(2411) Sanctuary

[Chambers]

Circle of creation

The Circle of Creation is the gathering hub for all Pentacle mages in the Sacramento Consilium, with chapter houses for all five Orders inside.

Located east of Sacramento and far outside the prying eyes of the inner city, the Circle of Creation awaits the mages of Sacramento. Despite being a replica of the Westminster Abbey, the sleepers who come by never seem to notice it. The wards built into the structure have made sure of this. To all but the Pentacle the Circle is essentially invisible, ensuring the safety of those who enter and engage with one another. Whether it had always been here for the Awakened was hard to say now, but it was the site that the Awakened gather to mingle and discuss official matters.



It is a time for simply for mingling among the Awakened. The common area is large and open, but over the course of the month it's inevitable that people may bump into each other. The official concerns of the Consilium are put on hold as a more light hearted experience is shared among this community of the Wise. Ultimately, this is the opportunity to let the proverbial hair down. How much so is up to them.

This is the opening post for Sanctuary. Please read this for information on Sanctuary, Consilium, and the difference the two. Come here to be recognized!



Also a reminder, Sanctuary threads are not official Consilium threads. Those under an incarceration sentence may not attend a Sanctuary thread.



Sanctuary is not a single event, or formal Consilium. It's a compression of time to represent the comings, goings, and intersections of Awakened throughout the month at the Circle.

[Corn]

Corn enters from the cells... and finds the place empty.
They didn't get us yet, did they? he finds himself asking. He realizes the chance for the entire consilium to be vaporized is next to none, but that's where his mind went, instead of the very real possibility that he arrived there first as he had to climb a set of stairs.

[Chambers]

It was the first of month which meant it was time to keep things up date. Chambers arrived dressed in a grey woollen suit and acknowledgement of dropping departures. A pile of books in hand having taken them to add the notes from the previous meeting they get left on the book case for members of the orders to take .. eventually ... after which a brief addition and removal from the corkboard keeps that in good order.

That Corn was present was unsurprising given his current state of confinement. Right yes we really need to get on solving that. "Corn, morning. How are things?" No reason yet why manners need be forgotten after all.

doughnut 4/2 success at -5 difficulty penalty

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2024-11-02 10:18:27	[06] Chambers rolls 6 to Cook doughnuts (Int3,craft3,galley2 difficulty-5) (size2, durability 0. Target=2) (10 Again)	5, 6, 5, 10, 7, 6, 4	1 success
2024-11-02 10:18:27	[05] Chambers rolls 6 to Cook doughnuts (Int3,craft3,galley2 difficulty-5) (size2, durability 0. Target=2) (10 Again)	6, 8, 10, 3, 8, 8, 6	4 successes
2024-11-02 10:18:27	[04] Chambers rolls 6 to Cook doughnuts (Int3,craft3,galley2 difficulty-5) (size2, durability 0. Target=2) (10 Again)	1, 4, 4, 5, 5, 3	failure
2024-11-02 10:18:27	[03] Chambers rolls 6 to Cook doughnuts (Int3,craft3,galley2 difficulty-5) (size2, durability 0. Target=2) (10 Again)	8, 7, 1, 9, 7, 5	2 successes
2024-11-02 10:18:27	[02] Chambers rolls 6 to Cook doughnuts (Int3,craft3,galley2 difficulty-5) (size2, durability 0. Target=2) (10 Again)	5, 4, 1, 8, 4, 4	1 success
2024-11-02 10:18:27	[01] Chambers rolls 6 to Cook doughnuts (Int3,craft3,galley2 difficulty-5) (size2, durability 0. Target=2) (10 Again)	2, 9, 3, 5, 1, 7	1 success

Forgot to put QF mitigation into roll declaration so only first 3 dice from each roll count

[Corn]

Chambers arrives with the delicious donuts. "Greetings, Councilor. I have been better." He says, as he reaches for some food that is well made and warm. I miss home-cooked food, he thinks.
Considering nobody is around yet, he decides to confide to the Moros councilor. Chambers may not be sympathetic, but he is the Moros councilor and truth be told, why would Chambers be sympathetic. And there are things he may need to know.

"There has been no interrogation yet. No investigation. I understand these things take time, but I am growing increasingly anxious. That this is on large part on me doesn't make my anxiety less. I am not looking for an argument here, Councilor. I have been warned about the dangers of pretending I have no reality-bending enemies and I reap the results. That said, do you have any update? When there will be the interrogation? When the investigation will start?

As a note, under the supervision of two interim-councilors, the Acanthus and the Mastigos ones, I went on the pre-arranged Lay Lines scouting. The Guardians and the Arrows watching over me didn't object and the councilors were aware of my baggage. Thus, I don't think I broke confidence with the Consilium by heading out to help my fellow mages.
It was a good thing I was there, we found trouble. I expect them to divulge much of what they found out.
What I found out, will be in a report for the Mystagogues. "

[Winter]

The Obrimos arrives early, emerging from a dim side corridor leading to the Guardians' quarters. His measured steps reveal years of disciplined training. Spotting the two magi, he approaches the meeting chamber, greeting them with a nod.

