Pre game talking in character.

"Adley good morning."The old mage said as he returned to his desk, Adley could see that on his desk was a picture of his dead apprentice, he had been looking at it, as the young Hermetic entered the room Jeffry slid the photograph back into his desk drawer. "I trust that you are well this morning...."Did the Lesser Banishing ritual ease the discomfort of your Avatar?"

He saw him put something back in the desk, a photograph. That coupled with something in his mentor's eyes, or perhaps his stance, told him that he had been ruminating on someone lost. He made no comment other than to share a look. There were few words that had not already been exchanged, few that could be made to assuage the loss, only to live a good life himself and do beneficial work. "Good morning, father. Yes, I'm well. The banishing is working, It is providing more than its usual effect. I can still sense there is something...though there is less agitation. As well, after the first rite last night, a fragment again of the Umbrood's Name was imparted to me. Not quite a word, not a wholeness, reflecting the state of it."

The old mage said with a hint of concern his his voice, then he pushed the envelopes over towards Adley. "Here, these are the two letters and payment for their delivery."

"Yes sir," he said, taking the letters. His brows knitted slightly as he saw Cita's name, recalling it from the document that Beatrice had showed him before he put them away carefully.

"The Deacon Council have agree that we will offer ten drams of tass and the right to copy five books of Lux Itineris choosing as payment for letting us employ five of their second degrees as guards at the time in rotation until the Node cleansers we have contacted can get here and either cleanse or destroy the Node at the villa. This is open to negotiations though and I will let you carry out those negotiations on my behalf my son."... The old mage carefully handed Adley the pendant before he closed the portal. "As you know this is my sigil, carrying it you speak with my voice, I will trust this to you for this assignment filius, guard it well for by our customs and laws, anyone who possess it may speak and the words by law will be mine and may cast my vote in a Tribunal."

Ten drams of tass when the secondary node was out of commission was quite a good amount and no doubt they would try to leverage more resources if they thought that they could get him to agree to better terms. Adley reached out and took the pendant, knowing what it stood for and what had been entrusted to him. "I will carry out this duty you have entrusted to me to be your Voice; may my words be wise and judgement sound in this and all my deeds."

He held it in his hand a moment before putting it around his neck and sinking it beneath his clothing. There was no better place to put it than over his heart and anyone wishing to try to take it from him would find they would need to strike him down. As he sat across from his mentor with the power of his station behind his own words, with the last day behind him, he could sense a shift in his thinking begin to turn itself. A nascent change as to what a battle could be, what a battle meant, where the battle fields were...and beyond that, what was the true nature of strength. He recalled his father's charge to manipulate and influence and his own distaste for politics, untruths, and the like. Here again came that battleground, as before the dawn of a battle, like a preparation for what one wanted to prevent from occurring. Absorb the current sorrow while it was still small, control and transmute it through will and manipulate what might be into what was more desirable truth - change the path to overcome adversity by absorbing rather than confronting every foe that had grown to Power.

"Carrying this when you visit our rival Chantry they will have to let you speak with the Deacons, to do otherwise would be a disrespect towards me...and pissing of an old Flambeau have never been wise."Jeffry added that last part with a bit of a grin.

He found himself smiling back. It was good to see him smile again, the moments were fleeting but he reflected them. He tried not to think about what might happen if he made a poor negotiation - doubt would not serve him in this or any other work. Having been given this temporary authority, he would use it wisely.

Oh yes, and one thing more Laisa Tamen, the elder of the two Mercere over at Lux Itineris, she is old school, she consider herself to be of House Mercere not Fortunae, address her as such, it is not technically correct, her address should be Hermes bani Fortunae, but if one can gain the favor of someone that might be useful later by addressing them as please and leave a good first impression, small errors of correctness can be tolerated."

Though bani Fortunae subsumed Mercere, it was clear that at least some members did not think themselves a part of it and therefore the truer name would be the former alignment. "Very well, if that is what she would prefer than I will do so. I'm also taking a letter for the Majora Adeptus Hildegaard. She speaks highly of the House Mecerne."

