Re: The Heart of the Labyrinth, Screams and Hope IC Thread 19

[Warpmind]

"Even if you have figured out such a method, which is impressive in itself Traditionalist that do not mean you can get through the ship's defenses."
Abigail said and shrugged.
"Your bravado do not concern me much."

Colin smiled thinly, "If you had seen what I have seen, you might be less ready to dismiss it as mere bravado. I am confident, true, but I don't think I am overconfident... there's too much that can yet go wrong for that."

"I see, your group Gilgulled the woman that is a shame, and you are right she loved Warden, and it is sad in a way that Warden will be reborn alone."
Abigail said and frowned then she fixed you with a hard look.
"That is double reason to torture your companions Traditionalist, hurting your friends for your actions will cause you allot more pain than if I just hurt you."
She said and gave you a cruel smile.

He nodded, "Ah, but a small piece of Cotta's love remains... perhaps it will be enough to redeem her and Warden's soul, given time."
He smiled darkly, "That presumes you'll be able to capture my friends while I yet live. I would use the phrase 'over my dead body', except I don't think I should encourage you too much. No... I'll not let that happen this time..."

"Well then you better hope that if we meet again as foes young Sir that it is far enough down the river of time that you have time to actualize your ideas then."
The Jade Demon said before he walked into the portal.

He shrugged and smiled wryly, "Time is not the issue - all I need to do is dodge everything coming my way until the Scourge takes its toll... in principle a simple thing, but in practice... I do not like the odds I see."

Crexia smiled a little and nodded. Bess looked at you.
"It is not like I know allot, but in Asia supernaturals tend to be more connected to one another than we are here, instead we form one extended society in most of the Asian nations so I have met a few of their kind."

He arched an eyebrow at Bess, "So more like a very large family with the occasional awkward Thanksgiving dinner, rather than several old dynasties with uneasy truces and political intrigues, then? I don't know if that sounds more or less worrying..."

Andy gave you a tired nod, she eyed the thermos wearily.
"No...I do not...want it...near me..."
She managed weakly.

He smiled thinly, "You get well, now; I'll be glad to burn this away."

A violent flash of Primal flames burst to life as Isabella's blood and the thermos burned, well not so much burned as became nothing, the flame was red, angry with thick black smoke and as it burned there was a feeling of pain, regret and death in the air. Several of the mages turned away in disgust. You saw Chief Joakim stand there and look at the burning thermos in shock then he turned over and got sick, shivering. Crexia quickly moved so she could cover Joakim a bit from the eyes of the others he was a proud man and would not like to be seen in a moment of weakness.

He grimaced at the sight and fanned the smoke away with a hand, then frowned at seeing Joakim, "Ah, pardon the fumes, I did not expect those... you will be glad to hear not a drop was spilled; miss Carlyle's Avatar is... returned to where it's supposed to be."
He looked down at the smear on the floor, "And God willing, there'll never be another Matty Carlyle, necessitating such a horrid contingency..."

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

Colin smiled thinly, "If you had seen what I have seen, you might be less ready to dismiss it as mere bravado. I am confident, true, but I don't think I am overconfident... there's too much that can yet go wrong for that."

"So you say Traditionalist but I have also seen quite a bit in my days, and to me your words sounds little more than other bragging, probably to try to get a rise out of me."
Abigail scoffed.

He nodded, "Ah, but a small piece of Cotta's love remains... perhaps it will be enough to redeem her and Warden's soul, given time."

"Cotta's soul? Gilgul destroy it completely there is no coming back from that, no redemption."
The Lady of the Labyrinth said and raised an eyebrow.

He smiled darkly, "That presumes you'll be able to capture my friends while I yet live. I would use the phrase 'over my dead body', except I don't think I should encourage you too much. No... I'll not let that happen this time..."

"More bravado I see, capturing your friends should not be to much of a problem as long as I am keeping this ward up."
Abigail said and gave you a soft smile.
"And then they will suffer and you will be to blame."

He shrugged and smiled wryly, "Time is not the issue - all I need to do is dodge everything coming my way until the Scourge takes its toll... in principle a simple thing, but in practice... I do not like the odds I see."

"Ah you assume I would attack you in the physical world with vulgar magick when more light handed methods and a good blade will do the job just as well, I did not get this old by being foolish young Sir though I do admit your plan is not a bad one, but no if I where to use such a spell, dodging it would not be an easy thing to do I assure you well good morning to you then my good man."

He arched an eyebrow at Bess, "So more like a very large family with the occasional awkward Thanksgiving dinner, rather than several old dynasties with uneasy truces and political intrigues, then? I don't know if that sounds more or less worrying..."

"Something like that but we are more talking a very large family with the occasional awkward Thanksgiving dinner and political intrigues Sir."
Bess said and smiled a little.
"It is what it is and more unity can be quite beneficial if I may be so bold as to make that claim."

He smiled thinly, "You get well, now; I'll be glad to burn this away."

Andy nodded weakly to that.

He grimaced at the sight and fanned the smoke away with a hand, then frowned at seeing Joakim, "Ah, pardon the fumes, I did not expect those... you will be glad to hear not a drop was spilled; miss Carlyle's Avatar is... returned to where it's supposed to be."

"So she is not...oh thank heavens."
Joakim muttered as he got back up and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand he gave Crexia a grateful look then immediately snapped back into action thinking about what had to be done, perhaps he just needed something else to think about.
"Ok we need to destroy the Caul, and then move the prisoner and most of our group back the the Chantry while a few remains to destroy the rest of the Labyrinth, are anyone else left in other parts of this place?"
Crexia nodded.
"Yes I have left one of our men behind on the other side of the portal we came from with a prisoner."
Adjan shook his head.
"Everyone in my group is here Sir...everyone who survived that is..."
He said sadly. Jerome looked over the gathered faced and nodded looked saddened over the faces that where missing.
"My group found some prisoners in the cells Sir, and a barely living prisoner in some sort of torture chamber, we had the Adepts take them back to the Chantry so none of mine are unaccounted for."
Joakim nodded at that to where looking over the group to see who where not there and he sigh.
"We had three wounded we had to send back but no fatalities."
He said and Udella's eyes teared up for a moment and she turned away to wipe her eyes.
"We lost...well no names here but my colleague."
She whispered softly and Joakim put a hand gently on her arm.
"I am sorry to hear that Honored Quesitor..."

He looked down at the smear on the floor, "And God willing, there'll never be another Matty Carlyle, necessitating such a horrid contingency..."

Joakim gave you a grim look.
"I hope you are right young man. I hope you are right..."

[Warpmind]

"So you say Traditionalist but I have also seen quite a bit in my days, and to me your words sounds little more than other bragging, probably to try to get a rise out of me."
Abigail scoffed.

Colin nodded, "I will admit, trying to get a rise out of you is part of it, yes... Not all of it, but part of it."

"Cotta's soul? Gilgul destroy it completely there is no coming back from that, no redemption."
The Lady of the Labyrinth said and raised an eyebrow.

He smiled enigmatically, "No... Gilgul just tears it to tiny bits. Small fragments always remain, not big enough to to much on their own... but there are tales of places in the Umbra where they gather; it may take centuries, but they can reform, become Avatars anew."

"More bravado I see, capturing your friends should not be to much of a problem as long as I am keeping this ward up."
Abigail said and gave you a soft smile.
"And then they will suffer and you will be to blame."

He shrugged, "As long as you keep that ward up. But once you can no longer hold it up, what then? And while you hold it up, how much more can you do without losing the ward? You are at a severe tactical disadvantage, I'm afraid... and like in the sieges of medieval times, we just have to wait for a crack in the shield. Like the one we made in your Aegis when we arrived."

"Ah you assume I would attack you in the physical world with vulgar magick when more light handed methods and a good blade will do the job just as well, I did not get this old by being foolish young Sir though I do admit your plan is not a bad one, but no if I where to use such a spell, dodging it would not be an easy thing to do I assure you well good morning to you then my good man."

He grinned and nodded, "Well, somehow tricking you into exposing yourself to Reality would certainly be... 'preferable' is not the word, but perhaps a better chance at wearing you out and make my escape. But you are quite right; however subtle the wizard, a dagger in the back will cramp his style. Good day."

"Something like that but we are more talking a very large family with the occasional awkward Thanksgiving dinner and political intrigues Sir."
Bess said and smiled a little.
"It is what it is and more unity can be quite beneficial if I may be so bold as to make that claim."

He nodded thoughtfully, "More unity indeed... We could do with some more of that. Well, long-term plans. I might wish to interview you at some later date regarding assorted... things that go bump in the night, if you're willing."

"So she is not...oh thank heavens."
Joakim muttered as he got back up and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand he gave Crexia a grateful look then immediately snapped back into action thinking about what had to be done, perhaps he just needed something else to think about.
"Ok we need to destroy the Caul, and then move the prisoner and most of our group back the the Chantry while a few remains to destroy the rest of the Labyrinth, are anyone else left in other parts of this place?"
Crexia nodded.
"Yes I have left one of our men behind on the other side of the portal we came from with a prisoner."

He nodded to Crexia, "Don't forget the party we left behind to raid the kitchen... Best make sure they are alright, now that they missed the party."

Adjan shook his head.
"Everyone in my group is here Sir...everyone who survived that is..."
He said sadly. Jerome looked over the gathered faced and nodded looked saddened over the faces that where missing.
"My group found some prisoners in the cells Sir, and a barely living prisoner in some sort of torture chamber, we had the Adepts take them back to the Chantry so none of mine are unaccounted for."
Joakim nodded at that to where looking over the group to see who where not there and he sigh.
"We had three wounded we had to send back but no fatalities."
He said and Udella's eyes teared up for a moment and she turned away to wipe her eyes.
"We lost...well no names here but my colleague."
She whispered softly and Joakim put a hand gently on her arm.
"I am sorry to hear that Honored Quesitor..."

He pondered, "Also, there's a spirit near the entrance we came in through; a friendly chap who enjoys the new purpose I gave him - he's writing the story of a friend on a wall. We might want to let him know he should get out before the place comes tumbling down... Oh, and was the vampire Nicolai sent as a hostage of good faith located?"

Joakim gave you a grim look.
"I hope you are right young man. I hope you are right..."

He frowned, "Miss Carlyle's circumstances were unique... hopefully, nobody else will be caught in such circumstances again... Her fall is on the courts of Horizon, I fear..."

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

Colin nodded, "I will admit, trying to get a rise out of you is part of it, yes... Not all of it, but part of it."

