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**Haberdasher** · 10-04-2016, 11:21 PM

RAGNAR

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

Ragnar walks over to the fallen man and kneels down beside him. He has no idea what's wrong with him. He seemed a little roughed up, but did he faint from nerves or injuries. His brows furrow as he considers the question before him, and whether he has the tools for the job. Fate and Time won't do it. I need Life. He has only touched Life once, when he opened himself to it it through his Sight. He reaches out for it again, using the same logic he did when he had used previously. Just as all things are bound to each other by the threads of fate, tugging on each other and altering the trajectory of their probabilities... all living things are connected to each other through trophic interactions, exchanging energy and chemicals through the endless cycle of life and regeneration.

He places his hand on the man's chest. And he opens himself to magic, and turns his attention to Life, an art as fickle and mutable as Fate. He begins lightly drawing the flat of his knife over the man's body, tracing the path of his veins and arteries to and from his heart.

Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to work, and the spell eludes him. Ragnar shakes his head in frustration.

"Lynx, wanna take a look at him for me? I tried myself, but I lost the spell." He looks at the others: the younger man, Phoenix; and the Vietnamese man, Moonstone. "I'm Ragnar. The big guy over there is Lynx, and this guy here is Mathias."

**Caladriu** · 10-05-2016, 03:13 AM

Moonstone

Whatever nightmarish thing (or nothing) Moonstone sees while gazing slack-jawed into the future in his magic mirror, his reverie (and Mage Sight) breaks when Phoenix pulls the mirror away from his face.

"Hey buddy?"

He shakes his head and confusedly meets Phoenix's smile, half sitting up, still distracted. "Huh? Oh! I'm so-"

Hard surprise smack to the face. Deadly serious look. "Don't ever do that again."

Moonstone doesn't respond, just puts his hand on his stinging cheek and stares at Phoenix, deer-in-headlights style. He keeps forgetting that his delusions aren't the same as reality. He wasn't a comrade-in-arms to him just now; he almost got Phoenix and the others killed thanks to his utter incompetence...not that he remembers what actually triggered the Abyssal intrusion beyond the portal, only that it was unequivocally his own fault. He's been nothing but a burden. As always, he had it coming. It's like Hakim never left!

That's the second Divination question answered, at least. Vivid fantasies well up in his mind about revenge and abandonment and violence, as is his mind's usual response to perceived betrayal on a low day, but they're just thoughts, just passing clouds. Remember the meditation. Close your eyes and count them and let them pass you by. Thoughts don't have to come true, even if you're a mage. He puts his mirror down and mumbles: "uh- sorry. glad you made it."

He rises to his feet while Phoenix makes introductions, dusts himself off, picks up the staff again and rests on it. He's real quiet, but waves a little at Ragnar. "Well-met by daylight, proud Ragnar. You three were a godsend."

He points the staff at Phoenix and wearily explains: "Nameless." Points to the unconscious Mr. Marlin Matheson. "Nameless." Points his own thumb at himself. "Arrow." Gestures out at Ragnar, Lynx and Mathias. "Did you also get caught in the Highstorm?"

**Kvitebjørn Kong Valemon** · 10-05-2016, 04:03 AM

LYNX

Active Sight: None
Active Spells: None
Willpower: 1/5. Mana: 7/10
Conditions/Tilts: Inspired

The dust settles. Metaphorically, at least. Lynx walks over to the man who collapsed - joined by Ragnar - and he watches his friend's Life magic simply not... work.

"Lynx, wanna take a look at him for me? I tried myself, but I lost the spell."

He opens his senses to the Wild to assess the man, and lays his own hand on the man's heaving chest.

"O' great bear," he repeats, though quieter than before, "I ask of you once more, please, heal him."

Again, his shadow becomes the bear, but this time without the brutal anger, or the instinctive hatred towards that Eldritch horrir. It is, like Lynx, calmer, more protective as the Wild permeates through Lynx's soul, and then pours into the man's flesh.

"I think he'll be fine," he tells Ragnar as he shifts into a sitting position. "I'll take care of him. You're better at the talking to people stuff than I am. Are you awake?" He adds as he watches the man stir. When he hears the slap, he instinctively looks up to see the conversation unfold.

