Re: Preparing for War, Pineal Glands and Deperate Measures IC Thread 21

[Adley]

Darrian nodded he glanced at you and then over at Adley. "Perhaps taking the kid with you is not such a bad idea Mr Roth Hicks, he could be useful to you."The alchemist commented.

He nodded to him. "Yes, hopefully."

"Yeah, its a fun little trick but gets annoying. You tend to learn a bit too much from a person's aura." Serge said with slight smile.

"Could be a useful 'trick.' Just be careful."

"Thanks for the advice. My own knowledge of spirits is quite slim." Serge said with a nod.

Taking that as a cue to add anything else immediately relevant, he said, "Fully manifested spirits usually can be attacked just as we can. They also can attack us, in turn."

Taking out the self-portrait that Meg had drawn for him, Serge looked at it with a frown. "Damn, I hate to mess with such a nice picture, but with the lack of time it's either this or drugs."

As Serge talked about drugs, he said, "They never seem to summon the ones with nice countenances, go figure. I don't think you'd want to be under the influence of anything and deal with that at the same time."

"Agreed but when it comes to sniffing out something spiritual Mundi are pretty good at that but yes I do want to go upstairs and help but I do not know if it is wise to leave Mrs Knox and Ty here alone to watch over the prisoners."
Darrian said hesitantly, he was clearly not completely sure what to do.

"We do need someone to hold this floor, not just here but the other side of the basement too," he said with a nod. "With everyone else going up, it's probably useful to have someone do that that is strong enough to get help. Not that I would suggest to a Master what they should do, sir," he added.

"I will help out, though with several injured I will need to return to Morningstar before to long." Kristina said."Could you direct me to your wash room or anywhere with a sink or running water please?"

"Thank you," he said. He directed her to the closest washroom or water source available.
//

Adley and Serge you got to the first floor after the group that Nicole is in and before Colin, you get that nasty, wrong feeling from the top floors that just told you that something was not right.

Serge clutched his chest as he felt that evil feeling. "You feel that too, right?" Serge asked Adley as he hurried beside him

He wasn't walking as fast as he'd like, that much was clear. The harder he pushed himself, the tighter his jaw got in pain in frustration. As they went, he tried to scan around for any signs that there was something else going on in the floors. He also looked for the spiderlings. He nodded to Serge as he spoke up, the feeling swimming above him, like a dark miasma. "Unfortunately. Remember what I said about the spirits...it's either them or some foul magick. Or both..."

 You see a young, brown haired man and an Italian with black hair come running they had felt the presence as well, Adley would off course recognize Arn Woodhouse and Antonio Riez. "What in the world is going on?" Antonio asked, he grabbed his notebook tightly. "Are we under attack Sodalis?"

"Yes, yes we are. Their's too many details to get into right now. We've taken care of the trouble in the basement but the Nephandi probably have more up their sleeves. Our wards have been decayed and portals are being opened and people might be taken. Have you guys seen or heard anything strange going on?" Serge said quickly trying to list off everything that needed to be said.

"Yes I have lost contact wit the lesser Umbrood I have guarding my room, his name have become unreadable in my notes."
The Italian looking man said in a precise, crisp tone of voice. "And a group of our least combat worthy members where sent through to the cafeteria to hide a little while ago." He added he looked like he wanted to ask who you where but decided there where no time.
"We should get up there and help then."

"That makes sense. From what we understand, those portals might be connected to the umbra and the Nephandi are going to use them to take what they want. And what the Nephandi want right now is Lisa Larson's daughter."

"Damn..."Antonio said and he looked quite worried. "I sure hope my student is ok in all of this..."

"Yeah they can use all the help they can get." Serge said wanting to waste no time. As he talked Serge finished up his drawing for his mind shield, placing the last pencil stroke onto the page and invoking his magic into it.

He frowned when Antonio spoke about the Umbrood - that was not a good indicator of it's fate. "Your student was in a hostage situation but he is unharmed," he reassured him, "he was just ahead of us coming up," he added, as he started to walk again, unbuttoning his coat to retrieve something as they walked.

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

He nodded to him. "Yes, hopefully."

Darrian nodded.
"Well young Mr Yager seam to have allot of potential Mr Roth Hicks."
He said and glanced at the young Cultist.

"We do need someone to hold this floor, not just here but the other side of the basement too," he said with a nod. "With everyone else going up, it's probably useful to have someone do that that is strong enough to get help. Not that I would suggest to a Master what they should do, sir," he added.

"Well I have been a Master of the Art for all of a month and I have little experience in a fight, I do agree with you though we need someone to hold this floor as well, since well the Nephandi might be coming for your brother...or their captured friends."
The alchemist said then he nodded.
"But I can offer Mundi's help and though him I will know what is going on upstairs as well and you can communicate with me through his ears."
He said and patted his familiar's large head fondly.

"Thank you," he said. He directed her to the closest washroom or water source available.

That would be the laundry room that Diego was held in, meaning Kristina would manage to wash her arms but her mind might feel dirtier for the insults he loved to fling.
"No problem, we all have to help one another out in time of need."
The Verbena said as she gave you a nod and walked towards the laundry room.

He wasn't walking as fast as he'd like, that much was clear. The harder he pushed himself, the tighter his jaw got in pain in frustration. As they went, he tried to scan around for any signs that there was something else going on in the floors.

The rest of the Chantry seamed fairly calm, there where very few people around though as most where either up on the third floor trying to defend the Chantry or down in the cafeteria hiding, but there did not appear to be any more breaches of the wards.

He also looked for the spiderlings.

You saw Uragi's children at the windows where they where gathered in green clusters and they where not happy, they where stomping their tiny feet in agitation as they worked on the wards, when they noticed you looking at them the whole swarm stopped what they where doing and ran over to you though and chittered as they hid behind you. Harry crawled up your leg and started repairing a tear in your sweater, he clearly where agitated and sulking, the little spirits probably could feel the ominous presence above as well.

He frowned when Antonio spoke about the Umbrood - that was not a good indicator of it's fate. "Your student was in a hostage situation but he is unharmed," he reassured him, "he was just ahead of us coming up," he added, as he started to walk again, unbuttoning his coat to retrieve something as they walked.

"What...Andrew was in a hostage situation?"
Antonio exclaimed he was clearly very concerned for his student all of a sudden.
"You are sure he is alright Sodalis?"
He asked.
"We better get up to help the others then..."
He said clearly not liking the thought of his apprentice being in danger.

Your small group got up the stairs and there was chaos, you saw Nicole fighting something that looked like some sort of humanoid made out of oil, to your eyes you clearly saw it was an manifested Ubrood, several of the Deacons where fighting something inside of Hannah's room and the woman herself was screaming in fear in there. Around half the members of Steelhaven was up here trying to fend of whatever was in the room and the black oil thing out in the hallway, bullets and spells where flying everywhere and again it was chaos. You did not see Andrew though or Henrietta they might have been sent to the kitchen with the other non combatants.
"Fuck that thing!"
Helga exclaimed as another of the oil creatures made their way out of Hannah's room, it was as big as a large man with a head, arms and legs but not very many features and it was oil slick and blacker than black.
"Dammit!"
Your Mentor exclaimed he was bleeding from a deep cut in his left arm and he created a ball of white hot flame and tossed it at the new oil creature and it screamed and dropped it's manifested form and slid back into the Umbra. Seeing you Jeffry gave you a warm smile but there where no time for anything more as his hands where already working on another spell.

[Warpmind]

"What is change?"
Engrave asked.
"I do not understand."

Colin pondered, "It is when one is one thing, then becomes another. Like when I gave you a new name - you were purposeless, then you accepted change and became what you are. It's... a strange thing, really."

"What are the Technocracy? And why should the Prince fear them?"
Karl asked and he looked rather confused.
"You can try to explain things for Lodin but I still do not think he would take well to you taking out Nicolai, he might decide to move against the kid himself but for a outsider doing so that is something else..."

He frowned, "The Technocracy... is a kind of Mage group who want to destroy the magical aspects of the world, to protect the mortals from abuses. They have been pushing technological progress forward for centuries, making magical effects available to everyone, making things a little harder for the rest of us by making people not believe magic is possible. Microwaves, airplanes, internal combustion engines, mobile phones... all tried-and-true magical talismans that were suddenly acceptable when explained with science..."

"Miss Adlebloom why would she?"
Ty begun then he caught on and smiled.
"Ahhh...congratulations to you both then..."

He grinned, "Thank you."

"So that woman was your apprentice long into the future...ok...that is not stranger than some of the other stuff I have learned about the last month."
The newly Awakened mage muttered.
"I look forward to meeting her then."

He sighed, "You're preaching to the choir, as they say. That didn't even register as odd on my scale..."

"Congratulations Sir."
Rosa said she still looked confused.
"Yeah I can not say I fully understand, not yet at least."

