In the Hallowed Light [MtAw2e - IC]

[Cauthon]

IN THE HALLOWED LIGHT

Situated in the northern reaches of Washington State, USA, Little Atlantis is a bayside town just beneath the US/Canadian border. Though hardly small, the proportion of Mages in residence is surprisingly high - a full Consilium that rivals Seattle’s own in size. The reasons for this are myriad - the name alone, no known Seer activity for almost half a century, a friendly relationship with the local Changeling Freehold and their egress from Tumbledown Market, mysterious ruins off the coast that only Sleepers can see and can never be found twice- but the greatest draw is likely the fact that the entire bay is a Hallow.

Well, that’s an exaggeration. It’s more accurate to say that every inch of the town plays host to one Hallow or another, but said Hallows cycle on such erratic schedules that you’d never know it at a glance. The Mages who call Little Atlantis home have settled and claimed the most stable of these, and rumors abound that somewhere within the town limits sits a Supernal Verge keyed to the Aether. Perhaps even an Aedes.

The Little Atlantis Consilium is run by the Hierarch Santiago, a Guardian of the Veil belonging to the Benthic Walker Legacy. He is attended by a council of four, each representing the other Pentacle Orders. These are, in no particular order:

• Dantes, Subtle One and Adamant Sage of the Adamant Arrow
• Clean Sweep, Keeper of the Covenant and Claviger of the Silver Ladder
• Nighthawk, Bokor and “Syndic” of the Free Council
• Mother Thunder, Storm Keeper and Savant of the Mysterium

Politics in the Consilium are relatively sedate - The Guardians are ascendant politically, and all four Diamond Orders are on an even footing in terms of membership. The Free Council is borderline anemic, having only two members, one of whom is Nighthawk. Most internal politicking and conflict actually arises between Cabals, or falls along Legacy lines. This distinction is blurred somewhat in that the three major Cabals are largely mono-Legacy organizations.

• The Skywatch Cabal are Storm Keepers led by the local Hierophant -and wife of Santiago- Cloudchaser, who focus on the weather and the vanishing ruins in the ocean.
• The Shadowwalker Cabal are mostly Keepers of the Covenant, guided by the Deacon Chevalier to study the effects of Hallows on the Shadow. As the only point of contact with local Werewolf population, they're held somewhat in awe by younger Mages.
• Lastly, The Iron Star Cabal are largely Hedgemarshals, who maintain a Mystery Cult alongside their Changelings allies under the direction of Dantes. Good people to call on for strange reagents and news from distant locals, but very dangerous to make enemies of.

The three Cabals have very firmly delineated areas of influence, and generally get along if those boundaries are respected. Independents make up a large portion of the Consilium’s constituents, there being fourteen acknowledged Cabal-less Mages at the moment. Two of those, however, may not be so for long.

Two months ago, Elpis’s (TempleBuilder) mentor Pandora went Rapt and was swiftly put down by the Bellerophon Group under murky circumstances. Given that she had been outside Consilium territory when it happened, Elpis was unaware of their mentor’s death until a local Guardian -an Emissary named Watchtower- suddenly showed up at their door several weeks after the fact. With most of Pandora’s Supernally-adjacent possessions having been reclaimed by the Mysterium -including her library and Rapt Soulstone- Elpis has been left somewhat adrift. Cloudchaser, as their Order Head, seems to have finally realized that something should be done with this effectively-graduated apprentice, and has summoned them to her and Santiago’s lighthouse home for an interview.

Oddly, Cloudchaser has also summoned the apprentice of her cabal-mate Zephyr. This apprentice, Qaf (KaiserAfini), is a newly-minted member of the Adamant Arrow, and is in that murky state where he hasn’t quite detached himself from the Cabal of his mentor.

Cloudchaser has informed both parties that the other will be present, but not given many details beyond that. It’s a sunny sunday afternoon, and in Cloudchaser’s lighthouse home now looms over the young Mages as they approach the front door.

[TempleBuilder]

Elpis

Elpis walks up the drive, completely lost in their own thoughts. The frigid sea breeze suddenly bites hard against their face, breaking their self-absorption. Bracing away from the gust, Elpis' gaze falls on the lighthouse. The building, which had only a brief time ago had been something of comfort, now seemed imposing and ominous. The entire journey over to the sanctum, had been putting them on edge, and here it was, looming over them only a few meters away. Elpis quickly looks away to glance at the time on their phone. A sigh of exasperation leaves the air fogged for a moment, before being quickly dispersed.

I shouldn't go in now, it's far too early. It would be... improper.

