Re: The Aswadim's Blood, Battles and the Lonely Handler IC Thread 23

[Jeremy Silverstein]

"Well I am not a Ninja.....

"That's exactly what a ninja would say." Serge said with a chuckle.

"I can tell you how old a thing is or how long something have been going on or the exact time a day but that is just about all I can do for now so aging something is a bit forward in time I think and I do not think visual tools will be the thing for me."
Rosa said and shook her head.

"Now now don't say that. You'd be surprised how mages change as they learn and grow. You might not be fond of visual tools now but who know? A few years from now you might start etching symbols on your violin to help with your magick." Serge said.

"I never once imagined in my life that a lonely kid like me could use his magick by talking to people. Hell back then I couldn't imagine a time where I could talk to people. Yet here I am, fully capable of sending people to sleep simply by talking to them. Or I might just be boring." Serge said with a smile.

Jane translated for Liv and both girls giggeled.
"We could make a spell to give someone good luck on their birthday Sir."
The little Chorister suggested.

"Oh that could be a nice spell too. It would make for a fun birthday gift. A lucky day on your birthday." Serge said liking the idea.

"Well Sir it would be a fun spell but I think it would be very complicated needing knills in at least four ifferent areas of reality to summon all that, but I do think it would be allot of fun."
Jane said and giggled.
"And it would confuse and intruder for sure."

"I mean...what is reality? It's just how our minds perceives the world around us right. That's why we all have such different views of it." Serge said trying to figure out a way to not need 4 spheres of magick to cast a comedy spell.

"Two people looking at the same picture can have wildly different interpretation of what they see. So we could spend decades of our life mastering new aspects of reality. Or.....we could simply change how someone's mind perceives their own reality. And have them perceive a birthday party with cake and balloons." Serge said now just trying to convince himself that he could accomplish such a feat.

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

Colin:

Colin smiled wryly, "Anna told me it worked in the future - I don't think she would lie to me about that."

"No I do not think she would lie about it either just remember that a vision is not the absolute truth, there is free will involved so even if you have seen something in a vision that do not mean it have to come true."
Adjan warned.

He nodded, "A medical examination will be enough stress for her to flatline... my future family physician will be there to revive her, though. Trying to put her through even just a Branding could kill her and unleash a powerful, angry and confused Avatar. All in all, better to let me keep her under control, than to simply execute her and have to deal with a powerful widderslainte popping up at unknown time and place."

That makes allot of sense, both that...ritual and Branding begins with lifting the Avatar out of the host's soul so if the host should die when the Avatar is held in such a way...that could be most dangerous, they are powerful beings Avatars, very powerful."
Adjan said then he nodded.
"Yes I noticed how scared Anna was after the troubles with nurse Bosh, poor kid she reminds me of...my brother."
He said sadly.

He nodded, "That makes sense - Julius de Medici was never able to break apart his and Mia's minds or Avatars to put the pieces back together, whereas a natural Rebis is two halves needing to be rejoined. Hum... I might want to very carefully discuss that possibility with Master Haagen. Very, very carefully... I don't know that I'd trust him with my past life..."

"A secret such as yours needs to be carefully guarded Mr Wainwright, and told to as few people as possible. Now do not get me wrong I trust Darrian with my life he is a member of my Cabal and have had my back in more than one scrape he is a good man, but you should not share your secret unless you are absolutely comfortable doing so."
The Euthanathos said.
"You could just discuss rebi in general with him it would not be a to unusual topic to ask a Solificato about."

He pondered, "Perhaps there is a way... I suspect it keeps the extricated pineal glands submerged in the Serum. If we could replace the Serum with the original article - a Hermetic lichdom potion - that should be able to wash off the Primium, possibly allowing the nerve tissue to naturally decay. Possibly...

"Would not the lichdom potion just make them more undead ehm...more indestructible?"
He asked and raised an eyebrow.
"Well at least if you are correct then there is a chance that those stolen Avatars are not gone but merely imprisoned and that there is a chance they can be set free and that is a good thing."
He added then he frowned.
"There might be one person who can shed more light on this, do you know Shawn Lillimall? The Mercere who comes by now and again and bring mail and messages to and from the Victoria Station, you know little guy, dark hair, glasses a bit round? Well they say he lost his magick by being sacrificed to the computer, he was found wandering by his Cabal a few weeks after his capture by the Technocracy, without his Avatar and with massive brain injuries no one knows how he survived but he was healed physically at least and taken in by House Mercere, perhaps he can shine some more light on this matter though I would be very gentle in bringing it up with him."
Adjan said and shuddered.

the most important thing would be to get the consumed Avatars away from the Computer - and that's a hell of a proposition in itself. We might want to suggest it to Dante himself."

"Well Master Dante did lead a successful run on MECHA when he was only 17 years old and have since then managed to save a number of slaves from Union captivity if anyone could do it then it would be him."
The Eutanathos said then he seamed to consider something for a moment and commented.
"Hum...come to think of it is not Master Dante Master Sharaya's Mentor?"

He nodded, "It's not the rebis part they want - it's the following stage Teomim sought, to master Avatars, to be able to direct them, control them... I suspect they might want to put their Mentor back together..."

"If that is true then it is a noble goal in an off itself however the way they go about it...do you have any proof that this is what the two Quesitors are doing?"
Adjan asked.

He frowned, "I've been on the Serum - not enough for any Primium buildup, but I have some undead cells in my pineal gland; what the Technocrats believe is the center, or perhaps it is the physical component of the link to the Avatar. I would want that connection clearly severed, so... a large-caliber bullet through the center of my brain should do it. I... would rather not see it coming, so through the back of my head would be preferable. Also, I would prefer a proper cremation in such a case."

The Euthanathos nodded at that.
"I will remember your wishes and make sure that if such a thing become necessary it is done according to your wishes."
He said solemnly, there was to revulsion or fear around death in his voice just a reverence and a hope that such a end would not come to pass.

He nodded, "The usual slow bleeding of Resonance is too slow..."

"Agreed it is."
Adjan said and frowned.

He smiled wryly, "It's rather funny - I came up with the idea of a neutral House of diplomats and peacemakers in the Traditions long before I even suspected whose Avatar I host... The question is, did I come up with it, or did she whisper it in my ear as I slept? And frankly... do I even want to know?"

"Your Avatar is you, so whatever it was your idea or hers do not really matter, we are not just hosts to an alien spirit that acts as guide and give us magick, not the way I see it, while they live in us our Avatars are us."
Adjan said and he smiled a little.
"Look at it this way, I think our souls, including our Avatar is like a wast, upside down pyramid, while we are incarnate only the tip of this pyramid is part of us, incarnate in us, and the wast remains are our soul and Avatar, when we die the memories that tip have gathered are sent to the large base of the pyramid until the tip touches the material world and incarnates yet again. An Avatar is a personality in itself, but it is not separate from us, they are us."
The Euthanathos explained.
"Or at least that is what I believe about it."

Adley:

"Good," he said. He gave his door and that of Beatrice's room a look over before approaching his own to enter his room. It was odd, he felt as if he were just there, standing in front of his door, protecting his room as part of the chantry but also that it had been some time. He went to go inside - he needed a bag and a few other things, wanted to have a look around, use the facilities, make sure everything was as it should be before he found a spot to start his preparations.

The door to Beatrice's apparent was closed as in should be. In your apartment as well everything was as you had left it, yes when hostile spirits was hunted for your room like everyone else's would have been entered but nothing had been touched. It did seam your apartment was quite safe and undisturbed.

Nicole:

Rodger nodded and turned around he adjusted something with one of the dials on his Ether Goggles.
"That I do indeed."
He said as he studied the batteries through the goggles.
"It seams to be about half full, that should do I think unless something is wrong so the ship is bleeding Quintessence."
He muttered.
"Ok let us try to fire her up, can you flip those switches over there when I tell you Mr Miles and ma'am if yo would be so kind as to keep an eye on those dials when I start the engine up?"
He asked and pointed to the dials under the storage crystals.

Serge:

"That's exactly what a ninja would say." Serge said with a chuckle.

"Well as Ninjas are a Japanese Tradition steaming from everal villages and way of life I am not so sure about that, it seams to me they would have to problems admitting who they are and the modern day practitioners of their arts seams to be quite proud of them."
Rosa said and raised an eyebrow.

"Now now don't say that. You'd be surprised how mages change as they learn and grow. You might not be fond of visual tools now but who know? A few years from now you might start etching symbols on your violin to help with your magick." Serge said.

"Well I can not really protest that I am just starting this path so who knows how it will change and where it will take me, right now though it seams drawing might not be my thing, even if I do greatly enjoy arts and crafts and making things."
The young Cultist said and smiled.

"I never once imagined in my life that a lonely kid like me could use his magick by talking to people. Hell back then I couldn't imagine a time where I could talk to people. Yet here I am, fully capable of sending people to sleep simply by talking to them. Or I might just be boring." Serge said with a smile.