He nodded, "You will. Or you will not. Rather depends on how well you learn to meddle with time. And... that's bound to be an unhealthy thing to do; Paradox seems particularly unappreciative of temporal shenanigans."

It was hard to say what the bullets where exactly but they seamed to have the same Resonance as the sand, it was possible they where filled with the sand or glass made from it.

His eyes widened ever so slightly, "Oh, these rounds are going to be devastating against the Fallen, I think..."

Rosa nodded and she took the bag and picked up a pinch of sand.
"It feels warm, like beach sand when i was a kid, when a day at the beach where just perfect."
The Cultist muttered.
"Are you saying an Avatar made this Sir?"
She asked with wonder in her eyes.

He nodded, "Slowly grinding away at the damage the Caul once did, coiling and uncoiling itself, righting itself from within, each little grinding off grains of sand that should... well, we'll just have to see what happens."
He slapped the magazine into the gun and took the bag back, "Now, miss Olsen, I don't think your Mentor would appreciate me dragging you into battle so soon... so would you go join the other non-combatants until things are clear?"

((OOC: "Ex" translates better as "out of"; originally, the phrase referred to a theatrical gimmick, where a "god" emerged from a box and made everything right at the end of a play. Long story short, playwrights wrote themselves into corners so consistently around 2500 years ago that they standardized divine intervention as a narrative mechanic. ))

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

Colin pondered, "It is when one is one thing, then becomes another. Like when I gave you a new name - you were purposeless, then you accepted change and became what you are. It's... a strange thing, really."

"In parts of the now I have been a different being now I am a new being...I see that is change...hum..."
Engrave said while he work.
"You stop being one thing and then are another."

He frowned, "The Technocracy... is a kind of Mage group who want to destroy the magical aspects of the world, to protect the mortals from abuses. They have been pushing technological progress forward for centuries, making magical effects available to everyone, making things a little harder for the rest of us by making people not believe magic is possible. Microwaves, airplanes, internal combustion engines, mobile phones... all tried-and-true magical talismans that were suddenly acceptable when explained with science..."

"Are you telling me airplanes and microwaves and everything else is magick? But how can that be Mr Wainwright it is all so common."
Karl said and he sounded rather doubtful.
"So these Technocracy people are your enemies? They want to protect the world from supernatural forces so they are hunters of sort?"

He grinned, "Thank you."

Ty gave you a big smile at that.

He sighed, "You're preaching to the choir, as they say. That didn't even register as odd on my scale..."

Rosa gave you a bit of an odd look but she eventually just nodded but she seamed to accept what you where saying.
"Well Sir there have been allot of odd things going on lately."

He nodded, "You will. Or you will not. Rather depends on how well you learn to meddle with time. And... that's bound to be an unhealthy thing to do; Paradox seems particularly unappreciative of temporal shenanigans."

"I think my Mentor plan on teaching me to manipulate time and I can sort of perfectly sense how long something will take or exactly what time it is or how old something is you know...then again that is the only bit of magick I can currently do. I have heard Paradox do not like Time magick yeah or that reality do not, but then I do not think I have suffered any Paradox yet..."
The young Cultist said as she glanced at you still a bit confused.

His eyes widened ever so slightly, "Oh, these rounds are going to be devastating against the Fallen, I think..."

"The bullets will work well against Nephandi Sir? I don't understand I am sorry."
The young woman said and scratched her head.

He nodded, "Slowly grinding away at the damage the Caul once did, coiling and uncoiling itself, righting itself from within, each little grinding off grains of sand that should... well, we'll just have to see what happens."

"So the sand is...Avatar droppings Sir?"
Rosa said and quickly handed the bag back to you.
"I have not been a mage for more than a month but is not touching someone else's Avatar awfully intimate..."
She said and she sounded a bit uncomfortable at the thought.

He slapped the magazine into the gun and took the bag back, "Now, miss Olsen, I don't think your Mentor would appreciate me dragging you into battle so soon... so would you go join the other non-combatants until things are clear?"

"Ehm...yeah...sure it is not like I can do to much in a fight yet...there are several people in the cafeteria so I can go there...but good luck Sir and be careful."
Rosa said regretfully that she could not be of greater help.

(OOC: Well then I know that. And now I am off to play MtG I will post more later.)

[Jeremy Silverstein]

Taking that as a cue to add anything else immediately relevant, he said, "Fully manifested spirits usually can be attacked just as we can. They also can attack us, in turn."

"Do they have minds that can be affected?" Serge asked knowing that he likely couldn't do anything to physically harm a fully manifested spirit.

As Serge talked about drugs, he said, "They never seem to summon the ones with nice countenances, go figure. I don't think you'd want to be under the influence of anything and deal with that at the same time."

"Yeah, now is not the time to get high on crazy cult of Ecstasy drugs. " Serge said with a slight chuckle as he drew the picture.

He wasn't walking as fast as he'd like, that much was clear. The harder he pushed himself, the tighter his jaw got in pain in frustration. As they went, he tried to scan around for any signs that there was something else going on in the floors. He also looked for the spiderlings. He nodded to Serge as he spoke up, the feeling swimming above him, like a dark miasma. "Unfortunately. Remember what I said about the spirits...it's either them or some foul magick. Or both..."

"With the luck we've been having it's probably both." Serge said depressingly as concentrated on walking faster to pushing through the evil feeling.  

"Damn...very well we are going to have to get up there and make sure the Nephandi do not get what they want then...excuse me young man but I do not know you while introductions are going to have to avoid, may I ask what your capabilities are so I know what we have of resources for the fight?"
Antonio said and he looked quite worried.

"I'm a disciple of mind. I can affect people's....mind in a number of ways. Make them see things that aren't there and feel feelings that I fabricate. I can also enhance my own senses to see all around me and see the minds of others so I should be able to see any Nephandi who might be hiding." Serge said listing off some of his abilities.

Your small group got up the stairs and there was chaos, you saw Nicole fighting something that looked like some sort of humanoid made out of oil, to your eyes you clearly saw it was an manifested Ubrood, several of the Deacons where fighting something inside of Hannah's room and the woman herself was screaming in fear in there. Around half the members of Steelhaven was up here trying to fend of whatever was in the room and the black oil thing out in the hallway, bullets and spells where flying everywhere and again it was chaos. You did not see Andrew though or Henrietta they might have been sent to the kitchen with the other non combatants.

"That damn picture lied to me." Serge said as he saw the hectic fight that seemed to come straight out of a horror movie. "How is this subtle or stealthy?!"

Serge knew that now was not the time to question a picture depicting events that may or may not be happening right now. He quickly tried to focus himself and kept an eye on the strange black things, trying to make sense of them and where they might have come from.

(OOC: In Serge's Paradigm he is shaping the chaotic nature of the the world. Focusing his will and imagination through his instruments to manipulate and shape reality to his wishes. His art is a part of his imagination brought into reality and as long as he has the picture on him it should be able to influence the world. He probably could use his other instruments for magick effects but he likely believes that he can't change or use new artwork/symbols without losing the benefits of the old artwork. Also using intense magick (Like extreme Mind 3 effects) will also probably hinder past effects since all of his imagination and willpower will be focused on the new effect. Does that make sense?)

(OOC2: Rolling Perception+Awareness to try and see if Serge can spot anything new about these guys. Roll: 6, 7, 3, 2.)

(OOC3: I'm actually not sure if Serge would know this, but just in case he does, would he know if spirits have minds that can be affected with his magick?)

[Nicole Bouchard]

Anja's Post:

Nicole's eyes widened as the head melted. 'Fuck!' she snarled, already moving back a step - she'd been half-expecting this; she needed to fall back and let somebody else try a non-lead based solution to this...

[Attempting to Dodge back from oil-thing. Is Nicole fighting the 'original' one?]

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

Serge:

"I'm a disciple of mind. I can affect people's....mind in a number of ways. Make them see things that aren't there and feel feelings that I fabricate. I can also enhance my own senses to see all around me and see the minds of others so I should be able to see any Nephandi who might be hiding." Serge said listing off some of his abilities.

"That is quite useful young man, I am not sure if making them see things that are not there will work on Umbroods they view the world so differently but perhaps you can find some way to trick from them their names."
Antonio suggested as he hurried up the stairs.

"That damn picture lied to me." Serge said as he saw the hectic fight that seemed to come straight out of a horror movie. "How is this subtle or stealthy?!"

Antonio raised an eyebrow.
"I am afraid I do not catch your meaning young man."
He said as he begun writing in his notebook.

Serge knew that now was not the time to question a picture depicting events that may or may not be happening right now. He quickly tried to focus himself and kept an eye on the strange black things, trying to make sense of them and where they might have come from.

It was hard to say the spirits where rather alien, they where clearly intelligent and seamed to go after the most powerful Chantry members and those who where well armed first, as well as those who attacked them but it was really not possible for you to figure out where they had come from just by looking at them, you did not have enough knowledge of the spirit world to that, but wherever it was it was probably nowhere good, the things smelled of oil and sulfur and appeared quite hostile.