**Haberdasher** · 10-05-2016, 12:34 PM

RAGNAR

Mage Sight: Peripheral
Active Spells: None
Conditions/Tilts: None
Health: LLLLOOOO I WP: 0/4 I Mana: 6/10 I Wisdom: 7
Beats: 2/5 I Arcane Beats: 2/5

Ragnar studies his injuries for a moment. They're painful and deep, but nothing life threatening.

"Did you also get caught in the Highstorm?" Ragnar shakes his head.

"Lynx and I and... another mage. We were in a class when the storm made the power go out. I saw some sort of portal out the window, and we decided to investigate. I used Time to see what would come of it, and I had a vision of Mathias here. After we went..." he looks into the middle distance, once more trying to remember what happened. " ... wherever it is that we went, Mathias was waiting for us. Then he led us to you three."

He looks at the others. "So can anybody tell me what the hell that thing was? And why did you call Phoenix 'Nameless'?"

**MagicSwordsman** · 10-05-2016, 02:39 PM

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

Binder groans as he slowly comes to, and staggers to his feet.

"So can anybody tell me what the hell that thing was? And why did you call Phoenix 'Nameless'?" Asks one of the strangers.

"It wasn't the only one that came through, either. There was a smaller one a little while ago, but I was the only one on this side of the portal."

**Caladriu** · 10-05-2016, 06:38 PM

Moonstone

"We were in a class when the storm made the power go out. I saw some sort of portal out the window, and we decided to investigate. I used Time to see what would come of it, and I had a vision of Mathias here."

"Likewise. Well- we were on a train. Phoenix and I went into the door as well, and I expected," don't say Marlin, "our companion to follow. But apparently he had his own trouble."

Moonstone heads over to Lynx and Marlin, and lays his hand on the big friendly Norwegian bear's shoulder. "Thank you. Lynx, right? Moonstone. Um- I'm hurt, but not from battle. Would you mind taking a look at my Pattern? I'd be very grateful if you could heal the rest of us, but please don't exert yourself."

He helps Marlin steady himself on his feet, laughs and breathes a sigh of relief. "Aion be praised, you're alright. I don't remember what happened in the portal, but I'm sure I was worried sick about you the whole time. Did my hair not work?"

Ragnar speaks: "So can anybody tell me what the hell that thing was? And why did you call Phoenix 'Nameless'?"

Marlin replies: "It wasn't the only one that came through, either. There was a smaller one a little while ago, but I was the only one on this side of the portal."

Moonstone blinks. "Wait, a smaller one? Did it escape? Do you have Sympathy to it? You should, if you were able to work magic on it."

He responds to Ragnar over his shoulder. "Nameless? It's nothing insulting. He's just not with an Order yet. Are you two?"

There's a harder question, too. He squeezes his fists from nervous tension, and fantasizes about donning the Cloak and melting into shadows again. Just thinking about it already hurts, after what he saw in the mirror. Close your eyes, get through it. "That was Alux. It's like...the Abyssal symbol of anti-light. I learned its name. Or named it, maybe. It's a Gulmoth, a kind of Abyssal spirit that can take physical form. It was watching me all day."

He steps away from Marlin and wraps his arms tight around himself, eyes still closed, speaking faster. "I don't remember what happened beyond the door, but I know I let it out. It manifested because of what I did. It used my soul to descend into the Fallen World. Alux- all these Gulmoth prey on weak," stupid, naive, unworthy, etc etc "mages like me who can't control their magic, and now it's looking for more magic and mages and Mana to defile and consume. It almost killed Phoenix and Ragnar! We hurt it for now, probably sent it into hibernation, but it's in our world now, it's just going to come back in a few weeks."

Deep breath, long sigh. He looks at Ragnar and half-smiles. "It's not my place to tell you all the Mysteries. You should ask your master." He gestures to Mathias.

**rwknoll** · 10-05-2016, 11:21 PM

Moonstone
You feebly attempt to cast another spell, thirsting for the knowledge about what the future holds for you in regards to Alux. But your spell fails, and if that wasn't enough, Phoenix's blunt words and actions magnify your feelings of guilt and shame.

Now that the dust has settled and you have the luxury of time, you take a closer look at Mathias and draw on your existing knowledge of mage society. When you do, you realize that you actually might remember hearing about Mathias from Hakim. If you're remembering clearly, he's a popular and well-respected member of the Silver Ladder; not a Master yet, but definitely an Adept. You don't remember much about him except that he was in a cabal of five mages, one from each Pentacle Order.

