Re: June in Autumn, Sinister Plans and Chicago IC Thread 7

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

"A survivable mess, then." That was true enough he supposed. But there were messes, and then there were catastrophes.

"A survivable mess agreed."
Tyler said.
"Let us hope we can create that and not just more chaos."

As he passed Ryan and gave the man a nod. Spotting Hildegaard's apprentice, he smiled a little at the drawing. It seemed like the children were still there. He would like five minutes to greet them, at least, he thought with a sigh. Or sleep. Or eat...

Jane smiles up at you for a moment then go back to her drawing. Ryan smiles a little but his eyes are on the apprentice and the window, the girl wanted to draw her new friends but the older mage clearly did not like her that close to a window and he paid careful attention so he could grab her and get her out of harms was if anything should happen.

"Andrew, please give my regards to your mentor, when you see him. Be well," he said as he passed by.

"I will thank you Sir."
The boy said as he balanced his stack of books.
"You be well to."
He added.

He smiled back to Cita, and then pretended to duck away, "I haven't forgotten what you said, but needs must..." he said referring to her direction to get his mentor to rest.

"I know, I know we are in the middle of a crisis."
Cita said and sigh, she was clearly worried about your mentor.
"He is a stubborn man, and he sees to the needs of others before his own, that is an endearing quality but it makes those who care for him worry."
The Spirit healer muttered.
"But then he is Flambeau, a warrior and the good kind of warrior at that, I just wish he would look after his health better."
She muttered.

[Warpmind]

Colin nodded to Adley, "I already brought him the letter and a few concerns about it were aired. But, with you still not here and me needing to finish the notes on my newest rote for the node cleansers, I left him alone with Cita for a few minutes while remaining out here."
He grinned, "Also, Freddy just got here with lunch. There should be some for you, as well, unless the Chief devoured them all. We can go over the Union intel, as well as the letter now. And did you get anything useful?"
Colin pocketed his pen and lightly knocked on Morgan's door before nudging it open, "Adley's arrived, Sir."

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

"Enter."
Jeffry said from within his room. He sat behind his desk, with one of Freddy's sandwiches in one hand and a cup of coffee before him. On the the desk stood the plate with the rest of the sandwiches there was plenty left, Freddy had made up a bunch when she was first at it.
"Ah Mr Wainwright, the good Miss Adlebloom is most kind, I can not remember the last time I had a meal. Now come in both of you, we have things to discus."
The old mage said.

[Warpmind]

Colin nodded and reached for a chair, "So, Sir, did you glean anything useful from my, ah, tactical indiscretion?"

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

"Yes in fact I did."
Jeffry said and tapped the folder you had given him with a finger.
"The Union suspect there are two Labyrinths in Chicago. One rules by a being they call the Jade Demon, though little more is said about him, or her for that matter. This Labyrinth have been quiet for years and are designated as a lesser threat, however there is a newer Labyrinth that seams to be getting far more active as of late, and this is far more aggressive. The Union have had several incidents with them and ended up on the loosing side most of the time. The Technocracy have no idea where this Labyrinth is, however it say they are suspected to have made contact with other "Deviants" I do not know what their numbers and designations mean but from the description they are talking about vampires, these creatures being based around the Sears Tower."
Jeffry said then he sigh.
"What follows are incident rapports and also clean up missions where the Nephandi have clashed with Chicago's rather powerful Traditionalist population. There are some speculations here though that the two Labyrinths might be at odds for some Union agents describe in one of these reports that they came over the site of a battle, but all the, oh for Pete's sake I am not even going to try to pronounce their jargon, but from what they describe all the magickal residue found was Qlippothic. The Union found a badly wounded Nephandus at the site of the fight and took him prisoner, he soon perished but not before telling them that he was in service to the Jade Demon and that the other Labyrinth was upstarts trying to steal his master's domain."
Jeffry took a sip of his coffee.
"Nephandi infighting pleases me to no end however other than that there was not that much information we can use in here, just some incident reports and comments on suspicion of cooperation with the city's vampire population."
The old Hermetic said then he pushed the files away and gave a disgusted look.
"Damnation I feel soiled just by reading the documents of the bloody Union, the way they describe the Awakened, mage or not, as if we where animals to be exterminated."
He muttered angrily.
"However right now our Fallen friends are the bigger problem."

[Adley]

"He is a stubborn man, and he sees to the needs of others before his own, that is an endearing quality but it makes those who care for him worry." The Spirit healer muttered. "But then he is Flambeau, a warrior and the good kind of warrior at that, I just wish he would look after his health better." She muttered

"Yes, so it is good that he has you to care about him. Thank you for all your help, Cita. There's much I'd like to talk about but as usual, less time. Take care."

Colin nodded to Adley, "I already brought him the letter and a few concerns about it were aired. But, with you still not here and me needing to finish the notes on my newest rote for the node cleansers, I left him alone with Cita for a few minutes while remaining out here."

"I'd like to hear more about that rote, not out in the hallway though. It might come in useful again, though it seems like it already has."

He grinned, "Also, Freddy just got here with lunch. There should be some for you, as well, unless the Chief devoured them all. We can go over the Union intel, as well as the letter now. And did you get anything useful?"

"Thank goodness, I'm hungry. Please give her my thanks. And yes I do hope so, let's go inside..."

Colin pocketed his pen and lightly knocked on Morgan's door before nudging it open, "Adley's arrived, Sir."

"Enter."
Jeffry said from within his room. He sat behind his desk, with one of Freddy's sandwiches in one hand and a cup of coffee before him. On the the desk stood the plate with the rest of the sandwiches there was plenty left, Freddy had made up a bunch when she was first at it.
"Ah Mr Wainwright, the good Miss Adlebloom is most kind, I can not remember the last time I had a meal. Now come in both of you, we have things to discus."

He walked in and shut the door after they were through, staring at the heap of food. Dealing with Mr Lenoe's staking had put off his appetite for a bit but now it returned full-force. He looked for some napkins and then used one to pick up half of a sandwich.

Colin nodded and reached for a chair, "So, Sir, did you glean anything useful from my, ah, tactical indiscretion?"

"Tactical indiscretion, that's a good one. You really might make a good politician," he said and took a big bite of the food.

"The Technocracy have no idea where this Labyrinth is, however it say they are suspected to have made contact with other "Deviants" I do not know what their numbers and designations mean but from the description they are talking about vampires, these creatures being based around the Sears Tower..."Damnation I feel soiled just by reading the documents of the bloody Union, the way they describe the Awakened, mage or not, as if we where animals to be exterminated." He muttered angrily. "However right now our Fallen friends are the bigger problem.

"That tracks with what I just learned from Tyler, assuming she was telling true. The news is not good...it seems that Abigail has worked her way into their society by offering them everything they might want - power, protection, and in the case of that Tremere Nicolai, Bergen's daughter. He already has her, and Tyler thinks that she's being kept in an apartment he controls. She gave me her best guess as to that location, however she did not want to give up the name of the Sears Tower as their Elysium." He dug out his notes and pushed them over to him. "I had to tread carefully there...but from what I have put together, Abigail has dangled Bergen's daughter under the nose of the Tremere Nicolai who wants a mage child to turn in order to get him to use his influence on the Prince Lodin, who in turn controls that node on the Sears Tower roof. And on the other side, Abigail used Bergen's daughter to blackmail him here." Adley frowned, taking a bite of the food and then swallowing it. "Abigail has additionally offered the prince and Primogen, their 'city council' was how it was described, extra protection for the Elysium and likely she is protecting the apartment where the girl is kept. One of the Primogen is against this deal. Now, there is something else...there are some dissidents besides that Primogen who do not want Nicolai to turn Bergen's daughter and one of them is an Elder Tremere.