"And I did not imagine when I went home with a handsome man for a one night stand that it would lead to me Awakening and becoming a mage."
Rosa said and smiled a little.
"And you are not boring Serge you are quite interesting you make me remember how it was like being a kid."
She said and grinned.

"Oh that could be a nice spell too. It would make for a fun birthday gift. A lucky day on your birthday." Serge said liking the idea.

Jane nodded at that.
"Mr Wainwright did that for me last birthday, several members of the Chantry got together and got me a silver coin box, it is really cute and shaped like a teddy bear and he put a good luck spell on it. I found five dollars on the ground when out with my Mentor to celebrate and came over a place that had free ice cream."
The little girl explained excitedly.

"I mean...what is reality? It's just how our minds perceives the world around us right. That's why we all have such different views of it." Serge said trying to figure out a way to not need 4 spheres of magick to cast a comedy spell.

Jane nodded.
"That is true my Mentor say that the One created the world but our minds shape it however I think there are some rules like having to understand what you change or something."
She muttered and plucked at the lace on her dress the concept getting a bit complicated for her six year old mind.

"Two people looking at the same picture can have wildly different interpretation of what they see. So we could spend decades of our life mastering new aspects of reality. Or.....we could simply change how someone's mind perceives their own reality. And have them perceive a birthday party with cake and balloons." Serge said now just trying to convince himself that he could accomplish such a feat.

"Imaginary party we can do, I have imaginary parties with my dolls all the time."
Jane said and she nodded happily.
"I have allot of dolls and plushies do you want to see them later Sir?"
She asked proudly.

(OOC: Get well soon Strife.)
(OOC 2: Yes Prime 1 for a Prime scan, Adley's favorite spell. Sorry it is just a bit of a running joke Adley Prime scans everything.)

[Warpmind]

"No I do not think she would lie about it either just remember that a vision is not the absolute truth, there is free will involved so even if you have seen something in a vision that do not mean it have to come true."
Adjan warned.

Colin smiled, "She told me I'd made the Handler laugh with a book and a block of appropriately-named butter. It turned out to be margarine, but all the same - everything after amusing the Handler is up to me."

That makes allot of sense, both that...ritual and Branding begins with lifting the Avatar out of the host's soul so if the host should die when the Avatar is held in such a way...that could be most dangerous, they are powerful beings Avatars, very powerful."
Adjan said then he nodded.
"Yes I noticed how scared Anna was after the troubles with nurse Bosh, poor kid she reminds me of...my brother."
He said sadly.

He frowned, "Rampant phobia will do that to you... and when her phobia has been reinforced by having to watch recreational lobotomy over and over for seven years..."

"A secret such as yours needs to be carefully guarded Mr Wainwright, and told to as few people as possible. Now do not get me wrong I trust Darrian with my life he is a member of my Cabal and have had my back in more than one scrape he is a good man, but you should not share your secret unless you are absolutely comfortable doing so."
The Euthanathos said.
"You could just discuss rebi in general with him it would not be a to unusual topic to ask a Solificato about."

He nodded, "Precisely - he has expressed some interest in the subject, and we can discuss it as such without getting into... personal experiences."

"Would not the lichdom potion just make them more undead ehm...more indestructible?"
He asked and raised an eyebrow.
"Well at least if you are correct then there is a chance that those stolen Avatars are not gone but merely imprisoned and that there is a chance they can be set free and that is a good thing."
He added then he frowned.
"There might be one person who can shed more light on this, do you know Shawn Lillimall? The Mercere who comes by now and again and bring mail and messages to and from the Victoria Station, you know little guy, dark hair, glasses a bit round? Well they say he lost his magick by being sacrificed to the computer, he was found wandering by his Cabal a few weeks after his capture by the Technocracy, without his Avatar and with massive brain injuries no one knows how he survived but he was healed physically at least and taken in by House Mercere, perhaps he can shine some more light on this matter though I would be very gentle in bringing it up with him."
Adjan said and shuddered.

He shrugged, "It's a chance I'd be willing to take - you see, the original lichdom potion draws off the Primium particles that clump around the gland in question. I'd be inclined to suspect the glands, deprived of a body and consciousness to respond to the Avatar, would quite literally give up the ghost. Of course, there's always the distinction between trying to release one Avatar in that manner, and dunking the lot of them in one go."
He frowned, "The name does not ring any bells... There are a few with that tale among the Mercere, aren't there? I might want to interview him about a few details - though the extraction process itself is... not the relevant part, so much as the preceding few weeks."

"Well Master Dante did lead a successful run on MECHA when he was only 17 years old and have since then managed to save a number of slaves from Union captivity if anyone could do it then it would be him."
The Eutanathos said then he seamed to consider something for a moment and commented.
"Hum...come to think of it is not Master Dante Master Sharaya's Mentor?"

He nodded, "So he is. Master Sharaya seems a bit uncomfortable with people discussing that, though - understandable, since he would want to come out of his Mentor's shadow and stand on his own. He's doing better than he thinks, I suspect... Far better."

"If that is true then it is a noble goal in an off itself however the way they go about it...do you have any proof that this is what the two Quesitors are doing?"
Adjan asked.

He shook his head, "Nothing that would hold in a trial. No, it's a working hypothesis, nothing more, unfortunately. Their collaborating with the Nephandi, though - that's so far beyond question by now, it's outright ridiculous. But again, evidence that will hold in a trial... so long as the only witnesses to their involvement are the captured Fallen, it's going to be a hell of a thing to prove."

The Euthanathos nodded at that.
"I will remember your wishes and make sure that if such a thing become necessary it is done according to your wishes."
He said solemnly, there was to revulsion or fear around death in his voice just a reverence and a hope that such a end would not come to pass.

He nodded, voice even, "Thank you."

"Your Avatar is you, so whatever it was your idea or hers do not really matter, we are not just hosts to an alien spirit that acts as guide and give us magick, not the way I see it, while they live in us our Avatars are us."
Adjan said and he smiled a little.
"Look at it this way, I think our souls, including our Avatar is like a wast, upside down pyramid, while we are incarnate only the tip of this pyramid is part of us, incarnate in us, and the wast remains are our soul and Avatar, when we die the memories that tip have gathered are sent to the large base of the pyramid until the tip touches the material world and incarnates yet again. An Avatar is a personality in itself, but it is not separate from us, they are us."
The Euthanathos explained.
"Or at least that is what I believe about it."

He grinned, "I'm sure Mia would be more than happy to debate you personally on that topic. Though she is rather a unique wonder in that regard; vastly more complex than any other Avatar I know of, and that may be part of why she has as much personality as she does - fragments from numerous Avatars, meaning fragments of numerous aspects and natures. She is very much her own person, to put it like that, and has even taken control of my body when I've been unable to - twice. Strangest dance partner I've ever had, to say the least... but magnificent."

((OOC: I wonder, though, when did Prime Scan Everything become an Adley thing, when Colin's the one who keeps popping in that monocle? ))

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

Colin smiled, "She told me I'd made the Handler laugh with a book and a block of appropriately-named butter. It turned out to be margarine, but all the same - everything after amusing the Handler is up to me."

"The problem is that everything up until getting to that Handler is up to you as well including surviving the Labyrinth's defenses."
Adjan said and he sounded skeptical.
"Are you sure you should go alone with just a pilot to back you up?"

He frowned, "Rampant phobia will do that to you... and when her phobia has been reinforced by having to watch recreational lobotomy over and over for seven years..."

The Euthanathos nodded and sigh.
"My Mentor who found me in that juvie jail all those years ago had another student, another innate in the same institution Christopher, a kind boy who had found himself in some trouble and done a stint of petty crime, when he was a child though he had found his brother dead from an overdose with the needle still in his arm, Christopher never recovered from that, it lead to his drinking and legal issues and while we where at the institution, though it was far better than what Americans do to their young criminal elements, it was still a jail and few choices was afforded us, including when it came to our health. Every year we where given a health check and vaccines, a good thing really but not for Christopher he had to be held down by several guards every time they drew his blood or gave hi those vaccines and he would not recover for weeks afterwards he was not met with much understanding though and was ridiculed for being weak. One day when he was called to the infirmary for his check ups he tried to escape out a window, he was terrified and just did not think and as the guards kept advancing on him he tried to climb down from the fifth floor, he lost his footing and fell to his death, so yes I have sympathies with your apprentice and I will do what I can to help her, my young magickal brother would have wanted that."
The death magus said sadly.

He nodded, "Precisely - he has expressed some interest in the subject, and we can discuss it as such without getting into... personal experiences."

"Sounds like a plan then."
He said and nodded.

He shrugged, "It's a chance I'd be willing to take - you see, the original lichdom potion draws off the Primium particles that clump around the gland in question. I'd be inclined to suspect the glands, deprived of a body and consciousness to respond to the Avatar, would quite literally give up the ghost. Of course, there's always the distinction between trying to release one Avatar in that manner, and dunking the lot of them in one go."

