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**Thorbes** · 10-28-2016, 07:07 PM

Ouroboros Ophis
Mage Sight: Periphereal | Active Spells: Speak with the Dead
Health: OOOOOO | WP: 6/6 | Mana: 9/10 | Wisdom: 7 (Understanding)

Conditions: Informed | Tilts: None | Beats: 1 | Arc. Beats: 1

-"NO!"-even Marvin is startled at his own outburst at the suggestion of harming the ghost-"No"-he adds, regaining his composure-"We will do it gently and without bringing more pain to this already tortured soul"-he walks around the class, thinking.-"We will find exactly what it is that ties her to this place, and then we will decide our next step. Are you ok with that?"

Once they agree to the plan, they split up, looking for any clues that can point to the actual Anchor.

After a frantic search through the building, about an hour since they got there, Marvin calls the other mage-"Dante! I think I have found it!"

**rwknoll** · 10-28-2016, 11:55 PM

Phoenix
This guy is definitely acting hurriedly out of self-preservation. He appears fidgety and not thinking clearly, like he's a little rushed, even before he sees you.

You put your hands up defensively, trying to play yourself off as non-threatening. But that doesn't seem to change his mind; before your eyes, his body and clothing become translucent, and then he ultimately just...vanishes. You don't sense anything around you or see any other sign of him. It's like he just turned into a ghost.

While you may not have been able to speak with him, you fix his image into your mind's eye. You are pretty sure you could pick him out of a lineup if needed. You wonder if he might be at the Consilium meeting this weekend.

---

You reach out to one of your contacts in the old Hunter cell. You're actually surprised you still have the right number; it means they haven't changed their phone numbers recently, and that a part of you decided they weren't completely useless to you.

You get in touch with TJ, the leader of their little group, and arrange to meet up at a safe house. Only he and Tanya are there when you arrive; the other three you know of aren't here. TJ and Tanya are African American siblings in their late 20s. TJ is a computer analyst and hacker, while Tanya is a librarian in Chicago.

TJ seems irritable the whole time you meet, but when you essentially plead for help, he gloats and laughs at you. "I told you that he'd need us," he says pointedly in a statement directed to his sister. Tanya rolls her eyes and crosses her arms, but she smirks too. "Why should we help you?" TJ asks skeptically.

While you're talking, Tanya listens quietly and looks at you. At one point she frowns and asks, "Did something happen to your hands?"

Ouroboros Ophis
Dante nods with a serious expression and puts his hands up defensively at your strong reaction. "Understood, my friend. Let us search and see what we can find," he says gently.

Knowing that Mrs. Parks has a connection to this building, you begin to search for anything that might have meaning for her or reference her. Although the building itself might have a link, you find a plaque near the front entrance to the building indicating that this building was renovated and largely rebuilt from the ground up approximately 15 years ago, long after her death.

The plaque gives you an idea. Perhaps there is some sort of sign or image that holds meaning for her. And that's what you find after an hour of scouring the building: a plaque with name tags and photos of previous staff who received commendation for their years of service. This picture of Mrs. Parks is her from when she was younger, and her face doesn't have the asymmetrical droop that she does as a ghost.

Dante nods eagerly when you find the plaque. "Why, this must be it," he agrees. "People see the image and her name, even occasionally, and it allows her to linger here. You will need to remove the source, permanently, to make a lasting effect. Moving it will just transfer the Anchor to a new location. Without this Anchor, she will start to rapidly lose her Essence over the next few hours, and eventually she will go to the realm Beyond. May I?"

Assuming he has your permission, Dante places his hand on the plaque. You smell a waft of decay and brimstone that you recognize as your Periphery Sight, and the picture warps and erodes at Dante's touch; her name on the plaque simply melts off. When you study the ghost again, you see that the Anchor weakens and then ultimately vanishes from her.

Dante offers to stay with you watching Mrs. Parks until the end. "It is much like falling asleep," he says softly. "Ghosts that pass on to the Underworld can grow in strength, evolve their personality, and learn new things. When you hear tales of hauntings or demonic possessions, it is usually the work of a powerful specter or spirit."

Hours pass. While you wait, Dante talks to you about magic, his research, and above all, the Free Council. He explains that the success of the Order rests on the collective efforts of the group, but that all mages have a chance to innovate, and so Libertines are often recruiting new members the way union representatives would in a large company.

