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

    The Supernal Suburbia

    Close enough to Chicago for an easy commute, but far enough away to avoid the...less than savory aspects of the Windy City, La Grange is a Cook County suburb that some would say is a boring alternative to city living. Many families choose to live in this area for a number of convenient factors: less congestion than its neighboring villages to the east, quick CTA access to the city and nearby towns, and a downright pleasant feeling that scratches the suburban itch that so many middle-class American families are seeking. Locals are quick to brag about La Grange's quality schools and that, yes, the actor David Hasselhoff is from here. What more could you ask for?

    However, very few people, locals or otherwise, will let conversation linger on topics about the strange occurrences that have plagued parts of their town for years. It's a simple fact here: If you don't talk about it, it's not really a problem. Suburban lives goes on...except when they don't.

    So no one talks about, for example, the way that kids from Lyons Township High School sometimes go missing for a week or two at a time, only to show up in town with no memory of where they've been or what they have been up to. People prefer to quickly change the topic when someone asks about the distant howling they heard coming from the woods at night on the north side of town. And no one really knows, and certainly never talks about, why these disruptions to their idyllic suburban life happen in very specific pockets of town while others have almost never reported these same problems. No one in their right mind discusses how absolutely dreadful all of those bizarre experiences are in Chicago, only a short train or bus ride away.

    But you have Awakened. You don't just talk about these odd happenings; you can't get enough of them. And suburban life, it turns out, has a lot of secrets hiding behind its white-washed fences and nicely furnished homes.

    Current Player Characters
    1. Kvitebjørn Kong Valemon - Lynx, Thyrsus Mystagogue, animist/college student (old character sheet here: Lynx)
    2. Second Chances - Eurydice's Heir, Moros Arrow, neopagan obsessed with ephemeral beings
    3. DrSteve - Morganna, Mastigos théarch, soccer mom / con-woman
    4. DArchon5 - Fatewise, Acanthus Mystagogue, high school grad with supernatural family problems
    5. squidheadjax - Caliginosa, Obrimos Guardian, magical thief and artifact remover

    Inactive Player Characters
    1. Beans - Dr. Asphodel, Moros theoretical physicist
    2. MagicSwordsman - Binder, Mastigos bookstore owner/family man
    3. Caladriu - Moonstone, Mastigos Sleepwalker-turned-mage
    4. crapcarp - Phoenix, Obrimos Hunter-turned-mage
    5. Haberdasher - Ragnar, Acanthus Renaissance man
    6. Thorbes - Ouroboros Ophis, Moros occult physician

    ----------------

    Table of Contents

    OOC Thread

    Storm Chasers (Old group - Game no longer active)
    Chapter 1: "Eyes Wide Open"
    Chapter 2: "All in Order"

    ----------------

    Taken by Storm
    Prologue: “The Calm Before the Storm”
    Chapter 1: “Distant Rumbles”

    ----------------

    Awakened La Grange
    In many ways, La Grange is a stereotypical Midwestern suburb. It has picturesque streets, a healthy blend of chain restaurants and unique local attrractions, and convenient access to the city. For mages, there are also additional perks of living in the city. Suburban "culture" means that no one looks too closely at strange occurrences, creating a natural layer of protection that allows mages to practice their arts with minimal intrusion. While mages, Kindred, and Uratha battle over territory in Chicago for ease of access to crucial resources, conflict between these supernatural in the suburbs tends to be less deadly and less common. Sleepers aren't the only ones who might turn a blind eye to strange occurrences in the suburbs. With this kind of atmosphere, it's no surprise that many mages would gravitate towards suburbs like La Grange for their sancta.

    The weight of suburbia can cause other problems for mages, however. In some places around the city, the Lie settles in more strongly than other regions -- as if the city itself feeds into the Lie. Spellcasting in these areas can be impacted unexpectedly in a variety of ways, such as risking higher Paradox, being more vulnerable to Dissonance, or worsening Quiescence in Sleepers who observe obvious magic. Awakened Scholars haven't been able to pin down precisely why some regions are affected more than others, but they have observed that local events -- LT High School winning a big football game against a rival, a headline news story about an armed robbery in a wealthy neighborhood -- can cause the Lie to settle more heavily on different parts of town. This can be particularly frustrating when one of these zones moves over a sanctum.

    The Guardians of the Veil are very active in the suburb of La Grange. They are charged with protecting the secrecy of Awakened society, and the moving "Lie zones" make their jobs easier in many cases. However, more than once they have needed to race to the scene of a ritual gone wrong because a mage overreached and summoned a monster from the Abyss. The Silver Ladder, in contrast, work even harder to guide Sleepers to Awakening to compensate for the heavy weight of the Lie in this suburban town. Their work has understandably led to tension with Guardians in La Grange, as well as the Adamantine Arrow, who more recently lean in support of the Guardians' mission.

