(2607) Consilium

[Mateus]

Mateus nods to Asclepius . "Pleased to meet you, Asclepius."
Once Thirteen addresses him he nods, "Oh, interesting. When is your... " he struggles to find the word, "... your anniversary of gaining a physical body? I would consider this your birthday and give you a treat. " he told the familiar.
He then waited for the meeting to start. Salem was not there yet.

[Asclepius]

A rare chance for a meal that he didn't think twice of back home. “Then I will happily sample some. Thank you for providing us with it.” A moment passes as the Arrow realises that there is other food on offer by other people as he grabs himself a small portion of Haggis. “In fact, thank you to all the people that provide some lovely food every time we gather formally.” Nailed it.

A smile and a nod in agreement is returned to Aurora's comments. “I deviated slightly to pick up some skills that I felt were beneficial in my break. I feel your sentiments however, with this focus I feel my physical training slacking slightly but I have no doubts that First Talon Skye would happily set me straight with some training.”

Chambers words were taken well by the Arrow, he could find no fault in the logic. With every piece of information passed freely, it is a bread crumb to finding the secrets to yourself and being compromised. “It absolutely is hard to balance. However, we make it work... because we have to make it work. Even when the time comes to seek out guidance from those more knowledgeable and more experienced, it leaves you open and somewhat vulnerable to the whim of the person you ask.” Keeping to yourself was one thing, but even the best mages needed tutoring in their Arcana that they struggled to grasp.

A smile and nod returned to Mateus, now formally introduced. “I am pleased also to meet you Mateus.” What will this mage bring, in terms of skills and knowledge, to the Consilium I wonder?

[Witch]

It was difficult to move fast in this heat. It encouraged slow movement, staying indoors, iced drinks and slowly rotating fans.


But she had never been very good at listening.


Or maybe that is what she told herself as she rushed into the Circle.


Because the true fact was, she was late. And pushing it. And this month was not a month to not make an appearance.


And although she tried not to make it obvious, her dress wasn't suited to not showing movement. And so it was that at the last moments she slowed her movements to walk in and join the group already gathered, but the continued sway of fabric revealed to any choosing to care, her haste.

[Salem]

Before the great doors of the Circle of Creation, Salem paused only long enough to smooth a wrinkle from the cuff of his jacket.

The hall had always struck him as an odd sort of statement. A painstaking replica of Westminster Abbey, transplanted into Sacramento by Awakened hands, it wore the trappings of antiquity with almost uncomfortable sincerity. Vaulted ceilings disappeared into shadow overhead, ribbed arches drawing the eye heavenward while stained glass caught the ambient light in fractured pools of muted color across the stone floor. Every line of the architecture spoke of continuity, authority, and inherited wisdom.

The Free Councilor appreciated craftsmanship.

He remained skeptical of monuments.

The Supernal had never cared for cathedrals. It answered just as readily from machine shops, classrooms, apartment rooftops, and forgotten alleyways. Truth was not made more truthful because it was spoken beneath soaring arches. Still, symbols held power, and the Circle of Creation understood symbolism better than most.

Salem stepped inside.

His Space Sight opened effortlessly, the familiar lattice of sympathetic connections weaving itself over the grandeur of the chamber. The soaring architecture became secondary to the geometry that truly mattered. Distances ceased to be measured in yards and became relationships instead—threads of proximity, obligation, history, and intention stretching between every Awakened soul gathered beneath the vaulted ceiling. The room itself was less a building than a nexus where countless invisible paths converged before continuing outward across Sacramento.

His gaze traveled over those already assembled.

Everyone had arrived. Everyone except the Warlock Councilor. Without attempting to diminish the fact, Salem inclined his head toward the assembly.

"My apologies," he said, his voice carrying comfortably through the cavernous chamber. "I seem to have become fashionably late."

The faintest ghost of a smile tugged at one corner of his mouth before it disappeared.

He made his way toward an unoccupied seat, measured and unhurried, allowing the conversation to continue uninterrupted. Better to listen first. Quarterly Consilium meetings were seldom about the words spoken aloud. The important currents were found in the spaces between them, where alliances shifted by inches and the city's future was decided one measured exchange at a time.

[ReubanBrightwood]

The doors to consilium have now closed!

[Thirteen]

"Well, I made plenty, so everyone can help themselves," the Enchantress shrugged, feigning some humility over her haggis. She was actually rather proud of it, and not just in a Scottish national pride sort of way.

"Witch, Salem, good to see you made it in time," she gave each Councilor a nod as they arrived seperately. "Food and agenda aplenty."

