(1810) Sanctuary 20

Oct 24th, 2018 10:25 AM

"Not sure," Alastor replied to Bacchus's question about where Knot was. He hadn't seen much of the sassy Acanthus of late. "And let me tell ya. Skilled healers are a godsend. Thankfully, Knot and Cricket were around to take care of my injuries after I got out of the situation, otherwise I would have had my ass in a sling for a while." To the Assembly thing, he gave an 'ah' and a knowing nod. Some went the way of complete direct representation, but you still had to get shit done. Politics with other Consilia. Defense. Officers empowered by the people weren't weird. Assemblies were just another route to the same thing, but he wasn't about to tell folks about their own business. Occult studies of the past and what these dudes wanted to do now were not necessarily the same thing.

"Well, I wish you all the best in acquiring a hall or whatever it is y'all choose to do. As I said before - regardless of political affiliation. Call if you need help."

The Adamantine Arrow was a global order. Protecting a couple of Libertines (whether capital L or lower case l) was hardly a stretch.

The older Mastigos turned his attention to Eurydice and Sand.

"The ambush was fucking everywhere. Traps on the street to destroy fire trucks. Bombs in cars to defend the traps. A couple of their dudes outside in vehicles. And a few of them inside the fiery building. I don't think they knew precisely where the Circle was, but they had a good enough idea of approximately where." He glanced at Cricket, one of the guys who had led the charge. "And they did exactly that. Used compassion against us. If I'd been setting the ambush, I would have put snipers out, but at least we had the good fortune of them not being quite so precise."

As for the Councilor's question...

"I'll certainly be keeping an eye out for Hunters and will set the Arrow to defending against them. However, to chase things down like that, we need solid investigators and connections. We know, for example, that there were cameras on the street, set up and feeding to somewhere. We were given the address of a house where they built a creature of some kind. We know their leader is code-named Y, and that one of them was an FBI agent named Mischa Strand. We know the police probably found some evidence that might be helpful. There are pieces to be followed."

**Phoenyx** · Oct 24th, 2018 05:39 PM

The Asian girl listens intently, watching and learning.

"Time is also not my forte," she announces suddenly, "although it sounds as if there is no shortage of items to chase down," She directs the last part to Alastor, with that small, tight smile. "Where the Arrows are needed, that's where I'll be. I'm ready to go. If there were cameras, it is possible to manipulate them with Force."

**Kaze** · Oct 26th, 2018 07:41 AM

Kaze nods. "It would be good to study our surroundings here, too. Maybe have our own means of reviewing who is hanging out around the Circle, and checking for cameras and what they are recording of who comes and goes." he muses. "I can do that." he offers.

**Aurora** · Oct 26th, 2018 05:07 PM

Damn! She thinks as Alastor described what happened.

Shaking her head, "Damn, they sound well prepared. Which means we'll have to be just as prepared too."

Unfortunately, Time wasn't her thing anymore. Hadn't been for a while. But, she could help in other ways.

"Well," a nod to Bacchus, "the more healers the better, so count me in. I'm not much o a fighter, but I have some new spells at my disposal that I'd love to throw at them." quite a few actually. Some pretty nasty ones actually.

"So how do we protect and prepare?"

Oct 26th, 2018 05:13 PM

Cricket waves in return to Aurora’s greeting. “Aurora! Yo, yo.” The situation with her and Bacchus was still looming, but he hadn’t helped much the last time and was ready to leave it as something for them to sort through.

He snorts at Bacchus’ reminder that Assembly doesn’t have a hierarchy. “Yeah, this is a community situation. Another forum to speak about issues, everyone welcome, just – ya know, titles won’t mean much there.” He gave a nod as it didn’t cause anyone to shoot steam from their ears or anything. “Cool, well – could use a copy of any Lex changes, to follow and review.” He wasn’t planning to do that review himself, of course. Yeah, that sounds like a professional thing people say.

He was all kinds of grateful and relieved that Alastor was the one telling the story. An unbidden flush rose up his neck towards his face at the mention of healing. Did a better job with the ‘helpless’ Sleeper who shanked me with my own fucking knife. “Right – yeah, we’ve got that special Thyrsus touch covered. ” He liked Alastor’s version more.

He looked over to Bacchus with his reveal of knowing that particular rote. “I’ve been improvising, that rote would – clear some stuff up for me. You in a sharing mood? Standing offer for any I know, if you’re the trading type.” He wasn’t one to keep tabs on this stuff himself, but he knew everyone felt different about their arcane secrets. The idea dawned. “Assembly could run a rote share program. Something without that whole master student cra – vibe.”