Eventually, you see it happen: Mrs. Parks stops walking. She smiles and sighs, "Henry, there you are." With Dante's spell, you see a dark, mysterious doorway appear and open, and Mrs. Parks steps through. The door vanishes a moment later.

**crapcarp** · 10-29-2016, 10:48 AM

(Short and One-sided) Conversation with the Mage

"Hey, wait-!" I plead, but too late, he's gone now. Dammit. It seemed like he ran because he saw me as a threat. I haven't seem him before, so that means he's either incredibly paranoid, or he knows I'm a Hunter. Seemed like he was in a rush, too. Is he looking for something? Maybe that little pebble of his is what he came for.

I dunno, this kinda investigation isn't my area of expertise. I need some kinda investigator, and the only ones I can think of at the moment are...those guys. Problem is, even if they'd be willing to help me, I've got nothing for 'em. Not even a photo of the gu-Wait a minute, I've got magic! I have a decent mental image of him, maybe I can,,.

I whip out my phone, take a picture for a background, then imprint my fresh mental image of the mage onto the photo.

And there we go, I've got an image of him on my phone now. That might be enough to get me a lead for them.

Meeting the Hunters

"I told you that he'd need us."

"Alright, I deserve that," I agree, "I was an asshole saying we'd never need you."

"Why should we help you?"

"Wuh?" I gape in surprise, "I dunno, because he's a dangerous mage? He needs to be stopped? He already killed the rest of my cell?" I wave about my hands to gesture my confusion. Bad move on my part, it seems.

"Did something happen to your hands?"

"I, uh..." I stammer a little in response. I can't say what really happened, but I'm no good at lying. But they can't detect magic, can they?

"I...actually have no idea," I gaze at my palms. Guess the spell went off without a hitch, I have no idea where these-tattoos? came from. "Y'know what? Doesn't matter," I eventually respond, "If you care at all about keeping people safe from a magical madman, you'll help me. Or do you not care about the Vigil?"

**rwknoll** · 10-29-2016, 01:47 PM

Phoenix
You quickly focus the image of the other mage in your mind, and creatively improvise a way to transfer the image to your phone. You create your Imago, and are very pleased to see the picture successfully appear in your phone image gallery.

You can see from the picture that this guy definitely looks nervous. But why?

---

Your admission that you made a mistake catches TJ somewhat off guard, and he chuckles in spite of himself. "You better not be getting soft on me, Royce," he replies.

"Look, we've got a lot of leads on a lot of different things now. We might be able to help, but there might be something bigger going on. We've been trying to do more surveillance in the past week. We've seen some odd patterns, but it seems like those crazy storms we had last week had some kind of impact on some of the people we had been investigating. We thought we were really on to some of these sorcerers, but after the storm, the trails have gone cold on some. Not sure if they went into hiding, died, or what."

You temporarily suppress your memories of the tattoos, and when your spell takes effect, your incredulous voice is genuine when you say that you have no idea where they came from. Tanya looks like she believes you, but still gives you an odd look. "What have you been up to? We haven't heard from you in weeks. Not since the really bad storm last week at least."

**Haberdasher** · 10-29-2016, 02:13 PM

RAGNAR

Mage Sight: Peripheral
Active Spells: None
Conditions/Tilts: Inspired
Health: OOOOOOOO I WP: 2/4 I Mana: 5/10 I Wisdom: 7
Beats: 3/5 I Arcane Beats: 3/5

Ragnar nods at at Patty, getting into the conversation. "Well, I guess I already have probability manipulation as a superpower!" It's true... from a certain point of view. "Hm... well, I guess teleportation would be cool." Also true. He hasn't tried to work his well with Space yet, but he senses that he has some innate understanding of the Arcana that, in the Phenomenal world, is so closely linked to the Arcana of Time. Perhaps he can mend fences with Moonstone by asking him to helping him practice some Space spells.

When the conversation turns to what kind of Jedi he would be, he gives it serious thought. "Hm. I think I'd want to be a Jedi recruiter. You know, going around and looking for people who can use the Force. Or maybe being a teacher." Of course, it's all metaphor and code. What role does he want to play in the Consilium? Recruiter? Teacher? Maybe even a member of the leadership? He'll need to make contact with the théarchs tomorrow and see what they are like.

