All Roads/Session 7

Pete: Diana and her cabal prove to be welcoming hosts as the evening progresses. The atmosphere is warm, and the drinks flow freely. After a while of just casual conversation Mojo emerges from the kitchen. Everyone is encouraged to plate up as much food as they like from a big pan of chicken paella, which smells and then tastes pretty damn good.

Kenan: "extraordinarily good dinner, I haven't eaten anything like this in quite a while"

Pete: You are all left with dirty plates and full stomaches. "Don't mention it." Mojo raises his hand with a grin. With a content smile Tiferet drains the last from his beer before placing the can on the floor by his foot, "So how's that machine of yours doing anyway?" He asks generally, sitting back again "They still got you watching that old thing?"

Nebuchadnezzar: "Yes, thank you." Neb says quietly. He hasn't said much this evening.

Nebuchadnezzar: "The machine? It is as it is." He says noncomitally

~Isis: Isis eats slowly, enjoying both Mojo's cooking and the atmosphere. "Yes, we're supposed to be watching it," she nods. "Write things in the observation log."

Isis: "It hasn't done anything out of the ordinary strangeness, though. At least not when anyone was looking."

Pete: Tiferet nods, despite having drunk a fair amount his eyes are quite sharp. "I remember when they found it. Talk of the town." He muses, then shrugs, "Just another mystery now, under lock and key with the rest."

Pete: There is a mild note of resignation, or perhaps resentment, in his voice.

Isis: "There haven't been many people who came to see it," Isis says. "Maybe everyone is waiting for more observations."

Isis: "Or they are thinking that we will figure it out."

Nebuchadnezzar: "Research on it proceeds slowly." Neb takes a sip of Lemonade.

Nebuchadnezzar: "We could possibly allow you a look though." He says quietly.

Pete: "I would be curious to see it again," He smiles, "But I doubt I could offer any insight."

Pete: "Still, it is nice to see you're still working on it. Most mysterium curiosities get thrown in a dusty cellar, away from prying eyes."

Kenan: "that's a point, i could examine it in more detail sometime. I've been rather busy with my research recently, but I should be able to find some time"

Pete: Diana rolls her eyes comically at Tiferet's words.

Isis: "Our cellar isn't dusty," Isis agrees. "Though it takes some work to keep it that way."

Pete: "Speaking of," Diana interjects, seeming interested, "Have you still been taking shipments from the library?"

Kenan: "we did get one recently, as a matter of fact. I missed the delivery itsel, though"

Isis: "Fate seemed to work out that way, indeed," Isis smiles.

Isis: "That was yesterday, though, so we haven't had much time to look at everything yet."

Pete: She nods, "That may be your last for a while. I was speaking to Dispater earlier today, seems as though they're thinking of putting it all on lock down."

Pete: "Considering the current situation."

Kenan: "that would be a shame. hopefully it won't last long"

Pete: Perhaps in respect to the mystagogues gathered her face doesn't betray much of her feelings on the subject. "Who can say. Last time they did this it was authorised lending only for three years."

Isis: "It does seem like there is someone trying really hard to make trouble for the Consilium," Isis muses. "Being careful is only sensible."

Pete: Tiferet, on the other hand, frowns with distaste.

Isis: "Guardians of the Veil are supposed to be really careful about security and things like that, but someone did bad things to their demesne anyway."

Pete: "It was a shame about that girl," She shakes her head at the mention of last night, "Gwendolyn, wasn't it?"

Kenan: Kenan looks downcast at the mention of the events of the previous night

Isis: Isis nods sadly.

Pete: Mojo nods, adding sombrely "Poor Arctos is who I feel sorry for, losing three cabal mates. Looks like he'll have to dissolve it."

Isis: "I didn't know her well, but we'd just met her earlier in the day." She frowns. "I just can't understand why someone would do a thing like this."

Pete: "Damn shame, too. The Converging Path's been around since the war." Tiferet says in response to Mojo.

Kenan: "wait, did you say three cabal mates?" Kenan looks curiously at Mojo

Nebuchadnezzar: NEb ooks slightly shocked.

Pete: "Aye," He nods. "Gwen, Everett and Owain."

Pete: "Everett went a couple years back, when we were pushing out the Seers."

Pete: "Owain though, he was on Orchard street."

Pete: He refers to the protest incident, which you were planning to watch at the guardian demense.

Kenan: Kenan sadly nods after hearing the reply, and remains quiet. It's clear his mood is rather poor now

Pete: The room is quiet for a moment after Mojo finishes speaking.

Pete: Diana pipes up though, "Well, come on now. Tonight was supposed to help us recover!"

Nebuchadnezzar: "As best as anyone does." Neb says quietly, his words not carrying far.

Isis: "The splinter is still in the flesh. But if we let pain rule us then we can't remove it and really recover."