Settled into a seat, Thirteen turned her attention towards the Hierarch. "Okay, Chambers, what's on the agenda?"

Jinx perched on an outcropping of the stone wall behind her, head turning this way and that as he observed everyone like the curious bird he (sort of) was. The familiar at least had to sense to remain quiet, as he knew this was the time for Serious Consilium Business.

I know Skye's been dealing with stuff, but it's been three days since the last post and we need to keep this moving if we're to get anything done before the end of the month.

[Skye]

A look towards the Hierarch.
”No rush, when time permits is fine.”

Eyes on her fellow arrow.
”That might not be a bad idea.” Softly chuckling. ”Hey if poor Bob cannot handle a one or three thousands pounds of repeated force in a small area that΄s a design flaw and not on me.” Grinning ever so softly, excitement shining in her eyes as he speaks of both returning to training as well as his comment about returning aimed at her, having so many ideas for so many different end results to help guide him to his own perfected body and style much like how she was hard at work mastering her own.

Giving a light wave to Witch as she entered, relieved to see that she had indeed showed up, having started to fear she would not manage to.

And a nod towards Salem as he arrives.

Taking a sip of her can and sitting down, slowly enjoying the food whilst waiting for the real meeting to commence now that everyone was present.

[Aurora]

A slight shrug to Asclepius, “I think there is other things that can be worked on to make a well-rounded mage. But I also know we all have different opinions on such matters, and it sounds like you have a way that works for you.” She would always fall back to her other skillsets.

Smiles and nods were offered to Witch and Salem as they made their way in, seemed it was getting close to starting time.

Haggis and beer in hand, she settles and was eager to hear what Chambers had on the agenda.

[Chambers]

A nod and gentle smile is given both to Witch and Salem as they make their arrivals. "Councillor Witch, Councillor Salem welcome good to see each of you." Because that meant everyone he knew to expect had made it, no missing mages no calamities, no attacks. Given no one had come bursting in declaring news of the sort. But that did also mean it was now time to get things under way.

Thirteen calls for him to exactly that confirming his own assessment. "First and foremost I had down a bit of recap of recent developments and threats." His More welcoming demeanor dropping, the tone of his speech shifting to something more grim. "It is safe to say that the threats that surround us have reached an all time high and some have escalated." Information had been feeding in from each occurrence as it happened but a consideration felt very necessary.

And so he begins. "First we know Hunters are active in the city, now just because we have not caught wind of their activities for some time that does not make them less of a threat. If any reason was needed to encourage keeping a low profile this would be it." Out of mind did not mean safe after all, it was a good idea to keep those hunters in the mages awareness. "They after all are involved with the death of two of our own." One one having died at the scene of the house explosion and the second later after being hospitalized by it.

The Hierarch looks between the faces of each mage gathered to make sure they were listening. "Secondly we know the circle of creation our place of safety, where conduct our business and house or secrets has been infiltrated by the rouge cabal Sanctus Trinitas." How recently was immaterial, that they could was the problem. "We know they are willing to employ lethal force so even here in these walls keep your guard and reinforce what you are responsible for." With only four orders present the ladders area would need to fend for itself for awhile, but with any luck nothing of value had been left in there.

And that moved things onto the really serious matters. "After Attending a meeting hosted by the mages of the golden consilium Councilor Thirteen and Skye were attacked, attempts were made on their life. This is an escalation of hostilities and while we have our plans in motion" Indicating Thirteen and Asclepius respectively. "If they turn this conflict into a war we will have little choice but respond with force of our own. I encourage each of you to practice whatever measures you feel are best for that eventuality and highlight the kind of offer of Skye to provide martial training to those who seek it out." Whatever else might be said of the arrow she was a capable fighter.

But there was more. "At this same meeting the seers of the throne made a move, sacrifices one of there for reason we can currently only speculate about." But it was not going to be good. "From it we, well I say we the efforts of Councillor Thirteen are entirely resposneiable, have determined a potential location of a seer pylon. If not the place itself has connections of some degree to other seers." And now this, this was the war they all had to fight. "I try to avoid killing, however if there are thsoe of you who wish to take the fight to them I understand ... and support that action." The last words said more quietly he did not like it, it felt wrong to him, but this was war. "The previous consilium stands accused, and as do we by proxy of having a cease fire with the seers, an accusation that does not sit well with any of us I know but do not rush to take action based on that alone, it will be dangerous beyond what most here have encountered before." Knowing Auroras record she alone could say she knew the dangers. But He could not in good concide stand in the way of those whose call it was to fight in ways different to his own, not when the enemy was on the doorstep.