Abigail gave you a sour look.
"Oh go and fuck yourself!"

He smiled enigmatically, "No... Gilgul just tears it to tiny bits. Small fragments always remain, not big enough to to much on their own... but there are tales of places in the Umbra where they gather; it may take centuries, but they can reform, become Avatars anew."

"Shard collectives? yes I have heard of them, but they are broken and inferior and are not the same soul that was destroyed."
Abigail scoffed and you could feel Mia getting rather insulted at that and she made a huff inside of your soul, she was not best pleased at all.

He shrugged, "As long as you keep that ward up. But once you can no longer hold it up, what then? And while you hold it up, how much more can you do without losing the ward? You are at a severe tactical disadvantage, I'm afraid... and like in the sieges of medieval times, we just have to wait for a crack in the shield. Like the one we made in your Aegis when we arrived."

The old Nephanda's eyes widened a little.
"Well there are consistency plans, this spell I am holding can destroy as well as protect, taking you and this entire city with us when we go, unfortunately that will result in me not getting to torture you and your friends but you will all still die."
She declared and shot you an angry look.

He grinned and nodded, "Well, somehow tricking you into exposing yourself to Reality would certainly be... 'preferable' is not the word, but perhaps a better chance at wearing you out and make my escape. But you are quite right; however subtle the wizard, a dagger in the back will cramp his style. Good day."

The Jade Demon gave you a measured smile then he stepped through the portal and it closed behind him.
"Let us hope you have have to fight him."
Udella muttered she was clearly very tired.
"He is not a man to be underestimated."

He nodded thoughtfully, "More unity indeed... We could do with some more of that. Well, long-term plans. I might wish to interview you at some later date regarding assorted... things that go bump in the night, if you're willing."

"I assure you my knowledge is quite limited Sir, it is just that in Tokyo the Metal Dragons...ehm the Technocracy holds court with an iron hand so the rest of us have to band together, what little I know I will be happy to share though, information wants to be free after all, let me know when is a good time for you and I will have the tea ready."
Bess said with a friendly, polite smile.

He nodded to Crexia, "Don't forget the party we left behind to raid the kitchen... Best make sure they are alright, now that they missed the party."

"Ah yes no off course we can not forget about them young man...would you be so kind as to go though the shortcut again and bring them and our Virtual Adept and the prisoner here so we can arrange for who go home and who stays behind?"
Crexia requested and gave you a smile then she raised her voice so all could hear her.
"Now no one step to close to the Caul...and we will soon be out of here!"

He pondered, "Also, there's a spirit near the entrance we came in through; a friendly chap who enjoys the new purpose I gave him - he's writing the story of a friend on a wall. We might want to let him know he should get out before the place comes tumbling down...

"I should be able to locate him and can let him know?"
A pretty blond girl with very long blond hair in two braids down her back and wearing a blood stained pink skirt and equally soiled purple top and high heels, a jade amulet hung around her neck. You had met her with some of the other young women of Morningstar when you arrived there with Liv Bergen when the girls where headed out to go to the cinema you think she had said her name was Felicity.
"I am not half bad with spirits."
She added and smiled.

Oh, and was the vampire Nicolai sent as a hostage of good faith located?"

"Yeah we found him with the other prisoners in the dungeon, he have been sent to the Chantry, still restrained."
Jerome said and nodded.

He frowned, "Miss Carlyle's circumstances were unique... hopefully, nobody else will be caught in such circumstances again... Her fall is on the courts of Horizon, I fear..."

"It is indeed, our justice system is needlessly cruel I fear."
Joakim said and looked at the stain on the floor where the thermos used to be.
"Sweet heavens what did we almost do."
He muttered softly and turned pale again.

[Warpmind]

"Shard collectives? yes I have heard of them, but they are broken and inferior and are not the same soul that was destroyed."
Abigail scoffed and you could feel Mia getting rather insulted at that and she made a huff inside of your soul, she was not best pleased at all.

He smiled thinly, "Broken? Yes. Not the same soul that was destroyed? Granted. Inferior, though?"
He broke into a grin, "There's a Japanese philosophy of repairing pottery by lining the cracks with gold or other precious metals - showing that though a vase has been broken, the damage is just another part of its history, and its scars only add to its distinctiveness. We both have scars, you and I... but yours are only skin deep. And scars... they are stronger than the tissue they replace."

The old Nephanda's eyes widened a little.
"Well there are consistency plans, this spell I am holding can destroy as well as protect, taking you and this entire city with us when we go, unfortunately that will result in me not getting to torture you and your friends but you will all still die."
She declared and shot you an angry look.

He nodded, "That, of course, would be unfortunate. Most unfortunate indeed. And poor Jodelle would never know what hit her..."

The Jade Demon gave you a measured smile then he stepped through the portal and it closed behind him.
"Let us hope you have have to fight him."
Udella muttered she was clearly very tired.
"He is not a man to be underestimated."

He nodded to Udella, "Quite. I'm thinking a Cobra helicopter with a full load of missiles - that might even the odds a little. Not enough, but it would be a start. Well, the Umbra Ship equivalent would probably be better. Hm, perhaps we can steal something from the Union later."

"I assure you my knowledge is quite limited Sir, it is just that in Tokyo the Metal Dragons...ehm the Technocracy holds court with an iron hand so the rest of us have to band together, what little I know I will be happy to share though, information wants to be free after all, let me know when is a good time for you and I will have the tea ready."
Bess said with a friendly, polite smile.

He grinned, "Ah, tea, the magic word to a Brit."

"Ah yes no off course we can not forget about them young man...would you be so kind as to go though the shortcut again and bring them and our Virtual Adept and the prisoner here so we can arrange for who go home and who stays behind?"
Crexia requested and gave you a smile then she raised her voice so all could hear her.
"Now no one step to close to the Caul...and we will soon be out of here!"

He nodded to Crexia, "Can do."

"I should be able to locate him and can let him know?"
A pretty blond girl with very long blond hair in two braids down her back and wearing a blood stained pink skirt and equally soiled purple top and high heels, a jade amulet hung around her neck. You had met her with some of the other young women of Morningstar when you arrived there with Liv Bergen when the girls where headed out to go to the cinema you think she had said her name was Felicity.
"I am not half bad with spirits."
She added and smiled.

He smiled, "While I am sure you could, it would feel... careless to share the new Name I gave him with others so freely... I think I should be able to call him when I have a moment's privacy. If not, I'll let you know. I might, however, be interested in a few lessons on dealing with spirits - I've been very lucky today, but I don't trust that to last forever."

"Yeah we found him with the other prisoners in the dungeon, he have been sent to the Chantry, still restrained."
Jerome said and nodded.

He nodded, "Good - the poor chap should be sent to the Prince with an informative note about what Nicolai has gotten himself into. The boy needs a practical warning about meddling in the affairs of wizards..."

"It is indeed, our justice system is needlessly cruel I fear."
Joakim said and looked at the stain on the floor where the thermos used to be.
"Sweet heavens what did we almost do."
He muttered softly and turned pale again.

He glanced from the smear and back to Joakim, "I almost committed a necessary evil... I was fortunate that it did not end up being necessary... it would have been entirely on me if it had. And I am still going to have to beg forgiveness from the donor for what I was prepared to do... and from you, I suppose, if you are able to..."

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

He smiled thinly, "Broken? Yes. Not the same soul that was destroyed? Granted. Inferior, though?"

"Yes inferior, like a patch work dress, sure it will cover your nakedness and give your heat but hardly be pretty."
Abigail declared and the Verbena you would later learn was named Moonwater looked down at her hand made, patch work, swishy skirt and frowned at Abigail.

He broke into a grin, "There's a Japanese philosophy of repairing pottery by lining the cracks with gold or other precious metals - showing that though a vase has been broken, the damage is just another part of its history, and its scars only add to its distinctiveness. We both have scars, you and I... but yours are only skin deep. And scars... they are stronger than the tissue they replace."

Jodelle looked at you for a moment then she sigh and gave you a slight not to acknowledge that you had a point, if however grudgingly. Mia felt like she approved of your words and she settled down, well setteled down as much as an Avatar could this close to a Caul.
"In either case it is not the same Avatar just Ephemera reforged."
Abigail protested.

He nodded, "That, of course, would be unfortunate. Most unfortunate indeed. And poor Jodelle would never know what hit her..."

"Killing Jodelle would pain me but better dead than Gilgulled I would be doing her a great mercy, I would kill any of my students without hesitation if it meant saving them from that foul ritual."
The Lady of the Labyrinth spat back.

He nodded to Udella, "Quite. I'm thinking a Cobra helicopter with a full load of missiles - that might even the odds a little. Not enough, but it would be a start. Well, the Umbra Ship equivalent would probably be better. Hm, perhaps we can steal something from the Union later."

"Ah yes if you had a Technocrazy Dreadnought you might stand a chance against the man, the problem is I have a feeling that if he really wanted you dead he could manipulate chance and your operation to loot the Union's Umbral docks would never get of the ground, chance would see to that."
Udella said and frowned.

He grinned, "Ah, tea, the magic word to a Brit."

"Tea is traditionally enjoyed by many of my home land as well Sir and I find it a perfect refreshment for a good talk."
The young Virtual Adept said with another kind smile.

He nodded to Crexia, "Can do."

"Thank you young man that will be most useful."
Crexia said.

He smiled, "While I am sure you could, it would feel... careless to share the new Name I gave him with others so freely... I think I should be able to call him when I have a moment's privacy. If not, I'll let you know. I might, however, be interested in a few lessons on dealing with spirits - I've been very lucky today, but I don't trust that to last forever."

"I am not a Hermetic Sir I use associations and feelings to find spirits not names, their energy so to speak nor can I really command them just communicate with them and barter for help. I am a Dreamspeaker...yeah...yeah I know I am white but I started dreamswalking on my own when I was just a kid and a old Dreamspeaker found me in Maya and picked me up and an apprentice."
Felicity explained then she nodded.
"Yeah sure no problem I can give lessons for a price of course, if your Paradigm can be made to fit with mine that is."
She said and scratched her head.
"But yeah let me know if you need help, no sweat I am just offering and I understand wanting to protect the spirit."

He nodded, "Good - the poor chap should be sent to the Prince with an informative note about what Nicolai has gotten himself into. The boy needs a practical warning about meddling in the affairs of wizards..."

Jerome nodded and frowned.
"I fear that would be the death of the man though from what we have heard lately about the temperament of this so called Prince of theirs but I guess you are right. I think we can discuss what to do with the vampire prisoner once we are done here though and are safely back at the Chantry. I agree however some sort of message have to be sent."