"This person is basically a roadblock in between him and Nicolai getting what he wants for some reason and Tyler expected him to be removed from the equation soon. I'm speculating that he will ask the prince to burn him on the roof," he frowned, putting the crust down on the desk edge. "If it is an entropic node, one they wish to taint, then it might work in Abigail's favour to have an Elder Tremere to sacrifice, and gain better control of the node as per their agreement. Though it could be that he will be reprimanded in some other way." His frown deepened but he continued on a new track. "While Tyler and hers will not move against their Elysium, she has offered assistance from her group that she calls Anarchs, approximately 15 or more, in getting rid of Abigail. In return, she asks her three childer to be moved out of Chicago.

"She is a sharp woman, pater; she has figured out that we have Lenoe staked. Of course I could not tell her where, which is why she got suspicious in the first place of what had become of him, she'd been trying to reach him for days. I -think- she believes me when I told her that it was at his agreement but it is still her childe...for now though she has cooperated, and it seems her intelligence makes sense." He looked between them, picking up the crust again and turning it around in his hands in a sudden rush of ill-ease. He sighed. "Something else as well..Colin I don't think you've heard about this yet, though I did start to tell you pater...about that Tremere. The person I dreamt about, or had a remembrance or whatever the best descriptor is when your avatar gives you a hint of what it had been up to before you were gifted. I think they are the same person as this Elder Tremere. Tyler said that his name was something like Cameron, she went through a few versions until she said Carmon. And if it is Carmon, the same person that I dreamt about, then he is one of the first Tremere made directly many hundreds of years ago."

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

"Yes, so it is good that he has you to care about him. Thank you for all your help, Cita. There's much I'd like to talk about but as usual, less time. Take care."

"It is I who are fortunate Adley."
Cita said with a slight smile when you said it was good she was there for your mentor.
"Yes indeed, time seam to always be lacking, I have to see to Tobias, indeed do take care."
The Virtual Adept said before she left for the stairs.

He walked in and shut the door after they were through, staring at the heap of food. Dealing with Mr Lenoe's staking had put off his appetite for a bit but now it returned full-force. He looked for some napkins and then used one to pick up half of a sandwich.

Freddy had provided light blue napkins with bright neon green robots printed on them. Jeffry indicates the coffee pot he had brewing on the shelf.
"Would you care for some coffee with that mea filius, yes I know I drink to much of the stuff and probably so do you, but right now, anything to help stay awake is welcome."

"That tracks with what I just learned from Tyler, assuming she was telling true. The news is not good...it seems that Abigail has worked her way into their society by offering them everything they might want - power, protection, and in the case of that Tremere Nicolai, Bergen's daughter.

"Well that is how the Nephandi operate, they might threaten someone into damnation but they prefer to tempt, manipulate and distort."
Jeffry said with a frown.
"What would a vampire want with a ten year old Awakened girl though?"

He already has her, and Tyler thinks that she's being kept in an apartment he controls. She gave me her best guess as to that location, however she did not want to give up the name of the Sears Tower as their Elysium."

"An Elysium is a meeting place of some sort? Or something like our Chantries?"
The old Hermetic asked then he nods.
"Well if we have a pretty good idea of where that apartment is, at least that is a starting point and might be the break we need to at least save Miss Bergen. Do you know if the child have been harmed?"

He dug out his notes and pushed them over to him. "I had to tread carefully there...but from what I have put together, Abigail has dangled Bergen's daughter under the nose of the Tremere Nicolai who wants a mage child to turn in order to get him to use his influence on the Prince Lodin, who in turn controls that node on the Sears Tower roof. And on the other side, Abigail used Bergen's daughter to blackmail him here."

"Damn it, that woman is starting to irritate me almost as much as Laron do."
Jeffry said as he begun to read over your notes.
"So this Nicolai want Bergen's daughter to turn into a vampire, let us hope we are able to stop that, and in return he is doing her bidding while she is getting Bergen himself to do her bidding here, it is clevar, immoral and cruel, but clever."

Adley frowned, taking a bite of the food and then swallowing it. "Abigail has additionally offered the prince and Primogen, their 'city council' was how it was described, extra protection for the Elysium and likely she is protecting the apartment where the girl is kept. One of the Primogen is against this deal. Now, there is something else...there are some dissidents besides that Primogen who do not want Nicolai to turn Bergen's daughter and one of them is an Elder Tremere.

"They have a leader and a council to assist him, that sound familiar enough."
Your mentor muttered.
"Hum...a Tremere that want to protect a mage from being turned, that is unusual, the Cycle have probably lost more Avatars to that bloody bunch than anything else, still this man might be a potential ally if he feels strongly enough about it to turn against his own over it."

"This person is basically a roadblock in between him and Nicolai getting what he wants for some reason and Tyler expected him to be removed from the equation soon. I'm speculating that he will ask the prince to burn him on the roof," he frowned, putting the crust down on the desk edge. "If it is an entropic node, one they wish to taint, then it might work in Abigail's favour to have an Elder Tremere to sacrifice, and gain better control of the node as per their agreement. Though it could be that he will be reprimanded in some other way."

"Well and elder vampire would contain an enormous amount of tass, tainted tass yes but as a tool to corrupt a Node it might be perfect."
Jeffry said as he took another sandwich.
"The question is what do the Nephandi want with this Node, if it was just a place to get Quintessence surly they could have found a more easily accessible Node, they have to have some plan with it all."

His frown deepened but he continued on a new track. "While Tyler and hers will not move against their Elysium, she has offered assistance from her group that she calls Anarchs, approximately 15 or more, in getting rid of Abigail. In return, she asks her three childer to be moved out of Chicago.

"That might be useful, taking down Abigail might disrupt the Nephandi's plans and if we can take her alive she is bound to know something about what Larson is planning for Boston. Hum...getting three vampires out of Chicago should not be a problem, worst case I will drag them out through the Umbra, I am not sure how the spiritworld will affect the undead but it is unlikely to kill them. I do not like to have anything to do with their kind, but they are far to prefer rather than the Nephandi."

"She is a sharp woman, pater; she has figured out that we have Lenoe staked. Of course I could not tell her where, which is why she got suspicious in the first place of what had become of him, she'd been trying to reach him for days. I -think- she believes me when I told her that it was at his agreement but it is still her childe...for now though she has cooperated, and it seems her intelligence makes sense."

"Never trust a mother who are concerned for her offspring, but yes if she is as intelligent as you say mea filius then she might guess that she and her ehm...family will be safer if we take Abigail out and deal with this threat, be weary of her though we know nothing about this vampire and she is what she is and not only may she loose control and turn on even her allies but they are a danger to us, all her kind is. However if she prove herself to be a good ally in this, I can tolerate her presence for a while."

He looked between them, picking up the crust again and turning it around in his hands in a sudden rush of ill-ease. He sighed. "Something else as well..Colin I don't think you've heard about this yet, though I did start to tell you pater...about that Tremere. The person I dreamt about, or had a remembrance or whatever the best descriptor is when your avatar gives you a hint of what it had been up to before you were gifted. I think they are the same person as this Elder Tremere. Tyler said that his name was something like Cameron, she went through a few versions until she said Carmon. And if it is Carmon, the same person that I dreamt about, then he is one of the first Tremere made directly many hundreds of years ago."

Jeffry looks at you for a moment then he speaks softly.
"Your Avatar might have known you would get into contact with him mea filius if this is indeed the same man."
The old mage said then he tapped the side of his coffee cup before he took a sip.
"If this Carmon is your friend from a former life, that can be both a boon and a danger Adley, if he find out who you are he might be more inclined to help us but...we do not know what centuries as a vampire have done to him he might not be the man you once knew and he would be very powerful given his age and when he was made."
Jeffry sigh and shake his head.
"Once, years ago I was part of a strike force that captured and exterminated a Tremere who had made attacks against a Traditionalist Chantry, before my blade fell I asked if he had any final words, and he thanked me. Confused I asked him why he would thank me for taking his life and he said that the despair he felt over his shattered Avatar never went away, it was just that his survival instincts as a vampire grew to the point where he was not able to take his own life, no matter how much he might want to die. Imagine Miss Florentine and her mentor, then imagine someone living with their pain for centuries, that kind of suffering changes someone, and when you combine that with power you might get a very dangerous mix indeed."
The old mage said and put his sandwich down, the memory of the Tremere he had killed and the creature's suffering robbing him of his appetite.