Spotting a small overlook, Elpis walks over and stares at the sea. For the fortieth time, they pull out their phone and glance over the sparse email.

What does Cloudchaser want with me? Is it about...Pandora? How she's... Does Cloudchaser know about my investigation? If she does, will she tell me to stop? And why one of the Arrow? Qafsiel, right? Who is that? Have I met him? Should I know him? Why does Cloudchaser want him there?

The tightness in Elpis' chest returns with a vengeance. Their breath comes in rapidly, short and sharp. Gradually, Elpis manages to get their breathing somewhat back under control. Their eyes dart to their phone, and they Imagine a flickering aura around their phone, which they then draw into a fine chord leading to their ears. Without looking at their phone, Elpis plays the music where it had last left off.

"- thought I heard the captain's voice
But it's hard to listen while you preach
Like every broken wave on the shore
This is as far as I could reach"

Elpis barely makes it through one stanza before wiping away the flickering chords. Elpis decides that listening to music was a grave mistake, and begins to focus on the crashing waves. The air, while still cold, seems to have a softer bite now. Elpis' eyes remain on the shore for a moment before glancing at a marker pointing out how high the waters were. A way to occupy themselves began to appear in their mind, after all, the tide is dependent on the Sun and Moon's gravitational pull. The lunar phase could hypothetically be calculated based on the tidal position. Elpis' expression begins to lighten slightly at the puzzle and they set to work trying to piece it together.

[Cauthon]

"Your early!"

It takes Elpis a moment to locate the speaker - a tall, dark man with a salt-and-peppered beard and a clean-shaven pate. Standing at the railing of the beacon, with his back to the sun, it takes a momentary squint to see that it is Santiago, the Hierarch. It's difficult to make out his expression, but he sounds fairly chipper.

"Piper's still down checking her monitoring stations, it will be an hour or so yet until she returns from Braem Wood. You are free to shiver out there if you like - there is a pleasant view if you head up that path to your right. But I have cocoa on the stove if you wish to wait inside."

[TempleBuilder]

Elpis hadn't expected to be spoken to out here, much less been invited inside. It takes them a moment to recover from their shock.

"Ah, thank you. I will come inside in a moment"

Elpis briefly wonders if they made the right choice, before walking toward the front door.

[Cauthon]

The kitchen is cluttered, but clean, with relatively new appliances and a wide assortment of metal and wooden tools. Postcards written in Korean, Chinese, and Thai hand on the fridge, held in place by souvenir magnets from around the world. The ceiling has been painted as a surprisingly detailed depiction of a satellite-imaged storm system, which looks like it continues further on into the house. A teapot whistles quietly on the stovetop, sweet-smelling steam rising from the spout. An empty mug sits on the counter beside the stove, with a sticky note reading "Elpis" stuck to the side. The whole house smells faintly of cinnemon and nutmeg, undercut in slightly unpleasant contrast by the scent of cooked grease.

Santiago's descent from the upper levels of the house make a deep drumming on the stairs, giving Elpis plenty of forewarning to his entrace. Dressed in paint-splattered jeans and a worn plaid shit, the looming Thyrsus seems surprisingly harmless. He gives a friendly smile as he enters the room, gesturing amiably to the kettle.

"Help yourself. I have some peppermint schnapps you can add - Piper, she like a spash of it, although I prefer to just add some extract from the start. Of course, then she complains that the mint is too strong." He sighs dramatically, then winks "I cannot win sometimes. In any event, I will be vacating the premise once you and the Heirophant have your sit-down. I do not think we have actually met outside of Consilium functions - I know you are Elpis, one of Mother Thunder's constituents. You are an Exemplum, correct?"

[TempleBuilder]

Elpis smiles slightly, enjoying the cozy feeling and interesting aesthetics of Santiago's and Cloudchaser's home, and begins to head over to the mug and kettle.

"Quite true, though I seem to hear neokoros more often. I have been told that I must pursue Gnosis to make myself ready for further steps. In the meantime, I have been working on my studies in Soriology, particularly around the effects, and manifestations of the Awakened Nimbus. It's fascinating to see how one's personality, actions, Wisdom, and connection to the Supernal all manifest themselves in the world."

They make their way to the kettle and carefully pour the contents into the mug set aside for them. They appreciate the gesture of leaving a sticky note with their name on it. "I'm afraid I will have to decline the peppermint, I usually prefer peppermint in the form of candy." They take a small sip and turn around to face Santiago. "I quite enjoy the decorative style of your home, it's quite comforting."