He glanced from the smear and back to Joakim, "I almost committed a necessary evil... I was fortunate that it did not end up being necessary... it would have been entirely on me if it had. And I am still going to have to beg forgiveness from the donor for what I was prepared to do... and from you, I suppose, if you are able to..."

"Both me and the good Lady gave our permission for such a method to be used we would have been equally to blame, I am very grateful it turned out not to be needed though."
Joakim said and frowned again.
"Me you need no forgiveness from, it was a necessary...last resort even if it pain me, from the donor though that is another matter she do deserve an apology, but be careful, strong emotions can get her kind to...loose control, I would advice taking with you a stake when going to give that apology but I would appreciate it if it was not used, she is a good woman and in many ways fragile, but you should think of your own safety. If you have magick to bind her in place or get her off you if she should loose control that would be better perhaps, less traumatic for her, hopefully she will not loose control. Also expect to get slapped..."

[Adley]

Abigail had on her room keys, a wand, several small vials of various substances, a mirror, a lipstick, a phone. She was wearing gold earrings, a gold pendant with an agate stone in it, and three rings on her fingers, it was a intricate silver one you could feel contained the bound spirit child. You also feel personal protections on her and several active spells though what they where was harder to know.

He handled the vials carefully - he had no idea what was in them, it could be vampire blood, someone else's blood, some disgusting potion. The jewelry was removed and inspected for magick. When he found the ring, he looked to see if Colin was still nearby to give it to him to hold onto for the moment, until he could get help to release them. "Amicus?"

Once the items were separated and she had been restrained, he stood up and took the piles to Crexia to report, passing by Andy with a frown of concern. "She still has several protections upon her person that should be dealt with before she is taken in; there are active spells and I'm not sure what they do aside from they are protective measures of some kind. These are her items, the phone I will take to our adept friend," he said, nodding towards Bess. "I'm not sure what's in these vials, either, probably nothing too welcome."

He gave Andy a pat on the shoulder, "Good work... thank you. I'm going to step away now - you don't want this near you."
He quickly picked up the thermos and took a few steps away from everyone else, setting it on the floor and opening it with a few quick gestures before taking a step back and pointing at it with his ring, "Gladius ex Sangromagia!"

A violent flash of Primal flames burst to life as Isabella's blood and the thermos burned, well not so much burned as became nothing, the flame was red, angry with thick black smoke and as it burned there was a feeling of pain, regret and death in the air. Several of the mages turned away in disgust. You saw Chief Joakim stand there and look at the burning thermos in shock then he turned over and got sick, shivering. Crexia quickly moved so she could cover Joakim a bit from the eyes of the others he was a proud man and would not like to be seen in a moment of weakness.

The sudden presence of Colin's magick burning away Isabella's blood caught his attention as well and he gave an uncomfortable look as the feelings in the air mixed with all the other sensations that were present. But at least the damned thing was gone now, and there was relief in that, even if he had to agree with Joaquim's reaction to it - bad time for the Chief to make his appearance, though he was glad he seemed relatively unscathed but for the understandable reaction to the spell.

He grimaced at the sight and fanned the smoke away with a hand, then frowned at seeing Joakim, "Ah, pardon the fumes, I did not expect those... you will be glad to hear not a drop was spilled; miss Carlyle's Avatar is... returned to where it's supposed to be."
He looked down at the smear on the floor, "And God willing, there'll never be another Matty Carlyle, necessitating such a horrid contingency..."

"So she is not...oh thank heavens." Joakim muttered as he got back up and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand he gave Crexia a grateful look then immediately snapped back into action thinking about what had to be done, perhaps he just needed something else to think about. "Ok we need to destroy the Caul, and then move the prisoner and most of our group back the the Chantry while a few remains to destroy the rest of the Labyrinth, are anyone else left in other parts of this place?"

Suddenly there were damage reports exchanged and he noted people that he hadn't realised had joined up with them, aside from the Chief. People had indeed died in most of the parties, the prisoners had been found though. But Joakim's statement about the caul put him on edge again. Deaconess Darnell had demonstrated her bravery, standing there against it but it wasn't as if it would just sit there and let itself be killed. It had a basic sentience of sorts, like the infant it had been unmade from, terrible desires...he shuddered.

He pondered, "Also, there's a spirit near the entrance we came in through; a friendly chap who enjoys the new purpose I gave him - he's writing the story of a friend on a wall. We might want to let him know he should get out before the place comes tumbling down... Oh, and was the vampire Nicolai sent as a hostage of good faith located?"

"There was a spirit of a garbage dump in the labyrinth, I am not sure if it is still here or has left after your discussion," he added as Colin talked about the spirit.

// I like Colin's discussion about Kintsukuroi, beautiful simile : )

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

He handled the vials carefully - he had no idea what was in them, it could be vampire blood, someone else's blood, some disgusting potion.

The vials had mostly clear liquid, one of them where bright blue and one dark, tar like black so it was probably not blood, given they belonged to a senior Nephanda though they where probably far from safe.

The jewelry was removed and inspected for magick. When he found the ring, he looked to see if Colin was still nearby to give it to him to hold onto for the moment, until he could get help to release them. "Amicus?"

The earrings where just decorations. The rings where the ring containing the Umbrood child's prison and the two others where not magick themselves but had probably been used as tools from how they felt, the necklace was a talisman of some sort but you would have to focus on it in particular to figure out what it's purpose was. Colin stood not that far from you talking with Crexia and Joakim.

Once the items were separated and she had been restrained, he stood up and took the piles to Crexia to report, passing by Andy with a frown of concern. "She still has several protections upon her person that should be dealt with before she is taken in; there are active spells and I'm not sure what they do aside from they are protective measures of some kind. These are her items, the phone I will take to our adept friend," he said, nodding towards Bess. "I'm not sure what's in these vials, either, probably nothing too welcome."

Andy was still being tended to by the other two Verbena but she seamed to be breathing easier now and her wounds where beginning to close but it was clear she had taken out every bit of her strength to heal Abigail and it had cost er.

Crexia glanced at the vials and begun working a intelligo Vim spell to have a look at them, then she frowned.
"No...not to plesant."
She agreed.
"I will deal with the spell Abigail have cast on herself and if you put the vials on the floor I will destroy them as well as anything else magickal she have on her other than the ring imprisoning the Ubrood Lady's child."
The old Hermetic ordered then she nodded.
"Good yes have our Virtual Adept friend have a look on the phone, thank you Sodalis."

"There was a spirit of a garbage dump in the labyrinth, I am not sure if it is still here or has left after your discussion," he added as Colin talked about the spirit.

"We should probably try to contact her to warn her that we are going to burn the Labyrinth to ash."
Crexia said.
"But that we can do while cleaning up after we have dealt with the Caul...listen there is a spiritual part to this thing, I and a few others who have similar skill with Ephemera will destroy those parts and then burn the physical parts of it to ash, however I need the rest of you to be alert, we do not know how it will react and how it's interaction with the Labyrinth creature might be, there could be trouble as we destroy this thing...and keep your distance we do not know if accidentally falling in count as willingly stepping into it but I am not willing to take that chance."
She said as she gathered Udella, Olamide and several of the magi from the other parties to from a group that would deal with the Caul. For now at least the thing in the center of the room did nothing, it opened and closed a few times and the tentacles moved a bit but other than that it did nothing but who knew what it would do when attacked.

[Warpmind]

"Yes inferior, like a patch work dress, sure it will cover your nakedness and give your heat but hardly be pretty."
Abigail declared and the Verbena you would later learn was named Moonwater looked down at her hand made, patch work, swishy skirt and frowned at Abigail.

Colin smiled, "You and I both left 'pretty' behind many years ago. Each piece that bonds with another offers more strength and structure than any one such piece alone... Pretty might make the work more pleasant, but it doesn't offer lasting power or durability on its own."

Jodelle looked at you for a moment then she sigh and gave you a slight not to acknowledge that you had a point, if however grudgingly. Mia felt like she approved of your words and she settled down, well setteled down as much as an Avatar could this close to a Caul.
"In either case it is not the same Avatar just Ephemera reforged."
Abigail protested.

He grinned, "Try telling that to your Avatar. And listen to its answer."

"Killing Jodelle would pain me but better dead than Gilgulled I would be doing her a great mercy, I would kill any of my students without hesitation if it meant saving them from that foul ritual."
The Lady of the Labyrinth spat back.

He nodded, "That, at least, I can't rightly dispute."

"Ah yes if you had a Technocrazy Dreadnought you might stand a chance against the man, the problem is I have a feeling that if he really wanted you dead he could manipulate chance and your operation to loot the Union's Umbral docks would never get of the ground, chance would see to that."
Udella said and frowned.

He grinned wryly, "I have the oddest feeling he would accept it as, well, firing a single volley for the honour of the flag, as it were... I honestly don't think it would be enough to injure him greatly, unless he was already blind, deaf and completely unaware of the danger... a man of his experience wouldn't be caught with his pants down in such a manner... Even with a Union Dreadnought I would be at a severe disadvantage, I think."
He pondered for a moment, "Though, Primium full plate armour might protect me from a lot of what he might try to do... including said dagger in the back. Hum, no matter; it's not a conflict I have any desire to pursue."

"Tea is traditionally enjoyed by many of my home land as well Sir and I find it a perfect refreshment for a good talk."
The young Virtual Adept said with another kind smile.

He chuckled, eyes twinkling, "So rare and delightful to find someone in America who appreciates that - ever since Bostonians buggered up the serving instructions at the infamous Tea Party, I'm afraid that aspect of cultured interaction has gone dreadfully downhill."

"I am not a Hermetic Sir I use associations and feelings to find spirits not names, their energy so to speak nor can I really command them just communicate with them and barter for help. I am a Dreamspeaker...yeah...yeah I know I am white but I started dreamswalking on my own when I was just a kid and a old Dreamspeaker found me in Maya and picked me up and an apprentice."
Felicity explained then she nodded.
"Yeah sure no problem I can give lessons for a price of course, if your Paradigm can be made to fit with mine that is."
She said and scratched her head.
"But yeah let me know if you need help, no sweat I am just offering and I understand wanting to protect the spirit."

His smile warmed up greatly, "In that case, I accept your offer of help - last I saw him, he looked like the love child of Freddie Kruger and Slenderman, though he was beginning to fill out quite nicely... getting a Name agreed with him; the Fallen here had stolen his old one... Tell him that his friend the silversmith sent you, and that his writings about his friend must be moved to be preserved from the imminent destruction of this place. I'm sure he can cut free and preserve that piece of the wall without difficulty..."
He nodded, "By dealing with spirits, I did not mean by magical means... just understanding better how they think, how to negotiate with them. I don't know how much my paradigm will affect that aspect of understanding."