    Over the past few years, there have been additional unusual occurrences targeting the youth of La Grange. About every month, a student from La Grange's Lyons Township High School has been going missing. In almost every case, the teenager suddenly showed up a week or two later, with no memory of what had happened to them or where they had been. There have been two notable exceptions, in each case of which the teen's body was found with no identifiable causes of death. For the adolescents who go missing and do return, the community has made it a habit to just pretend that nothing strange happened, and that the teenager was out of town on some kind of vacation -- or perhaps it's the Lie that prevents them from remembering? So far, no mages have been able to figure out what, or who, is causing these teens to disappear.

    Places of Interest:
    Brookfield Zoo: Although technically in Brookfield rather than La Grange proper, the zoo draws crowds of Sleepers and mages alike. mages in particular visit the zoo because there are several hallows scattered throughout and around the area. The Gauntlet also fluctuates here in a peculiar fashion; it is thick during the day, but razor thin during the quiet hours of the night.

    Bemis Woods: This 480-acre forest is located on the northwest side of La Grange. Sleepers come here for a fun, outdoorsy day of hiking and enjoying nature. mages come here primarily to collect mana from its many hallows, and some reclusive mages even hide away in their sancta here. However, Uratha frequent the area as well, usually because dangerous or powerful spirits try to use Bemis Woods as an access point to the material world.

    Rumors Nightclub: This gay bar has only opened in the past year, and already it has been received with excellent reviews. The welcoming, raucous atmosphere inside provides a great cover for mages trying to hide in plain sight while they meet and discuss recent Awakened politics. However, Kindred and their ghouls also frequent the bar, using the popular night scene for easy feeding.

    Marlin's Books: Marlin Matheson's bookstore is located here in La Grange. Although he hasn't previously known it, mages have come here investigating to see how much true occult knowledge Marlin has accumulated, especially thearchs and Mystagogues.

    Flying V Martial Arts: The martial arts studio where Garrick Royce works part-time as an instructor is also located in La Grange. He has good relationships with a number of quality students and other instructors. It also provides him with opportunities to keep honing his physical skills, and it does help pay the rent.

    ----------------

    Awakened Chicago
    Chicago is a busy city with a richly diverse urban atmosphere. Men and women from around the world travel here for business or pleasure. There are many large and well-respected universities and colleges, a thriving entertainment industry, a vibrant music and art scene, and a wealth of knowledge available through museums and public seminars. It also has its fair share of corruption, scandal, and poverty, as well a potpourri of gangs and common thugs.

    For "normal" humans, Chicago can be a dangerous but exciting place to visit or live. For the Awakened, both of these extremes are sharply magnified.

    On one hand, Chicago is home to some of the richest, most compelling, and most potentially lucrative Mysteries in the Midwest. Legend has it that Chicago rests on an ancient battleground where the first mages made war against the Exarchs, before the fall of Atlantis. Despite the fact that modern cabals of brave mages have scoured the city for over a century, forays into the heart of Chicago today still often find imbued items, pieces of Supernal lore, and even the occasional artifact. The exact reason for the sheer number of these items appearing is unclear. Some Mystagogues believe that the city's core resonance allows for Irises to other realms to form at regular intervals, opening into parallel worlds or Emanations where this Atlantean war is still being raged. Mages who return from these Emanations only come back with glimpses of knowledge that don't seem to fit with where or how they remembered discovering these objects -- if they remember anything about their journeys to these otherworldly realms at all. Regardless, it is now common knowledge that these items are more likely to be found after unusual weather patterns, which may be related to their Supernal nature: thunderclouds with red lightning, hail falling in the height of summer, and other odd events. Mages with Prime Mage Sight can identify these magical weather fronts and refer to them as Highstorms. In fact, mages are experimenting with ways to incorporate these storms into their spell casting as a yantra, which has so far enhanced Prime spells and other magic that connects the material world with other realms.

    But this knowledge comes with a price. Some of the items are cursed, or at least cause extreme damage to those who use them without proper precaution. Many appear tainted with the Abyss, tainting an unwary mage's imago or calling attention from horrific beings that have no known name. Mages have not been able to consistently identify and purify these items of their curses, although Masters of Prime have been the most successful to date.

    Furthermore, mages are not alone in Chicago. Kindred and Uratha alike have flourishing societies or pockets of influence throughout the city, and they are constantly on the prowl for any sign of supernatural beings out of fear of predation. The safest times for mages to travel into the city relatively without fear of harassment are at peak hours during the day, but obviously at the risk of being surrounded by a sea of Sleepers. Even those times are not safe, as werewolves and their wolf-blooded kin have no problem being active during the day, and vampires' ghouls can equally act in sunlight without their masters' same limitations. Kindred and Uratha may lack mages' knowledge about Highstorms, but they can detect mages in their own ways, and they know that each Highstorm often leads to an influx of Awakened invaders on their home turf. Many a cabal has met its untimely demise searching for artifacts downtown -- but not enough to entirely deter the hubris of others. And there are other supernatural beings that may be fewer in numbers, but not necessarily less dangerous.

