Researching the Bismark(Spirits)

**Aurora** · Jun 14th, 2026 08:42 PM

Slowly, her head turns, “Yes?” then a confused look, “Mana isn’t a concern, I'm actually full. And using my own blood on cast my Ritual is the tool I have. I’m a Life Master, an injury isn’t a concern for me, but thank you for your concern.”

But truth be told, going into the Gauntlet wasn’t on her list of things to do today.

“I had done it as a way to let someone know where I was. You are currently the only Awakened I trust in Sacramento. I don’t typically cross over into the Gauntlet, and figured I should let someone know when I do. The Gauntlet here is not one I have come across before, it is,” pausing, “quiet and without spirits that I can see. But there are also other oddities. Ones that I am about to get a closer look at. But to do so, I need to step over. And to do so, I need to cast another Ritual do to how powerful the Gauntlet is. I felt safer letting you know. So if you want to stick around, feel free, and read the notes I’ve taken on what I’ve seen so far just from this room. But you won’t be able to follow me, I plan to only open a Road I can use for safety reasons.”

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**Chambers** · Jun 15th, 2026 11:49 AM

That seemed to be rather missing the point. "I know enough of magic to know opening a gate to the shadow realm won't leave your patterns mana reserves full." This didn't seem like the moment to play stupid. "And that moving between the realms invisible is dangerous at the best of times, if you needed blood why not sacrifice a chicken?" Some mages bulked at animal sacrifice sure but it had its place, its uses and was no different then killing to eat. "And the ritual circle does not need to be done in blood regardless." He leaves out that spirit road is not a life spell so blood would not serve as a suitable tool for the casting, the scent of incense in their air however suggests Aurora was already aware of that.

Beyond that Aurora seemed, well confused? "Aurora unless I have drastically misunderstood the situation your passing into the gauntlet but through it into the shadow realm, or this an attempt at something far different?" His very limited knowledge was going to fail him if she was in fact trying to enter into the barrier that separated the two realms itself. "I think it best I do stay." The entire situation was mildly concerning to say the least. "I would be no use to you over there regardless I have no experience and very limited knowledge of the place." As a soul awakened to Stygia the shadow realm itself was not one he did well with. "But I do know magic, now tell me to back off if I am over stepping but there are ways this can be done with more safety for you." Aurora was powerful, as best he knew the most powerful member of the consilium but that didn't mean that proper use of the tools as their disposal was not warranted.

**Aurora** · Jun 15th, 2026 07:53 PM

“Because I didn’t have a chicken in my bag and casting a Ritual, and going into the Gauntlet was not on my list of things to do today. The Gauntlet that is here, at the Circle is a very powerful one, and I needed to do a Ritual to even see into it.” Sighing, “Look, I was here to research into spirits for another matter, I couldn’t find any spirits to talk to, it struck me as weird, so I decided to see what was wrong with the Gauntlet here. Turns out the Gauntlet here is pretty damn powerful, but shows no sign of spirits or, well, anything. So, I’m going to pop over there, because there are other things I need to take a look at. Which means another Ritual for me to even crack it.” Another glance at him, “You have a secret stash of chickens somewhere in here?” cause if so, impressive.

“Into the Shadow Realm. I need to investigate what I am seeing.” Pausing, taking a breath, she felt like she was wasting time. “When I was called in by Skye, and I reached out to try and talk with spirits within the Circe, nothing, save for Jinx answered me. And that was…odd. Now, looking around in here, with Spirit, and looking at the Gauntlet, truly looking at it, there is nothing, it is empty. I don’t know if it’s the Wards, or Bans, but something is keeping Spirits away. Which I have written down in my notebook, everything I have seen and haven’t seen. Because there is more. There might be something far more here, but I don’t know yet, because I haven’t gotten there yet. But I have to.” And she wanted to get there. “Then stay.” Shaking her head, “I was not going to bring you over there with me. I will be casting a spell that allows me to control who and what can cross on the road I open with me. No offense.” But she had planned this solo.

“Doing the Ritual was done on the fly with things I had on me. I had no intentions of casting a Ritual today, but with what I saw, it seemed extremely important, and the information I gathered was to be passed on to you as Hierarch once I was finished. As I had written it down. So it’s not like I was going around eager to slice into my hand, it was work with what I had.” And she knew Shamans could use Blood. “If you feel more comfortable with me using something else, I won’t object, just don’t feel I did this on whim.” He was one of the few Awakened she admired.

