All Roads/Session 31

ST: We rejoin the cabal just a month after the most recent events.

Things have been fairly quiet - uneventful in the wake of the recent upheaval. Which is surely a good thing.

What makes today of note is two-fold.

In the week preceeding you have recieved notice that a Library academic wishes to visit and withdraw an item from your reliquary.

Secondly, and perhaps of more immediate concern, today is the day Syntagma is leaving you.

ST: With the changing atmosphere in the city and his growing status in the sentinels he's made the difficult decision to switch to a martial cabal of peers.

It's early on a Saturday. Will everyone be present in the sanctum when we begin/

Nebuchadnezzar: Neb is drinking coffee in the kitchen. A paper in hand, as he often is in the mornings. The red round his eyes is showing, he has obviously been up for longer than normal

Kenan: Kenan is still dozing off happily after a hard day's 2 hours of work on Friday afternoon in Dr Applebys Shoppe of Antiquities and Curiosities

Isis: Isis is at the sanctum, currently up in her room turning another wall into something that looks like a conspiracy theorist's paranoid life work.

Lately, on Diana's suggestion she has been trying to 'do more normal things'. But today is a day for formality and magical duty. Certainly she wouldn't forget to properly say farewell.

ST: Syntagma's room is all but empty, and the last few remaining pieces of luggage sit by the front door. He emerges, box tucked under one arm, into the kitchen. "This is the last of it."

"Don't suppose you'd give me a hand putting these in the car, Neb?"

Kenan: An alarm rings in Kenan's room. After brief moment, he comes downstairs to say farewell to Syntagma

Nebuchadnezzar: Neb nods. "Sure Syn."

The relationship between the two has been strained since Syn announced his plans to move.

ST: He almost bumps into Kenan as he turns to head out. "Morning, sleeping beauty. Thought you weren't going to say goodbye." He grins as he slips past. "Grab a box, would you?"

Isis: Hearing commotion on the stairs Isis pins one last newspaper article in its place and lets the trance-like state drift away.

Kenan: "Uh, sure. It's a real shame you decided to leave us, but I understand why you decided to do it. Anyway, you'll always be welcome here; drop by whenever you feel like it" - Kenan grabs a box and puts it in the car

Isis: "I can help, too," she offers brightly as she comes down the stairs.

She looks for one that doesn't look too heavy.

Nebuchadnezzar: Neb moves the box to the car.

ST: "I know. Thanks. Same to you all. If there's anything you ever need..." He waits until everyone's loaded their respective items before closing the boot and turning to face you proper. His smile is warm, even if his stance a bit awkward. It's not an easy goodbye, not under the circumstances.

"I'll miss you guys. Really."

Nebuchadnezzar: "It is sad to see you go. But we've had that argument already." Neb says shrugging. "Safe travels Syn."

Kenan: "Good luck!"

Isis: Isis raises one hand in a formal gesture. "Farewell, Syntagma. May your roads be safe and silver linings to every cloud."

ST: He bows his head, somewhat tongue in cheek, then winks before stepping around to the driver's door. "Same to you all."

With that he slips into the car, gets the engine running, and sets off for good.

Isis: nods seriously and watches the Syn depart.

Nebuchadnezzar: Neb turns not watching him leave, quietly wandering back into the house.

Kenan: Kenan's shoulders slump a little as he goes back to the sanctum to make himself some coffee.

Marcus: A short while later, there is a knock at the door.

Isis: Closing the door behind her Isis performs the daily check of the sactum wards before joining Kenan in the kitchen.

Tea and breakfast, now is a good a time as any.

Nebuchadnezzar: Neb has wandered down to the Aethenuem, so one of you are going to need to get the door

Kenan: "Not like Syntagma to forget something" Kenan mutters, half to Isis, half to himself as he goes to open the door

He opens the door, and seeing an unfamiliar figure outside greets it with 'hello? how may I help you?"

