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Mysterium House Call

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  1. #1
    Campanella's Avatar
    Campanella
    Allies (City Hall)
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    Occult Skill
    Campanella
    Campanella
    Campanella's Scenes
    Stats

    Clock

    Health:
    Mana:
    WP:
    Armor 0
    Defense 2

    Vulgar +1
    Active Spells: 3/5
    Personal Spells: 3/1

    [2R] Analyze Artefact (Deep Scrutiny of Artefacts, Prolonged, 1 scene)
    [4R] Dark Matter (Matter Sight, Prolonged, 1 scene)
    [2R] One Mind, Two Thoughts (Prolonged, 1 scene)

    Tangled Threads

    Health:
    Mana:
    WP:
    Armor 4
    Defense 2

    Vulgar +1
    Active Spells: 3/5
    Personal Spells: 1/3


    [4] Aura Perception (Concentration, 1 scene)

    [5] Third Eye (Mind Sight, Prolonged, 1 scene)

    [2R] Unseen Aegis (Armor, 1 scene)

    (Mysterium House Call)Mana 2 Spent
    2
    PRE

    Campanella sits within his well appointed apartment home. Outside afternoon gives way to dusk; the sky is a rich deep blue as the River City's lights turn on, one by one, like stars. The impressive balcony has been scrubbed clean in preparation of the warmer days to come. Tonight the Mystogogue has his windows shut and barred against the encroaching night; the weather is still cool and inclement enough to be discouraging.

    He has laid out a decent red table wine and a bowl of seasonal fruits. Nothing major. Earlier in the day he went through his daily rituals and once again decided it was time to simply prepare a ritual and spare himself the chore. He'd get around to it... eventually. He's dressed in slacks and shirt, casual ware; no robes: that would happen once the new Mystogogue was introduced to the - empty - Athenaeum.

    Waiting on Oculus Woland .
    Book keeping:
      
    Date Action Roll Result
    2017-04-19 02:39:23 Campanella to cast Shielding rote rolls 10 to Intelligence + Occult + Order Rote spec + Matter - Spell Tolerance (10 Again) 3, 9, 2, 2, 2, 9, 5, 1, 8, 7 3 successes
    2017-04-19 02:38:36 Campanella to cast Sight Rote rolls 7 to Wits + Occult + Order Rote Spec + Prime (10 Again) 6, 7, 1, 8, 10, 10, 10, 2, 1, 9 5 successes
    Campanella|Moros|Mysterium
    Gnosis: 4
    Occult Skill: 3

  2. #2
    O
    Oculus

    After the talk he had with Campanella, he was concerned with something completely new to him: what should he wear to the meeting? It was at an apartment, so not overly formal, but still, the guy was Councillor and from his manner of speaking he deduced refinement. Yet, risking Campanella's displeasure, he chose a casual shirt and some matching trousers. He showed up at his doorstep on time, knowing the man probably doesn't appreciate being late. Knocking on the door and playing in his head the untold number of ways this meet could go, he waited for the host to appear before him.

    "Good evening, mister Campanella. May I come in?" A hand extended for a polite, firm shake.

  3. #3
    Campanella's Avatar
    Campanella
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    Campanella's Scenes
    Stats

    Clock

    Health:
    Mana:
    WP:
    Armor 0
    Defense 2

    Vulgar +1
    Active Spells: 3/5
    Personal Spells: 3/1

    [2R] Analyze Artefact (Deep Scrutiny of Artefacts, Prolonged, 1 scene)
    [4R] Dark Matter (Matter Sight, Prolonged, 1 scene)
    [2R] One Mind, Two Thoughts (Prolonged, 1 scene)

    Tangled Threads

    Health:
    Mana:
    WP:
    Armor 4
    Defense 2

    Vulgar +1
    Active Spells: 3/5
    Personal Spells: 1/3


    [4] Aura Perception (Concentration, 1 scene)

    [5] Third Eye (Mind Sight, Prolonged, 1 scene)

    [2R] Unseen Aegis (Armor, 1 scene)

    2
    PRE

    A knock. Campanella moved to the door.

    "Oculus? Please come in."

    Campanella reached out hand shook Oculus hand. It was a casual gesture but he ensured that his grip was one of the formal ones he had been taught by his mentors within the Order. Once the handshake was complete, he stepped gently to one side and gave a welcoming gesture.