Ragnar
Your spell fails you, but you feel like if you had more time you could make more sense of the Life Arcanum. You feel a rush of eager excitement at the possibility of learning more, of growing your magical abilities. It's a fleeting urge, but a strong one, strong enough to catch you off guard.

Lynx
With a slow, steady breath, you find inner peace and channel it into Binder. As before, instantly upon your spell taking hold, you see the man's bruises fade and ultimately vanish.

*NEW SCENE*

Everyone
While you have been talking, Mathias has stood quietly, leaning against the wall. He looks around at each of you and studies you, following the conversation intently but silently. You can tell, however, that his eyes linger the most on Moonstone; as the conversation continues, he begins to narrow his eyes and crosses his arms. He clenches his jaw when Moonstone calls himself an Arrow, and his eyes widen suddenly at the mention of another small Gulmoth that was here. But when Moonstone admits to summoning a Gulmoth and naming it that, for the first time since meeting him, you see red-hot anger on Mathias' face.

For an older man, Mathias moves deceptively fast. He grabs Moonstone by the collar and slams him against the wall where the Highstorm portal had appeared not long ago. "You fool!" he growls. "Do you have any idea what damage you have caused, what you have risked? It took six of us to defeat it, and several of you could have died in the process. And I don't need Fate to know the odds of that thing coming back -- it's a certainty," Mathias spat. "With luck, it can be found when it is still weak, but what if it runs loose in a shopping mall or a subway?"

Mathias lets Moonstone go roughly and takes a step back with a deep breath, very obviously trying to keep his anger in check. He looks over his shoulder and sees that a few people are starting to wander down the street again. He sighs heavily and says, "We need some privacy so we can discuss this further, and other things."

Just as he says that, you all feel another pulse on your Periphery: a whiff of chalk powder, a ringing bell, or perhaps an odd feeling of being watched. Mathias nods and begins to walk past Moonstone. It's then that you all notice that there is suddenly somewhere to even go past Moonstone; where the wall had previously just ended, now there is a small alley several yards long that leads to an ornate iron door. Mathias walks and waves you to follow. "Please, trust me, this is a friend," he asks wearily.

Mathias touches the door, and it opens quietly on its own. As you step through the door, you find yourself in the foyer of what appears to be a mansion. Double stairwells on either side of the foyer lead up to another level, passing a crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling. You hear two people talking from a nearby room, a man and a woman's voice. Shortly after entering, the door closes behind you and a strikingly handsome man in his mid to late 30s walks into the entryway. He has a glass of liquor, probably Scotch neat, in his left hand, and he's wearing a custom-tailored suit with matching handkerchief and necktie.

The man smiles and nods his head in greeting to Mathias, "Ah, there you are, Mathias," he says as he offers the older mage a firm handshake. He flashes another smile at the rest of you. "Welcome to my humble abode. A pleasure to meet you all. My name is Valentine."

As Valentine introduces himself, you hear the click of boots and turn to see a young, slim woman with a fire-red mowhawk, colorful tattoo sleeves, and a fishnet shirt. She stops in the foyer with a grin and rests her hands on her hips nonchalantly. A loud pop echoes in the room as she blows a bubble in her chewing gum.

"Name's Boomer," she says simply. Boomer gives an obvious look-over of Lynx, and her smile widens. "Nice shirt," she comments. She doesn't say anything else.

**crapcarp** · 10-06-2016, 05:00 AM

Previous Scene
(Just before Mathias leads everyone to the mansion)

Seems Moonstone is really engaged with this Ragnar fellow, so I leave him to it with the explanations and simply give a "Thank you for backing us up there, we really needed it."

I was about to ask Ragnar about if he was the one who healed me, but then I notice Binder being healed by another mage, Lynx, was his name. After asking if Binder was doing okay, I went over to Lynx. "That was some pretty good healing, were you the one who did that for me earlier?" I ask Lynx, "Just trying to find who I need to thank for that."

Suddenly, I hear a body thud on brick right behind me, and I pivot straight towards it. Looks like that Mathias guy is a lot harsher about the incident than I was. Looks like those Gulmoths are a bigger deal than I thought.

Current Scene

Mathias "opens" up an alley way that leads straight to a mansion, "Please, trust me, this is a friend," he requests. He did save our asses, so I can pay his friend a visit, I guess.

Upon entering, I take in mansion's interior, getting a handle on my new surroundings.

"Welcome to my humble abode. A pleasure to meet you all. My name is Valentine."