[Adley]

"Yes indeed, time seam to always be lacking, I have to see to Tobias, indeed do take care." The Virtual Adept said before she left for the stairs

Adley frowned in concern after her, wanting to ask after Tobias but it was better if the healer tended to him.

Freddy had provided light blue napkins with bright neon green robots printed on them. Jeffry indicates the coffee pot he had brewing on the shelf. "Would you care for some coffee with that mea filius, yes I know I drink to much of the stuff and probably so do you, but right now, anything to help stay awake is welcome."

The napkins could have been of any color or pattern, he was hungry enough that he didn't see it at first. "Yes, thank you," he said to the offer of coffee, after taking a healthy bite. He wasn't sure when he was going to get the next chance to eat something and was mowing it down with a bit less manners than usual.

"Well that is how the Nephandi operate, they might threaten someone into damnation but they prefer to tempt, manipulate and distort." Jeffry said with a frown. "What would a vampire want with a ten year old Awakened girl though?"

"Remember Mr Lenoe said that Nicolai was a child mage once himself, and then was turned. Perhaps that is what he wants for his own..."

"An Elysium is a meeting place of some sort? Or something like our Chantries?" The old Hermetic asked then he nods.

"Yes, it appears so. I believe it is the Sears Tower that Lenoe spoke of, those floors that are hidden...and Tyler spoke of a roof that the Prince controlled, though she would not say which one, or where it was specifically. Only that she had seen mages gather there at the node...and that it seemed the vampires were willing to trade its use to get what they want"

"Well and elder vampire would contain an enormous amount of tass, tainted tass yes but as a tool to corrupt a Node it might be perfect." Jeffry said as he took another sandwich. "The question is what do the Nephandi want with this Node, if it was just a place to get Quintessence surly they could have found a more easily accessible Node, they have to have some plan with it all....That might be useful, taking down Abigail might disrupt the Nephandi's plans and if we can take her alive she is bound to know something about what Larson is planning for Boston. Hum...getting three vampires out of Chicago should not be a problem, worst case I will drag them out through the Umbra, I am not sure how the spiritworld will affect the undead but it is unlikely to kill them. I do not like to have anything to do with their kind, but they are far to prefer rather than the Nephandi.""

"As I said, it is an educated guess, but Abigail seems to have the ear of this Prince as well as Nicolai, and the way she works things lends it going in favor for her. I don't know what they want with the node specifically, but it can't be good. However, that roof would be extremely hard to access, protected by Nephandi and vampires alike. There will be no assistance from Tyler for that, it would be as if we were allowing another group to attack an ally chantry. Tyler said she had a place in mind for her family, we would need to hide them for a while until she could get them there. I said we would need information about them, if you think this is a workable deal, then let me know what you will need. However, it should be considered that there are fifteen or so vampires in addition to herself and she is potent enough to have survived being half burnt to ash."

"Never trust a mother who are concerned for her offspring, but yes if she is as intelligent as you say mea filius then she might guess that she and her ehm...family will be safer if we take Abigail out and deal with this threat, be weary of her though we know nothing about this vampire and she is what she is and not only may she loose control and turn on even her allies but they are a danger to us, all her kind is. However if she prove herself to be a good ally in this, I can tolerate her presence for a while.

"She does not appear to care much for the deal that her society is brokering. But that does not mean she is entirely trustworthy, she is likely to have her own agenda in some manner or form. I would rather have her as an ally against the Nephandi than working in concert," he agreed.

"Your Avatar might have known you would get into contact with him mea filius if this is indeed the same man." The old mage said then he tapped the side of his coffee cup before he took a sip.

"Perhaps, though it seemed triggered by recent events with Bee...still, I hardly think it is a coincidence."

"If this Carmon is your friend from a former life, that can be both a boon and a danger Adley, if he find out who you are he might be more inclined to help us but...imagine someone living with their pain for centuries, that kind of suffering changes someone, and when you combine that with power you might get a very dangerous mix indeed."

He frowned. "I don't know how he might take my presence, if it should be discovered. It is true that my avatar recalls him fondly when he was a mage, as a true friend to its former host, one that it let down by allowing him to leave alone, to meet his fate. Damn, days like these make me feel like a Euthanatos..." he sighed. "At any rate, what June said about 'a node and the Tremere' succeeding will mean that Chicago will be able to provide those here with more support. Perhaps they would send tass, to replace their recent loss."

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

The napkins could have been of any color or pattern, he was hungry enough that he didn't see it at first. "Yes, thank you," he said to the offer of coffee, after taking a healthy bite. He wasn't sure when he was going to get the next chance to eat something and was mowing it down with a bit less manners than usual.

Jeffry nodded and filled your cup, he was a polite man and demanded general politeness of his apprentices, but he did not stand much on protocol so he gladly served the hot drink to those of less rank.
"I would ask Mr Wainwright as well, but his reply is always that he prefer tea."
The old mage said with a bit of amusement in his voice.

"Remember Mr Lenoe said that Nicolai was a child mage once himself, and then was turned. Perhaps that is what he wants for his own..."

"The longing for someone who is like him and who understand him...yes well that can be a powerful desire indeed."
Jeffry said and sigh.
"A child vampire, that seams such a sad fate."
He muttered.
"Never the less, child or not if this Nicolai have joined forces with the Nephandi, chances are that at some point we will clash and he have to be taken out."
The Flambeau said his voice turning hard as steel.

"Yes, it appears so. I believe it is the Sears Tower that Lenoe spoke of, those floors that are hidden...and Tyler spoke of a roof that the Prince controlled, though she would not say which one, or where it was specifically. Only that she had seen mages gather there at the node...and that it seemed the vampires were willing to trade its use to get what they want"

"Well a Node can usually be felt some distance away, if there is a Node at the Sears Tower we will be able to locate it and with that the vampires...Elysium was it. The Node is of greater concern than the vampires themselves though, I want to entangle as little as possible with them, whatever the Nephandi want with that Node though that must be stopped and it seams that skyscraper is a good place to start looking for them, once we have a plan ready off course."

"As I said, it is an educated guess, but Abigail seems to have the ear of this Prince as well as Nicolai, and the way she works things lends it going in favor for her. I don't know what they want with the node specifically, but it can't be good.

"Whatever is good for the Nephandi are seldom good for anyone else Adley."
Jeffry commented.
"Hum...the question is how we get at that woman, she have found herself some powerful pawns."

However, that roof would be extremely hard to access, protected by Nephandi and vampires alike. There will be no assistance from Tyler for that, it would be as if we were allowing another group to attack an ally chantry.

"Agreed, we can always use magick to get to the roof, but there is a problem with what the Nephandi might have done to protect it and also Masassa might have less flexible sorcery than even our hedge wizards, but they are fast, they should not be underestimated."

Tyler said she had a place in mind for her family, we would need to hide them for a while until she could get them there. I said we would need information about them, if you think this is a workable deal, then let me know what you will need. However, it should be considered that there are fifteen or so vampires in addition to herself and she is potent enough to have survived being half burnt to ash."

"A quite durable Masassa that. Hum...ask her if her family will need protection or just to be hidden, if they need protection just like with Lenoe I am not going to let them walk around this Chantry free, we have young apprentices here, but they may have the same deal as he have. Now if they only need a place to hide I know of a few places where they can go to ground and stay hidden until they are ready to travel and I am willing to provide them with one of these safe locations but then getting them out of Chicago and showing them where to hide will also be the whole of my involvement."
Jeffry said.
"I will need to know if these family members can fight and defend themselves other than that I only need to know which of the two offers your contact will go for and yes, she do sound like she would be most useful, dangerous yes, but useful."

"She does not appear to care much for the deal that her society is brokering. But that does not mean she is entirely trustworthy, she is likely to have her own agenda in some manner or form. I would rather have her as an ally against the Nephandi than working in concert," he agreed.

"Again mea filius, agreed."
Jeffry said.
"This Tyler might be a powerful ally but never let down your guard around her."