"Hum...that might work I would ask Master Telar for advice on the matter though before a potential attack is done, and I would prefer freeing those souls by killing the Computer rather than just letting them escape."

He frowned, "The name does not ring any bells... There are a few with that tale among the Mercere, aren't there? I might want to interview him about a few details - though the extraction process itself is... not the relevant part, so much as the preceding few weeks."

"I can give him your number when next I see the man and he can decide if he want to talk with you. I have heard there are several with such a tale to tell among the Mercere though but most of the survivors we have found of Technocracy Gilgul have...just been well Gilgulled, they do it with brain surgery yes but most of the time these survivors have not been sacrificed to the Nephandi, the bloody Union are most likely to do it to our young, those they feel are to innocent to just kill."
Adjan said angrily.
"They do not know what they do."

He nodded, "So he is. Master Sharaya seems a bit uncomfortable with people discussing that, though - understandable, since he would want to come out of his Mentor's shadow and stand on his own. He's doing better than he thinks, I suspect... Far better."

"Master Sharaua is a good man, he will be a good Deacon Primus when Master Steelhaven leaves."
The Euthanathos said and nodded.
"He have come far but I do understand not wanting to stand under the shadow of a famous Mentor, he wants to be his own man and to be judged on his own merit not that of his teacher."

He shook his head, "Nothing that would hold in a trial. No, it's a working hypothesis, nothing more, unfortunately. Their collaborating with the Nephandi, though - that's so far beyond question by now, it's outright ridiculous. But again, evidence that will hold in a trial... so long as the only witnesses to their involvement are the captured Fallen, it's going to be a hell of a thing to prove."

"And in the meantime they can just continue to work as judges, well that is just brilliant."
Adjan grumbled.
"What can we do to gather more evidence on them so we can get them taken down? Also so they work with the Fallen which is bad enough but who do you think they want to become Moloch?"

He nodded, voice even, "Thank you."

"I am sorry if I have made you uncomfortable, but it is usually better to sort such things out in advance...just in case."
Adjan said softly.
"I have told Francesca who is the one tasked with...giving me the good death if I am lost to Jhor how I would want to die, though I hope there are some time before it will be needed."

He grinned, "I'm sure Mia would be more than happy to debate you personally on that topic. Though she is rather a unique wonder in that regard; vastly more complex than any other Avatar I know of, and that may be part of why she has as much personality as she does - fragments from numerous Avatars, meaning fragments of numerous aspects and natures. She is very much her own person, to put it like that, and has even taken control of my body when I've been unable to - twice. Strangest dance partner I've ever had, to say the least... but magnificent."

"I am sure she is wondrous and debating her would be an honor."
Adjan said and smiled.
"However I still think that while our Avatars have their own separate personality they can still be a part of us, they are both separate and a part of our mind and soul."

(OOC: I think it is because Adley scowls at the things before Prime scanning them, but yes you are right Prime scans for everyone. )

[Warpmind]

"The problem is that everything up until getting to that Handler is up to you as well including surviving the Labyrinth's defenses."
Adjan said and he sounded skeptical.
"Are you sure you should go alone with just a pilot to back you up?"

He frowned, "I can't justify asking anyone to risk coming along with me... I have an emergency exit for one, and I've... seen the inside of a polyp before, twenty years in the future. Plus, I have a mind shield courtesy of Master Haagen, good for one for a few hours. Anyone with me... if the proverbial shit hits the fan, I won't be able to extricate them with me."

The Euthanathos nodded and sigh.
"My Mentor who found me in that juvie jail all those years ago had another student, another innate in the same institution Christopher, a kind boy who had found himself in some trouble and done a stint of petty crime, when he was a child though he had found his brother dead from an overdose with the needle still in his arm, Christopher never recovered from that, it lead to his drinking and legal issues and while we where at the institution, though it was far better than what Americans do to their young criminal elements, it was still a jail and few choices was afforded us, including when it came to our health. Every year we where given a health check and vaccines, a good thing really but not for Christopher he had to be held down by several guards every time they drew his blood or gave hi those vaccines and he would not recover for weeks afterwards he was not met with much understanding though and was ridiculed for being weak. One day when he was called to the infirmary for his check ups he tried to escape out a window, he was terrified and just did not think and as the guards kept advancing on him he tried to climb down from the fifth floor, he lost his footing and fell to his death, so yes I have sympathies with your apprentice and I will do what I can to help her, my young magickal brother would have wanted that."
The death magus said sadly.

He nodded, "May Christopher rest in peace..."

"Hum...that might work I would ask Master Telar for advice on the matter though before a potential attack is done, and I would prefer freeing those souls by killing the Computer rather than just letting them escape."

He frowned, "That's part of the problem - I'm not sure killing the Computer will be enough to free those souls... It might, but I suspect it is more likely the Avatars will remain imprisoned in Primium even after the Computer ceases to be."

"I can give him your number when next I see the man and he can decide if he want to talk with you. I have heard there are several with such a tale to tell among the Mercere though but most of the survivors we have found of Technocracy Gilgul have...just been well Gilgulled, they do it with brain surgery yes but most of the time these survivors have not been sacrificed to the Nephandi, the bloody Union are most likely to do it to our young, those they feel are to innocent to just kill."
Adjan said angrily.
"They do not know what they do."

He nodded, "There's a young boy in Chicago... he's got someone to care for, and who cares for him, as well as a Mentor... I suppose I could ask him, as well, though... I had best wait a few years, let the poor kid get some healthy distance..."

"And in the meantime they can just continue to work as judges, well that is just brilliant."
Adjan grumbled.
"What can we do to gather more evidence on them so we can get them taken down? Also so they work with the Fallen which is bad enough but who do you think they want to become Moloch?"

He smiled wryly, "We have to trap them - catch them red-handed in collusion with known Fallen stooges. As for becoming Moloch - I am inclined to suspect that is not what they want to achieve, so much as the inevitable end to the path onto which they've trod. Like Teomim, they can accomplish the creation of an artificial rebis, and like Teomim, it will be imperfect... an incomplete merging; two minds and two Avatars in one body... I think the future the Seer saw, where Teomim had become Moloch, was the result of a combination of a Quiet and probably Resonance poisoning. With two minds to go mad, and two Avatars to get afflicted in such a manner... there's pretty much no way that can end well, once it begins."

"I am sorry if I have made you uncomfortable, but it is usually better to sort such things out in advance...just in case."
Adjan said softly.
"I have told Francesca who is the one tasked with...giving me the good death if I am lost to Jhor how I would want to die, though I hope there are some time before it will be needed."

He smiled thinly, "Indeed - I came to you with the request, after all. I faced death a quarter of a century ago - it holds no terror for me anymore. That does, of course, not mean that I don't want every moment I can squeeze out of life, but I've accepted that everything is transitory, and I've made arrangements as best I can..."

"I am sure she is wondrous and debating her would be an honor."
Adjan said and smiled.
"However I still think that while our Avatars have their own separate personality they can still be a part of us, they are both separate and a part of our mind and soul."

He nodded, "Like I said, a dance partner, joined not quite at the hip, but in a comparable manner. Hum, how long until we reach the Umbral Port?"

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

He frowned, "I can't justify asking anyone to risk coming along with me... I have an emergency exit for one, and I've... seen the inside of a polyp before, twenty years in the future. Plus, I have a mind shield courtesy of Master Haagen, good for one for a few hours. Anyone with me... if the proverbial shit hits the fan, I won't be able to extricate them with me."

Adjan sigh and nodded.
"Understood but I do not like it, be sure to use that emergency exit when and if you need it, you would be sorely missed by your Chantrymates if you where to be lost in that hellish place."
The Euthanathos muttered.

He nodded, "May Christopher rest in peace..."

The death magus just gave a solemn nod at that.

He frowned, "That's part of the problem - I'm not sure killing the Computer will be enough to free those souls... It might, but I suspect it is more likely the Avatars will remain imprisoned in Primium even after the Computer ceases to be."

"But how could Primium imprison an Avatar? And after all look at the Union their Awakened Hit-Marks and cyborgs when they die their souls move on just as with the rest of us, or at least that is what I assume to be the case, and there are those who can remember to have been such a construct in their former lives, so have those who have died on board Umbreal ships with Primium hulls been successfully reborn. Primium hinders magick but I do not think it can hold and Avatar and imprison it."
Adjan protested.

He nodded, "There's a young boy in Chicago... he's got someone to care for, and who cares for him, as well as a Mentor... I suppose I could ask him, as well, though... I had best wait a few years, let the poor kid get some healthy distance..."

The Euthanathos nodded at that.
"It will probably be for the best, this is not likely to be a topic this boy will relish discussing then again if things are as you say we might not have the luxury of time to wait to make such inquiries. If the Computer is seeking to make such a metamorphosis then we need to stop it!"
He said with earnest determination.

He smiled wryly, "We have to trap them - catch them red-handed in collusion with known Fallen stooges.