Jerome nodded and frowned.
"I fear that would be the death of the man though from what we have heard lately about the temperament of this so called Prince of theirs but I guess you are right. I think we can discuss what to do with the vampire prisoner once we are done here though and are safely back at the Chantry. I agree however some sort of message have to be sent."

He nodded and replied darkly, "That might well mean the final death of the vampire boy... but he bartered with Abigail for a Mage to be his child bride - a goal he has been pursuing for some time, it seems. And despite his setbacks already, he would not be deterred, despite being offered a chance to simply walk away. He... has had his chance; we can ill afford giving him another."

He handled the vials carefully - he had no idea what was in them, it could be vampire blood, someone else's blood, some disgusting potion. The jewelry was removed and inspected for magick. When he found the ring, he looked to see if Colin was still nearby to give it to him to hold onto for the moment, until he could get help to release them. "Amicus?"

He glanced up at the ring and smiled, "This is the one? I'll... call for the spirit once I leave this chamber, then - wouldn't want to summon her in here."

"Both me and the good Lady gave our permission for such a method to be used we would have been equally to blame, I am very grateful it turned out not to be needed though."
Joakim said and frowned again.
"Me you need no forgiveness from, it was a necessary...last resort even if it pain me, from the donor though that is another matter she do deserve an apology, but be careful, strong emotions can get her kind to...loose control, I would advice taking with you a stake when going to give that apology but I would appreciate it if it was not used, she is a good woman and in many ways fragile, but you should think of your own safety. If you have magick to bind her in place or get her off you if she should loose control that would be better perhaps, less traumatic for her, hopefully she will not loose control. Also expect to get slapped..."

He nodded, "I was thinking of some sort of video conference and a bouquet of roses delivered as way of the first step of the apology, and then show up in person for that slap once she calms down... Failing that, a room with softly padded walls might be useful..."

"There was a spirit of a garbage dump in the labyrinth, I am not sure if it is still here or has left after your discussion," he added as Colin talked about the spirit.

"We should probably try to contact her to warn her that we are going to burn the Labyrinth to ash."
Crexia said.

He nodded, "I'll try to call her outside of here - if she is able to extricate her child from the ring now that Abigail is out cold, all the better. If she needs our help to get it out, I can probably convince her to accompany us outside."

"But that we can do while cleaning up after we have dealt with the Caul...listen there is a spiritual part to this thing, I and a few others who have similar skill with Ephemera will destroy those parts and then burn the physical parts of it to ash, however I need the rest of you to be alert, we do not know how it will react and how it's interaction with the Labyrinth creature might be, there could be trouble as we destroy this thing...and keep your distance we do not know if accidentally falling in count as willingly stepping into it but I am not willing to take that chance."
She said as she gathered Udella, Olamide and several of the magi from the other parties to from a group that would deal with the Caul. For now at least the thing in the center of the room did nothing, it opened and closed a few times and the tentacles moved a bit but other than that it did nothing but who knew what it would do when attacked.

He glanced at the Caul, having carefully avoided staring too much up to now, and gave Adley a light pat on the shoulder and nodded toward Felicity, "Amicus, watching this thing die might bring up... unpleasant memories and feelings... Would you prefer to stay and watch anyway, or would you prefer to escort the young lady there to where we left my new friend?"

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

Colin smiled, "You and I both left 'pretty' behind many years ago. Each piece that bonds with another offers more strength and structure than any one such piece alone... Pretty might make the work more pleasant, but it doesn't offer lasting power or durability on its own."

That comment made Abigail roar with laughter and she gave a bit of a grin.
"True enough you know if you where not so much of an ass Traditionalist I might even like you."

He grinned, "Try telling that to your Avatar. And listen to its answer."

"I might do that but not while working this spell however the answer is clear even if you take a few planks and rubble from one home and combine with other such material and make a new house that will not be the same house."

He nodded, "That, at least, I can't rightly dispute."

Abigail gave you a grim nod at that.

He grinned wryly, "I have the oddest feeling he would accept it as, well, firing a single volley for the honour of the flag, as it were... I honestly don't think it would be enough to injure him greatly, unless he was already blind, deaf and completely unaware of the danger... a man of his experience wouldn't be caught with his pants down in such a manner... Even with a Union Dreadnought I would be at a severe disadvantage, I think."

"I suspect you are right at that."
Udella said and nodded.
"The Jade Demon is a powerful mage, it is best to leave him alone unless he starts trouble."

He pondered for a moment, "Though, Primium full plate armour might protect me from a lot of what he might try to do... including said dagger in the back. Hum, no matter; it's not a conflict I have any desire to pursue."

"Well let us finish one conflict with a powerful group of Nephandi before contemplating starting a conflict with another such group."
The old Quesitor said and raised an eyebrow.

He chuckled, eyes twinkling, "So rare and delightful to find someone in America who appreciates that - ever since Bostonians buggered up the serving instructions at the infamous Tea Party, I'm afraid that aspect of cultured interaction has gone dreadfully downhill."

Bess did not seam to get your joke but she managed a slight polite laugh anyway.
"Well we will have a nice talk then Sir when there is time."
She said.

His smile warmed up greatly, "In that case, I accept your offer of help - last I saw him, he looked like the love child of Freddie Kruger and Slenderman, though he was beginning to fill out quite nicely... getting a Name agreed with him; the Fallen here had stolen his old one... Tell him that his friend the silversmith sent you, and that his writings about his friend must be moved to be preserved from the imminent destruction of this place. I'm sure he can cut free and preserve that piece of the wall without difficulty..."

Felicity nodded and gave you a grin.
"Well that is quite a description. I should be able to find such a spirit quite easily."
She declared then she took a small rattle made out of a large shell out of her backpack and with a grimace sat down on the fleshy floor.

He nodded, "By dealing with spirits, I did not mean by magical means... just understanding better how they think, how to negotiate with them. I don't know how much my paradigm will affect that aspect of understanding."

Felicity looks up at you and nodded.
"Ah yes ok I understand that I can do and that should not be a problem when it comes to Paradigm differences, we can make an appointment around that and come to an agreement around price when we get out of here Sir."
She said and nodded.
"Well I should see if your spirit friend will want to talk with me then unless there was anything else?"

He nodded and replied darkly, "That might well mean the final death of the vampire boy... but he bartered with Abigail for a Mage to be his child bride - a goal he has been pursuing for some time, it seems. And despite his setbacks already, he would not be deterred, despite being offered a chance to simply walk away. He... has had his chance; we can ill afford giving him another."

Jerome shook his head.
"No you misunderstand me, I am not talking about Nicolai, he can burn for all I care, probably it would be best if he did, the threat he poses to our kind would be gone. However if we send his offspring to the Prince then the Prince might kill said offspring the man we found in the cells and we do not know if he have ever done anything against us. It do not feel right to just get him killed."

He nodded, "I was thinking of some sort of video conference and a bouquet of roses delivered as way of the first step of the apology, and then show up in person for that slap once she calms down... Failing that, a room with softly padded walls might be useful..."

"A video conference should work and the roses are a nice touch, a padded room will not help much though if you are in the room with her, it is not the walls I worry that she will damage it is you."
Joakim said and raised an eyebrow.

He nodded, "I'll try to call her outside of here - if she is able to extricate her child from the ring now that Abigail is out cold, all the better. If she needs our help to get it out, I can probably convince her to accompany us outside."

Crexia nodded at that.
"Very well, but be careful when you do so, that spirit is powerful and not an easy negotiator, make sure not to promise her anything else keep your wits about you."
The archmage warned you.

He glanced at the Caul, having carefully avoided staring too much up to now, and gave Adley a light pat on the shoulder and nodded toward Felicity, "Amicus, watching this thing die might bring up... unpleasant memories and feelings... Would you prefer to stay and watch anyway, or would you prefer to escort the young lady there to where we left my new friend?"

"Space do not really matter for my working I will be meeting the spirit on the astral plane but...perhaps I would feel more comfortable not working more magick right next to a Caul that thing is going to give me nightmares and my Avatar is screaming in my head for us to get away, he is quite upset."
Felicity said and looked up from her shell rattle.
"But I can contact him from right outside of this chamber if you wish."

[Warpmind]

That comment made Abigail roar with laughter and she gave a bit of a grin.
"True enough you know if you where not so much of an ass Traditionalist I might even like you."

Colin smiled, "I've been getting that a lot lately."

"I might do that but not while working this spell however the answer is clear even if you take a few planks and rubble from one home and combine with other such material and make a new house that will not be the same house."

He nodded, "True enough, it won't be precisely the same... it will be a fresh start, a new chance... a new Avatar, or perhaps an old one that gets to build power anew, with lingering memories of past lives."

"I suspect you are right at that."
Udella said and nodded.
"The Jade Demon is a powerful mage, it is best to leave him alone unless he starts trouble."

He smiled thinly, "He doesn't strike me as the type to go out of his way to do so..."

"Well let us finish one conflict with a powerful group of Nephandi before contemplating starting a conflict with another such group."
The old Quesitor said and raised an eyebrow.

He grimaced, "Or better yet, hold off such a conflict with the Jade Demon indefinitely."

Felicity nodded and gave you a grin.
"Well that is quite a description. I should be able to find such a spirit quite easily."
She declared then she took a small rattle made out of a large shell out of her backpack and with a grimace sat down on the fleshy floor.

He nodded, "A word of warning, though - as he'd had his name taken from him by the Fallen, he might be... wary. He'd a decent sort, I think, but he's been hurt badly - unfathomably so - and might be a little slower to trust than others."

Felicity looks up at you and nodded.
"Ah yes ok I understand that I can do and that should not be a problem when it comes to Paradigm differences, we can make an appointment around that and come to an agreement around price when we get out of here Sir."
She said and nodded.
"Well I should see if your spirit friend will want to talk with me then unless there was anything else?"

He glanced around, "Well... I don't think he'll be too keen to come in here... I believe a different room than the Caul chamber would be preferable for everyone."

Jerome shook his head.
"No you misunderstand me, I am not talking about Nicolai, he can burn for all I care, probably it would be best if he did, the threat he poses to our kind would be gone. However if we send his offspring to the Prince then the Prince might kill said offspring the man we found in the cells and we do not know if he have ever done anything against us. It do not feel right to just get him killed."

