Re: The Lord of the Labyrinth, Sunday ritual and stopping a Gilgul IC thread 4

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

I wouldn't call them tools. Htey transform us, they are part of us. We interact with them as much as they do interact with us.

"Yes they become a part of us our Paradigms but so do a warrior's sword, they are constructs of our mind methods to interact with reality since we are not yet ready to fully accept the idea that our minds create our reality without any handles or methods to focus our minds with."
Cita said then she glanced at Tane.
"Perhaps that is what you have to do to become a Oracle, abandon Paradigms and ideas and begin to interact with pure creation."

Tane felt relieved seeing how she was a little better. I'll take your word. Tane said.

Beatrice said nothing but at least she seamed to be a little calmer for now.

hush now, little one. We'll start when you're ready, but let it be for the moment.

The young Verbena looked a little desperate, she so wanted to see the proof that her Avatar was still alive, but she was so weak so for a little while she just lay there her eyes closed her breath where even but weak. Beatrice did not manage to rest for long though before she opened her eyes again and whispered weakly.
"Please...Tane I need to know...that he...is alive..."
The young blood which pleaded then she shivered.
"I am so afraid that there is nothing...there...I..."
Beatrice was struggling to speak and eventually gave up and just lay there looking at Tane with pain filled, tired eyes.

[Adley]

...It's called relevant experience; one of the few things in this universe that you never have until a few seconds after you desperately needed it."

"That sounds...applicable," he agreed. "On the other hand, maybe it's not always a good idea to wish you had it, the universe might just grant that wish in ways you could never expect or desire," he added with a small frown. "At any rate, I am glad that you are here. Let's get Hannah somewhere safe and all of us sound," he said.

"As for your wayward students, I suppose literally lighting a fire under their posteriors would be excessive, but have you considered giving them a sort of motivator? I hear tell there's some sort of swarm of spider-like spirits lounging around the Chantry these days, you might be able to persuade some of those to guide your students along the small and narrow?"

He grinned at that. "Somehow I don't think that would help matters, it might send them in droves to the counsellor even though Cita has told me they are, and I quote, 'adorable'. Though I do wonder if they might be persuaded to assist in maintaining the chantry's defenses over the next days. I haven't had time to assess how well I can interact with them but they are earth spirits, not highly intelligent but possessing a particular nature."

// most do, in my experience, and are pay at the pump

[Warpmind]

Colin glanced around the gas station, a bit warily, while he filled the tank, got a receipt, and climbed back into the car. "Adley, the family car over there..." He gave a quick nod in the right direction, "...they remind me, there was an incoming car, was there not? Did we hear any more about that?"
He smoothly shifted the car back in gear and drove on to find a convenient parking spot near the cafe before strolling to a book store, "Earth spirits with a particular nature, you say... What manner of particular nature, do you know?"

[Adley]

"Ah, yes. From what I understand it's been found and is under surveillance by Narim. The last I heard from the Chief was that it was at a rest stop north of Boston. He is planning a strike on it at ten at a location out of the way of Sleepers, of which I'll be a part. It is assumed from the intel from my sister that there are two Nephandi and they have important cargo of some kind for the ritual."

He smoothly shifted the car back in gear and drove on to find a convenient parking spot near the cafe before strolling to a book store, "Earth spirits with a particular nature, you say... What manner of particular nature, do you know?"

"They are a boon given to me by the guardian of Lux Iternis to protect the shard that I carry...they are it's children and have a preservative nature. They are rather numerous though lower level gafflings, so nominally intelligent. My pater suggested giving them tasks that would allow them to utilize their natural inclinations, such as preventing the books in the library from decaying."

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

The family car drives away as Colin finish up paying for the gas. You drive the rest of the way though finding a parking lot very close to the cafe can be difficult due to just how crowded the place are, but you find a place outside of a supermarket about five minutes walk away from the cafe, any closer would mean driving around looking for a parking lot for quite some time or well making sure that you are lucky. All around you there are people now, university students who have just gotten out of class for today mostly but others as well and the streets are quite crowded.

If you park at the supermarket or find a closer spot the walk to the cafe is uneventful, this area is dotted with shops, many of them small and housed in older buildings with one or two stories of apartments over them, you see restaurants, bookstores clothing stores, second hand shops a place selling had made candles, any kind of store you can imagine. While this district was popular with students it was also a place tourists liked the visit and it was a nice but busy atmosphere over the place.