"I imagine that will be easier said than done Mr Wainwright."
Adjan said wryly.

As for becoming Moloch - I am inclined to suspect that is not what they want to achieve, so much as the inevitable end to the path onto which they've trod. Like Teomim, they can accomplish the creation of an artificial rebis, and like Teomim, it will be imperfect... an incomplete merging; two minds and two Avatars in one body... I think the future the Seer saw, where Teomim had become Moloch, was the result of a combination of a Quiet and probably Resonance poisoning. With two minds to go mad, and two Avatars to get afflicted in such a manner... there's pretty much no way that can end well, once it begins."

"I can imagine that having two Avatars in one body would be rather confusing yes, two guiding stars to illuminate different paths and if you add Paradox or Resonance poisoning to that mix you have a very bad combination indeed, my question though is more why would you think the D'Angelo twins want to become an artificial rebis, have they done anything that might indicate this or if you excuse me being blunt are you making the guess that they want to because they are twins?"
The Euthanathos asked sounding a bit skeptical.

He smiled thinly, "Indeed - I came to you with the request, after all. I faced death a quarter of a century ago - it holds no terror for me anymore. That does, of course, not mean that I don't want every moment I can squeeze out of life, but I've accepted that everything is transitory, and I've made arrangements as best I can..."

The death magus nodded approvingly.
"Ah yes you would be quite fitting for my Tradition Mr Wainwright."
He said and smiled.
"I feel it the same way, I do not fear death, it will come when it comes and I will welcome it when it do with as much dignity as I can muster but until then, whatever my end happen in today's battle or five hundred years from now I want to live while I am alive and enjoy life as much as I can and try to make a difference with the time that the Cycle grants me."

He nodded, "Like I said, a dance partner, joined not quite at the hip, but in a comparable manner. Hum, how long until we reach the Umbral Port?"

"A dance partner indeed."
Adjan said and smiled then he glanced out the window.
"Traffic is to bad so I would say another three minutes or so, perhaps five."
He informed you.

[Nicole Bouchard]

Anja's Post:

As Rodger visually checked the batteries, Nicole looked at the dials; checking to see whether they were giving correct readings - idly wondering how difficult it would be to replace them with numeric counters instead. Once done, she looked to Rodger.

'Well, perhaps we should quickly check to see if the batteries aren't leaking, then?' picking up her rucksack as though ready to pull something out.

[Adley]

He went to his closet and rooted around until he found a bag that wouldn't bother him too much while fighting. It wasn't like he had a lot of options - as a second thought he grabbed some of his own clothing, ammo if he had any left, and so on. A quick round of his quarters, then he got all his stuff and packed up only what he wouldn't miss as much if he got separated from it. He checked the time, then went back to the front room to begin working on some of his protection and preparation spells.

// lmao, I think that stems from the fact that several people and things in Adley's life should have been known as threats if he'd just scanned around he'd know Hannah was awakened, he had a vampire in the philosophy dept, etc. I am feeling less crap today after watching a season of Ash vs Evil Dead

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

Nicole:

Without knowing how the ship's electricity systems where wired it was hard to know how anything could be replaced, if it even used electricity.
"Not a bad idea I would not want to find myself in the middle of the black void and have the batteries go deal on me, we should be able to figure that out when I start up the engine."
Rodger said and he cranked several levers and the engines started to hum, the dials seamed to show the Quintessence flow correctly for the engines running.
"Hum...so far so good, how do the dials look?"
Rodger asked.

Adley:

You found a bag that would work, you had some ammo left but not allot, one spare clip. You see that you have time for some preperations, a few rituals to protect and center yourself before you where to meet your Mentor back at his office and then hopefully he would have an answer on whatever or not it would be feasible to go after Jace before the run on the Labyrinth and perhaps make the attack just a little bit safer.

(OOC: I am glad to hear you are feeling better. I am watching season two of the Expanse right now.)

[Jeremy Silverstein]

"Well as Ninjas are a Japanese Tradition steaming from everal villages and way of life I am not so sure about that, it seams to me they would have to problems admitting who they are and the modern day practitioners of their arts seams to be quite proud of them."
Rosa said and raised an eyebrow.

"I've never really been concerned with the way things actually are. I always preferred how I imagine them to be. To me ninjas are stealthy assassins who hide in the shadows and do their best to keep their identity hidden. Who knows, their could be 5 ninjas in this room right now and we would never notice." Serge said with a smile.

"And I did not imagine when I went home with a handsome man for a one night stand that it would lead to me Awakening and becoming a mage."
Rosa said and smiled a little.

"And I never imagine the psychiatrist I had been seeing since I was young would be the one to rescue me after I passed out and got trapped in my own head." Serge said with a smile remembering his own strange awakening.

"And you are not boring Serge you are quite interesting you make me remember how it was like being a kid."
She said and grinned.

"That's nice to hear. That's what I try and do. Remind people of a nicer side of life." Serge said solemnly.

Jane nodded at that.
"Mr Wainwright did that for me last birthday, several members of the Chantry got together and got me a silver coin box, it is really cute and shaped like a teddy bear and he put a good luck spell on it. I found five dollars on the ground when out with my Mentor to celebrate and came over a place that had free ice cream."
The little girl explained excitedly.

"Oh that sounds awesome. I really want to learn those luck spells. You know Liv's father tried to teach me a spell to do the exact opposite. Give a person some bad luck." Serge said holding up his palm to show the Hagalaz rune to both of the girls.

"I wasn't able to do it but I really want to. Perhaps I should ask Mr. Wainwright to teach me a thing or two."

Jane nodded.
"That is true my Mentor say that the One created the world but our minds shape it however I think there are some rules like having to understand what you change or something."
She muttered and plucked at the lace on her dress the concept getting a bit complicated for her six year old mind.

Serge chuckled a little realizing that he was describing abstract philosophy with a 6-year old.

"I've done illusionary things like this before. How about I work on the spell and then when it's done I'll show you. We can have our own little pretend birthday party." Serge offered.

"Imaginary party we can do, I have imaginary parties with my dolls all the time."
Jane said and she nodded happily.
"I have allot of dolls and plushies do you want to see them later Sir?"
She asked proudly.

"Yeah. That sounds fun!" Serge said not wanting to disappoint the young girl. "Do they have names?"

(OOC: If Serge went through the same thing Adley went through he would probably be aura scanning everyone he meets as well. You never know who could have those black aura ripples .)

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

"I've never really been concerned with the way things actually are. I always preferred how I imagine them to be. To me ninjas are stealthy assassins who hide in the shadows and do their best to keep their identity hidden. Who knows, their could be 5 ninjas in this room right now and we would never notice." Serge said with a smile.

"The problem with that is that real Ninjas are hurt by this stereotype from media, they are not stealthy assassins they are a culture to themselves with rich traditions and just seeing them for the entertainment stereotype is sort of missing the beauty of what they truly are about."
Rosa said and raised an eyebrow.

"And I never imagine the psychiatrist I had been seeing since I was young would be the one to rescue me after I passed out and got trapped in my own head." Serge said with a smile remembering his own strange awakening.

"I guess we never know when we will run into a Mage that will show us there is more to life eh. However it makes me wonder if our Avatars where the ones to lead us to those people or if we made our own choices about it."
The young Cultist commented.

"That's nice to hear. That's what I try and do. Remind people of a nicer side of life." Serge said solemnly.

"Hum...yeah I guess indeed that it is nice...my memories of being a kid."
Rosa agreed and nodded.

"Oh that sounds awesome. I really want to learn those luck spells. You know Liv's father tried to teach me a spell to do the exact opposite. Give a person some bad luck." Serge said holding up his palm to show the Hagalaz rune to both of the girls.

"I wasn't able to do it but I really want to. Perhaps I should ask Mr. Wainwright to teach me a thing or two."

"You could try to ask him Sir Mr Wainwright is really nice and if you have some favor to offer in return perhaps he can teach you how to manipulate luck."
Jane agreed before she translated for Liv and then listened to the reply before she said.
"Liv says her father Mr Bergen is good at cursing."

Serge chuckled a little realizing that he was describing abstract philosophy with a 6-year old.

"I've done illusionary things like this before. How about I work on the spell and then when it's done I'll show you. We can have our own little pretend birthday party." Serge offered.

Jane nodded at that and smiled.
"Ok Sir that sounds good I am sure it will become a really fun spell."

"Yeah. That sounds fun!" Serge said not wanting to disappoint the young girl. "Do they have names?"

"Yes they all have names Sir."
The little Chorister said proudly.
"They are my friends, not for real off course but I pretend that they are."

[Nicole Bouchard]

Anja's Post:

Nicole watched the dials for a long moment before replying. 'The dials are registering, but have no idea if the engines are running hot.'

Once done, she unzipped her rucksack and pulled out a battered old palmtop computer, unfolded it and switched it on. Finding a place for it to sit as it booted up, she then fished out what appeared to be a small microphone on a ribbon cable, connected it and began to type. Watching the little screen intently as she ran the 'microphone' along [or near as possible] to the crystals.