He nodded, "Then again, having the poor fellow delivered, stake still in place and with a diplomatic explanatory letter enclosed, the Prince be about as likely to dismiss the poor chap out of hand while he deals with Nicolai. If I have the measure of the Prince, he might rightly consider the hostage beneath his notice. That... might be his best chance. That, or... hmmm... have the fellow sent to one of the Prince's more reasonable advisors, perhaps."

"A video conference should work and the roses are a nice touch, a padded room will not help much though if you are in the room with her, it is not the walls I worry that she will damage it is you."
Joakim said and raised an eyebrow.

He grimaced, "Ah, but I've been thrown across a room before. Believe you me, having walls that actually cushion the impact is far preferable to, say, bricks or hardwood. Or even to those flimsy, cheap drywall plates you can accidentally ram an elbow through without noticing..."

Crexia nodded at that.
"Very well, but be careful when you do so, that spirit is powerful and not an easy negotiator, make sure not to promise her anything else keep your wits about you."
The archmage warned you.

He nodded, "Nothing beyond the extant promise to call the EPA down on her recycling plant to find out who's illegally dumping garbage there. I just hope she can extricate her child unaided - I don't know that I can lure it out of that ring."

"Space do not really matter for my working I will be meeting the spirit on the astral plane but...perhaps I would feel more comfortable not working more magick right next to a Caul that thing is going to give me nightmares and my Avatar is screaming in my head for us to get away, he is quite upset."
Felicity said and looked up from her shell rattle.
"But I can contact him from right outside of this chamber if you wish."

He nodded, "I think that would be best, yes."
He looked up at the Caul, frowning, "And to think that... thing was an innocent baby girl once, decades ago..."

[Adley]

Crexia glanced at the vials and begun working a intelligo Vim spell to have a look at them, then she frowned. "No...not to plesant." She agreed. "I will deal with the spell Abigail have cast on herself and if you put the vials on the floor I will destroy them as well as anything else magickal she have on her other than the ring imprisoning the Ubrood Lady's child." The old Hermetic ordered then she nodded. "Good yes have our Virtual Adept friend have a look on the phone, thank you Sodalis."

"These were her tools, or had spells applied to them regularly, as far as I can tell," he said, indicating the wand and the other rings." He put the vials down on the floor along with the other materials, save the ring with the bound Umbrood and the phone. The latter, he looked for Bes, suddenly Remembering she had been injured, to turn the phone over to for the moment.

"We should probably try to contact her to warn her that we are going to burn the Labyrinth to ash." Crexia said. "But that we can do while cleaning up after we have dealt with the Caul...listen there is a spiritual part to this thing, I and a few others who have similar skill with Ephemera will destroy those parts and then burn the physical parts of it to ash, however I need the rest of you to be alert, we do not know how it will react and how it's interaction with the Labyrinth creature might be, there could be trouble as we destroy this thing...and keep your distance we do not know if accidentally falling in count as willingly stepping into it but I am not willing to take that chance."

"Falling into something against your own wishes and power seems unwilling to me, but there's no good in risking something for no reason. And yes, there is a spiritual component to it and it can reach areas of this chamber through its...tentacles. And it does feel pain, has...a rudimentary sense of itself." He paled. "How shall we protect ourselves, should we move some of us to an adjacent room?"

He nodded, "I'll try to call her outside of here - if she is able to extricate her child from the ring now that Abigail is out cold, all the better. If she needs our help to get it out, I can probably convince her to accompany us outside."

Crexia nodded at that. "Very well, but be careful when you do so, that spirit is powerful and not an easy negotiator, make sure not to promise her anything else keep your wits about you."

He nodded, "Nothing beyond the extant promise to call the EPA down on her recycling plant to find out who's illegally dumping garbage there. I just hope she can extricate her child unaided - I don't know that I can lure it out of that ring."

"Agreed. Though if I recall well, once you have attempted to call them, it should be the proper end to your bargain. I cannot pull the child out, either, not yet and I don't know if breaking the ring would be a good idea," he mused. "If we can't do it between us, we will have to get help."

He glanced at the Caul, having carefully avoided staring too much up to now, and gave Adley a light pat on the shoulder and nodded toward Felicity, "Amicus, watching this thing die might bring up... unpleasant memories and feelings... Would you prefer to stay and watch anyway, or would you prefer to escort the young lady there to where we left my new friend?"

He looked at Colin as he touched him and then past the caul, as if he didn't want to take his eye off of it after it touching him but also not wanting to look at it too long and then nodded to Felicity. "It already has," he said. "I don't know about prefer, no one would prefer to be here, or for that to... I would just like to do what must be done, to put an end to the trauma that Abigail's actions have caused. I don't know if that means staying or going," he said honestly, but for all that he looked waxen. "However, I don't want to be in the way, a hindrance either or an unnecessary draw for its attention. Especially not when I could be protecting others, so I am willing to take your advice. Though I think..." he nodded to Cara, "she should not be in here, as well as a few others. Not far, mind, just not where it might reach."

"Space do not really matter for my working I will be meeting the spirit on the astral plane but...perhaps I would feel more comfortable not working more magick right next to a Caul that thing is going to give me nightmares and my Avatar is screaming in my head for us to get away, he is quite upset." Felicity said and looked up from her shell rattle. "But I can contact him from right outside of this chamber if you wish."

He nodded, "I think that would be best, yes." He looked up at the Caul, frowning, "And to think that... thing was an innocent baby girl once, decades ago..."

Adley frowned at his friend; his unease, anger and growing sadness fighting for precedence. "It was. I saw...there was a tombstone, with two doves on the crest of it...a tombstone with no body, apparently as...it was abused, violated in the most loathesome way. Created in the most despicable, disgusting manner."

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

Colin smiled, "I've been getting that a lot lately."

Abigail frowned.
"Yes I suspect that you have at that Traditionalist."

He nodded, "True enough, it won't be precisely the same... it will be a fresh start, a new chance... a new Avatar, or perhaps an old one that gets to build power anew, with lingering memories of past lives."

"No, if the shards from one soul where to be fused back together it might be what you speak of, however the thing you describe is a shard collective, that can happen when we run into swarms of themin the Umbra, especially if we send our Pawns out to do something outside of the ship, but those collectives are amalgams of a myriad of different souls, it is not the same soul or even a new incarnation of it getting a fresh start, there might be a memory or two there but it is not the whole it is a composite of many, and those shard collectives are always weak, fragile and have pretty low potential."

He smiled thinly, "He doesn't strike me as the type to go out of his way to do so..."

"No, now get me wrong he is a Nephandus so he is off course very dangerous but he also seam to want to stay with his Household and that is pretty much it."
Udella said and nodded.

He grimaced, "Or better yet, hold off such a conflict with the Jade Demon indefinitely."

"That would indeed be the best way to go about it."
Udella agreed with a grin.

He nodded, "A word of warning, though - as he'd had his name taken from him by the Fallen, he might be... wary. He'd a decent sort, I think, but he's been hurt badly - unfathomably so - and might be a little slower to trust than others."

"I understand...many spirits have been badly abused by mages who see them as little but sources of power and playthings, many of them are slow to trust, thank you for the warning though."
Felicity said sadly and nodded.

He glanced around, "Well... I don't think he'll be too keen to come in here... I believe a different room than the Caul chamber would be preferable for everyone."

"Well I would not be calling him like a Hermetic, not really, more my mind would meet him on the astral, there are not really any space for these beings so them being here or there is more for our benefit, there is association and energy that is what is real to them, not time and space, but yes I would prefer not to cast any more magick in here, both me and my Avatar is sort of freaked out."
Felicity said and got back up and brushed off her short pink skirt with a look of disgust on her face.

He nodded, "Then again, having the poor fellow delivered, stake still in place and with a diplomatic explanatory letter enclosed, the Prince be about as likely to dismiss the poor chap out of hand while he deals with Nicolai. If I have the measure of the Prince, he might rightly consider the hostage beneath his notice. That... might be his best chance. That, or... hmmm... have the fellow sent to one of the Prince's more reasonable advisors, perhaps."

"I have not really dealt with the vampires of Chicago since the Code of Hermes forbids me from doing so, but talking with our Custos and what I have learned from this conflict we are having now, the Prince of Chicago is a practical, but brutal man who is eager to reduce his population by any means necessary and would welcome and excuse to execute another of his kind, the way I understand him he would be less likely to go after Nicolai himself since the brat is old and powerful and can cause problems than he is likely to execute his offspring to prove a point, delivering the poor man to an advisor might be far better if we do not want to get him killed."
Jerome commented and frowned again.

He grimaced, "Ah, but I've been thrown across a room before. Believe you me, having walls that actually cushion the impact is far preferable to, say, bricks or hardwood. Or even to those flimsy, cheap drywall plates you can accidentally ram an elbow through without noticing..."

"What makes you think the good woman will throw you across the room and not just tear your throat out or snap your neck where you stand?"
Joakim said and raised an eyebrow.

He nodded, "Nothing beyond the extant promise to call the EPA down on her recycling plant to find out who's illegally dumping garbage there. I just hope she can extricate her child unaided - I don't know that I can lure it out of that ring."

Crexia nodded at that.
"Well if you have a problem with it come get me and I will get the spirit out of the ring for you. I would do it here but this is not the place and I have tasks to do before I leave this chamber."
The archmage said darkly.
"Just be careful."
She repeated.

He nodded, "I think that would be best, yes."
He looked up at the Caul, frowning, "And to think that... thing was an innocent baby girl once, decades ago..."

Felicity nodded at that.
"You where getting out of here to look for some of the others right, I can just come with you then and contact the Umbrood when I do."
She offered then she raised an eyebrow.
"That...thing was a baby...how the hell did that happen?"
She said and stared at the Caul.
"That is...that is just fucked up man!"

"These were her tools, or had spells applied to them regularly, as far as I can tell," he said, indicating the wand and the other rings." He put the vials down on the floor along with the other materials, save the ring with the bound Umbrood and the phone. The latter, he looked for Bes, suddenly Remembering she had been injured, to turn the phone over to for the moment.

"I will destroy the vials and the woman's tools safely."
Crexia said and frowned at the pile of them on the floor and she begun a Perdo Vim rote to destroy the magick in them before she would probably also destroy them physically. You saw Bess not far away talking with Colin, she had been injured but she was not now, her clothes was a bit thorn but she had been healed perhaps the young technomancer new a trick or two of Corpus. Speaking of that you saw Rosario and several of the others with healing abilities move around the room helping those who had been injured in the fight, including Adjan, luckily no one seamed to have died this time.