The old mage said then he leaned back and sipped his coffee. "Any questions?"

"I don't believe so. I have the report that you requested and the personal items of the Nephandus." He retrieved the small box he used for tass and placed it on the desk with his detailed report. "I was about to have some breakfast before we left so I should get going soon." He waited to be dismissed. He thought to ask about why his entire cabal was called to the task but something caught on his tongue. He had almost come to his own conclusion and thought it would be better left to his own consideration.

"Good morning, father. Yes, I'm well. The banishing is working, It is providing more than its usual effect. I can still sense there is something...though there is less agitation. As well, after the first rite last night, a fragment again of the Umbrood's Name was imparted to me. Not quite a word, not a wholeness, reflecting the state of it."

Jeffry nodded, he seamed relieved, considering that he had lost five of his seven apprentices he was probably frantic about Adley's well being but he did not show it, above all Jeffry Morgan was a warrior and he did not like to show weakness.
"That is good to hear, and that you are getting part of a name show the Umbrood, my old friend is still in there as my reading told me. Good...good, continue doing the ritual morning and evening, the soft wash of Quintessence without any risk of Paradox will do both your Avatar and the Umbrood well, and we will have to hear what the experts I am contacting say about how to deal with the issue. I do comment recording the fragments of a name in Enochian, but I suspect you have already done that."
Jeffry said as he sipped his coffee again.

Though bani Fortunae subsumed Mercere, it was clear that at least some members did not think themselves a part of it and therefore the truer name would be the former alignment. "Very well, if that is what she would prefer than I will do so. I'm also taking a letter for the Majora Adeptus Hildegaard. She speaks highly of the House Mecerne."

It is good to hear that members of other Traditions also recognize their importance, though off course it was they who led to Mercere's decline. Before the Order joined the Traditions House Mercere was a full House, and they where deeply respected, especially by our House as their services to deliver intelligence on the battlefield where valuable beyond measure, but since only one in ten member of House Mercere is an Awakened mage, when we joined with the other Traditions the honorary magi as they where called, where not recognized and lost their right to vote and autonomy within the Order and therefore the House was seen as to small to have full House status and was first placed into the wast chaos of House Ex Michelania, and later when House Fortunae was being formed, they thought they would gain enough recognition to become a full House if they absorbed a founding House...and it is a loss to us all, not to mention the disservice done to Lord Mercere the Founder, who perhaps where the bravest and strongest of us all considering what he faced."
Jeffry said and sigh.
"But my political views are of little importance at the moment."

"I don't believe so. I have the report that you requested and the personal items of the Nephandus." He retrieved the small box he used for tass and placed it on the desk with his detailed report. "I was about to have some breakfast before we left so I should get going soon." He waited to be dismissed. He thought to ask about why his entire cabal was called to the task but something caught on his tongue. He had almost come to his own conclusion and thought it would be better left to his own consideration.

The Security Chief took the small box and the rapport and nodded.
"Thank you my son, I will read though this. Yes do go and have breakfast, and stay safe today, the politics of our Order might seam civilized but it can be as deadly as a task force of HIT-Marks, remember that."
The old mage said as he sipped his coffee again and begun to read the report with a grim expression on his face.

Colin strode into the common room, a small metal briefcase in hand, looked around, and piped up with a soft "Good morning, Beatrice. I trust the day finds you well?"

He then appropriated one of the comfier chairs and sat down to wait, pulling out some papers from the briefcase and reading carefully.

Beatrice looks up from her books at Colin enters the common room.
"Hello Colin, yes I am well, thank you, did you sleep well?"
The young Verbena said and smiles warmly.
"Have you ever been to the Chantry we are visiting? I never have as my mentor have a bit of an...issue...with Hermetics, but they are supposed to be the most powerful Chantry in the entire Tribunal."
Beatrice said as she glanced over at Colin.

Richard proceeds to the common room after breakfast " good Morning " he says in general" I hope everyone slept well, and are better rested "

Beatrice smiles to Richard as he enters the room.
"Good morning to you as well."
The young Verbena said.
"I slept...well enough."
The young woman said and do not mention the nightmares that so often plague her, they did not matter now in the light of day.
"I hope you slept well to."
Beatrice say politely.