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**Chambers** · Jun 16th, 2026 10:31 AM

Choosing to ignore the slight barb on the comments, the Moros closes his eyes just momentarily as he sorts through the new wealth of information the unexpected situation is throwing up. "I was not suggesting you just happen to carry around animals for sacrifice, but if it became apparent one was need a trip to a pet store is not to out of the way, and well worth the short delay. Unless the matter is truly time sensitive." But actually. "You know it would not be remiss for us to keep a small stock of animals here for that purpose." Far from a bad idea. But right now in the moment. "Right, here." Opening a draw on his box of stuff a piece of chalk is removed. "This will work for atlantean pentagram without you needing to perform more blood letting." Which would get things moving in the moment. "And please do use the ambient mana from the hallow to open your road." If Aurora was going to take risks dealing with the powerful and unknown it made the most sense to go into as ready and able as she could be.

But with that said. "I am not trying to stop you." What she choose to engage with was her choice. "I'm just offering ways to do it safer. And with that more likely to succeed." Mages getting gung ho and acting to quickly, without proper preparation, had resulted in veil breaches, arrests, hunters, seers, opposing pentacle mages and deaths. "A few moments to make the right choices now might end up saving your life down the line of this investigation." They grappled with the laws and formations of reality, with concepts and obstacles that spanned all of the fallen cosmos. A little care and caution as they progressed was never something to go a miss. "So while you cast it seemed I ave some reading to catch up." And the Moros will go to pick up the notebook and settle himself in a window seat to begin trying to get to grips with whatever had lead to this moment.

**Aurora** · Jun 18th, 2026 11:15 AM

“I’m a bit weary on pet stores lately. And if what I am seeing is important, I wanted to move as quickly as possible. So I worked with what I had. Which to me, is not a huge deal, I’m a Life Master, healing myself can be done in a matter of moments if danger was sensed. I’m not about to put my life on the line, at least not without backup and others going with me. I don’t tend to take unnecessary risks.” She wasn’t stupid or crazy. Nodding and accepting the chalk, she does add a note in her notebook about chalk. Seemed she was going to start to carry some around with her.

“I have no issues using the Mana here, but like I said, I have not used any of the mana I am carrying yet.”

Nodding once again, she re-bandages her hand, “I can answer any questions when I get back, because I know you will have them.”

Knowing her limits, she drops her Second Site for now.

But, first things first, this was going to be a vulgar spell, time to see if the universe was going to let the spell go or not.

And it wasn’t. The pain was swift, but it was there, and despite Chambers not being eager for her bleed again, seems the universe had other plans for her. She absently wipes at her mouth with the back of her hand at the taste of blood, and sets to work lighting the incense, then remaking the pentagram. This time with the chalk.

2 successes

Things in place, she begins the spell, completely focused.

6 success

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**ReubanBrightwood** · Jun 18th, 2026 12:29 PM

As we are shifting into another dimensions go ahead and ignore chambers marble for now he will be waiting in the msyterium wing.

Also as you are now in the Spirit realm all paradox dice pools have a -2 penalty (while you cast from here), because this realm is a closer reflection to the supernal and more accepting of magic.

Absorbed paradox backlash only does bashing damage! Not lethal your track is 1L 2B

While Chambers sets about reading Auroras notes in silence, seemingly having said what he would on the matter and content to let Aurora go about her business, or maybe grateful enough she had accepted the chalk to not push anything further for today.

Aurora sets about casting her spell and by chance or auspicious intention the abyss takes notice trying to seep through with the supernal truth, to corrupt and warp her will into something else, something foul and wrong. This corruption she contains within herself suffering the physical malady of the abyss' touch but keeping her spell her own.

Choosing to for go a spirit road entirely Aurora uses the powerful spell road master to step side wise through the gauntlet itself, leaving no opening for anything else to traverse. Squeezing herself against the wall like unseen gauntlet and forcing herself through the cracks and imperfections wriggling and squirming for a timeless moment until she bursts through the other side into the large magnificent room.

Wider taller more ornate, the stone walls darker in some place, lighter in others covered in the glyphs and runes that seem so familiar yet despite her great skill with languages are indecipherable at glance.

The stained glass windows of the window seats stretching high high above her the myriad of colors and lights making up figures and items and places each of the windows seems to hold a vast array of information.

The Alter, a well crafted lump of stone in the fallen world here is jet black and ornate, carved and gilded, a groove in the surface seems to suggest something should rest there, but that something is missing.

The room is otherwise unoccupied but the very air of the spirit world here is heavy and silent like the hush of a vast library minus the floating dust, it is an oppressive silence, it weights in tangible powerful manner that tries to enforce an unspoken authority upon the Shaman. The door out, that should in theory lead to the rest of the circle is present old beyond reckoning of iron and wood, the stairs down into the lower halls of the mysterium wing remain as they are in the fallen blocked off, uncleared by the current order members, whoever the trap door in the distant ceiling that leads to their hidden roof space, where the hallow resides connecting fallen and supernal in the smallest of fountains, can be seen.

**Aurora** · Jun 19th, 2026 02:57 PM

With that being the first time she had used that spell, it was…intense. But also, invigorating. Something that only a Shaman would be able to understand.