Lucy's Baked Delights was a mid sized cafe hosed in a old green building, as you get there you see several people waiting in line by the counter to pay for their goods, a child no more than five was nagging his mother about cupcakes, a older woman was just paying for a tray of strawberry filled cookies and a young couple was discussing what to get. Behind the counter two women, both in their 40's one blond and the other with dyed red hair was helping the customers, it was clear many bought baked goods here and then brought said goods home as well. Around the area there are several small wood tables with glass tabletops, most of them are rather closed to one another but there are a few further in the back where it would be easier to get privacy. Everything in the cafe from thee wood floorboards to the tables with the assortment of miss matched chairs surrounding them was clean but old and worn that added to the charm of the place, under less stressful circumstances this might be a nice place to sit down an have a cup of coffee to relax.

[Warpmind]

Colin stopped by a suitable bookshop on the way, looking for the first two Dresden Files books, as well as two or three sci-fi books "suitable for a teenager or young adult in a spot of bother".

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

You find a pretty well stocked Barns and Noble and in the fantasy and science fiction section you find the two first Dresden Files books as well as a book named Zeroboxer which is about a boxing tournament on a space station and Insomnia which is about a young boy who can move around in other's dreams, both books seams rater interesting. A man in his 30's take your money and put the books in a white bag.
"Thank you Sir, will there be anything else? Also we have an buy ten get one free offer do you want me to give you a bonus card and write up these four books on it before you leave?"
The bookstore clerk say and give you a polite smile.

[Warpmind]

Colin bought all four books, and nodded with a smile to the clerk, "That would be excellent, thank you." After collecting the bonus card, he rejoined Adley and proceeded to the cafe.

[Adley]

Once Colin got back into the car, he nodded to him. "It might be prudent to get me to a place I can put my magick up beforehand. If it's busy out in the lot I can duck into the bathroom, though I'd rather be sure it's clear first."

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

Colin bought all four books, and nodded with a smile to the clerk, "That would be excellent, thank you." After collecting the bonus card, he rejoined Adley and proceeded to the cafe.

The clerk hands you a small cardboard card and marks of four ticks in it with stamps before he hands it to you.
"Here you go Sir, enjoy the books and have a nice day."

Once Colin got back into the car, he nodded to him. "It might be prudent to get me to a place I can put my magick up beforehand. If it's busy out in the lot I can duck into the bathroom, though I'd rather be sure it's clear first."

The cafe will have a bathroom, but then so will any about other eatery around here so finding one should not be hard.

[Tane Karyak]

The spirits of the three parts are not to be messed with, no matter how powerful you are. But i wouldn't think that's the only way. I don't even think power has something to do with understanding or ascention. HUmility is the best teacher. Said Tane giving his little opinion.

Tane caressed her hand and nodded, then rised again. Ok then. But don't get too surprised, you'll see it really bad. Tane was aware already as how her song was. A Sad dark but beautiful tune, a Basso Profondo register.

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

The spirits of the three parts are not to be messed with, no matter how powerful you are. But i wouldn't think that's the only way. I don't even think power has something to do with understanding or ascention. HUmility is the best teacher. Said Tane giving his little opinion.

"Power probably have nothing to do with Ascension."
Cita agreed and nodded.
"As for understanding, for us power is a by product of understanding but it is not the goal itself."
The Virtual Adept continued.
"And wisdom can belong to all, no matter if they are magi or not and no matter how much power they have."

Tane caressed her hand and nodded, then rised again. Ok then. But don't get too surprised, you'll see it really bad. Tane was aware already as how her song was. A Sad dark but beautiful tune, a Basso Profondo register.

Beatrice nodded weakly. Her eyes where on Tane as he begun to sing, his soft voice comforted her. After a while you see something in a corner, something that sits leaned against the wall, it looks like a very old, dried out husk of a man with large, thorn batlike wings growing out of it's gnarled back it was the eyes that where the most striking though, they where empty, or rather they where nothingness, they where like looking directly into nonexistence itself, a black sea of oblivion. The creature raises it's head and looks at you fearfully and you see how wounded it is, one wing is broken, and across his chest is a deep gash which must have nearly cut him in two, everywhere there where cuts, bruises and gashes oozing blood and the creature shook slightly as if it was in pain or feverish. You also see this is not the first time the Avatar have been hurt, a mark is burned into it, the process is off course different as there is neither heat nor cold at the level these beings exist at, but to the eyes of a human it looked like someone had taken a cattle brand to it, burning a deep mark into the Avatar's spiritual flesh. Beatrice's soul was powerful and it was old, but now it was in a sorry state and it looked...afraid mages had hurt it twice now and it was not sure of Tane's intentions meaning it might decide to defend itself which would probably not be good.