Colin smiled faintly, "Actually, no, I've never been to another Chantry at all. This will be a new experience for me. And thank you, Richard, I slept... as well as I could under the circumstances. A few old ghosts stirring, metaphorically speaking."
He folded up the paperwork again and returned it to the case.
"On another note, I hope we get the time to visit a police station on the way; I need to file a request for a concealed-carry permit."

"I have been the five Chantries, the one I lived on before, the main Chantry of that Tribunal, a Verbena Ancestral Chantry for a festival, this one and...well Horizon."
Beatrice said and looked down, of the Chantries she had been in, Horizon was by far the scariest.
"I am sure that should be no problem, to just drop by a police station."
The young woman said.
"I have never fired a gun, but I can see how one can be useful in our current situation."

RIchard replies" I slept.... sadly without comfort , Sorry beatrice... Colin... thinking i have had a similar dream to you.... wasn't a pleasant night. " He perks up a little " What's this about a new chantry?"

Beatrice nods, she looks down.
"Nightmares are unpleasant, but one get used to them."
The young woman mutters darkly as she shudders.
"Dreams can be cruel and both show horrible things that have happened and what could have happened."
The young Verbena muttered and turned pale then she drew a deep breath and got her mind onto something else.
"We are being sent over to that Hermetic place, Lux Itineris to get their help with the Node the way I understand it from what Adley said, the is Chief Morgan's orders, you know how he never really ask anyone to do something, he just sort of tell you and expect you to jump at attention."
The blood witch said and grinned.
"It might be interesting though to see how that Chantry is, I hear their entire Chantry is in a pocket realm or something."

Colin nodded, "If you like, Beatrice, I could teach you the basics of firearms operation - I'm not saying you should get one, or ever use one on another person - but I find the simple practice of going down to the shooting range, checking and loading the gun, aiming downrange and then firing at the target has an interesting number of similarities with casting a spell. Granted, the methods are wildly different, but the mental preparation followed by carefully aimed action is... comparable."
Locking the small briefcase with a key, he leaned back and added, "In any case, I hope I shall never have to kill another human being again... but if needs must be, I should rather have the more effective tool for the job actually available, rather than locked away in my apartment, wouldn't you say?"

Beatrice considered Colin's offer, it would be wise, they said that the Technocracy was adept at putting a mage's magick out of the equation and then having a back up plan to defend herself with would be prudent.
"I...would like that, thank you. I am not sure if I could use it as a weapon though, but like I have said before I was able to use magick to defend myself and my Chantrymates when I needed to."
Beatrice said and look down.
"Hum...well they say the only thing that separate magick from the mundane is that magick is not accepted by the Consensus, perhaps you are right that there are similarities. I am uneasy with weapons but it could be interesting to try."
Beatrice said and smiles a little.
"Yes I hear you on that one. I wish I will never have to take a life."
Beatrice said, but there was little chance of that seeing that there was a war going on, a war that none but the magi knew about.
"Yes, and if a Technocrat counters all your willworking, having a secondary way to defend yourself would be useful, most definitively."

Colin nodded, "Not only a Technocrat - but if I find myself in too close proximity to a tainted node, like yesterday at the villa, using magic would be... somewhat risky, as well."

Beatrice nodded, yes there where many occasions where magick might be a less viable option than more mundane methods, it was just that she was so used to think in terms of her powers that she often did not even consider them, a weakness of having Awakened as a child perhaps, magick had been a part of her life for so long, perhaps she depended on it to much.
"Yeah you are right about that, not to mention Paradox, I would not like to get a major backlash again...that just was no fun."
The young mage said as she stood to put on some coffee, the Chantry had no cafeteria but the common room had a small table with a coffee maker and a water boiler to make tea and coffee, the young mage winced a bit as she started moving and the bruises on her back protested then she walked over to that small table.
"Well I can use some coffee, do any of you want any?"
Beatrice said as she wondered if she should put on water boiler and make herself a cup with that instant powder crap or put on a proper pot.
"Hum...well the others will be arriving soon so in either case I guess a put would not be wasted."
Beatrice muttered as she grabbed one of the nearby water bottles and started to fill the coffee maker.