[Performing 'Durability Test' on batteries with MultiTool. She's seeing if they're damaged or worn-out.]

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

Nicole watched the dials for a long moment before replying. 'The dials are registering, but have no idea if the engines are running hot.'

"They are not running very hot they are just started up."
Rodger said.
"The engine seam to work fairly well though, the ship is in reasonably good condition it seams though I would prefer someone keeping an eye on the engines while flying it just to be sure but I am not sure if there is tome of a flight test."

Once done, she unzipped her rucksack and pulled out a battered old palmtop computer, unfolded it and switched it on. Finding a place for it to sit as it booted up, she then fished out what appeared to be a small microphone on a ribbon cable, connected it and began to type. Watching the little screen intently as she ran the 'microphone' along [or near as possible] to the crystals.

The crystals where intact and not leaking, the batteries to the best of your knowledge where working as they should and would power the shuttle's engines as it should for quite some time yet before they had to be recharged.

[Warpmind]

Adjan sigh and nodded.
"Understood but I do not like it, be sure to use that emergency exit when and if you need it, you would be sorely missed by your Chantrymates if you where to be lost in that hellish place."
The Euthanathos muttered.

Colin grinned, "I will be cautious. And I would sorely miss everyone else, too, if I didn't make it out."

"But how could Primium imprison an Avatar? And after all look at the Union their Awakened Hit-Marks and cyborgs when they die their souls move on just as with the rest of us, or at least that is what I assume to be the case, and there are those who can remember to have been such a construct in their former lives, so have those who have died on board Umbreal ships with Primium hulls been successfully reborn. Primium hinders magick but I do not think it can hold and Avatar and imprison it."
Adjan protested.

He nodded, "If I'm right about this, look at it as the difference between a man in a locked room, and a man in a straitjacket in a locked room. The latter will have a far harder time escaping confinement... HIT-Marks and cyborgs are still alive, after a fashion, and the gland in question is living tissue which will eventually decay along with the surrounding tissue. An undead such gland encased in a Primium egg, so to speak, doesn't necessarily have that luxury. Then again, it is also possible that the Computer is only able to hold such Avatars captive for a certain amount of time before they return to the Cycle..."

The Euthanathos nodded at that.
"It will probably be for the best, this is not likely to be a topic this boy will relish discussing then again if things are as you say we might not have the luxury of time to wait to make such inquiries. If the Computer is seeking to make such a metamorphosis then we need to stop it!"
He said with earnest determination.

He nodded, "We have to stop it, either way - but yes, that aspect does lend a certain amount of urgency to it."

"I imagine that will be easier said than done Mr Wainwright."
Adjan said wryly.

He grinned darkly, "Two months, give or take..."

"I can imagine that having two Avatars in one body would be rather confusing yes, two guiding stars to illuminate different paths and if you add Paradox or Resonance poisoning to that mix you have a very bad combination indeed, my question though is more why would you think the D'Angelo twins want to become an artificial rebis, have they done anything that might indicate this or if you excuse me being blunt are you making the guess that they want to because they are twins?"
The Euthanathos asked sounding a bit skeptical.

He frowned, "It goes back to the loss of their Mentor... Had their seemingly irrational levels of hatred for widderslainte and Nephandi been the whole of it, I wouldn't have worried... but their working with the Fallen, and the fact that the Fallen learned of the temporary location of a lock of Teomim's hair while it was in the hands of the Mercere... Salonikas' prophecy mentions a pair of twins that might take up the mantle of Moloch, and those two are... a frighteningly plausible candidate. It's not a single thing to prove it, but a hell of a lot of circumstantial evidence."

The death magus nodded approvingly.
"Ah yes you would be quite fitting for my Tradition Mr Wainwright."
He said and smiled.
"I feel it the same way, I do not fear death, it will come when it comes and I will welcome it when it do with as much dignity as I can muster but until then, whatever my end happen in today's battle or five hundred years from now I want to live while I am alive and enjoy life as much as I can and try to make a difference with the time that the Cycle grants me."

He grinned, "I could also have fit well in the Order of Hermes, the Cult of Ecstacy or the Verbena, quite likely the Sons of Ether or Virtual Adepts had I read sci-fi instead of fantasy while I was recuperating, not so much the Dreamspeakers, Akashic Brotherhood or Celestial Chorus... Perhaps we're all better served by my staying unaffiliated?"

"A dance partner indeed."
Adjan said and smiled then he glanced out the window.
"Traffic is to bad so I would say another three minutes or so, perhaps five."
He informed you.

He nodded and pulled out the tiny potion flask from his pocket, "Well, then, down the hatch... this stuff tastes... well, it tastes."
He swigged the second half of the mind shield and closed the empty bottle again, "Hmph, would you be so kind as to return this to Master Haagen when you get back? And suggest he add a mint leaf for flavour next time?"

[Jeremy Silverstein]

"The problem with that is that real Ninjas are hurt by this stereotype from media, they are not stealthy assassins they are a culture to themselves with rich traditions and just seeing them for the entertainment stereotype is sort of missing the beauty of what they truly are about."
Rosa said and raised an eyebrow.

Serge shrugged his shoulders, "Your right but it doesn't hurt to enjoy both. The real and the fake. The creativity of the overlords who control our popular media as well as the original sources while at the same time understanding the cultures they took inspiration from."

"I guess we never know when we will run into a Mage that will show us there is more to life eh. However it makes me wonder if our Avatars where the ones to lead us to those people or if we made our own choices about it."
The young Cultist commented.

"Good question. Now if only our Avatars could give us a straight answer." Serge said with a grin.

"You could try to ask him Sir Mr Wainwright is really nice and if you have some favor to offer in return perhaps he can teach you how to manipulate luck."
Jane agreed before she translated for Liv and then listened to the reply before she said.

"Actually, I'm pretty sure Mr Wainwright owes me a favor. I helped him calm down some women." Serge said remembering his time with Martha.

"If I see him again I'll ask him." Serge said knowing full well that he didn't have the guts to do such a thing.

she translated for Liv and then listened to the reply before she said.
"Liv says her father Mr Bergen is good at cursing."

"Yeah he told me about some of the interesting traps in his room. He even helped me create my own." Serge said with a nod before he suddenly remembered why he had come into the room in the first place.

"Speaking of Mr. Bergen, Jane could you tell Liv that I have a message for her from her father." Serge said quickly flipping through his sketchbook and bringing out the Norwegian message and picture of Mr. Bergen.

"Yes they all have names Sir."
The little Chorister said proudly.
"They are my friends, not for real off course but I pretend that they are."

"What are their names?" Serge said softly. "And are they all friends with each other?"

[Nicole Bouchard]

Anja's Post:

"Keeping an eye only works if the eye knows what it's looking for" Nicole thought, placing the palmtop to the side. 'Well... do you want to find out it steers like a shopping cart now, or later? At least if we find an issue, we can attempt a fix.'

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

Nicole:

"Keeping an eye only works if the eye knows what it's looking for" Nicole thought, placing the palmtop to the side. 'Well... do you want to find out it steers like a shopping cart now, or later? At least if we find an issue, we can attempt a fix.'

"Hum...that might be wise but we will have to take the ship out of dock for that, though it might be worth it to know how she steers since I have no idea what we are heading into."
Rodger said before he pushed his Ether goggles up onto his hat again.
"Ok then I will go to the cockpit and take her for a spin I need one of you guys to stay here and keep an eye on the engine while I pilot her dear collages."
He said. Miles looked up.
"I can keep an eye on the engines if you want to go with Rodger and see how the ship steers Nicole."
The young Adventurer offered.

Serge:

Serge shrugged his shoulders, "Your right but it doesn't hurt to enjoy both. The real and the fake. The creativity of the overlords who control our popular media as well as the original sources while at the same time understanding the cultures they took inspiration from."

"Well I can't argue with that."
Rosa said and nodded then she looked at you with curiosity.
"Serge please do not take this the wrong way but are you never afraid that when you live in a fantasy world, that you will miss some of the wonderful things that can be found in real life?"
She asked softly.

"Good question. Now if only our Avatars could give us a straight answer." Serge said with a grin.

"Yeah the problem is that the way I have been told, they are none to fond on straight answers, not that I would know I have only heard my Avatar's voice once."
The young Cultist said wryly.

"Actually, I'm pretty sure Mr Wainwright owes me a favor. I helped him calm down some women." Serge said remembering his time with Martha.

"If I see him again I'll ask him." Serge said knowing full well that he didn't have the guts to do such a thing.

"It never hurts to ask as long as you are polite Sir, that is what my Mentor say, just remember to always discuss price for instruction up front, that is also something my Mentor says for it is the law that the student have to repay their teacher."
Jane said and then she gave a frustrated sigh.
"Tradition laws are very complicated."

