Your name is Henry Cobbledick and you're in an office in Atlanta, Georgia. The firm that you work for handles the accounts of a bunch of small businesses in the city. It's not an exciting job, but it pays the bills.With thirty-five years and an unhealthy paunch under your belt, a bachelor's degree in business administration, and a severe case of male pattern baldness, it's not like you're suited for anything else. The last time that you worked out was when you adjusted the position of your couch last week. The last time that you spoke to someone that cares about you was when you called your mom a couple of months ago. The last time that anyone showed any romantic interest in you was back in college, over a decade ago.It's not much of a life, but you don't let your depressing circumstances distract you from your interests.Whenever the floor manager isn't peeking over your shoulder, you often browse all sorts of strange material on your laptop. You escape from the banality of your existence by indulging in esoterica, by hoarding occult knowledge and committing all manner of peculiare symbols to memory. Every now and then, when your commitment to your interests impacts your performance, you have to go through a disciplinary procedure, but you remain undeterred in your pursuit of the unusual.Where in particular do your interests lie?>Neopaganism. You practise a mishmash of ancient European heathenry that incorporates Ásatrú, Fyrnsidu, Irminism and so much more.>Thelema. Every day, you strive to distance yourself from your material reality so that you might follow your True Will and commune with your inner daimon.>Goetia. You own a copy of the Lemegeton and have committed many of the seals, circles and sigils that it contains to memory.>Chaos magic. The potent psychic energy that all men possess can achieve anything, if it is unshackled from rigid beliefs and channelled with subconscious intent.>Sex magic. You consider yourself an initiate of the Ordo Templi Orientis and have already unlocked multiple chakras through sexual transmutation.>Martial arts. Having taught yourself Aikido, Baguazhang and Muay Thai, you have merged them to create a 'unique' style of your own.>Alchemy. With your knowledge, you can turn water into wine, lead into gold, and so much more. If only you had access to the right equipment.>Reaction-free technology. Newtonian mechanics are a lie. You know of technology that could make humanity an inter-galactic species within a century.>Syncretic heresy. You blend various heresies into a unique form of Christianity, including Monarchianism, Antinomianism and of course, Gnosticism. >You may choose more than one.
>>6428465>Martial arts. Having taught yourself Aikido, Baguazhang and Muay Thai, you have merged them to create a 'unique' style of your own.And>Alchemy. With your knowledge, you can turn water into wine, lead into gold, and so much more. If only you had access to the right equipment.Our skin will be as gold, our bones will be as jade, our blood will be quicksilver, and our spirit will become a neverending serpent...
>>6428465>>Alchemy. With your knowledge, you can turn water into wine, lead into gold, and so much more. If only you had access to the right equipment.>>6428465>>Reaction-free technology. Newtonian mechanics are a lie. You know of technology that could make humanity an inter-galactic species within a century.>>6428465>>Martial arts. Having taught yourself Aikido, Baguazhang and Muay Thai, you have merged them to create a 'unique' style of your own.
>>6428465>Martial arts. Having taught yourself Aikido, Baguazhang and Muay Thai, you have merged them to create a 'unique' style of your own.>Alchemy. With your knowledge, you can turn water into wine, lead into gold, and so much more. If only you had access to the right equipment.>Reaction-free technology. Newtonian mechanics are a lie. You know of technology that could make humanity an inter-galactic species within a century.Wa-POW
>>6428465>Alchemy. With your knowledge, you can turn water into wine, lead into gold, and so much more. If only you had access to the right equipment.>Goetia. You own a copy of the Lemegeton and have committed many of the seals, circles and sigils that it contains to memory.Solomon had his fun but now it's our turn to use these demons
>>6428465>Reaction-free technology. Newtonian mechanics are a lie. You know of technology that could make humanity an inter-galactic species within a century.Georgia represent
>Locking the vote there. Going with Martial Arts, Alchemy, and Reaction-Free Technology.
>>6428465>>Reaction-free technology. Newtonian mechanics are a lie. You know of technology that could make humanity an inter-galactic species within a century.
Your interests are eclectic, to say the least.You have studied numerous martial arts. At the very least, you have pored over hundreds of hours of instructional videos over YouTube. Though you've never had to use them against anyone, you've practised all manner of exercises, routines and techniques within the comfort of your apartment. You're quietly confident that you could defend yourself against almost anyone, if push came to shove.Especially if you use alchemical means to enhance yourself. Your mind is a library of alchemical symbols and you're gradually learning how they interact, and how you might use them to enhance your body. In fact, you're quite sure that you've reversed your hair loss, by ingesting what you believe to be Dutasteride that you've concocted using the makeshift lab in your kitchen.Finally, you fervently believe that a secret society that governs the world is engaging in the suppression of free energy technology. You've successfully made a replica of the Dean drive, so you know for a fact that Newton's laws of motion and the laws of thermodynamics are bullshit. The shadow government just wants to keep control by pretending that cheap energy production is impossible.These interests of yours overlap in a few weird and wonderful way. By unlocking your dāntián through meditation, you could transform your body into a bioreactor and use your metabolism to catalyse chemical processes that would kill an ordinary man. You are certain that there are particular alchemical compounds capable of producing infinite energy, that would bring an end to scarcity. You've even begun working on the schematics for a faster-than-light drive that uses an alchemically-enhanced übermensch in the throes of zuòwàng as its engine, but your work is far from complete.Despite all of your esoteric interests, you remain Henry Cobbledick, the balding and out-of-shape thirty-five year old accountant. As far as the real world is concerned, you are just a boring, lonely man.It's a warm early summer afternoon, around eighty degrees with no air conditioning. The floor management insists that there's just no room in the energy budget for it this year. She's a short shrew of a woman, with mousy brown hair bound up in a too-tight bun that pulls her scalp taut. A shapeless business suit hangs off of her body, which has been left painfully skinny by months of Ozempic. You can see her now, talking a pair of sharply-dressed men by the door to the stairwell – one black, one white, both built like brick shithouses. Their black suits are perfectly tailored for their bodies, while their eyes are hidden behind mirrored sunglasses. You've not seen anyone like them around the office before.
Can our name be Bishop Wong
Your attention shifts back to the tabs that you have open on your laptop, since she's distracted. You're currently researching daoyin breathing exercises and the medicinal properties of sal ammoniac. Time will tell if the information will be useful at all, but there's nothing wrong with the accumulation of knowledge for its own sake.What is it that drives you, though? Why have you devoted thousands of hours of your adult life to the study of interests that are decried as pseudoscience and superstitious nonsense? There has to be a reason for it.>Escapism. There has to be more to life than the grind, than the soul-crushing ennui that threatens to break your spirit every day. You will do anything to become something or someone greater than Henry Cobbledick.>Certainty. Something clicked when you first read about neigong, chrysopoeia and stiction drives. Ever since then, you have been confident that you have discovered the true inner workings of the universe.>Curiosity. Your interests are nothing more the road that you walk in order to understand the deeper mysteries of the cosmos. They are the pathway to learning more about the terrible truths that govern existence.>Altruism. You don't do this for yourself, you do this for the people. You yearn to lead the masses down the path to enlightenment, to free them from scarcity and show them how to create limitless energy for themselves.
>>6428623>Altruism. You don't do this for yourself, you do this for the people. You yearn to lead the masses down the path to enlightenment, to free them from scarcity and show them how to create limitless energy for themselves.I am the jade and ivory emperor. I am the tiny god that dances within the details. I am the hand that stems the tide of entropy.
Henry must be worshipped. He will suplex a an armored personnel carrier and dodge bullets if that is necessary. The people will be enlightened to our peaceful ways... By force...
>>6428623>>Altruism. You don't do this for yourself, you do this for the people. You yearn to lead the masses down the path to enlightenment, to free them from scarcity and show them how to create limitless energy for themselves.
>>6428623>>Certainty. Something clicked when you first read about neigong, chrysopoeia and stiction drives. Ever since then, you have been confident that you have discovered the true inner workings of the universe.>Altruism. You don't do this for yourself, you do this for the people. You yearn to lead the masses down the path to enlightenment, to free them from scarcity and show them how to create limitless energy for themselves.We are obviously a genius, and we must bring enlightenment to the uninitiated masses.
>>6428623>Altruism. You don't do this for yourself, you do this for the people. You yearn to lead the masses down the path to enlightenment, to free them from scarcity and show them how to create limitless energy for themselves.Looks like a fun quest. Mage: The Ascension I guess? Atleast by the art I would think.
History will remember Henry Cobbledick as a man of the people. You shall be one of the leading figures of the Free Energy Revolution. When the people of Georgia rise up against the shadow government, every man and woman shall be blessed with stone skin and iron fists, thanks to your teachings. Each and every one of them shall learn how to imbue reality with their qi, and liberate the universe from the tyranny of the so-called laws of physics. As soon as you unlock these secrets for yourself, you will share them with those who you consider worthy. Unfortunately, your dreams of toppling the Energy Elite are disturbed when you see the floor manager approaches your desk. While you hurry about closing the various tabs and clearing out your history, Elizabeth Flemming purses her lips with such severity that they seem like they're about to collapse into a singularity. Thankfully, by the time that she arrives, you've gotten rid of all of the evidence of your research. As far as she's concerned, you were hard at work.It is only then that you take notice of the two meaty men standing behind her, immaculately groomed and utterly devoid of emotion.“Henry, these men are here to speak with you. I believe that they're from some sort of government agency..?”“That is correct, ma'am.” The black agent reaches into the depths of his suit and pulls free a badge, complete with his ID. Your eyes glaze over as soon as you try to read the acronyms written on the badge, but somehow you know that whatever department he comes from, it's serious business. The pit in your stomach tells you that you better do whatever they say.“Uh, how can I help you, gentlemen?” The voice of Henry Cobbledick, Master of Qigong, Philosopher of Transmutation and Free Energy Revolutionary, wavers like a reed in the wind. You sound as feeble as you look next to these black-clad giants, craning your neck in order to look up at them from your seat.“Agent Jameson, at your service,” says the white agent. He gestures to his comrade. “This is Agent Carmichael. If you would come with us, we have some questions for you.”“I hope this won't take long.” Elizabeth can't stop a little petulance from creeping into her tone. “Mister Cobbledick is behind schedule on his current assignment.” Of course your manager has to bust your balls, even when you're being accosted by spooks.“As long as he cooperates, there won't be a problem, ma'am.” The black agent speaks without looking away from you, even as he circles around to stand to your right, while his colleague remains on your left. While they wait for your compliance, they loom over you, their mere presence threatening you with great violence.>Comply. Let's be honest, you're not in any position to refuse the commands of these men.>Question them. You're not going anywhere until you know exactly what they want to discuss.>Fight for your life. They are clearly goons of the shadow government, here to silence you.
>>6428667>Question them. You're not going anywhere until you know exactly what they want to discuss.The damn feds are here
>>6428667>Question them. You're not going anywhere until you know exactly what they want to discuss.We totally consider ourselves a modern master of the Daoist Taiqing tradition, right? Thers nothing to fear from these common goons.
