A chat with the newest councillor

[Chambers]

While not a person prone to the use expletives himself, the sentiment was quite understood and shared. "Just some of a good number of difficulties tied to the situation, yes." Pentacle politics was complex, brutal and as often as not underhanded.

A slow grimace revels that once again he might be inclined to agree. "I had hoped seeing what happens when you are out classed in a duel might have given him pause for thought, but it seems not." And the reality was a Consilium the size of San Fran could almost certainly put forward a first or second degree master to fight. "If he does train against Aurora or maybe Skye being a fellow arrow I do actually hope he suffers some losses." The hierarch clearly didn't have faith in the Sharman to win either.

A shake of the head stops suddenly as a light bulb goes on. "Now we cant pin the mage you found to San Fran, not yet but." And he goes quiet thinking something through. "Violating territory could be hard, they claim it is their territory." Eyes narrow. "However if we could somehow trick a San Fran mage into breaching the sanctum of a law abiding mage." Slowly turning to look at Thirteen. "That we could pin to them, breaching of a great right is pretty serious." And would certainly give them something to push back on. "Besides we maintain Sacramento is our territory and we are independent. The New charter makes it clear we are our own body, so if we can oust them on something like that our claim could become uncontested." This idea alone made the meeting worthwhile.

A positive run that comes to a crashing halt and he sits back into his chair, slowly. "I don't like killing as a solution to problems." It had heaps of complications and besides. "Murder stains the soul, self defence I can accept, wish it were not so but accept." The Mysterium had drilled it into him each death was knowledge lost, and that was another step towards oblivion. "And anyone who does kill enforces the lie as well." Death under the lie worked a certain way, a way he knew was not the truth. "Do you think there is a way we can misdirect or trick them?" With the limit of numbers and resources it was a long shot for sure.

Unsure if that was acceptance of the offer or a rejection. "You know I have proficiency in time." She had seen him use it at the duel after all, "And I am working on my understanding of space so with the right connection I can view the past in relatively safer locations from here or the circle for example." Relative because vulgar spells always carried risk. "If we worked together we could produce a more potent post cognition, allow the primary caster to witness more." It was of course an endeavour that would require more then bare minimum trust on both sides.

Okay that actually solves a problem, almost anyway. "Would you mind sharing the address with me? Then I can take a wander that way." That seemed easiest.

[Thirteen]

"Aurora's the biggest gun we got. San Fran is bound to throw a Master at us. I don't know why she's not our champion in all this." The redhead sighed.

Eyebrows rose as Chambers seemed to appreciate her territory-violation idea. Had no one considered that before? "I'm no Lex expert. Where's the bloody Silver Ladder when you actually need them? I don't even have a sanctum yet. But if you think that's an idea we can run with, feel free to use it."

Thirteen might be a fairly new Libertine, but her Order's hatred of the Seers still ran deep. Destroy the Followers of the Lie was a pretty unambiguous rule they had, and that rule covered Hunters, in her mind. Every Mage or supernatural creature they killed only enforced the Lie. And the Acanthus never had issue with hurting those who would hurt her. Karma was a bitch, and all that. "Think of it as pre-emptive self-defense. We know they'd kill us in a heartbeat. We should protect ourselves before they can pull a trigger." A shrug of her shoulders. Big talk for a woman who's not ever actually killed anyone. Yet. "If you want to send them on a wild goose chase... Millie's probably the weak link. Tell her what she wants to hear and she's an eager puppy. That's what I gathered from the one time I met with her, anyway."

As for the topic of Time scrying, "If I can help with the spell, I will. I could use the practice. Up to you, Mr. Hierarch."

Her phone came out and after a moment, she related the address of Eidolon's bookshop. "Nice little place. If he's just keepin' to himself, I'd figure that's where he'd be most days."

[Chambers]

Placing his cup next to an empty ash try on side table the Moros tents his fingers. "Whatever reasons she has to allow Asclepius to take the fight are her own." Now was that him admitting to not knowing, or knowing and not saying? "Regardless I won't force any mage to take this trial if they do not wish to." That was down to a matter of if they felt able to, and Chambers seems to lack the tyranny in his rule of the Consilium to force another's hand. "But yes I would suspect if this goes ahead we will be fighting a very uphill battle." And what then? If ego stands in the way of wisdom at what point am I obligated to intervene? He after was meant to be the wisest of the wise among the awakened of Sacramento.