"Perhaps, though it seemed triggered by recent events with Bee...still, I hardly think it is a coincidence."

"An Avatar saved for one lost...yes there is a certain symmetry in that."
Jeffry said and nodded.
"That and what happened to your Cabalmate was a shock for everyone involved and none more than for her Cabal and closest friends, such emotions can stir an Avatar to communication with it's host."
The old mage agreed.

He frowned. "I don't know how he might take my presence, if it should be discovered. It is true that my avatar recalls him fondly when he was a mage, as a true friend to its former host, one that it let down by allowing him to leave alone, to meet his fate.

"Well let us hope he do not blame your Avatar as much as it seam to blame itself for what happened to him."
The old Hermetic seamed concerned.
"Feelings of fondness and friendship can soon turn to hate if one feel betrayed."

Damn, days like these make me feel like a Euthanatos..." he sighed.

"Yes...I get that feeling to at times."
The old mage commented but he did not say anything more about it.

"At any rate, what June said about 'a node and the Tremere' succeeding will mean that Chicago will be able to provide those here with more support. Perhaps they would send tass, to replace their recent loss."

Jeffry grimaced at the mention of the tass delivery.
"Yes that is quite possible, and that we have to stop, we can not let Larson and her lackeys have any more resources, she will be hard enough to take down as it is."

[Tane Karyak]

Friday:

You're not the same after those moments, it's only natural that those are moments you die and reborn. In any case, come on, Lily, you see spirits. You should be able to see phantoms of dead people, that means death is not final. There is no end, in fact. He tried to explain. It's worrying, at any rate, the amount of dead people that hasn't reached Awaiki

What do you mean, like me?

Saturday:

I'll call the others, then, because i have to go, but i'll be back. You'll take care of them, yes?

[Warpmind]

Colin gave Adley a disappointed look, "Oh, dear, Adley, me, a politician? That's just disgusting, you know. Politicians are the ones who send soldiers off to war. I wish it could be the other way around..."
Colin pondered for a moment, "So, it seems Lisa Larson's little band of misanthropes are at odds with other Nephandi, as well. This Jade Demon faction might be more inclined to live and let live, as it were?"
He picked up a sandwich and chewed thoughtfully as Adley explained, then swallowed almost demonstratively when he got to the part about Carmon. "That would put you in association with this fellow sometime... twelfth century, wasn't it? That could work to our benefit; he might recognize your mannerisms... er, do you remember your own name from back then?"
He pondered, "Resistance against this Nicolai turning Miss Bergen... I think I can guess at why, if fiction can be deemed a mirror. I've read a few books where vampires forbade themselves to feed on children that might rise as the undead, because children were immature, unripened - a child vampire would grow in power, but never be seen as more than a child, and never have a grown body to satisfy certain... urges, and never able to use their form to attract, well, desirable dinners. Something about how vampires are predators who tend to use sexual attraction to pull in their prey - something very disturbing when said predator has the body of a child."
He frowned, "Of course, that's fictional, but it seems plausible enough that a vampire could have written those as a warning to other vampires. Some of those books had passages that seemed, I don't know, older than the books' printing dates would suggest. Slightly archaic uses of words that have since taken on other primary meanings, that sort of thing..."
He gave Morgan a thin smile, "Actually, the answer this time would be 'I already had some at the docks'. Not horrible, but thinner than military grade. That reminds me, did we get a blood supply for Mr. Lenoe? If not, I just remembered an odd bit of trivia... Hospitals throw out whole blood that's past its expiration date - we might ask Dr. Lee if he could manage to smuggle out some leftover bags."
He frowned, "Oh, and how can we permanently kill a vampire, by the way? If they can grow back half their body after incineration, I don't think a bullet will be quite sufficient..."

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

Tane:

Friday:

"I guess we have a different view of death Tane, for me change is change and death is when your body stop functioning and you start to rot."
Lily said and sigh.
"I have suspected yes that some of those I see are the spirits of the dead, but even if death is not the end that do not mean I would like to die, not for many, many years yet."
The girl said then she glanced at Tane.
"What are the Awaiki?"
She asked then she smiles.
"As for like you I mean mystical, talking in riddles that sort of thing."
The young woman said.
"Like some old wise man from a Kung Fu movie."

Saturday:

"I will miss you when you are not a part of me."
The grandfatherly spirit said when you informed it that you would be leaving for a while.
"Yes I will care for all that live in me, it is what I do, it is what I am."
He assured you.

Colin:

Colin pondered for a moment, "So, it seems Lisa Larson's little band of misanthropes are at odds with other Nephandi, as well. This Jade Demon faction might be more inclined to live and let live, as it were?"

"The Jade Demon and his band are still Nephandi Mr Wainwright, they want to destroy reality...just not right now. However yes it do seam like two Nephandi factions are having a bit of a spat, which off course is good for us."

He picked up a sandwich and chewed thoughtfully as Adley explained, then swallowed almost demonstratively when he got to the part about Carmon. "That would put you in association with this fellow sometime... twelfth century, wasn't it? That could work to our benefit; he might recognize your mannerisms... er, do you remember your own name from back then?"

"No it is much earlier the vampire plot in House Tremere begun in the 1020's and was quickly brought to fruition, this was right after the war with House Diedne."
The old mage corrected.

He pondered, "Resistance against this Nicolai turning Miss Bergen... I think I can guess at why, if fiction can be deemed a mirror. I've read a few books where vampires forbade themselves to feed on children that might rise as the undead, because children were immature, unripened - a child vampire would grow in power, but never be seen as more than a child, and never have a grown body to satisfy certain... urges, and never able to use their form to attract, well, desirable dinners. Something about how vampires are predators who tend to use sexual attraction to pull in their prey - something very disturbing when said predator has the body of a child."

"Awakened children are always a problem, but where our own little Jane will one day grow up and be a powerful young woman a vampire is not so lucky.In my limited experience with child wraiths and other Awakened that stay frozen in their childlike state they grow up in a way, in that they gain experience but their minds will always be that of children, dangerous and impractical. However the reason why this Tremere is trying to protect Miss Bergen we do not know and can only speculate about.

He frowned, "Of course, that's fictional, but it seems plausible enough that a vampire could have written those as a warning to other vampires. Some of those books had passages that seemed, I don't know, older than the books' printing dates would suggest. Slightly archaic uses of words that have since taken on other primary meanings, that sort of thing..."

"Authors do like to play with language so that need not mean anything but the concept is sound enough, there is a reason why many mages advocate against teaching Awakened children the Sphere of Life before they have reached a certain degree of maturity since developing that area of knowledge tend to slow the aging process considerably. No one want a supernatural child to stay a child longer than they need to, and that is speaking as someone who once was a Awakened child, if I had gotten vulgar children I would not have wanted them to Awaken before they reached their teens at least, however mage children grow up it makes every sense vampires would be leery about permanently locking someone into childhood."

He gave Morgan a thin smile, "Actually, the answer this time would be 'I already had some at the docks'. Not horrible, but thinner than military grade. That reminds me, did we get a blood supply for Mr. Lenoe? If not, I just remembered an odd bit of trivia... Hospitals throw out whole blood that's past its expiration date - we might ask Dr. Lee if he could manage to smuggle out some leftover bags."

"I doubt blood past it's expiration date would work for our vampire guest, it is not the cells a Masassa need to consume, it is the Quintessence in it. If blood is no longer useful for a Vwrbena ritual it is no longer of any use to a vampire either. In effect they are highly specialized thaumivores after all, nothing more. You will have to ask Miss Day about this matter though she have taken responsibility for Mr Lenoe's well being."

He frowned, "Oh, and how can we permanently kill a vampire, by the way? If they can grow back half their body after incineration, I don't think a bullet will be quite sufficient..."

"Fire works quite well Mr Wainwright, you just need to make sure you get all of them. No bullets will do little, Primium though should damage them. Other than that if what I have read is correct sunlight, decapitation and fire are your only options, either you have to rip their patterns apart with magick or completely destroy their bodies in some way. They do burn well though and they seam to fear fire so I would stick with that."