"Yeah he told me about some of the interesting traps in his room. He even helped me create my own." Serge said with a nod before he suddenly remembered why he had come into the room in the first place.

"Traps are sort of cool and a little scary Sir."
Jane said and nodded.

"Speaking of Mr. Bergen, Jane could you tell Liv that I have a message for her from her father." Serge said quickly flipping through his sketchbook and bringing out the Norwegian message and picture of Mr. Bergen.

Jane nodded.
"Off course Sir."
She said before she spoke to Liv in Latin. The young Hermetic turned her attention to you and said something that Jane translated.
"She is asking you to please tell her the message from her dad Sir, she is very worried about him."

"What are their names?" Serge said softly. "And are they all friends with each other?"

"No some of them do not like one another and are jealous of one another but most of them are friends."
Jane explained.
"As for their names well there is Snuggles, Betty, Dee Dee, Allison, Buddy..."
The list went on for some time with the names for the little girl's dolls.

Colin:

Colin grinned, "I will be cautious. And I would sorely miss everyone else, too, if I didn't make it out."

Adjan nodded and he sigh.
"I can not say I like this mission of yours but I can see how it is necessary so all I can do is wish you the best of luck."

He nodded, "If I'm right about this, look at it as the difference between a man in a locked room, and a man in a straitjacket in a locked room. The latter will have a far harder time escaping confinement... HIT-Marks and cyborgs are still alive, after a fashion, and the gland in question is living tissue which will eventually decay along with the surrounding tissue. An undead such gland encased in a Primium egg, so to speak, doesn't necessarily have that luxury. Then again, it is also possible that the Computer is only able to hold such Avatars captive for a certain amount of time before they return to the Cycle..."

"I can see your point but I am not so sure I agree with you Mr Wainwright. The pineal glad have been linked to spirituality and there are some indication that it might be the point of our physical bodies where our soul and by extension our Avatar meets flesh, then again there are mages who do not have such glands because they are AI programs or other forms of constructs. The thing is though that after death an Avatar will leave for a new host long before the brain rots so it do not seam to me that preserving this gland will keep a soul trapped though affecting it might help someone reach someone's Avatar if it is a physical link to it."
The Euthanathos said.

He nodded, "We have to stop it, either way - but yes, that aspect does lend a certain amount of urgency to it."

He nodded darkly at that.
"Yes...well for now we have to focus on taking Larson and her marry gang out to make sure there is a future where we can fight the Computer but after that...if what you say is true then something have to be done and soon."

He grinned darkly, "Two months, give or take..."

Adjan raised an eyebrow at that.

He frowned, "It goes back to the loss of their Mentor... Had their seemingly irrational levels of hatred for widderslainte and Nephandi been the whole of it, I wouldn't have worried... but their working with the Fallen, and the fact that the Fallen learned of the temporary location of a lock of Teomim's hair while it was in the hands of the Mercere... Salonikas' prophecy mentions a pair of twins that might take up the mantle of Moloch, and those two are... a frighteningly plausible candidate. It's not a single thing to prove it, but a hell of a lot of circumstantial evidence."

"Well yes all of these things put together do lend some credence to the idea."
The death magus commented.
"And the Seer's prophecy do mention a set of twins, but are you telling me a lock of Heylel Teomim's actual hair have gone missing and the Nephandi have tried to steal it that is worrisome, you think this is then meant as payment for the work the D'Angelo twins are doing for them then?"
He asked.

He grinned, "I could also have fit well in the Order of Hermes, the Cult of Ecstacy or the Verbena, quite likely the Sons of Ether or Virtual Adepts had I read sci-fi instead of fantasy while I was recuperating, not so much the Dreamspeakers, Akashic Brotherhood or Celestial Chorus... Perhaps we're all better served by my staying unaffiliated?"

"Perhaps so Mr Wainwright perhaps so and beside I have a feeling that if you where to be apprentices to anyone you would give your poor Mentor more than a few gray hairs."
He said jokingly.
"Though yes often an Orphan can have the width of understanding those of us tied to a Tradition lack."

He nodded and pulled out the tiny potion flask from his pocket, "Well, then, down the hatch... this stuff tastes... well, it tastes."

"Well my Cabalmate's potions have never been the most delicious of things but they work, I will make the assumption that it was Darrian who made you that concoction?"
He said sounding amused.

He swigged the second half of the mind shield and closed the empty bottle again, "Hmph, would you be so kind as to return this to Master Haagen when you get back? And suggest he add a mint leaf for flavour next time?"

Adjan nodded and he took the bottle and put it in his pocket.
"Certainly but I do think adding anything that is not supposed to be there might throw of the mixture, then again what do I know I am not an alchemist."
He said and smiled a little as he made a turn, you could see the airport in the distance now. The second swing of Darrian's mind shield potion did not taste any better than the first one though.
"There is a water bottle in the glove compartment if you want something to wash it down with."
Adjan offered.

[Warpmind]

Adjan nodded and he sigh.
"I can not say I like this mission of yours but I can see how it is necessary so all I can do is wish you the best of luck."

Colin nodded, "Thank you... and good luck to everyone who partakes in the frontal assault, too."

"I can see your point but I am not so sure I agree with you Mr Wainwright. The pineal glad have been linked to spirituality and there are some indication that it might be the point of our physical bodies where our soul and by extension our Avatar meets flesh, then again there are mages who do not have such glands because they are AI programs or other forms of constructs. The thing is though that after death an Avatar will leave for a new host long before the brain rots so it do not seam to me that preserving this gland will keep a soul trapped though affecting it might help someone reach someone's Avatar if it is a physical link to it."
The Euthanathos said.

He nodded, "There may well be more to it - I don't know the details of how the Computer stores the Avatars it consumes - I've just extrapolated from how the serum affects the brain, Primium particles and all, and from a... personal testimony of what the Computer did to one survivor."

"Well yes all of these things put together do lend some credence to the idea."
The death magus commented.
"And the Seer's prophecy do mention a set of twins, but are you telling me a lock of Heylel Teomim's actual hair have gone missing and the Nephandi have tried to steal it that is worrisome, you think this is then meant as payment for the work the D'Angelo twins are doing for them then?"
He asked.

He shrugged, "I think the hair's path is a simple enough thing - it would be a lock of hair given to Eloine, back in the day, which after her eventual death was passed on to her heirs. I believe it was sent between two Verbena research chantries, which implies it remained within that Tradition, closely guarded. Until someone caught wind of it and tried to steal it. We... managed to prevent that, and secured the package until the crisis is over. It will reach its destination unharmed, I expect - the Fallen never laid their hands on it. And yes, I suspect it is partial payment... or perhaps part of it is payment, and the Fallen had their own plans for some of the hair."

"Perhaps so Mr Wainwright perhaps so and beside I have a feeling that if you where to be apprentices to anyone you would give your poor Mentor more than a few gray hairs."
He said jokingly.
"Though yes often an Orphan can have the width of understanding those of us tied to a Tradition lack."

He chuckled, "I may have done so to a couple of Security Chiefs this weekend... I seem to be frustrating them when I do something seemingly reckless when I have actually gauged the odds correctly... Oh, I know, some day I will have misjudged the odds, and that's going to hurt. But I know the risks I take."

"Well my Cabalmate's potions have never been the most delicious of things but they work, I will make the assumption that it was Darrian who made you that concoction?"
He said sounding amused.

He nodded, "Much more reliable and effective than trying to ward off mind readers by focusing on being Gilgulled in 1470... though with less of a backlash for whoever tries something."

Adjan nodded and he took the bottle and put it in his pocket.
"Certainly but I do think adding anything that is not supposed to be there might throw of the mixture, then again what do I know I am not an alchemist."
He said and smiled a little as he made a turn, you could see the airport in the distance now. The second swing of Darrian's mind shield potion did not taste any better than the first one though.
"There is a water bottle in the glove compartment if you want something to wash it down with."
Adjan offered.

He nodded, "A valid point, which is why I suggested to suggest it, not demand it. However, cough syrups and the like have flavours added after the effective mixture is created, so it just might work for Master Haagen's potions, as well."
He opened the glove compartment and dropped the empty potion bottle into it, pulling out the water bottle for a few hearty gulps, "Thank you, that's better... I should have brought a thermos and some teabags, except I... might not be able to look at a thermos without a bit of nausea for a little while..."

[Nicole Bouchard]

Anja's Post:

A moment's thought. 'We'll take turns, yeah? You watch the engines on the way out, I'll do the same on the way back.'

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

Colin:

Colin nodded, "Thank you... and good luck to everyone who partakes in the frontal assault, too."

Adjan nodded at that.
"Hopefully the Gods will smile on us."

He nodded, "There may well be more to it - I don't know the details of how the Computer stores the Avatars it consumes - I've just extrapolated from how the serum affects the brain, Primium particles and all, and from a... personal testimony of what the Computer did to one survivor."