    "I trust you found the place easily enough? Getting into some of these apartment complexes can provide difficult."

    He closed the door while Oculus made himself at home.

    "Make yourself comfortable, please. This shouldn't be too painful. I took the trouble of obtaining some fruit and a red for our refreshment, so feel free to browse or open the bottle. Now... I take it you are a new arrival, yes? I should formally extend my welcome to the... compulsive readers club. Do you also walk the Path of Doom as well?" There was a light chuckle in his voice.

    Campanella moved easily about the room while he spoke. Unlike his last interview, this time the Moros had remembered to a bring a copy of the Consilium Charter. He placed that on the table to one side while he settled opposite Oculus.

    "Here is a copy of the River City's Charter should you wish to review it."

    A gentle pause, waiting to see what the other mage would do.

    Then: "Tell me about yourself."
    Campanella|Moros|Mysterium
    Gnosis: 4
    Occult Skill: 3

  4. #4
    O
    Oculus

    The place, like the handshake, felt reserved, official, yet naturally tasteful, signifying that they belong to a man who is no stranger to the exquisite.

    Kinda the opposite of Oculus.

    He enters the apartment and scans the layout of the place, like he was at work rather than an introductory meeting. Smiling politely, he answers:

    "No, I had no trouble, really. Finding my way around town was always kind of my thing."

    Encouraged by Campanella's invitation, he relaxes his muscles a little and looks for a corkscrew nearby. If he finds one, he opens the bottle and pours the wine into glasses before sitting down - first for his host, then for himself. At the mention of his lousy attempt at opaque language, he chuckles.

    "Yes, I only arrived a few days ago. And sorry for the secrecy, I was in a hotel room and you never know who listens in places like these. But now I can speak openly, I think. I came from Phoenix, as a Mysterium initiate and a Thyrsus, a follower of the Path of Ecstasy." Campanella was a Moros. He shouldn't be too surprised, the breadcrumbs have led to this conclusion ever since he first spoke. Oculus studies the Charter for a few long moments, trying to remember its contents so that he won't breach any laws they might have here on his first week.

    "Myself? Well, like I said I'm a Thyrsus, but unlike most of my brothers and sisters I don't really love the wilderness all that much. Always preferred the hum of the city - it is like a separate ecosystem and a great beast at the same time. Housing hundreds of patterns, millions of lives, bilions of secrets, and growing, always growing and feeding."
    He got a little carried away, like always when he spoke of his favorite subject.

    "And it teaches you things, if you ask nicely. Forms your eye for details. Back home I was an... artifact repossession specialist for the Order. If something needed to be tracked down, or unlocked, or if there was trouble expected - I was there." He fell silent for a second, then continued "My side gig was a spirit consultant. Those pesky rascals can be a pain, but they also see a lot of things we don't. No academic background to speak of, I'm afraid. But if you know any teachers around here, I'd owe you, big time."

    It was just about time to shut up. He didn't want to bore the Councillor or appear too blabbermouthed.

  5. #5
    Campanella's Avatar
    Campanella
    Allies (City Hall)
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    Campanella
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    Campanella's Scenes
    Stats

    Clock

    Health:
    Mana:
    WP:
    Armor 0
    Defense 2

    Vulgar +1
    Active Spells: 3/5
    Personal Spells: 3/1

    [2R] Analyze Artefact (Deep Scrutiny of Artefacts, Prolonged, 1 scene)
    [4R] Dark Matter (Matter Sight, Prolonged, 1 scene)
    [2R] One Mind, Two Thoughts (Prolonged, 1 scene)

    Tangled Threads

    Health:
    Mana:
    WP:
    Armor 4
    Defense 2

    Vulgar +1
    Active Spells: 3/5
    Personal Spells: 1/3


    [4] Aura Perception (Concentration, 1 scene)

    [5] Third Eye (Mind Sight, Prolonged, 1 scene)

    [2R] Unseen Aegis (Armor, 1 scene)

    2
    PRE

    Campanella nodded as the Thyrsus spoke.

    "A Shaman? Spiritual consultant...? That is fascinating. Yes, that is most definitely a different interpretation from what I have heard." He had never quite thought of the city in such terms; the surprise and interest was evident on his animated face. "I definitely believe you'll be able to carve out a niche here for yourself."

