(1607) The Reality War

[Varyx]

Varyx was glad when the others started shuffling inside. She had been about to suggest it - perhaps in an uncharacteristically terse manner, given how unhappy she was with all the talk of these alternate futures she absolutely did not want to think about - but it seemed unnecessary.

As she headed inside, she sent texts to... She paused, looking around. It was only Avis missing. Star was gone away for, well, something. Hadn't said what. But she knew he wasn't here for a reason. Miach was gone. Pelican was gone. Or were those more false memories? Hard to say. She was fairly certain, though...

She sent off a quick text to Avis , though she was beginning to suspect that if the Councilor wasn't here now, she wasn't coming. That concerned Varyx more than it probably should have, but it wasn't all that surprising. With things going insane the way they were, she realized Avis would have been the first person she turned to for advice. And she was the only one who wasn't here.

Cayce , I'm assuming you aren't planning to have Avis join us, but poke just in case :P

She allowed the others to speak on their troubles, pointedly remaining silent about her own. She served as Herald, and with Aquinas gone (Let's not think on how much of a relief it was to no longer be speaking as voice for a man I didn't know or understand...) she would speak for the Consilium instead.

A smile, perhaps strangely calm given the topic of conversation, came up as she glanced to those mages she hadn't yet met. "Varyx. Herald, and Vanessa in public."

"It doesn't seem like anyone truly knows," she said, responding to Truce's question. Her voice rose slightly, her gaze sweeping over the rest of the room as she addressed the larger group. "I suspect Crowley is right, that this - whatever it is - is a move on the part of our enemies. And even if it isn't, we can't be certain and I suspect it would be wise to assume this was a deliberate attack until proven otherwise."

[West]

For the Obrimos ( Arthur ) , it's obvious that the faces aren't Spells. They're no mere construct woven from a singular Imago -- something much closer to Artifacts. Deep magic that refuses to be de-constructed or understood, wrought with power and ability that might inspire awe.

Like a dog pondering a chess board, appreciation is always a factor of understanding.

But those aren't the only Artifacts that Arthur sees. Visions of devices made of stone, precious metals; some weapons, others simply accouterments, stamped with sigils -- some of which are Seer-specific. Carefully, painstakingly packaged, they will bring the rains of lightning and storms of fire that the other half of Arthur's Tower allows him to fully appreciate.

July moves through the Time-space, feeling his inner clock spinning. Winding, unwinding, settling on a time as surely as he knows exactly how long a minute is.

April.

1912.

[Avis]

Avis came back to herself before the mirror, the tremor of her phone against her leg bringing her back into her flesh. Her hands were gripping the porcelain of the sink so tightly that the tendons in her fingers felt locked and stiff, and her eyes felt dry and itchy from staring so long into their bloodshot reflection...

Except, it hadn't been their reflection. She hadn't been looking at her own eyes. The mirror hadn't cast back the light that had caressed her face and illuminated who she was through the context of her body and the marks the past had left on her skin.

She'd seen a rain of scarlet and carmine, of falling petals and flowing blood.

She'd seen what she hated about herself. But there was no one to talk to. No one to share the burden of those nightmares...

But there had been the phone. The message. Varyx, reaching out to her. She closed her eyes, remembering soft touches. A dream that had been too close to reality.

But it had been a dream. A reflection. An illusion.

She couldn't afford to dwell on it. She couldn't afford to be self indulgent, not when she'd just scene where the path lead...

So Avis drew in breath and began to speak, her throat dry and harsh from lack of use, and she imagined the place she needed to be. A place she'd spent so much time inside...

And then, suddenly, in the Circle of Creation, Avis was there. A small trickle of blood dripping down from her nose. Avis reached up to touch it, then frowned and chanted again, bringing up a shield and her sight. Then she turned to the others.

"I think I've seen a black cat twice," she said unhelpfully, before lixkkng the small dab of blood from her finger.

  spells

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2016-07-13 23:27:35		Avis rolls 7 to Untouchabubble+3rd eye (gnos3+mind4+HS2-2combi) (10 Again)		1, 10, 4, 7, 4, 3, 10, 1, 10, 1		3 successes
2016-07-13 23:21:42		Avis rolls 7 to Teleport (gnos3+space5+HS2-2int-1dox) (10 Again)		1, 1, 10, 9, 4, 7, 1, 5		2 successes
2016-07-13 23:20:31		Avis rolls 2 to Paradox (10 Again)		5, 10, 2		1 success

-1 mana, paradox as backlash

[Fisher]

Crowley seemed out of it...more distracted and disturbed than she had seen him before. So she thought that was the reason he had acted the way he did instead of trying to belittle her. Killing a friend for power in a dream would sure would mess with your head...at least he only killed his friend, Fisher thought with a shudder.