Nebuchadnezzar: Neb is staring rather intently at his Lemonade at the moment

Pete: She nods, "Quite right, Isis. Our fight isn't an easy one, but it is a good one. Those we lose sacrifice themselves for the noblest goal of all." Perhaps it's the drink but Diana raises her glass, trying to rouse the group "To the Converging path."

Isis: Isis looks serious but with quiet resolve more than sadness. She also raises her glass (with water) and echoes Diana.

Kenan: Kenan raises his glass almost mechanically, but a little smile appears on his face "to the Path"

Nebuchadnezzar: looks up, a bit daxed and notices the other glasses raised and raises his own.

Pete: The rest of the group follow suit, Tiferet picking up his empty can to join in the toast.

Pete: Time rolls on, and the night becomes late. When you are ready to leave Diana insists Tiferet and Mojo go with you, to walk at least part the way back to their own places with company. Safety in numbers, she said.

Kenan: Normally, Kenan would laugh at such a suggestion, but considering the circumstances, he's actually happy with it

Isis: Isis has renewed her magical protections before leaving the cabal's sanctum earlier in the day, as she usually does.

Isis: She does not blink at the suggestion. Even without the recent incidents the world is a dangerous place.

Pete: Tiferet and Mojo make their farewells when you part, walking off into the night and leaving you to make the distance remaining alone.

Pete: It's an uneventful journey though, and when you return home the sanctum is waiting for you just as you left it.

Nebuchadnezzar: "Completely unnecessary." Neb mutters as they enter the old town house, hanging his coat up on the hook.

Isis: "Unnecessary? What do you mean?"

Nebuchadnezzar: "Well firstly, they are putting themselves in danger." He says checking his watch. "And secondly we can take care of ourselves."

Nebuchadnezzar: "Mostly at least." He says wandering into the kitchen and running the tap.

Nebuchadnezzar: There is the sound of a pill bottle rattling as he removes his neck dose of painkillers

Kenan: "was a nice thing to do, though"

Isis: "Ah, you mean their coming with us." Isis gives a small shrug. "They are nice people. And there are things that are more dangerous than any three Adepts can escape."

Kenan: "true. that said, for such things additional two adepts wouldn't make much difference"

Isis: "Perhaps. Still, given the choice I'd try. When in their position."

Pete: If Syn is home he's already in bed, his bedroom door is closed. Then again it was closed when you left.

Nebuchadnezzar: "Syn has been gone a long time." Neb comes back in from the kitchen. "It's late, I think you best get to bed." He says to both Isis and Kenan.

Isis: Isis yawns. "I think I will."

Kenan: "probably a good idea, might call it an early night for once" - Kenan agrees

Nebuchadnezzar: retires to his office, resuming the work of the day.

Isis: gathers up her homework from the kitchen table where she'd left it and returns to her room.

Kenan: is off to bed, getting ready for an early start tomorrow

Pete: Morning rises, and Monday greets you all cheerily with its promise of yet another week of work.

Pete: Except for Nebuchadnezzar, who works on weekends and has most likely not slept.

Kenan: wakes up well rested, and after a quick breakfast heads down to the storage area to examine the newly arrived items in more detail

Isis: Isis somewhat absent mindedly eats breakfast, reminds Kenan to take care of the morning observation log, and is off to school.

Nebuchadnezzar: tries and fails a quick spell to push away the exhaustion, and failing once tries again

Kenan: after Isis left, Kenan promptly forgot about the log, focusing instead on the delivered items

Nebuchadnezzar: showers, dresses and tries not to show to much exhaustion, while having breakfast with his cabalmates and prepping for a ten o'clock meeting

Isis: Her mind split into multiple parts Isis manages to pay attention during classes despite being occupid with more subtle matters.

Unknown to the others:

Pete: The quiet of your bedroom is a stark contrast to the jovial atmosphere of Diana's flat.

Pete: As you lay in bed you begin to feel somewhat uneasy. Where the dim orange light of a streetlamp below comes in through the window is casts shadows about the ceiling.

Pete: You're used to the pattern and hardly pay it heed, but tonight they seem especially drawn and dark.

Pete: Perhaps it's just your nerves though. Are you going to just suck it up and try to sleep?

Isis: If there's any information there beyond the way her mind informs her perceptions - and as an Adept of mind she is more aware of the ways her mind work than most - then her attainment will pick it out.

Pete: No, there is nothing.

Pete: In that case, perhaps it's strange. Being so in control most of the time it may be odd that she feels this way.

Pete: Then again, it has been a rough few days.

Isis: Isis will take a look out the window and if nothing seems out of the ordinary she will try to sleep.

Isis: If sleep comes on its own, then that's good. If it doesn't then Isis will use the same spell she used the night before.

Isis: Certain sleep, but no particular control exerted over her dreams.