Richard looks at Colin" why would using Magic near a Node be bad? Also..guns are of use... limited tho by ammunition..IF one hones their body they can be their own weapon in a way. Also your enviroment can be a weapon to"

"It have to do with Resonance, generally it is not very dangerous, but if as we affect how Quintessence flows, it also affect us. I mean in my old Tribunal one of the Chantries got...ehm...fay, you know, fairies, I did not even know such thing existed, but anyway they got them in their Node, who know what they did in it, but as a result the Node became extremely Dynamic, as a result they had three Quiets and several mishaps with magick before they managed to get the node stabilized again. Now a corrupted Node is extremely Entropic, so I would assume you would have the same effect as with a very Dynamic Node that it could have unfortunate effects on magick and the mages using it. I would be useful for destructive Entropy magick though."
Beatrice explained as she waited for the coffee to get done.

Colin nodded to Beatrice, "as I understand it... well, what she said, really. I am not a particularly potent mage, as it were - my capability at present is mostly limited to giving chance a nudge, and to... see things. In particular, my magical talent do not currently extend to anything of practical value in combat; what time I could be able to spend magically improving my chances of not getting hit, or improving my own accuracy, would be far more efficiently spent attempting to land a blow or shoot any hostile being. Admittedly, while I am in decent shape, my military training was less oriented around hand-to-hand combat, or even ordinary marksmanship, but I can at least make do with that in a pinch. Assuming, of course, a well-armed combat helicopter is unavailable."
Colin suddenly grinned impishly, "Actually, if I ever figure out how to refine primium in substantial quantities, I suppose a well-armed combat helicopter would be a fairly simple thing to acquire all of a sudden..."

"I am not very potent either, I am just a Disciple, but I am an energist, a blood witch is a form of energist so knowing about Quintessence is sort of what I do."
Beatrice said proudly then she grin as well.
"If you could make Primium you would be filthy rich, it have so many uses, I do not know much about it but I know it is valuable."
Beatrice said as she filled some cups with coffee and gave one to Richard and one to Collin before she took the last one herself mand returned to her seat, making sure that her backing of the chair did not touch her back as she carefully sat down, again wincing a bit.
"I do think sleeper authorities might have a thing or two about you cruising around like a 80's action hero in a combat helicopter though."
Beatrice said with a grin and sipped her coffee.

Richard notices Beatrices' wince "Are you ok? What's wrong? "

Beatrice shrugs as she glances at Richard.
"I am alright, my mentor have...old fashioned ideas for how to discipline his students, and he did not appreciate the news that I had told you guys what...I am."
Beatrice added in a whisper, she had told her Cabal she did not want anyone else to know.
"It is nothing to worry about...I will be fine."
She added and gave a slight smile.
"It is not the first time and will not be the last."

Richard growls a little.... not liking abuse of any kind... but mindful of mentores" Here let me see what i can do?" (ooc... Arete Roll 4-2-4 trying to lessen the pain, didn't do too good )

Beatrice looks down as Richard start working his effect but it did not seam to do much but she just smiles to him.
"Do not worry about me, many young mages go through this, remember many of our elders are centuries old, so they are used to corporal punishments, I knew it would happen when I told you and the others, it is fine it only hurt when I move to quickly or touch something to my back and the skin is not broken it will heal quickly."
The young woman said and she seamed to speak of it as if it was something natural that she accepted...perhaps she did because she had grown up with it, she had been with her mentor for so long.
"I know it might seam brutal but compared to...the laws of this very organization we are all a part of, a lashing is nothing, do you know what the Traditions will do to you for breaking the laws? For I can give a long list of...unpleasant things."
Beatrice said.
"But thank you for your concern Richard and for trying, I do appreciate it."