[Adley]

Colin gave Adley a disappointed look, "Oh, dear, Adley, me, a politician? That's just disgusting, you know. Politicians are the ones who send soldiers off to war. I wish it could be the other way around..."

"Apologies..."

Colin pondered for a moment, "So, it seems Lisa Larson's little band of misanthropes are at odds with other Nephandi, as well. This Jade Demon faction might be more inclined to live and let live, as it were?"

The Jade Demon and his band are still Nephandi Mr Wainwright, they want to destroy reality...just not right now. However yes it do seam like two Nephandi factions are having a bit of a spat, which off course is good for us."

"For now at least," he said, cramming more food into his mouth and washing it down with coffee. "I guess even the Nephandi don't want a turf battle, when it comes to calling dibs on destroying things," he frowned.

He picked up a sandwich and chewed thoughtfully as Adley explained, then swallowed almost demonstratively when he got to the part about Carmon. "That would put you in association with this fellow sometime... twelfth century, wasn't it? That could work to our benefit; he might recognize your mannerisms... er, do you remember your own name from back then?"

"No it is much earlier the vampire plot in House Tremere begun in the 1020's and was quickly brought to fruition, this was right after the war with House Diedne."

"Colin, technically it was not -me- strictly speaking...though it was my avatar's host," he said, as if it were confusing for him as well to have memories of things he hadn't been alive to experience. "I don't know if I share any mannerisms from that person, nor his Name, not what I looked like or if I would be recognizable to him. I know what Carmon looked like though...what he sounded like. I could be quite different from how that magus was, though he was a Hermetic like I am. What little I glimpsed was something like being on the other side of a camera if a camera could record a fading dream as the dreamer awoke."

"Well let us hope he do not blame your Avatar as much as it seam to blame itself for what happened to him." The old Hermetic seamed concerned. "Feelings of fondness and friendship can soon turn to hate if one feel betrayed."

Adley turned the bread-end over and over again and then shook his head. "As you said, there's no way to know what happened to him over these long years. All I know is what was imparted to me."

effry grimaced at the mention of the tass delivery. "Yes that is quite possible, and that we have to stop, we can not let Larson and her lackeys have any more resources, she will be hard enough to take down as it is."

"Did your associates in Chicago have anything to say?" he asked.

He pondered, "Resistance against this Nicolai turning Miss Bergen... I think I can guess at why, if fiction can be deemed a mirror. I've read a few books where vampires forbade themselves to feed on children that might rise as the undead...

"Authors do like to play with language so that need not mean anything but the concept is sound enough, there is a reason why many mages advocate against teaching Awakened children the Sphere of Life before they have reached a certain degree of maturity since developing that area of knowledge tend to slow the aging process considerably...

"Mr Lenoe did not think much of children being turned into vampires either, having heard what he thought of Nicolai. Though Tobias is still young..." Adley frowned. "But I'm not sure that is the only reason why there is resistance. Tyler's concern was more practical, she said she did not want trouble from mages over turning one of them and did not think that Abigail's influence was good nor would turn out to be of benefit; even though she does not understand how poisonous their blood is to us, or what it does to avatars, the Elder Tremere...he -would- but I wonder why there is opposition about it now..."

He frowned, "Oh, and how can we permanently kill a vampire, by the way? If they can grow back half their body after incineration, I don't think a bullet will be quite sufficient..."

"Fire works quite well Mr Wainwright, you just need to make sure you get all of them. No bullets will do little, Primium though should damage them. Other than that if what I have read is correct sunlight, decapitation and fire are your only options, either you have to rip their patterns apart with magick or completely destroy their bodies in some way. They do burn well though and they seam to fear fire so I would stick with that."

"I would imagine that Tyler is fairly hardy, compared to some others...but she would have had to survive the initial attack to live to talk about it. If we're going to do a deal with them, then it will have to transpire this evening. I cannot contact Tyler again until it is closer to nightfall. I hope we can figure out what we want to do by then, as it seems there are two targets in a whole other city to deal with now, alongside all our issues here. So, first there is the node. Howe can we deal with that without bringing a shitstorm of vampires and Nephandi? And then there is Bergen's daughter, who is likely at Nicolai's apartments somewhere, which is not the same building as the Sears Tower Elysium and node. Tyler seemed to think the girl was not going to be harmed beforehand, if she is gong to be embraced."

"A quite durable Masassa that. Hum...ask her if her family will need protection or just to be hidden, if they need protection just like with Lenoe I am not going to let them walk around this Chantry free, we have young apprentices here, but they may have the same deal as he have. Now if they only need a place to hide I know of a few places where they can go to ground and stay hidden until they are ready to travel and I am willing to provide them with one of these safe locations but then getting them out of Chicago and showing them where to hide will also be the whole of my involvement.

"I will let her know the options and she can decide what she wants to do. I'm not sure how well she would take all her childer being staked and hidden somewhere that she cannot access," he said with a frown. "The second option, we remove them out of Chicago and you take them to this hiding space you know of, and then she will pick them up from there?"

[Warpmind]

Colin nodded, "Right, eleventh century. Hm, where'd I get the twelfth century from, then? No matter."
He looked at Adley, "Oh, I know it wasn't literally you... but I had that vision of a future, were Beatrice had reincarnated. That girl, Alice, she... looked nothing like Beatrice; thinner, different face, different hair, but her posture was the same, the way she held a blade, the way she held her head when she spoke; I'd be more than willing to wager that I have similar little behaviours from the last time my Avatar was here, as do you, and Chief Morgan as well. Nothing so dramatic as, say, personal charisma, or rugged facial features, but subtler things that might serve as a reminder of who you were in a past life."
He leaned back in the chair, "I think expired blood would still serve for some time; hospitals would have even stricter expiration policies than food suppliers, so the safety margins would be fairly long. Relatively speaking, of course. But, best to confer with a specialist on the subject. Now, as for Nicolai's apartment, I'd expect that to be located at Daley Plaza, then. We know Liv Bergen was there earlier today; it's fairly unlikely she's been moved just yet... Once the sun begins to set, though, all bets are off. I think it would be best if we could avoid Sears Tower in its entirety for now; it sounds like a needlessly unhealthy place."

[Adley]

He looked at Adley, "Oh, I know it wasn't literally you... but I had that vision of a future, were Beatrice had reincarnated. That girl, Alice, she... looked nothing like Beatrice; thinner, different face, different hair, but her posture was the same, the way she held a blade, the way she held her head when she spoke; I'd be more than willing to wager that I have similar little behaviours from the last time my Avatar was here, as do you, and Chief Morgan as well. Nothing so dramatic as, say, personal charisma, or rugged facial features, but subtler things that might serve as a reminder of who you were in a past life."

"Hm, then perhaps yes. There are notable qualities that we all have and I have echoes, though who knows how long those have existed. It could only be my own connection that has them." Then he turned an amused grin to Colin. "So, delicate beauty notwithstanding, yes there may be a way for him to remind me of that person."

Now, as for Nicolai's apartment, I'd expect that to be located at Daley Plaza, then. We know Liv Bergen was there earlier today; it's fairly unlikely she's been moved just yet... Once the sun begins to set, though, all bets are off. I think it would be best if we could avoid Sears Tower in its entirety for now; it sounds like a needlessly unhealthy place."

"Yes, that's correct about the apartment, is in a block in the plaza. I've given the Chief more accurate address and area," he explained. "I don't see how we can keep entirely clear of the Tower, if we're going to need to do something about that node, though." He looked at the Chief, quietly going over the information again that they had received, to see if he'd missed anything. "Ah, so about the letter I received, Colin showed it to you, I expect. Not to change the subject...but what did you think? I heard there was a letter from Mr Bachmeir as well?"

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

"We have no idea why the Jade Demon are not cooperating with Larson and her lackeys, it can be a different ideology, a as you say mea filius a turf war or something else, at times our Chantries fight as well, I guess we should not expect the Nephandi to have a completely unified front either, and we should be thankful for that."
The old mage said and sipped his coffee.
"Fighting one Labyrinth is bad enough, I have no desire to go up against two at once."