Nicole:

You quickly stepped out of the way of the oily tentacle shooting out of the now headless spirit, you could feel it streak past you, broke of the entity it came from and splatted into the wall not far from you. Jeffry send a new ball of fire right into the spirit you where fighting with and he hit it in the chest, it screamed in a chittering voice and sent another ball of oil snot after the Master, he managed to tossed himself to the side and barely avoided the attack, at least the thing's attention was of you for a moment.

(OOC: Nicole's dodge roll: 2.3.5.5.7.7. Yes you are fighting the first of the creatures that came out of Hannah's room.)

(OOC 2: Serge's Paradigm looks interesting and that works great.)

(OOC 3: I do not think Serge knows much about spirits but it is not to much of a stretch for him to try.)

[Adley]

"Well I have been a Master of the Art for all of a month and I have little experience in a fight, I do agree with you though we need someone to hold this floor as well, since well the Nephandi might be coming for your brother...or their captured friends." The alchemist said then he nodded.
"But I can offer Mundi's help and though him I will know what is going on upstairs as well and you can communicate with me through his ears."

Adley looked at Mundi and then back at Darrian with surprise. "It is likely to be dangerous sir, but if you can help manage him and it lets you know what is going on and that is helpful to you, then thank you both." He tilted his head. "There are still guards on the other side of the basement, yes?"

That would be the laundry room that Diego was held in, meaning Kristina would manage to wash her arms but her mind might feel dirtier for the insults he loved to fling."No problem, we all have to help one another out in time of need."

"Eh...there is a foul-mouthed Fallen prisoner in there, fair warning, perhaps you might wish to go to another," He told her the next closest available, just in case she didn't want her blood near a Fallen. Or ears in vicinity of his mouth.

"Do they have minds that can be affected?" Serge asked knowing that he likely couldn't do anything to physically harm a fully manifested spirit.

"Some are able to have full conversations and bargains with us and use languages, they and are beings of Intelligence and Power made of ephemera, though it is not a human-like type of intelligence. Others have an intelligence more on par with animals or children and others are so away from our human concept of being or our ability to understand them that the communication would be like an ant talking to a god. I am not able to use ars mens, so I am not sure, but I would hazard to say yes, from my perspective, they could. Though how much would vary."

"Yeah, now is not the time to get high on crazy cult of Ecstasy drugs. " Serge said

"Yes, let's not all conform to our stereotypes, hrm? It's clearly time to chuck fireballs at enemies," he teased. Then he swore in Greek. "Ah, I should be careful what I wish for..."

You saw Uragi's children at the windows where they where gathered in green clusters and they where not happy, they where stomping their tiny feet in agitation as they worked on the wards, when they noticed you looking at them the whole swarm stopped what they where doing and ran over to you though and chittered as they hid behind you. Harry crawled up your leg and started repairing a tear in your sweater, he clearly where agitated and sulking, the little spirits probably could feel the ominous presence above as well.

Adley flinched a touch as the swarm came at him, surprised at their reaction and then reached over to Harry and gave him a bit of a pet of sorts, as much as one can pet a small, ephemeral crystalline spider. It probably looked like he was itching a spot on his sweater, to him. He said 'Greetings' in Enochian to them and then looked at the spot where they'd been working on the wards. "We have just been joined by some help, hopefully they can help repair the tear in the wards..." he said to Serge, switching back to English from the musical language he'd just used momentarily to address the spiderlings.

"What...Andrew was in a hostage situation?"
Antonio exclaimed he was clearly very concerned for his student all of a sudden.
"You are sure he is alright Sodalis?"

"He was frightened but the attacker did not physically harm him. He was very brave." As they walked Adley pulled out what looked all the world like a mechanical fly swatter, as if this were a natural choice in weaponry.

Your small group got up the stairs and there was chaos, you saw Nicole fighting something that looked like some sort of humanoid made out of oil, to your eyes you clearly saw it was an manifested Ubrood

"...Never the nice ones," he muttered, giving his pater a nod of recognition. He checked out the wards above and the danger to Uragi's kids, to gauge if he should ask them to start to repair the rent that was caused by the portal and help close it before something else came in, or the girl, out.

"That damn picture lied to me." Serge said as he saw the hectic fight that seemed to come straight out of a horror movie. "How is this subtle or stealthy?!"

"It's not very, it could be another distraction, you said three attacks, this could be the second," he said, with a frown. But damned if they didn't need to stop it anyway.  He saw a tentacle writhe out and then it's 'head' was taken off, but the thing kept going. He pulled the flyswatter up and got ready to give the thing a solid smack in its ephemera when there was an opening.

// ooc1 - re: kristina, well, perhaps the /second/ closest water source as well, considering Diego xD
ooc2- that's a good question about spirits having a Mind. IC answer - To Adley, they are beings that potentially can have an Intelligence (varying by type of spirit, some aren't too bright), so in his paradigm I think he would say they /could/ at least but he hasn't studied Mind.
ooc3: melee: 3, 0, 0, 5, 5, 8 (at -2) I think it needs one to discharge we said, so the rest is damage, but that's negligible since it's a flyswatter xD
ooc4: (last one, sorry) - will be out for a bit. Making like a mage and hitting Ikea and doing some more yardwork.

[Jeremy Silverstein]

"Some are able to have full conversations and bargains with us and use languages, they and are beings of Intelligence and Power made of ephemera, though it is not a human-like type of intelligence. Others have an intelligence more on par with animals or children and others are so away from our human concept of being or our ability to understand them that the communication would be like an ant talking to a god. I am not able to use ars mens, so I am not sure, but I would hazard to say yes, from my perspective, they could. Though how much would vary."

"We'll find out soon enough." Serge said with a sigh.

"Yes, let's not all conform to our stereotypes, hrm? It's clearly time to chuck fireballs at enemies," he teased. Then he swore in Greek. "Ah, I should be careful what I wish for..."

"Man I would love to see an actual full-fledged magickal fireball. I'm already loving your mage shield and their aren't many situation where you get to see one of those in real life." Serge said smiling although it quickly dissipated in light of the situation.

"Although I would never wish for something like this to happen...."

"We have just been joined by some help, hopefully they can help repair the tear in the wards..." he said to Serge, switching back to English from the musical language he'd just used momentarily to address the spiderlings.

"That's good. Those wards need to be repaired asap. Also what language did you just speak in? Actually tell me later when we have the time." Serge said, not actually knowing what they had been joined by but deciding to leave questions for later.

Antonio raised an eyebrow.
"I am afraid I do not catch your meaning young man."
He said as he begun writing in his notebook.

"Yeah let's just say this attack wasn't a surprise. It was foretold a couple of hours ago within a picture. It was quite....vague." Serge said as he brought up his own sketchbook.

"It's not very, it could be another distraction, you said three attacks, this could be the second," he said, with a frown. But damned if they didn't need to stop it anyway.

"From what I saw this entire thing should be the third attack on Steelhaven. Although I wouldn't put it past the cryptic seer to foretell three small attacks occurring within the third overall attack of Steelhaven. Three seems to be a very important number. Although I'm guessing this is a by-product of ripping open portals." Serge said clenching his teeth.

It was hard to say the spirits where rather alien, they where clearly intelligent and seamed to go after the most powerful Chantry members and those who where well armed first, as well as those who attacked them but it was really not possible for you to figure out where they had come from just by looking at them, you did not have enough knowledge of the spirit world to that, but wherever it was it was probably nowhere good, the things smelled of oil and sulfur and appeared quite hostile.

"Doesn't look like its being controlled. It's just retaliating to whoever attacked it as well as to whatever it sees as a threat. It seems to be intelligent...at least to some degree." Serge said mostly to himself and to no one in particular.

"Will I even be able to affect a spirit. Maybe being fully manifested changes things. Damn I don't know! Well might as well try." Serge thought as he began to look at the new oil monster that had just come out of Hannah's room.

He lifted up his pencil then stopped. If he made a new picture his mind shield would cease to exist. Grumbling under his breath, Serge looked straight the newest oil monster and began whispering. His voice was tiny, quiet, similar to the evil little voice in the back of your head that tries to direct your actions.

"He is weakened now. Now is your chance. Strike him down before he becomes a threat. Don't let him recover."

In his mind Serge imagined the two oil being fighting amongst one another and infused that imagination into his words, directing towards the newly emerged oil man.

(OOC: Serge is going to try and see if he can effect the oil beings. He is going to try to use a Mind 2 effect and direct the new oil-being's hostility and aggression towards the original oil-being and away from the other mages.

Arete Roll: 2, 8, 7)

[Nicole Bouchard]

Anja's Post:

Seeing the Hermetic in a bit of... difficulty, Nicole inwardly groaned. There was no choice; she'd have to attempt to draw Slick's attention back to her - if lucky, it would buy him enough time to counter-attack. She quickly aimed at Slick, trusting the weapon's sight to give a good shot; plan was to move back a little, fire off a couple of rounds rapid, then immediately dodge the tentacle of goo which will be surely heading right at her...