    Most of the Orders still hold regular meetings downtown, due to a desire to have central meeting locations. The meetings often occur in private meeting rooms at public institutions during the lunch hour, with strict rules about not casting any spells on the premises. Each month, they also meet in varying outlying suburbs on a rotation system, where they are allowed to practice magic more freely. Guardians of the Veil are tasked with ensuring that mages follow these protocols during Order meetings, but also serve to protect mages when downtown. The Silver Ladder has been at odds with them for years; they believe that Mystery Cults downtown are especially important to give Sleepers a chance to have their eyes opened, believing that the Highstorms may be used somehow to facilitate their Awakening. The Free Council has been pursuing humanitarian efforts downtown with the homeless population of Chicago as well as the local LGBT community. They're also actively allied with researchers, including both mages and Sleepwalkers, at several universities downtown.

    ----------------

    Recent Events & Awakened Politics
    The game begins on October 3, 2020. Until very recently, the Chicago Consilium was headed by a Hierarch named Atlas. Historically, the Chicago Consilium has been a republic by nature, with the leader from each Pentacle Order serving on a council that is overseen by the Hierarch. Atlas, an Obrimos Mystagogue, encouraged communication among the Order leaders but was primarily interested in his agenda to study and catalogue artifacts discovered after Highstorms. He had few policies or care for issues involving Kindred or Uratha, except to caution mages from causing more trouble than was necessary. Atlas was a pleasant but relatively reserved man, clearly brilliant and gifted but not always practical; most mages had nice things to say about him, but thought he could be more decisive or involved in major decisions pertaining to Awakened society.

    On September 8, 2020, a particularly large and powerful Highstorm struck the city around dusk. Pitch-black fog seeped up from the ground beneath the entire span of the city proper, rose like mist into the sky, and formed boiling, black clouds lit by red lightning. A surge of mages traveled from the Chicagoland suburbs into the city in hopes of finding artifacts or some rare knowledge.

    That evening, 32 mages were killed.

    The victims were fairly equally distributed across Path and Order, although the Adamantine Arrow and Guardians had relatively fewer, while deaths among the Mysterium and Free Council were higher. With a previous population of mages somewhere between 300 and 400, the sheer number of deaths was a sizable blow to the Orders. Disturbingly, many of their bodies were found in isolated areas with a powerful Abyssal taint; Death spells to ascertain the nature and time of their deaths caused more than one Moros to scream in agony and fall comatose for a period lasting hours to days. Most of the mages killed included Nameless or newly Awakened, but a few were even verified masters. All of them had a look of horror transfixed on their face.

    As a result of this incident, infamously referred to by many as the Deathstorm, a sudden shift in political power led to Atlas grudgingly stepping down as Hierarch in place of a Latina woman known as Cielo, a Thyrsus mage who was serving at the time as the Adamant Sage of the local Adamantine Arrow chapter. Cielo is part of a small but influential, all-Latina cabal known as Medianoche. Cielo and her "sisters" Luna and Estrella are all masters in their own right, but Cielo is a local legend rumored to have never lost a fight or a Duel Arcane.

    Cielo's chief policies are straight to the point: Defend mages from danger. Subdue Kindred and Uratha if they pose an immediate threat; otherwise, don't pick a fight. And above all, strike down those who willingly seek to support the Abyss or Exarchs. With the full support of the Consilium, she and her cabal led strike teams against several Seer pylons and even some Scelesti in the city and routed them. Her approach has been criticized by a minority for being too extreme, but most have applauded her emphasis on getting results.

    The Deathstorm has had some other subtler effects on Pentacle mages, too. The Free Council has been severely restricted in their ability to pursue some of their humanitarian efforts among the homeless. The relationships between the Silver Ladder and Guardians have grown even more tense. And a number of Nameless and newly Awakened mages have turned to the Adamantine Arrow, either out of admiration for Cielo or fear of being killed by some Abyssal monster without means of protecting themselves. Mystagogues have been arguing amongst themselves about whether it is more important to keep seeking new artifacts and knowledge from Highstorms, or if they should focus on studying the knowledge they've already accrued to ascertain what might have led to the events causing the Deathstorm.
    Last edited by rwknoll; 11-22-2020, 05:59 PM.


    My Games
    Mage 2E: The Supernal Suburbia (IC / OOC) - Storyteller

  • #2
    Greater Chicago Consilium

    Hierarch
    Cielo (Thyrsus Arrow)

    Councilors
    1) Estrella (Acanthus théarch)
    2) Apollo (Mastigos Libertine)
    3) Luna (Moros Mystagogue)
    4) Atlas (Obrimos Mystagogue)
    5) Poseidon (Thyrsus Guardian)

    Provosts
    1) Vincent (Acanthus théarch)
    2) Ghost Dog (Mastigos Arrow)
    3) Scale (Moros Arrow)
    4) Ares (Obrimos Guardian)
    5) Ovid (Thyrsus théarch)

    Sentinels
    1) Valentine (Mastigos Guardian)
    2) Yari (Thyrsus Arrow)

    Herald
    Melody (Obrimos théarch)

    Interfector
    TBD


    Pentacle Mages (grouped by cabal)

    52
    Club: Moros Libertine
    Diamond: Obrimos théarch
    Heart: Thyrsus Mystagogue
    Spade: Mastigos Arrow

    The Band
    Cadence: Acanthus Mystagogue. Order mentor to Fatewise.
    Chord: Mastigos Guardian
    Harmony: Thyrsus Libertine.
    Melody: Obrimos théarch. Herald of the Chicago Consilium.
    Scale: Moros Arrow

    Knights of Alhambra
    Askia: Thyrsus Arrow. Order mentor to Eurydice's Heir.
    Ghost Dog: Mastigos Arrow
    Rose of Sharon: Obrimos Arrow

    Medianoche
    Cielo: Thyrsus Arrow. Current Hierarch of the Chicago Consilium. Previously served as the Adamant Sage.
    Estrella: Acanthus théarch. Councilor of the Chicago Consilium.
    Luna: Moros Mystagogue. Councilor of the Chicago Consilium.

