Jordan waited while a line of school children and their docent passed between him and the information desk. He was still two or three minutes early for his appointment, therefore he could wait for that line of eager young minds to file towards Mesopotamia. Was it that long since he was among them? Yep, afraid so.

The young Mystagogue was anxious to help Ryan connect with experienced help...he remembered vividly how Enid had helped him through things.

He stepped up to the information desk. "Good morning. I have an appointment with Dr. Primoria. I thought I'd check to see if we were still good."

Gina appraised the young man standing before her, uncharacteristically caught between pieces of gun. "Your name?" her surprisingly clear voice asks, as she unwraps a piece of gum. Jordan gets the feeling it's just as much of a stalling tactic for the synthetic chicle as it is a request for information.


He smiled in a friendly manner.He'd been here twice before and she didn't remember. But of course, how many hundreds pass each day.

"Jordan Shepard. I called ahead."

"Hello, Jordan," a voice called out, as Tyria approached. "This is the day I walk the grounds. Can we talk during that?"

Today, Tyria is dressed in ecru slacks, with a white Oxford. The sleeves are rolled up, and the woman almost looks as if she's going on safari.

"Hello, Doctor. Certainly; I appreciate you're taking the time to see me. Lead the way, please."

Prepared to see the Curator, Jordan was in tie and jacket cut with simple good taste. The young mystagogue fell into step with Dr. Primoria.

Tyria heads out of the Museum, beginning to walk the concourse that surrounds it. She walks slowly, looking at the grass, trees, maintenance workers -- nothing seems too mundane to ignore.

"So what brings you back, Jordan?" she asks.

Jordan replied carefully, focusing on what he was to say and being careful not to trip over anything. This was no time for a slapstick routine.

"Doctor, I'm a bit out of my depth. Ruby was kind enough to arrange a tour of the museum for me, and towards the end of it I met a student from Sacramento University. I gave him a lift to campus, and it turned out he had been Awake only a few months. He is operating without any kind of guidance right now. The young man follows the path of Moros, but has no mentor and no order to turn to. He is interested in the Mysterium. Now, I am neocorus, and not qualified to teach a banana to turn black. I thought I might ask you for guidance on his behalf. Perhaps you could point him at the right people."

Tyria paused to give a groundsman instructions about a ficus that was apparently growing too quickly for her tastes.

"A new necromancer?" she asked, once they're out of earshot, looking at Jordan. "Is his name Ryan, or is this another Awakening?"


The young Mystagogue was visibly relieved.

"Yes, Curator, his name is Ryan. When I spoke with him, he had not taken a Shadow Name yet."

Then it struck.

"Blast! You're already aware of the young man, therefore I have wasted your time. I profoundly apologize."


Tyria's laugh trilled. "I'm the Curator of the Mysterium -- It's my job to be aware." With a smile, she elaborated, "He's been by a few times, and is the owner of some books that have Atlantean connections, but no one has had time to look at them."

She continued to walk, and cast an irritated glance at a piece of gum stuck to the sidewalk. "Perhaps Fate has steered you toward him?" Tyria asks, with a small shrug. "You could educate him, and also see about his books. Or, perhaps you could assist Nott and Jack in their study of the ley lines, if you'd prefer. Maybe young Ryan could tag along, and we would also have more time with his books."

Tyria looked at Jordan curiously, to see what he thought of the options.


Jordan reflected quickly. "I don't have a gift for perceiving ley lines, Curator. My arcane insights, such as they are, are tied to Fate, Time and Life. But if you think it is prudent, I'll be happy to help bring Ryan along as far as I can...and I certainly feel comfortable working with any books he has found."

Then he smiled. "Heaven knows I'm a believer in the workings of Fate. But if your other team needs something, you know, like having an area searched or something found, I might be able to help."


Tyria considers Jordan's response and walks in silence for a few moments. "I think that may be the thing to do. Ryan hasn't made too many connections with other Awakened, and I'd like to evaluate him. Whether or not he's Mystagogue material, I have no idea -- but wherever he goes, I like knowing things." Tyria smiled at the last bit.

"See if you can rendezvous with Ruby and she'll point you toward Nott and Jack. Although none of you are Theurgists, recent trends have pointed to ever-decreasing instances of Enchanters Awakening. For two -- you and Jack -- to appear..." Tyria shrugged.


Fate happens. You go with it. Jordan replied: "I'm the last person in the world to believe in coincidence. I'm a believer in destiny's flow. This particular Enchanter is ready to give it a try. But I've never trained another mage, so I'll probably be asking for about a ton of advice. And I'll give Ruby a call soonest."

"Often times, the teacher-student relationship is reciprocal," Tyria replied with a smile, then turned her attention back to the grounds inspection.