, but this time its tone sounds...a touch concerned?

You deal a total of 9 more damage due to Grave Misfortune and Kinetic Blow, both of which wear off now. You also use up the last benefit of The Perfect Strike, so Alux gets its Defense back (6) on other attacks. You still get one more rote action roll over the next few rolls of desired. Attaching in the knees does not appear to have any observable effect with that roll.

Gain another beneficial condition for the exceptional success. Can't be Steadfast though, you already have it.

Initiative
Alux (20) -- Blast
Mathias (16) -- Superlative Luck
Ragnar (15) -- Dodge
Phoenix (13) -- Brawl attack
--> Binder (12)
Moonstone (11)
Lynx (10)

[MagicSwordsman]

BINDER
Willpower: 0/7 Mana: 0/10 Health: LLBBBBB (-0)
[Scoured: -1 Str] [Shaken] [Mind Over Matter Pot 3]
Mage Sight: Peripheral
Beats: 1 Arcane Beats: 4

Binder watches in awe as Pheonix lands blow after blow on the monster, but not entirely sure who is specifically responsible. He's landing the hits, but the older man did something... Either way, it suddenly seems like we can win this!

He confidently raises his knife and slashes out an attack on the monster's mind.

Casting Psychic Assault (Mind 3)
Reach: 1 Free; spending for instant speed, sensory range, and casting over spell control.
Containing Paradox: 2 + 1 (prior risk) - 2 (dedicated tool) vs Wisdom 7 = 1 vs 7 -> 2 vs 2

Wow. Just wow.

Yantras: Knife (reflexive, dedicated)
Factors: Potency 3
Spellcasting: Gnosis 1 + Mind 3 = 4 -> 1 success!

I get the spell off, at least!

[Caladriu]

Moonstone
Active Sight: Mind/Space | Spells: None
Mage Armor: Time 2 | Conditions: Divergent (Active)
Health: LLBOOO | Willpower: 0/8 | Mana: 1/10 | Beats: 0/5 | Arcane Beats: 4/5

Moonstone hears and feels the magic firing around him, Supernal symbols shining like fireworks. A Fate working to briefly create heroes settles onto him and Phoenix. A dull gleam of Fated unimportance and weakness surrounds Alux- Supernal magic is so hesitant around the Gulmoth, like a floating leaf protected from the depths by surface tension alone- and shuts out the futures where it blocked his blows effectively, vanishing as soon as the hex serves its narrative purpose. A crack in the hungry darkness grows wider. Binder forms a knife of his Mind and twists it in the wound. The corrupt anti-symbols that make up the Gulmoth groan and sputter.

This particular moment belongs to him. He closes his third eye and retreats from Pandemonium to the Fallen World alone. Everything he needs to see is right ahead of him. The second Phoenix weaves away after his god-killing uppercut, Moonstone grips his weapon in his right hand and shouts a well-known Adamantine Arrow kiai: "Arrows, point the way!"

Then he drops his guard, runs ahead, crouches like a coiled spring, and lunges up and drives the staff deep, deep, deep into the crack in Alux.

First: reflexively ending Mage Sight.

Second: sacrificing my entire Defense 10 this turn for +10 dice on my attack, as per Fighting Style: Light Weapons 2.

Thrust (••): Your character knows when to defend himself,
and when to move in for the kill. At any time, you can
sacrifice points of Defense one-for-one to add to attack pools.
This cannot happen if you’ve already used Defense in the
same turn. If you use this maneuver, you may not sacrifice
your full Defense for any other reason. For example, you
cannot use Thrust with an all-out attack.

Third: attack roll. Strength 3 + Weaponry 4 + Thrust 10 - Defense 6, 11 dice with rote quality from Mathias and 9-again for Profession Skill: 10 successes. And the staff has +1 damage. Hopefully that tags it with some Aggravated.

Fourth: I'd like to apply this Condition to myself, if possible. If not, I'll take Inspired with the same focus of boasting about his prowess.

Fabled
Your character has performed an impressive feat in battle, and it makes for a great story. When your character speaks of their action to a receptive audience, you may resolve this Condition. This grants +5 to one Social roll and restores a point of Willpower.

Fifth: when the next turn starts, Moonstone regains full Defense (10) and reflexively reactivates Mind and Space Sight.

[rwknoll]

Binder
You reach out with your blade and assault the Gulmoth's "mind," if that's what you can call it. The creature roars as your spell digs painfully deep into its consciousness, but in the act of casting your spell, the Lie weighs heavily on your body. You manage to contain the pressure of the Abyss threatening to leak out again, but in doing so feel another sharp spike of pain.

You need to make the Stamina roll on the same turn. It's a moot point in terms of the fight (see below), but go ahead and roll now.

Moonstone
You grip the staff tightly in your hands as you leap through the air at the Gulmoth. At your shout, Mathias' head snaps towards you with a startled expression, but your focus is all about Alux.

Your blow strikes true, finding its mark at the heart of the Gulmoth. Alux screams in pain. Before your attack, it had clearly begun to grow hesitant, but the creature must have sorely underestimated your group. Alux's body explodes outward in a shower of sparks and a boom like thunder. The force of the explosion knocks you off your feet, and the staff clatters to the ground beside you. When you blink and look up, you see dark clouds in a sphere before you, which quickly dissipates like fog under a hot sun.