It was heavy speech, not a word of it easy and each harder then the last but it was the reality of the situation they faced. Still there was more A hand goes up top indicate Aurora and Asclepius. "Finally I would like to thank Councillor Aurora and Provost Asclepius for their efforts in tracking down and dealing with a banisher in the city, something that did not have the chance to become a larger threat to us, thanks to them." His own misgivings on the matter kept to himself, the consilium needed some positive news and a threat handled, something resolved and dealt with fit the bill.

[Mateus]

Mateus noticed "Councilor Witch ". It was the first time they met as far as he remembers.
"Pleased to meet you, councilor. I am Mateus" he said simply. Salem arrived fashionably late and thankfully, for the first time in 3 months in this city, he was not the only mastigos in the room. "Greetings, Councilor Salem. I would like to have a talk with you, at your convenience, about wards and sympathy."

Thirteen prompts Chambers to start the meeting and he does with a synopsis of how things stand. There seems to be ... things going on. Every consilium has to deal with Seers and Banishers and Hunters and apparently, this city is no different except that a Banisher has been dealt with. Aurora has been involved so he expects the Banisher is sleeping with the fishes. Four Seers and Banisher - and that's what he simply knows.
What other consilia more rarely have to deal with is... apostate cabals and other consilia. How ... ironic that the only cabal he is aware of is an enemy of the consilium he is part of.


And then, the Hierarch states that he supports an attack on the Seer foothold. His tone and demeanor and previous answers to Mateus didn't align with the words, but the words were spoken. The mage Chambers may be against striking out but the Hierarch is not standing in the way.


It is his turn to speak. And so he does.
"Greetings," he started simply towards his peers. "as you know, I am Mateus and I am new in the city. When I arrived, I was acknowledged by Councilor Salem . I was asked if I am willing to fight for the consilium and I said that it only makes sense to me, to fight with allies our common enemies than sit out and wait said enemies to bring the fight to me alone." He turns his gaze to Salem, that can confirm that he has said something of the sort.
"I was sincere and honest." he turns to the Hierarch. "I understand that fighting mages that have been preparing for that is going to be dangerous. I understand that the Seers of the Throne as an order have spent Milennia, as a faction, perfecting ways to deal with us.
But not fighting them is more dangerous, in my opinion. They won't stop preparing to kill us, trying to gather information on any one of us to wipe us out or enslave us or any other dreadful fate just because we are cautious. The Circle is a marvel that other cities do not have, that the Seers in this city do not have... but one cannot only play defense and expect to win. Many of us have practiced the duel arcane, expect. Would you choose to only defend? Despite how strong your shield would be, if you never attack, you cannot win - you will just lose later.
Through happenstance or Seer mistake - perhaps it is a trap - we know a place they hold. They know we know it too. But we also know they have been spotted around a hospital, I understand. There are remains of a pawn of the Seers - the sacrificial lamb, that we possess along with his real name. This consilium may not be large but numbers are not everything.
Yes, I want to fight the Seers. Not recklessly, as I realize my suggestion the previous month is. But we have to, in my opinion, sit down and have a strategy meeting of how and where to probe or where to attack. I believe we have to fight. If not, then the enemy will come for us when they are better prepared. "


Then, he addresses the elephant in the room - the big, huge, security breach that nobody talks about. "But Seers are not the only enemy this consilium has, is it? The Goldies. The Sancta Trinitas. Enemies the Circle of Creation does not protect us from. And yet... several sanctums, including the Hierarch's, are there, on a corkboard every Golden Consilium mage, every member of the Sancta Trinitas has access to as easily as we do. I heard the Hierarch state that there were attempts on Skye 's life from the Goldies. That the Sancta Trinitas may use lethal force." Then, an example from his own experience.
"When I first stepped here, an unknown apostate I was welcome - not turned away. I was not acknowledged but nobody made an effort to hide the corkboard from me. If I was an enemy, I would have had the approximate locations for several sanctums of this consilium."
He looks at the Corkboard and bites his lower lips.
"It is not that I don't like the ... trust... this corkboard promotes. But can we afford to have stated addresses there? Personally, I will wipe out the sympathy of my number with myself once this meeting is over. It would not be hard to sever all of them, with your permission." He would love to have sympathetic connections to all of his peers and some that have left the place but it was pure madness, in his opinion, to keep them there when enemies are waltzing inside the Circle.


He looks around. "I apologize for monopolizing so much of your time. "