Marcus: At the door is a young man, maybe mid-twenties, quite formally dressed in a crisp, light grey suit, white shirt and dark tie. His dark auburn hair is tied into a small ponytail. His voice betrays an unusual accent, "good morning, I am looking for one Nebuchadnezzar."

In his left hand he carries a briefcase, it is handcuffed to his wrist.

Kenan: "well, it's your lucky day, we do happen to have one of them. Please excuse me while I fetch him, won't be a moment" - Kenan does not invite the stranger in, instead he closes the door and goes down the Athenaeum to inform Neb of the newly arrived. "Neb, there's some guy with a briefcase to see you upstairs, I left him waiting outside just in case"

Isis: "Who is it?" Isis pokes her head around the corner.

Kenan: "I don't know him, looks about 25, odd accent, smartly dressed"

Nebuchadnezzar: "He's one of us Kenan. Come to visit this." He points at the machine and the library making a small hand gesture for the Mysterium when saying us.

Isis: "Order business, I wonder, or something else?" Isis muses to herself, lingering in the corridor with a cup of tea in her hands.

Nebuchadnezzar: Neb heads back up the stairs to the front door, to find it closed. Sighing, with a look back towards Kenan he opens the door.

"Good Morning, do come in" He gestures to the door to the kitchen.

Marcus: The man is outside, as before, waiting patiently, "ahh... am I speaking with Nebuchadnezzar?"

Nebuchadnezzar: "Indeed you are speaking to Nebuchadnezzar. And you are?"

Marcus: The man studies Neb's face as Neb speaks, then responds, "My name is Curator Marcus, Aldwych Library, Special Collections. I believe you've been told you expect me regarding the study of a particular item?"

Kenan: Kenan waves from further down the corridor "Apologies for making you wait outside, one can never be too careful. My name's Kenan." Kenan looks down "I guess I should put trousers on if we're being formal" - with that Kenan withdraws back to his room, and returns shortly afterwards

Nebuchadnezzar: "I have. May I ask you which item it was you are here to view?" Nebuchadnezzar subtly adds some hand gestures known only to Curators, ones he has only recently been taught himself.

Isis: Isis takes a sip of tea, her watchful eyes not leaving the man at the door.

Marcus: Marcus responds with the appropriate gesture, "I understand it is catalogue number, X 17 89 10."

Nebuchadnezzar: "Then please do come in out of the cold." He steps out of the doorway and gestures towards the kitchen.

Marcus: "Thank you." Marcus steps inside.

"It's a very strange artifact, in fact. My research has led me to believe in has a connection to something I've been seeking."

"It's all Mysterium here, I take it?"

Isis: Since Nebuchadnezzar has accepted sign and countersign Isis takes that as sufficient proof of identify. "Good morning, Curator Marcus. I am called Isis," she introduces herself as the man comes into polite range. "Of the City and the Tower as well."

Nebuchadnezzar: "Yes." Neb says without missing a beat. "This way please."

Isis: She gives the signs appropriate to her rank in the Mysterium.

Marcus: "Good morning, Ms. Isis. A pleasure" He says as he follows Neb.

Nebuchadnezzar: They approach the kitchen, "Would you care for tea before we head down to the Aethenaem?"

Marcus: "Have you had this item in your collection long?"

"Oh, certainly. That would be lovely, thank you."

Nebuchadnezzar: "Since we took over the Sanctum, it has been sitting there for decades." Neb says moving over to the tea pot, his hands moving without direction, pulling out two bags of breakfast tea and two mugs as he sets the kettle on to boil.

Marcus: "And it was a few mere miles away from me all this time, my luck, eay?" He sighs, "still, it's been theorised to connect with my target in the underworld and that's no assurance there is anything there that truly connects it to my goal."

"I'm guessing that you, too, are a Moros?"

The main continues to study Neb.

Nebuchadnezzar: Neb finishes the tea. "What makes you say that."

His left hand is twitching, his thumb pushing his wedding ring round his finger.