>>6428667>Question them. You're not going anywhere until you know exactly what they want to discuss.Serpents in the garden. I have a mind like a brilliant diamond. You beasts and your low cunning will not impede the glorious revolution.
“Hold on, I haven't agreed to anything.” Your head is swimming. What could they possibly want with you? You're just a normal man, doing his job. Why are two thugs straight out of a spy thriller trying to drag you out of your workplace? “Am I under arrest or something? Do you have a warrant? Does this have something to do with my research, what's even going on here?!”You can't keep a little shrill anxiety from creeping into your voice, as you belt out question after question. Agent Carmichael lifts the cuff of his jacket to his mouth and murmurs something into his sleeve, his voice low enough that you can't parse the words. As for Agent Jameson, with a heavy hand and fingers easily twice the width of yours, he grasps your shoulder. Though you try to shrug him off, his grip is like iron.“Mister Cobbledick, it is in your best interest to comply with our request.” His tone is flat and devoid of anything close to emotion. “As long as you cooperate, there won't be a problem.”“Just wait a second! I didn't see your badge for more than a couple of seconds, who do you even work for?! If you just want to ask me questions, why can't you ask me them here? I have rights!”You reach for Agent Jameson's wrist and apply pressure on his lieque, to prevent qi from travelling through his lung meridian to his hand, so that his grip might loosen. It doesn't work. If anything, his grasp tightens. To make matters worse, he moves to seize your left arm while the other agent comes in from the right, to grab your other arm and assist his colleague with dragging you out of your chair.“It is in your best interest to comply, Mister Cobbledick.” Agent Carmichael sounds just as passive and unaffected as Agent Jameson. No one in the office is remotely interested in helping you. Your floor manager has already staggered backwards, her eyes bulging behind thick glasses. Like the others, all she dares to do is watch the spectacle unfold.Do you stand any chance of resisting these goons?>I want three rolls of dice+1d100 and I will accept the highest roll. Typically, the higher the roll, the better, but in this case, you need to roll 90 or higher. Just beating the target number is all that counts this time.
Rolled 87 (1d100)>>6428767Hell yea we do
Rolled 38 (1d100)>>6428767Divinity will come, maybe not now, but it will come.
Rolled 46 (1d100)>>6428767I am like the water that reduces the mountain. I am like the wind in the darkness of the deepest cave.
You squirm and twist your body about, in an effort to replicate the techniques that you have observed countless times on YouTube. You try to clear your mind and loosen your body, to relax every limb and flop free from their grasp like a slippery noodle, but it's impossible for you to shake off the panic that's growing inside of you.To your credit, the men in black actually struggle to lift you from your seat, as you wriggle around like a fat little snake. In the end however, they successfully manage to drag you from your chair and towards the stairwell. All you can do is uselessly kick your legs as they haul you along like so much baggage.“Do not resist, Mister Cobbledick. It is in your best interest to comply.”The door to the stairwell swings open as you are dragged through its threshold. The last thing that you see before it slams shut are the gawking faces of your colleagues, bug-eyed and bewildered by the debacle, yet too sheepish and compliant to do anything about your abduction. Your feet drag across the tacky vinyl flooring, bumping against every step as you're hauled down them. Despite your best attempts to think of an argument that would convince your captors to release you, all you can do is splutter and whine.Yet in your hour of need, you are not alone.Something that has been slumbering in the back of your mind since the day you were born begins to manifest. You can feel a chrysalis within your brain break apart as something emerges from it, blossoming into being before your very eyes. Neither of the agents react to its presence, but you can't help but fall still as you witness the thought-form that coalesces and drifts alongside you. It exists only within your mind, or rather, as an extension of it.But what is it?>Siddhartha Gautama. The Buddha himself shall lead you to enlightenment, if you are able to parse his many koans.>Tanuki. A fat-bellied racoon dog with majestic testicles shall serve as your guide, if you can handle his penchant for trickery.>Nikola Tesla. The first Free Energy Revolutionary, whose great works you shall inevitably complete. Thomas Edison, eat your heart out.>Future You. Many years from now, you will project your consciousness back to this moment, to guide yourself to greatness. Don't think too hard about it.>Cleopatra. The alchemist, not the Queen of Egypt. With her aid, you shall be able to reproduce her philosopher's stone.>The Manuscript. Everywhere you look, there are now alchemical symbols. In order to master this world, you must decipher them.
>>6428829>Nikola Tesla. The first Free Energy Revolutionary, whose great works you shall inevitably complete. Thomas Edison, eat your heart out.SAVE US TESLA
>>6428829>Tanuki. A fat-bellied racoon dog with majestic testicles shall serve as your guide, if you can handle his penchant for trickery.I summon thee, psychopomp, imbue my hands with the iron of the bones of the Earth.
>>6428829>>Cleopatra. The alchemist, not the Queen of Egypt. With her aid, you shall be able to reproduce her philosopher's stone.
>>6428829>Cleopatra. The alchemist, not the Queen of Egypt. With her aid, you shall be able to reproduce her philosopher's stone.I would have preferred Tao Hongjing but at least she is an accomplished alchemist.
>Locking the vote there. Going with Cleopatra the Alchemist.
Unlike the legendary Queen of Egypt, the less famous Cleopatra the Alchemist is not particularly beautiful. Her homely figure drifts through the air before you, on currents unseen. A white robe billows all around her, while she leaves behind a heady aroma of sulphur and aroma that makes your nose sting. Her hands are stained with an array of vibrant colours, yet you find that your eyes slip off of her face like water off of a lotus leaf.“Behold the truth of Empedocles. What happens now has occurred before, and will occur for evermore.”She does not have a single voice. When her lips open, a host of women speak all at once. You can even hear a few men among them, but the chorus is predominantly feminine. As for the tone with which she speaks, it is detached yet sympathetic, understanding yet resigned. Her voices are those of men and women who have reconciled with the inevitable.“I-I don't understand...”You manage to mumble those words as you gaze upon Cleopatra, but the two brutes hauling you along take no notice. By this point, your legs are battered and bruised from being dragged down several flights of stairs. Even if you were released, you doubt that you would be able to stand upright, let alone walk properly after being bashed against so many steps.Thankfully, the agony comes to an end when their feet hit the first floor and you are pulled along a level surface instead, out of a fire exit and into the warmth of Atlanta. The light of the naked sun stings your eyes and for a moment, you fear that Cleopatra might vanish when you are carried out into the street beyond your office. She is still there, an apparition drifting before you, unseen by your captors or by the bemused bystanders who look on and do nothing. Ahead, an unmarked white van awaits, by which two more black-clad agents stand, identical to the goons who captured you. Once they haul you inside, God only knows what will happen to you.“You will witness the Serpent in its entirety. Cling to the illusions of choice and time if that is your wish, but you will not remain in this larval state forever. Metamorphosis is inevitable. Stasis is impossible.”The vision of Cleopatra begins to waver. You have mere moments before she evaporates, leaving you alone in the custody of these men in black. This might be your only chance to question her... or to metamorphose.>Remain silent. You don't want to risk the ire of your captors by letting them know that you're going insane, and seeing things that aren't there.>Demand knowledge from Cleopatra. What does she mean by the Serpent? How is she appearing before you like this? What is going on?>Behold the Ouroboros. This will change everything. If you do not choose this option now, it will become available again at a later point in time.
>>6429034>Behold the Ouroboros. This will change everything. If you do not choose this option now, it will become available again at a later point in time.Time to perceive the snake, I guess.
>>6429034>>Behold the Ouroboros. This will change everything. If you do not choose this option now, it will become available again at a later point in time
>>6429034>Behold the Ouroboros. This will change everything. If you do not choose this option now, it will become available again at a later point in time.Snek tiem
>>6429034>>Demand knowledge from Cleopatra. What does she mean by the Serpent? How is she appearing before you like this? What is going on?Doubt would be important, if we truly were destined to be great, we wouldn't blindly submit to fate, whether it seems good or bad
>Locking the vote there. Going with the Ouroboros.
It's now or never. In spite of the words of Cleopatra, you cannot be certain that you would ever see daylight again, if you allow yourself to be thrown into the back of that van. One of the agents waiting by the vehicle has his hand by his temple, the tips of his fingers pressed against the frame of his glasses. He is the first of the thugs to react to the phantasmal presence of the Egyptian. His brow furrows and he bellows something at his comrades, yet you cannot make out the words. You can barely see him at all.“Show me,” you mumble, without any regard for your captors. The apparition floating before you offers no words, only a sad smile as she takes your face in her stained hands. Her ephemeral form is already disintegrating, yet the integrity of her being lasts long enough for her to plant a tender kiss against your brow. When her lips part from your skin, Cleopatra dissolves into nothing, her essence becoming one with yours once more.Everything around you, every agent and every bystander, every car and every street light, every leaf and every brick, explodes.Each of the men standing to either side of you, each grasping an arm, splits into a thousand parts, each of which splits into a thousand more. Everything else that you see before you undergoes the same division, unravelling into their constituent parts. All of existence is atomised, until all that is left is a stream of particles so numerous that they might just be infinite, a shining river running through nothing. Unbound and unburdened, you reach out to run your hand through the particulate flow, only to find that it is solid.For each atom that you see before you is in actuality a scale, to which you are equal in size.Each of these plates is etched with an array of symbols unlike anything you have seen, yet you find yourself gifted with an innate understanding of what has been written. You know what each of these scales was, is, and shall be.You pull away from the river, to view it from a greater vantage point. For what feels like a kalpa, you withdraw into the void, yet the stream is so vast that your perception of it scarcely changes. Only after an eternity, are you able to perceive that the scales do not flow along a flat plane. They curve into the shape of a vast cylinder, of a diameter that defies measurement. The further you retreat, the clearer it becomes that the scaled structure bends, curving until it forms a torus of indescribable proportions. Finally, you are able to see all of it, everything, in its totality.You are able to behold its innumerable scales, you are able to observe the shape of its majestic skull, you are able to witness its eyes, each of which is a luminous sun that bears the sign of aether. It is a serpent, biting its own tail.It is the Serpent. It is One and it is All. One is All and through it is All, and by it is All, for if it is not All, All is Nothing.