"Nice place ya got," I respond, still taking it in.

**Kvitebjørn Kong Valemon** · 10-06-2016, 05:56 AM

LYNX
Active Sight: Life (starts and ends in scene)
Active Spells: None
Willpower: 0/5. Mana: 6/10
Conditions/Tilts: Inspired
Beats: 1 - Arcane Beats: 0

Lynx takes a deep breath as he gets up on his feet. He grins as the scene unfolds, when the man known as Phoenix approaces.

"That was some pretty good healing, were you the one who did that for me earlier? Just trying to find who I need to thank for that."

"Ah, thanks," Lynx laughs as he rubs his beard. "I wasn't sure if I could heal it at all, to be honest, but hey! I could!"

Though that chill... I need to ask Mathias. Is it that...Abyss thing?

Then he's addressed by the one known as Moonstone. "Thank you. Lynx, right? Moonstone. Um- I'm hurt, but not from battle. Would you mind taking a look at my Pattern? I'd be very grateful if you could heal the rest of us, but please don't exert yourself."

With a nod, Lynx sinks into the Senses of the Wild, looking at Moonstone. His ... Pattern? Faen, too many questions! - wounds look... wrong, somehow. Even the thought of summoning the Wild into his body makes him bristle. "I don't think I can. Your wounds are... I don't know. Corrupted? Wrong? And... I could heal the others, only if I try to go beyond the bruises, there's this... this... cold that tries to consume me. Though..."

When his eyes fall on Ragnar, he grits his teeth. "Excuse me."

"Ragnar, you're hurt," Lynx says soothingly as he walks around his friend. "I can't leave you like that."

He grabs his pendant instinctively as he lays his hand on Ragnar. In his mind, the Wild mends him completely, and he murmurs, "O'great bear, I ask of you, heal him." As the chill creeps up on him, he grits his teeth and feels his body surge, pushing it away far more aggressively than before - he feels energy - Mana! - lash out from his soul.

"Ah...thank you, great bear," Lynx whispers to himself as his spell is successfully invoked, free of the chill. He gives Ragnar a proper bear hug before he steps back, grinning. "That was brave of you. Stupid too, but brave."

---NEW SCENE---

Lynx doesn't look too surprised when Mathias goes off on Moonstone, having seen Phoenix do the same already, yet he assesses the man all the same.

"We need some privacy so we can discuss this further, and other things. Please, trust me, this is a friend."

Lynx doesn't hesitate in the slightest, following him into the exquisite foyer. His ears twitch at the sound of the conversation, while he looks around with giddiness. Then...

"Welcome to my humble abode. A pleasure to meet you all. My name is Valentine."

Lynx turns to the man, and tilts his head. "...Wow. Handsome."

"Name's Boomer," Lynx turns to the woman, who smiles at her. "Nice shirt."

"Awesome hair," he replies with a widening grin. "All of you's wicked. I'm Lynx," he adds, nodding to Valentine as well. "Thanks for welcoming us."

**Haberdasher** · 10-06-2016, 01:50 PM

RAGNAR

Mage Sight: Peripheral
Active Spells: None
Conditions/Tilts: None
Health: OOOOOOOO I WP: 0/4 I Mana: 6/10 I Wisdom: 7
Beats: 2/5 I Arcane Beats: 2/5

Previous Scene

"Nameless? It's nothing insulting. He's just not with an Order yet. Are you two?"

This is all moving way faster than Ragnar can really process. He trades a confused look with Lynx and spreads his hands. "Look- Moonstone, right?- Before today, I didn't even know there were other mages. So I guess Lynx and I are both Nameless."

He watches appreciatively as Lynx heals Binder. Impressive. Life definitely seems to be his forte. Then he feels Life course through himself as Lnyx heals his own wounds. He was on to something with the connectivity of living things, he knows that, but Lynx's magic seems so vital and raw. Yes, living things are connected, but they have an agency of their own. He'll have to keep that in mind when he attempts Life magic again- and in the meantime, perhaps he can pick Lynx's brain about it.

He briefly stiffens with surprise as Lynx embraces him, but returns it, because honestly? He could use one. "That was brave of you. Stupid too, but brave."

Ragnar smiles sheepishly. "Eh, I think it was mostly stupid, but thank you."

New Scene

Ragnar's eyes narrow when he hears the exchange between Moonstone and Mathias.

