Awakening Continuum

Location	Granite Park
Date Began	Nov 23rd, 2009
Date Ended	Jan 19th, 2010
Storyteller(s)	West
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A series of Scenes detailing an alternate consensual reality in which the Abyss, and it's agents, were dominant. The premise was an Abyssal manifestation similar to deja vu, and the Story spanned 23 November 2009 to 19 January 2010

Backstory

The Obelisks had been destroyed and the cyclic ritual stopped, but the true horror had only begun. While many mages were distracted in this fight, Banishers launched a concerted attack on the Fillard Goldman Museum, destroying the Consilium's leadership and leaving the rest realing. But this was still only the beginning. A month later, the Tower Bridge activated, contaminating the city's Ley Lines with Abyssal taint, and releasing a swarm of Abyssal intrusions.

Another month passed. In a desperate bid to evacuate the city, Armstrong opened a Portal, only to be torn apart by Ractains before any could escape. The survivors huddled together in Granite Park's Bell Building, relying on the thing in the basement which consumed incoming spells. Another month. Tyria used her Attainment to view the Tower Bridge's past, but fell to Ractains and Flesh Intruders while returning. The same Intrusions that were preparing to attack the Bell Building.

Scramble!

West, Ash, and Joshua left to find where Tyria had died, hoping to learn what they could from her ghost. Meanwhile, the remaining Mages stayed behind to plan the defense of the Bell Building. The planning was cut short as Animus opened his awareness of the living things around them and discovered the sheer number of Abyssal creatures that were approaching. Orphan lead Errant, Henry, Bethany 'Shadow' Fields, and Rosh to the roof, while the remainder prepared to make a break for it.

Suicide Mission

Those on the roof ound a bird diving toward them, which soon landed and took on its true form: Tug, now under the control of a swarm of Abyssal Spiders. He immediately attacked them as Ractains and Fleshies began to scale the ladder on the outside of the building. Those on the roof fought desperately, but the tainted Thyrsus was too powerful, throwing Orphan off the roof and gutting the others one by one. Five had stood their ground to give others time to escape. Four paid with their lives.

To Speak with a Ghost

Meanwhile, Ash, Joshua, and West ran toward the bleacher where Tyria had fallen. Several Ractains and Fleshies attempted to swarm them, while Ash ran ahead to speak with Tyria's ghost, leaving himself open to attacks. He learned her message, while the actions of the other two Arrows kept him and Tyria's message alive, but two figures approached, one of them Vector. West stayed behind to hold them off, commanding Ash and Joshua to flee.

Frenzied Departure

At the same time, the remaining Mages fled toward an FJ Cruiser, once Zilker's. Most made it, but Jack, Trench and Oshi became entangled in the press of Ractains and Fleshies. While some attempted to fight, Animus turned his Life Mastery to attempt to free those who were caught, shapechanging mages to birds at the cost of a great deal of Paradox backlash. His efforts saved some, but three mages died at the hands of the fleshies, while a fourth, Jordan, fell unconscious onto the roof of the Cruiser. Animus jumped onto the roof to shield Jordan, while the remaining refugees piled inside. Ankh drove away, leaving the Ractains and Fleshies behind.

But they wouldn't get far before Vector caught up to them, flipping the car into the air in preparation to attack the occupants. Jordan was killed on landing, while Animus shapechanged into a hawk to avoid further injury. Ankh shapechanged into a polar bear upon landing, while Vector created a lightsaber from Prime, and Ollie revealed himself to have joined Vector.

Vector kept Ankh at bay while he and Ollie began to methodically cut down the survivors. During the fight, Beverely triggered a Manifestation paradox, which took the form of a little girl who began to prey on her. Finally realizing that she had no hope of victory, Ankh shapechanged to a cheetah, picking up Animus' unconscious form in her mouth before fleeing the fight. Meanwhile, Vector and Ollie killed the remaining refugees, except Beverely whom they left to her fate.

Doomed Messangers

Ash and Joshua fled to the edge of the park, where they hotwired a car and drove toward the Kruegans' Sanctum. They soon realized a car was tailing them and made a turn without warning. The trailing car missed the turn and crashed. Unbeknownst to the two Moros, the driver was West, who had had something to add to their message, a note that would now die with him.

After driving past the Kruegans' Sanctum, they reached a phone and attempted to call Ankh. Vector intercepted the call, then used his command of Forces, to slam the two Moros into their car, killing both.

As Fate would have it

After falling from the roof of the Bell Building, Orphan sprinted in the direction the FJ Cruiser had taken, Fleshies or Ractains hot on his tail. After outrunning them, he stole a car and followed the FJ Cruiser, driving past West's wrecked car without stopping. Arriving at the wreck of the cruiser, he found Beverely, unconscious, the bodies of several fellow Mages. After rousing her, he called on Fate to divine where he might find any survivors. The answer appeared to be a church.

Endgame

Ankh carried Animus to he Church of Final Atonement, where she healed what she could of his wounds. Most of his injuries, however, had been tainted by Backlash; only time could heal them. Before long, Animus sensed two minds entering. Afraid that Vector and Ollie had come to finish them off, the two Thyrsus hid in a confessional booth, only to reveal themselves when the intruders turned out to be Orphan and Beverely. However, even this proved to be dangerous, as Bev suddenly attacked the others, biting Orphan. Almost immediately, she calmed down, and the others quickly discovered that she was now a Sleeper ... and had infected Orphan with Abyssal Spiders.

Animus and Ankh tried everything they could think of short of killing Orphan to purge the spiders, but nothing worked. Beverely chose to stay behind with Orphan, secretly planning to kill him, while Ankh and Animus, with heavy hearts, shapechanged to birds and flew away. Of what had once been a thriving Consilium, only the two Thyrsus survived (relatively) unscathed.

References

Scenes

• • Awakening
  • Finding Tyria
  • Bell Building: Rooftop
  • Bell Building: Inside
  • Leaving Granite Park
  • On the Run
  • On a Pale Horse
  • Debris
  • The House That Niles Built

Glimpses

• • Shades of the Past (Animus)
  • The Essence of a man (Henry)
  • The Price To Be Paid (Joshua)
  • Death's Door (Animus)
  • Butterfly Wings (West)
  • The Undiscovered Country (Ash)
  • Scattered in pieces (Rosh)
  • Finally Awake (Rosh)