"That is why I recommended talking with Master Telar about it and trying to learn more as right now you have guesses and if you go in trying to save these souls based just on guesses you might end up with no effect or just making everything worse, that is if you get past the Machine Realm's defenses we need to know more first."
The Euthanathos commented.

He shrugged, "I think the hair's path is a simple enough thing - it would be a lock of hair given to Eloine, back in the day, which after her eventual death was passed on to her heirs. I believe it was sent between two Verbena research chantries, which implies it remained within that Tradition, closely guarded. Until someone caught wind of it and tried to steal it.

"I see well it would make sense that the Lady Eloine would greatly value such a memento, and I imagine that it eventually become sort of a relic, I do wonder what research was being done on it though."
He said and raised an eyebrow.

We... managed to prevent that, and secured the package until the crisis is over. It will reach its destination unharmed, I expect - the Fallen never laid their hands on it. And yes, I suspect it is partial payment... or perhaps part of it is payment, and the Fallen had their own plans for some of the hair."

"It is good that the theft where prevented, I would like to know more than speculations as to what the Fallen wanted with that hair though and whatever or not the D'Angelo twins where truly involved."
Adjan said.

He chuckled, "I may have done so to a couple of Security Chiefs this weekend... I seem to be frustrating them when I do something seemingly reckless when I have actually gauged the odds correctly... Oh, I know, some day I will have misjudged the odds, and that's going to hurt. But I know the risks I take."

"I guess we all have to take risks at times Mr Wainwright, but yes some of your ideas are insane, I mean no offense but they are, however they also do seam to quite often work so perhaps some gray hairs are worth it."
He said sounding a bit amused.

He nodded, "Much more reliable and effective than trying to ward off mind readers by focusing on being Gilgulled in 1470... though with less of a backlash for whoever tries something."

Adjan gave you a odd look.
"Now that could not have been comfortable for said mind reader."
He said then he glanced away for a moment before focusing on the road again.
"Do you remember it...Teomim's fate I mean?"
He asked softly.
"That must have made it hard when...they came for Beatrice."

He nodded, "A valid point, which is why I suggested to suggest it, not demand it. However, cough syrups and the like have flavours added after the effective mixture is created, so it just might work for Master Haagen's potions, as well."

"True enough, I will mention the possibility for my Cabalmate."
Adjan agreed and nodded.

He opened the glove compartment and dropped the empty potion bottle into it, pulling out the water bottle for a few hearty gulps, "Thank you, that's better... I should have brought a thermos and some teabags, except I... might not be able to look at a thermos without a bit of nausea for a little while..."

"Ah yes Miss Jarden's blood, nasty business that I am glad it did not end up necessary to use it."
The Euthanathos said and grimaced. In the glove compartment you found the water bottle along with a map, a pack of gum, two guns, three knives and a garotte as well as the registration paperwork for the car.

Adjan drove onto the parking lot for the car rental that lead to the Umbral port, just see a black car that sort of screamed Technocracy drive into the portal at the car rental's back window just as you arrive.
"Get ready please"
The death magus said as he fetched his bone dice from his pocket and started rolling them in his hand.

Nicole:

Miles nodded at that.
"Sound fair. Ok I will keep and eye on things here then."
He said and brought his own Ether goggles out of a pocked and slipped them over his head.
"Try not to crash the ship."
He joked. Rodger smiled a little then he indicated the cockpit.
"Shall we then dear madam?"

[Warpmind]

"That is why I recommended talking with Master Telar about it and trying to learn more as right now you have guesses and if you go in trying to save these souls based just on guesses you might end up with no effect or just making everything worse, that is if you get past the Machine Realm's defenses we need to know more first."
The Euthanathos commented.

Colin nodded, "The first point on the agenda is stopping the Computer, saving any Avatars it holds is secondary in priority."

"I see well it would make sense that the Lady Eloine would greatly value such a memento, and I imagine that it eventually become sort of a relic, I do wonder what research was being done on it though."
He said and raised an eyebrow.

He shrugged, "I don't know if any research was done on it, actually - it may have been simply held in storage. Perhaps retained by the Verbena Gardeners to try to trace bloodlines from Teomim to later Magi. We don't know if Teomim and Eloine's twins ever had children of their own, after all..."

"It is good that the theft where prevented, I would like to know more than speculations as to what the Fallen wanted with that hair though and whatever or not the D'Angelo twins where truly involved."
Adjan said.

He nodded, "Unfortunately, Abigail is a bit out of commission, and Gabriel, who led the assault on the Mercere Chantry, is dead. Finding out who knows what their plans for the package were is going to prove... a bit difficult."

"I guess we all have to take risks at times Mr Wainwright, but yes some of your ideas are insane, I mean no offense but they are, however they also do seam to quite often work so perhaps some gray hairs are worth it."
He said sounding a bit amused.

He grinned, "All my ideas are quite well reasoned, though I will admit some of them do rely on some great intuitive leaps of logic. But in some cases, an idea being insane is irrelevant if it can be pulled off."
He frowned, "Like Larson's summoning and binding an Aswadim. It's preposterous, insane, and she just might be able to do it. Neither we nor other Nephandi are interested in that..."

Adjan gave you a odd look.
"Now that could not have been comfortable for said mind reader."
He said then he glanced away for a moment before focusing on the road again.
"Do you remember it...Teomim's fate I mean?"
He asked softly.
"That must have made it hard when...they came for Beatrice."

He nodded, "The Fallen hostage taker in the basement, when we returned from Chicago... He had something of a panic attack at that point, and regurgitated his Phylactery. I've secured it."
He glanced out the window, staring at the sky, "I didn't remember until well after my Avatar molted, after the strike against the Mercere Chantry. Small blessing, perhaps... but yes, I remember every moment from stepping into the Sentencing Hall until the last second of the bloody Ritual... and then darkness. An infinity of pain, and an instant of triumph at the end, then... darkness."

"True enough, I will mention the possibility for my Cabalmate."
Adjan agreed and nodded.

He grinned and grimaced, "I'm sure numerous future Cabalmates and their magical families of Master Haagen and his magical descendants may thank you, for trying if nothing more comes of it..."

"Ah yes Miss Jarden's blood, nasty business that I am glad it did not end up necessary to use it."
The Euthanathos said and grimaced. In the glove compartment you found the water bottle along with a map, a pack of gum, two guns, three knives and a garotte as well as the registration paperwork for the car.

He nodded, "And I hope the plan will never be resorted to again - that it will never be necessary again."

Adjan drove onto the parking lot for the car rental that lead to the Umbral port, just see a black car that sort of screamed Technocracy drive into the portal at the car rental's back window just as you arrive.
"Get ready please"
The death magus said as he fetched his bone dice from his pocket and started rolling them in his hand.

He nodded and casually gripped the handle above the door, "Can Do."

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

Colin nodded, "The first point on the agenda is stopping the Computer, saving any Avatars it holds is secondary in priority."

"Agreed however if these stolen Avatars are the Computer's power source depriving it of that becomes the main objective and knowing how to possibly do that then being of maximum importance."
He said and glanced over at you.

He shrugged, "I don't know if any research was done on it, actually - it may have been simply held in storage. Perhaps retained by the Verbena Gardeners to try to trace bloodlines from Teomim to later Magi. We don't know if Teomim and Eloine's twins ever had children of their own, after all..."

"I was more wondering why the lock of hair where sent between Chantries then there where probably some purpose to taking the risk of transporting it."
Adjan commented.
"Hum...yes I do wonder what happened to Lady Eloine's twins."

He nodded, "Unfortunately, Abigail is a bit out of commission, and Gabriel, who led the assault on the Mercere Chantry, is dead. Finding out who knows what their plans for the package were is going to prove... a bit difficult."

"Yes Abigail is not likely to wake up again before the end, and her henchman Gabriel is dead and good riddance, perhaps some of the prisoners we took knows something though, it might be a good idea to ask them if they knew anything about what they where after at the Post Office."

He grinned, "All my ideas are quite well reasoned, though I will admit some of them do rely on some great intuitive leaps of logic. But in some cases, an idea being insane is irrelevant if it can be pulled off."

"True enough that, and your ideas do seam to have a tendency to actually work, though I think that one day you are going to give poor Adley a heart attack."
Adjan said sounding amused.

He frowned, "Like Larson's summoning and binding an Aswadim. It's preposterous, insane, and she just might be able to do it. Neither we nor other Nephandi are interested in that..."

"No none of us want that and Larson have to be stopped."
The Euthanathos said firmly then he grinned.
"I dare say though that the bloody Nephanda's plans are a little bit more crazy than even yours."

He nodded, "The Fallen hostage taker in the basement, when we returned from Chicago... He had something of a panic attack at that point, and regurgitated his Phylactery. I've secured it."

Adjan nodded at that.
"Well it is good that you managed to get the man under control Mr Wainwright but Fallen or no I can not help but pity him, especially with what is going to happen to him, if it is even possible to kill a Phylactery."
He said and shuddered.