Standing, she takes a moment to just look and observe. Because something this magnificent deserved to be taken in. So much to take in and she felt like there were so many different things to see all at once. She wanted to study everything in the room, learn all the knowledge she could! There had to be a treasure trove of knowledge in here! And knowledge was power.

But she remains where she was, knowing she can only do one thing at once, and she didn’t want to overwhelm herself. So she focuses on her breathing, slow, steady, and her own.

Then takes a look around, the oppressive silence wasn’t comforting. At all.

1 success

First, the glyphs, which seemed familiar, but not, so she walks up to them, eyes looking closer at them. Could she decipher any of them?

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**ReubanBrightwood** · Jun 19th, 2026 03:17 PM

As the Shaman focuses her breath each one even soft as breathing is cuts through the heavy oppressive weight of the room like a hissing violation against a code of silence, each step towards the wall of her choosing a clipped and sharp sound grating against the ears like ab abusive comment or verbose insult.

Casting her eyes over the runes and glyphs and symbols Aurora is over time eventually able to pick out the odd one or two she does understand!

That there is the Atlantean symbol of the mysterium, over there the Atlantean symbol for the path of doom, over there the symbol for her own path of ecstasy each in turn the five symbols of the watchtowers can be found and identified. Beyond these six symbols she cannot decipher anything however it is enough to know, she looks at walls covered in the fullness of Atlantean text. This is so much more the high speech, so much more then fragments and words of power they have clung to.

It is rumored that the full language has been recovered but if so that knowledge is not widely shared, however here before her very eyes is proof of it's existence, it's use. That gets her no closer to understanding what it says here in the moment, it does not explain it's presence or purpose but it is here.

**Aurora** · Today 12:32 AM

As she takes in the symbols, some of them begin to make sense!

The Mysterium! The Watchtowers! A little surge of excitement as she was able to identify those, and that they were Atlantean!

But that excitement slips away as she realizes those were the only symbols she could decipher.
If what she was looking at was Atlantean, then it was here, in the Circle.

It existed! Why it was here, she had no clue. But it was here, and maybe, if given the time, and the chance to write it down, she could begin to take the time to decipher it!

But why here? What purpose did it serve? It had to serve a purpose for someone, or something?
She could spend hours studying it, getting lost in the symbols, hoping to pull out meaning lost over centuries, meaning and knowledge that wasn’t shared. Could she do it? She wasn’t sure.
Would she try? Goddamn right she would.

But there was more here, and she needed to shift her focus. With some difficulty, she makes her way over to the stained-glass windows. Seeing what information, she can gather from those.

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**ReubanBrightwood** · Today 04:38 AM

An incredible and exciting discovery indeed hidden here outside the view of the fallen world. And yet so far still from her reach for all her vast skills and knowledge of linguistics. But somehow there must be a way, someone knew someone had put it here in the shadow of the circle.

The stained glass is it's own ball of mysteries, the panes ranging from large, wide mono colored spreads to the tiniest arrangements of differing flecks of glass to indicate the strands of grey in a figures hair.

Certain things are readily apparent, some characters seem to come and go appearing for a while then to never be seen again, or to suddenly turn back up. The immense stretch of glass or well ephemera that has the shape of glass, for that is what is surely must be here in the shadow, is well beyond her eye line making this even harder and each of the windows seems to depict differing events or situations, even as some of the same characters seem to feature.

An extended solving enigmas roll can be made. Intelligence + Investigation -5 . The target number is 30 suxx. Each roll represents 1 hour. And as always any magic you wish to employ to aid is of course allowed!

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2026-06-18 10:11:03	Aurora rolls 2 to Paradox(3 dice)(-1 Dedicated Magic Tool)(Absorbing) (10 Again)	5, 10, 8	2 successes

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2026-06-18 10:39:28	Aurora rolls 7 to Road Master Spirit 5 + Gnosis 5 + HS 2 -2(Paradox) -3 (Gauntlet) (10 Again)	6, 3, 4, 2, 8, 1, 9	2 successes
2026-06-18 10:36:35	Aurora rolls 7 to Road Master Spirit 5 + Gnosis 5 + HS 2 -2(Paradox) -3 (Gauntlet) (10 Again)	9, 1, 7, 9, 10, 4, 1, 2	3 successes
2026-06-18 10:33:59	Aurora rolls 7 to Road Master Spirit 5 + Gnosis 5 + HS 2 -2(Paradox) -3 (Gauntlet) (10 Again)	5, 5, 4, 2, 5, 9, 6	1 success

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2026-06-19 14:33:25	Aurora rolls 7 to Looking Around(Wits+Comp) (10 Again)	6, 7, 4, 9, 3, 7, 5	1 success

Researching the Bismark(Spirits)

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