Ring the Bell

[Strix]

Strix nodded after Campanella's explanation. "They do sound pretty similar in that regard. With that one exception." He mulled over that part as he took a sip from his coffee, then gave a shrug. "I'm probably too Libertine to think it necessary to actually have and earned such privileges, but I guess it's why they're different Orders. Among others." Knowledge, at least within the same Order, should be shared.

Unless… "Well, unless we're talking Cursed Objects. I rather no one really got all that much access to it, beyond making sure they're stowed away safely and never to be stolen."

Back in Indianapolis, these things were usually handed over to the Mysterium for safe-keeping instead of keeping them in a Lorehouse. Strix supposed the reasoning was that there wasn't much to learn from something like that. He certainly was better off without any such item to worry about.

"A fellow Disciple of Matter." He grinned at Campanella. "And yeah, that's the guy. I didn't remember his name, just that he had something to do with Alchemy. And other things." Which he hadn't really remembered, either. "Matter and Prime. Interested in enchanting and the like, or any other reason for that combination of interests?"

Wayland favored the two and was a Forge Master, but different people had different reasons for why they do what they did.

[Campanella]

Campanella listened and bobbed his head.

"Why Prime? Prime is the Arcana of the Supernal and that includes the weave of magic and the soul itself. Magic and mana are vibrant forces pouring in from the Supernal. I have been fascinated by that since the earliest nights of my Awakening. And... Yes... It was also forced on me, to some extent. My teachers wanted me to learn the rudiments of spell craft - countermagic and spell defences, I should say - as soon as was practically possible. For them it was a pragmatic decision that, thankfully for me, aligned with some of my own goals."

He looked at Strix more closely all of a sudden.

"You said you have been focussing on the Arcanum of Death recently. Why was that, may I ask?"

Love of learning or driven by pragmatic need. The decision should tell Campanella a lot about his fellow Moros.

[Strix]

Strix actually snorted, fortunately he wasn't drinking at the time or it would have been far more embarrassing.

"That's pretty much how I came to be an Initiate of Space. My mentor thought it would be a good fit for me or something along those lines." He gave a loop-sided grin. "Personally, I think it had more to do that it was part of her Legacy and maybe there was some hope involved that I'd be interested in it as well." Needless to say, since he was still an Initiate, he was pretty neglectful of practicing it.

The look earned Campanella an arched eyebrow in question, before he nodded his head lightly from side to side as he considered his reply.

"Death is part of being a Moros, I just find it a good idea to know more than just the basics of what it can offer. I've met a few Moros who acted as if practicing it was just one step to becoming a D&D-esque Necromancer who creates armies of zombies to do your bidding." He chuckled. "Considering that Wayland made such a suggestion, it should be obvious I don't. Besides, it's not like raising zombies is the worst any mage was capable off with enough imagination." This time, a scoff; honestly, he saw what someone with Life could do with a hapless Sleeper. "As for why I've done so now: I've been on the receiving end of Death a few times now to know it's not a good idea to underestimate it or think all it's good for is to raise zombies or deal with ghosts."

There wasn't much other reason for it, really.

"Knowledge is power, isn't it?" He shrugged. "Maybe a little clichéd, but still true."

[Campanella]

Campanella's eyes narrow and then he nods.

"Yes. Still very true."

He took a sip from his coffee.

"You raise good points. I myself see the Realms as having two paths or ways of being, represented by the Arcana. For the moment I see the need for specialisation; for myself that is: I am more Alchemist than Necromancer. I believe it is a good thing one of us has taken a more balanced approach."

[Strix]

"The Stygian Middle Way," he chuckled, but nodded nonetheless. "And whatever works best for you, in the end. Either of our approaches have its up- and downsides." Strix knew that with putting more weight on Death than Matter, it might come bite him in the ass when being and Adept would have been helpful in a situation.

Yet the same could be true the other way around, staying an Apprentice and needing to be a Disciple. Life wasn't about knowing what the future held.

Unless you were an Acanthus.

"Since you're an Alchemist, are you working on any personal projects? Now that the servitude construct is shelved, you surely would find yourself with much more time on your hands." Then he frowned. "Although you might just generally be busy without it being related to being a mage."

[Campanella]

"A mix of both worlds, really. Finally acquired the introductions I've been seeking for a while. Now that I have that under my belt things are moving much more easily. Its not what you know, its who you know... At least it is in the Sleeper world. Sadly I sometimes find our own is much the same. And I've been researching rituals and the creation of magical tools. My first attempts in those areas were... less than satisfactory."

He held his coffee to his lips but refrained, suddenly, from drinking.

"What of yourself?"

[Strix]

"Contacts go a long way in society. Awakened and Sleeper." Strix nodded, though there was some reluctance there, not someone who could talk all that much about it. Or, well, make them himself that well. In a perfect world, what you know and can do would be more important than connections made in the past at some point in your life. Considering the world wasn't — Fallen, as it was — he couldn't really care to be all that much surprised by it all.

Taking a sip from his coffee, Strix put it down onto the pew next to him again before shaking his head.

"Nothing related to crafting or the like. I suppose you could call studying to further my control over Death was a project of mine, but now that I have reached 'the next level', so to speak, I will start looking for something else." He looked away from Campanella and up at the Circle's ceiling as if to find some clue there, then he glanced back down at his fellow Moros. "Actually, I've been considering whether forging my soul into some way might be something to consider, but this would definitely be...a long term project. There are a lot of possibilities, and requirements. And proper research needs to be done before you end up joining something without realizing that it's not all that it seemed before."

It had been on his mind a few times lately. Getting wise about his options didn't mean he would commit and he still had a way to go about it as well.

"Did you ever consider any Legacy?"

[Campanella]

Now Campanella shifted his pose to something more reflective. And interested. His gaze held the Free Council Moros while he put his coffee down, untouched.

"No. That was not something I had considered. I... Have nothing to offer you in that regard."

He was impressed. The stress came through in the timbre of his voice. Campanella had heard rumour and conjecture of such things, naturally. But lacking roots, he had never been able to delve deeply into such matters; and the mages in his first home, back in D.C., had more immediate and pressing concerns than exploring the power inherent in their own souls.

"You will have to tell me how your researches fare." It was an offer of interest combined with a bit of the old picking of someone else's brains - perhaps Strix might be willing to share for a Price.

Campanella left his coffee unattended.

[Strix]

Strix nodded.

It wasn't really surprising all that much, not everyone wanted to join a Legacy. Or gave it much thought. Really, Strix hadn't really done so either for the longest. Only since coming to Sacramento had he played with the idea. It involved a lot of work, research, and practice to even be able to achieve the stage to be able to change his soul in such a way.

"Oh, sure. If you're interested." Strix shrugged and gave and easy smile. His coffee was empty with the next sip. "Not sure just what I'll come across yet, but if I find anything of interest I'll bring it up." In Indianapolis, there was quite a few Legacies present; like he mentioned, his mentor used to be in one as well. Whether he would need to try reach out to it or find some other way would be part of the process.

He gave a thoughtful noise. "You mentioned you were working on rituals. Was there anything in particular you were trying to achieve or was it just practice?"

[Campanella]

Campanella relaxed slowly, a rueful grin easing across his lips.

"Just practice. Refining my technique. It's a side of spellcasting that I've neglected for much too long."

He picked up his coffee and drank.

"Did you have anything you wanted your Councillor to keep in mind, should the Council ever convene?" Campanella asked, changing the subject. He lifted the cup to his lips a second time while waited, curiously, for Strix's reply.