But then again he might not have to, well not if this idea had legs. "I think the ladders presence left with Cavendish." Which left himself and Aurora as Factotums sure, but a practicing ladder would be better. "But even experts can miss the forest for the trees I had been focusing on the claims and dangers of the situation, the potential of a war." Which still can't be ignored. "But it's why I seek out the councillors when I can for these chats, differing perspective advise I might not otherwise have considered." It was no doubt the best idea they had so far, if and it was a big if they could make it work. Gears begin to turn, to formulate possibilities.

Ideas that would need a little time to build up, and come into focus. This talk of killing. "That's a dangerous justification. It can be stretched pretty far given enough time." Why do so many jump to killing as an answer? Maybe it was because they had not seen how it should be, didn't really know what it was they were doing. "We can protect ourselves without needing to resort to murder." They could shape reality itself, they could do better then any thug with a gun. "Killing is convenient, I dread to say easy to many in theory. But we can be smarter then that." Usually Secrecy was their best protection, to stay hidden that of course was no longer an option. So what now? "I don't exactly have connections in any relevant places, but I was thinking more along the same lines as San Fran, maybe there is a way to pin the house explosion and resulting deaths to them?" That would get the hunters tied up with the authorities in a fairly major way, make it much harder to operate.

He wouldn't have brought up the idea if he wasn't willing to accept the help. "I would be very grateful for your help with the spell." That at least should help put that problem to rest. "Once I have achieved the sufficient proficiency in space I will let you know." Preparation was important in this matters regardless.

A pen and paper is retrieved from a nearby draw and the address jotted down. "Thank you I'll take a wander past soon then and see what can be seen." Another thing soon to be ticked off the list.

[Thirteen]

The fact of Aurora's reluctance to be their duello champion didn't sit right with her. Thirteen could only grumble under her breath about it, though. It wasn't as though she could force the issue.

"Well, hope you can make something of the idea. We're already outgunned in this duel, and it'd be worse in a war. Legal loopholes aren't the most noble way to win a conflict, but I'll take it to the alternatives." She slumped back in her seat, eyes wandering the room.

Those eyes turned back to Chambers, studying him as the topic of Hunters returned, "Didn't Witch get one of them arrested? That was fine, but it was a temporary solution. We're back to square one with these fuckers." The Acanthus took in a breath and let it out slowly, then shook her head. "If we can sic them on the Golden Arseholes of San Francisco, that's good by me. Let them kill each other." She leveled a serious look at the Moros, "It's all noble to say you want to take the high road, but when push comes to shove, what kind of Hierarch are you going to be? You going to continue to balk at what needs to be done when the more clever options don't pan out?"

She gave a nod, then. "Let me know when you're ready and I'll be there." Thirteen could use more experience with Space magic herself. She was still only a beginner in that Arcanum.

"Do you think he actually skipped town?" The idea that Eidolon may have just run off after his big screw-up seemed to annoy the Libertine. He brought Hunter attention down on her head and she was still mad about that.

[Chambers]

A chuckle soft soft it barley makes his lips move follows Thirteens statement. "Now that is something I wouldn't let a ladder hear you say, I think they would find legally out manoeuvring a foe to be a praise worthy success." And since these invading mages had come at them with laws and claims, there was no shame at all in fighting back with the same but harder. Thirteens wandering eyes would take in the place is comfortably appointed, but Chambers does have to make full use of all three dimension for storage space, something of note is a long thin item wrapped in cloth that is stood up against the wall by galley, is that the hilt of a sword poking out? "I certainly can make something of it." The Moros is still quiet. "For it to be most effective we would need to sacrifice one of the Sanctums declared and protected." His own eyes slowly scan the space, but his is a wistful glance. "Of the two that qualify mine would be best I think." It would be a loss no doubt, dangerous of course, but he had other places to go, other projects he could invest time into, build up.

Nodding slowly. "Yes but I think that was a rather short lived endeavour. Explosions and death should merit a rather longer incarceration." Somewhere they would be monitored a lot more closely. He sighs heavily through his nose. "Thirteen have you ever watched a soul leave a body? Grow dark over time? Be ravaged by afflictions?" Any novice of death could witness all that and more, still few choose to. "We can write over fallen reality, we are not puppets on strings with our hands being forced to move a certain way." No they had all the options of their sublime art to overcome problems. "I did not get the position for my skill as a warrior, or even for being the most powerful mage in the city." That alone should signal his skill set was elsewhere. "I am the kind of hierarch that encourages the mages of the city not to trade wisdom for convivence." If a hierarch did not promote the wise path, the harder path then what good were they as any kind of leader. "I won't outlaw killing, I know some orders, some mages have fewer qualms, and no I have never been in the situation myself." Unless you count dying that he had done. "But when it comes to what needs to be done? We have other options, countless options." Reality is a lie and nothing is impossible.