Yet though it is One, it is not singular. It is four. You bear witness to three more sets of eyes, and you see that Báilóng bites the tail of Zhūlóng, who bites the tail of Qīnglóng, who bites the tail of Hēilóng, who bites the tail of Báilóng. Yet where is Huánglóng? Why does the Yellow Emperor not take his place among the Wǔfāng Shàngdì?You gaze into the many eyes of the Ouroboros that is the Four Dragon Kings, and you see yourself, adrift in the emptiness. You see Henry Cobbledick. You see Cleopatra the Alchemist. You see Abu Bakr al-Razi. You see Marie Meurdrac. You see Tao Hongjing. You see Sun Bu'er. You see the single scale that you were, are and shall always be. You turn your gaze from yourself and watch as the Serpent turns, in its futile quest to consume itself.Free from the hide of Lúnhuí, you are aware of all things. You know the wound that lies on the Serpent's body, of the void where you should be. You know the position of each scale that defines the agents who have accosted you. You know what is etched on every plate, and that you may rewrite what is written, if you so choose.As the Ouroboros turns, you can perceive that your assailants are pinning your earthly form to the ground. One of them is reaching for his sidearm, hidden beneath his jacket. Another is producing restraints made from a curious alloy of gold and silver. You know their minds, and that they are agents of stasis. They believe that they can stop the Serpent from turning, that the Ouroboros will ever release its tail from its jaws. They believe that they can dethrone the Dragon Kings.They couldn't be more wrong.>You are Awakening. While your Awakening is underway, each option will have a Sphere associated with it – one of nine metaphysical elements of reality. Once your Awakening is over, you will be limited to the Spheres that you have chosen. The more times that you select a single Sphere, the more powerful your mastery of that Sphere shall be.>Reverse the rotation of the Ouroboros. Go back to the moment when this all began, so that you may set things right. (Time.)>Through neidan, you shall escape the grasp of your captors. With xingyiquan, you shall subdue them. (Life.)>Your assailants have no equilibrium, for their yang is ascendant. Manifest the chemical consequences of such imbalance. (Matter.)>The masses know that you fight for them, and so they shall fight for you. First they shall liberate you, then you shall liberate energy itself. (Mind.)>Plant the scale of one of the agents in the place where yours should be. Through transposition, you shall be free. (Correspondence.)>The Law of Acceleration is a lie. Turn the mass of your captors against them. They were fools for ever having faith in Newton. (Forces.)
>>6429426>Your assailants have no equilibrium, for their yang is ascendant. Manifest the chemical consequences of such imbalance. (Matter.)Matter, Life, and Forces Mage? Turn ourselves into steel that flows like water?
>>6429426>Reverse the rotation of the Ouroboros. Go back to the moment when this all began, so that you may set things right. (Time.)>>6429434What about Time, Matter and Entropy? We can create a timeless training chamber with little to no Universal pushback (at some point) and ways to mess with our opponents to get the upper hand by messing with time and chance, think of it like a Jackie Chan bullshit stunts with bullet time, and matter to practice Alchemy and make pills for when we finally focus into more aggressive SpheresI'm also thinking of maybe using:>Correspondence, Time and Life (Ligh Speed punches and legs sweeps that comes from nowhere)>Force, Life, Mind (Full Social + Martial prowess. Intimidating aura and energy blasts with Force, peak physical performance with Force, and Mind to enhance other people's perceptions to make us look even more intimidating, charismatic, or whatever. Or maybe make a mental palace with Mind to train with Cleopatra)>Matter, Forces, Correspondence (Full spiritual path? Visiting other realms, summoning spirits and other ascended beings to help us, and to actually make alchemical drugs to cover our shortcomings and to cultivate)I can't think of what other things we could do, maybe some kind of Ascended magi tech with Matter + Forces and any other sphere we can get, to either bless our machines and other inventions, I'm just really thinking of archetypes/builds and what to use to get there.
>>6429426>>The Law of Acceleration is a lie. Turn the mass of your captors against them. They were fools for ever having faith in Newton. (Forces.)
>>6429426>Your assailants have no equilibrium, for their yang is ascendant. Manifest the chemical consequences of such imbalance. (Matter.)Nothing stays the same, yet all is eternal.
>>6429426>>Plant the scale of one of the agents in the place where yours should be. Through transposition, you shall be free. (Correspondence.)Teleporting is fun.
>>6429426>>Reverse the rotation of the Ouroboros. Go back to the moment when this all began, so that you may set things right. (Time.)
>Looks like we've got a tie between Time and Matter. I'll wait a couple of hours for a tie-breaker but if there isn't one, I'll roll between them.
Rolled 1 (1d2)>Rolling. 1 for Matter, 2 for TIme.
>You gain Matter •. You may use this Sphere to perceive the material composition, underlying structure, intrinsic properties and integral stability of any inert object.You do not need to do anything at all. The internal alchemy of your captors does all of the work for you. Agent Jameson is the first to find himself overcome by the overabundance of masculine energy that roils in his qi. He recoils from you, crying out in shock as the skin of his hands takes on a rusty red hue. Before a second has passed, the agent's fingers have already become rigid and as hard as stone. The transformation does not stop there. It spreads up his arms and along his torso, creeping up his neck and down his legs. Even his clothes are subject to this process and fuse to Jameson's body, as the totality of his being becomes a single substance.He is not the only one to suffer this fate. Agent Carmichael suffers the same transformation, reeling back and clawing away himself as he solidifies and changes colour, becoming the same shade of scarlet as his comrade. The struggling of your captors slows to a stop with the completion of their transmutation. By the time that your body has pushed itself upright, they can no longer be considered alive.Where two men once stood, there are now a pair of cinnabar statues, frozen in time.“Requesting immediate reclassification of target PTRD as RERD, DTFT 5! Reinforcements required, HOAR 9, AFET 5!”Those are the words that one of the remaining agents barks into the cuff of his suit, while his other hand reaches for a concealed handgun hidden beneath his jacket. The other operative has already drawn his sidearm and without any restraint, he takes aim and opens fire. Bullets soar towards your flesh, yet you do not inhabit it. You remain adrift in oblivion, apart from the Serpent and able to witness it in its totality as it turns.You are not in danger.>Invoke the reverse generative cycle and weaken the metal with water. Shuǐ shall be your saviour. (Matter.)>As the Ouroboros rotates, its scales shift. Dictate how they move, in such a way that the bullets shall never hit their target. (Entropy.)>Siphon the fifth element from the projectiles and incorporate it into your qi. Without it, they shall be no more (Prime.)>The heavenly host of Marshal Tianpeng shall come to your aid. His soldiers shall protect you from any harm. (Spirit.)>The bullets are only dangerous because of the energy that propels them, energy that would not dare harm its emancipator. (Forces.)>These projectiles shall travel through the Hall of Shanmen and emerge elsewhere, to deliver karmic justice. (Correspondence.)
>>6430005>>These projectiles shall travel through the Hall of Shanmen and emerge elsewhere, to deliver karmic justice. (Correspondence.)Bullets teleporting out of nowhere to kill baddies is funny.
>>6430005>Siphon the fifth element from the projectiles and incorporate it into your qi. Without it, they shall be no more (Prime.)Very important if we are to become a living alchemical demigod.
>>6430005>Siphon the fifth element from the projectiles and incorporate it into your qi. Without it, they shall be no more (Prime.)I was going to vote for Correspondence and develop the Heavenly Technique: The Discreet Artillery of the Godly Judge and make some random thug eat lead, but Prime can really bump up whatever magic we do.
>>6430005>>As the Ouroboros rotates, its scales shift. Dictate how they move, in such a way that the bullets shall never hit their target. (Entropy.)
>Locking the vote there. Going with Prime.
>You gain Prime •. You may use this Sphere to perceive and absorb ambient Quintessence. This is a resource that you may spend to reduce the difficulty of rolls, though it will gain other uses as your proficiency with Prime grows.Every scale that decorates the Serpent's hide is etched with a multitude of symbols, yet every scale has precisely one symbol in common. It is universal, a constant found throughout existence, without which a thing could not exist, no matter what that thing might be. It can be found in every atom and electromagnetic wave.It is qi, the vital energy of the universe.Your flesh flows into the Three Body Posture, even as the bullets fly. Your left leg slides a step ahead of your right, hidden beneath shapeless slacks. Your right hand lingers in front of your flabby paunch while your left is outstretched before you, the fingers of both splayed. All of your inborn qi flows into your lower dantian and your body becomes a vacuum, a void which the universe yearns to fill.The lead disperses into the air before it is able to strike your body. The unseen essence that held all of that matter together continues along its original trajectory, flowing inside of you and leaving your flesh flush with newfound vigour. This is the fate that befalls every bullet, until all that is left is the metallic click of a firing pin striking an empty chamber. Your assailant has emptied his magazine, to no avail.>You gain 6 Quintessence.“I repeat, we require immediate assistance!”Those are the last words that the other agent barks into his sleeve, before he provides suppressing fire while his colleague hurriedly reloads his pistol. Your body remains in San Ti Shi, reducing every bullet to its quintessential energy and allowing said essence to empower you further. By the time that his magazine runs dry, his comrade is ready to open fire once more – but will you let him?>Infuse the weapons that your assailants wield with yin. Feminine energy shall render them passive and incapable of inflicting harm. (Matter.)>You have drawn qi from the inert, now it is time for you to siphon it from that which lives. Make the essence of your foes your own. (Prime.)>Have the Ouroboros shed these fools from its flesh. They shall have the opportunity to rejoin reality after a decade has passed. (Time.)>Embody the Serpent. Transmute your very body, take the form of the dragon, and rid yourself of your adversaries. Become long. (Life.)>Reach out to your assailants. You yearn to liberate all of mankind from the Power Oligarchy, and that includes them. You don't want to fight them. (Mind.)>Scrub the sigils from their scales. Reveal to them the true nature of the cosmos and the foolishness of fighting Lúnhuí. (Entropy.)
>>6430342>Embody the Serpent. Transmute your very body, take the form of the dragon, and rid yourself of your adversaries. Become long. (Life.)Last one, and if we combine this with Matter and Prime we can become the architect of our own form, and those of our followers...
>>6430342>>Embody the Serpent. Transmute your very body, take the form of the dragon, and rid yourself of your adversaries. Become long. (Life.)The first steps of perfection.
>>6430342>>Embody the Serpent. Transmute your very body, take the form of the dragon, and rid yourself of your adversaries. Become long. (Life.)I like Matter, Prime and Life. If this goes a little further aside from the three basic spheres we should either reinforce what we have or maybe branch out for one with more utility
>>6430342>>Have the Ouroboros shed these fools from its flesh. They shall have the opportunity to rejoin reality after a decade has passed. (Time.)