[Warpmind]

"In parts of the now I have been a different being now I am a new being...I see that is change...hum..."
Engrave said while he work.
"You stop being one thing and then are another."

Colin nodded, "Some times, change means you become something more, rather than something else - in a different now, I was a destroyer, in a more recent now, I also became a creator and preserver. I am still a destroyer, but so much more... Incarnate beings are strange, and I might be able to explain better when I speak a proper language."

"Are you telling me airplanes and microwaves and everything else is magick? But how can that be Mr Wainwright it is all so common."
Karl said and he sounded rather doubtful.
"So these Technocracy people are your enemies? They want to protect the world from supernatural forces so they are hunters of sort?"

He smiled thinly, "When you fire a gun, you hammer a metal drum with a metal stick, so a powder explodes and hurls a metal ball forward at incredible speed. Once, it was magic, but now, everyone accepts how it works because of science, so more mystical means of throwing metal balls faster than sound are not only unnecessary, but far more difficult to pull off. Once, they had a noble goal of protecting humanity, but now... they seek to control it, to smother all that defies an extremely rigid framework of what is measurable and predictable. You, me, werewolves, spirits, Fey, whatever little supernatural beings you can think of, we're all 'Reality Deviants' needing to be simply eradicated according to them. So less like hunters, and more like an excessively armed IRS, demanding to know about and control every coin in circulation..."

Rosa gave you a bit of an odd look but she eventually just nodded but she seamed to accept what you where saying.
"Well Sir there have been allot of odd things going on lately."

He nodded sagely, "That is truer than you might ever know... The past and the future is looping around, converging on the present; what happens this week may well change the face of the world."

"I think my Mentor plan on teaching me to manipulate time and I can sort of perfectly sense how long something will take or exactly what time it is or how old something is you know...then again that is the only bit of magick I can currently do. I have heard Paradox do not like Time magick yeah or that reality do not, but then I do not think I have suffered any Paradox yet..."
The young Cultist said as she glanced at you still a bit confused.

He nodded, "Sensing things - seeing the past or the future, that's not particularly dangerous. It's when you start changing things, directly influencing time that the troubles start coming your way, I think. Creating time bubbles, moving out of sync with the time flow... Anna was either incredibly brave or rather reckless in coming here from the future, but most likely, it will prove necessary..."

"The bullets will work well against Nephandi Sir? I don't understand I am sorry."
The young woman said and scratched her head.

He held up a bullet, "These are resonated like the sand... Either they are filled with sand, or glass made from the sand... and the sand is going to be quite impractical for the Fallen, I expect."

"So the sand is...Avatar droppings Sir?"
Rosa said and quickly handed the bag back to you.
"I have not been a mage for more than a month but is not touching someone else's Avatar awfully intimate..."
She said and she sounded a bit uncomfortable at the thought.

He nodded, "It is... well, not exactly droppings, more like when a reptile moults... Actually, since it is a dragon, that's probably a very good simile, come to think of it... It is a little intimate, but she'll have had a long time to get adjusted to the notion, I think, even if she'll be a bit embarassed by sanding everywhere for some time..."

"Ehm...yeah...sure it is not like I can do to much in a fight yet...there are several people in the cafeteria so I can go there...but good luck Sir and be careful."
Rosa said regretfully that she could not be of greater help.

He nodded, then paused for a moment, "Actually, there is one thing - get a mug or bowl or something and take a little of the sand. If the Fallen should come into the cafeteria, blow a little in their faces and hope for the best."

((OOC: When Anna shows up, Colin's probably gonna have some 'splainin' to do. Actually, he's going to anyway. That scale, though, might lend some credence to her trustworthiness and ease things along with Morgan and the Deacon Council. ))

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

Nicole:

You aimed the gun at the oil like creature and fired, the bullet hit it's arm and again it made that chittering sound though it did not seam like it took much damage, getting the creature's attention though that the bullet managed and it shot another bit of itself towards you. Jeffry turned on his heel to face the creature now that it had moved and he moved his hands in sharp hand gestures while chanting in Latin.
"Sit caro tua, atque urere animam viventem turpi ut iubes!"
The creature you had been fighting with suddenly screamed in it's strange, chittering voice and vanished leaving a foul stench behind. Jeffry gave you a recognizing nod and a small smile before he turned back to the door to Hannah's room.
"If someone can keep the creatures busy I will work on taking down that portal, we can not let the Nephandi get Miss Larson!"
Jeffry ordered. Adjan nodded and fired into the room and you herd more chittering, Helga and several other magi followed suit and did their best to attack through the doorway to the young woman's room.

(OOC: Could you describe how Nicole do an effect, not just sending me a PM about her using one and which dots are involved, but rather describe how she do her magick from her point of view. Also I would prefer if you posted what your character do in the IC thread I am sure that is just a difference in how things are done in various games but I prefer to have all of that in the IC thread. For now though her Arete roll is 3,5,6 which let the effect go off but Mage gets better if things are described from the view of the character's Paradigm.)

Colin:

Colin nodded, "Some times, change means you become something more, rather than something else - in a different now, I was a destroyer, in a more recent now, I also became a creator and preserver. I am still a destroyer, but so much more... Incarnate beings are strange, and I might be able to explain better when I speak a proper language."

"I do not understand."
Engrave said and shook his head.
"One are what one are one do not become more or less..."

He smiled thinly, "When you fire a gun, you hammer a metal drum with a metal stick, so a powder explodes and hurls a metal ball forward at incredible speed. Once, it was magic, but now, everyone accepts how it works because of science, so more mystical means of throwing metal balls faster than sound are not only unnecessary, but far more difficult to pull off.

"O...ok that is neat I guess but I am going to have to take your word for it, to be honest it did not make much sense to me, I have seen supernatural powers I have several myself they are not the same as the laws of physics reacting on a metal ball."
Karl said and looked puzzled.

Once, they had a noble goal of protecting humanity, but now... they seek to control it, to smother all that defies an extremely rigid framework of what is measurable and predictable. You, me, werewolves, spirits, Fey, whatever little supernatural beings you can think of, we're all 'Reality Deviants' needing to be simply eradicated according to them. So less like hunters, and more like an excessively armed IRS, demanding to know about and control every coin in circulation..."

"Well these Technocrats sounds like assholes."
The vampire muttered sourly.
"But if they are after all supernatural creatures why have I never heard about them before?"

He nodded sagely, "That is truer than you might ever know... The past and the future is looping around, converging on the present; what happens this week may well change the face of the world."

"Yeah my Mentor have said something similar and it is a little scary and allot confusing."
Rosa said and frowned.

He nodded, "Sensing things - seeing the past or the future, that's not particularly dangerous. It's when you start changing things, directly influencing time that the troubles start coming your way, I think. Creating time bubbles, moving out of sync with the time flow... Anna was either incredibly brave or rather reckless in coming here from the future, but most likely, it will prove necessary..."

"Yeah my Mentor tells me that very few things gets you more Paradox than backwards time travel, I hope that woman will be okey but as you said Sir her recklessness might be necessary if you think the items she gave you are important."
The young Cultist said and nodded.

He held up a bullet, "These are resonated like the sand... Either they are filled with sand, or glass made from the sand... and the sand is going to be quite impractical for the Fallen, I expect."

"I am still not getting how Fallen mages can be troubled by sand but you know more about this than me Sir so I am not going to protest and if it works then great right!"
The young mage said and gave you and uncertain smile.

He nodded, "It is... well, not exactly droppings, more like when a reptile moults... Actually, since it is a dragon, that's probably a very good simile, come to think of it... It is a little intimate, but she'll have had a long time to get adjusted to the notion, I think, even if she'll be a bit embarassed by sanding everywhere for some time..."

"Avatars molts? I thought they where spirits or something."
Rosa said then she raised an eyebrow.
"So echm this sand comes from your apprentice like manifests around her Sir...ok then..."

He nodded, then paused for a moment, "Actually, there is one thing - get a mug or bowl or something and take a little of the sand. If the Fallen should come into the cafeteria, blow a little in their faces and hope for the best."

"Ok...one moment then..."
Rosa said then she looked around and took a decorative bowl from a nearby table, wiped it down with the hem of her shirt and handed it to you.
"Will this do Sir?"

(OOC: Yeah Anna will be a bit surprised but the scale might indeed help her yes.)

(OOC: Ooops I did not see Strife and Jeremy's reply I will make their reply now.)

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

Adley looked at Mundi and then back at Darrian with surprise. "It is likely to be dangerous sir, but if you can help manage him and it lets you know what is going on and that is helpful to you, then thank you both." He tilted his head. "There are still guards on the other side of the basement, yes?"