I'll allow the Condition, sure. Gaining a WP on resolution of a beneficial Condition is a little atypical from what I see in the core book, but you can get it from Inspired, and it's not game breaking by any means. Unless this is from a specific book or Mage 2E reference I haven't seen?

One question for anyone here...I thought you couldn't apply both 9-again and Rote Action permutations to the same dice pool? Based on the description of how dice tricks apply to Paradox rolls for presence of Sleepers, I thought it went 10-again (standard) --> 9-again --> 8-again --> Rote action.

Everyone
Mathias leans against the wall with a ragged sigh of relief. For a moment, he says nothing. His gaze lingers on Moonstone, but he turns to the rest of you with a broad smile. "Well done, all of you," he says warmly. "Well done."

We're out of initiative now. Combat is over. You all gain 1 Beat for your success at confronting and defeating a powerful enemy, and learning more about yourselves and each other in the process.

[MagicSwordsman]

BINDER
Willpower: 0/7 Mana: 0/10 Health: LLBBBBB (-0)
[Scoured: -1 Str] [Shaken] [Mind Over Matter Pot 3] [Unconcious]
Mage Sight: Peripheral
Beats: 2 Arcane Beats: 4

Stamina 2 -> 0 successes

Marlin responds to Mathias by unceremoniously toppling over onto the pavement.

[Caladriu]

Moonstone
Active Sight: Mind/Space | Spells: None
Mage Armor: Time 2 | Conditions: Divergent (Active)
Health: LLBOOO | Willpower: 0/8 | Mana: 1/10 | Beats: 1/5 | Arcane Beats: 4/5

I checked the dice rules on 214 and I think you're right and I was mistaken about rote and 9-again. Rote action specifies that "you may only re-roll each die once," which would preclude getting 9-again on any new dice that came up. And several other effects build in the 9-again to 8-again to rote action way. If you removed the successes I got from 9-again on that roll, I would have 8 successes instead of 10 if it matters. I'll avoid that in the future!

I built Fabled from the custom Condition guidelines on 289. It's basically Inspired except it gives a dice bonus instead of exceptional success on 3 successes.

Also, canceling my Glory Days spell now that we're out of battle. The Merits disappear back into the fog of happy memory.

He's been knocked on his ass and disarmed by the Gulmoth's ontological collapse. Adrenalin fades within about five seconds, all of his elation jarred loose by the breathtaking thud of the impact and the end of battle and glory. At least his bag is safe.

Moonstone wants to jump back to his feet, dust himself off, laugh and shout and smile and hug Phoenix tight and not let go ("we did it! i knew we could!"), and help Binder back up ("i'm so glad you're okay!"), and thank his new friends and ask all their names and take a bow and make a wonderful first impression. Any second now, he'll get up and make it happen and everything will be great.

He doesn't. Thanks, BPD. He lays on his back on the cold, uncomfortable pavement and looks up at the dark clouds fading away in Mage Sight. The older Fate mage looks at him and says something Moonstone pays no attention to. He turns over and draws his mirror out of his bag, not significantly more cracked than before, holds it up above him and gazes into it. He's looking into his own future. It's like haruspicy with the fading ephemeral entrails of the Gulmoth.

Will I encounter Alux again within the next month?

Will learning that I summoned Alux (through my own stupidity, worthlessness, naivete, total lack of wisdom or merit, etc etc) make the other mages around me right now hate me?

Don't cast spells under the influence, kids. Casting my Praxis, Divination. Gnosis 1, Time 2, Path Tool 1, and I'd like to use a +1 Environment yantra for casting a spell about Alux at the site of a victory over that entity. 1 reach for instant, 1 reach for detailed responses. 5 dice: 0 successes, let's make that a dramatic failure as long as Moonstone is crashing hard. Don't draw on the Abyss for Environment yantras, either!

[crapcarp]

Phoenix
Peripheral Sight | Armor: None | Active Spell(s): None
Health: LBBBOOO | WP: 1/5 | Mana: 2/10 | Wisdom: 7 (Understanding)
Conditions: Grieving [Guilty], Inspired | Tilts: None

Ending the armor and spell.

Looks like Moonstone dealt the final blow. Appropriate, considering he summoned the damn thing in the first place. I sigh as I shed the armor and spell. He's on the concrete with that stupid little mirror of his. I think now's a good time for them words. At first, I was gonna deliver a fist to his face, but since he cleaned up the mess he made, I'm feeling generous. "Hey buddy?" I smile sarcastically as I pull away the mirror, then I give him a good smack.

Phoenix slaps Moonstone. No damage, but I resolve Steadfast to guarantee success. It's more of a role-playing thing, anyways.

"Don't ever do that again," I demand, wiping away the smile for a dead serious look in his eyes.

Now with that outta the way, I stand up and face the others. "I don't recall us introducing ourselves. My name's Phoenix, the man down there's Moonstone," I point, "Thank you very much for helping us."