Marcus: Marcus smiles, "I was selected for my role as curator for special collections due to an ability to see the way things are touched by entropy and decay. I see death in your companions, but not as much as in you. It feels as if you at least have some great affinity with death and, normally, that means Moros."

Nebuchadnezzar: Neb shrugs, "Fair enough." He hands Marcus a mug. "Shall we proceed down to the Aethanaem?"

He gestures to the sturdy door at one end of the kitchen.

Marcus: Marcus takes the mug, "thank you, let's.

Kenan: Kenan finished dressing - he emerges from his room, and grabbing a mug of coffee from the kitchen follows Neb and Marcus downstairs

Marcus: He sips, "have you ever gone there? The underworld, I mean."

Isis: "If you don't mind I will join you." Isis sets her empty cup down and follows.

Nebuchadnezzar: "No." There is a lot left unsaid there, as he waves consent to Isis

"And my apologies about Kenan." He says thankful the Arcanthus has trousers on again.

Marcus: "Hmmm... I've been searching it for years. Sometimes it feels as if I've spent more time there than here. I guess, in some ways, I feel more comfortable there."

"What? Oh, that's no problem at all."

Kenan: Kenan grunts with slight irritation hearing Neb's apology, but it's muffled by the mug of coffee from which he's currently drinking

Nebuchadnezzar: "It is a broken place, as I understand it, a river without a sea." He says striding down the darkened stairwell and part seveal of the small landings.

Marcus: "In some ways, in others, it appears less so. The things our world discards, it holds tightly to."

Isis: "How /do/ you get there?" Isis interjects curiously.

Marcus: "You create a portal, but you need the right sort of place for one... There are maintained portals though, for those who cannot."

Isis: "How far along would I have to be in the Death Arcanum?"

Nebuchadnezzar: "So does a swamp." Neb observes as they come down into the Athenaeum proper. The great machine that runs through the various stacks and catalogues visible quite clearly as they step onto the upper walkway in the Bunker that forms it.

The fine instrumentation of the machine lines the walls and the centre of the room. Undisturbed. The crystal apparatus lies silent at present.

Marcus: "A fair degree of mastery, but in the right place, not as much as some might think." He tone throughout is quite sombre despite his willingness to talk, "a swamp can be easily drained, the underworld, reclaiming what have lost is..." he pauses, "harder. Still, if my sources are correct, the way to the tower of bone will not elude me much longer."

Nebuchadnezzar: "Tower of Bone?" Neb sounds interested in this conversation for the first time.

Marcus: "Yes. Have you heard of it?"

Nebuchadnezzar: "No, not at all." Neb says shaking his head. "Would you care to enlighten me?"

He moves further into the Athenaeum looking for the relevant box containing the amulet.

Marcus: "It's a tower in the underworld. It was being constructed in the city of Iseum, the city disappeared afterwards, though no law of the local lord, the Triptych, forbade it."

Isis: "But you think the tower can still be found? Or the city could be found again?"

Nebuchadnezzar: "Do you know why the tower was being constructed?"

Marcus: "I believe the city can be, yes and what's left of the tower too."

"Well, there are theories why, nothing conclusive though."

Kenan: Kenan walks up to the "spider" in the glass sphere and stares at the thing intently

ST: It's not a spider any more, just a benign knot of knobbly wood.

Nebuchadnezzar: "And what are the main theories then." Neb says with interest. "And why are you seeking it? If you do not mind so bold a question."

Marcus: "The Kerberoi normally allow complete freedom as long as their laws are followed by their subjects. Why this place disappeared remains the subject of much debate. Two weeks ago to this day, in fact, I was involved in such a debate at Aldwych."

"Well, there are standard theories, it was an act of religious worship. It was a monument, is another theory, to what remains controversial."

"The laws of the Triptych forbade the dead entering the city to leave, I argue that it was an attempt to some subvert his laws."

Marcus: "The Kerberoi are a very alien group, it is hard to understand them, if at all possible."