Eyes close a moment, centring himself. "I am not much more a fan of setting hunters on fellow mages. But at the end of it all they, both parties, will choose how to resolve that situation." Mostly the mages, the hunters would be out for blood almost certainly. "That is a plan I think we can make happen, have the hunters and San Fran mages both breaking into the same Sanctum. Let it play itself out." The duel was cleaner, more respected. This was playing dirty but it did work in theory. "San Fran mages gets the double dose. Breach of Sanctuary and breach of secrecy and leading hunters to a sanctum to boot." Nasty one two hit. "Hunters get someone to pin the strangeness on." He was thinking about survivors because well one side had to win. "Whoever walks away is weakened." Hopefully enough.

It was a heavy day, discussing murder should never be light. "I will do." The ritual, the part he had first thought would be the hardest part of the conversation, had turned out to be one of the easier. Still it is resolution, and with some teamwork no less. A rare thing between mages not sharing a cabal.

Eidolon well again he had what he need to find out the end of that matter. "I haven't seen Eidolon since the whole thing went down, given we've had a couple of Consilium meetings since then its safe to say he has either skipped town or has gone into hiding." Pressed lips show neither is a good look for someone who had breached secrecy. "And given he didn't come across as a quite personality I know which I think it is." And if the habits of Sacramento held.

[Thirteen]

Any good Libertine wouldn't give a rat's ass about what the Silver Ladder considers praise-worthy. They were almost as bad as the Seers. Thirteen was little different. She generally found the Thearchs insufferable on a good day. She wasn't here to bad-mouth one of the Atlantean Orders, though, so she just eyed the maybe-sword curiously. "Aye, question is how do you get them to violate your sanctum? They're gonna sniff a trap if it's too obvious. We can't Bugs Bunny this thing."

The Acanthus listened to Chambers as he explained his position on killing. It sounded to her like his views as a Moros were coloring things. "Can't say that I have. Only deaths I knew were quick." Both her parents went fast, at least. Freak accidents made them no less horrible. The Hierarch made his position clear. "Life gives you hard choices, and sometimes all the options will suck. I appreciate that you want to avoid killin' if you can. You should. I'm just wonderin' if you're capable of makin' that tough call if you have to."

Thirteen smiled, though, at the deviousness of the plan to pit both the Consilium's enemies against each other. "And the weakened survivors will be easier for us to deal with. Lovely."

Eidolon, as much as she loathed the man, was still a member of the Free Council. A fellow Libertine. That only bought him so much leeway, though. While she wasn't looking to throw him under the bus, she was fine with him fleeing the city. That just meant she'd never have to deal with him again. "If he's gone, he's gone. I won't loose sleep over it. Let's just hope the Hunters didn't track him down. Be careful at that bookshop. They might be watchin' the place." She may have wanted to kick his ass, but she didn't want him dead.

[Chambers]

The Moros having not noticed Thirteens curious stare, wrapped up as he is in the ideas, plans and well schemes that are unfolding continues on. "Yes that would be the trick wouldn't it, how indeed." Eyes close. "There is a hallow in the bay on the Marina." Something he would be sore to lose without question. "It's not big but it's still a valuable resource." One that could in theory attract mages who found out about it. "If I hang some cloaked spells to go off in here with the condition of their approach? Or something similar that would set off senses and mage sight." And they only needed one to enter for that part of the plan to go off.

Rushing into killing without grasping what it is the at entails. A much to common view point. "It might be worth witnessing these things, fully grasping what it is to end a life." People died, that was understood and the only sleep he lost was that it happened under the lie, but actively killing was another matter. "I think we disagree what the tough call would be." Snuffing out that light was easy to do, even easier to command another the cost went unseen by most. It is much harder to do almost anything else. "But should the time come I guess we will find out." With sufficient preparations, immense and great works it could be overcome.

A half tilt of his head. "Yes if whoever does walk away, if the yare determined to continue they will be easier to handle." The seeming chaos of that situation would be much easier to manipulate to less bloody ends. "But we have to pull it off before we start celebrating." Still plenty to go wrong with it all. "I'll bring this up next Consilium meeting. See what we can do to push the pieces where we need them." It would be an all hands on deck kind of operation.