    Mythologos
    Dante: Moros Libertine.
    Homer: Mastigos Libertine.
    Ovid: Thyrsus Libertine.
    Virgil: Obrimos Libertine.

    Olympians
    Apollo: Mastigos Libertine. Councilor of the Chicago Consilium.
    Ares: Obrimos Guardian. Provost for Atlas in the Chicago Consilium.
    Atlas: Obrimos Mystagogue. Councilor of the Chicago Consilium. Previously served as Hierarch until Cielo assumed the title.
    Poseidon: Thyrsus Guardian. Councilor of the Chicago Consilium.

    Servants of Gaea
    Falling Blossom: Mastigos Mystagogue.
    Pulse: Moros Arrow.
    Raven: Thyrsus Mystagogue. Order mentor to Lynx.
    Shepherd: Obrimos théarch.
    Vincent: Acanthus théarch.

    Shadow Spears
    Ascalon: Thyrsus Mystagogue.
    Trident: Thyrsus Libertine.
    Yari: Thyrsus Arrow. Sentinel of the Chicago Consilium.

    Shields of Dawn
    Boomer: Obrimos Arrow. Thunderbolt Guardian of the Adamantine Arrow.
    Mathias: Acanthus théarch who found Ragnar, Lynx, and Dr. Asphodel after their first foray in a Highstorm.
    Valentine: Mastigos Guardian. Sentinel of the Chicago Consilium. Order mentor to Caliginosa.
    (Umbra): Moros Libertine. Killed during the Deathstorm.
    (Orca): Thyrsus Mystagogue. Killed during the Deathstorm.

    Other Mages
    Dr. Asphodel: Moros Nameless, theoretical physicist at UChi. Current whereabouts unknown.
    Unknown male mage: Assumed Moros mage. Has an unknown association with "Anubis" (Hakim). Whereabouts and motives unknown.
    Vivian: Obrimos théarch. Order mentor to Morganna.


    Seers of the Throne(grouped by pylon)

    None currently known.


    Supporting Characters (grouped by relationship)

    Sleepers and Unknown
    Daisy Matheson: Marlin's wife. Works as a librarian at the Chicago Public Library located in Lincoln Park.
    "Mystery girl": Student in Ouroboros Ophis' FYS class.
    Dr. Thomas Gray: Dean, Humanities Division, at the University of Chicago.
    Ewan Byrne: UChi undergraduate freshman, majoring in business administration.
    Seldarine: Occultist and artist in Moonstone's circles of contacts.
    Ken Tanaka: Phoenix's roommate at his La Grange apartment. UChi undergraduate sophomore, majoring in economics and political science. Talented viola player, passionate musician.
    Dr. Jacob Langley: UChi English professor. Friend and mentor of Ragnar, who assists him with UChi issues in exchange for help with his research.

    Garrick's Hunter Cell
    Brandon: Member of Garrick's old Hunter cell. Really, really likes fire.
    Gretchen: Young woman in the cell with a voracious appetite for books and all things occult.
    TJ: Computer analyst and hacker. Older brother of Tanya.
    Tanya: Works as a librarian in Chicago. Younger sister of TJ.
    Thomas: A very nice and pleasant farmer who got caught up in the Hunter cell. Not the brightest, but very nice -- as long as you don't try to hurt his friends.

    Sleepwalkers
    Ace: Sleepwalker in the service of the Adamantine Arrow in Moonstone's circles of contacts.
    Patty LeBlanc: Ragnar's roommate at his La Grange apartment. UChi undergraduate junior, majoring in computer science.
    Last edited by rwknoll; 11-19-2020, 09:07 AM.


    My Games
    Mage 2E: The Supernal Suburbia (IC / OOC) - Storyteller

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    • #3
      Chapter 1: "Eyes Wide Open"
      Tuesday, September 6, 2016. Mid-afternoon. Three days after the Deathstorm.


      Dr. Asphodel, Lynx, and Ragnar
      It was only the first day of classes at the prestigious University of Chicago, and already the students were complaining. Widely regarded among students as "Syllabus Day," most people found the task of their professors and course instructors reviewing the course expectations and written material to be rather dry. Although the university was filled with some of the country's brightest, impressionable minds, there's only so much "fun" that could be squeezed into the same period where exams and homework expectations were discussed.