>You gain Life •. You may use this Sphere to perceive the presence of nearby life, as well as the biological composition and overall health of any organism that you detect.>At this point, you have selected three separate Spheres. You may continue to acquire new Spheres and become a jack of all trades and master of none, or you may wish to focus on bolstering the Spheres that you have already selected.You believe that you understand why the Yellow Emperor is absent from the Ouroboros. He is the innermost face of Shangdi, he is the Serpent inside the Serpent. You cannot find Huangdi, for Huangdi can only be found within. If you wish to witness Huanglong, you must reach into the depths of your self and turn it inside out. You must wear your imperial soul like armour.On the street of Atlanta, your flesh elongates. Your neck and torso both stretch substantially, while a tail sprouts from the base of your spine. All three aspects grow in tandem, matching each other in length. Your clothes and your garments peel away from your body simultaneously, revealing lustrous golden scales beneath. Claws as long as swords decorate what were once your fingers as toes, while row after row of daggers fill your serpentine maw. Wild whiskers flow out from the base of your nostrils, while ivory antlers curve out of your skull like a crown. By the time that your transformation is complete, you easily dwarf the length of an articulated bus.You have become long.The gunfire already had bystanders running for their lives and filling the air with their shrill screams. With your metamorphosis, no one dares to remain. Even the operatives who were planning on bundling you into that unmarked van turn to run, rather than dare to fight. You reward the cowardice of one by disembowelling him with a flick of your claws, while the other is bisected by a snap of your fangs. Their innards splash over the asphalt and you turn your wrath upon the vehicle, bellowing victoriously as you coil yourself about it. You constrict around the galvanised steel shell, crushing it almost effortlessly.However, the forces that be will not allow you to revel in your victory for more than a moment.With a brilliant flash, space itself is torn asunder. A rift opens in the middle of the street, through which pours blinding, sterile light, and a dozen soldiers unlike any that you have ever seen. Servos whir and whine as they march along in suits of shining, articulated armour, cradling peculiar guns connected to power packs and canisters by cables and hoses.“Pin that fucker down! We've got Mark Fives inbound, all we've gotta do is keep that RD busy 'til they get here! I don't wanna see any goddamn heroics!”
Before the squad leader is even finished, the others open fire. Instead of bullets, plasma and lightning and unseen energy flow from their barrels of their weapons. You unleash a bestial shriek as a jet of ionized gas strikes your throat, burning through your golden scales. Though you try to charge towards the marksman responsible for that agony, you find yourself caught in the gravitational field projected by another's gun. Your serpentine body feels as though it weighs five times what it should, forcing you to drag yourself across the asphalt, and granting these strange soldiers all of the time that they need to distance themselves from you.Your muscles spasm and scream as electricity arcs through them and to make matters worse, you feel something tugging on your spirit, adrift as it is in the orbit of the Ouroboros. Your freedom from the Serpent was a temporary thing. You must return, anchor yourself to your body, and become one with the One and All once more. This power is temporary and once it has gone, it might be gone forever. Without it, you won't stand a chance against these adversaries. You need to finish this.>Let the road become a river of tar, a bottomless mire. The weight of their armour shall drag these tin men down to their deaths. (Matter.)>Unleash a breath unlike any other upon these foes. Distil your qi into purest yang and let it flow from your maw without relent. (Prime.)>Clear your thoughts. Transcend this pain. When these wounds have no bearing on your mind, they shall have no bearing on your flesh. (Life.)>Call upon the aid of the Dragon Kings. Have them send their avatars to assist you, their emperor, their innermost liege. (Spirit.)>Take flight. Defy gravity. Fuck Newton. What sort of dragon are you, if you cannot soar through the heavens? (Forces.)>Turn back the Ouroboros. When those soldiers emerge from that luminous portal, this time, you will be ready for them. (Time.)
>>6430420>>Turn back the Ouroboros. When those soldiers emerge from that luminous portal, this time, you will be ready for them. (Time.)RIP AND TEAR
>>6430423I just realized, if they could find us at work they know where we live, they'll have our plates, hell they'll have our phone. I wonder if our obsession with our interests garnered enough paranoia to have an emergency cache or something. Otherwise, we're going to be on the lam with the clothes on our back and little else.Also, unless there's some MiB shenanigans afoot, there's no way someone hasn't recorded at least part of our escapade.
>>6430420>Unleash a breath unlike any other upon these foes. Distil your qi into purest yang and let it flow from your maw without relent. (Prime.)I'm thinking that we advance with an extra point our Prime and if we get the choice, we choose Entropy. Because bullshit out off harm's way is fun
>>6430425Oh, don't worry, in Mage there's more than enough things going on to make it look like there was a gas leak and an event of mass psychosis
>>6430420>Unleash a breath unlike any other upon these foes. Distil your qi into purest yang and let it flow from your maw without relent. (Prime.)This will probably have the most utility in allowing us to merge and expand our other Spheres.
>>6430420>Turn back the Ouroboros. When those soldiers emerge from that luminous portal, this time, you will be ready for them. (Time.)Damn this is a cool quest.
>I'll be able to start writing a post in seven to eight hours. Currently, we have a tie between Prime and Time. If it's not broken by the time that I'm able to get back to this quest, I'll roll between them.
>>6430420>>Turn back the Ouroboros. When those soldiers emerge from that luminous portal, this time, you will be ready for them. (Time.)No more than 4
>>64306074 is probably the broadest we could get at our awakening; I think it's probably very appetizing to players unfamiliar with the setting because they are seeing very open-ended and advanced applications of the Spheres, but once we cool our magic jets in a minute, we'll only have the basic abilities of all the ones we selected, and I think it would be wise to have at least 2 dots in one Sphere, rather than 1 in four different ones. Time is one of the better options though, so it won't be the worst way to spread ourselves thin.
>>6430420>>Turn back the Ouroboros. When those soldiers emerge from that luminous portal, this time, you will be ready for them. (Time.)
>You gain Time •. You may use this sphere to perceive your immediate surroundings as they were up to an hour before now, or as they might possibly be up to one hour from now. Retrocognition is reliable. Precognition is not.By embodying Huanglong, you have come to wield a sliver of the authority that the Yellow Emperor has over the Ouroboros. Though the Serpent never stops, there is more than one way for a snake to eat its own tail. Rather than chase after itself, the One is All slows until it starts to turn in the other direction, thrusting its self down its own throat. All of this is done at your bidding, and all of this manifests as the undoing of what has been done.The last thing that you see before your eyes shut is the soldiers arrayed before you, their weapons spewing forth a storm of elemental chaos that devastates your divine form.The first thing that you see when you open them again, is two black-clad operatives standing in front of a nondescript white van. One has almost finished reloading his handgun, while the other has just emptied his magazine. Behind their mirrored shades, their eyes bulge with fear at the sight of the dragon before them. They know that their fate is sealed.One is disembowelled by with a flick of your claws, while the other is bisected by a snap of your fangs. You do not change your approach regarding those goons. Rather than waste your time crushing the van in a self-indulgent display of power, you charge into the middle of the asphalt, towards where the portal appeared in the future that you unmade.With a brilliant flash, space itself is torn asunder. A rift opens in the middle of the street, through which pours blinding, sterile light, and a dozen soldiers that you recognise all too well. Servos whir and whine as they march along in suits of shining, articulated armour, cradling peculiar guns connected to power packs and canisters by cables and hoses.The first thing that they see is your gaping maw bearing down on them.Even in the form of the dragon, it takes some effort for you to bite through the armoured shells of these grunts. The plating does a good job at deflecting your claws, yet the impact of your assault is still enough to knock them off of their feet. You run amok in the middle of the squad, scattering them and crushing them beneath your bulk, striking at the joints of their armour. Severed limbs fly through the air, and you revel in the chaos that you have caused.“Where are those fucking Mark Fives?! RD exhibits chronal deviance, we need – ”
Before the squad leader is able to finish his sentence, you capture his skull in your jaws and pull. The helmeted head of the trooper is torn from where it sat between broad shoulders and goes flying as you release it. You'd rather not deal with the indigestion that his headgear might cause. His death marks the half-way point – six of these sci-fi soldiers have become casualties, while the six that remain standing struggle to avenge their comrades. Any of them who dare to loose a single bolt of plasma in your direction make themselves your next target. All they can do is run for their lives, and pray that someone else is stupid enough to distract you...… or tough enough to hold their own against you.Reality is torn asunder once more as a smaller gateway manifests, and then another, and another, mere seconds apart. Each of these rifts spits out a single man, naked and neuter. Each specimen is at least seven feet tall, with an adonic physique decorated with all manner of mechanical enhancements. Lenses in the place of eyes, an autocannon in the place of a left hand, armour plating fused to their very skin, and so much more. Perhaps they were once human, but after such profound alteration, they can no longer be classified as such.As you charge towards one, it lifts its chain gun and opens fire, a river of ammunition visibly flowing beneath the skin of his arm as it is fed into the autocannon internally. The other two do the same, without any semblance of fear. Scales fly free from your flesh as the bullets impact them, carving deep wounds into your serpentine form.To make matters worse, your spirit has fallen from its comfortable orbit. It now descends towards the Ouroboros, accelerating towards the place where it belongs, to join an infinity of other scales. Though your divine power has yet to abandon you, you fear that will not last long enough for you to defeat these monstrous cyborgs.>Allow your qi flow into your scales and harden. Let your golden hide become bin steel, strong enough to ward off any blow. (Matter.)>You can only hope to fight these adversaries with arms of your own. Conjure a weapon worthy of the emperors of old. (Prime.)>There is no harmony to be found in such a foul fusion of metal and meat. By your will, their flesh shall reject their obscene augmentation. (Life.)>You have no wish to stop the Serpent, only to retard its rotation. Even as time slows to a crawl, you shall remain unburdened. (Time.)>Malfunction is a possibility in every firearm. These are no exception. Make that possibility an inevitability and render their weapons useless. (Entropy.)>How can they hope to strike you, if you occupy far more than a single space? Divide yourself, and conquer. (Correspondence.)
>>6430684>You can only hope to fight these adversaries with arms of your own. Conjure a weapon worthy of the emperors of old. (Prime.)We need at least 1 dot in Prime. Also, I hope this quest does not die on the first page. WOD quests are so rare. I'm sure voters will come in time.
>>6430684>You can only hope to fight these adversaries with arms of your own. Conjure a weapon worthy of the emperors of old. (Prime.)
>>6430684>You have no wish to stop the Serpent, only to retard its rotation. Even as time slows to a crawl, you shall remain unburdened. (Time.)
>>6430684>You can only hope to fight these adversaries with arms of your own. Conjure a weapon worthy of the emperors of old. (Prime.)Also QM, any thoughts about putting a name for yourself? Or are you staying as Anonymous?
>You gain Prime ••. You may use this Sphere to detect and absorb solidified Quintessence. You may spend Quintessence to energise attacks, reinforce defences and craft Trinkets and Charms.Guns. Such barbaric, uncivilised things. Machined tools churned out of factories, without any art or finesse, designed to grant ingrates and imbeciles the power to spit death. You cannot deny that they are effective, perhaps even powerful enough to humble the mightiest beasts. However, you are more than a mere animal. You are the heir of Huangdi and you shall wield a weapon that is far more elegant.From your maw, you vomit a sphere of purest yin. You clutch the darkness in your claws as you weave through the air, evading as many rounds as you can – the cyborgs never seem to run out of ammunition, nor do the barrels of their weapons ever seem to warp from the heat. Something about their armaments is mystical. Grasping the orb of negative energy with your other claw, you stretch it out and allow it to become a ribbon of mercury, upon which you breathe a stream of scintillating yang. The white fire washes over the liquid metal and once it has dispersed, you lash out with your creation.It is a straight sword, with a double-edged blade wrought from fine steel with a dense, patterned grain. The bronze guard bears the likeness of the taotie, while a saffron tassel hangs from the pommel. The steel tapers to an elegant point and in its reflection, you see what shall be. You witness the blood of an abomination spraying into the air, a vision that you shall manifest through action.>You spend five Quintessence. You have one Quintessence remaining.With this jian, more than half the length of your majestic form, you strike. The tip of the sword carves through the flesh of the nearest cyborg, gliding effortlessly between the pitted plates fused to its chest. Blood sprays and the vision that you saw in the steel is fulfilled. Yet the monster still stands, thanks to its inhuman endurance. With its chain gun extremity, it seeks to parry your blade as you close the distance, yet your sword reveals to you your enemy's plan before it even unfolds. You dance about your foe, effortlessly slicing into them, bringing it low with a thousand cuts and using it as cover from the onslaught of its siblings.Having identified that it is too late for them to save the one who you have carved apart, they open fire without any remorse. The troopers who did not fall before you do the same, for the arrival of the cyborgs has given them the chance to regroup. Streams of plasma and arcs of synthetic lightning join the barrage of anti-materiel rounds and shred what is left of the abomination that you hide behind, striking your scales soon after.
