(2201) Consilium

[Belle]

It's been a week...

But Belle is eager to see friends again and get filled in on the comings and goings of the Magi of Sacramento. "Hey everyone! Sorry I'm late." She's dressed for a night out in a blouse, heels, and khakis all in cool, seasonal colors. She makes a beeline for Aurora and stops just short of hugging her, instead just looking her up and down and breathing a relieved sigh. "Hey, you feeling okay?"

She recognizes Viggo, and gives him a smile. "Hey! Viggo, right? Welcome back. All settled in okay?"

[Phoenyx]

Phoenyx was just crossing the treshold of the Circle when she got a phone message and saw the time. Balking, she sprinted towards the Concillium room.

She arrived, awkwardly looking around, looking as if she had just come in from a run - leggings, tank-top and sneakers despite the winter weather her hair was a little unkep[t from the winds and the running. "Good afternoon everyone. Apologies for being late, there was an accident on my jogging route." She moves around to the front of the room, looking very self-aware.

"Have I missed anything important?"

[Aeolus]

And with that, the doors to the Circle would be closed to new arrivals this meeting. Some Awakened might have to justify their absence some day - for now, the official business of this Consilium was ready to begin.

[Puck]

Welp, Puck first then.

"I'll start. I wanted to follow up on the Libertines Phoenyx mentioned last meeting."

Eyes scan the crowd for objections, though he doubted anyone else had anything going on.

"Apparently there's a lot of inter-order strife within the pentacle of San Fransisco. The lucky Libertines were expelled and on the run. Three of them took a hard drive from their lorehouse and ran here. They tried to summon an angel but summoned the wrong type and almost died."

Pause for moment. Gotta collect those thoughts, or build suspense. Puck wasn't one for other peoples drama though, so it was safe to assume the former.

"After we intervened, I was allowed to view the hard drive and the summoning notes. I found evidence of tampering with the ritual. Records of it's correct execution mixed with bad notes leading to it going very wrong. The contradictions weren't immediately evident, mostly because of the sheer amount of data on the thing. I think it was tampered with, either by the other orders or the seers, so that when they tried to summon help they'd be burned alive by a different kind of entity."

Maybe it sounded like Puck was making excuses for his fellow Libertines? If it did, it was only because of the partial picture people were given before. Official business includes setting records straight.

"There was also some manufactured sympathy on the hard drive. Someone knew about it and was probably trying to manipulate it sympathetically. The Circle's wards precluded any activity, but the Libertines left to try and sever the connections and sift through the hard drive. Sacramento is safe and none the worse for the wear."

The Enchanter shrugged and looked to his fellow councilors.

"So. Councilors first and then we open the floor to everybody?"

Not syndic is totally not syndicing around.

[Corn]

Corn shakes his head, disappointed. He wished he could say for sure that tampering with a summoning to send a demon instead of an angel would be Seer's work but unfortunately, the pentacle was not necessarily above that kind of thing.
He doesn't say anything, waiting for the councilors to speak.

[Eulogy]

Eulogy was pleasant as the various people entered and made their greetings. Then the time came and Puck opened the floor with news. Mordechai listened to the other councilor with interest. Finally when the opportunity arose the Moros spoke. "This news is very worrisome but is sounds like you have everything under control. Do you think there is going to be any lasting effect from the failed summoning?" Eulogy figured if Puck had thought so he would have said but asked the question anyway just to set other minds at ease.

When appropriate Eulogy added. "The only thing I have to add is we have another Moros in the city. He goes by Zero and I really expected him to be here this month. He has agreed to live under the current. House rules. We have established." he paused to look pointedly at Phoenyx before continuing. "That is all really."

[Crystal]

Finally, Belle and Phoenyx joined them. Both were important, albeit for different reasons: starting the official part without all Councilors present would have been worrying, and having his fellow Warlock Gal absent could have been thrown back at him. You never knew with some people. He greeted both of them with a simple wave and a smile - Belle even got a playfully exaggerated frown for being too late. But at least she came.

He shook his head at the First Talon's question before Puck took the floor and brought up said important things a fourth of the local Consilium would miss now. He listened politely, although the Warlock had no intention of getting entangled in San Francisco politics again. And like Eulogy said: the situation seemed to be under control. He raised his hand to speak anyway. "Adding to Councilor Eulogy's question: do you think we'll have to expect more fallout from San Francisco's intra-Pentacle tensions?"