      The class held about 40 undergraduate students and one graduate teaching assistant. Although they had a diverse range of hopeful majors of study, all undergrads were required to take a humanitarian core sequence during their first year. There were many to pick from, all with slightly different themes and content, but each with the intention of ensuring that all students met standardized expectations for reading and writing skills. Due to the sheer number of students who needed course credit, other professors from disciplines outside the humanities department were "asked" to assist by leading a section.

      Near the tail end of the 75-minute class period, the room became drastically darker. Anyone looking outside saw that over the course of a few short minutes, what had once been a bright blue sky was now filled with ominous black clouds. Loud clatters against the window suggest something is falling from the sky, but it's difficult to see clearly due to the lighting.

      A young woman raises her hand and asks loudly without being called on, "Uh...professor? What's going on?"

      OOC: You can all make a perception roll (Wits+Composure) at -1 penalty. Your peripheral Mage Sight gives each of you a sensation of something odd going on outside.

      Moonstone
      You are on the BNSF railway, heading from downtown Chicago back towards La Grange. You spent the better part of the morning and afternoon trying to speak with Hakim's contacts, looking for more information about the nature of his death. You know that Mages have been referring to the most recent Highstorm as the "Deathstorm," but everyone has been tight-lipped over text messages and your usual contact lines. You've bumped into a few Mages recently whom you knew before your Awakening, and they were shocked to see that you were now one of the Awakened. They told you that the Consilium is holding a special meeting in a few days to discuss some local events.

      As your train moves along, your peripheral Mage Sight triggers. You notice the sky darkening at a rapid, unnatural rate. You hear loud clattering against the train car.

      Binder
      You came into the city for lunch to meet with Daisy, during her lunch break at the Chicago Public Library. It was a pleasant day, and now you're on the BNSF heading back home. You notice a face in the crowd, a younger man who has stopped at your bookstore in La Grange now and then. You're pretty sure he was at the library today, too.

      As your train moves along, your peripheral Mage Sight triggers. You notice the sky darkening at a rapid, unnatural rate. You hear loud clattering against the train car.

      Phoenix
      You have been on the hunt all morning and afternoon for the man you know as Anubis, the Mage that you have every reason to believe is responsible for the death of your old Hunter cell. However, you haven't been able to find even a shred of evidence of where he might be. It's as if the trail has gone cold. You don't believe he's really gone, though: you've learned all too well now that magic can be a powerful force. Maybe he's gone into hiding?

      As your train moves along, your peripheral Mage Sight triggers. You notice the sky darkening at a rapid, unnatural rate. You hear loud clattering against the train car.

      OOC: Everyone on the train can also make a Wits+Composure roll at -1 penalty.
      Last edited by rwknoll; 07-11-2016, 04:39 PM.


      My Games
      Mage 2E: The Supernal Suburbia (IC / OOC) - Storyteller

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      • #4
        DR. ASPHODEL

        Dr. Vivian McCallister doesn't really like having to teach First Year Seminar (whose acronym, FYS, amusingly stands for at least one other thing and far less benign than its intended reading). To be fair, she doesn't especially like teaching in general, being more a researcher, but you gotta do what you gotta do, even in the throes of divorce and neighborly whispers. Gripping her cane, she's writing something on the digital board, when the weather abruptly turns outside. The sky darkens and there's a clatter, presumably of hail? That's what tends to clatter like that, certainly, though usually not this much in the summer heat. She glances at her TA, vaguely wondering if Simon's car is exposed to the possible denting. Does he even drive? She just got this TA, she doesn't know how he works yet.

        "M-must be a sudden thu-thunderst-derstorm, th-they, uh... they can carry pr-pretty nasty hail." She peers out the dark windows, then looks over at her class. "Mist-Mister, ah---" she pauses, eyes flicking to a student near the light switch. Big, burly, beard---"Oscar, r-right? Th-t-the lights, if you p-if you please." She turns back to the window, adjusting her glasses, and scuttles over. Under her breath, she stammers whispered curses about not bringing an umbrella. Her eyes focus, mage senses whispering and prickling like ghosts in a radio.

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        • #5
          LYNX


          Oscar Valewood has enjoyed his first couple of days in the US - and he is enjoying his first day at Uni as well. Despite the murmurs of his fellow students of the FYS being incessantly boring, it did nothing to quench his eagerness. He ignores those who comment on his excessive note-taking - indeed, as he scans his notebook, he might've written down more than Dr. McCallister has presented - his wrist aching slightly in the aftermath.

          Should I...? Could fix my wrist in a jiffy, but...Hm?

          His hairs stand on end, and he bristles.

          With the darkness that washes over the room, and the clink-clank-clink that resonates through the room - Hail? Now? - Oscar narrows his eyes as he looks outside. He tries to focus his sight, only he doesn't quite know how, when the girl next to him nudges him in the shoulder, pointing down to Dr. McCallister. "Oh, of course, Professor."

          He gets up from his seat, stretching his shoulders. As he goes to turn on the lights, he keeps his eyes firmly on the darkness outside.

          Last edited by Kvitebjørn Kong Valemon; 07-13-2016, 02:11 PM.


          Character Sheet: Oscar "Lynx" Dalgren

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          • #6
            Moonstone

            Yeah, well, no one is more shocked than he is.