Adley turned the bread-end over and over again and then shook his head. "As you said, there's no way to know what happened to him over these long years. All I know is what was imparted to me."

Your mentor nods and sigh.
"He might become a good ally in this or a terrible enemy, I am just telling you to be weary and also seeing him might feel overwhelming if your Avatar feel strongly about him, it might be hard to not have feeling overtaking reason and you need to think with your head."
The old mage warned.

"Did your associates in Chicago have anything to say?" he asked.

"Not much, they have noticed an increase in Nephandi activity in the city and they are aware that there are vampires at the Sears Tower, appallingly one of their number are ehm...married to one of their creatures. How a mage would be foolish enough to take such a chance is beyond me, but she might be able to give us some information though I have not had the time to call her yet. Now when that is said Master Martin Hermansønn did give us permission to use his Chantry as a safe haven for our operations in Chicago and promised us what help he could spare."
The old Hermetic said.
"They have a chamber set up with a Hermes Portal so getting there should be a little safer than having Narim drop us into a back ally, I am starting to be quite concerned about the Paradox the young man is building up, we do not want a repeat appearance of a certain lady with bothersome fingers."
Your mentor said and touched the lightly pink scars on the side of his head and actually shuddered.

Tyler's concern was more practical, she said she did not want trouble from mages over turning one of them and did not think that Abigail's influence was good nor would turn out to be of benefit; even though she does not understand how poisonous their blood is to us, or what it does to avatars, the Elder Tremere...he -would- but I wonder why there is opposition about it now..."

"And trouble it would be, mages do not like to see an Avatar destroyed."
Jeffry said angrily.
"And Abigail is likely to destroy her new allies once she is done using them."

"I would imagine that Tyler is fairly hardy, compared to some others...but she would have had to survive the initial attack to live to talk about it. If we're going to do a deal with them, then it will have to transpire this evening. I cannot contact Tyler again until it is closer to nightfall. I hope we can figure out what we want to do by then, as it seems there are two targets in a whole other city to deal with now, alongside all our issues here. So, first there is the node. Howe can we deal with that without bringing a shitstorm of vampires and Nephandi? And then there is Bergen's daughter, who is likely at Nicolai's apartments somewhere, which is not the same building as the Sears Tower Elysium and node. Tyler seemed to think the girl was not going to be harmed beforehand, if she is gong to be embraced."

"The Sears Tower is the primary target but also the most complicated one."
Jeffry said and he tapped a finger against the side of his coffee mug.
"We will have to deal with vampires and Nephandi defending it and also Paradox, luckily that will affect the Fallen worse than us. If we are attacking the Node it should be through the Umbra, that will cause less Paradox and there is less chance the vampire will get at us but it is still risky. Miss Bergen though should be extracted as soon as possible, perhaps with her taken away from Nicolai that will seed some dissent among Abigail's new pawns."
The old mage said.
"We should probably move to rescue the apprentice before nightfall, and then confer with the Traditionalists of Chicago and Miss Tyler about a coordinated effort against Abigail once night falls...as to how to take...and hold the Node however that is tricky, I am open to suggestions gentlemen."

"I will let her know the options and she can decide what she wants to do. I'm not sure how well she would take all her childer being staked and hidden somewhere that she cannot access," he said with a frown. "The second option, we remove them out of Chicago and you take them to this hiding space you know of, and then she will pick them up from there?"

"No I do not imagine she will be happy about option number one nor go for it but I want to put it on the table non the less, as for option two that is correct, once we deal with Abigail assuming I and they are alive I will take them through the Umbra to one of these hiding spaces, give Miss Tyler the address and leave them there for her to pick up or them to fend for themselves."
The old mage confirmed.

"It is not uncommon for someone to have mannerisms and habits from their past lives and for them to be somehow recognizable to loved ones of the past incarnation, and this will be even stronger in a mage as it is generally the Avatar that carry with it past life memories."
The old mage said.
"It is possible that someone who know Adley's past incarnation would recognize him, but it is not a done deal, in either case that is another good reason to be careful around this Tremere vampire."

The chief shook his head.
"Well according to Amadeus and when it come to the magickal properties of blood I tend to see him as an expert, blood kept frozen in plastic bags have almost no spiritual qualities left. However yes off course we should confer with someone more knowledge about vampires than me on that topic.

"If possible yes we should mount a rescue operation to get Liv Bergen out of the clutches of that vampire and do so before dawn, before he have a chance to move her, unless his human servants have done so off course. Getting the girl back also removes one bargaining chip from Abigail's hands which weaken her hold on Chicago but no we can not ignore Sears Tower and the node on top of it, however that building is in a very public place, just storming in there flinging spells is not likely to work, we need to stop Abigail's plans but we need to be smart about it."
Jeffry said.

When the topic went to the two letters the old Hermetic's mood soured even more.
"Yes I read Mr Dale's letter and I am inclined to believe him. An Italian Quaesitor...with a heavy accent, that sounds like the brother of someone we know, however we do not have enough evidence to even speak of such accusations yet. However if Mr Dale is correct and my suspicions with it, things are not good then this rot have spread to Horizon, also if this man have any inkling that Mr Dale recognized him, it is doubtful the boy will live to stand trial, good for him off course, not so good for us who would need his testimony, however getting him off Horizon and somewhere safe is no mean feat. We have one option based on Master Tolle's promise a few days ago, if the boy is Primordial, but first of all we do not know that he is, and secondly it would hardly be a kind solution."
The old mage said and shook his head.
"As for Mr Bachmeier, yes he replied to Cita's note of concern, telling her that he had been attacked on the streets of Horizon and only his Flambeau Cabalmate referred to in the letter as Ian, quick actions had saved his life. Mr Bachmeier have spent the night in the Sons of Ether hospital in Concordia he believe the attack was simply a robbery gone wrong though, but I am not so sure about that. I have a suspicion someone is trying to pick of the five reasonably sane Widderslainte one by one. It makes me wonder about the condition of Miss Amanda on Cerberus, in either case it can be another indication that Lisa Larson's filth have now started to infect Horizon itself."
Jeffry said gravely.

[Warpmind]

Colin grinned, "It might be best not to open dialogue with a big bouquet of flowers. He might take that the wrong way. Besides, I'm not sure what sort of arrangement is best suited for saying 'I'm sorry my earlier incarnation let you go off and become undead 900 years ago'; might require some sort of extinct flower."
He pondered a bit, "I... have an idea about how to reach the rooftop node, at least. Renting a helicopter for a scenic tour of Chicago should be quite feasible, even on such short notice, especially for a pilot with my qualifications. I'm not sure if the building has a helicopter landing pad; I would assume not, since I believe it has some antenna towers at the top, but rappelling down to the appropriate rooftop, or even just hopping out of a hovering helicopter should be feasible. Knowing there should be a node there, we ought to be able to spot it from the air, as well. I don't think the helicopter approach would be as useful for the extrication of Liv Bergen, though."
Taking a goodly bite out of his sandwich, he thought for a bit, "Um, I suppose Miss Tyler, was it? She might know whether medical blood is, er, a sound diet for a vampire."

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

Colin grinned, "It might be best not to open dialogue with a big bouquet of flowers. He might take that the wrong way. Besides, I'm not sure what sort of arrangement is best suited for saying 'I'm sorry my earlier incarnation let you go off and become undead 900 years ago'; might require some sort of extinct flower."

Jeffry raised and eyebrow and looked at Colin as if the Orphan had just gone Marauder before his eyes, then he sort of grinned and could not help but give a bit of an amused sound though he did not comment.

He pondered a bit, "I... have an idea about how to reach the rooftop node, at least. Renting a helicopter for a scenic tour of Chicago should be quite feasible, even on such short notice, especially for a pilot with my qualifications. I'm not sure if the building has a helicopter landing pad; I would assume not, since I believe it has some antenna towers at the top, but rappelling down to the appropriate rooftop, or even just hopping out of a hovering helicopter should be feasible.