Your spirit is moments away from becoming one with flesh once more. You can no longer see the Ouroboros in its entirety – it has transformed into a shining river once more. You are so close that you can make out the individual scales, as well as an opening in the Serpent's armour. It is a wound where a scale has peeled away, it is the pit in which you belong and to which you shall return. Once you have rejoined Lúnhuí, you might never get to witness it ever again.You have more to worry about than that. Your strength is beginning to wane and your flesh yearns to revert to its mortal state. As much as you would like to bring about the end of your augmented assailants, you do not have the time required to make it happen. If you want to live, your only option is to flee, before your soul is bound to the Serpent for evermore.>Become one with the earth. Flow into the ground beneath you and take shelter within the womb of the land. Let it birth you elsewhere. (Matter.)>Become impervious. Channel the last of your surplus qi into your scales, so that you might withstand this onslaught long enough to make your exit. (Prime.)>The form of the dragon has served its purpose. Take the shape of something smaller, capable of escaping from those who wish you ill. (Life.)>Hasten the Ouroboros. Fling yourself forward in time, to a point when your assailants least expect you to be in this place. (Time.)>Utter such a deafening roar that all those who wish you harm shall find themselves reeling with fear, incapable of acting against you. (Mind.)>Depart through the Hall of Shanmen. Though you cannot say where you will emerge, anywhere has to be better than this. (Correspondence.)
>>6430815>Become one with the earth. Flow into the ground beneath you and take shelter within the womb of the land. Let it birth you elsewhere. (Matter.)Second dot of Matter PLEASE
>>6430815>Hasten the Ouroboros. Fling yourself forward in time, to a point when your assailants least expect you to be in this place. (Time.)
>>6430815>Become one with the earth. Flow into the ground beneath you and take shelter within the womb of the land. Let it birth you elsewhere. (Matter.)
>>6430815>>Hasten the Ouroboros. Fling yourself forward in time, to a point when your assailants least expect you to be in this place. (Time.)
>You gain Matter ••. You may use this Sphere to transmute one substance into another similar substance, without altering its shape or state. You may turn water into wine, lead into gold, salt into sugar, and so on. Rare substances are more difficult to produce.>Your Awakening has come to an end. The Spheres that you have chosen are:>Matter ••.>Prime ••.>Life •.>Time •.Your form is that of Huanglong, the Dragon King who presides over the earth itself. By your very nature, you are chthonic. All that is land is your domain and so you shall return to it, in such a way that these barbarians will be incapable of following you.The ceaseless onslaught strips the scales from your majestic body as you come to a stop. It takes all of your discipline to shun the agony that grows with every round that hammers into your flesh. Your eyes fall shut, your claw rests upon the earth beneath you and as your soul crashes into the Ouroboros to reunite with it once more, you direct it to flow into the land itself, instead of your mortal vessel.You leave the dragon behind. It becomes nothing more than compacted sand, a sculpture that is blown apart by streams of metal and plasma. Instead, you have become one with the land, deprived of all of your senses except for one.Ribbons of geomantic energy course beneath the surface of the earth, weaving together into an elaborate lattice that distributes of the qi of the world itself. Dragon veins. You allow your spirit to seep into this vascular system and let its current carry you along, away from danger.Yet this experience comes with a danger of its own. Your spirit is no longer impervious, no longer apart from Lúnhuí. It is that of a human once more, and a human soul was never meant to travel these roads for long. Your own energy begins to peel away, becoming one with the world. Should you remain here much longer, all of your qi shall unite with the land and your self shall cease to be. Your scale shall be wiped clean, until it is time for your reincarnation and for it to bear a new name.If you wish to survive, you must emerge.There are numerous nearby points, where the dragon veins flow to the surface. Nodes, where the sacred energy of the world coalesces. One of these shall have to suffice as the place of your emergence, yet it is difficult to tell them apart. With what little information you are able to glean, it is difficult to determine which location is the most likely to offer you sanctuary.>Warm. Earthy. Herbaceous. It is the smell of white sage, a tool of purification.>Old oaks stand strong, their roots fed by the many buried beneath them.>Om. It is the sound of divinity itself, if the Vedic tradition is to be believed.>A mask that takes the form of music. Truth hidden beneath rock and roll.>Derelict. Once home to many, now left behind by all but the most stubborn.
>>6431083>Old oaks stand strong, their roots fed by the many buried beneath them.
>>6431083>>Old oaks stand strong, their roots fed by the many buried beneath them.
>>6431083>A mask that takes the form of music. Truth hidden beneath rock and roll.Hell yeah.
>>6431083>Old oaks stand strong, their roots fed by the many buried beneath them.Great so far.
>>6431083>Derelict. Once home to many, now left behind by all but the most stubborn.
>>6431083>Old oaks stand strong, their roots fed by the many buried beneath them.Let's make like a tree and fuck off.
>>6431083>>Warm. Earthy. Herbaceous. It is the smell of white sage, a tool of purification.
Your consciousness travels through the ley lines, towards the surface. You favour one particular node over the rest – the great oaks beneath which the dead and buried slumber. Perhaps you believe that your assailants are unlikely to look for you among the deceased, or maybe you are drawn to the morbidity of the place, considering how close you have come to dying.Yet as you approach your destination, your soul begins to fray. It is not supposed to exist in this world for this long without a mortal shell. With the last vestiges of the power that you took from the Ouroboros, you manifest new flesh and thrust your spirit into it, before it disintegrates and becomes lost in the veins of the world.A blanket of pressure and darkness is all that greets you.You blink, yet nothing changes. You try to move, yet the darkness constricts you. You try to open your mouth to speak, but the pressure holds your jaw shut. You can't even breathe.Your efforts grow more violent as you thrash against the prison that encompasses you and gradually, it begins to give way. It rises every time that you push against it, only to fall back against you. Every attempt to free yourself makes the next effort a little easier, with the darkness loosening its grasp on your body. With one final shove, you finally manage to liberate yourself.You find yourself doubling over beneath the boughs of an oak tree, vomiting a mouthful of soil while you claw your way free from an old grave. Your chest heaves, eager to fill your lungs with the cool night air. Intuitively, you know that almost nine hours have passed since you were last physical. The knowledge comes to you unbidden, as naturally as the process of blinking. Crawling free from the hole that your body had left in the ground, you try to ascertain precisely where you are.As soon as you glance up, the skyline of Downtown Atlanta looms before you and you realise that you are only a couple of miles from the office where you work – where you once worked. A quick look around you, at row after row of tombstones and memorials and proud oak trees, tells you that this has to be the old Oakland Cemetery.What about you? Thankfully, you're wearing the same clothes that you wore to the office, even though they were destroyed when you assumed the form of the dragon. You must've recreated them when you made this vessel, which is identical to your previous body. You have retained the male pattern baldness and the unhealthy gut, yet you have also kept something else. You grasp the jian that you had conjured by its scabbard, its saffron tassel swaying in the breeze. It has even shrunk to suit your human body, its blade twenty-eight inches in length.
You are still Henry Cobbledick, an unimpressive man in his thirties who isn't even six feet tall, dressed in a shirt and a pair of slacks stained with grave dirt, clutching a Chinese sword that looks like it belongs in a museum. You are the latest reincarnation of a long line of legendary alchemists and you have beheld the Ouroboros. Your true form is that of Huanglong, the Dragon King of the Middle Kingdom, a shape that you have inherited from the Yellow Emperor himself. You have fought against the myriad agents of the shadow government, and you live to tell the tale.Where do you go from here?>Get the hell out of here. You hoped to end up far away from Atlanta. Instead, you ended up a half an hour walk away from the place that you were running from. You must flee.>Beseech the aid of Cleopatra. The ancient alchemist helped you once before in your hour of need, surely she will aid you again. Call out to her, and she will answer. She has to.>Meditate. Breathe into your dantian. Allow the tension to flow from you and attune your senses to the ambient qi. A dragon vein flowed to this place for a reason. (Prime •.)>Assume the Three Body Posture and fall still. Focus on the beating of your heart, until it is as loud as thunder. The pulse of others shall be no different. If anyone else is here, you must know. (Life •.) >Unite the principles of qigong and xingyiquan. Balance harmony and discipline, until your senses can perceive internal and external qi alike. This might be harder. (Life • / Prime •.)
>>6431313>Meditate. Breathe into your dantian. Allow the tension to flow from you and attune your senses to the ambient qi. A dragon vein flowed to this place for a reason. (Prime •.)In a shallow grave, a flower blooms, seeking for the warmth of the Sun. May the vein of the dragon deliver us to it.
>>6431313>>Assume the Three Body Posture and fall still. Focus on the beating of your heart, until it is as loud as thunder. The pulse of others shall be no different. If anyone else is here, you must know. (Life •.)We're going to have to book it pretty quick if someone is around. We literally crawled from an unmarked grave, and are stained with dirt. We probably look like a zombie.
>>6431313>>Meditate. Breathe into your dantian. Allow the tension to flow from you and attune your senses to the ambient qi. A dragon vein flowed to this place for a reason. (Prime •.)
>>6431313>>>Meditate. Breathe into your dantian. Allow the tension to flow from you and attune your senses to the ambient qi. A dragon vein flowed to this place for a reason. (Prime •.)
>>6431345>We literally crawled from an unmarked grave, and are stained with dirt. We probably look like a zombie.>"Sir! Why the hell you're all dirty, have a sword, and look like an average wagie?!?!">"Uuuuuuh... We're shooting a an indie film!">"Really? And where are the cameras?">Uuuuuuh... We're using a drone. You're ruining the shot right now.">"O-Oh shit, I'm sorry, uuuuuh... You should've asked for permission, please, once you finish you and your team should get out or I'll be in trouble"
>>6431313>Meditate. Breathe into your dantian. Allow the tension to flow from you and attune your senses to the ambient qi. A dragon vein flowed to this place for a reason. (Prime •.)