    He reached for his filled glass and lost himself in the bouquet for a long moment.

    "Teachers? Hmmm... Faye, I presume, would be a start. She is your Path's Councillor." A sudden frown creased his face. "She has a peculiarly tangled history... But I would start with her, simply for forms sake. Ah! You should also be able to reach out to our Order in the Bay area for any extra training needs you may have - however there will be a price attached*. There always is... And the River City and the Golden Consilium have a strained history as far as I can make out."

    His last interaction with their Order still burned him with disquiet.

    "And of course, should you form ties with a Cabal, I am sure they would assist you."

    Different Path, different focus; Campanella was not sure how much help he could offer his fellow Mystogogue. He drank from his glass.

    "How much have you heard about the River City?"

    He changed the subject.
    Campanella|Moros|Mysterium
    Gnosis: 4
    Occult Skill: 3

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  7. #6
    O
    Oculus

    Oculus slowly sipped the wine in his glass, content that the Councillor appeared genuinely interested. Good. The last thing he needed was to make a fool out of himself on their first meeting. However, the frown did not go unnoticed. The Moros and the Thyrsus obviously had different lifestyles, but was it enough to cause dislike? Was it mutual? Or was it something going deeper, some past conflict perhaps?

    "Faye, you say? I will reach out to her, and poke around the mystagogues of the Bay, thanks. And what do you mean by tangled history? I don't ask to pry, just to avoid naming the proverbial rope in the house of she who hanged herself." The last sentence was meant to be smart, although "meant to be" was probably as far as this would go. Well, here goes nothing.

    "I don't know much about Sacramento, I'm afraid. Circumstances were such, that I had to pack my bags rather quickly." A second of pause, another sip. "But I heard you have some proactive cells of the Seers here, that true? Because if yes, then I'm all for checking what they are really made of. And if not, well, part of the Awakened life is that there are always problems around the corner."

    "Speaking of corners, do you know wher can I meet this Faye you mentioned. Or the rest of us, for that matter? I mean, do you have common meeting places, no-go zones... and what about Athenea?" A barrage of questions. He wondered if Campanella asked him about the River City simply not to repeat what he already knew, or because he was about to reveal a Big Problem With Big Teeth they had here.

  8. #7
    Campanella's Avatar
    Campanella
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    Stats

    Clock

    Health:
    Mana:
    WP:
    Armor 0
    Defense 2

    Vulgar +1
    Active Spells: 3/5
    Personal Spells: 3/1

    [2R] Analyze Artefact (Deep Scrutiny of Artefacts, Prolonged, 1 scene)
    [4R] Dark Matter (Matter Sight, Prolonged, 1 scene)
    [2R] One Mind, Two Thoughts (Prolonged, 1 scene)

    Tangled Threads

    Health:
    Mana:
    WP:
    Armor 4
    Defense 2

    Vulgar +1
    Active Spells: 3/5
    Personal Spells: 1/3


    [4] Aura Perception (Concentration, 1 scene)

    [5] Third Eye (Mind Sight, Prolonged, 1 scene)

    [2R] Unseen Aegis (Armor, 1 scene)

    2
    PRE

    "Mmm. Proactive Seer cults. Yes... That is one way of putting it."

    Campanella murmured then placed down his glass for effect.

    "Oculus, to put it bluntly, the Consilium here is at war. We are fighting for our very survival. That is perhaps the only way to describe it. It would appear that the Seers have found a means to strike at us through time. Apparently their first strike was the most damaging: a number of our peers simply vanished as if they had never been and we lost a lot of material and infrastructure. From what I have gathered, our Order suffered the most when we appeared to loose both our Curator and our Athenaeum. I have prepared a new one but it stands empty. I have been unable to locate any remains of the earlier Athenaeum or what it may have protected."

    He looked grim.

    "So far we have made three forays into time to confront our enemies. Once on the Titanic, once to the Bastille moments before it fell, and the last was to chase down a serial murderer in the 1990s. Those events were apparently important to our present. Another to this city in 2009 is being prepared."

    He leaned forward.

    "Now in relation to Faye, when I mentioned she has a tangled history, it is this: I can remember a time when she was Acanthus. Now is is a Shaman. This is an effect of the... conflict... we find ourselves in."