"Yes that should get us onto the roof Mr Wainwright, it is also likely to alert every sleeper police officer in Chicago that something is going on, and also if the Nephandi want this Node they are sure to have it guarded in some way."
Jeffry said before he took another sip of his coffee.

Knowing there should be a node there, we ought to be able to spot it from the air, as well. I don't think the helicopter approach would be as useful for the extrication of Liv Bergen, though."

"Now as for rescuing the apprentice I would say a small team who can get into the apartment building in question as discreetly as possible would probably be more effective."

Taking a goodly bite out of his sandwich, he thought for a bit, "Um, I suppose Miss Tyler, was it? She might know whether medical blood is, er, a sound diet for a vampire."

"Yes this Miss Tyler probably will know that, so off course my apprentice can always ask her."
Jeffry agreed.
"Off course we can ask Mr Lenoe as well I do assume the man will know what he can and can not eat."

[Warpmind]

Colin nodded, "True enough, and rendering the helicopter invisible would alert the Technocracy, I imagine - which would be equally disastrous."
He frowned, "Asking Mr. Lenoe... I was under the impression that that would require, um..." He grimaced.

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

"Yes, rendering the helicopter invisible might attract the Technocracy, but then that would most other magickal methods of getting to that roof as well, however the question is if the vampires would be fooled by such an illusion. That is one possibility though..."
Jeffry said and looked down at his half eaten sandwich and decided that he needed food and picked it up again.
"However yes we do not want to have to deal with both the Union and the Nephandi at once."
The mage said then he took a bite of his food.
"Mr Lenoe do seam to be capable of moving his gaze enough to gesture replies to yes and no answers, so no we would not need to pull the stake out to ask him if old hospital blood is a viable source of nourishment for him."

[Tane Karyak]

Friday:

It's your life, you can see your death as you wish, but you'll understand what i say. He said. Hawaiki is the other world, the impressive mountain-island where all the souls go to rest. Some call it the Umbra. He said with a smile I'm unique! Tane said playfully A mistery that's easy to find it's not worth finding. Tane was amused to play riddles with the girl.

Saturday:

Tane smiled at the little spirit. Maybe he messed up with the spirit a little tying it's soul with all the bonding to the concepts. Tane called the others and told them they could come back, and prepared to go to the Chantry

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

Friday:

Lily nodded as she walks beside you.
"Yes I do understand what you are saying."
She confirmed.
"It is somewhat scary though...you speak as if my whole life is going to change as I go into this, but then, perhaps that is a good thing."
The young girl smiles.
"Interesting, have you seen it, this mountain island you speak about? The Umbra, it means shadow in Latin do it not? The shadow world then."
Lily giggles.
"Yes indeed you do appear to be quite unique to me Tane."
You got to the end of the beach and walked up to the bus stop that would take you within walking distance of Steelhaven.

Saturday:

"We will be right there."
Coawa said over the phone. Soon after you hear him and Alessa enter the house again. The spirit of the house seamed pleased to get more people inside of it's physical being.
"Two more, half physical and half spirit are they."
It muttered before he vanished into the walls.

[Adley]

The old mage said and sipped his coffee. "Fighting one Labyrinth is bad enough, I have no desire to go up against two at once."

"We kind of still are, if you count the Chicago allies and those here as separate."

"He might become a good ally in this or a terrible enemy, I am just telling you to be weary and also seeing him might feel overwhelming if your Avatar feel strongly about him, it might be hard to not have feeling overtaking reason and you need to think with your head."
The old mage warned.

Adley spread his hands, trying not to look overwhelmed by everything, just stick one foot in front of the other and cross, or burn those bridges when he had to. He'd always trusted his avatar, it had saved his ass several times, and even when it had been difficult separating all those feelings out, this bit of news on top of the rest was unsettling.

"They have a chamber set up with a Hermes Portal so getting there should be a little safer than having Narim drop us into a back ally, I am starting to be quite concerned about the Paradox the young man is building up, we do not want a repeat appearance of a certain lady with bothersome fingers." Your mentor said and touched the lightly pink scars on the side of his head and actually shuddered.

"No, I don't want that," he frowned. "I've gotten worried about it too, I don't want to add 'drag Narim back out of a realm' or 'help beat up another paradox spirit' to my list of things that need to be done."

"And trouble it would be, mages do not like to see an Avatar destroyed." Jeffry said angrily. "And Abigail is likely to destroy her new allies once she is done using them."

"True enough."

"We should probably move to rescue the apprentice before nightfall, and then confer with the Traditionalists of Chicago and Miss Tyler about a coordinated effort against Abigail once night falls...as to how to take...and hold the Node however that is tricky, I am open to suggestions gentlemen."

"Trouble is we're not sure where Abigail will be when night falls, perhaps there will be some news," he frowned. Hell, this was complicated. "So I stand corrected, this is three actions: rescue, capture or kill and then the node."

"No I do not imagine she will be happy about option number one nor go for it but I want to put it on the table non the less, as for option two that is correct, once we deal with Abigail assuming I and they are alive I will take them through the Umbra to one of these hiding spaces, give Miss Tyler the address and leave them there for her to pick up or them to fend for themselves."

"Very well."

"It is possible that someone who know Adley's past incarnation would recognize him, but it is not a done deal, in either case that is another good reason to be careful around this Tremere vampire.

Colin grinned, "It might be best not to open dialogue with a big bouquet of flowers. He might take that the wrong way. Besides, I'm not sure what sort of arrangement is best suited for saying 'I'm sorry my earlier incarnation let you go off and become undead 900 years ago'; might require some sort of extinct flower."

effry raised and eyebrow and looked at Colin as if the Orphan had just gone Marauder before his eyes, then he sort of grinned and could not help but give a bit of an amused sound though he did not comment.

Adley gave Colin a surprisingly matching expression to his mentor but somehow the joke made him feel a little better, for all its ridiculousness. He gave a short laugh, shaking his head. "I'm fairly certain the flower language was not invented to cover mistakes that grave." He sighed.

"If possible yes we should mount a rescue operation to get Liv Bergen out of the clutches of that vampire and do so before dawn, before he have a chance to move her, unless his human servants have done so off course. Getting the girl back also removes one bargaining chip from Abigail's hands which weaken her hold on Chicago but no we can not ignore Sears Tower and the node on top of it, however that building is in a very public place, just storming in there flinging spells is not likely to work, we need to stop Abigail's plans but we need to be smart about it."

"How are we to manage all of this, given the time constraints? Liv Bergen can be dealt with during the daylight hours, and Abigail in the evening, but what about the node?" he wondered.

He pondered a bit, "I... have an idea about how to reach the rooftop node, at least. Renting a helicopter for a scenic tour of Chicago should be quite feasible, even on such short notice, especially for a pilot with my qualifications. I'm not sure if the building has a helicopter landing pad; I would assume not, since I believe it has some antenna towers at the top, but rappelling down to the appropriate rooftop, or even just hopping out of a hovering helicopter should be feasible. Knowing there should be a node there, we ought to be able to spot it from the air, as well. I don't think the helicopter approach would be as useful for the extrication of Liv Bergen, though."

"Yes that should get us onto the roof Mr Wainwright, it is also likely to alert every sleeper police officer in Chicago that something is going on, and also if the Nephandi want this Node they are sure to have it guarded in some way."
Jeffry said before he took another sip of his coffee.

Colin nodded, "True enough, and rendering the helicopter invisible would alert the Technocracy, I imagine - which would be equally disastrous."

"Well, this is going to sound insane...but you did get a drive a car through the Umbra, pater. Of course, directions are rather...unique there. On the other hand, if we travelled that way, we wouldn't necessarily need a vehicle. Then also there is the paradox, you've worked as much hard magic as Narim lately and also if something happened we'd be stuck without a ride. Plus they probably have some type of guardian on the area, by now." He stuck a hand through is hair and pushed it out of his face.

"Yes I read Mr Dale's letter and I am inclined to believe him. An Italian Quaesitor...with a heavy accent, that sounds like the brother of someone we know...however getting him off Horizon and somewhere safe is no mean feat. We have one option based on Master Tolle's promise a few days ago, if the boy is Primordial, but first of all we do not know that he is, and secondly it would hardly be a kind solution."

