Meeting with the Councillor

[Phoenyx]

Phoenyx tenses. "...no." The word is ground out. It was loathsome to admit.

"I expect nothing. I am informing someone with more experience than myself, of the actions of the path he represents. How can I ask your opinion on something I did not know had occured?" she counters. "I am more than content with dealing with this myself. Yet, if I did not inform you of a present risk, I am failing my own duties. And now you have the knowledge I do, and I am requesting your advice. You do not have to provide it. I simply know I am somewhat direct in my solutions."

The Arrow looks confused. "What do you mean, 'moral flaws'? When a paradox occurs, we have the responsibility to absorb it into ourselves rather than release such manifestations into the world." She relaxes slightly. "Much of my training in magic was practical. Controlling paradox is essential to keeping spellcasting concealed."

She smiles, watching all the glyphs flurry about the Guardian. "I know myself very well. Self-reflection and meditation are key parts of Arrow philosophy. But yes. Prime is fascinating and versatile; the latter making it ideal for an Arrow's study."

[Winter]

He frowns; the Abyss is a wound on reality, not just the consequence of a faulty ritual.
"What did they teach you about the nature of Paradox, then?", some learning needs to be experienced firsthand.

Spells: Zeal [Pot 5]

[Phoenyx]

He was leading the conversation away, so it appeared that "no help" was the order of the day. So be it. The Arrow made a note to return to the club, and see if there was anything noteworthy remaining.

"I was taught that there is the gulf of the Abyss that separates the fallen world from that of the supernal. The price we pay for the power we garner is that it is easier for the Abyss to reach through out magics, and infect the Paradoxes we create between the laws of the Fallen World and the reality we superimpose and bring into being." Phoenyx says slowly. "We avoid this by careful use of magic, avoiding dependence on it's nature, adopting multiple approaches both arcane and mundane. Employing the simplest touches of subtle magics where possible, and focusing on learning of ethics and accepting fully the of consequence of our actions regardless of what we choose."

To date, it had served her well. She may not be a social butterfly, but Phoenyx knew that when she made a choice, she would commit to it.

[Winter]

So, an Abyssal manifestation in a night club, it sounded dire indeed. Later that day, he'd put his knowledge of Arcadia to test.
The gears begin spinning, but for now there is something he needs to do.

The teachings she was imparted had an utilitaristic bent "A spell comes to this world through an Imago. A manifestation of the caster's will; at the same time an act of hubris and love. But Paradox is not merely the toll you must pay for power - it's a fallacy - it's the toll we all pay for being flawed and yet yearning for the Truth", those books of hers, he frowns.
"We aren't against employing Magic per se. If anything, our objective is to protect Magic from the forces that trivialize and that includes resisting the Taint of the Abyss whenever we are", his jaw pulses, she's not getting the full story, but for now it shall suffice. "But magic is the art of perfecting the Human Soul; its existence is necessary. Think of it this way: we're a Forge, if Wisdom is the Anvil, Paradox must be the Hammer. When it strikes, and it will, you take the lesson to heart"
He moves toward the center of the room, folding up the sleeves of his shirt just below his elbows, "Talk me in detail about this mission of yours. Later we'll stake the place out, but for now I want to hear your opinion"

Spells: Zeal [Pot 5]

[Phoenyx]

Phoenyx listened carefully. Fallacies and Truth. This was not the philosophy she was taught, which was how to practically weather the storm of paradoxes. But this was also some of the most she has heard Winter speak, and she found the insight fascinating. "So you seek to fight the Abyss to return magic to it's purest form, and correct those that do not pay due care to the threat of it's existence?" she asks carefully. "And if magic is the art of perfecting the soul, do you embrace or reject other methods of developing it? Practicing moral virtues, as a simplistic example, could also be thought to forge the soul into something better. Can these work in conjunction, or magic the sole method of importance?" It was all rather fascinating.

She watches him move across the room, still in her military ease position. It seemed her assumption had been incorrect. People could be so fickle. "Very well. I was asked for assistance, which I am oath-bound to provide. Kaze and I went to assist Shodan in finding a contact, Oracle, to confirm Seer movement in the Oakland area. The definitions and targets were poorly defined, and Shodan suspected our arrival was anticipated. It was an ill-conceived plan, and so I had to work with what was available." She suppresses a sigh. "As a strategy to avoid immediate capture, they went together while I positioned myself separately to observe. We employed encrypted radio communications to stay in contact - these were interrupted soon after our entrance to the building, although precisely when I cannot say. Kaze and Shodan went ahead. I circled the building and came round again, at which point I was mistaken for a performer of some kind and ushered into a staff-only section the building."

"From this point I have only my own perspectives and the accounts of their experiences. I understand both Kaze and Shodan were separated. Which account should I provide first?" she asks.

I didn't want to just wall-of-text everything, so I'll be breaking it up into sections

[Winter]

"Morality and virtue are a part of you as much as Magic is. Though, the problem with morality and virtue is that they're wholly subjective. Wisdom isn't", it was the more esoteric tenet of the Guardian system of belief. For the Eye, Wisdom is holistic, it doesn't belong to the individual, but it's a quality of the group. And the Sinner - if Just - can transfer and Exalt the rest.
"This contact of yours. Could be you were manipulated into getting there to start with. Or maybe it's just a coincidence and the Seers were just pursuing the same lead", he says, "Please, go on", no shit, Shodan was involved.