You are bound to your body now. You cannot perceive the Ouroboros, yet perhaps your awareness of it may help you accomplish a fraction of the incredible feats that you achieved earlier. To test this, you shall begin with a simple breathing exercise. Something that will relieve you of the tension roiling inside of you, that will help you become one with the land that surrounds you, as eerie as it might be.You straighten your spine. You relax your shoulders. You flatten your feet against the soles of your dress shoes. Both of your hands move to rest against your abdomen, just below your navel, though one of them still clutches your sword by its scabbard – its name, Xuanyuan.You breathe in through your nose. Your paunch inflates as you guide the air into your lower dantian, to convert its jing into qi with greater efficiency. Your belly contracts when you exhale through your mouth, expelling the air once you have drawn the essence from it.With each breath, you find yourself soothed by the movement of your diaphragm. Every exhalation leaves your body feeling a little lighter, your mind a little clearer. But will this exercise achieve everything that you want it to? Will it allow you to perceive the ambient energy of this place and discover its significance, or have you truly lost all of the power that you once had? >I want three rolls of dice+1d100 and I will accept the best of three. You will need to roll 40 or higher in order to succeed at this task. The higher you roll above the target number, the better the outcome.>Each roller may choose to say “Spend Quintessence,” in order to spend 1 point of Quintessence and decrease the target number of the roll by 4. For example, if two out of three rollers say “Spend Quintessence,” 2 points of Quintessence are spent and the target number is decreased by 8. You have 1 point of Quintessence that you may spend.
Rolled 37 (1d100)>>6431533Here we go. No quintessence spending for my roll
Rolled 46 (1d100)>>6431533I am the roar of an endless sun, an inferno thrashing in the vast abyss.
Rolled 6 (1d100)>>6431533use it
>>6431556>I'll use this as an opportunity to establish the rule that you have to explicitly say the two words "Spend Quintessence" in that order if you want to spend Quintessence when you roll, preferably as the only two words in a sentence, or in your post. This is to prevent misunderstandings.>Going with >>6431546, which beats the target number by a value of 6.
Rolled 15 (1d100)>>6431533No quintessence
It's not easy. For over a minute, nothing at all happens. With every other breath, the fear that you have lost all of the power that you stole from the Ouroboros bubbles to the surface of your mind, but you dismiss such distractions without a second thought. You cannot afford to linger on anything. You must empty yourself.At last, after an eternity of rhythmic breathing, you begin to perceive it. It does not manifest as something that you see, smell or hear, simply as a thing that you are aware of.While the air only harbours jing, much of the matter that surrounds you harbours traces of qi, even the stuff which is not alive. Veins of the planet's energy are buried deep within the stone of monuments and memorials, and within the heartwood of the abundant oaks. Unfortunately, the revelation that you still possess some of the Serpent's strength disrupts the rhythm of your breath. Your awareness of this vital force fades, leaving you with only the five senses that your mortal body grants you.>There is an indeterminate amount of ambient Quintessence here. That is all that you know.Why is it here? Is it the product of the planet's life force flowing into this place through the dragon vein, or is this cemetery responsible for producing this vital energy on its own? Perhaps the ley line serves as a conduit, through which the world absorbs the qi of places such as this and sustains its health. If only you could remember all that was written on the scales of the Serpent, you would know the answers to such questions.Perhaps you should make this energy your own, or maybe your time is better spent ridding yourself of all of this grave dirt that stains you. As you still possess some of your mystical talent, surely transmuting the soil into something less conspicuous should be a simple task.>Get the fuck out of here. You've hung about for long enough. You look as suspicious as hell and if you're seen out here by anyone, they will surely inform your pursuers.>You are Cleopatra. You are Rhazes. You are Tongming. Surely one of your past incarnations must know more about all of this. Invoke them and seek their wisdom, if you are able.>Become a spiritual vacuum. Allow the qi of this place to fill the void that make within yourself. Borrow the power of the land and make it your own. (Prime •.)>Though you lack the equipment necessary to perform Waidan conventionally, surely you can simply use your newfound power to rid yourself of the filth that stains you. (Matter ••.)
>>6431571>Though you lack the equipment necessary to perform Waidan conventionally, surely you can simply use your newfound power to rid yourself of the filth that stains you. (Matter ••.)
>>6431571>>Get the fuck out of here. You've hung about for long enough. You look as suspicious as hell and if you're seen out here by anyone, they will surely inform your pursuers.Get out of there Stalker
>>6431571>>Become a spiritual vacuum. Allow the qi of this place to fill the void that make within yourself. Borrow the power of the land and make it your own. (Prime •.)More quintessence seems smart.
>>6431571>>Get the fuck out of here. You've hung about for long enough. You look as suspicious as hell and if you're seen out here by anyone, they will surely inform your pursuers.
As alluring as the temptation to absorb the ambient qi might be, you shouldn't linger here. You're far too close to the office where you used to work, and you have no doubt that the shadow government is looking for you. Every minute that you stay in this cemetery increases your likelihood of being caught again, if not killed.So you duck into the undergrowth and scurry between gravestones, as sneakily as you can. Your physique wasn't exactly built for stealth, but you have the cover of night and the sound of leaves rustling in the wind to aid you. Shuffling through the cemetery isn't a difficult task and you believe that you're about to escape into the streets scot-free, until you notice the glare of a flashlight further down the path ahead.You duck behind a bush at the base of a particularly old and gnarled oak tree, in order to conceal yourself from whoever happens to be wandering through a graveyard in the middle of the night.The footsteps become audible and that you can see that it is an obese black man, a few inches taller than you. His bald head is hidden beneath a snapback, his eyes are obscured behind thick glasses, and the lower half of his face is covered by a thick beard. The stranger wears a sleeveless fleece over a cotton shirt that's tucked into jeans. It looks more like a uniform, rather than something that he is casually wearing. He can't be that professional though, judging from the colourful beads that hang around his neck and wrists, and the neck of some big bottle of liquor that pokes out from the pocket of his fleece.What he is, is vigilant. Something's spooked the man. He's not just walking down the path, he's searching for something or someone, sweeping the oak trees and gravestones with the beam of his flashlight. While he hasn't swung the light in your direction yet, he's coming closer and and there's a good chance that he'll look your way before he passes you by.He doesn't look like a thrall of the shadow government, but you can't be sure.>You better get moving before he passes you by. You've never had a talent for sneaking, but you're going to have to learn if you don't want to be caught.>Stay still. Don't move. You're too clumsy to get away with trying to skulk off into the night. Your only chance of staying unseen involves not moving a muscle.>Remain in place, but try to detach yourself from the Serpent's hide, just long enough to witness what might happen a minute from now. (Time •.)>Reveal yourself. Let's be honest, you don't stand a chance of remaining hidden and you don't believe that he's a threat to you. See if you talk with this stranger.>Draw your sword and swing at him. If you can't hide, then you will fight. Even if this guy doesn't work for your pursuers, he might still hand you over to them.>Strike with wu wei. Transmute your qi into effortless action and slay this foe with a single stroke of Xuanyuan. (Prime •. This will spend 1 Quintessence.)
>>6431663>Remain in place, but try to detach yourself from the Serpent's hide, just long enough to witness what might happen a minute from now. (Time •.)
>>6431663>>Remain in place, but try to detach yourself from the Serpent's hide, just long enough to witness what might happen a minute from now. (Time •.)
Performing under pressure isn't quite as simple as enacting your will when you're safe and alone. To make matters worse, you aren't even sure how you're supposed to peer forward in time. None of the techniques that you studied ever covered that subject and until your spirit was liberated from the Ouroboros, you never thought that it was possible at all.You close your eyes and empty your lungs, only to draw jing into your lower dantian. Your hands rest over your gut as you strive to breathe as quietly as you can, knowing that the stranger on the path is drawing closer with every breath that you take. Emptying your mind of all things but the Serpent, you try to relive your memory of it, of your spirit drifting in its orbit and watching it turn.Through this act of remembrance, you hope to reconnect with the Ouroboros. You don't have a chance of hastening it or slowing it, not with your soul bound to your flesh. That power is beyond your reaching. All that you can hope is that you be allowed to peer over the horizon, to witness what might happen next...>I want three rolls of dice+1d100 and I will accept the best of three. You will need to roll 50 or higher in order to succeed at this task. The higher you roll above the target number, the better the outcome.>Each roller may choose to say “Spend Quintessence,” in order to spend 1 point of Quintessence and decrease the target number of the roll by 4. For example, if two out of three rollers say “Spend Quintessence,” 2 points of Quintessence are spent and the target number is decreased by 8. You have 1 point of Quintessence that you may spend.
Rolled 14 (1d100)>>6431743
Rolled 100 (1d100)>>6431743I'm not liking the look of our luck so far...
>>6431771...or not.
Rolled 21 (1d100)>>6431771Holy shit >>6431743Rollin
>>6431771Based
You are illuminated by the stranger's flashlight. You have been spotted. Blinded by the light, you draw your sword and start hacking wildly at the man. He staggers back, with one of your crude attacks striking true and cutting open his belly. With a panicked expression, he draws the bottle of liquor from his pocket and splashes you with its content. You fall to the ground screaming, his flesh rotting wherever the booze lands on your body. Clutching his bleeding gut, he puts you out of your misery by stomping your skull.You successfully hide in the bush, until the moment that the stranger passes you by. Taking advantage of the opportunity, you strike the back of his head with the pommel of Xuanyuan. Stunned, he staggers to the floor while you take the opportunity to run. After a few minutes, long after you have gone, the man shoves himself to his feet. He pulls out his cellphone and makes a call as he stumbles back the way that he came, more than a little pissed off.You step out from the bush, into the beam of the stranger's flashlight. Raising your hands in a gesture of surrender, you talk with the man. You cannot hear exactly what is said, but he's flustered and frustrated by your presence. You don't take kindly to whatever he has said and you raise your voice, only for him to do the same. After a heated exchange, he flips you off and goes back the way he came, having lost all interest in speaking with you. You yell something after him before you march off into the night.You successfully hide in the bush and when the stranger has passed you by, you manage to sneak through the undergrowth, to find a way out of the cemetery. The man continues his patrol, becoming increasingly confused, before he stops before a particular gravestone. He pulls a cigar free from its pocket and lights it up, resting it on the earth before the old stone slab. After a few seconds of crouching there, he takes off in the direction that you went, leaving the cigar behind.You are illuminated by the stranger's flashlight. You have been spotted. You prepare to defend yourself, yet upon seeing that you are armed, the stranger staggers away from you. After a tense exchange, the two of you gradually relax. You seem to lead the conversation, while the heavyset man seems particularly pensive, and then resigned, convinced by whatever you say. Pouring some of that booze into his free hand, he lifts his hat to dab his brow with it, then does the same to yours. Together, you head down the pathway and into the night.
You open your eyes.After all of the futures that you have seen, you know exactly how to remain unseen, should you wish to. Alternatively, you may choose to let him discover you. There remains the third path of revealing yourself, should you consider that wise.>Remain hidden. You would rather not risk the future that ends with you being killed.>Let him discover you. It seems like he has ways of tracking you, so why delay the inevitable?>Reveal yourself. It might be an unpleasant surprise for him, but you want to start with the upper hand.
