Meeting on the Rocks

[Campanella]

Granite Park, in spring time.

There were trees. There was a lake. Green shoots burst forth in frenzied profusion from the waste ground and blossoms gilded the branches. Water slapped and burbled lazily.

Campanella the Moros, Daduchos of the Mysterium, was dressed in a long coat. Idly, almost, he stared out across the lake's placid surface at the opposite shore where the tree's clustered more thickly. The landscape was still damp from the drenching and while the sky was a friendly azure, the cool discouraged the Sleepers from venturing too far into this urban wilderness. Besides, the only other people at the park were the youths skating at the facilities further away - out of sight and out of mind.

  

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2018-03-26 04:09:24		Campanella to cast Supernal Vision rote rolls 9 to Wits + Occult + Order Spec + Prime - 1 Tolerance (10 Again, WillPower)		8, 5, 10, 1, 1, 1, 3, 9, 7, 1		3 successes
2018-03-26 04:06:39		Campanella to cast Unseen Aegis rote rolls 10 to Intelligence + Occult + Order Spec + Matter (10 Again)		6, 4, 4, 10, 1, 3, 1, 9, 1, 5, 4		2 successes

Two glyph's glowed white-gold around him, wan and washed out Rote castings, scrubbed clean of his personal resonance.

Campanella was waiting for Langdon Kelreth

[Langdon]

While Campanella's glyphs don't show a trace of who the man is, the brown glyph of the approaching man bears all the signs of the willworker's soul. Clearly something forged by will alone. The gray glyph though...it seems to cut into the air..no reality. Almost as if it is on the precipice of ripping into reality itself...or falling in. Turning his gaze from the lake, and the trees, Langdon looks towards the stone and sees the man in the long coat with the glowing glyphs.

Approaching the man slowly Langdon raises his right hand, holding a book, to his chest. Right pinky finger falling off the book and resting onto his sternum. "Hello, I'm supposed to be meeting a book distributor." His right hand falls back to his side. "Would you happen to know one?"

[Campanella]

Campanella waits and watches. Then, at almost the last moment:

"I believe that would be me."

His hands move carefully, weaving the correct response, before dropping easily to his side.

"You may call me Campanella."

[Langdon]

Eyes flick as Campanella's response is woven briefly into being before falling away. Langdon bows his head and then looks at Campanella.

"I go by Langdon in our circles. Thank you for meeting with me today." Langdon takes a moment to look around the park. "This town is far calmer than New York. I am glad that I was sent out here." A pause.

"How is the state of this town? I will gladly help with any tasks that I can see."

[Campanella]

"New York? I am not familiar with that great city."

Campanella bobbed his head along as he listened.

"Really? Happy to cross the country? I wouldn't call Sacramento a calm town. Well... It is. Now. The calm after the storm has passed, more like. The Seers fought a hard and unconventional war here over the last year or so. The effects are all around you given the mystical nature of the campaign."

He frowned.

"We lost. The Consilium was ground down to almost nothing. I take hope in the simple fact we survived to cling on - though much was lost. Mage lives. Allies. Infrastructure. Our enemy demonstrated a complete disregard for the Tapestry in the attempt to wipe us away."

He felt heat in his voice and stopped.

"Right now I have set our Order the simple task of rebuilding. Or building anew as the case may be, as I fear the old Athenaeum is lost to us. This is the sad truth. With your help I am certain we can recreate an echo of what once was."

He stopped again to let his words be absorbed.

"I take it your information could be... old. What did your superiors say about our Order in these parts?"

[Langdon]

Shock, awe, both flood Langdon's face as Campanella lays out the devastation that has occurred. "Yes.... Old would be an understatement. I was sent out here because a debt was found in our archives a month or so ago. From what I was told my superiors were not able to trace to when or where the debt was incurred. Only that I was to be sent out here to help pay the debt." A shrug starts but stops as Langdon catches himself.

"We lost? And there's still a Consilium?.."

"What was their end goal?" Something is not adding up. "If the Tapestry was disrupted..." Then cracks, lots of cracks. "Maybe I could assist with mapping out the impact their destruction."

"I will gladly assist with building a new Athenaeum. Have any possible locations been identified?" Langdon shakes his head. "I'm sorry, I get carried away. They did not have much to share about us around here."

[Campanella]

Now it is Campanella's turn to pause.

"Mapping their destruction? How..."

A beat and a quiet breath.

"Yes. I suspect it will be very difficult now to pin down the recent past of this city. The Seers attacked through time itself. I do not know the mechanics of how they achieved this but I do know the Oracle's sent assistance. without that I doubt we would be here. As a result of their actions, the past is... mutable in this part of the world and much has been altered. Beyond recognition."

He grimaced.

"I have established a new Athenaeum at the Sanctuary. You'll find it out near Rancho Cordova: a replica of Westminster Abbey that is occluded for Sleeper sight. The Chapter House serves as our Athenaeum now. Alas, it stands empty but I am hoping to change that soon enough."

He eyed Langdon, again wondering what the other Moros meant by 'mapping the impact of their destruction'. For now, he held his tongue and continued:

"The Consilium stands, but barely. There is one Cabal, as for a time there was only enough Awakened to support one group and it was best we pooled our efforts. Now... There is one Cabal and a number of independents. Many are Apostate. All are recent arrivals like yourself."

[Langdon]

The pause and question are noted but fear creeps in. "O..that sounds..messy. My research interests learn more towards time's counter part." Another pause before Langdon makes his decision.

"My waking dream was different, as much as that can be said for what it is. There were hmm abnormalities in it. Flaws in the tapestry. I found others among our Order who study such things. More recently I was able to become one of them." The book shifts as Langdon adjusts his feet. "I assumed that the Seers actions resulted in similar flaws within the Tapestry itself. Though it sounds like it may be more than just flaws." Langdon trails off, unsure how this will go over. Before taking a breath and moving forward.

"One Cabal? Hm are there any individuals that we need to watch out for as we rebuild the Athenaeum? I would like to avoid causing strife but it does not seem like letting anything of value slip from us is acceptable right now." The book taps against Langdon's thigh as his thoughts shift to more human things. "Are there any apostates who seem like they could join us? Any I should avoid?"

[Campanella]

"To my knowledge there are no Guardians in town right now," Campanella replied gravely.

"None of the others appear to care if we collect the odd relic and artefact. I am a member of Nidhogg's Bane and if necessary I'd deal with the Cabal on an individual level." He affected a slight shrug.

"Yes. The Apostate Aurora will be joining our Order. She has a ... convoluted history ... which she may share with you herself sometime. Suffice to say, it would make an interesting study. She is a Thyrsus and willing to learn. And she is an experienced mage to boot. I have given her the title Neokoros to reflect her skill but she has not experienced the Mystery just yet." Campanella brightened.

"We have also been joined recently by the Moros known as Epitaph. So with you, that will make four."

He shifted on his feet.

"As a precaution I'd advise you to be wary of the following Awakened* whom I had cause to meet in a diner. They were up to no good, but of what kind I cannot say. One is clearly erratic and the other must be under her thrall."

*Shrike and Crane

[Langdon]

"Let me know if there is anything that we may need to acquire abruptly. I will see what I can do." Something of half of his Legacy being sneaks and thieves does give certain..skills...and habits. No Guardians though...that leaves so much to gather.

"I will assist as you see fit with her training. That first Mystery is..." Words fail as Langdon remembers the knife and the mana flowing. Then a smile. "Life changing" It would also present an opportunity to watch. "I look forward to meeting both of them. As well as learning what their interests are."

The smile falls away. "Do we have any leads as to who they really are? Erratic is never a good thing for one of our kind."