The Moros Councilor then introduced someone that wasn't there - hardly a good first impression. When it was appropriate to do so, Crystal put on his Councilor hat and addressed the gathered Awakened, with a focus on Puck, Phoenyx, Guru, and Eulogy. "I would like to bring up today's attendance and how to deal with the lack thereof. I would like to ask Councilor Phoenyx how things have been handled here historically and whether we should act in the same way or find new proceedings. Even though we operate under less harsh rules and hierarchies as other Consilia, some things should be considered and followed to ensure that we can keep tabs on the ever changing faces in this city. On the other hand, if we reprimand such things too harshly we might not have the manpower to protect ourselves and this city in the event of.. well, anything really." It was a hard line to walk: do nothing and people soon would act however they wanted, dish out punishment too readily and you'll find yourself ruling over a ghost town soon enough. And one of the people absent wasn't just anybody, it was a long-standing sole Guardian of this city.
A mean thought crossed the Mastigos' mind: maybe this extended time of peace wasn't all good.

[Phoenyx]

Phoenyx looked to Eulogy. "The summoned spirit returned to Aether when the spell expired. Aside from severe structural damage to an abandoned building and some poor Atlantean runes in graffiti in the area, there is nothing left of note. Only one knowing what they would look for would see them." She paused, before adding a short addendum to Puck's description. "It is important to note that the members of San Francisco's Free Council only had one point of contact with us, former Councillor Pixel, meaning they were unable to reach us and inform us of their intentions initially. If anything this adds support to the strength of the Circle's wards."

She returns Eulogy's look quizzically, but does not comment. She had found Eulogy to have very distinct ideas and there was certainly an opening respect between the to of them. If he wished to convey something by that statement, it did not land with the Arrow.

Crystal's first question does cause her to raise her voice. "It is difficult to say. There is no evidence we were seen or noted, though the opposing forces to our visitors may see this as us allying against them. Should anyone find they are concerned, Talon Viggo and I are readily available." She inclined her head towards her fellow Obrimos.

That the question of attendance was put to her confused Phoenyx for a moment, but she quickly recovered. "Historically there has been no such enforcement. Sacramento has experienced much transience in it's history, though the last year or so has seen more people become settled here. Awakened society has always had to pay some acknowledgement to the individual wisdom and will of it's members. I do not think changing the situation is necessary."

She looked around. "I do have one issue to make people aware of. Some of us attended a show at the Thalia recently where there appeared to be some kind of mental effect working on both the performers and the audience. Councillor Puck, Councillor Guru, Magus Kaze and I attempted to investigate with the actors after the show, but they were influenced to try and stop us. We are continuing to look into this, but people should be on the lookout for people acting unusually in the area should you be there."

[Guru]

Guru was all smiles and nods as everyone filed in, Aurora got a warm smile scratching at the back of his head while he gave it a quick shake. "You know, my best." A small burst of laughter followed the comment, the smile that stuck to his face was genuine for a moment until Belle came up asking after Aurora. Guru's face scrunched up in confusion. She seemed fine to him.


And with Phoenyx's arrival the Full Council had assembled. Seemed the floor had opened for business as Puck recounted their talks with the Libertines. Nodding along with the story as he split his attention between Puck and the audience, shifting to Phoenyx as she answered Eulogy's question. Lips pulling downward as he'd never considered their points on the wards. It brought a certain comfort with it at least.


Though when things shifted to San Francisco politics Guru shifted uncomfortably, hands folding together in front of him. He looked between Phoenyx and Crystal, "It's complicated, I couldn't rightfully say. As Councilor Phoenyx said, it depends on the flow of information and how its received. It could be once they left the city it stopped being a concern." He shrugged though there was doubt there. Stopped being a concern because they were supposed to be flambe.


"I mean they're missing out on what's happened, where we're going, and access to their Councilor as we meet so their voice can't be heard. That seems like a punishment to me?" He raised a brow and looked over at his fellow Councilors in question but why did it still feel like stepping into a minefield?


That feeling was only made worse as the color drained from his face, his hands clenching together as the slid back and into his pockets. The fear was good though, the fear was something. Anything was better than the nothing he'd felt while he'd been there. "I believe it might be connected to the abyss. I was looking into the Shadow when I noticed something and it reacted..." A shudder rolled over his body as he swallowed. He looked over the gathered Councilors. "I've started work on containment but this is a problem." Though he couldn't help but glance over the gathered Mysterium members. He was going to have to do his own research on this one wasn't he? "Further study is certainly necessary, I can at least buy us time." When he was finished he couldn't help but share a look with Aurora, his face still a pale shadow but color slowly returned.

[Aeolus]

I know it can be frustrating not to be able to bring up bigger developments by the time official Consilium hits, but technically both things (treasure hunt and curtain call) haven't happened yet. The discussion is well on its way by now, but let's keep this in mind for the future.