>>6431787>>Remain hidden. You would rather not risk the future that ends with you being killed.We know extremely little about the societies and factions of this new paradigm. Even if he does track us, I'd rather have the time to get our bearings and see if we can scrape up some basic info, before we talk to anyone.
>>6431787>Let him discover you. It seems like he has ways of tracking you, so why delay the inevitable?We might not know how the factions or the feds looks like or how they work, but it would be lame for them to send a fat guy come over just to dab us with his flask and walk with him somewhere. They would've either form a perimeter around the grave, huge lights and a firing squad. Maybe one or two or their cyborgs after what we did. Hell, maybe open another fucking portal and drop another mecha, this justs seems way off
>>6431787>Let him discover you. It seems like he has ways of tracking you, so why delay the inevitable?I think he is another Awakened and NOT part of the Technocracy/Exarchs/etc (I can't tell yet exactly which edition of Mage this setting is based on yet), and he maybe isn't going to automatically be an ally, but that thing he does in the branching timeline where he dabs the liquor on our foreheads - I think that's to conceal us from the REAL enemies. I want to try the timeline where we walk off together with a mutual understanding.
>>6431787>>Let him discover you. It seems like he has ways of tracking you, so why delay the inevitable?i like this one
>>6431786>Let him discover you. It seems like he has ways of tracking you, so why delay the inevitable?He doesn't seem hostile unless we attack him, so probably not with the G-Men. And we need more friends.
>>6431787>>>Let him discover you. It seems like he has ways of tracking you, so why delay the inevitable?Very Daoist. What will be, will be,
You make no effort to blend in with the brush. Instead, you remain precisely where you are, where your stark white shirt stands out like a sore thumb against your surroundings, even stained as it is with grave dirt.When you are inevitably illuminated by the flashlight, you cringe away from its glare instinctively. You weren't aware that it would be so blinding. Surprised by your presence, the big black man stumbles away from you and almost falls flat on his backside. While he doesn't react with immediate hostility, he certainly doesn't seem pleased by your presence.“Heyeyey, who the fuck are you?!” You expected him to have a big, booming voice, but it's a lot softer than you thought it would be. It's a bit wheezy, as though he's perpetually out of breath. Nevertheless, he talks a little too loudly for your liking, considering your circumstances.“Keep it down,” you hiss, remaining in place yet lifting your hands in a gesture of surrender. One of them still clutches Xuanyuan by its scabbard – you refuse to relinquish your sword, for it is the only thing of value that you have. “Can you get that damn flashlight out of my eyes too? I can't see a thing.”“The fuck you doin', with summin like that?! Better yet, the fuck you doin' out here, middle of the night?” Thankfully, the fat stranger does bring down his volume a little and he draws the flashlight back, pointing its beam at your feet rather than your face. As your eyes adjust to the darkness, you can now make out the white logo woven into his fleece. It features some sort of memorial, along with a few key words: 'Historic Oakland Cemetery – Atlanta, GA.' On his other breast, there's a name tag, but you can't make out what it says in the low light.Nevertheless, you can guess that he works here in some capacity.“It's a long story.” How can you hope to explain yourself to this guy? Your perception of the future only granted you sight, you couldn't hear what was said. You've got no idea what the right words are, to achieve the best outcome. You better figure something out.>Evade the question. Redirect it back at him, ask him why he's out here, stalking a graveyard in the middle of the night.>Make shit up. The blade's from your personal collection, you took it with you for protection when you went out of a stroll.>It's none of his fucking business. Make a point that he shouldn't be prying into the affairs of someone with a big sword.>Spill the beans and confess everything. Tell him everything that has happened to you today. You might as well be honest.>Speak of your foresight. Let him know that you've seen the directions that this encounter can go in, and that you don't want any trouble.
>>6431948>Speak of your foresight. Let him know that you've seen the directions that this encounter can go in, and that you don't want any trouble.Dude seems reasonable. We also know that he knows something, he's not just some dude in a cemetery. He's not one of the guys who are after us, otherwise he probably would have attacked us when he spotted us. That being the case we have no personal grudge against him and he probably doesn't have one against us. Maybe.
>>6431948I say we probe him a little and >Be a little subtle and say that he's not a normal graveyard guard, ask what he was actually looking for >Speak of your foresight. Let him know that you've seen the directions that this encounter can go in, and that you don't want any trouble.If at the end this guy is not another mage we can say we used LSD and somehow we ended here. Just some bullshit to get away with this lmao
>>6431948>>6431968+1
>>6431948>>Speak of your foresight. Let him know that you've seen the directions that this encounter can go in, and that you don't want any trouble.
>>6431948>>6431968+1We can also tell him we took our sword for a stroll. Hint at the mystical.
“Look, I've seen all of the different directions that this chat can go in,” you begin. “I know about the acid or whatever that you've got in that bottle, I know that you've got some weird habit of leaving cigars on top of graves, and I know that you're no ordinary graveyard guard. Most importantly, I know that we can all get along, so how about we all just take a deep breath and calm down?”“What the fuck?” For a second, the fat stranger stares at you in disbelief. A moment later, and he lets out a sigh of relief “Man, you could've just called yourself bani this or that, and saved me a fuckin' heart attack. Who you with?”“What do you mean, 'who am I with?' Are you saying that you're like me – that there's others like us?”“What, you a fuckin' orphan or somethin'? Wait, don't tell me... Don't tell me that fuckin' ruckus Downtown was you. Aw, fuck, man! What the fuck did I do to end up with this shit on my plate?!”Any sign of relief has evaporated from his face. He turns off his flashlight, turns his gaze skyward and throws his arms up in the air, in a petulant display of frustration. Thankfully, he seems to be annoyed with fate itself, rather than you.“Hey, I didn't ask for this! Look, how about we just share our names and figure things out from there? I'm – ”“No, hell no! Stop right there, man. Your first lesson as one of the Woke, don't tell anyone your fuckin' name.” In fact, you've reminded him of his name tag. Fortunate for him, it's too dark for you to make out what it says, but he takes it off anyway. “No one's lookin' to get mixed up in your personal shit. So make somethin' up, don't care what.”“I'm not woke, I voted for – ”“Man, I don't give a fuck. Woke is shorter than Awakened and means the same shit, so who cares? If you're gonna call me anything, it's Papa Yew.”You can work with that, though you'll need to figure out what you're going to be called, if Papa Yew's going to insist on codenames.>Xuanzang. Your journey has only just begun.>Bishop Wong. A union of the East and West.>Huang. You are the Yellow Emperor's heir.>Something else. Write-ins are allowed.>Nothing for now. Come up with something later.>Henry Cobbledick. Not like you can go back to your old life anyway.
>>6432555>Bishop Wong. A union of the East and West.Fucking YES Let's turn a bunch of pond rocks into gold and use the money to create a martial arts dojo that'll serve as our front...
>>6432555>>Something else. Write-ins are allowed.>Mister Snake
>>6432555Brother MantisIn the Akashic Brotherhood, awakened mage martial arts is called Do and you start as an insect, then small reptile, the 4 legged animal, then bipedal animal, then True Human. This skill is like a non-religous version of true faith that lets a mage perform the type of martial arts seen in wuxia films. It can also even allow a mage to soak agg and do lethal damage with their bare hands.
>>6432555>Something else. Write-ins are allowed.I literally searched up in Google "Chinese names that means something like fortunate orphan" and the AI gave me that. I also asked Claude and apparently it's a good name, not a normal name for someone who was born in China, but appropriate for a fictional name. I believe it's appropriate.And I also asked if there's a word play somewhere, and apparently our name could also mean "stalking spell", with a more obscure and evil meaning, which is cool either way
>>6432599Holy shit I'm dumb. The name is Fúgū and that will be my vote qm
>>6432555>Mr CobbledickOur name sounds fake anyhow lol
>>6432555>FúgūI like this. Makes me think of a pufferfish, which fits our fat little fellow
>Locking there and going with Fúgū.
“In that case, call me Fúgū.”“Fugu? Ain't that some kind of sushi or somethin'?” “That's fugu. I said Fú-gū.” You put effort into the pronunciation, but to be honest, you've never had to say a word of Chinese in your life, let alone talk with a native speaker. You've probably got it wrong too. Most of your knowledge of spoken Chinese comes from the instructional videos and online courses that you've perused.“Whatever. Weird that a white boy's running around pretending to be Asian, but there's weirder shit out there.”“Look, you said something about Downtown. What happened over there?” It's a more important subject than your new name.“Feds been sayin' all day that it was some kinda emergency maintenance gone wrong, somethin' about a jackhammer hitting a gas line or somethin'. I know a cover-up when I see one though, and that shit's got black hat written all over it.” Papa Yew pauses to squint at you from behind his glasses. “That was all you, yeah?”“That was me,” you confess, which earns a groan from the big black man. “These men in black came to the place and tried to take me away, but I saw... I saw everything. You know, the Ouroboros, you've seen it too, right?” The blank look that you get from Papa Yew has you worried. Maybe he isn't the same as you after all. “The Serpent, biting its own tail? The endless cycle of life and death?”“Look, man. We all see different shit when we wake up. You saw a big fuckin' snake, I saw Ginen. Hindus look at the same thing and think that shit's a wheel. What's important is that they're the same thing, yeah?”“You don't get it, I was free from the Ouroboros, I could do anything. I turned men to stone, I cold make bullets disappear, I turned into a fucking dragon..!” You can't help an exasperated laugh as you recall everything that occurred. It feels as though mere moments ago, you were omnipotent. You had so much power over the universe, that is suddenly out of your reach. You suddenly feel hollow, like a shell of who you are meant to be, and any mirth that you felt drains from you.“Hey, we all go through that shit, man.” Pocketing his flashlight, Papa Yew pulls his glasses from his face to massage the bridge of his nose. “Look, I ain't ready to give you the lowdown. This is the first time I've ever had to deal with someone fresh as you. I'm gonna need to take you someplace safe, make some calls. You said somethin' about feds tryin' take you away?”“It started with just men in suits from some agency, then there were these armoured soldiers and then... I don't know, a bunch of androids or something? Do they work for the shadow government? The Energy Elite, are they real?”
