Cabin the Woods II

**Campanella** · Jul 15th, 2017 07:09 PM

Now it was Campanella's turn to chuckle.

"We named the group the Exchange because that is what we wanted to foster. We wanted to devote our time to study and learning; to building up a store of knowledge - Rotes, Arcana techniques, et cetera - that we could barter with our groups. Our long term goal was to establish ourselves at the forefront of inter-Cabal and even inter-Order cooperation. This was... some months ago now. Back when Bolide was alive, Archangel Michael was active in the area and before the Thearch Marguerite had moved on."

He sighed.

"Now? Now I fear the Exchange may be little more than a mystogogue, an arrow, and a cabin in the woods."

He stopped, turned to face Vigil.

"On the other hand, this is an ideal opportunity for a fresh start. How about this - a cabal of friendly Awakened who share a cabin out in the woods. Its an ideal spot for quiet reflection and practice."

Campanella had learned for his mistakes. An agenda was a luxury for later. But he could still strive to secure an echo of what the Exchange could have been.

Jul 20th, 2017 12:44 PM

Vigil releases a sigh of his own. "Plans don't always go the way we want, it's true. So you've scaled back for our new beginning. Perhaps ... a spark, that could grow to something greater over time? It seems to me that this could be a reflection of the Consilium as a whole. The lost grandeur of the past, a small group of dedicated willworkers, and the hope to rebuild. Perhaps our little cabin will have much to offer."

A glance around the woods, then back to Campanella. "To start, I'm sure we have skills we could teach each other. What better use of a quiet cabin? For my part, self-defense comes naturally, but I've had little time to study the theory of magic." He glances away for a moment, eyes flicking toward the ground. "Truth be told, I never even quite got the knack of empowering speaks with the ancient tongue. I'd like to fix that."

There, it was out on the open. A less than pleasant admission, but how would be change it, otherwise?

**Campanella** · Jul 21st, 2017 06:37 PM

"I know the old Atlantean tongue. As much as anyone. I'm afraid we won't be able to converse in it, but most certainly it can power your chants."

A smile flickered across his face. Campenella always got pleasant chills when he used the ancient language.

"I am an Adept of Matter," he began. A beat; his brow furrowed. "Though I have to conclude I pushed my studies too hard and neglected the deeper wisdom of Gnosis needed to affect real change."

He sniffed, looked away, brushed strands of hair from his eyes with a flick of his hand.

Smiling. "I was - and am still fascinated by - rotecraft."

Wisely, the Moros avoided his ongoing difficulties with mastering ritual magic.

Jul 24th, 2017 10:31 PM

"I'd like that. I don't like leaving gaps in my knowledge for others to exploit."

A nod, at the mention of rotes. "I can see the fascination. There's something calming about having your script laid out in advance. Useful, when everything is exploding around you, when you have to make a choice in a split-second. It's quicker than building an image on the fly, more certain." There's an animation to Vigil's words now, a rapid cadence that hadn't been present earlier in the conversation.

"But I suspect that's not nearly all that you see. What does rotecraft mean to you?"

**Campanella** · Jul 25th, 2017 04:01 AM

The smile remained on his lips as he walked through the woods.

"Oh it means a lot more. A rote is... Tradition. History. And yes, I will get you there is a certain pragmatism to rotecraft as well. Rotes do not leave such an imprint on one's aura as an improvised working."

He paused for emphasis.

"But it is the ability to touch one's history. That is the secret joy of rotecraft. When you learn a rote mudra you become a living link in a chain stretching back into antiquity. For some of the more well known rotes this chain may even predate the Orders as we currently conceive of them. And then there is the history. When you learn a rote you doing more than simply learning mudra; you need to know who developed the spell and why; you need an understanding of the rotes development through time."

His hands flickered, trying to snatch at something insubstantial.

"A rote mudra is discrete package of our history. Its not just a tool. Its a kind of archaeology. How do you view the art of rotecraft?"

Jul 28th, 2017 12:20 AM

"I understand the value of history, but ... there were always more immediate concerns. But if the Seers are rewriting history on a whim, then I suppose we need to preserve what we can. I'd just ... never considered that rotes would be part of that story."

He shakes his head. "From a place of pragmatism, I see rotes as encoded ideas. Well-worn patterns that can be practiced and ingrained, rather than needing to rely on what you can throw together in the moment. Reasoning tends to go out the window under pressure, so having that fallback can save your life. Or someone else's."

Vigil drops to the ground, eyes flicking upward to the canopy. "Here, among the trees, history is an important thing, and deserves to be remembered. In the midst of a crisis, all you have is a single moment."

**Campanella** · Jul 29th, 2017 05:49 PM

Campanella could only agree with Vigil's sentiments.

"Wise sentiments. Sometimes, to think is to die."

In a flesh he remembered the wind and the rain; the stink of wretched claws reaching out towards him; a glyph fading in the air. How much had rested on that moment. A moment when his will had failed and all he had wanted to do was get away. How much more could have been accomplished if he had simply acted.

He was drifting again, vacantly staring off into the screen of trees.

"Do you have any specific goals or projects I could assist you with, as Cabal mate? Something small that we could work on together? It might do wonders for building a spirit de corps between us."

Another flash. The automata disaster. Too much, too soon. Another lesson in patience and focus.

**Campanella** · Aug 7th, 2017 03:14 AM

Campanella returns to the cabin.

Its been over a week and no posts

Cabin the Woods II

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