Then she decided to forgive him she turned back to those who followed her inside and nodded at Crowley's questions along with Runner and the others commenting about their dreams.

"I'd say it's a pretty safe bet. Looks like a duck, walks like a duck and all that," she said with a wave of one hand. "I don't usually see stuff with the sight...more of a feeling I get. It felt cold...dark...malevolent, yet with purpose. I got the impression that it is a warning. So real helpful right? I bet a five-year-old could reason that out with all the clues that have dropped into our laps so far," she sighed with irritation.

She didn't like the sound of three weeks, but Tuesday's comments about Enchantresses and lady parts made her grin at the woman.

"Don't worry about it...already forgotten. Tuesday huh? That's kind of cool, like Wednesday, but not." Fisher resisted the strong urge to snap her fingers twice in a steady rhythm. "I'm Fisher, named after the animal like a big martin, or weasel, or mink. Arrow shaman...I guess I've never heard of a shawoman...root woman maybe? hedge witch? Oh that sounds mysterious...I'm a hedge witch! Only without the cursing people I guess. Hm..." she thought to herself that that it might not fit so well after all and then realized she had gotten off target.

"Anyway I don't like the sound of three weeks," she said getting back on topic. "I also had dreams like where I..." Fisher cut herself off with several forced coughs to cover her word switch. I almost said ate people...that would have gone over well...she mentally cursed herself. "...was evil Fisher...like...really evil. Then I was normal Fisher without the magic. Then there were dreams of other attacks with people I didn't know. So yeah, I refuse to let the bad stuff happen we have to do something. I would rather die than end up hurting people like that."

Her stomach growled loudly in protest and she looked down at it in suspicion. Oh that's just wrong...

"Oh, Hi Avis!" Fisher sad when her newest friend popped in, at least she thought they were friends...maybe? "We were just talking about that. We've all had dreams and there is a clock on the front of the building with a major working on it. We all think it is connected with the seer stuff and our dreams. But that doesn't really help us formulate a plan without knowing where they plan or striking...or did strike? Time is weird."

[Wayland]

Wayland kept his mouth shut and followed everyone inside, trailing after them like a rear guard. Once the last of the people were inside he did a quick head count. Half his memories told him that everyone was here, the other half told him people were missing, and there were some new ones.

This was well below his pay grade, he shock his head and locked the door behind him. Fat lot of good it does though, seeing as how many doors there are in this place but still, old habits die hard and sometimes the Lie is hard to escape.

Wayland walked over to Fisher and while speaking to her, spoke loudly enough for the others who walked in with them, "Yo, I know people are freakin' the fuck out, but there's some shit you gotta know 'bout the Circle hey. Yeah it's got protections that keep the randoms from like, noticing the place, but thats on the building yo, not out front. So like, all that vocal workout an' shit out there, totally noticable yo, and FYI, I ain't that worried 'bout the Sleeper, its the Enemy i'm worried 'bout, and they don't need to be right near us to hear us, ya know? I mean, I can go to Radio Shack and get stuff to make a listening device for like fifty bucks, for reals yo."

He tried to calm down, but the memory of being in chains was branded in his mind and it filled him with fear and paranoia. "What I felt from the towers was that many will die, and souls will be used for power." The next bit was hard and he knew it to be true, but it rang too close to his fractured memories to not fill him with dread. "I like, also got the feeling that our enemy is using objects of power to bring about.... something. Fuck I dont know, but thats gotta be some baddass gear to bring this stuff."

"Anyway, my cabal is gone, like, I went to where our Sanctum was and its gone, like, never existed. So without them, i'm gonna do the only job I have left, and guard this place." Drawing on the strength of the stone and steel and wood around him, Wayland chants a phrase in High Speech and shields himself. Wayland starts walking away from the group and begins a patrol around the main room, locking doors and keeping watch, visually and magically.

  2 successes to Matter Shield. -1 mana for Spell Cloak

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2016-07-14 09:00:18		Wayland rolls 8 to casts Matter Shield (Gno+Matter+HS) -1 Mana for spellcloack (10 Again)		10, 1, 4, 6, 9, 2, 2, 6, 6		2 successes

Unseen Senses don't trigger

[West]

Everyone can do a Perception Check -5 (TO applies) to open this

It's just a floor.

Unless it's not.

The Westminster Cosmati Pavement circles shift every so slightly, in time with the clock outside. Like gears or subdials.

[Avis]

  failure

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2016-07-14 11:35:37		Avis rolls 1 to is dat a black cat? (wits+comp-5) (10 Again)		4		failure

[Fisher]

Fisher doesn't see the not food

  failure

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2016-07-14 12:28:47		Fisher rolls 1 to Perception (wit + com -5) (10 Again)		2		failure