            He's sitting with his eyes closed, deep in his own thoughts, in a ball cap with visor over his eyes and his stuff in a messenger bag and the Cloak hidden under a leather jacket. His hands are bandaged after slicing them up That Night When Stuff Happened, but they're hidden under fingerless gloves.

            Then he feels it- that new recurring feeling of suddenly being in an auspicious location and moment, the wrong place at the right time. The Hour of Babel, he's calling it. He's been around magic all his adult life, but he's just now realizing that he never felt it before the last three days.

            Moonstone pulls his hat up so he can see out the window better. And as he looks, he does this trick he's learned where he pulls all the fingers on his left (sinister, magical) hand in order and counts possibilities. He forms an easy question: What is about to happen to me? And a more subtle one: Am I going to die within the next hour?

            Wits+Composure-1: 2 success
            Casting my Praxis, Time 1 Divination. Yantras: Concentration (+2). 2 free Reach, spent on Instant casting and the +1 Reach effect to ask more specific questions. Subject is myself. No paradox. Gnosis+Time+2: 2 success


            With Potency 2 I get to ask the two questions stated above!


            2E Legacy Updates
            Brotherhood of the Demon Wind
            Choir of Hashmallim (plus extra Summoning content)
            Storm Keepers

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            • #7
              BINDER


              The clattering cuts through the music playing on Marlin's headphones, but it's the scent of smoke and incense that gets his attention. The scent of magic. He pauses his music and peers out the window at the clouds. "Ominous..." he mumbles to himself.

              Wits + Composure - 1 = 5 -> 2 successes
              Last edited by MagicSwordsman; 07-13-2016, 04:18 PM.

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              • #8
                RAGNAR

                The past few months have been a whirlwind for Ragnar. He can't believe it's only been a handful of months since he... changed. He sometimes wonders if he dreamed that conversation he had with the man who turned out to be himself, and gave himself the name "Ragnar." He still answers to Simon Collins in public, because how can he possibly expect anybody to believe him? All he knows is that he has this silver knife with some weird symbol that he just knows is his new name, and the power to... do stuff. Like he can tell what's going to happen, and change it. He's had plenty of time to think about it, what with driving across about five states to get here, and the only word he can think of to describe it is... magic.

                The first day of classes has started, and he's been assigned to a FYS under Dr. Vivian McCallister, a theoretical physicist who somehow got roped into teaching this. The doctor seems nice enough, but shockingly frail for a woman of her age. He's heard rumors that she's going through a rocky divorce. He'll probably have to give her an extra hand to help her get this class up and running.

                The students are too new to him to start making any real assumptions about how easy or difficult they'll be to manage. His eyes are resting on a few of the male students that he's already taking idle interest in- some athletic looking guys who are probably on sports teams, but also a burly exchange student- Oscar. The attention surprises Ragnar- he's never been with a guy who could be considered a bear, but something about the younger man is intriguing. There's a sense of experience to him that is undefinable, like he has seen things most people his age have never experienced.

                The darkening skies have been setting Ragnar on edge for the entire class. Suddenly, there's a clattering on the windows. Ah, crap. Is that hail? The car isn't covered! I mean, it's not exactly brand new, but still... Ragnar is debating asking Dr. McCallister for permission to move his beat up old car out of the weather once the class is situated, when suddenly, he stiffens. The sound of distant chimes rings in his ears, and he knows that it always means something strange, something supernatural, is happening. His head jerks towards the windows, trying to see of what he presumes is hail... isn't.

                Wits+Composure-1=3 -> 1 success



                Haberdasher's Requiem Conversions and Homebrew

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                • #9
                  Phoenix
                  [Active Sight: Forces, Prime | Active Spell(s): None]
                  [Health: OOOOOOO | WP: 5/5 | Mana: 10/10]
                  [Conditions: Grieving (Guilty) | Tilts: None]

                  Damn, that bastard really pulled a fast one on me. Four days, and absolutely no sign of him. Probably used magic to get me off his tail. The other mages did say I could open up my senses to magic. What was it? Mage Sight? Yeah, they called it Mage Sight. Just have to find his trail again and use it before he sees me coming. Maybe I can counter his magic next time. That'll have to wait, though.

                  After a half day of fruitless hunting, I head back home on the train so I can get to work. It was uneventful, except for the sudden storm appearing. Is that hail? My blood quickens and my new tattoos start heating up. Magic's in the air alright, and it's similar to what I felt four days ago. So I look out the window to see what's up. Might as well practice this Mage Sight of mine, so I "push away the Fallen World" as the other mages instructed to reveal the dream realm, the Aether they called it, to my senses.

                  Wits + Composure - 1 = 4 → 3 successes

                  Active Mage Sight: Forces, Prime
                  Last edited by crapcarp; 07-12-2016, 08:38 PM.

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                  • #10
                    Everyone
                    Despite how incredibly dark it has quickly become, you can make out that the sounds coming from outside are indeed hail. Even those who aren't originally from Chicago are pretty sure that isn't normal, but to cast all doubts aside, your Mage Sight triggers sensations that are very obviously coming from the weather.