Spells: Zeal [Pot 5]

[Phoenyx]

Phoenyx nods. "The thought had occurred to me as well."

Herself, then. "I continued to play the role of performer, by simply not correcting the assumptions of the managerial staff. It was at this point I was separated from my equipment to maintain the deception. I placed my faith in my abilities." He didn't need to know about how revealing the outfit was. It was irrelevant. "I seized the opportunity to break away and made my way to the elevator to go back down to the level the others were on. I was, however, trapped with the elevator with blood-like images running down the walls. Our spellcasting was hampered within the building by an oppressive resistance. I forced open the doors and emerged into a sub-basement. It was at this point I discovered that our communication method had failed. I was being mentally assaulted with sounds and images. The corridor was supernaturally darkened, and ichoric shapes began emerging from the walls, clawing and biting me - I was wounded. I ran and escaped into a second elevator; making my way up I was contacted by an arrogant entity that called itself "Icarus" - a name that meant nothing to me outside of the Greek origin. After some... dispute I accepted their assistance in guiding me out through a maintenance shaft as the forms from the walls assaulted the elevator. I made my escape and waited until I could observe the others, then left."

The Arrow takes a slow breath before continuing. "We arranged to meet the following morning to debrief. It seemed that they had both experienced similar magical phenomena - resistant spellcasting, loss of communication. Kaze had excountered similar manifestations as I had. They both saw expereince people freezing in time. Shodan saw empty rooms that had people with seconds before and "axe-wielding maniacs" - his words. He also encoundered a dark woman, demanding his assistance." She shrugs. "Both had hear assisting voices also guiding them out of the building. I discovered that Shodan had been int he possession of the USB drive with ties to the former Hierarch and it had been lost at this time, escalating the severity of our situation from merely poor to problematic. He was desperate to tie these 'assistants' we had spoken with to others - ones that he, Kaze, Campenella and Alastor had spoken with before - that he called the Architects of the Future - but his hypothesis had no proof and was complete conjecture. According the Alastor they are a legacy of some kind."

"I dislike the term 'abject failure'," especially to anything connected with herself, "but that phrase is apt in this instance and that should not be denied." The Arrow finally moves from her position at ease. "Would you care for some tea, Councillor?" she asks.

[Winter]

"Icarus was the son of the master craftsman Daedalus, the builder of the Labyrinth. Son and father were trapped there, and attempted to flee using a set of wings crafted from feathers and wax. Icarus flew too close to the sun, the wax in his wing melted and he tumbled out in the sky, precipitating in the Aegean below", he nods appreciatively, tea would be good, "It's a precautionary tale on the dangers of Hubris. Ironic given the circumstances", he follows her movements.
Now, why did mysterious benefactor help them? Selflessness? Unlikely.
"As arrogant as he might have been, he helped you all the same. Let it be a lesson that half of a successful mission is conducted within the walls of a briefing room", he shrugs, "As for the Seers, they don't leave witnesses. Count yourself lucky", he clicks his tongue, "I'm more worried about the Sleepers. Got any news on that?"

[Phoenyx]

Phoenyx nods. "For the Minotaur of Crete, son of Minos, yes. I am familiar with the legend, but I mean not with any individual using it as a shadow name or alias." Because mundane people hid their names too.

The Arrow opens a cupboard, selects some leaf tea and fills the kettle. She sets a pair of cups and one pot, adding leaves accordingly.

While facing away, a small sigh escapes her. "That is a lesson not learned by some in this Concillium. Perhaps, with more knowledge of the target, we might have had more success. Or at the very least been better prepared for the circumstances that arose."

She turns and replies with a nod. "I have been fortunate in my encounters with the Seers so far. Carefully planned operations or teams that overwhelmed their resistances most effectively." Turning them into fish still counted. The Arrow realised she should check on Aurora. "All the same, I do not place my faith in Luck." Fate, be it the magic or the aspect, was fickle enough and pushing it too far would fail you at the worst possible time.

Tea is set on the table, and the water added to the pot.

"Once I entered the elevator, I encountered no Sleepers personally. None witnessed any spells from myself. Neither of the others mentioned any." Of course, why would they, with the sword of Damocles hanging over their heads? "From their recollections, magic was used by the other entities in the vicinity to freeze time, or possibly shift them in reality. I cannot say for sure. I did not see any strange reports in the local newspapers, althoguh I admit I might not be looking in the right places."

[Winter]

He closely observes her elegant movements. It's mesmerizing, the way she avoids useless movements as to conserve energy. The path of least resistance.
"Action and reaction. At the end of the day, we make our own luck", there was a pattern to the kind of people the Key resonated with. Utopians perhaps, but even the most airhead of them could be pragmatic to a fault. Cynic even.
Freezing time is a feat he's still not capable off. Hearing about it is both exciting and intimidating. What's up with people playing with Time in this city?
He accepts the cup, but he waits for the woman to drink hers before he takes the first sip. "The Seers could have dealt with the aftermath, or perhaps the Curse helped them cope with the nightmares. Until we're certain though, I have to assume that more trouble might be coming our way. And then there's the matter of the Sympathetic connection. Campanella should be informed right away"