"Falling into something against your own wishes and power seems unwilling to me, but there's no good in risking something for no reason. And yes, there is a spiritual component to it and it can reach areas of this chamber through its...tentacles. And it does feel pain, has...a rudimentary sense of itself." He paled. "How shall we protect ourselves, should we move some of us to an adjacent room?"

"I agree I do not think falling in will get you anything more than dead but that is unpleasant enough. I do regret causing the creature pain...from what I saw in the Chief's mind this being is just as much a victim as anyone but it have to be done."
The old archmage said softly as she glanced at the Caul.
"Yes moving some of the others out of this chamber is a good idea, if you could take them back to the large hallways that is now made of glass and have everyone wait there other than the ones I need to aid me in destroying the Caul and a few guards to keep us safe while we do so."

"Agreed. Though if I recall well, once you have attempted to call them, it should be the proper end to your bargain. I cannot pull the child out, either, not yet and I don't know if breaking the ring would be a good idea," he mused. "If we can't do it between us, we will have to get help."

"No do not break the ring, see if the Umbrood Lady herself can get her child out and if not then wait until I am done here and I will help you get the lesser Umbrood out."
Crexia said from where she was arranging a group to kill the Caul and to protect the ones working on that.

"However, I don't want to be in the way, a hindrance either or an unnecessary draw for its attention. Especially not when I could be protecting others, so I am willing to take your advice. Though I think..." he nodded to Cara, "she should not be in here, as well as a few others. Not far, mind, just not where it might reach."

"Yeah I am so ready to get out of here."
Cara said. Crexia glanced over at you.
"If you wish to stay then you can help out with protecting the ritualists that will be working on destroying the Caul, however I think it might be better for you if we hold a small memorial for the girl this thing once was when we are done here and you are there for that, but off course I am not you Sodalis so I can not speak for you."
The old archmage said.
"Both helping to protect us in here and protecting those that are sent out of the chamber is useful, it is your choice where you would best be able to apply your skills."

Adley frowned at his friend; his unease, anger and growing sadness fighting for precedence. "It was. I saw...there was a tombstone, with two doves on the crest of it...a tombstone with no body, apparently as...it was abused, violated in the most loathesome way. Created in the most despicable, disgusting manner."

"Perhaps...perhaps we should give her a proper grave then when this is all said and done. I mean it will not make anything right, but it might be the only kindness we can do for her."
Felicity said and she gave the Caul an uneasy look.
"Who could do something like that to a child...I do not understand it."
She muttered horrified.

[Warpmind]

"No, if the shards from one soul where to be fused back together it might be what you speak of, however the thing you describe is a shard collective, that can happen when we run into swarms of themin the Umbra, especially if we send our Pawns out to do something outside of the ship, but those collectives are amalgams of a myriad of different souls, it is not the same soul or even a new incarnation of it getting a fresh start, there might be a memory or two there but it is not the whole it is a composite of many, and those shard collectives are always weak, fragile and have pretty low potential."

Colin grinned, "Weak and fragile, perhaps... but low potential? I beg to differ, the potential might be limitless... those stray collectives might just not have found the way to bond fully yet, but when they do... E pluribus unum, as it were."

"Well I would not be calling him like a Hermetic, not really, more my mind would meet him on the astral, there are not really any space for these beings so them being here or there is more for our benefit, there is association and energy that is what is real to them, not time and space, but yes I would prefer not to cast any more magick in here, both me and my Avatar is sort of freaked out."
Felicity said and got back up and brushed off her short pink skirt with a look of disgust on her face.

He smiled, "I fear you would still be sitting in the... shadow of the Caul if you called from here. Little distractions, lingering resonances, not something you would necessarily want around when trying to contact someone."

"I have not really dealt with the vampires of Chicago since the Code of Hermes forbids me from doing so, but talking with our Custos and what I have learned from this conflict we are having now, the Prince of Chicago is a practical, but brutal man who is eager to reduce his population by any means necessary and would welcome and excuse to execute another of his kind, the way I understand him he would be less likely to go after Nicolai himself since the brat is old and powerful and can cause problems than he is likely to execute his offspring to prove a point, delivering the poor man to an advisor might be far better if we do not want to get him killed."
Jerome commented and frowned again.

He nodded, "Try to find an advisor or trusted ally to send him to, then."

"What makes you think the good woman will throw you across the room and not just tear your throat out or snap your neck where you stand?"
Joakim said and raised an eyebrow.

He grimaced, "Dumb optimism, I suppose... plus, I have a... dirty trick up my sleeve to scare her off if necessary - but I don't want to traumatize her more than necessary. I expect I will give her a call tonight, from Boston, and come over later to apologize and take my licks in person. I shall need to find a local florist who will deliver to your Chantry today, though... and I'll need a word with the resident expert. She might decide to slap me, too.."

"Agreed. Though if I recall well, once you have attempted to call them, it should be the proper end to your bargain. I cannot pull the child out, either, not yet and I don't know if breaking the ring would be a good idea," he mused. "If we can't do it between us, we will have to get help."

He nodded, "If we can't get it out without help, we'll get help."

Crexia nodded at that.
"Well if you have a problem with it come get me and I will get the spirit out of the ring for you. I would do it here but this is not the place and I have tasks to do before I leave this chamber."
The archmage said darkly.
"Just be careful."
She repeated.

He simply nodded.

He looked at Colin as he touched him and then past the caul, as if he didn't want to take his eye off of it after it touching him but also not wanting to look at it too long and then nodded to Felicity. "It already has," he said. "I don't know about prefer, no one would prefer to be here, or for that to... I would just like to do what must be done, to put an end to the trauma that Abigail's actions have caused. I don't know if that means staying or going," he said honestly, but for all that he looked waxen. "However, I don't want to be in the way, a hindrance either or an unnecessary draw for its attention. Especially not when I could be protecting others, so I am willing to take your advice. Though I think..." he nodded to Cara, "she should not be in here, as well as a few others. Not far, mind, just not where it might reach."

He nodded, "I agree, the fewer extraneous individuals present, the less a chance of accidents..."

Adley frowned at his friend; his unease, anger and growing sadness fighting for precedence. "It was. I saw...there was a tombstone, with two doves on the crest of it...a tombstone with no body, apparently as...it was abused, violated in the most loathesome way. Created in the most despicable, disgusting manner."

He arched an eyebrow, "Are you... certain that was a memory of an empty grave, and not a wish for a proper resting place?"

Felicity nodded at that.
"You where getting out of here to look for some of the others right, I can just come with you then and contact the Umbrood when I do."
She offered then she raised an eyebrow.
"That...thing was a baby...how the hell did that happen?"
She said and stared at the Caul.
"That is...that is just fucked up man!"

He looked at her with a frown, "I don't know how that happened, I don't rightly want to know, except in the most academic sense as a basis for undoing the travesty... but I do know Abigail gave birth to a daughter some seventy years ago... and that is what became of the girl. It is far beyond merely fucked up..."

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

Colin grinned, "Weak and fragile, perhaps... but low potential? I beg to differ, the potential might be limitless... those stray collectives might just not have found the way to bond fully yet, but when they do... E pluribus unum, as it were."

"A break seldom heal to be as strong as it was before, a broken rod fused back together do not become as strong either, and these collectives are confused, each shard to small to hold much enlightenment. I assume if a larger shard could former the center, form the consciousness then a new, strong Avatar could be formed, but if we are looking just at the shards themselves it would be like having a colony of ants and assume they would become rocket scientists just because there where many of them."
Abigail scoffed.

He smiled, "I fear you would still be sitting in the... shadow of the Caul if you called from here. Little distractions, lingering resonances, not something you would necessarily want around when trying to contact someone."

Felicity gave a bit of a frown as she glanced at the Caul.
"Yeah I get your point Sir, this is definitely not the best place to contact anyone, the energy here is horrible and that thing...yeah no."

He nodded, "Try to find an advisor or trusted ally to send him to, then."

"Hum...we have some people with us, with my group that serve vampires, ghouls I think they call themselves, perhaps they can be of assistance in finding such an individual."
Jerome said and pointed to the small group of four men and a woman standing not that far of talking a bit nervously among themselves.

He grimaced, "Dumb optimism, I suppose... plus, I have a... dirty trick up my sleeve to scare her off if necessary - but I don't want to traumatize her more than necessary. I expect I will give her a call tonight, from Boston, and come over later to apologize and take my licks in person. I shall need to find a local florist who will deliver to your Chantry today, though... and I'll need a word with the resident expert. She might decide to slap me, too.."

"Using fire can make her shift into a panicked flight if she attacks yes but there are so many ways that can go wrong in addition to it being traumatizing to the good woman, also if magick is involved in this trick of yours my good man then I hope you are a fast spellcaster, for an enraged vampire can be frightfully quick."
Joakim said then he nodded.
"I will give you a number to a good florist and talking with the good woman over the phone might be better, in either case she should be sleeping now and now wake until evening though she sometimes do, she is still fairly human."
He said then he gave you a bit of a look.
"Ah yes her indeed the young Diedne is quite protective of our Custos she will not be best pleased I think, she might not hit you but you can expect to hear a few choice words."

He looked at her with a frown, "I don't know how that happened, I don't rightly want to know, except in the most academic sense as a basis for undoing the travesty... but I do know Abigail gave birth to a daughter some seventy years ago... and that is what became of the girl. It is far beyond merely fucked up..."

Felicity gave you a shocked look then she glanced over at the still form of Abigail on the floor.
"It is awful."
She muttered and shook her head.
"You know I debated whatever or not i should be a part of this strike team, my Mentor elected not to and is back at the Chantry as one of it's protectors. I knew Fallen prisoners would face Gilgul and I do not like that ritual, I do not like it one bit. My Tradition are the one that use it the least and our Primus usually always vote against it during trials, to destroy any spirit much less an Avatar is an horror, but with that woman there...she might just deserve such a fate."
The young urban shaman muttered angrily.
"To do something like that to a child I...I can not even...how could she?"

[Warpmind]

"A break seldom heal to be as strong as it was before, a broken rod fused back together do not become as strong either, and these collectives are confused, each shard to small to hold much enlightenment. I assume if a larger shard could former the center, form the consciousness then a new, strong Avatar could be formed, but if we are looking just at the shards themselves it would be like having a colony of ants and assume they would become rocket scientists just because there where many of them."
Abigail scoffed.

