(IT) Call of the Deathless

[Truce]

Equipment: Mid-size car, First Aid Kit, Crystal, Magical Tool, Smart Phone, Desktop Computer, Body Bag, Yearbook

On the south side of Downtown and the Capital City Freeway, between the Old City Cemetary and Southside Park, Temoins du Sud makes their home. There, resides The Deathless, a manuscript detailing the forbidden knowledge of Reaping as a means of obtaining a form of Immortality. It lies among the Occult Library of Truce's, a poor haystack for a needle compared to the vast library from which they procured it.

Truce himself is downstairs, putting on a pot of tea for his guest or guests. He's settled on using Flidais's meager skills in Prime to see them through along with Faust's expertise in Spirits. He has contacted his Cabal members and arranged a time with Faust for them to look over the Grimoire and devise some countermeasures, assuming the Banishers have begun practicing the despicable technique.

He leans against the counter, hands flat on the edges as he arranges his thoughts. Allowing more members of the Mysterium into their Sanctum is a bold move. No doubt they would pressure him to release the Deathless into their care. What's more, Truce wants to do it, if only to be rid of the thing. But he promised Crowley and Einstein that he wouldn't allow it to leave their care, unless of course they had more incentive to do so. Einstein is gone, so Crowley would be the only one that needed convincing.

Still, doubts plague him. Would it still not be better to destroy it? Even in the Mysterium's care, it's existence would cause him worry. That knowledge brought with it dark temptations.

The Ghost, Chelsea, moves about the second floor of the apartment, further adding to the eeriness of the Sanctum. But it's something its residents have likely gotten used to.

[Miach]

Equipment: Mid-size car, First Aid Kit, Backpack, Magical Tool, Smart Phone
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

Even though Miach had already been received in the TDS Sanctum, he was nonethless not so familiar with the place that he could feel at ease there, and even less so with today's purpose. To study some Banisher's weapon that threatened the very Souls of the Awakened... it brought him shivers down his spine, even as his steps brought him from his car to the Sanctum's door. Protecting against bullets or knives or drugs he could do, but protecting his Soul ? Hopefully, with the weapon gone, it wouldn't be required, but the mere prospect was... downright dreadful.

Such a weapon needed to be properly studied and safely stored away as soon as countermeasures had been found. Especially if the risk of its use was very real. Anyway, all this was idle speculation so far, and as in all things, diagnosis mattered first.

The Curator knocked at the door, and braced himself for a long evening.

[Truce]

The knock at the door shook Truce out of his thoughts. Whatever doubts he has will have to wait. He must live in the now.

The front door opens and Truce appears, a soft smile on his face as he greets the Magi. "Good evening. Miach, Faust. Please come in."

He stands aside, his hand on the door handle as he allows the men to pass through the threshold and into the foyer that is a simple hallway. A thin table stands along the way with a mirror above it, a place where one might set a pair of keys. Behind Truce is a closet space.

Once the Magi have entered, Truce will close the door and turn towards the closet. If they have coats or jackets, Truce will offer to hang them up before ushering them into the living room. The open space has a clear view of the stairway and attached kitchen with several windows that give a view of the neighboring lots and highway.

"Thank you for coming. Have a seat. I don't wish to waste your time. Once Crowley and Flidais come down to join us I will fetch the manuscript. For now, may I interest you in some tea?" he asks politely.

[linkrulesx10]

Equipment: Magical tool, Knife, Notebook. As at sanctum other weapons and phone are stored in her room.

Some thumps could be heard coming from another room, a brief cry and finally an incoherent shout reminiscent of maybe a birds call, maybe not. There was a few moments of silence before one last thump was heard. Shortly after Flidais appears, wearing nothing but a deer skin draped over her shoulders, a skirt with a pouch, and a burnt feather which appears to be stuck to her forehead.