Beatrice reached out a thin hand towards her Avatar, the first thing she felt was overwhelming relief that he was there and he was alive, or whatever you would call such a being's state of existence, but then she saw how hurt he was and she begun to softly sob.
"My beloved what have...they done to you."
The young Verbena whispered sorrowfully as she continued to hold out her hand towards her wounded Avatar.
"What have they done to you..."

[Warpmind]

((OOC: Uh, I thought I'd already parked before finding the bookstore...))

Colin nodded, "The facilities at the cafe should be sufficient... You might wish to be a bit subtle, though - too many prepared defenses, and she might get spooked."

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

(OOC yes the way understood it you have parked first and Colin and Adley are walking towards the cafe and found the bookstore on the way.)

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

(OOC: Ok so we are again at 50 pages for this IC thread so it is time to make a new one. Here is a summary of what have happened in this thread, though bare with me if I have forgotten something.

Adley get teleported to Horizon but he have little time looking around, after he have been running around for a while looking for Greg Bachmeier in the process meeting a Criamon, a helpful Mercere and a Flambeau member of Greg's Cabal he finally get to talk to the widderslainte himself. Greg agrees to lend Adley his court documents though he is very concerned about getting them back safely as they are they only protection he have. Once he have the court documents Adley have to get back to Earth quickly to avoid Dominic D'Angelo who is sulking about in Horizon Chantry's hallways. Cita tried to teleport the young Hermetic but misses nearly fusing Adley with a roof in Worcester and while the Hermetic is fine his mind get bombarded and ripped open with knowledge of Correspondence that he is not ready for.

In the meantime Colin stays with Beatrice, trying to keep her calm and comforted as best he can, he read Heylel's final words to her which inspires the young Verbena to at least go out with some dignity. Colin tries to buy Adley time to gt there with the court documents that can save Beatrice and among other things call Vittoria's ability to function as a judge into question. The stalling for time and him encouraging Beatrice to fight to draw things out as much as possible during the Gilgul pays of for Adley manages to contact Cita and Narim teleports him safely back to Steelhaven where he is in time to stop the Gilgul before Beatrice's Avatar is destroyed, but not before quite a bit of damage is done. Tolle the old Quaesitor leading the ritual agree that there are precedence for a milder treatment of widderslainte in Beatrice's situation and he and the other judges leave.

Beatrice is badly hurt and to save her Avatar Cita uses a little bit of Adley's own Avatar to suture a large gash in the young Verbena's Avatar. The rest of the night the group go to bed, though Adley sleeps in Beatrice's room while Amadeus watch over the girl.

Everyone is exhausted the next morning. Adley have had a strange dream about letting a friend riding out alone to his doom and strangely enough Beatrice seams to have shared that dream. Colin and Freddy go to have lunch at the airport and pick up Micah Gregario and Susannah Florentine and they get the visiting Mercere safely to the Chantry before they go grocery shopping and agreeing to eat dinner together that evening. Colin starts cooking the meal but he is interrupted when Chief Morgan wants him to help out with a final attempt to talk Hannah Larson into surrendering.

Adley find out that two of the visiting Spirit Masters have vanished from Lux Itineris and Vittoria now seeks the aid of Jeffry to find them since he to where born on Horizon and might be more used to the confusion that comes with visiting Earth for the first time. The problem is that both of the Masters study Time at high degrees and Chief Morgan are afraid they might have been attacked by the Nephandi. One of the Masters Jacqueline Eve Duvalier was planning to visit a magickal relative a former student who was now a Son of Ether named Josef. Chief asked Adley to go and talk with Josef just to see what he could find out and so Adley brought with him Adjan and went to visit Chantry Westchapel where the Technomancer lived.

Josef himself could not say much about the matter however his old mentor's messenger, a fiew elemental who called herself Embra was still hanging around his lab. Embra was rather annoyed since Jacqueline had summoned her, forcing her to leave the side of a dying friend to deliver an invitation for breakfast. Adley find that Embra is far more human like than most Umbrood and he manages to talk her into giving him the current location of the mage that summoned her if he agreed to help her friend, a Risen named Danielle. The Risen's Conduit, a cat was dying of old age and so Adley got the help of one of Westchapel's Verbena to try to solve the problem temporarily and then promised to look into finding a way to move the Conduit into something more permanent.