Colin smiled, "But an old, broken sword can be smelted down with thousands of other sword fragments, alloyed together, and become a stronger sword than any of the swords from which it was made. Of course an ant colony would not produce any individual rocket scientists... but a hivemind, where each individual part contributes to a gestalt... given time and growth, such a being would go beyond the need for crude rocketry."

"Using fire can make her shift into a panicked flight if she attacks yes but there are so many ways that can go wrong in addition to it being traumatizing to the good woman, also if magick is involved in this trick of yours my good man then I hope you are a fast spellcaster, for an enraged vampire can be frightfully quick."
Joakim said then he nodded.
"I will give you a number to a good florist and talking with the good woman over the phone might be better, in either case she should be sleeping now and now wake until evening though she sometimes do, she is still fairly human."
He said then he gave you a bit of a look.
"Ah yes her indeed the young Diedne is quite protective of our Custos she will not be best pleased I think, she might not hit you but you can expect to hear a few choice words."

He grimaced, "Yes, I will have to apply every ounce of diplomacy available to smooth things over... however necessary making the preparations were. Had I been forced to actually go through with it... I don't think I could have showed my face in Chicago again. Words... I can handle those; they'll be all too well earned."

Felicity gave you a shocked look then she glanced over at the still form of Abigail on the floor.
"It is awful."
She muttered and shook her head.
"You know I debated whatever or not i should be a part of this strike team, my Mentor elected not to and is back at the Chantry as one of it's protectors. I knew Fallen prisoners would face Gilgul and I do not like that ritual, I do not like it one bit. My Tradition are the one that use it the least and our Primus usually always vote against it during trials, to destroy any spirit much less an Avatar is an horror, but with that woman there...she might just deserve such a fate."
The young urban shaman muttered angrily.
"To do something like that to a child I...I can not even...how could she?"

He nodded, "Abigail... needs to be ended. But if you listened to my conversation with her... every word of it is true - Gilgul can't completely destroy an Avatar, there are always fragments remaining, that can reassemble into a new Avatar. Who knows, perhaps in five hundred years, her Avatar will be reborn anew, with a fresh start and less of a dark legacy?"
He sighed, "As for how... She sees things differently... more precisely, she sees people as things; family, colleagues, strangers... To be honest, I think she must have been the loneliest of them all, with no real bonds of friendship..."

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

Colin smiled, "But an old, broken sword can be smelted down with thousands of other sword fragments, alloyed together, and become a stronger sword than any of the swords from which it was made. Of course an ant colony would not produce any individual rocket scientists... but a hivemind, where each individual part contributes to a gestalt... given time and growth, such a being would go beyond the need for crude rocketry."

"Even so we are still talking a new sword and not the old sword repaired, a Gilgulled Avatar do not get a second chance but a few of it's parts can be used to forge a new soul. One thing is shattered Avatars that sometimes show up, reborn into a handful of hosts and slowly over time it can reform, but we are not talking about that with Gilgul, we are talking about using a bit of building material from something destroyed in creating something new, the old Avatar is gone."
Abigail said and frowned.

He grimaced, "Yes, I will have to apply every ounce of diplomacy available to smooth things over... however necessary making the preparations were. Had I been forced to actually go through with it... I don't think I could have showed my face in Chicago again. Words... I can handle those; they'll be all too well earned."

"Indeed if we had been forced to use that...last solution I doubt any of us would have deserved forgiveness, as it is I think the ladies will forgive you eventually but yes you might have to use some diplomacy to get back into their good graces."
Joakim said then he frowned.
"And I am concerned about our Custos, she is a delicate soul. I hope she will not take this to badly."

He nodded, "Abigail... needs to be ended. But if you listened to my conversation with her... every word of it is true - Gilgul can't completely destroy an Avatar, there are always fragments remaining, that can reassemble into a new Avatar. Who knows, perhaps in five hundred years, her Avatar will be reborn anew, with a fresh start and less of a dark legacy?"

"I heard and such Avatar shards are a interesting idea but like she said it would not really be her Avatar now would it,not any more than if I throw a bit of an old spoon into a melting pot and make something with it that it is that spoon, there would be a little bit of her Avatar as a part of something new, that can not be said to be her Avatar being reborn anew with a few start."
Felicity said and she sounded rather doubtful.

He sighed, "As for how... She sees things differently... more precisely, she sees people as things; family, colleagues, strangers... To be honest, I think she must have been the loneliest of them all, with no real bonds of friendship..."

"That...is really sad..."
The young Dreamspeaker muttered and looked at Abigail.
"I wonder how damaged a person have to be to think of everyone like that."
She added softly.

[Tane Karyak]

As Tane took account of all he had to do, he sighted. He should probably go to sleep. Instead, he called Coawa.

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

As Tane took account of all he had to do, he sighted. He should probably go to sleep. Instead, he called Coawa.

After a few rings Coawa picked up his phone.
"Brother how are you?"
The fera asked, you heard the wind around him he was outside of your small home.
"Is everything alright?"

[Adley]

Crexia nodded at that. "Well if you have a problem with it come get me and I will get the spirit out of the ring for you. I would do it here but this is not the place and I have tasks to do before I leave this chamber." The archmage said darkly. "Just be careful."

"Agreed. Though if I recall well, once you have attempted to call them, it should be the proper end to your bargain. I cannot pull the child out, either, not yet and I don't know if breaking the ring would be a good idea," he mused. "If we can't do it between us, we will have to get help."

"No do not break the ring, see if the Umbrood Lady herself can get her child out and if not then wait until I am done here and I will help you get the lesser Umbrood out." Crexia said from where she was arranging a group to kill the Caul and to protect the ones working on that.

"Yes ma'am. What should we do with the prisoner?"

He arched an eyebrow, "Are you... certain that was a memory of an empty grave, and not a wish for a proper resting place?"

"Certain? No...not certain. It was a flash that I got, it could be a wish for that, yes. It was confusing, many contradictory emotions that were all unsettling and powerful. But...perhaps it was that, indeed...and if so, then that is one wish that I understand."

"You where getting out of here to look for some of the others right, I can just come with you then and contact the Umbrood when I do."
She offered then she raised an eyebrow. "That...thing was a baby...how the hell did that happen?" She said and stared at the Caul. "That is...that is just fucked up man!"

He looked at her with a frown, "I don't know how that happened, I don't rightly want to know, except in the most academic sense as a basis for undoing the travesty... but I do know Abigail gave birth to a daughter some seventy years ago... and that is what became of the girl. It is far beyond merely fucked up..."

"You really don't want to know," he said.

"I will destroy the vials and the woman's tools safely." Crexia said and frowned at the pile of them on the floor and she begun a Perdo Vim rote to destroy the magick in them before she would probably also destroy them physically. You saw Bess not far away talking with Colin, she had been injured but she was not now, her clothes was a bit thorn but she had been healed perhaps the young technomancer new a trick or two of Corpus.

"Thank you," he said to Crexia. He moved closer to Bess, waiting for a moment in the conversation to offer her the Nephanda's phone. "This is hers," he said, gesturing to Abigail. "If you don't mind taking a glance at it and keeping it secure, for the time being?"

"I agree I do not think falling in will get you anything more than dead but that is unpleasant enough. I do regret causing the creature pain...from what I saw in the Chief's mind this being is just as much a victim as anyone but it have to be done."

"It is already in pain. A perpetual state of...pain, a mishmash of desires...pain, pleasure, all wrong..."

"Yes moving some of the others out of this chamber is a good idea, if you could take them back to the large hallways that is now made of glass and have everyone wait there other than the ones I need to aid me in destroying the Caul and a few guards to keep us safe while we do so."

"Yes ma'am."

"Yeah I am so ready to get out of here." Cara said.
Crexia glanced over at you. "If you wish to stay then you can help out with protecting the ritualists that will be working on destroying the Caul, however I think it might be better for you if we hold a small memorial for the girl this thing once was when we are done here and you are there for that, but off course I am not you Sodalis so I can not speak for you." The old archmage said. "Both helping to protect us in here and protecting those that are sent out of the chamber is useful, it is your choice where you would best be able to apply your skills."

"Perhaps...perhaps we should give her a proper grave then when this is all said and done. I mean it will not make anything right, but it might be the only kindness we can do for her." Felicity said and she gave the Caul an uneasy look. "Who could do something like that to a child...I do not understand it."

"Yes, someone should. I think that we should." He sighed and looked at Felicity. "Who could? She not only could, but would and did." He glanced at Abigail. "And worse, it's hers," he said, confirming Colin's comment.

"You know I debated whatever or not i should be a part of this strike team, my Mentor elected not to and is back at the Chantry as one of it's protectors. I knew Fallen prisoners would face Gilgul and I do not like that ritual, I do not like it one bit. My Tradition are the one that use it the least and our Primus usually always vote against it during trials, to destroy any spirit much less an Avatar is an horror, but with that woman there...she might just deserve such a fate."
The young urban shaman muttered angrily.
"To do something like that to a child I...I can not even...how could she?"

He nodded, "Abigail... needs to be ended. But if you listened to my conversation with her... every word of it is true - Gilgul can't completely destroy an Avatar, there are always fragments remaining, that can reassemble into a new Avatar. Who knows, perhaps in five hundred years, her Avatar will be reborn anew, with a fresh start and less of a dark legacy?"
He sighed, "As for how... She sees things differently... more precisely, she sees people as things; family, colleagues, strangers... To be honest, I think she must have been the loneliest of them all, with no real bonds of friendship..."

"That...is really sad..." The young Dreamspeaker muttered and looked at Abigail. "I wonder how damaged a person have to be to think of everyone like that." She added softly.

"She derives pleasure from other people's suffering. At any rate, I think it would be best not to be in close proximity, you're both right," he said, coming to decision. He didn't like admitting how upset he was but it was the truth and he didn't want to be in the way, or another worry for the Masters to deal with when they were going to have enough to deal with already - he had to look at that small stubborn part of himself and ask if it weren't trying to stay because leaving meant he was afraid or disgusted to his maximum capacity. While there was truth in that too, the emotional reactions to the thing evoked or invoked meant it might make it a dangerous prospect and probably not a beneficial one, regardless.

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

"Yes ma'am. What should we do with the prisoner?"

Crexia considered the question for a moment.
"Hum...we let the ones leaving this room take her with them so she is not killed by the Caul when we take that out, but I want guards on her at all times even if she is unconscious at the moment."
She said then she glanced over at Andy.
"And our exhausted healer should be taken out of the room as well while we are at it."

"You really don't want to know," he said.