[Chambers]

Finishing up with the board he takes a extra few moments, those need to remain objective to settle himself. "Corn I understand this is of highest priority to you." It would be bizarre if it was not at this point. "But you jumped a Consilium with a revelation of your woes and proceeded to obfuscate the matter with a series of omissions and falsehoods." The number of mages having to correct the Moros's accounts and story had gotten far to high. One was to high. "The safety of the community is our priority which means we need to move slower then you might wish. We need to take precautions, avoid or side step the sleeper agencies and services involved to minimise our presence." If it was supernatural after all there was no grantee the police, or morgue would be safe to access. "We need to minimise the risk of our interference being noticed on every level." And those things took time. "Have you considered that if this is supernatural then taking you child might well have been a way to provoke us to action?" For all we know we are stepping into a well laid trap. "The interrogation can be sooner before mid December it should be done." And really the investigation team had to wait on that.

Winter's arrival is met with a returned nod. "Winter. How are you?" Well aware soon enough the three of them would be meeting under likely differing cciricmstances.

[Corn]

"I believe I was targeted for that reason, Councilor - to provoke us to action and fall into a trap. " Corn said with a sigh. Chambers was right. There was more about the subject of the trap to be said, but he had made quite a confusion already. If Chambers or Winter wanted his opinion, he would share it.

[Winter]

"I'm fine, thanks", he says while sliding on one of the benches, "if they wanted to provoke us, there are easier ways to do that. Firearms are not that hard to come by, at least compared to a double murder with suicide and kidnapping of an infant. They had access to your family, so they had access to you", he shrugs, "They could have shot you anytime and - forgive me - but you don't strike me for someone who's all that comfortable in a gunfight. Now, that would be a provocation"
"Anyway, considering what I've just said and that they haven't asked for a ransom yet, we can consider it as either the doing of a mindless psychopath - and in that case I'm afraid to tell you your son is as good as gone - or they want nothing from you or the Consilium, in this case your child might be alright after all. Now that I think about it, your wife is strangely absent in all of this", his gaze narrows on the Moros, "are you sure you're telling us everything?"
"There's a third option, that you made everything up, but I don't want to go there", he tilts his head to the side, "Say, I were to perform a round of divination on your son's whereabouts, what would I discover?"

[Chambers]

The problem with belief over fact was rather simple. "Do you have any hard proof to back that belief Corn? I only brought up as a potential consideration." And if it's going to lead to red herrings maybe better to not bring it up again.

Although it seems to have got Winter talking. "This narrowing down of options does of course presume that firstly someone with wider goals or at least a motive is behind this. And we understand what their goals are. It could well be the act of some serial killer or sociopath. It could just as likely be something we have yet to fully comprehend." A few possibilities came quickly to mind. "Or they could simple be waiting for our move in response, a trap yet to be sprung." We know nothing of the who behind this. No motivations, no pattern nothing that allows us to rule out any possibility. "With so much still on the table in the unknown category. The cautious approach is required." The past time of dead bait fishing comes grimly to mind.

The Moros councillor has no views nor particular cares about the state of Corn's wife. But he does coolly observe the interaction curious where the line of questioning is going to lead.

[Corn]

Corn didn't like what he heard from Winter about his son, but he had to face the possibilities.
He replied to Chambers first. "No, I don't have any concrete evidence. But I can't simply accept that Alex snapped and we just never found the remains... " he doesn't finish the sentence. "He would not harm a baby. This doesn't make sense to me." Which, unfortunately, doesn't mean it didn't happen, just that he refuses to accept that possibility.
Then he turns to Winter. "You mean with Space? I am an apprentice of Space but I am concerned Cloud is protected by conditional spells. It is the only thing that stops me from trying to apport him; I could do that." Corn moves his arms as he speaks, instinctively moving them to the position he would hold his son.
How long has it been since I held my boy? Two months and a week. Too long...
Focusing back to the discussion, he tells Winter "I mentioned that, when meeting with Phoenyx and Skye the day before I informed the consilium. I was advised to not try anything before we knew more. However," he meets the Guardian's face "if you think it is prudent, I can assist you. I have a few things of Cloud with sympathy and I can lend my power to yours, cast it jointly. And again, if you think it is safe for you to do it, and you get evidence where my boy is, or that he is even alive, I would owe you. I pledge here, in front of the councilor of the Moros, that if you do that, soon, not in a month or two but soon, and it doesn't end up with my boy suffering for it, I would cast a spell for your benefit and keep it going for at least a week. I am quick in rituals now, my connection to the Watchtower in Stygia is strong. "
He takes a breath. "Not knowing whether my kid is alive or how he is doing, is driving me crazy. I have started and stopped the ritual to apport him several times, because I trust those that say we need to collect information first. But it is hard on my mind."

He stops. "This time, I will try to NOT make things harder or more confusing. Last month I made it harder for the consilium to help my kid. I don't mind what happens to me."