He seethes slightly at the realization that Moonstone was the cause of their problems. "Well, next time we fight him, we know who to use as bait." His tone is mostly light, but there's an edge to it as he gives Moonstone an accusatory look.

"Please, trust me, this is a friend."

"Well, no point standing around where every normie in Chicago can hear us." He follows after Mathias. Through the door, he gapes at the opulence. "Okay, quick question: where the hell in Chicago is this place, or is this your own private pocket dimension?"

He looks around in naked awe, until a guy who looks like Gerard Butler's more handsome, upscale cousin walks in. "Welcome to my humble abode. A pleasure to meet you all. My name is Valentine." Ohhhh myyyy.

"...Wow. Handsome," he hears Lynx murmur beside him. "Tell me about it," he mutters in agreement, but then blinks and looks at Lynx with realization. Huh.

Suddenly, an impulsive thought wanders through his mind. What are the odds that the first other mage he meets is also attracted to men? Is there some greater force at work, that brought them together for more reason than one? He once more studies the stream of Time. Is there any future for me and Lynx? Are there any people or choices I could make that would prevent that from coming to pass?

The spell fails to take form. Well, maybe I need to just work this one out on my own. For now. His eyes wander over Valentine's form for a moment. Can't lie, I wouldn't mind getting a piece of that.

His stomach gets a weird little wobble when he notices the looks that Lynx and Boomer give each other. Enter the competition. What kind of codename is "Boomer," anyways?

**MagicSwordsman** · 10-06-2016, 03:34 PM

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

"Aion be praised, you're alright. I don't remember what happened in the portal, but I'm sure I was worried sick about you the whole time. Did my hair not work?"

Marlin smiles wryly. "It turned out to be a little more complicated than advertised, and then I was interrupted."

"Wait, a smaller one? Did it escape? Do you have Sympathy to it? You should, if you were able to work magic on it."

"Yeah, messed me up and got away. And I guess I'm not sure about the sympathy... I didn't interact with it for that long."

Binder watches the healing magic with interest. He's slightly surprised by it; his magic is so much more ephemeral that affecting something in such an explicitly physical way is a little fascinating.

*NEW SCENE*

Binder's face darkens at Mathias's treatment of Moonstone. While everyone is filing into the magic alley, he approaches the young man. "Hey, look, I don't know much about magic, but I do know that mistakes happen. And I can tell you're the kind of person willing to work to fix your mistakes. That," he gestures generally toward Mathias, "was uncalled for."

Once inside, he can't help but smile and shake his head at the way Boomer, Lynx, and Ragnar are looking at each other. Ah, youth! What a mess! Not to mention the sheer incongruity of Boomer's outfit against this backdrop.

**Caladriu** · 10-06-2016, 05:00 PM

There's a wet thud as Mathias slams Moonstone against the bricks, and a wheeze of air being forced out of his lungs. He struggles to catch his breath as the théarch denounces him.

"You fool!" Mathias growls. "Do you have any idea what damage you have caused, what you have risked? It took six of us to defeat it, and several of you could have died in the process. And I don't need Fate to know the odds of that thing coming back -- it's a certainty," Mathias spat. "With luck, it can be found when it is still weak, but what if it runs loose in a shopping mall or a subway?"

"I- I don't remember what happened! I wasn't thinking straight!" he blurts out, his heart pounding fast, sweating under his ballcap. "I wasn't trying to hurt anyone, I swear on my name!"

He fantasizes about Hakim walking up behind him, pulling Mathias away, beating him to a pulp, and holding Moonstone tight. Or at least one of the other mages telling Mathias to lay off. But no one comes. So he falls back on a response he's developed from dealing with angry men, and quietly pleads the familiar words: "i'm sorry for making you hit me, i promise i won't tell anyone, please just let me go?"

Being femme, the burden is on him to understand the angry men who hit him, and while Mathias has him against the wall he sculpts that instinct into an Imago. Who are you?

He barely holds the Imago together through the pain and confusion, but he can't prove Mathias right. So he holds it, and the answers appear.

When Mathias lets him go, he slumps to the ground, breathing hard. Ragnar shoots him an accusatory look: "Well, next time we fight him, we know who to use as bait."

There's an edge in his voice. Moonstone gives him a wide-eyed stare of confusion in return, but can't find any words.

Mathias moves on to more important matters. "We need some privacy so we can discuss this further, and other things."