"Mundi require little managing, he might have the behavior of a dog in many ways but do not forget that he is a spirit, and no I do not wish to send him into danger but we are all in jeopardy are we not and I do think he can help."
Darrian said then he nodded.
"Yes Master Nassa and Mr King should be on guard duty of the Node and the patients there."
He confirmed.

"Eh...there is a foul-mouthed Fallen prisoner in there, fair warning, perhaps you might wish to go to another," He told her the next closest available, just in case she didn't want her blood near a Fallen. Or ears in vicinity of his mouth.

"I think I can manage Mr Roth Hicks but thank you for your concern."
Kristina said and gave you a slight smile. The next sink or water source where all the way up in the kitchen, or into the magickal section of the basement one of the labs had a sink.

Adley flinched a touch as the swarm came at him, surprised at their reaction and then reached over to Harry and gave him a bit of a pet of sorts, as much as one can pet a small, ephemeral crystalline spider.

Harry did not understand the concept of being petted but he did not seam to mind either as he was mending your sweater, working diligently as always.

He said 'Greetings' in Enochian to them and then looked at the spot where they'd been working on the wards. "We have just been joined by some help, hopefully they can help repair the tear in the wards..." he said to Serge, switching back to English from the musical language he'd just used momentarily to address the spiderlings.

The spiderlings stomped their legs joyfully at being greeted. The wards both your and your Mentor's and Beatrice's on the window the little spirits had worked on was perfect.

"He was frightened but the attacker did not physically harm him. He was very brave." As they walked Adley pulled out what looked all the world like a mechanical fly swatter, as if this were a natural choice in weaponry.

Antonio smiled proudly when you told him Andrew had been brave.
"Good...yes he is a fine student."
He said and nodded, the scribe did not seam to surprised at your choice of weapon Arn though raised an eyebrow though the young Solificato was to polite to ask.

"...Never the nice ones," he muttered, giving his pater a nod of recognition. He checked out the wards above and the danger to Uragi's kids, to gauge if he should ask them to start to repair the rent that was caused by the portal and help close it before something else came in, or the girl, out.

The oil slick creatures would probably be able to harm the little gafflings, the wards at Hannah's apartment was all but gone, around it and on the attic and down on the second floor they seamed to have been weakened but they where holding, if the attacking spirits could be kept busy having the spiderlings try to repair the damage might cut of the portal you where feeling then again without taking a good look inside of Hannah's apartment it was hard to say how many of the oil slick creatures there where.

"It's not very, it could be another distraction, you said three attacks, this could be the second," he said, with a frown. But damned if they didn't need to stop it anyway. He saw a tentacle writhe out and then it's 'head' was taken off, but the thing kept going. He pulled the flyswatter up and got ready to give the thing a solid smack in its ephemera when there was an opening.

Jeffry dispatched the headless spirit, however as he did two more pressed their way past the group of attacking magi, one of them grabbed Jon bu the neck and slammed the Virtual Adept to the ground, your unfortunate Cabalmate groaning but at least he was alive. The second spirit sent two globs of oily black material flying at Adjan but the Euthanathos managed to duck out of the way.
"Fuck kill one two more rare their ugly heads!"
Adjan grunted in annoyed tone of voice.

You swung your flyswatter at the spirit that was attacking Jon and the thing gave a chittering scream and backed away, it sort of shimmered as if being hit with the flyswatter disturbed it's physical form, but it did not take much damage, at least it had stopped pummeling Jon.

"Yeah let's just say this attack wasn't a surprise. It was foretold a couple of hours ago within a picture. It was quite....vague." Serge said as he brought up his own sketchbook.

Antonio looked at you for a moment then he nodded.
"I see, well far be it for me to mistrust foretold information but whatever or not this attack conforms to your prisoner information it is here now and we need to deal with it."
He said soberly.

"From what I saw this entire thing should be the third attack on Steelhaven. Although I wouldn't put it past the cryptic seer to foretell three small attacks occurring within the third overall attack of Steelhaven. Three seems to be a very important number. Although I'm guessing this is a by-product of ripping open portals." Serge said clenching his teeth.

"That is not very comforting."
The young man who had come with Antonio said and frowned.
"Well one or more attacks we need to stop it."

"Doesn't look like its being controlled. It's just retaliating to whoever attacked it as well as to whatever it sees as a threat. It seems to be intelligent...at least to some degree." Serge said mostly to himself and to no one in particular.

Antonio nodded at that as he fervently scribbled in his notebook."

"Will I even be able to affect a spirit. Maybe being fully manifested changes things. Damn I don't know! Well might as well try." Serge thought as he began to look at the new oil monster that had just come out of Hannah's room.

He lifted up his pencil then stopped. If he made a new picture his mind shield would cease to exist. Grumbling under his breath, Serge looked straight the newest oil monster and began whispering. His voice was tiny, quiet, similar to the evil little voice in the back of your head that tries to direct your actions.

"He is weakened now. Now is your chance. Strike him down before he becomes a threat. Don't let him recover."

In his mind Serge imagined the two oil being fighting amongst one another and infused that imagination into his words, directing towards the newly emerged oil man.

The oil like creature turned and looked at you then it sent two tentacle like streams from it's own body towards you, clearly your magick had affected it, however like your Mentor had told you, getting someone to act completely out of line with their nature was far harder than to make them do something that fell natural to them, getting a security guard who really just wanted to go home to dinner to leave work early would be easy, getting a man to shoot himself though would be allot harder. These spirits had a purpose, they did not just do random violence attacking one another would make no sense and your spell just did not go well enough to force their mind to do something that made no sense to them, the one you tried to manipulate had noticed you though and it was not pleased.

(OOC: I think Kristina will be ok with hearing Diego for a little bit but she might end up hitting him.)
(OOC 2: I would think Adley will assume spirits have minds yes, and they do.)
(OOC 3: Enjoy Ikea and watch out for Nephandi out on furniture runs. )
(OOC 4: I assume Serge will want to dodge the incoming attack so please roll dex plus athletics.)

[Warpmind]

"I do not understand."
Engrave said and shook his head.
"One are what one are one do not become more or less..."

Colin nodded sagely, "Incarnate things are strange."

"O...ok that is neat I guess but I am going to have to take your word for it, to be honest it did not make much sense to me, I have seen supernatural powers I have several myself they are not the same as the laws of physics reacting on a metal ball."
Karl said and looked puzzled.

He smiled, "Before the Brothers Wright managed to build a working aircraft over a hundred years ago, powered flight was impossible; deep in the realm of magic. After they made it, magicless mortals replicated and improved on the achievement over and over... That's the thing, once mortals accept something fantastical as mundane, doing it by fantastical means becomes something more of a pain in the neck. Once, Magi communicated with sending stones, and people accepted it as powerful magic. Now, every Tom, Dick and Harry has a mobile phone, and the old sending stones are a little harder to use."

"Well these Technocrats sounds like assholes."
The vampire muttered sourly.
"But if they are after all supernatural creatures why have I never heard about them before?"

He arched an eyebrow, "Why do you assume you've never heard of them before? They work openly in the shadows, much like the mythological Illuminati, I suppose, and they are very good at covering up supernatural events... The Men in Black are real, a tactical branch of the Technocracy... And they don't go after all supernatural creatures in an obvious way; that would draw attention. They're subtle and meticulous, the bastards..."

"Yeah my Mentor tells me that very few things gets you more Paradox than backwards time travel, I hope that woman will be okey but as you said Sir her recklessness might be necessary if you think the items she gave you are important."
The young Cultist said and nodded.

He nodded, "Well, if she made it here well enough to deliver the items and the message, I'd say she'll probably be fine. Likely some means of mitigating the problem, as well... Well, until Freddy finds out, of course... I suppose I should have a word with her about this, too..."

"I am still not getting how Fallen mages can be troubled by sand but you know more about this than me Sir so I am not going to protest and if it works then great right!"
The young mage said and gave you and uncertain smile.

He nodded, "We will see soon enough."

"Avatars molts? I thought they where spirits or something."
Rosa said then she raised an eyebrow.
"So echm this sand comes from your apprentice like manifests around her Sir...ok then..."

He grinned wryly, "They... usually don't molt, but in her case, she'll spend years restoring her Avatar from a Fallen state. She's a sweet, clever girl, if a little morbid, and this bag and glass scale proves she'll make it. We can start bringing the Fallen back to the light..."

"Ok...one moment then..."
Rosa said then she looked around and took a decorative bowl from a nearby table, wiped it down with the hem of her shirt and handed it to you.
"Will this do Sir?"

He swiftly scooped up some sand in the bowl, maybe three-quarters full or so, and handed the bowl back, "Be careful with this, miss Olsen; it's precious in oh so many ways, and it should not be squandered... Only for defense, in case intruders enter the cafeteria. If they're Fallen, this should be highly detrimental to them..."

He steeled himself and hefted the bag in one hand, the reloaded pistol in the other, and headed upstairs, making the most direct path toward Hannah Larson's room, "Right, keep the others safe, miss Olsen."