**Kvitebjørn Kong Valemon** · 10-29-2016, 03:11 PM

LYNX
Active Sight:
Active Spells: None
Willpower: 1/5 (4/5 at the end of Downtime). Mana: 6/10
Conditions/Tilts: Steadfast
Beats: 2 - Arcane Beats: 4

Lynx gazes at the scene that unfolds with awe. As the bird transforms, his Senses tremble: he breathes in the woman's aura, the thrill of fear, the marvellous euphoria... the Wild.

"Are you a Thyrsus?" Lynx blurts out excitedly before he digests her words. "I'm Lynx! Well, I call myself Lynx. I'm new. Uh. New here, I mean. And new to the whole... magic thing. How did you do that raven transformation? Is that a Life-y thing?"

...maybe I should try that breathing thing.

"I'm looking for a spirit lynx," Lynx continues quickly. "A Great Lynx. Do you know anything about Great spirits? Are Great spirits a thing?"

**rwknoll** · 10-29-2016, 04:07 PM

Lynx
The woman blinks at you, taken off guard by your naïveté. She suddenly emits a peal of bubbling laughter. "Oh, my, but I like your courage. You really must be newly Awakened. Few would dare to come here so boldly. These woods are my domain."

The woman extends a hand in greeting. "I am Raven. I am indeed a Thyrsus, born of the Primal Wild, sworn to the Mysterium. I can do a great many things that you could only imagine."

Raven traces a fingertip along your cheek and chest. You smell her scent again on your Periphery and suddenly feel a torrent of euphoria pass through your body. You are paralyzed with pleasure stronger than anything you have ever felt, and it makes you gasp involuntarily as your breath catches in your throat.

The mage removes her hand, and the feeling instantly fades. You can still feel your body pulsing with aftershocks of her spell, though. She smiles broadly, eyes taking you in from head to feet. "You have a very handsome physique," she compliments you.

She purses her lips in thought at your question. "Some spirits are certainly greater than others. Generally speaking, spirits are reflections of something in this world: a tree, a mountain, a desert or valley. Some reflect a greater or more powerful concept, and as such, are greater themselves."

Raven smiles. Her eyes still have that intensity that they held earlier. "Perhaps you would like to learn more? I have other affairs to attend to now, but perhaps some night this weekend?"

**Kvitebjørn Kong Valemon** · 10-30-2016, 09:38 AM

LYNX
Active Sight:
Active Spells: None
Willpower: 1/5 (4/5 at the end of Downtime). Mana: 6/10
Conditions/Tilts: Steadfast
Beats: 2 - Arcane Beats:

WEDNESDAY - FOREST

Still gleeful, Lynx maintains his concentration and listens attentively - at least, until her touch and rush of euphoria, which has him gasping and then sighing in silent relief.

"You have a very handsome physique."

"Ah...thanks. I've heard that a lot recently."

...

"Perhaps you would like to learn more? I have other affairs to attend to now, but perhaps some night this weekend?"

Lynx perks up. "Learn more? Yes! Yes, of course I want to! I'ven't met any other Thyrsus...es? Thyrsi? Everybody else have been Acanthus... what are the plurals? Acanthus and Mastigos and Obrimos. I think there was a Moros, but she disappeared..." He sighs, more to himself, before he gazes at Raven, into her eyes. "You feel...right." He sniffs the air. "You smell right too, like the Wild. I would love to learn more from you this weekend."

He grins and glances up at the sky for a moment.

"Oh! If you're part of the Mysterium, does that mean you'll be at the Consilium meeting on Saturday?"

**rwknoll** · 10-30-2016, 10:18 AM

Lynx
Raven smiles at your suggestion. "Perhaps," she replies. "I try not to dabble in Consilium politics more than I need to, but when the Mysterium requires my input and the Hierarch calls us to a special meeting about the Deathstorm, I am inclined to attend."

Her eyes linger on you, and she turns and begins to walk into the woods. She looks over her shoulder and adds, "I do not offer free knowledge to anyone. Perhaps I will mentor you, but I will require favors or knowledge in return. If you seek more knowledge, you really should consider the Mysterium. No other Order boasts the same depth and breadth of Supernal information, truly."

With that, she transforms again into a raven, flying away into the darkness.

**MagicSwordsman** · 10-30-2016, 10:42 AM

Binder

Binder will introduce himself as such, making an effort to get into his sorcerous persona on the phone.