    A pause.

    "To my knowledge on the Veiled Threats Cabal have encountered Seers in the present. They were able to wrest an artefact from the Seers; it was regretable that they went on to destroy the artefact but I was not in a position to do much about it."

    With a sigh, he leaned back.

    "We gather at the Circle of Creation. Its a medieval abbey, occluded from Sleeper sight and you can find it out past Rancho Cordova, east of here. We are the only representatives of our Order in town; the Silver Ladder has Faye and Marguerite; the Guardians have Star and now Tuesday apparently; Avis, Chariot and Thrope are the local Arrows. We also have some apostates - Archangel Michael and Bolide."

    He waited for Oculus to reply.
    Campanella|Moros|Mysterium
    Gnosis: 4
    Occult Skill: 3

  9. #8
    O
    Oculus

    What. The. Fuck?

    Time-travelling Seers? Disappearing Athenea? Mages changing Watchtowers like that?

    The first thing that comes to mind is "this is all impossible". Then Oculus remembers that "impossible" is not in his vocabulary anymore.

    "Seem like you've all got yourself in a real pot of trouble. If I can help in any way to teach those Exarchs-loving fucks a lesson, I will. I think I'll pay a visit to this Veiled Threats cabal, and this... Circle of Creation, get the feeling of the place."


    A Consilium at war. Out of the frying pan and into the fire.

    "Thank you for your time, Councillor, and for showing me the ropes. One last question though: is there anyone like a Hierarch here? The boss of all bosses?"

  10. #9
    Campanella's Avatar
    Campanella
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    Stats

    Clock

    Health:
    Mana:
    WP:
    Armor 0
    Defense 2

    Vulgar +1
    Active Spells: 3/5
    Personal Spells: 3/1

    [2R] Analyze Artefact (Deep Scrutiny of Artefacts, Prolonged, 1 scene)
    [4R] Dark Matter (Matter Sight, Prolonged, 1 scene)
    [2R] One Mind, Two Thoughts (Prolonged, 1 scene)

    Tangled Threads

    Health:
    Mana:
    WP:
    Armor 4
    Defense 2

    Vulgar +1
    Active Spells: 3/5
    Personal Spells: 1/3


    [4] Aura Perception (Concentration, 1 scene)

    [5] Third Eye (Mind Sight, Prolonged, 1 scene)

    [2R] Unseen Aegis (Armor, 1 scene)

    2
    PRE

    Campanella listened, quietly surprised at how quickly Oculus got down to business. At the end, he shook his head.

    "There is no Hierarch. Our numbers are not great, and so when something of urgency comes up we simply discuss it and work out a common plan." Vague plans; but functional plans. Enough to muddle through. He didn't say that though. "We do have a Council body, but it hasn't met as yet. Not during my time, at least."

    He paused for a drink.

    "If you wish to meet the Threats I would suggest waiting to our next general meeting. We have a monthly gathering at the Circle. It would be the best way - I'm not sure how they would take a stranger walking into their... territory. As for the Circle... I could lead you there myself tonight if you have time. Show you the Athenaeum - or what passes for it."

    He let the question hang in the air.
    Campanella|Moros|Mysterium
    Gnosis: 4
    Occult Skill: 3

  11. #10
    O
    Oculus

    The funeral mask that was Campanella's face showed no emotion. That's probably why Oculus didn't notice at the moment that his eagerness to help might've been interpreted as brash and quite rude, given the circumstances. The upside of it was that he didn't show his embarassment, because right this second - he felt none.

    "A democracy, then." He commented on the lack of a Hierarch. "I like this city more by the minute. And no, I didn't mean to just waltz in on their territory. Figured they didn't pick up that particular name for their cabal just because it sounded nice. So, the plan is to formally announce myself at a formal meeting next month. Got it."

    Obviously, Oculus could get to the Circle by himself. He already got the directions and its description, it should be easy enough. But showing up on the doorstep alone would raise eyebrows, provoke questions. A Councillor for a companion should help that. Besides, you don't refuse a Councillor and your Order superior like that. Now that'd be rude and stupid.

    "Of course, tonight works for me if it does for you, Mr. Campanella. I'd love to see the Circle and our Atheneum to check out just how much space there is to fill with things we find or... repossess."

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