Moonstone feels that sensation in his Periphery of being centered at an auspicious moment in Time and Space. The Hour of Babel. He looks over his shoulder, and now he is slumped next to an alley that wasn't there before. It's magic!

He pushes himself to his feet while the others chatter and file into the alleyway. Marlin stops to talk with him.

"Hey, look, I don't know much about magic, but I do know that mistakes happen. And I can tell you're the kind of person willing to work to fix your mistakes. That," he gestures generally toward Mathias, "was uncalled for."

Moonstone doesn't say anything back, but he wraps his arms around the man and hugs him. Then steps back, squeezes his shoulder, nods and smiles. He picks up the rune-carved staff, takes one more look at the alley, and follows the others through the gate. But before stepping through, he reaches under his jacket and fastens the death's-head-moth clasp on the Cloak of Night. Just in case.

---

He takes a look around the opulent foyer and frowns. Valentine's tailored suit and formal greeting are met with rolled eyes and obvious distaste. His ears are still burning from the embarrassment of getting hit by this guy's cabalmate, but he curtsies briefly and politely. "Enchanté."

**rwknoll** · 10-08-2016, 05:52 AM

Phoenix

Lynx
There's something about the sudden intensity in Mathias' tone, and his lack of anger in other situations today, that suggests to you that the source of his emotional distress is personal. Mathias seems to be projecting or reacting to something, and you can see from the way he tries to suppress his anger that he knows his reaction is probably unwarranted.

"Of course," Valentine replies warmly. "Any friend of Mathias' is a friend of mine." The well-dressed man walks briskly to the door after you all enter and peers out into the alley before closing it. He rests a hand on the door, and after a moment you catch another scent of chalk powder and hear a quiet bell ring on your Periphery. Valentine exhales quietly and his shoulders relax more than they had a moment ago.

Ragnar
Mathias is one of the first mages you've met who appears truly wise and experienced, and he seems to share your temperament and magical expertise; it's only natural that you would gravitate towards seeing things from his perspective.

If Valentine hears your comment about his appearance, he doesn't seem to react or respond. He does try to answer your question, though. "Distance and location are a construct of an unenlightened mind." He holds up his index finger on each hand, shoulder width apart, then moves them together until they touch. "Those who have Awakened can learn how the relationship between two objects, people, or locations is mutable. Distance is an expression of sympathy, of connection, between two things. I suppose the most accurate answer is that this place is in a 'private pocket dimension' currently separated from the world, but it can be connected anywhere as needed."

Your spell fizzles, leaving you wondering what your future holds. After even your brief exposure to Supernal truth, the lack of future knowledge is incredibly disappointing.

Binder
You've generally been good at reading people, and you do do this time as Mathias publicly rebukes Moonstone. Mathias seems to recognize that he is being very harsh, and for a moment you wonder if he is responding to some kind of personal guilt or memory here. He didn't need to impress upon you all how dangerous the Gulmoth could be; you experienced it for yourself. It suggests that there is more under the surface here.

Moonstone
The spell forms instinctively, but it brings up that now-familiar chill in your soul that you associate with pushing your magic beyond reasonable limits. You press it down with your will, but still find yourself briefly double over in pain. No one seems to notice that, especially after being shoved against the wall, but Mathias frowns as your spell triggers his Sight.

A flood of information flashes through your mind as your spell unfolds, not in the form of memories or thoughts, but gut feelings and instinctive knowledge about this man's character. Although his current actions don't reflect it, you sense that at his core, Mathias is a warm and generous man. He has a strong sense of pride, but he tries to compensate by mentoring and caring for others. He thirsts for knowledge about Highstorms and how to predict them, and he is desperate to learn more about how to rid this world from the influence of the Abyss.

At your plea, Mathias pulls away, and a look of guilt flashes across his face -- something you never saw from Hakim.

Inside the mansion, Valentine chuckles and studies you curiously. You feel a pulse of magic on your Periphery, and suddenly Valentine blinks and frowns. He swirls his Scotch and takes a sip. "If I may ask, where did you find that staff?"

Meanwhile, Boomer is looking at you and tapping a finger on her chin. "I feel like I've seen you before," she says. "Do I know you from somewhere?"

Everyone
After you've had a chance to introduce yourselves, Valentine leads you all into a sitting room and offers you a drink of your choice. He takes a seat in a large leather lounge chair and nurses his Scotch, turning to watch Mathias, who takes a seat in another chair beside him. Boomer stands against the wall, crossing her arms.