Colin smiled wryly, "Well, I do note that it is, as far as I know, legal for civilians to own and pilot military-grade aircraft, though certain of the communications and all of the weapons systems are extremely restricted... but then again, at 8,000 feet, the local authorities are highly unlikely to pull you over for a routine inspection."
Frowning at Beatrice's pain, he added, "As for lashings, it seems a bit... archaic and harsh for most offenses. In fact, Her Majesty's Military Services abolished the practice in the late 1940s, having more modern and appropriate punitive methods available. I hope you at least had some soothing lotion applied, even if no skin was broken?"

"Well...if you can pull of flying around in a helicopter, that do have a certain flair to it."
Beatrice said and gave a little smile.
"Traveling in style."
The young Verbena continued then she looks down at her hands.
"Well Amadeus I am afraid see the 1940's as recent history, the man is at least 200 years old, but even I do not know how old he actually is, he is from another time."
Bee said and she nods.
"I do not think I would do it to my own apprentice once I know enough to take one, there are other ways like you say, but then again the Traditions are often harsh and archaic, so what can you expect."
When Colin asked if she had put something on the marks she shrugs.
"I took a hot shower, but do not worry about me, I am hardly the first student this have happened to."

"I do comment recording the fragments of a name in Enochian, but I suspect you have already done that." Jeffry said as he sipped his coffee again.

"Yes; all that has been imparted to me I have written down." He had a number of journals to collect his thoughts but the name of the Umbrood had been written on its own and placed in his journal for Ars Spirituum for further contemplation.

"It is good to hear that members of other Traditions also recognize their importance, though off course it was they who led to Mercere's decline...Jeffry said and sigh."But my political views are of little importance at the moment."

He listened to his mentor's comments and then added, "On the contrary, I'm only starting to see perceive their importance - yours, my own, that of others." It wasn't something he desired, the political struggles but he was now seeing how what he'd learned fit into the larger context and that he did, in fact have an opinion of his own. Though it were only based on facts these facts were now brought to vivid life as he met more people. He'd been rather secluded in his studies - now the facts he'd acquired, all that his mentor had imparted to him and learned on his own were being tested out. And he was so young, only of the 5th degree; compared to his mentor or other mages he was as a neophyte. This was not history to them but informed their way directly. He needed to come to a personal and not theoretical understanding of these things on a deeper level if he meant to progress.

"Thank you my son, I will read though this. Yes do go and have breakfast, and stay safe today, the politics of our Order might seam civilized but it can be as deadly as a task force of HIT-Marks, remember that."

"That, too, I am starting to see father," he commented with a twinge of vexation, getting to his feet. "Good day to you, father. I will see you when I return with my result."

Having allies and knowing people was useful and having enemies meant more interference along the path. And now he had a widderslainte cabal member and two Disparate cabal members. How that might reflect on him, how they all might, was now a concern. It was not a matter of trust, beyond the state of Beatrice's avatar but one of the perception of others operating in different levels of the Order and Tradition. That his cabal would not understand these things (given that they were beyond their scope) should be expected as he did not understand the workings of their Traditions or style, to a similar degree. He was going to have to start paying more attention to them, incorporating himself into their affairs in some way as they would allow. Stop secluding himself so readily. He had always thought to withdraw and consider but now was not a time for that. He had given more than his sword arm when he became a cabal member to them - as he had become more than a member when he was admitted to the Chantry and more than a student to his mentor. All the potential was there awaiting illumination.

He left the relative comfort of his mentor's office and went to the kitchen, making himself some toast and eggs. He sat down to eat it with a cup of coffee at hand and when he was through, he saw the time was nearly ten in the morning. He cleaned the plates and went to meet everyone in the sitting area as decided the evening before.

"Good morning," he said, offering a small smile to Colin, Richard and Beatrice as he looked over each of them to see if they were well after the evening before. He looked more rested and calm than he had by the end of the day before, exhaustion no longer etched into his eyes, closer to how he normally seemed to present himself. He wore a button down shirt with a jacket and leather shoes, as if he were going to teach a class. He was representing the Chantry and his mentor and a certain amount of decorum was expected. "How is everyone?"

// Has Adley ever been to Lux Iternis before? Does he have any idea how to get in there, where it is, etc. Otherwise, he would have asked his mentor those things before he left.