(SotA) Sanctum of the Ancient

Mar 24th, 2019 07:26 AM

Oh great. Magic ghosts. Or projections. Or mind trickery. That opened up a slew of potential dangers just waiting. And he was friendly. Friendly plus ghost/trickery/projection was even worse. I mean sure, it COULD be a real living person that popped up in thin air. Could be. But Galatea was pretty certain it wasn't. No one was that... Chipper...

"I am an Adamantine. The magics of this place are likely responsible for disturbing the normal wildlife, and it falls upon me and mine to ensure the powerless are not harmed. Please explain the function of this Sanctum."

Nothing in there was a lie, so Galatea wouldn't have to convince the thing of anything. Which was good- because Galatea sucked at lying. Best to stick to simple and precise.

**Abacus** · Mar 24th, 2019 11:15 PM

Abacus was resigned to call this place strange. It played with space. And now an unsettling smile graced the face of a man that was just there with no rhyme or reason other than the most simple congeniality. He would let the others interact.

He set his sights on the environment, eyes searching while his body remained still and composed. The small sliver of Matter he picked up from shoving his nose in a book and listening to an odd Mystagogue who fancied himself an alchemist.

The Supernal gives way to an innate understanding the Physical and the eyes become a window to the oldest salt of the Earth.

His hand formed the mudra, his fingers splayed in three directions while his thumb connected to his index in a crude circle. The Imago taking the shape behind his eyes as a stained glass window, each segment of rose, blue, or violet accompanied by an atomic number. Electrons danced as motes of light and dust floating in a chapel of beakers and pipettes.

The air around the man...if you could even call him such. The material of the doors and the floor beneath their feet. A nagging thought pulled at him, rooting him to a question of clarity.

How much of this space was tangible and conscript to the laws of his reality? It became his new buzzword when real just didn't cut it anymore. Was this a demesne? Were they about to walk sideways? A simple question, with hopefully, a simple answer.

If there was such a thing.

failure

The Imago shattered and as the glass of his construction shimmered into dust he could only see black blindness.

"So much for that..."

Mar 25th, 2019 10:39 AM

The first to speak was Winter, and only a word. Jasper's eyes looked up in confusion, as if he was trying to comprehend the mage, as well as avoid his piercing stare. What Winter noticed though about Jasper's aura was that it was like a empty void where something should be, yet wasn't. In fact, Jasper seemed far more similar to the room itself than to the mages. "Back? Um, yeah not sure." He looked around at his current location within the room and said, "Um, no offense but there isn't much space to move back to. I mean, I'm assuming that's what your asking me to do; kind of rudely I might add. I'm assuming cause 'back' doesn't really sound like an answer to my incredibly helpful question. You know the whole 'what brings you to Master Donovan's Sanctum...dear guests'. Dear being, like, the whole 'on good terms' thing. I mean, unless you're not here on good terms which would be super unfortunate because he told me one day mages would come to visit, and I was told to be very friendly, but...I mean you don't seem that friendly, so why should I be friendly?" He paused, contemplating his next words before smiling wide. "Nah, I'll be friendly anyways. It's more fun that way."

Then Galatea spoke and he said, "Yeah, I mean if you four are magey wageys you'd know you want to keep the, what do you call them...Sleepers away. Well he didn't want to harm animals either. Master Donovan loved animals actually, especially dogs. Had a dog named Bandit growing up. A Husky," he said, his words trailing off a little. "So yeah, no harm and all that."

His eyes shifted to Abacus as his finger splayed in a clear sign of 'the Magics'. Jasper pointed at him and said "Ha. Doing, uh, magic and all that. See anything good? Eh? I think you'll find the Master's Sanctum is pretty weird. But Like, a good weird. I mean there are bad weirds, but this place is definitely the good kind. I mean how do you know what's good weird or bad weird until you see it but I mean...at least I think it's a good weird."

Then he smacked himself on the forehead, an audible sound echoing as his hand connected with his skin. "How rude of me. I said I'd be friendly. Didn't introduce myself. Definitely not friendly. I'm Jasper, the caretaker of Master Donovan's Sanctum." He made several popping sounds with his mouth. "So there you go." He looked around at them waiting to see what they'd do or ask him.

Since we're not currently in turns I won't limit you to one roll per post (though keep it in reason). I'm fine with rerolls as long as you follow the rules for Successive_Attempts.

**Winter** · Mar 25th, 2019 11:53 AM

"Hmmpf", the Guardian is taken aback. So either this guy was cloaking his aura, or he had no soul. This task required to draw from Stygia, he turns to his Moros companion "Langdon, what do you see?"

Stats

Mar 25th, 2019 02:20 PM

Galatea folded her arms

"While I can certainly understand the need to keep mundanes safe from the magics of this world, I would like to know the what of what you're trying to do here. And why, if it was so important to drive the humans away, you didn't just locate the entrance in a more rural zone. It should be capable for someone with the resources to possess such a dutiful servant."

Definitely-not-human was speaking in eccentrics. It was irritating. The rude one was deeply perturbed at being treated rudely. His master loved animals? That was something.

"Oh? Does he? I enjoy animals myself- in fact, at times I prefer them to humans. If you wouldn't mind't, I'd actually like to shift partway towards one of my preferred forms? Now that we have some privacy. I find it disturbs mages when I don't ask first."
Galatea was itching to get out of her human skin.

**Langdon** · Mar 25th, 2019 09:53 PM

"I ah." This whole thing is throwing him of. The thing.. Jasper? Is acting.. ya. "Right sorry." Extending a hand Langdon forms an imago for the other side of his Watchtower. A purple glyph forms and settles onto Langdon and the world is suddenly lesser. Death being something Langdon, even now, is still not in tune with.