"Valentine and Boomer are my colleagues and companions," Mathias explains. "We are members of a cabal, a group of allied mages, that we call the Shields of Dawn. We created our group to root out and defeat darkness in our lives and world, in whatever way we could. Each of us comes from a different Path and Order, because we thought it made sense to learn from each other from different perspectives and strengths."

Mathias pauses. "I suppose there is a lot to help explain. I'll try to keep it brief...Please feel free to interrupt with questions. I'm sure you have many."

Valentine grins and shakes his head as he takes another sip. "I would've brewed a pot of coffee if I had known Mathias was preparing a lecture," he jokes. Boomer barks a laugh and slides down into a cross-legged seating position, but she smiles at Mathias and nods at him.

The older mage explains what he describes as the most basics of Supernal magic: the Arcana, the Paths, and the legends of the Fall, which created the Lie and invited the Abyss into the world. He then explains about mage society, including the Pentacle Orders and their purposes, and how they form cabals for personal reasons and convene in cities around the world in Consilia. Mathias explains that he is an Acanthus of the Silver Ladder; Valentine, a Mastigos and Guardian of the Veil; and Boomer is an Obrimos of the Adamantine Arrow.

Boomer speaks up as the information settles in. "So. What do you want to know?" she asks. "There's been a lot going on here in Chicago lately. We could fill you in on some things that have happened very recently," she offers.

Valentine chimes in, "There's also the matter of the Highstorms, and the objects they provide." He looks at Moonstone, but he makes a point of glancing towards Ragnar and Lynx.

**Haberdasher** · 10-08-2016, 09:54 AM

RAGNAR

Mage Sight: Peripheral
Active Spells: None
Conditions/Tilts: None
Health: OOOOOOOO I WP: 0/4 I Mana: 6/10 I Wisdom: 7
Beats: 2/5 I Arcane Beats: 2/5

Ragnar sits, absorbing all of the information that has been dumped on him. He looks at each of them in turn. Two Acanthi, three Mastagoi, two Obrimoi, and one Thyrsus. One for the Ladder, one for the Guardians, one for the Arrows. Four Nameless, one calling himself an Arrow.

"So what's the situation here in Chicago? How do the Orders relate to each to each other? Why did each of you join your Order?" He looks at Moonstone, and feels a little apologetic. He was angry about getting sliced up by Alux, but Moonstone said it was an accident. Now it makes sense: Moonstone must have cast a spell and reached way beyond his abilities. Maybe he had thought he could contain it, maybe he hadn't understood the danger. And Ragnar can't confirm, but Moonstone seems to be a little... disturbed. And not just because he accidentally summoned an Abyssal abomination. "When you introduced yourself to us, you called yourself an Arrow. How did you know about them if you were newly Awakened?"

**crapcarp** · 10-08-2016, 10:14 AM

I chuckle as everybody seems to be checking each other out. Might as well get on the action myself. Moonstone? Bit of a weenie, folded against the old man. Binder? Too old. Ragnar? Eh, nothing noteworthy at the moment. Lynx? Ooooh man, I so wanna wrestle that bear, but I'm probably gonna have to get in line first. Mathias? Way too old. Valentine? Looks a little too prissy for my tastes. Boomer? Stands out like a sore thumb and gives absolutely no fucks about it. Now that is my type.

But enough of that, on to more important matters. They give a prep talk on the wizarding world like the other mages from before, but they give a lot more detail. So each Path is connected to a different Supernal Realm, I guess that's why Moonstone's and Binder's magic felt so different to mine when I observed them. At first, I thought they were drawing completely different types of magic from different worlds. Guess I was half-right. I'll have to put an experience behind the names of these Paths, so I cross a palm over my eyes to observe the stuff of these Realms.

.

Interesting. Acanthus reminds me of Grimm's fairy tales, Mastigoes has that whole breaking the flawed chains I felt earlier, and Thyrsus feels of pure breath, blood, and bone. Only four of the five, though. Moros I believe is the one that's absent. Wonder what it's like.

With all the basics done, Boomer chimes in with "So. What do you want to know? There's been a lot going on here in Chicago lately. We could fill you in on some things that have happened very recently,"

"Do you guys know about a mage named Anubis?" I respond. Hopefully I can get some answers so my trip to the metropolis wasn't a complete waste of time.

Announcement

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

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