The information Embra provides helps Jeffry put together a strike team together with magi from Lux Itineris and rescue Jacqueline, however the Chief is badly wounded in the battle and the Nephandi who indeed are holding the Spirit Master captive are killed. Jeffry are healed but off course such a wound even when healed wear down on his stamina for a while.The other Spirit Master have not been found yet Jacqueline are sent to Lux Itineris to recover.

Adley go to visit Danielle and find a sweet, polite undead girl who is very grateful when Duncan, the Verbena Adley and Adjan have gotten to help them, heals her cat and give it some more years of life, the Risen let it slip however that she have met a mage before, a boy of the age she appear to be who it turns out have gotten into problems with the Nephandi. Adley and Adjan decide to check out what this boy knows and go to his home to talk to him. The boy who turns out to be the 15 years old Raymond Danbrock is a widderslainte who Lisa have forced to work for her by threatening his parents. Raymond are terrified to the Tradition mages for he have been told from a young age what the Traditions do with people like him, Adley however manage to talk the boy into surrendering and after he gets some help from Jeffry in removing a bracelet with some tracking and other more nasty rotes from Raymond he and his mother Marie are brought to Steelhaven.

Raymond tells Jeffry that the Labyrinth is in the Umbra and the portal to it is in a suburban area, in a hardware store or machine shop. He also tells the Traditionalists that the Nephandi are planning to summon a Aswadim when the Lord of the Labyrinth arrives which makes it even more important to stop them. Raymond is taken to a cell and some mages are sent to get his father safely from the hospital he have been at since Lisa attacked him. Raymond's father Harold is a hedge wizard of the Maison Liban Order or at least so Jeffry suspect. Jeffry agree to keep Harold and Marie safe to honor Adley's deal with Reymond however it bother the old Hermetic that with no protection from Tradition law Reymond would just be Gilgulled like so many other widderslainte before him, if an respected Master took him as an apprentice the boy would at least get a trial and have a chance, and he himself is considering offering Raymond such a chance, depending on how the rest of the Chantry would react to the idea of another widderslainte moving in, for now Raymond get's locked up in the basement.

Narim have been to the hospital to have his head examined and he, Rush, Henrietta and a few others break out Mr Danbrock, the rescue go well but Ingmar Rush suffer some Paradox when he heals the hedge wizard and Steelhaven is now dangerously low on healers.

Adley and Colin talk with Hannah on the phone and Adley agrees to meet her at a local cafe to give her some schoolwork. Jeffry teach Adley how to sever arcana connections. Colin and Adley sets out to try to talk Hannah into surrendering to the Traditions one last time before they have to resort to force. Jeffry arrange it so that the two mages can get back up from an allied house of hedge wizards who live in a house near the chosen cafe.

Tane have a uneasy feeling from his Avatar that morning, it is as if his Avatar knows what have happened to Beatrice so he rush over to Steelhaven to help her. Once there he offers to show Beatrice her Avatar to convince the girl that she have not actually been Gilgulled. Beatrice are still restrained as any attempt at magick might harm her wounded Avatar and so she is terrified and unsure if she will be okey. Amadeus agree to let Tane use his special ability to sing Avatars into existence but only if he try it out on him first with Cita present so he can be sure that it is safe. Tane sings for Amadeus and discovers a second Avatar inside of him a companion to his main soul. Cita declares the method safe to use on Beatrice as it will not strain her wounded Avatar. Tane asks what else he can do to help and also talks with his Avatar about offering up a part of it to use for material to heal Beatrice, the God however do not want it's host to suffer like that, especially not when danger is brewing so it refuses though it offers to try to make a sapling from itself for that purpose, something both Tane and Cita refuses. A Nephandi with a Primordial Avatar could be used for this purposed but Cita is not thrilled about torturing a prisoner either.

Cita agrees to do her best to teach Tane a bit more about how to heal Avatars though she is unsure if the Dreamspeaker can learn from her given their gap in Paradigm. Tane is taken to see Beatrice and he is saddened by how much pain she is in. Tane begins talking with Beatrice trying to cheer her up but she finds talking difficult though she appreciates the company.

Adley, Colin and Tane get two exp each for this thread. Good job everyone I am enjoying the game very much.

Everyone else who have not participated in this thread get 1 exp each so they do not fall to far behind if they ever want to rejoin the game.

And here is the link to the new thread:

https://chantrysteelhaven.forumotion.com/t60-the-aswadim-hope-and-despair-ic-thread-5#3354 )

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