"Ah, I'm glad you called. I've been coming to your bookstore for some time now, and when I saw your spell, I knew that you would be someone who might appreciate the information I can offer."

"It seems that I've had more Awakened business than I thought possible! To tell the truth, you're not the first mage I've spoken to, but I always appreciate further information."

Falling Blossom tells you earnestly that she genuinely believes, based on what she has seen in your store and your interests in research, that you would find yourself readily accepted and at home with the Mysterium. She asks if you would like to meet after the Consilium meeting tomorrow, so she can tell you more about the Order and its goals.

"I'm flattered that you think so! What I've heard of the Mysterium definitely appeals to me. I'd love to be able to talk further about it."

After ending the call, Marlin does his best to not think about how he's just set up a clandestine meeting with another woman behind his wife's back.

**Thorbes** · 10-30-2016, 02:35 PM

Ouroboros Ophis
Mage Sight: Periphereal | Active Spells: Speak with the Dead
Health: OOOOOO | WP: 6/6 | Mana: 9/10 | Wisdom: 7 (Understanding)

Conditions: None | Tilts: None | Beats: 3 | Arc. Beats: 1

Marvin watches Mrs. Parks finally moving on with a gentle smile on his face. When he faces Dante again he is quick to clean a single tear dropping down his cheek.-"Thanks. Thanks a lot. I want you to know that I consider myself in your debt. If you ever need my assitance or help with anything, you only have to ask"-he shakes his hand-"I will think about your proposal, that Free Council you have talked about seems interesting at the very least. I supose we could talk more about it this Saturday in that reunion (Council meeting?) you mentioned yesterday".

They both leave the college precints and go for a cup of coffee, or one of those exotic infusions in Dante's case.

-"My treat"-he says, paying for both beberages-"You have made obvious to me how much I need to learn... about everything. I have mixed feelings about it, to be honest. I am a doctor, so realizing that I do not really understand how the world works after devoting all my life to its study... it is kind of frustrating".-he warms his hands with his cup of cofee and takes a short sip-"On the other hand, a brand new world to learn about... it is exilarating"-He smiles and for a moment seems twenty years younger-"Again, you have my most sincere thanks. For everything".

The two mages, the experienced young one and the old novice kept talking for a while before their drinks. Important matters would be disccused tomorrow.

**rwknoll** · 10-31-2016, 09:09 AM

Binder
"Excellent," Falling Blossom replies happily. "I will look for you at the meeting. I'm sure it will be a fruitful conversation. Have a good day, Binder."

The rest of your day goes well. You arrive at Forest's school early and pick up him up as soon as school is out -- you've been very careful to watch the clock this week since the incident on Tuesday. He's pretty energetic today, and quickly tells you about all of the fun things he did in school and what he's learning about. For a while, the stress of juggling two lives becomes easy; all thoughts of Awakened society are pushed aside as you enjoy your time with your son. Daisy greets you when she gets home, and you enjoy a relaxing Friday evening with your family.

Thoughts of the Consilium meeting do pop into your head later that evening, though. During the night, you have vivid dreams of the Gulmoths you faced, only this time you're alone. You try to stab them again and again with your knife, only to realize that your knife is made of plastic instead of steel. A masked man stands with his arms crossed, watching you from the shadows, saying nothing.

Ouroboros Ophis
Dante smiles and nods. "It was my pleasure to help you. I will be transparent, of course, that I do not always have the means and the time to help freely. It is common for mages to exchange favors and services. If I have need of your aid in the future, I will let you know." He shakes your hand and adds, "Yes, I will be at the Consilium meeting. I will look for you afterwards. Have a good evening, Ouroboros Ophis."

**Kvitebjørn Kong Valemon** · 10-31-2016, 10:18 AM

LYNX
Active Sight:
Active Spells: None
Willpower: 1/5 (5/5 at the end of Downtime). Mana: 6/10
Conditions/Tilts: Steadfast
Beats: 2 - Arcane Beats: 4

WEDNESDAY - FOREST (2/5 Willpower)

Lynx listens to Raven's parting words as she transforms. "Nice meeting you! Hope I'll see you on Saturday!"

A mentor, huh... I want to know more about the Mysterium too. I like the idea of more Supernal knowledge. I'll ask on Saturday.

Lynx lingers for a little longer as he revels in the smell and sound and feel of the forest.

