(Invisible Hands) Puzzle Pieces

[Mykel]

Bump

[Michael Redfill]

Wolven Pryde , Jag

As much as Michael would enjoy to inform Max Heinz of their academic findings concerning the urns - a true scientific breakthrough - there is work to be done. He turns to his fellow Gangrel:

"Should we depart, Reeve Connery?" - certainly, the three of them is enough to handle a couple feisty squirrels and birds.

[Tracy Burns]

Tracy turned to Dillon as Redfill asked if they were ready to leave. The redheaded Gangrel couldn't make small talk with little critters, but she would definitely watch their backs while they were out in the woods. Just in case of...bears, she thought to herself, slightly amused by the idea. "I'm ready when you are Dill...Reeve," she said, almost forgetting that titles were to be used in public. You know, Invictus etiquette and all that bs.

"Just say the word," she added, offering him a sheepish grin.

[Max Heinz]

Max turned his attention to Hildegarde as the woman spoke. It seemed an interesting little factoid about the Society's relocation; it might not seem like much on it's own, but it could be a useful piece of the puzzle later on. Filing it away for possible later use, the Mekhet turned his attention back to the jars and David.

He nodded his head as the man gave his rank within the Order; just one detail among many Max would have to learn before he was well and truly a proper member of the Dragons again. He listened intently as David explained the research that had already been conducted on the containers. The man's use of "legitimate research" was interesting; Max wondered how much of the research had dealt with the academic nature of the containers and how much had dealt with the supernatural aspects of what they were used for.

He leaned in closer, examining the jars as David held them aloft while listening to the other man's descriptions. Overall he agreed with the conclusions, though he was a little perplexed as to the use of two separate kinds of containers. Different shapes, different construction materials, different ages and origins. At least now he knew what the intruders were after, some sort of stone carving. Max didn't recall anything like that in the Chapter House before, it must have been a recent acquirement.

"Well, the antiquity certainly makes sense. The age would give them the right sort of resonance for interacting with spirits. The same with your hypothesis that the Pathoi were used as funeral containers. Whoever was behind this has to be someone of means,; these aren't the sort of thing you can pick up at the local flea market. Which means that carving must be very important to them, to go through all that expense...

A few points of clarification, if you don't mind. When you say an alchemist from the Ottoman Empire, do you mean someone who was alive during the time of that Empire, or someone who was around for that period in history and is still about?" One could never assume when dealing with affairs that involved the Kindred...

"What about the placement of the vessels? Does it conform to any geomantic or hermetic forms our alchemist might have been familiar with? And also the containers themselves. A set of four, consisting of two matched pairs; each pair very different from the other in age, origin, and material. Has any research been done into the possible differences between them? Based on what you've told me, one might surmise that the Pithoi were the containment units for the spirits, while the Amphora contained the medium that allowed them to sustain themselves in this world. But again, that's just a theory..."

While he waited for the other Dragon to think over his questions, Max took one of the ceramic Pithos in hand; slowly turning the vessel over and inspecting it a little closer. The motion also gave the Mekhet a few moments to try and prepare himself for the use of his Family's gifts. Using the Spirit's Touch was always a disconcerting experience; your consciousness was torn away from the here and now and transported, however briefly, into the past. You never knew how far back, or to what situation, the hazy, dreamlike visions would take you.

Surprisingly, the first Pithos he touched carried strong attachments to what had happened, scenes shifting one after the other within Max's mind. An insubstantial, blurry image of a man in dark clothes with a machine gun; suspicion and concern flooding from him as he sets the jar down on the ground. Max fell further, beyond the faint image etched on the surface. Beyond is another image - of darkness and dim light; of chanting and incense; of dusty shelves. The vision solidified: darkness, guttering candles with thick, obscuring smoke; etchings on the floor; an impressive man of color in a prayerful stance... duty and service fill his nostrils as much as the thick, cloying scent of frankincense and myrrh.

Slowly, Max went through the process again with each of the objects placed before them; each time revealing a little more of the puzzle. The second Pithos' visions began much like the first, with the man with a machine gun. But beyond that, the image crumbled into an impression of age, of dust; of an impressive man of color carrying the jar to a rude alter.

Next came the Amphora; and much like the first Pithos, this too brought powerful visions. The man with the gun. Spike of terror as the walls between melted... With a wrench, Max smashed past this most recent patina of emotion and drained into the depths... Smiling, a man of color places the jar reverently on a dusty shelf; scents of wood smoke and gas; flashes of fire. Beyond that, another image - a lab; scents of lemons and oranges; a call to prayer in an ancient language that was acutely familiar to the Mekhet... and then the image collapsed before he could grip it...

By the time he reached the final Amphora, Max's mind was swimming. So many visions, so much to take in and try to make sense of; it was enough to make him slightly wobbly. Still, he pressed on with his task and the last container. It was both a relief and a disappointment when he could not glean any more information from the glass container beyond the now familiar image of the man with the gun. Not trusting his legs to support him, Max made his way over to one of the chairs that dotted the room and sank into the over-stuffed piece of furniture while massaging his temples; trying to put everything into some semblance of order.

[Dillon Connery]

Dillon waits to see if Martha has anything to add. When it seems that she doesn't, he nods to Michael and Tracy.

Sparing a smile for the Seneschal, and a mild sort of wave to the others, the Reeve turns to head out with his cousins. Max seems to have everything well in hand, at any rate. "Catch up with you all in a few..."

The sentence trails off, a bit, but he continues more confidently to his posse as they pass the threshold of the house again.

"If either of you aren't at least learned in the basics of our Blood's penchant for animal communion, hang back just a bit. Kindred are naturally offensive to animals, otherwise. It's not just that we smell dead. We are dead.

"They are, on some level that humans aren't, perceptive of that."

But Dillon has to mentally correct himself on that. Sometimes, no matter the effort Kindred go to hide their nature from the herd, the sheep sense the wolf anyway. As handsome and friendly and socially adroit as he usually is, the Gangrel has been getting some funny looks, recently.

Gloria's words had been 'you're staring at everything awfully hard, lately'. Or, pointing out how unnaturally still he got when he was lost in thought.

Oh well.

Dillon pushes the thoughts out of his mind as he heads for the treeline with Mikey Mike and Tee Bird in tow.

OOC

Yumyumcrow - Do you want to keep this in the same thread?

[Yumyumcrow]

@Dillon Connery Wolven Pryde I think it would be a good idea to spin off into another scene. Lot of bodies in this and that could lead to some confusion.

[Martha Villiers]

Drat, my fault for pausing and waiting for others to post. I lost my chance to enter meaningfully into the discussion!

Martha looks to those left behind with a sigh.

There was a lot to take in and things were moving fast.

"It seems the Grand Wyrm has things under control." she sounded a little redundant.

"Perhaps," she smiled and offered encouragement to those left, "we should follow and see what we can learn or offer by way of help?" she smiled and shuffled off to follow the others to see what Max was going to do...

After all, she had studied the relics too.