Pete: It's not difficult to drift off to sleep

Pete: But the night isn't restful,

Pete: You dream a mash of terrible nightmares, some you've had before, some new.

Pete: One stays with you in particular, following you right up to the point where you wake in a sweat.

Pete: You can't tell where you are, but you're inside. Perhaps an apartment or small house, but it looks run down. There's a fire, at least you think so because of the smoke. It stings your eyes and blurs your vision with tears.

Pete: A man writhes on the floor against one wall in obvious pain. You approach him. He's young, dressed in some kind of tracksuit. When you get close, close enough to touch him, he looks at you suddenly. His bone-white face is drawn in agony and his eyes are wild in hysteria.

Pete: He lunges, and despite the heat of the room his hands are ice-cold when they grab your wrist and throat.

Pete: You wake with that image, and as you do you realise instantly that you recognise his face.

Pete: It's the man you saw at the demense, the one on orchard street.

Isis: ((what's the domination emotion of the dream - fear (if so, what sort), etc?))

Pete: The emotion you feel?

Pete: ((You don't feel anything.))

Pete: ((Numb, even. The fear only kicks in as you wake.))

Isis: Isis sits up in bed, eyes open to fix herself to reality.

Isis: She has had nightmares enough to know the emotions evoked will usually melt in light of waking consciousness and rational thought.

Isis: ((unless there's an extraordinary component to the dream's effect)

Pete: ((No, nothing lingers))

Pete: ((Oh, apart from the fact you don't regain willpower))

Pete: ((As you are left peturbed and unrested))

Isis: After fixing the memory of the dream and putting it away Isis remains sitting for a few minutes in quiet, breathing regulated as she was taught.

Isis: If there is anything to it she can investigate it in the morning.

Isis: Then she lies down again to possibly get some rest this night.

Pete: You can't manage to sleep again, but it isn't so bad as you woke initially only about an hour before your schedualed time.

Isis: In the morning as she gets ready for the day Isis draws forth the memory again. This time, dwelling on the nightmare not being a concern anymore, she examines it in more detail.

Pete: ((Wits+Investigation please))

Isis: It is a bit like working with a piece of embroidered cloth, only the fabric are her thoughts, with patterns of memory coloured in emotion.

Isis: Letting it run through her conceptual fingers, looking at the patterns, holding it against the light of reason, bringing it close to the eyes to see small details ...

Pete: It is a contruct of your own mind no doubt. You recognise the patterns of your own thought clearly, uninfluenced.

Pete: As for the specific content; looking at it now with clear eyes you can pick up some extra detail that had passed your notice the first time

Pete: You're short, but you arn't yourself. Brunette hair creeps into your vision as you approach the prone figure.

Isis: ((would 'construct of her own mind' exclude a prophetic/true dream like the ones she has had before (dream merit)?))

Pete: ((Yes.))

Pete: It's definately the man you saw the other day, though he looks on the verge of death here.

Pete: ((What's your tally of successes so far?))

Isis: ((10 sux))

Isis: It doesn't feel like the dreams or visions she has had before, the ones that somehow touch upon truths beyond her conscious grasp. Why then is she not herself in her own dream?

Pete: What you decipher though is that you were a girl, younger than you judging by your height and clothing.

Pete: The man on the floor, he's not the same as when you saw him before.

Pete: Despite his agonised expression he looks younger, his skin smoother. His hair is longer, though curiously you hadn't noticed before.

Pete: In that strange way that dreams seem hyper-focused at times his hair had just been a detail you didn't even pay attention to.

Pete: The room is decrepit and horrendously dirty, though from the little you could see through the smoke there were signs of someone living there.

Pete: A mattress covered in a ratty blanket is pushed against a wall. On the floor next to it is a bowl, but you can't see whats in it. Your vision in the dream doesn't extend so far.

Pete: There are a few newspapers on the floor though, scattered about.

Pete: You can't make out dates, but they're written in french.

Pete: That's all you see. Like a video you can't extend your senses beyond its limit.

Pete: ((10 successes is fine to pick up all that, there was nothing particularly hidden.))

Isis: During break after making sure she is alone in one of the school's lavatories Isis looks into the eyes of her reflection in the mirror and speaks a few words in High Speech.

Isis: Extending her psyche beyond herself she plunges into the depths of her own mind, trying to track the path of the dream's components.

Pete: ((Alright, if you're doing that then this may turn into a scene itself.))

Isis: Since it was a dream rather than a Dream there must be chains of associations, of memories and permutations. There must be tracks to follow.

Isis: And after that, no matter what her search shows her, there's a spell Diana has told her about to detect inconsistencies in one's memories and thoughts.

Isis: The only attack registered by her Mind Shield was the one during the ritual, but perhaps that one did more than just manipulate her senses.