WEDNESDAY EVENING - APARTMENT (2/5 Willpower)

When he returns to the apartment, he kicks off his shoes and calls out, "Ewan?"

There is no reply. He glances around the apartment - all tidied up but for some pillows rather astray on the floor - and hums to himself. He slips out of his shirt on the way to the bathroom, and shortly after finds himself pensive in the warm shower stream...

THURSDAY - AFTER SCHOOL (3/5 Willpower)

FRIDAY (4/5 Willpower)

**crapcarp** · 10-31-2016, 10:33 AM

"You better not be getting soft on me, Royce,"

"Nah, just knowing my place," I reply, perking up a bit now that I'm done with the act. A successful act, it seems.

"Look, we've got a lot of leads on a lot of different things now. We might be able to help, but there might be something bigger going on. We've been trying to do more surveillance in the past week. We've seen some odd patterns, but it seems like those crazy storms we had last week had some kind of impact on some of the people we had been investigating. We thought we were really on to some of these sorcerers, but after the storm, the trails have gone cold on some. Not sure if they went into hiding, died, or what."

"Hmm..." I pipe down in acknowledgement of their situation, "Speaking of those storms, I don't know exactly what's causing them, but I do know they're magical in nature, which is why those sorcerers are drawn to them."

"Might be able to get some answers if we find Anubis, or maybe..." I pause to take my phone and show the photo of the mage I met yesterday, "...this guy. Dunno who he is, but I do know he's a sorcerer and I found him on the scene where Anubis killed my cell. When I approached the guy, he disappeared."

"That, and he looks pretty damn nervous on here," I point to his face in the photo, "I'd say he knows something."

"What have you been up to? We haven't heard from you in weeks. Not since the really bad storm last week at least."

"Busy hunting, haven't been doing much else," I answer as I get up to leave, "Well, see you guys tomorrow?"

**rwknoll** · 10-31-2016, 01:05 PM

Lynx
Most of the week passes quietly, which is fine with you. With few distractions, you're able to get far ahead in school work, which will allow you more time this weekend and early next week for your new "extracurricular" studies. Ewan is in and out of the apartment over the next few days. You know his general routine pretty well just by living with him, because of how consistent his schedule is: cardio or a long-distance run early in the morning, big breakfast with lots of protein, classes during the day, an afternoon weightlifting workout on 5 days out of the week, and homework or relax in the evening. He's pretty passionate about his exercise regimen and talks about it frequently, but he always tries to invite you along in case you're ever interested.

In the privacy of your room, on Friday you practice simple Unveiling and Knowing spells the most. You gain increased comfort with investigating and exploring the arcane world around you. At one point while you're particularly focused in your studying, you feel a presence on your Periphery; your Spirit magic allows you to see a small, curious spirit in Twilight roaming your room. The creature is cautious towards you, but seems to be breathing in or feeding on the energy in your room. Speaking with it and studying it reveals that it is a tranquility spirit, and it is feeding on the calm Resonance your living environment has created. It leaves shortly after your conversation.

Life magic seems to come even more naturally to you, and with less effort you can make even more noteworthy effects. You cast a Life spell on your muscles before going to your afternoon weightlifting session with Ewan, and easily have one of your best sessions: you're able to lift much more than you ever have, which even surprises Ewan. "Holy shit, dude," he comments, "you're a beast today!" Your muscles even look bigger. Another simple Life spell eases the tension in your muscles after your workout, causing the muscles to mend naturally without the usual post-workout fatigue.

You awake on Saturday feeling energized, rested, and alive in a way you never possibly could have before you Awakened. It's intoxicating.

Phoenix
"Man, you definitely have been busy," TJ comments. He seems very focused on your ideas about the storms, and he and Tanya continue to kick around ideas about how the storms might be related to these "liches" and "sorcerers" in Chicago. You make a pretty convincing case for why they should dedicate their efforts to finding this guy in particular. TJ looks at the photo, but shrugs. "We'll see. It's all part of a bigger picture, you know? I'm not saying you're wrong. I'm just saying, I think we need to take a step back and figure out how it's all related. I wonder if these guys are somehow creating the storms, or using them to do something to the city?"

Tanya says, "We can meet up again. You know how to reach us. We'll let you know if we find anything." Her tone doesn't sound promising, but at least it's cordial. She keeps looking at your hands.

Everyone

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

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