  Spells cast in preparation for the meeting

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2016-03-07 17:24:23		[03] Flidais ritual casts Analyse Enchanted Item (Ritual) 1 suxx to duration rolls 7 to Prime + Gno + HS (10 Again)		8, 6, 5, 9, 1, 4, 7		2 successes
2016-03-07 17:24:23		[02] Flidais ritual casts Analyse Enchanted Item (Ritual) 1 suxx to duration rolls 7 to Prime + Gno + HS (10 Again)		10, 7, 5, 4, 5, 3, 7, 2		1 success
2016-03-07 17:24:23		[01] Flidais ritual casts Analyse Enchanted Item (Ritual) 1 suxx to duration rolls 7 to Prime + Gno + HS (10 Again)		10, 4, 9, 6, 6, 3, 2, 4		2 successes
2016-03-07 17:22:09		Flidais casts Prime Sight (Mana paid by Hallow) rolls 5 to Prime + Gno + HS - 2 Advanced Duration (10 Again)		6, 8, 1, 10, 8, 1		3 successes

"Sorry I am late, I just had some workings I wanted done for today, and I appear to be slightly late. Greetings Curator, Faust." She nods her head respectfully to each of her order members as she joins them.

"Tea would be perfect thank you."

[Crowley]

Crowley appears, stinking of enthusiasm and music and mania and sweat. The music had been pouring from him and he now had enough material for another album. He looked tired, famished, exhilarated, and buzzing. The smile on his malleable face told all as he all but leapt down the stairs.

His hands were thrust into his baggy jeans when he strode into the room, looking impishly innocent. His T was stained and full of holes, the image on the front cracked and pale. His smile held for a while longer when his eyes roved across the room.

"So its today, huh?" It was a rhetorical question. He flung himself into a seat.

He looked around again.

"Nice suit," he commented to Flidais.

"Mysterium guys - welcome," he added when he nodded casually in the direction of Faust and Miach, his face almost achieving formality.

"You need a hand making the drinks?" A legitimate question to Truce. "You want me to deal with that so you can bring ... it ... down?" Hands moved around the seat, ready to propel him off at a glance from his Moros cabal mate.

[Miach]

Miach had barely greeted back Faust that the door was opened by the Moros Councilor to let them inside his Sanctum. The two other members of Témoins du Sud were there too, and the Curator greeted each of them nicely in kind, as he and the Warlock were but guests in that house. He would have hated for less in the Forge, and so was due for reciprocating.

Still, Truce had already let an interesting piece of information out. A manuscript ? The doctor couldn't wait to actually see it, but didn't mean to be rude. Honey, not vinegar.

"Tea would be great, please. With sugar if you have some and it's not bothering ?" he replied sweetly.

[Truce]

At the sight of Flidais approaching, Truce turns to greet her and then quickly averts his gaze, a reddening blush spreading over his face. "Ah...umm...Flidais, I told you we'd be having guests..." he starts in a mild panic. "Don't you have something else you could wear that would be...less distracting?" It's amazing that no one else has decided to point out the obvious fact that she was dressed in little more than a deer skin. Shaman or not, it's hardly appropriate for company.

Lifting a hand to his eyes, he continues to shield his vision against her immodesty as he circles around the couches towards the stairs. "Yes, thank you, Crowley. I'll go and grab it," he says, practically retreating up the stairwell and leaving the tea for Crowley to prepare.

Upon reaching his room he selects the ancient volume from the shelves and returns with it moments later to the living room. He places it on the coffee table before them. The Deathless smells old, with thick yellowed sheets of paper binding it. The leather binding is odd, like that of an animal's hide, though unlike the hide that Flidais wears.

"Now then," he says, still standing while facing the guests. "Allow me to share with you what we've discovered already about this book. We came to hear of it through an investigative historian, you might call her, the Sleepwalker named Rabbit who I've mentioned at Consilium. She was following rumors of a book that spoke of granting immortality that was said to be quite valuable. I believe this is the book she had in mind. Upon examination we've determined that the teachings within speak of a method to harvest souls in order to prolong one's life. It damages these souls irreparably, likely killing the victims."

He pauses, allowing the gravity of its ugly truth to sink in before continuing. "The Banishers were guarding this tome, or at least the space in which we found it. They referred to it as a sacred place, though I can't imagine why. To be honest we're not sure if the Banishers have studied this, or are even able to. But the workings they performed on the Ghost we encounter suggests to me that at least one of them has a profound understanding of the necessary magicks. And that is the scenario I would like to prepare for. So with that in mind, I will now allow you to look it over. If you have any suggestions for defensive measures, I will hear them."