                    Upon closer inspection, however, you notice something else: The hail is pitch black. And not just from the lack of clear light; the hail itself, ranging in size from small pebbles to larger than golf balls, is made of what appears to be ice with a pure black sheen.

                    Dr. Asphodel, Lynx, and Ragnar
                    After Oscar turns on the lights, a number of students begin murmuring to each other nervously. The students from northern Illinois had heard of Chicago's freaky weather patterns, and even took it as a source of pride that they've lived in or near a city with so many crazy storms. For many others, to have such a storm on the very first day of classes is unnerving, leading some to question their decision to study here.

                    After a minute, the lights flicker, threatening to turn off altogether. The whispered murmurs in the classroom grow to a loud buzz. The woman who had spoken pales and begins to pack up her bag, and she's not the only one.

                    Moonstone
                    Nothing has ever felt so invigorating as casting a spell. A few days haven't made that feeling wear off one iota.

                    For a fraction of a second, time seems to feel...heavier is the only way you can describe it. It's a subtle sensation, but you're an observant person, and you take it in eagerly.

                    You don't hear a voice, per se; it's more like a presence that whispers to your soul instead of your ears. But even without hearing a word, Time speaks to you.

                    The first answer comes quickly. The storm will stop the train, and you will meet other mages. But the second answer comes after a pregnant pause, as if the future were...deliberating. It is unlikely.

                    Binder
                    You can clearly sense something outright magical is coming from outside the train. Then, you perceive another brief scent of smoke and incense, this one less noticeable but clearly there. You can't tell where it's coming from.

                    As you look around, you notice the interior lights in the cabin flicker. There are 10 or 15 other people sitting down or holding onto bars along the ceiling. Many of them look nervous.


                    Am I correct that the smoke/incense thing is the narrative effect of your peripheral Mage Sight? That's all I mean to say you're noticing here. Also, I forgot to mention this in my first post, but Moonstone was the young man you saw who was at the library. He was there trying to meet with some of Hakim's contacts.


                    Phoenix
                    With your normal vision, you can see the hail vividly through the window panes on the train car. You have a keen eye and you've seen these unnatural storms before.

                    And then you open your eyes behind the Lie, letting the Supernal truth shine through. The mundane drifts to the background, abruptly muted in comparison.

                    The very first thing you notice is that, unlike with your normal vision, the storm clouds outside are suffused with bright light. Mana crackles in the air, forming bolts resembling lightning, through the clouds hanging ominously over the city. In contrast, the hail somehow looks even darker, as if black holes have congealed into orbs to crash down from the sky.

                    Wherever the hail hits the train car, you see electricity escape from its cables and dissipate with a hiss. You don't feel it in your body, but you can see the kinetic energy of the train weakening ever so slightly as the electricity in the car dims.

                    The other thing that draws your attention is a young man sitting on the opposite side of the cabin. You see an aura of energy flare around him, and briefly perceive a strange warping sensation as if he were shrinking and expanding. It's disorienting, but you're able to stay focused on him. Without knowing how, you instinctively know that he has just cast a spell using Time magic.


                    You are not affected by Moonstone's nimbus tilt because your Resolve exceeds his spell potency. I wasn't sure if you get to identify the Arcana used or not, so correct me if I'm mistaken. At Gnosis 1, you can only keep active Mage sight in effect for 1 minute before it begins to cost willpower.


                    My Games
                    Mage 2E: The Supernal Suburbia (IC / OOC) - Storyteller

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                    • #11
                      Phoenix
                      [Peripheral Sight | Active Spell(s): None]
                      [Health: OOOOOOO | WP: 5/5 | Mana: 10/10]
                      [Conditions: Grieving (Guilty) | Tilts: None]

                      It was overwhelming! It was like I was caught in a crashing tide of...pure energy? That's the best way I can describe it. Rivers of electricity flowed above, sending fingers down to the wheels to create motion that ebbed against the dull stuff of the train and passengers. The sky was filled with raw creation in the form of heavenly bolts and waves of movement, as if Zeus himself was preparing a strike. But instead of lightning, hail had rained down. The black hail I saw in my mundane sight was strange enough, but seeing them in my newfound Sight, they were even stranger. They were like raining sinkholes that tore into the electricity of the train's cables, which in turn dissipated the motion of the train itself. Clearly, the train was going to stop and I'd probably be late for work.

                      Those thoughts were torn away by a sudden flash of golden sand in the corner of my eye and a timed crackling of energy around me, like it was a ticking clock. Turning to the source, I found it to be one of the passengers, though they stood out among the others. The other passengers were muted to my senses, irrelevant, but this one glowed with an inner light like mine. It wore a different nature, but it rang from the same place of my magic. This passenger was Awake like me. The sands swirled around him, distorting his image like a funhouse mirror does. Every ripple was precisely timed to a constant beat, or should I say a constant tick?

                      The spell he was casting was definitely related to time. Is time one of the Arcana they talked about? Or part of one? I don't know. As fascinated as I was by it all, keeping my Sight open was taxing. Maintaining it even a little longer would be a Herculean task, so I reverted my senses to the mundane before then. Back in the real world (more like the fake world if I'm being honest with myself), I was still fixed on the time mage.