He glanced out the window, staring at the sky, "I didn't remember until well after my Avatar molted, after the strike against the Mercere Chantry. Small blessing, perhaps... but yes, I remember every moment from stepping into the Sentencing Hall until the last second of the bloody Ritual... and then darkness. An infinity of pain, and an instant of triumph at the end, then... darkness."

The death magus was silent for a moment then he spoke softly.
"It is good you did not remember while Bee where being...poor kid I do not know how she will be able to handle those memories herself, of what was done to her."
He muttered.
"Your memories though that...is horrible are you okey I mean we are likely to take Nephandi prisoners today, we have already taken Nephandi prisoners and they will be...are you doing ok Colin?"
He asked then he shook his head and drew a deep breath.
"I do not fear death...but I fear that ritual...to have memories of it i can not even imagine!"

He grinned and grimaced, "I'm sure numerous future Cabalmates and their magical families of Master Haagen and his magical descendants may thank you, for trying if nothing more comes of it..."

That made the Euthanathos laugh though e still seamed a bit glum from the discussion earlier.
"Yes well not all of Darrian's potions taste as badly, though to be honest most do."
He said and grimaced.
"And you do not want to know what is in it either."

He nodded, "And I hope the plan will never be resorted to again - that it will never be necessary again."

Adjan nodded darkly at that.
"Agreed."

He nodded and casually gripped the handle above the door, "Can Do."

The Euthanatos drove the car at the car rental store's window and there was a feeling of passing through the surface of a cold lake and then you where at the Umbral port just in time to see a massive space ship with a gray hull and green script declaring it as Roweller 377. You see the Technocrats that came into the realm before you and Adjan are now out of their car, carrying one of their companions, a young woman in a bloody black suit who had clearly been shot and where seriously wounded. Adjan parked the car at the parking lot and glanced at the Union men.
"They have been in a bit of a scrape it seams."
He commented and indeed the other three Technocrats and bruises, cuts and scrapes as well and one of them where limping badly.

[Warpmind]

"Agreed however if these stolen Avatars are the Computer's power source depriving it of that becomes the main objective and knowing how to possibly do that then being of maximum importance."
He said and glanced over at you.

Colin nodded, "True - we need more intel, and quickly... The best would be to interrogate a Union member who has done maintenance on the bloody thing..."

"I was more wondering why the lock of hair where sent between Chantries then there where probably some purpose to taking the risk of transporting it."
Adjan commented.
"Hum...yes I do wonder what happened to Lady Eloine's twins."

He smiled sadly, "They have reincarnated at least twice that I know of, so I think it's safe to assume they died at some point... I remember the day they were born; we'd been pacing all day when Sister Bernadette let us in... they were so tiny and perfect, both of them..."

"Yes Abigail is not likely to wake up again before the end, and her henchman Gabriel is dead and good riddance, perhaps some of the prisoners we took knows something though, it might be a good idea to ask them if they knew anything about what they where after at the Post Office."

He nodded, "Hum, I think I could probably get some information from Dalett Vega, if she knows anything about that..."

"True enough that, and your ideas do seam to have a tendency to actually work, though I think that one day you are going to give poor Adley a heart attack."
Adjan said sounding amused.

He chuckled softly, "I think he might be too busy providing some form of cover fire to have the time for a heart attack - but he just might suffer premature hair loss."

"No none of us want that and Larson have to be stopped."
The Euthanathos said firmly then he grinned.
"I dare say though that the bloody Nephanda's plans are a little bit more crazy than even yours."

He shrugged, "A matter of perspective, I suppose - hers are certainly more ambitious, but I am the one who is going to hijack a Battlecruiser armed with a book and a pound of margarine..."

Adjan nodded at that.
"Well it is good that you managed to get the man under control Mr Wainwright but Fallen or no I can not help but pity him, especially with what is going to happen to him, if it is even possible to kill a Phylactery."
He said and shuddered.

He nodded, frowning, "His story was... not unique, he was essentially blackmailed into joining the Fallen. As for his phylactery, well... he permitted me to examine it, on the condition I take no action to harm it. At the very least, I will give it a proper cleaning; the poor thing has been tarnished for a long time, and while I can't fix it, I might at least be able to give it a small bit of comfort, however brief..."

The death magus was silent for a moment then he spoke softly.
"It is good you did not remember while Bee where being...poor kid I do not know how she will be able to handle those memories herself, of what was done to her."
He muttered.
"Your memories though that...is horrible are you okey I mean we are likely to take Nephandi prisoners today, we have already taken Nephandi prisoners and they will be...are you doing ok Colin?"
He asked then he shook his head and drew a deep breath.
"I do not fear death...but I fear that ritual...to have memories of it i can not even imagine!"

He frowned, "After I get back, I hope everything will be ready... I hold the fragments that were cut from her Avatar; they can be returned, hopefully painlessly. Best case scenario, the worst trauma will be glossed over by itself. In any case, she is tougher than she looks. She will be... perhaps not fine, but she'll recover, and surprisingly quickly, too."
He frowned, nodding slowly, "After today, there will be... far too many Avatars torn apart. Perhaps some can be saved, though I doubt it... but if at all possible, I will pick up what pieces I can, to try to give the stray fragments a chance at something better, an opportunity to be rebuilt and to become part of something good again. It's terrible, but Gilgul is not the end. It is, perhaps... a turning point in the Cycle. The destruction leading the way to creation anew... The memories... are softened a little by the five centuries separating our lives. But it is still an eternity of pain that suddenly ends..."

That made the Euthanathos laugh though e still seamed a bit glum from the discussion earlier.
"Yes well not all of Darrian's potions taste as badly, though to be honest most do."
He said and grimaced.
"And you do not want to know what is in it either."

He grinned wryly, "I'm afraid I'm going to find out - he agreed to teach me the basics of alchemy later - but I suppose it can't be much worse than those Chinese immortality potions of mercury, which frequently had the unfortunate side effect of quite immediate death."

The Euthanatos drove the car at the car rental store's window and there was a feeling of passing through the surface of a cold lake and then you where at the Umbral port just in time to see a massive space ship with a gray hull and green script declaring it as Roweller 377. You see the Technocrats that came into the realm before you and Adjan are now out of their car, carrying one of their companions, a young woman in a bloody black suit who had clearly been shot and where seriously wounded. Adjan parked the car at the parking lot and glanced at the Union men.
"They have been in a bit of a scrape it seams."
He commented and indeed the other three Technocrats and bruises, cuts and scrapes as well and one of them where limping badly.

He glanced up with an approving nod to the Roweller, then climbed quickly out of the car and frowned at the Technocrats, taking a few steps toward them, "You've run into the Nephandi, I gather? Would you like me to run ahead of you and have a medical team sent your way?"

[Jeremy Silverstein]

"Serge please do not take this the wrong way but are you never afraid that when you live in a fantasy world, that you will miss some of the wonderful things that can be found in real life?"
She asked softly.

Serge took a bit of time to think about the question before answering, "Of course I'm afraid. That worries always been in the back of my mind. But I mean....anything that I miss in real life I can just recreate in my imagination right?

Despite the response it sounded more like he was making excuses rather than giving a proper answer.

"Yeah the problem is that the way I have been told, they are none to fond on straight answers, not that I would know I have only heard my Avatar's voice once."
The young Cultist said wryly.

"My Avatar likes to mess with me and my dreams. Hell, I don't even know what he actually looks like either. He takes on so many different forms." Serge said with a chuckle.

"Traps are sort of cool and a little scary Sir."
Jane said and nodded.

"Traps can be scary, but they can also be fun. Just like that birthday trap we came up with." Serge said with a smile.

"The trap he and I came up with makes people dizzy."

Jane nodded.
"Off course Sir."
She said before she spoke to Liv in Latin. The young Hermetic turned her attention to you and said something that Jane translated.
"She is asking you to please tell her the message from her dad Sir, she is very worried about him."

"He's worried about Liv as well. The first thing he asked me was if Liv was ok." Serge said as he pulled out the picture of Mr.Bergen and the Norwegian message.

"And I can't say that message, it's in Norwegian. But Liv should be able to read it. I added the picture of her father to give to help her connect to him." Serge handing the young girl the message and picture.

"No some of them do not like one another and are jealous of one another but most of them are friends."
Jane explained.
"As for their names well there is Snuggles, Betty, Dee Dee, Allison, Buddy..."
The list went on for some time with the names for the little girl's dolls.

Serge listened to the young girl attentively, nodding every now and then to show that he was listening. Serge was interested in and wanted to know a little more about the imaginary world that Jane had created for her dolls.

When she was done, Serge smiled and said, "Wow that's a lot of dolls! Why are some of them jealous of each other? They should all be friends."

[Nicole Bouchard]

Anja's Post:

'I never crash. It's the other things which get in the way.' Nicole replied with a smile, gathering up her palmtop - now showing a screensaver of flying toasters - quickly shutting it down and shoving it into her rucksack and moving into the cockpit.

'So, where do you want me?' turning to look at Rodger.

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