"Damn," he said with a frown. Then he tipped his head, "Pardon but what does Mr Dale's avatar have to do with Master Tolle's promise?"

"As for Mr Bachmeier, yes he replied to Cita's note of concern, telling her that he had been attacked on the streets of Horizon and only his Flambeau Cabalmate referred to in the letter as Ian, quick actions had saved his life...It makes me wonder about the condition of Miss Amanda on Cerberus, in either case it can be another indication that Lisa Larson's filth have now started to infect Horizon itself."

"Shit! Yes, I met Ian briefly he is very protective of his friend. Thank goodness, as it turns out...I do hope that Mr Bachmier does see the danger, seek some refuge with his mentor again as he did when I borrowed his papers. This is terrible..." The implications of what was happening were hard to believe. First Lux Iternis, now Horizon? He got a bit of a staring look as he thought about it, and then dragged himself back to the immediate issues, of which there were all too many.

He frowned, "Asking Mr. Lenoe... I was under the impression that that would require, um..." He grimaced.

"Mr Lenoe do seam to be capable of moving his gaze enough to gesture replies to yes and no answers, so no we would not need to pull the stake out to ask him if old hospital blood is a viable source of nourishment for him."

"I recall that Narim was going to see if he could work out something, because I also remember telling him under no circumstances should he let Lenoe have any of his blood, or any mage or supernatural. Apparently it can enrage them. And after seeing him in such a state, well..." He shook his head.

"Colin, this rote of yours...what happens to the vis? You said it was designed to waste it, what does that mean? If the vampires are controlling a node then well, it might be better to have the energy dispersed than to let them keep a resource to trade to the Nephandi, especially considering what they are likely to do with it."

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

"We kind of still are, if you count the Chicago allies and those here as separate."

"You do have a point, three Labyrinths then, even better."
Jeffry said and sigh.

Adley spread his hands, trying not to look overwhelmed by everything, just stick one foot in front of the other and cross, or burn those bridges when he had to. He'd always trusted his avatar, it had saved his ass several times, and even when it had been difficult separating all those feelings out, this bit of news on top of the rest was unsettling.

Your mentor gave you a sympathetic look, but there where really little more to say about it, the truth was your Avatar could react to seeing it's old host's friend, but that was your burden to bare, all mages faces the consequences of actions, friendships and deeds in earlier lives in some way or another.

"No, I don't want that," he frowned. "I've gotten worried about it too, I don't want to add 'drag Narim back out of a realm' or 'help beat up another paradox spirit' to my list of things that need to be done."

"No...I am not eager to face another of their kind again either, not to mention the other pleasantries that can come with Paradox, this Chantry is a sanctum of storts, we are not immune to Paradox here, as you yourself have experienced mea filius, but we are protected, however when Narium uses his magick to teleport someone or something he is affecting things outside of our little bubble of more magick friendly reality, and he is putting himself at risk each time engages in such activities."
Jeffry said and he sounded concerned for the young Master of the Art's safety.

"Trouble is we're not sure where Abigail will be when night falls, perhaps there will be some news," he frowned. Hell, this was complicated. "So I stand corrected, this is three actions: rescue, capture or kill and then the node."

"Yes, however before we have any idea of where this Abigail is, there is little we can do about her, we do have an idea now as to where Miss Bergen is located though so we can act on that and hope we will reduce the Nephandi influence and save the child in one fell swoop, we also know where this Node is, or we have a pretty good guess so we can start to plan what to do about that, we need more information about Abigail though."

"How are we to manage all of this, given the time constraints? Liv Bergen can be dealt with during the daylight hours, and Abigail in the evening, but what about the node?" he wondered.

"We have to do one thing at the time and hope it is enough, once we are done talking here I will put together a team that will go to Chicago and try to free Miss Bergen, as for the Node, using force is difficult, we are talking about an important landmark in the city it is very public and we have no idea how well guarded it is, we might have to try diplomacy over violence this time, but how to do that and get these Masassa to listen to us, that I do not know but I am open to suggestions, both for a diplomatic solution and a more violent one."

"Well, this is going to sound insane...but you did get a drive a car through the Umbra, pater. Of course, directions are rather...unique there. On the other hand, if we travelled that way, we wouldn't necessarily need a vehicle.

"I have considered that mea filius and it is an option, we can affect the Node from the Umbra and go there through it as well. I have never heard of anyone encountering vampires in the spirit world, werewolves yes, ghosts, even some peculiar creatures from Asia that seam to be able to manipulate raw Quintessence as if they where Awakened magi, but vampires no, taking out one party to this of the equation leaving us with the Nephandi. The problem is, the Fallen tend to be strong in the Umbra it being more natural to them than the physical world is."

Then also there is the paradox, you've worked as much hard magic as Narim lately and also if something happened we'd be stuck without a ride. Plus they probably have some type of guardian on the area, by now." He stuck a hand through is hair and pushed it out of his face.

"It would not be me, not before I have a chance to rest, I hate to admit it but right now I would be a bad tactical choice."
Jeffry said angrily, this was something he did not like to admit.
"However once I get a chance to meditate at a Node I should be fine, yes I have attracted some Paradox, but not enough to be in danger, not yet. I will however bring another able to travel the spirit world if we go for such an approach, to be on the safe side."

"Damn," he said with a frown. Then he tipped his head, "Pardon but what does Mr Dale's avatar have to do with Master Tolle's promise?"

"Master Tolle promised Cita he would grant her every resource she needed to heal Miss Alexander, a prisoner is a resource, especially one who have never been a Traditionalist so he officially have no rights by Tradition law."
Jeffry said then he glanced at his apprentice.
"Cita need donor material from a Fallen, Primordial Avatar to repair the damage to Miss Alexander's soul, much like what she did with what you gave her, but as you do not match Miss Alexander's Essence it would not be a perfect match, and to heal the young Verbena, reducing her healing time from perhaps years to weeks, far larger pieces would need to be used. If Mr Dale have the correct Essence requesting him as a donor would probably be within the boundaries of Master Tolle's promise."

"Shit! Yes, I met Ian briefly he is very protective of his friend. Thank goodness, as it turns out...I do hope that Mr Bachmier does see the danger, seek some refuge with his mentor again as he did when I borrowed his papers.

"Yes I do hope so as well, if I am not mistaken as to who Mr Bachmeir's mentor is, he is both powerful and quite respected and should be able to keep his former student safe. It is good that this Ian managed to protect his firend, it would have been a shame if the young man had been killed."
The old Hermetic agreed.

This is terrible..." The implications of what was happening were hard to believe. First Lux Iternis, now Horizon? He got a bit of a staring look as he thought about it, and then dragged himself back to the immediate issues, of which there were all too many.

"Yes it is...and we need to stop it...somehow."
Your mentor said but he did look worried, his face was like always, kept in a stern, serious expression but there was something in his eyes, he feared for the future of the Traditions if corruption had spread this far, and he feared for Horizon, the place he had been born, his home world."

"I recall that Narim was going to see if he could work out something, because I also remember telling him under no circumstances should he let Lenoe have any of his blood, or any mage or supernatural. Apparently it can enrage them. And after seeing him in such a state, well..." He shook his head.

"Narim have more contacts than you would know, he is a man it is easy to like, and with his mentor...well with his large network I am sure he can figure something out. The problem with acquiring blood for Mr Lenoe have been left with Narim and Miss Day, one of the tricks of delegating is to trust those one have delegated a task to, well to be able to handle it, I am sure I will be told if there is an issue on this front."

[Tane Karyak]

Friday:

it will change completelly, but it would give you the chance to be complete, to develop the full potencial of mankind.

Hawaiki i have seen. I've been there. There's where i was given this Tane touched his sword by his side One of my forefathers, Atonga, the warrior sage, gave it to me to protect the inocents.

Saturday:

I present you to Ruau. Tane said with a smile when they got there. He'll take care of you.

[Sponsored content]