With Phoenyx confirming her Arrow support, Alastor’s standing offer, and Kaze’s suggestion for more perimeter control, Cricket did feel somewhat safer. “I know as much about Time as I do regular clocks. The Hunters are Sleepers, grunts were anyway. They’ll always want us outta here. Extra security might not hurt, but secret’s already out. Alastor’s right on that this is also high profile Sleeper junk.” He added, his attempt at serious tones not helped by his usual vocabulary. “We cleared our tracks, but thought that about the Circle too. No way they’re not going to make a big deal about the fire in the news and see if they can shake any of us out.” Or starting after Halloween, can’t just stop going out.

Alastor’s grim reminder of how the Hunters had shown twisted compassion by not just sniping them clicked something in his head. “Think they wanted parts.” He hadn’t understood the situation fully, having spent his time with the knife-spider golem face down and unconscious. “Which, how many, and for what, I don’t even really wanna know. The head must be jackpot.” He swallowed hard as he had to let people know, but dreaded it all the same. “An address to recover Epitaph’s body was the next lead. If it was even there to begin with.”

**Kaze** · Oct 26th, 2018 08:57 PM

Kaze clears his throat, "Uh, excuse me, I am new...who is, 'Epitaph'? It sounds like she was killed... I thought everyone was ok?" he asks, confusion and concern in his tone.

**Campanella** · Oct 27th, 2018 04:20 AM

"Epitaph was a heretic who left our company," Campanella murmured, perhaps more strongly than he would have liked. The Moros Mysterium connections and the vision of her monstrous command of Death at the Duel Arcane had seared into his mind. She would be the source of nightmares, no doubt, for years to come.

"But I am sorry for her demise. None deserved such a fate."

Such a waste.

The Moros Councillor's eyes shot up at the mention of an Assembly, but on this occasion he held his tongue. Instead he shuffled his feat and inclined his head toward Kaze .

"Thank you, Arrow Kaze. Any service you can lend the Consilium would be much appreciated at this time."

To the group more generally.

"So. Focus. What are the most important leads here? We can use our time here to better organise ourselves, yes?"

And narrow down options for PrP plots that follow on from this, perhaps?

**Kaze** · Oct 27th, 2018 01:26 PM

Kaze pays respectful attention to the Councilor's words, nodding at Campanella's thanks. He pauses, thoughtfully and then says, "I am sorry, Sir...I do not mean to stir up unpleasant memories...but my best service will come with understanding the threat. This...Epitaph, how was she killed? Was she ambushed, at the burning building, trying to help people?" he asks, apparently struggling for a more uplifting, epitaph for, Epitaph than, "She was a heretic and not one of us."

**Eurydice** · Oct 27th, 2018 03:49 PM

Eurydice's stoicism wavered. While Bacchus' offer to assist was considered and welcome, her offer was seemingly ignored. Nonetheless, the Arrows were better suited and perhaps the thought the assistance of a Thrysus was the best option. No matter. If the war brought bodies, they now knew she could help cover their tracks.

Satisfied, the Cleaner moved away from the group and seated herself on the periphery, near Winter .

The stoic face was renewed as the assembled awakened did what they could to peace the information together. Eurydice would wait, but nonetheless a small frown spread across her lips as she regarded Kaze.

A soldier playing Guardian? Do they really think they don't need us at all?

**Bacchus** · Oct 27th, 2018 11:05 PM

As the conversation continued Bacchus casually drank from his cup of alcoholic goodness. He seemed pretty absorbed in the conversation, and it took a moment for Eurydice's offer to register. A cup was mixed and walked over to her as he silently mouthed out 'sorry' to the Moros. It sounded like a lot had been going on at once, and as he returned from the periphery it all beckoned one simple question.

"How did they know?" He took a small break from his drink as he scanned the crowd."About here. I thought there was a spell on the cathedral to hide it from sleepers. How did they know to setup all this to lure us out?"

Hunters were one thing. A varied bunch that all boiled down to the end game of murdering things they didn't understand. The why of their motivation meant almost nothing to the shaman, but why here and not their sancta?

The talk of a new gathering place earned nothing more then an eye roll from the Apostate. Cowards ran from danger, and danger could find anyone anywhere these days. So they could cede ground to terrorists and give up the cathedral, or they could grow a pair and fight back. If a sleeper could go to school after a mass shooting, or face a sexual abuser in court, the self proclaimed Wise could deal with some up-jumped assholes and their gore fetish.

"I'm in a trading mood when there's something to trade." Trade, not share. The word Bacchus chose to acknowledge from Cricket was a small part of why the Apostate was not a true Libertine, despite thinking the Assembly was a more practical choice then the Concilium. It was one thing to share a drink with some would be friends, another to give away arcane secrets that could be leveraged or misused.

To Campanella's question Bacchus shrugged. "Sounds like the most obvious lead or trap would be where Epitaph's body was." The Shaman took another sip as he returned to his drink. "Give me a call if it turns out to be the trap it sounds like."

(1810) Sanctuary 20

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