[Jeremy Silverstein]

The oil like creature turned and looked at you then it sent two tentacle like streams from it's own body towards you, clearly your magick had affected it, however like your Mentor had told you, getting someone to act completely out of line with their nature was far harder than to make them do something that fell natural to them, getting a security guard who really just wanted to go home to dinner to leave work early would be easy, getting a man to shoot himself though would be allot harder. These spirits had a purpose, they did not just do random violence attacking one another would make no sense and your spell just did not go well enough to force their mind to do something that made no sense to them, the one you tried to manipulate had noticed you though and it was not pleased.

Serge didn't even have the time to realize how stupid his actions were before the oil-monster threw its next attack at him.

Generally enjoying life and more importantly staying alive, Serge immediately tried to quickly get out of the way of the attack, a feat made incredibly difficult by Serge's past laziness and below average physicality.


(OOC: Yes I would like to dodge please . In fact I will put a will power point (3/5 remaining) for one automatic success.
Dex + Athletics Roll: 9, 7)

(OOC2: So yeah Serge did something kind of dumb. I'm just gonna hope that in the chaos no one noticed and will just think that the oil monster really does not like Serge  )

(OOC3: I was actually reading through Serge's backstory again and realized that these monsters sort of resemble the monster that Serge faced when he first awakened.)

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

Colin:

Colin nodded sagely, "Incarnate things are strange."

"Yes incarnate things are very strange."
The Umbrood agreed as he worked.

He smiled, "Before the Brothers Wright managed to build a working aircraft over a hundred years ago, powered flight was impossible; deep in the realm of magic. After they made it, magicless mortals replicated and improved on the achievement over and over... That's the thing, once mortals accept something fantastical as mundane, doing it by fantastical means becomes something more of a pain in the neck. Once, Magi communicated with sending stones, and people accepted it as powerful magic. Now, every Tom, Dick and Harry has a mobile phone, and the old sending stones are a little harder to use."

"But why would magic be more hard to use if there are mundane ways to do something. And for example aircraft technology is not magick it uses the laws of physics to interact with air to get lift, most high schoolers understand how the technology work by now."
Karl asked and shook his head.
"Radios, flash lights, cars all of these things the laws of physics support how they work, it do not support how I can make myself many times faster than a regular human being or lift a car over my head despite my physical musculature not being able to do such a thing that is why it is supernatural it go against the laws of nature and physics."
The vampire protested.

He arched an eyebrow, "Why do you assume you've never heard of them before? They work openly in the shadows, much like the mythological Illuminati, I suppose, and they are very good at covering up supernatural events... The Men in Black are real, a tactical branch of the Technocracy... And they don't go after all supernatural creatures in an obvious way; that would draw attention. They're subtle and meticulous, the bastards..."

"Well there are rumors of vampires captures by men in suits, but we have always assumed they where hunters, but come to think of it they where often the most flashy that would have been taken down by the Prince anyway...that is somewhat creepy come to think about it and these guys are mages like you?"
Karl asked sounding a little uneasy.

He nodded, "Well, if she made it here well enough to deliver the items and the message, I'd say she'll probably be fine. Likely some means of mitigating the problem, as well... Well, until Freddy finds out, of course... I suppose I should have a word with her about this, too..."

"It might be that is why she did not speak with you directly Mr Wainwright she did not want to take the risk of changing the timeline to much."
Rosa suggested.
"Miss Adlebloom? I am afraid I do not understand Sir what do she have to do with this though come to think about it the woman at the door did mention Miss Adlebloom's name and that she would be pissed for her coming here...but Miss Adlebloom is in the cafeteria with the others who can't fight right now right?"

He nodded, "We will see soon enough."

Rosa just nodded at that.

He grinned wryly, "They... usually don't molt, but in her case, she'll spend years restoring her Avatar from a Fallen state. She's a sweet, clever girl, if a little morbid, and this bag and glass scale proves she'll make it. We can start bringing the Fallen back to the light..."

"I do not understand Sir my Mentor told me the Fallen are doomed and can't be saved."
The young Cultist said her eyes wide.
"Do that mean that Bee can be saved as well? She is Fallen is she not that is why those guys came...for her a few days ago, that is why they hurt her..."
The young mage said and grimaced she looked a little uneasy at the thought of what had happened.

He swiftly scooped up some sand in the bowl, maybe three-quarters full or so, and handed the bowl back, "Be careful with this, miss Olsen; it's precious in oh so many ways, and it should not be squandered... Only for defense, in case intruders enter the cafeteria. If they're Fallen, this should be highly detrimental to them..."

"I will be careful with it Sir..."
Rosa said and she held the bowl reverently.
"The stuff really do have a calming feeling to be around, like the beaches my parents used to take me to when I was little, before they started arguing like dogs and cats."
She said and smiled at the memory.

He steeled himself and hefted the bag in one hand, the reloaded pistol in the other, and headed upstairs, making the most direct path toward Hannah Larson's room, "Right, keep the others safe, miss Olsen."

"I will try Mr Wainwright."
Rosa said firmly as you headed towards the stairs she went to the cafeteria. On the way you got a text message from Freddy.
"I thought you could need a map of where everyone is like before, the green dots would be living human beings the blue are spirits. Can you send this to the others, they can just install the app on their phones but I have already asked Mrs Von Hess to read up lines of code for me for some time so I could write this I do not want to have her send a million text messages also but I wanted to be useful. And do not die or I will strangle you allot!"
The message and and with the massage was attached an installable app for your phone.

Serge:

You ducked out of the way of the oil like substance tossed at you, it was only by the skin of your teeth but still you got away unharmed. A quite overweight woman that looked like a color factory had exploded on her, her skirt where full of colorful patches and her blouse where bright blue with yellow stripes, bangles where cluttered around her thick wrists and big red plastic earrings could be seen among her mass of reddish brown hair, her face was pretty but with her size she hardly with the current beauty standard, the woman turned to the creature attacking you and spoke is a beautiful flowing language, it was different from the one Adley had spoken earlier and it sounded very much like what many fantasy books described Elven to sound like, the manifested spirit turned away from you, transfixed by the woman's voice then it was turned into a tiny, oil slick kitten than she lifted up lovingly and petted.
"I do not know what you did to it Master O'Conner but please put that thing down so I can try to banish it."
Jeffry barked but the large woman just smiled at him and he sigh and focused on the second spirit, the one that had been hurt by Adley's flyswatter.

(OOC: Not that dumb it is worth a try and he is a kid in a stressful situation trying to make them see something that is not there and by that attacking one another by accident is probably easier and given enough time to work he could force someone to go against their own good and nature it just will take a few successes.)

(OOC 2: Ohh I had forgotten about that but you are right they are similar perhaps they are somewhat the same things...)

[Nicole Bouchard]

Anja's Post:

A small relieved sigh, then drew herself up; this wasn't finished by a long shot. Checked around her, to see the current situation - while she could hear - and possibly see - the fight going on in the apartment, they needed to make sure they weren't being attacked from the rear...

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

Currently there where a large woman who had turned one of the oil creatures into a cat that she was cuddling, Adley and his Mentor was fighting another of the oil creatures, a third was trying to get out of Hannah Larson's room. There where around seven mages out in the hallway, and the alchemist's big black dog, fighting the creatures and from the sound of it about the same number inside the apartment also fighting. The battle was worse in the bedroom that out in the hallway. You saw that the kid Serge had also come up here and had been attacked by the creature that had been turned into a cat. There did not seam to be another source of assailants than whatever was in that room though.

[Nicole Bouchard]

Head flicked around for a moment, taking it all in. While most of the action seemed to be coming from the apartment, there was a good chance the amount of mages entering the room was proving to be a log-jam. So gave a nod and moved to Adley and their Mentor to back them up.

[Warpmind]

"But why would magic be more hard to use if there are mundane ways to do something. And for example aircraft technology is not magick it uses the laws of physics to interact with air to get lift, most high schoolers understand how the technology work by now."
Karl asked and shook his head.
"Radios, flash lights, cars all of these things the laws of physics support how they work, it do not support how I can make myself many times faster than a regular human being or lift a car over my head despite my physical musculature not being able to do such a thing that is why it is supernatural it go against the laws of nature and physics."
The vampire protested.

Colin nodded, "And people believe in science - they accept that it works, even the bloody Creationists rely on science, deep down... and every act of magic we perform has to fight against the collective belief of Humanity that magic just doesn't work... Fortunately, we Mages have a bit more muscle to rely on, but it's still a bother. And the world's less solid when mortals aren't looking..."

"Well there are rumors of vampires captures by men in suits, but we have always assumed they where hunters, but come to think of it they where often the most flashy that would have been taken down by the Prince anyway...that is somewhat creepy come to think about it and these guys are mages like you?"
Karl asked sounding a little uneasy.

He nodded, "Except they don't believe in magic, or souls, just a cold, purely rational universe. They don't have much time for ethics or morals, either; one of our factions left them in the 1940s, when the Union supported the atrocities of the Nazis..."