The words of caution be they genuine or simply polite were still reassuring, they might disagree over ideological and ethical matters but they were still working together as a Consilium. "If he's gone, yes there is little to be done." Other then issue a wanted poster to the corkboard maybe? "And fortunately of all places I think a bookshop is somewhere I could go without raising much suspicion now if Eidolon had been running a salon it might be another matter." A half hearted attempt at a joke it seems.

[Thirteen]

Red curls jiggled as Thirteen turned her head, looking out a window at the water. She ruminated on the seed of a plan they had. "That's good bait for the San Fran crowd, and they'll be bait for the Hunters. Question becomes, how do we make sure the Hunters can differentiate between us and the Golden Consilium? Just drop them a note pointin' them towards the Bay Area?" She wasn't serious about the note idea, judging from the sarcasm in her tone.

"Aye," she nodded slowly, eyes still on the waters of the river, "In the end, you'll never know until the time actually comes. We all like to think we'd do the heroic thing in a tough situation, but reality tests us harshly."

Another nod followed, "Sounds good. More brains on the plot will help." No sarcasm this time. She was ready to table the issue until then.

"If he's gone, the shop won't even be open. He had no employees, as I recall." The Acanthus thought a moment, considering the possibilities, "I suppose he's had time to sell it over the last few months. He wouldn't even have to be here to do it. He could act through a realty agent." She finally looked back at Chambers, "Still, those Hunters are patient. They were chasin' the Inn guy for weeks after the Leo incident. I wouldn't put it past 'em to keep an eye on the shop if they know Eidolon owned it." A shrug of her shoulders next. "At least you have the advantage of anonymity."

[Chambers]

Out of the wall length window behind Chambers seat, the calm and sheltered bay of the marina, waters barely disturbed and a ways past them the banks and bare foliage of the crest on land that offered the shelter and protection of still waters. To see the flows of mana and presence of hallow the enchantress knows that prime arcana is best suited, unless she wants to really start scientizing the area.

Chambers for his part does not look thrilled to have offered up his sanctum, his place of safety like as a sacrifice. But he preserves with the planning. "In an ideal situation we would put the hunters on their tail before the event itself, so that way the hunters have something to focus on, and if they win, to feel accomplished over. It might make them careless or lead then to think they have swashed the problem." Ideally no Consilium mages would be present at all. "I am not sure any of us should be here when it goes down, less moving parts and all that." Less to go wrong.

Fallen reality tested them, yes that was true. But this dark topic had been very much focused on himself time to turn that around. "What about you, do you think you could take a life?" Because bluster and bravado where easy, saying and doing were after all, such vastly different things.

Seems one of the agenda items for January was settled, and it was a big one. How do we stage a war to incriminate a hostile Consilium while pitting the local hunter population at them. They don't include this in the when talking about the duties of a hierarch do they. But still it was he had to conceded part of his responsibilities.

He nods slowly. "Yes I should be unknown to them." He could think of a reason or two as to why they might know his face but those were stretches. "And it has been half a year since the incident." Hunters might be patient but they were not numerous, well not enough to keep an eye on every possible lead he hoped. "But I'll be careful, do my casting before I go, cloak it all. Get the information form my spells while I try the door and look in the window before walking away." He didn't need to do a deep dive or contact anything else just a sweep past to check if the Warlock was hiding out. "You say you don't have a Sanctum of your own yet, mind if ask why not?" For most mages a safe place to practice was a priority.

[Thirteen]

Thirteen wasn't looking to scrutinize anything, she just enjoyed gazing out at the marina. It was an interesting place to live. How did one get a houseboat, anyway?

"Fine with me. I have no desire to get caught in the crossfire," she shrugged. Not being anywhere near the potential confrontation was simply a wise move. Hostile guns and spells were not something she felt like testing her luck with. "At least your sanctum isn't wired to explode like Corn's house," she paused a moment, giving Chambers a concerned look, "Is it?" Mages have done weirder things to their Sanctums.

Would she be able to kill? Good question. "I've never hesitated to hurt those who've hurt me, but takin' a life is on another level." Kicking schoolyard bullies in the crotch was a different beast, certainly. "I'm no Arrow, though. In a battle, I'd expect to be playin' support. Blessin' allies and cursin' enemies, like that." The Acanthi weren't usually the ones throwing fireballs or sprouting claws. "If it came down to it... if I was the one that had to pull the trigger... It'd be a question of karma. You know, has what the target's done caused the them to deserve death? Are they fated for this?"

Thirteen nodded slowly as the Hierarch went over the details of how he'd visit the bookshop in question. It was all well and good. Then came the question of her lack of a Sanctum. "I'm workin' on that. Just got me a house. A wee one."