Felicity still looked rather horrified.
"No...I suspect you are right that I do not want to know that Sir."
She said in uneasy agreement.

"Thank you," he said to Crexia. He moved closer to Bess, waiting for a moment in the conversation to offer her the Nephanda's phone. "This is hers," he said, gesturing to Abigail. "If you don't mind taking a glance at it and keeping it secure, for the time being?"

Crexia just gave you a nod as she begun to work on examining and destroying Abigail's tools and those strange vials.

Bess took the phone and nodded.
"Off course Sir I will get right on that."
She said as she begun to tap at the screen of the phone.
"It is locked but give me a moment to open it and I will see what I find."
She agree with a smile.

"It is already in pain. A perpetual state of...pain, a mishmash of desires...pain, pleasure, all wrong..."

Crexia sigh and gave the Caul a sad look.
"It is time to put it out of it's misery then."
She said softly.
"I do not think there is anything else we can do for the child it once was."

"Yes, someone should. I think that we should." He sighed and looked at Felicity. "Who could? She not only could, but would and did." He glanced at Abigail. "And worse, it's hers," he said, confirming Colin's comment.

Felicity glanced at the Caul and nodded.
"Yes...let us do that when we get out of here and this fight is done, give the child she was a grave and a memorial marker like the one you described, it...seams the right thing to do."
She agreed then she looked down.
"It is horrible...what these Nephandi do...just horrible."
She muttered sadly.

"She derives pleasure from other people's suffering. At any rate, I think it would be best not to be in close proximity, you're both right," he said, coming to decision. He didn't like admitting how upset he was but it was the truth and he didn't want to be in the way, or another worry for the Masters to deal with when they were going to have enough to deal with already - he had to look at that small stubborn part of himself and ask if it weren't trying to stay because leaving meant he was afraid or disgusted to his maximum capacity. While there was truth in that too, the emotional reactions to the thing evoked or invoked meant it might make it a dangerous prospect and probably not a beneficial one, regardless.

Cara said nothing about your emotional state, perhaps she had not even noticed how upset you where but she did speak softly.
"We should go and let the Masters work."
She urged.
"Can you help me get the Verbena healer out of here, she might be to tired to walk and I am not sure I can carry her on my own."
The young Criamon requested.
"What if you start rounding up everyone not chosen by the Lady to stay and help with what must be done, and then we can help the healer once her Covenmates are done healing her?"
She suggested indicating the rather large group of upset, horrified, tired magi who needed someone to lead them out of the Caul chamber. Joakim was already busy trying to get everyone not to be a part of destroying the Caul, but he could use a hand, Cara was right about that, or perhaps she just somehow sensed that you needed something to do.

[Warpmind]

"Even so we are still talking a new sword and not the old sword repaired, a Gilgulled Avatar do not get a second chance but a few of it's parts can be used to forge a new soul. One thing is shattered Avatars that sometimes show up, reborn into a handful of hosts and slowly over time it can reform, but we are not talking about that with Gilgul, we are talking about using a bit of building material from something destroyed in creating something new, the old Avatar is gone."
Abigail said and frowned.

Colin nodded and grinned, "Yes, the old Avatar is gone... but memories may linger. Much like your previous incarnation when you were reborn, I expect. But what I am speaking of is not one born into many; it is many reforged into one. Gilgul hasn't been used long enough for many coherent Avatars to reform yet... or maybe, just maybe such shard clusters have existed for a long time, only hiding themselves in a wafer-thin shell that can be shattered by a botched Gilgul... like Warden's last spell."

"Indeed if we had been forced to use that...last solution I doubt any of us would have deserved forgiveness, as it is I think the ladies will forgive you eventually but yes you might have to use some diplomacy to get back into their good graces."
Joakim said then he frowned.
"And I am concerned about our Custos, she is a delicate soul. I hope she will not take this to badly."

He nodded, "I don't know that I rightly deserve getting back in their good graces, though... But what we deserve and what we get don't always overlap perfectly. And what we personally deserve might not be what is best for the rest of the world..."

"I heard and such Avatar shards are a interesting idea but like she said it would not really be her Avatar now would it,not any more than if I throw a bit of an old spoon into a melting pot and make something with it that it is that spoon, there would be a little bit of her Avatar as a part of something new, that can not be said to be her Avatar being reborn anew with a few start."
Felicity said and she sounded rather doubtful.

He nodded, "It won't be her entire Avatar... it will be part of her Avatar, and parts of other Avatars, not all of them Fallen... it is a far fresher start than if her whole Avatar reincarnated; given time, who knows how it will turn out in the end..."

"Certain? No...not certain. It was a flash that I got, it could be a wish for that, yes. It was confusing, many contradictory emotions that were all unsettling and powerful. But...perhaps it was that, indeed...and if so, then that is one wish that I understand."

He nodded, "You're the one who can work it out... You will... and you'll help the poor child find peace, I'm sure."
He frowned, "The Caul... I wonder, if it's a corrupted human and Avatar, what would its response to the serum be? Would that make the Caul... collapse without the magic to sustain it?"

"That...is really sad..."
The young Dreamspeaker muttered and looked at Abigail.
"I wonder how damaged a person have to be to think of everyone like that."
She added softly.

He frowned, "Less than you think... there are Sleepers who are damaged in just the same way, and... they do great harm..."

He sighed and turned to the shortcut back to the security chief's room, "Alright, miss, if you would like to come with me, this... disgusting portal leads out of here to where the kitchen raiders were left behind, and... it's close enough to a Node that you might find the work easier, even if the Node is of a horrid nature and rapidly burning its own Quintessence out. Mind the first step, it's sort of like stepping into a waterfall made of liquefied rotted flesh... but it's safe. Just keep your mouth closed."

[Tane Karyak]

Everything alright, just checking in to see if everything was alright. How's everybody?

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

Colin nodded and grinned, "Yes, the old Avatar is gone... but memories may linger. Much like your previous incarnation when you were reborn, I expect. But what I am speaking of is not one born into many; it is many reforged into one. Gilgul hasn't been used long enough for many coherent Avatars to reform yet... or maybe, just maybe such shard clusters have existed for a long time, only hiding themselves in a wafer-thin shell that can be shattered by a botched Gilgul... like Warden's last spell."

"The ability to willfully destroy an Avatar have not been around for very long no but Avatars have been lost to various forms of accidents and to vampirism for quite some time, I think that if such clusters regularly gained much beyond a rudimentary consciousness then we would have heard more about it. I have seen one form, on a ship I served on when I ad just joined the Nephandi. We did encounter there shard fogs at times and they are bloody dangerous to travel through but not so much for Sleepers so while going through one of the fogs there was a problem with the ship and we sent a pawn out to fix it, the problem was small and could be fixed manually without the aid of magick. When we got the pawn back inside we discovered that he had Awakened, that in itself was not rare, sleepers exposed to the Umbra do Awaken at times, but the nature of this man's Avatar was unusual a bunch of the shards had clumped together like when making spun sugar and formed a Avatar made of the shards of the lost. Now this guy escaped from us before we could study him much but an attempt at Gilgul would not do anything but harm his spun sugar Avatar and it was an infantile thing that yes gave some magick but really was just a bunch of tiny parts unable to reach any heights of enlightenment."
Abigail said and shrugged.

He nodded, "I don't know that I rightly deserve getting back in their good graces, though... But what we deserve and what we get don't always overlap perfectly. And what we personally deserve might not be what is best for the rest of the world..."

Joakim sigh and gave a nod at that.
"Perhaps you are right. I think there is a chance they will forgive you though, trust is another matter, that is far harder to regain."

He nodded, "It won't be her entire Avatar... it will be part of her Avatar, and parts of other Avatars, not all of them Fallen... it is a far fresher start than if her whole Avatar reincarnated; given time, who knows how it will turn out in the end..."

"Yes but it is not really her Avatar,no energy is ever completely lost it is just made to become other things, but a fresh start would be an Avatar being reborn what you speak of is not that. I mean I donate blood regularly, yeah yeah I know it might not be a good idea for a mage to do so given the arcane connections that come with it and after seeing what that Nephandi woman could do with a vial of someone's blood perhaps I should rethink doing that, but I am young and healthy and have always seen it was a good way to give back, but anyway that means there is a tiny bit of my biomass in allot of people, and if I should die a bit of my energy will still be living in them, and while that is a nice thought of sorts it do not mean I am having a new start in them even if I am glad I could help."
Felicity said and scratched her head.

He frowned, "The Caul... I wonder, if it's a corrupted human and Avatar, what would its response to the serum be? Would that make the Caul... collapse without the magic to sustain it?"

"Well that depends this serum you speak of do it block magickal ability or magick itself, or to put it another way would it block someone affected by the magick of others from using whatever abilities that gave them? For if so then yes it should perhaps shut the Caul down, but if it is personal magick then there is a chance the Caul if what it do is magick, would not function for a while but it would not kill it."
Felicity speculated.

He frowned, "Less than you think... there are Sleepers who are damaged in just the same way, and... they do great harm..."

"Yeah I know...and it is sad it sort of make one thing though how frail we all are, how little need to go wrong for there to be a disaster."
The young Dreamspeaker muttered.

He sighed and turned to the shortcut back to the security chief's room, "Alright, miss, if you would like to come with me, this... disgusting portal leads out of here to where the kitchen raiders were left behind, and... it's close enough to a Node that you might find the work easier, even if the Node is of a horrid nature and rapidly burning its own Quintessence out. Mind the first step, it's sort of like stepping into a waterfall made of liquefied rotted flesh... but it's safe. Just keep your mouth closed."

"Ah...that is just ehm...lovely."
Felicity said sarcastically before she stepped though the portal. Cara gave a grimace and stepped though as well. You could see that the Verbena was done healing Andy and was helping her to her feet, but the healer was still rather pale and shaken and she could barely stand, Moonwater remained with her while Enrique went to check on Betty who had taken a bad hit during the fight.

(OOC: I got a request from someone who would like to join the game and I wanted to run it past you guys whatever we give him a chance to play or not it is not just my game after all. If we are accepting him as a new player i would suggest starting his character off somewhere else than Colin and Adley are so that we can see how fast this new player posts and also if he will stick with it before we merge him into the story of the other characters.)

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

"Well everyone is fine but someone was here spying on us, I am out trying to find the guy while Alessa is back home watching over the girls."
Coawa said he sounded a bit irritating.
"It was probably just someone who was curious but with everything that have happened I thought it was better to be safe than sorry. How are things on your end brother any progress with this Qyrl infestation that Boston seam to be having?"

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