                      {spoiler]Peripheral Mage Sight

                      If Moonstone looks back at Phoenix's staring, Phoenix will reflexively divert his gaze somewhere else, most likely the window[/spoiler]
                      Last edited by crapcarp; 07-12-2016, 08:40 PM.

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                      • #12
                        Moonstone
                        (Active Sight: Mind, Space)
                        (no spells)

                        Knowledge. True, Supernal knowledge, available with a thought and an act of will. Literally at his fingertips, thanks to his little homespun mudra. He squeezed his knees and smiled wide and giggled a little and took a deep breath. Just another weirdo on the train.

                        Unlikely to die. That's good! Meet other mages. That's...value neutral. He'd met other mages that day already. Maybe there were more Consilium members on the train. They probably weren't anyone with malevolent intent, or he'd have "better" odds of dying. And even if they were, he was likely to survive the encounter. So, no reason to be anything but optimistic. Cautiously optimistic!

                        Buff kid on the other side of the train, staring at him, visible in the reflection of the window Moonstone was staring out of. Creepy. He turned his head a little and glanced back at the guy and said out loud: "Train's gonna stop soon. In this weather, I mean. Am I right?"

                        If Marlin was listening at all, hearing his voice would confirm it: this was the same chess-player and book-buyer he'd seen before. He looked back out the window and shoved his hands in his jacket pockets. "Just being friendly."

                        Then he opened his third eye. Metaphorically. Like metaphysically zooming out, his body and his thoughts and the other passengers and the train car and the train tracks and the storm clouds became points in Space, connected to each other, but none any more individually significant than a given black hailstone. Utter Pandemonium. Moonstone quoted to himself: "Hell is empty, and all the devils are here!"

                        Turning on Mind/Space sight and looking out at the hailstorm.




                        2E Legacy Updates
                        Brotherhood of the Demon Wind
                        Choir of Hashmallim (plus extra Summoning content)
                        Storm Keepers

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                        • #13
                          LYNX
                          Active Sight: None
                          Active Spells: Heightened Senses (Life 2; +1 to Perception rolls; 1 week duration)
                          Mana: 10/10
                          Conditions/Tilts: None







                          Black hail? Hva faen?

                          He smells the tension in the air - the fear and worry. It forms a knot in his stomach; he grits his teeth, trying to draw in what's around him

                          Faen... I'm scared... What is that?

                          Then the lights start to flicker. The fear grows rougher, more primal inside of him, as people start to get up. The murmurs and scuffles create a din that mixes in with the hail, hammering against the windows and the building.

                          Deep breaths...

                          One breath. Two. He draws in his environment - revels in it - as he remembers the forest and the mist, the shadows that threatened him from all angles. His hairs stand on end, but this time, it's his doing. His shadow shifts momentarily into that of a lynx, ready to react. With a small grin, he turns to face the room - now, he's prepared.

                          Action: Lynx casts Life 2 "Heightened Senses", using his 2 Free Reaches to Instant Cast and Advanced Duration, with no other modifiers. With 2 Successes, he now has +1 to all Perception rolls for 1 Week or until cancelled.


                          Heightened Senses → 2 Successes. And this time, I got the formatting right!
                          Last edited by Kvitebjørn Kong Valemon; 07-14-2016, 12:54 PM.


                          Character Sheet: Oscar "Lynx" Dalgren

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                          • #14
                            RAGNAR
                            Active Spells: None
                            Conditions/Tilts: None
                            Mana: 10/10

                            Ragnar's eyes widen as he looks out the window at the definitely-not-natural, black hail. Suddenly, the car seems like the least of my problems.

                            Ragnar briefly debates reaching out for magic and doing something, but he decides against it. No sense in using magic if he has no clue what this is.

                            The flickering of the lights agitates the class further. We could have a panic on our hands. He turns to face Dr. McCallister. "Dr. McCallister, perhaps was should take a moment to see if there's any danger from the weather?"

                            Turning back to the window, he takes a moment to center himself, closes his eyes, and then opens them again, in that special way he learned to do after that day. I have to know what the heck is going on. He focuses to see the subtle flow of time, and the threads of fate that seem to coalesce around some people more than others. To truly see what is going on.

                            I activate Active Mage Sight with Fate and Time.



                            Haberdasher's Requiem Conversions and Homebrew

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                            • #15
                              BINDER
                              Active Spells: None
                              [Mage Sight: Mind, Space]

                              More magic, but closer; here, in the train? Could one of the other passengers be..? That young man was interested in the occult books...

                              Binder breaths deeply, flaring his nose, trying to get a better handle on the source of the scent. The action itself does nothing, but the intent deepens his focus, opening his perceptions to Pandemonium.

                              Despite everything going on around him, he can't help but spare some mental bandwidth for his son that goes something like: Forest? In school, right. I'm so fucking glad that this stuff didn't start happening during the summer.

                              @rwknoll: You interpreted correctly! & thanks for the additional details!

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