"It might be that is why she did not speak with you directly Mr Wainwright she did not want to take the risk of changing the timeline to much."
Rosa suggested.
"Miss Adlebloom? I am afraid I do not understand Sir what do she have to do with this though come to think about it the woman at the door did mention Miss Adlebloom's name and that she would be pissed for her coming here...but Miss Adlebloom is in the cafeteria with the others who can't fight right now right?"

He grinned, "Not Miss Adlebloom today. Miss... well, she'll be Mrs. Wainwright at that time, fifty years hence... Or so I hope."

"I do not understand Sir my Mentor told me the Fallen are doomed and can't be saved."
The young Cultist said her eyes wide.
"Do that mean that Bee can be saved as well? She is Fallen is she not that is why those guys came...for her a few days ago, that is why they hurt her..."
The young mage said and grimaced she looked a little uneasy at the thought of what had happened.

He nodded, "That's been the dominant, erroneous assumption for centuries. It's recently been proven wrong, and we're about to pile on more proof that redemption is possible. And yes, we're going to help guide Beatrice's Avatar back to the light, as well."

"I will be careful with it Sir..."
Rosa said and she held the bowl reverently.
"The stuff really do have a calming feeling to be around, like the beaches my parents used to take me to when I was little, before they started arguing like dogs and cats."
She said and smiled at the memory.

He smiled, "Perhaps that's part of why the Fallen will react negatively to it - they're rather a bleak sort."

"I will try Mr Wainwright."
Rosa said firmly as you headed towards the stairs she went to the cafeteria. On the way you got a text message from Freddy.
"I thought you could need a map of where everyone is like before, the green dots would be living human beings the blue are spirits. Can you send this to the others, they can just install the app on their phones but I have already asked Mrs Von Hess to read up lines of code for me for some time so I could write this I do not want to have her send a million text messages also but I wanted to be useful. And do not die or I will strangle you allot!"
The message and and with the massage was attached an installable app for your phone.

He grinned as he scanned the message and forwarded the app to everyone who seemed relevant in the building, with the message "Freddy asked me to pass this on - green dots for humans, blue dots for spirits. I'm heading for miss Larson the younger, to try to prevent any abduction."
He then installed the app on his own phone and strode onward up the stairs, keeping half an eye out for trouble...

((OOC: Jeremy, in the heat of battle, trying something you don't know will work isn't dumb - trying something you know won't work is dumb. Right now, Serge is so far outside his comfort zone, I'll wager, that anything can work. ))

[Adley]

"Mundi require little managing, he might have the behavior of a dog in many ways but do not forget that he is a spirit, and no I do not wish to send him into danger but we are all in jeopardy are we not and I do think he can help."

"Then we'd be honored to have his assistance."

Darrian said then he nodded.
"Yes Master Nassa and Mr King should be on guard duty of the Node and the patients there."
He confirmed.

"Good," he said though he looked a bit anxious.

"Man I would love to see an actual full-fledged magickal fireball. I'm already loving your mage shield and their aren't many situation where you get to see one of those in real life." Serge said smiling although it quickly dissipated in light of the situation.

"I rate your chances of seeing one during an upcoming fight to be fairly high," he said seriously. Glancing at him, he added, "Hang out with me enough and it seems you'll find yourself in such situations where they're handy..."

"That's good. Those wards need to be repaired asap. Also what language did you just speak in? Actually tell me later when we have the time." Serge said, not actually knowing what they had been joined by but deciding to leave questions for later.

"Ah, forgive me you don't even see them, but they could be hurt, or killed just as anyone by a hostile spirit. Got to give them an opening and some time to work." As he mentioned languages, he just gave him a flicker of a tight smile.

"From what I saw this entire thing should be the third attack on Steelhaven. Although I wouldn't put it past the cryptic seer to foretell three small attacks occurring within the third overall attack of Steelhaven. Three seems to be a very important number. Although I'm guessing this is a by-product of ripping open portals." Serge said clenching his teeth.

"That's the trouble with prophesies and foresight...at least we did get /some/ kind of warning."

"If someone can keep the creatures busy I will work on taking down that portal, we can not let the Nephandi get Miss Larson!"
Jeffry ordered. Adjan nodded and fired into the room and you herd more chittering, Helga and several other magi followed suit and did their best to attack through the doorway to the young woman's room.

The oil slick creatures would probably be able to harm the little gafflings, the wards at Hannah's apartment was all but gone, around it and on the attic and down on the second floor they seamed to have been weakened but they where holding, if the attacking spirits could be kept busy having the spiderlings try to repair the damage might cut of the portal you where feeling then again without taking a good look inside of Hannah's apartment it was hard to say how many of the oil slick creatures there where.

"Yes sir, how many are there in there? I have brought help for the wards, but they will need cover to work!"

You swung your flyswatter at the spirit that was attacking Jon and the thing gave a chittering scream and backed away, it sort of shimmered as if being hit with the flyswatter disturbed it's physical form, but it did not take much damage, at least it had stopped pummeling Jon.

He knew the swatters had been packed well with ritual magick from a group of strong mages, so the oil-spirits but it stopped attacking Jon at least. "Can you get up?" he asked, trying to keep it off of Jon so he could extricate himself, only to see another spirit come around into view. Serge managed to avoid being its next target, thankfully - and then it was transformed into an oily black kitten by Deacon O'Conner. He glanced briefly at his pater and then O'Conner and her new 'pet' in surprise but the woman seemed quite content with her work. "Dammit..." he said, seeing yet another spirit forcing its way in. He tried to give the one nearest them another whack, half out of frustration, half to keep it off of them.

(Nicole) gave a nod and moved to Adley and their Mentor to back them up.

"Anyone have an eyeball on Larson's kid?" he asked, looking towards the rooms on either side of Hannah's as well, breathing heavily as if he'd and looking a bit pale and sweaty. "Getting her away from that portal seems wise," he huffed.

// melee: 4, 0, 0, 3, 8, 7, subtract -2
ooc 2 - whose rooms are on either side of Hannah's? Or are they empty ones?

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

"Then we'd be honored to have his assistance."

Darrian nodded and patted the familiar's side.
"Go with him and listen to him boy."
He said fondly and Mundi walked over to you and wagged his tail.

"Good," he said though he looked a bit anxious.

"I think I saw Mr Acherman earlier I can give him a caul and ask if he will help out watching over the Node, come to think about it he might already be there visiting his Covensister."
The alchemist said as he glanced over at you.

"Yes sir, how many are there in there? I have brought help for the wards, but they will need cover to work!"

"There is a well what should we call it a mother mass in there by the portal and it have Miss Larson captive these things keep splitting off from it so honestly I do not know how many can end up manifesting but it seams the mother mass shrink a little each time one of the spirits split off, right now it is one in the hallway, Master O'Connor's ehm...cat and three of them in Miss Larson's chambers."
Jeffry exclaimed as he formed another bright, white fireball that made it uncomfortably hot to stand near him and yet the old Hermetic himself did not seam to be bothered by it.

He knew the swatters had been packed well with ritual magick from a group of strong mages, so the oil-spirits but it stopped attacking Jon at least. "Can you get up?" he asked, trying to keep it off of Jon so he could extricate himself, only to see another spirit come around into view. Serge managed to avoid being its next target,

"Yeah...thanks man, that is going to leave a bruise."
Jon said as he got up slowly and got his phone off the floor, looking far more dismayed at a crack in it's screen than the bruises around his neck and probably other places on his body that clothes covered.
"I have this fortune telling app on my phone that said I would fall flat on my butt today...it seams it have a sense of humor..."
The Virtual Adept grumbled he was limping and was clearly hurt but he managed to get to a safe...safer...distance and started tapping his phone with a fervor probably preparing a rote...

and then it was transformed into an oily black kitten by Deacon O'Conner. He glanced briefly at his pater and then O'Conner and her new 'pet' in surprise but the woman seemed quite content with her work. "Dammit..." he said, seeing yet another spirit forcing its way in. He tried to give the one nearest them another whack, half out of frustration, half to keep it off of them.

The spirit you wracked chittered in irritation it was the same one you had hit earlier and it had quite enough of that, still it turned it's head towards the fly swatter and slowly backed of, deciding that Francesca was a better target for it's ire than you and it swung out some oily, black substance from it's midsection and hit the Euthanathos in the chest you heard a bone crack and the young mage screamed, Ryan pushed the wounded maga behind him and changed track on his ipod, the creature that had attacked Francesca now suddenly moved allot slower. Ryan also glanced over at Serge clearly not to happy with the boy being put in harms way but he said nothing as he moved towards Hannah's room again to help out.

"Anyone have an eyeball on Larson's kid?" he asked, looking towards the rooms on either side of Hannah's as well, breathing heavily as if he'd and looking a bit pale and sweaty. "Getting her away from that portal seems wise," he huffed.