"I am Langdon, apologies for the staring." With that short introduction and excuse Langdon looks at the man-thing. For a solid dozen heartbeats.

2 suxx for Grim Sight, 2 suxx on scrutiny for nature then identity over two turns

Mar 27th, 2019 03:22 PM

bump Abacus

**Abacus** · Mar 28th, 2019 12:37 PM

"Care to elaborate? We...specialize, in weird. The more niche, the better."

If Matter wouldn't open itself to him, maybe a fae's-eye-view could peel back the curtain. The Imago was easily summoned. He simply whisked his thoughts away from the ceaseless calculation and into the warm embrace of Arcadia. It was the warmth of the Lunargent Thorn.

A spider's web; an intricate latticework was being spun between the splayed fingers of an ivory tree. Silver as the moon, each thread an answer to the questions of WHO, and, WHAT.

And with enough vision, maybe even WHY.

What was Jasper's connection to Donovan? This House? Was their coming here a simple stroke of Fate or was there something deeper? Just how tightly was this web wound around them? Would it grow tighter?

4 successes

"Why do you call him Master?"

Apr 2nd, 2019 08:41 PM

"Ahhh it's like I'm not even here," he said as Winter seemed to completely ignore everything Jasper said. "I will...try not to be offended."

Then he focused on Galatea and cocked an eyebrow. "Easy access to convenience stores? Master Donovan was always a big fan of corndogs. Processed...meat...and all that. Can't exactly catch and cook that in the wild. And of course who would he send to get them," he said, pointing towards himself, "yours truly. So, easy access to the city was far more convenient."

Then she mentioned 'shifting' and an excited look crossed his face. "Ooh. I assume you are referring to the Disciple level Life Arcana spell Transform Self? That is certainly a favorite of mine. Master Donovan wasn't a fan of it, said it felt far too unusual to have animals features, but he had a friend, a mage named Krampus, who used it alllll the time to turn himself into what could only be described as a minotaur type creature combination." he looked away wispfully, as if he was reminiscing. "Those were some good times."

Then he focused on Langdon who did his own staring. "Take your time," he said with a smile. As Langdon stared at the man his sight glazed over and before him he saw a wide, vast ocean. An ocean that seemed almost impossibly large ocean. But what he could tell through the vast deepness of it all was that the man in front of him was no mage, and that in fact he was no man at all. But what he was, what he truly was, was still lost and hidden in the deep.

"Oh," he said, confusion crossing his face, "I call him Master because...he is? He has always been my Master."

The red string of fate. That is what many people believe. They, of course, have never seen fate for what it really was: a golden thread that was malleable and ever changing with the winds of Arcadia. But one such as Abacus had seen the strings. He could almost reach out and grab them. Staring at Jasper who could immediately see that the strands that connected Jasper to the building were as strong as the foundation of a building. He could tell that he had an even stronger but mysterious connection to the one he kept calling 'Master Donovan'. And he could also tell that the only 'fate' about their arrival, was that fate knew someone would come one day, but there was nothing about their names connected to that thread. It was as if fate willed someone to arrive but left the target blank.

Apr 2nd, 2019 09:18 PM

Weird. Weird, creepy thing- and it knew a lot. Knew more about her talents than Galatea herself did. And Galatea hadn't a clue how to stop it. And the talk of Krampus? Like that half-decent horror movie? Description almost matched up... She noticed he hadn't expressly said "yes..." Regardless, Galatea took it as permission enough.

"I've tried bovine forms before- not what I prefer, but the horns and strength do help sometimes. Though I prefer something more... Aquatic. Bear with me- the change takes some performance."
Galatea pulls out the mirror and recites the lines. If all is well, it should go through.

"Let me feel the ocean's breeze once more."

failure

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2019-04-02 21:07:43	Galatea rolls 1 to Paradox roll; Rote(-1), Arcana ***(-1), path tool (-1), no accumulated (10 Again, Chance)	6	failure

4 successes

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2019-04-02 21:08:02	Galatea rolls 10 to Transform Self (Athletics+Stamina+Life) (10 Again)	2, 4, 4, 8, 9, 3, 8, 4, 1, 8	4 successes

The changes should have seemed familiar to most of the people involved. The mage started to grow in size and height, body bulking up. Her skin started to harden and turn a smooth, pale color. Jaws and teeth grew and sharpened. The form was easy enough to recognize- a shark. Feeling just a bit more left in her, the mage opted for a shark tail... There were more beneficial changes to be sure. Venom, sharpened claws... But a tail just felt so complete.

Once the changes are done, Galatea gives herself a once over and grins
"Like I said. Aquatic. I suppose if your master's friend was Krampus, I'd be... Jaws? I could grow some octopus limbs as well and emulate an objectively worse horror icon? Speaking of your master- you haven't formally introduced him yet. Would you mind if we met him? Perhaps I could change his mind on the benefits of Life magic?"

The Thyrsus wasn't trying to be convincing at all- she just hoped the thing, whatever it was, would open up more after the change.

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2019-03-25 21:51:42	Langdon rolls 6 to Scrutiny (Int3+Occ3=6) Nature, Identity (10 Again)	7, 2, 8, 8, 1, 7	2 successes
2019-03-25 21:51:28	Langdon rolls 6 to Scrutiny (Int3+Occ3=6) Nature, Identity (10 Again)	5, 6, 3, 4, 5, 4	failure
2019-03-25 21:46:39	Langdon rolls 4 to Grim Sight (gno3+death1=4) (10 Again)	5, 10, 10, 4, 5, 2	2 successes

(SotA) Sanctum of the Ancient

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