"Yeah she is in there, near the portal being pulled in by a rather big mass of the oil shit!"
Ryan yelled and pointed towards Hannah's room,
"We are trying to get to her now but that mass seams remarkably resistant to magick!"

(OOC: On one side there is Arn's room and on the other Cita's guest apartment.)

[Jeremy Silverstein]

You ducked out of the way of the oil like substance tossed at you, it was only by the skin of your teeth but still you got away unharmed.

"Holy shit that should've killed me but it didn't and I'm glad it didn't." Serge said catching his breath after being nearly hit by the oil-like substance.

"Welp. Now I know these things have a purpose and are not just the equivalent of wild animals. Wish I'd known that earlier."

A quite overweight woman that looked like a color factory had exploded on her, her skirt where full of colorful patches and her blouse where bright blue with yellow stripes, bangles where cluttered around her thick wrists and big red plastic earrings could be seen among her mass of reddish brown hair, her face was pretty but with her size she hardly with the current beauty standard, the woman turned to the creature attacking you and spoke is a beautiful flowing language, it was different from the one Adley had spoken earlier and it sounded very much like what many fantasy books described Elven to sound like, the manifested spirit turned away from you, transfixed by the woman's voice then it was turned into a tiny, oil slick kitten than she lifted up lovingly and petted.

"Damn she polymorphed that thing! That's awesome!" Serge said, only now marveling at the incredible spells that were being hurled around him.

"Anyone have an eyeball on Larson's kid?" he asked, looking towards the rooms on either side of Hannah's as well, breathing heavily as if he'd and looking a bit pale and sweaty. "Getting her away from that portal seems wise," he huffed.

"There is a well what should we call it a mother mass in there by the portal and it have Miss Larson captive these things keep splitting off from it so honestly I do not know how many can end up manifesting but it seams the mother mass shrink a little each time one of the spirits split off, right now it is one in the hallway, Master O'Connor's ehm...cat and three of them in Miss Larson's chambers."

"Yeah she is in there, near the portal being pulled in by a rather big mass of the oil shit!"
Ryan yelled and pointed towards Hannah's room,
"We are trying to get to her now but that mass seams remarkably resistant to magick!"

"So it's a classic case of the massive slime boss. Murdering it's children to weaken the main body until it's too weak too continue fighting? That's one of my favorite fantasy cliche." Serge said as he heard what was going on. "Is there any way we could seal the portal now or do we have to get rid of the mother mass first?"

As he talked Serge looked around trying to assess the chaos within the room. He couldn't make heads or tails of what was going on with the yelling, screaming and multitudes of languages being thrown around. He closed his eyes slightly and tried to release his mind from it's shackles, letting his mind's eye roam free to get a better look at the battle and what was going on within Hannah's room and with the battle in general.



(OOC: I think this is something that I can do. I want to try and use Mind 1 (or 2 if necessary)/Correspondence 1(or 2 if necessary) to try and extend his 'Mind's eye' into Hannah's room to see what exactly is going on within that room.

Arete Roll: 5, 5, 10)

(OOC2: Yeah in the heat of the moment, anything is possible. Poor Serge has had a rough morning. Although it doesn't really compare to the week Colin and Adley have had.)

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

"Holy shit that should've killed me but it didn't and I'm glad it didn't." Serge said catching his breath after being nearly hit by the oil-like substance.

"Are you alright kid? My sister will strangle me if I let you get hurt!"
Ryan called from where he stood trying to get into Hannah's bedroom.

"Welp. Now I know these things have a purpose and are not just the equivalent of wild animals. Wish I'd known that earlier."

"Most spirits have a mind of their own young man."
A tall well dressed man with short black hair and dark skin said as he dodged out of the way from another attack and begun to work what looked like katas before sending a glowing burst of energy into the afflicted bedroom.

"Damn she polymorphed that thing! That's awesome!" Serge said, only now marveling at the incredible spells that were being hurled around him.

Well there was several fireballs, an energy bolt, slowing down of time, something being cooked up on a smarthone, a woman chanting to some spirit in French there where spells everywhere. The overweight woman with the black oil kitten gave you a big smile and offered a plump hand down to help you up.

"So it's a classic case of the massive slime boss. Murdering it's children to weaken the main body until it's too weak too continue fighting? That's one of my favorite fantasy cliche." Serge said as he heard what was going on. "Is there any way we could seal the portal now or do we have to get rid of the mother mass first?"

Jeffry looked at you just as he tossed his white hot fireball into Hannah's room and you heard one of the oil slick creatures screaming and fizzling into nothingness.
"Do you have experience with beings like these Mr Yager if so can you advice how we get rid of them?"
The old Hermetic asked. The tall thin guy that Adley had recused looked up.
"You are right it is a bit like a giant slime monster..."
He said and smiled to you as he looked up from his phone.
"Well the mother mass is right in front of the portal and it is hard to focus on sealing it while constantly being under attack but if it's attention can be drawn I can close the portal."
Jeffry said and he glanced from you to Jon and shook his head clearly not getting what you where talking about.

As he talked Serge looked around trying to assess the chaos within the room. He couldn't make heads or tails of what was going on with the yelling, screaming and multitudes of languages being thrown around. He closed his eyes slightly and tried to release his mind from it's shackles, letting his mind's eye roam free to get a better look at the battle and what was going on within Hannah's room and with the battle in general.

In your mind's eye you saw a room much like the one you had been given but that you did not have had much time get used to yet. One wall was a black, bleeding wound in reality that really looked like part of the "level" was missing. In front of it was a huge mass of the same material as the shadowy oil slick figures where made out of, it was holding a struggling, screaming young woman of unusual beauty with oily tentacles around her limbs and around her fingers trying to drag her to the portal while she was struggling what she could. Master Sharaya and around fifteen mages you did not know where fighting the mass as well as three of it's "children" spells and bullets flying everywhere though they where trying not to hit the young woman. It seamed to you that bullets worked better than spells to do actual damage though the things where fairly durable.

(OOC: Yeah Serge have been running around a bit but the others have been doing that for nearly a week now.)

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

Nicole:

Jeffry looked over at Nicole.
"Do you think you can try to take out the physical form of the one that Mr Darehill have slowed down while we have the chance Miss Bouchard?"
The old Hermetic said and pointed towards the spirit who was moving slowly and sluggishly around in the hallway.

Colin:

Colin nodded, "And people believe in science - they accept that it works, even the bloody Creationists rely on science, deep down... and every act of magic we perform has to fight against the collective belief of Humanity that magic just doesn't work... Fortunately, we Mages have a bit more muscle to rely on, but it's still a bother. And the world's less solid when mortals aren't looking..."

Karl nodded he gave you an uncertain smile.
"I have to admit that this really do not make much sense to me, however since your magick do work and works well, I assume that you are right."
He said and he just did not seam to get what you where saying.

He nodded, "Except they don't believe in magic, or souls, just a cold, purely rational universe. They don't have much time for ethics or morals, either; one of our factions left them in the 1940s, when the Union supported the atrocities of the Nazis..."

"I see well it sounds like a group that really should be faugh or at least kept an eye out for, and these mages are your enemies right? But how can they work magick if they do not even believe in it?"
The vampire asked.
"Do they not know what they are?"

He grinned, "Not Miss Adlebloom today. Miss... well, she'll be Mrs. Wainwright at that time, fifty years hence... Or so I hope."

"You and Miss Adlebloom are together? That is cool even if the time travel aspects of the relationship are a bit confusing, congratulations Sir."
Rosa said and smiled.

He nodded, "That's been the dominant, erroneous assumption for centuries. It's recently been proven wrong, and we're about to pile on more proof that redemption is possible. And yes, we're going to help guide Beatrice's Avatar back to the light, as well."

"That is really cool, then Bee will be okey and no one will come here to try to harm her again, that is very good."
The young mage said and smiled but she clearly did not understand the implications of the whole thing yet.

He smiled, "Perhaps that's part of why the Fallen will react negatively to it - they're rather a bleak sort."

"That could be it, I really do not think I would like to be Fallen it do not sound like allot of fun why would anyone ever join them Sir?"
Rosa said then she sigh.
"Well I should get to the cafeteria and see if I can help the others with this if there is trouble."
She said and indicated the bowl of sand.

He grinned as he scanned the message and forwarded the app to everyone who seemed relevant in the building, with the message "Freddy asked me to pass this on - green dots for humans, blue dots for spirits. I'm heading for miss Larson the younger, to try to prevent any abduction."
He then installed the app on his own phone and strode onward up the stairs, keeping half an eye out for trouble...

Serge and Adley you get the text with Freddy's app and Colin's message while Nicole I do not think Colin have your number yet.

(OOC: I am so sorry for forgetting the two of you I have been so scatterbrained today I am not sure how I managed to miss your two posts sorry.)

(OOC: I will let a couple of more posts go by before I bring Colin into the fight since he is a bit behind the others.)

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