>>6432780You've been so wrapped up in the mysticism of the whole affair that you briefly forgot about the other conspiracy theories that you've harboured for much of your adult life. Someone had to fund your assailants, with all of the resources that they seemed to have at their disposal. Surely it has to be the shadowy cabal that you've always believed in, the oligarchy responsible for suppressing free energy and keeping the global economy under their thumb.Once again, all you get from Papa Yew is a blank stare.“The fuck you talkin' about? I don't know about no Energy Elite, but if you ever heard of the Illuminati, that shit's real, for sure. Twelve, black hats, New World Order, the Union, whatever the fuck you wanna call 'em, they're real. You wanna call 'em a shadow government or some shit, be my guest.”You knew it had to be real!“But look, man. We gotta get you outta here, but it ain't like I got a car. I take the bus. Best that you leave that blade behind. I got some tricks up my sleeve that might help us avoid the feds, but people are gonna remember a guy like you wanderin' around with somethin' like that.”>Don't go with him. You aren't sure that you trust this guy. He's a little too insistent that you follow him. Even if he doesn't work for the shadow government, his benefactors can't be any better.>Leave Xuanyuan behind. Maybe bury it in the shallow grave that you emerged from, that way you know where to get it back from, once things have cooled down and things become safer.>Insist on taking the sword with you. You aren't going to part with your most valuable possession. Perhaps there are ways for you to hide it, but you aren't just going to ditch Xuanyuan.>There isn't any need for you to channel your qi at this point in time. Reserve your energy for a more important situation.>Peer into the future of Xuanyuan. See where the sword shall be up to an hour from now, no matter whether you are planning on leaving it here, or taking it with you. (Matter •• / Time •.)>See if you can somehow transmute the grave soil that stains your clothes into something less conspicuous. People will remember you if you wander around Atlanta, covered in dirt. (Matter ••)>Please choose one option from each of the two groups.
>>6432781>Insist on taking the sword with you. You aren't going to part with your most valuable possession. Perhaps there are ways for you to hide it, but you aren't just going to ditch Xuanyuan.No way are we ditching the cool magic sword we summoned.>There isn't any need for you to channel your qi at this point in time. Reserve your energy for a more important situation.Might as well if we take the sword.
>>6432781>>Insist on taking the sword with you. You aren't going to part with your most valuable possession. Perhaps there are ways for you to hide it, but you aren't just going to ditch Xuanyuan.The sword is all.>There isn't any need for you to channel your qi at this point in time. Reserve your energy for a more important situation.Fugu don't need magic to have a shower.
>>6432781>>>Insist on taking the sword with you. You aren't going to part with your most valuable possession. Perhaps there are ways for you to hide it, but you aren't just going to ditch Xuanyuan.>>There isn't any need for you to channel your qi at this point in time. Reserve your energy for a more important situation.
>>6432781>>Insist on taking the sword with you. You aren't going to part with your most valuable possession. Perhaps there are ways for you to hide it, but you aren't just going to ditch Xuanyuan.>See if you can somehow transmute the grave soil that stains your clothes into something less conspicuous. People will remember you if you wander around Atlanta, covered in dirt. (Matter ••)The sword could be excused as a prop, but the dirt will make us conspicuous, and we can no longer go home to change or shower.
>>6432815+1I like the prop idea and taking off all the dirt. We can also say we bought it online or something, maybe a trade from FB Marketplace
>>6432815You got the right idea +1 We can maybe make a spell of Matter or Matter + Time that allows us to transform it between its true form and that of an umbrella or briefcase or something. But not right now, we foolishly neglected to harvest the quintessence at the graveyard nexus/ley line/locus/can't remember what it's called in Mage
>You're taking the sword with you but it's a tie between not casting anything and using Matter •• to clean yourself up. I'll wait roughly two hours for a tie-breaker, before I roll for it.
>>6432939I'll cast the tie breaking vote: we clean ourselves up. We need to be sneaky and the sword is conspicious enough. We do not need more wierdness indicators.
“There's no way I'm leaving this behind. It's all that I've got left from that moment.” You're not sure what the right word for it is. If the word for what you are is Awakened, then maybe you should consider it your Awakening. No matter what the correct nomenclature is, you're not letting go of Xuanyuan. “If you want me to come with you, the sword's coming too.”“Fuckin'... All it's gonna take is for the feds to ask some asshole if they've seen a weird motherfucker with a sword and they're gonna be right on your ass, you know that, right?”“Relax, we can always try and cover it with something.” You're not going to budge on this. “Besides, I can clean myself up before we head out. That way, I'll get less looks from people.” Already, you are preparing to clear your mind, so that you might channel your qi to leave your body and flow into the filth that stains your garments. You shall will your vital energy to change the matter that it has joined with, so that it may become something else. All you need is the clarity to accomplish such a feat.“Hey, what the fuck do you think you're doin'?”“Getting rid of this dirt,” you retort, closing your eyes and shifting your posture. Once more, you aim to empty your mind through dantian breathing and through wu wei, you shall influence the world around you. Of course, you're trying to block out Papa Yew's babbling at the same time, which makes the process a little harder, but it shouldn't be too difficult.>I want three rolls of dice+1d100 and I will accept the highest roll out of the three rolls. You will need to roll 60 or higher in order to succeed at this task. The higher you roll above the target number, the better the outcome.>Each roller may choose to say “Spend Quintessence,” in order to spend 1 point of Quintessence and decrease the target number of the roll by 4. For example, if two out of three rollers say “Spend Quintessence,” 2 points of Quintessence are spent and the target number is decreased by 8. You have 1 point of Quintessence that you may spend.
Rolled 35 (1d100)>>6432993
Rolled 50 (1d100)>>6432993
Rolled 24 (1d100)>>6432993
>>6433010>>6433013>>6433052...It's been a long day for Henry.
>>6433082NATIONAL TRAGEDY: White boy can't take a break
>>6433084White boy can't have NO motion round here smgdh
Rolled 2 (1d4)>Paradox is a penalty that you will accumulate by failing to cast magic and by trying to cast vulgar magic.>Vulgar magic is any magic that defies any sort of rational explanation. Imagine a theoretical person, who only harbours the most commonly held beliefs about the world. Imagine that they are always observing you, whenever you are casting any sort of magic.>If that theoretical person would be able to explain what they're seeing as a coincidence or some sort of rational event, the magic counts as coincidental. If they would be unable to reconcile what they are seeing with their beliefs and it violates the world as most people understand it, the magic counts as vulgar.>If no ordinary people are around to witness your vulgar magic, it counts as vulgar magic without witnesses. If there is at least one normal person present to witness your vulgar magic, it counts as vulgar magic with witnesses.>Every time that you fail to cast any sort of magic at all, you will accumulate 1 Paradox.>Every time that a roller fails to meet the target number of a roll to cast vulgar magic without witnesses, you will accumulate 1 Paradox.>Every time that a roller fails to meet the target number of a roll to cast vulgar magic with witnesses, you will accumulate 2 Paradox. Additionally, no matter whether the effect succeeds or fails, vulgar magic with witnesses will always accumulate 1 Paradox.When I provide options, I will not tell you if an option is coincidental or vulgar. That is for you to figure out. Sometimes, techniques and instruments can be used to disguise vulgar magic and make it appear coincidental, but there are some uses of magic that are always vulgar, no matter what. You are always free to provide write-ins, if you think it is possible to make a seemingly vulgar use of magic more coincidental.In this case, this was an instance of vulgar magic with no witnesses. Three separate rollers failed to meet the target number of the roll and you failed to cast the effect in any shape or form. This means that you have accumulated 4 Paradox and you currently have 4 Paradox.Accumulated Paradox is harmless on its own. However, I may trigger Paradox backlash at any point. When I trigger Paradox backlash, I will roll a die with a number of faces equal to your accumulated Paradox. You will lose an amount of accumulated Paradox equal to the number that I roll, but the higher that number is, the more severe the outcome of the Paradox backlash.I am triggering Paradox backlash now.
>>6433119Ah paradox. God/The One's immune system. The duct tape holding reality together. The magic police. The demons who will take you to prison dimensions. The spirits whose only job is to punish the blatant. In short, the one thing keeping mages from becoming god-kings is why so many mages die before achieving their potential. This is why you need Prime. Without Prime, you can't even sense paradox, the reason the technocracy is so desperate to stay on top, let alone do something about it. Once you get Prime 4 and 5, then you can actually start erasing it. Prime arch spheres will even let you erase Permanent paradox.
>>6433120Now, why does Paradox exist and punish mages so harshly? Because if mages are given an inch, they will take everything from reality and mug it as Joe Chill did to Bruce Wayne's parents. This is not a joke. Look up the Ritual of the Red Sign; it could allow a powerful enough mage to undo the curse of Cain, turn a kinfolk into a garou, or even turn a garou into a normal human, the rite of turning vampires into furniture, or the spell of Horizon Realm creation / Birth of the Caul. Mages can frack the essence of the universe to create personalized hells/heaven realms.
>The effects of Paradox backlash last for a number of updates equal to the number that I roll, or if the backlash is particularly severe, until I say otherwise.>Whenever you roll, you will be limited to rolling dice+1d90 instead of dice+1d100. This backlash shall last for two updates.>You have discharged 2 Paradox. You currently have 2 Paradox remaining.Your mind violently rebels against your efforts to empty it. As you force all of the thoughts out of your head, it's as though you accidentally bring down a load-bearing wall in the process. The weight of your skull comes crashing down on your brain and all you can feel is a terrible stabbing pain. The passage of time causes the sensation to soften into a broader pressure that encompasses the entirety of your mind – a vicious migraine. All you can do is double over and clutch your head with a free hand and a sob of agony.“Fuck, man! I tried to fuckin' warn you, you can't just go around doin' shit like that!” To his credit, Papa Yew reaches down to support your weight with his own, until you're able to regain your balance. “The shit that we do, it takes a toll. The lwa ain't fond of fools who take their gifts for granted.”“Lwa? Isn't that... vodou? Y-you... You don't sound Haitian...” With a groan, you stagger away from him and stand upright on your own two legs, though you still clutch your head with your free hand. It feels like someone struck it with a hammer.“Man, you're a fuckin' white boy pretending to be Jackie Chan. You don't get to say shit about me.” Those are the last words that Papa Yew offers you for a while, while he leads you through the cemetery. The two of you stop by a shed full of gardening tools near the edge of the graveyard, in which your guide discards his fleece and grabs some tarpaulin, which you wrap around your sword. Even covered by the tarp, Xuanyuan is still very conspicuous.The pain has subsided to the point where you're no longer staggering after Papa Yew, though you are concerned by the fact that he has led you to the edge of the cemetery, out of the darkness and into the glow of street lights. Thankfully, it seems like a quiet road, with no signs of life so far. The heavyset groundskeeper turns towards you and draws the bottle of booze from his pocket. It's Cruzan 9, half-empty and with what looks like chilli peppers floating about in the rum.“You can melt my face off with that?” You can't keep the incredulity out of your voice.“At the risk of the same shit that you're goin' through right now, yeah. Don't worry though, I ain't plannin' on that. Just stay still while I work, I gotta do this right.” Unscrewing the lid, Papa Yew pours a little of the spiced rum over his other hand, letting it splash over his fat fingers. It's his turn to gather his focus as he rubs the alcohol into his brow, murmuring a prayer of sorts as he does so.
“Now listen, Kouzen Nibo. I've spent this night and many others watchin' over the dead, for all you Gede. I ask a favour for all that service – give us your protection. I promise you all that's left in this here bottle, if you see to it that we don't die 'fore our time, at least tonight. You hold up your end of the bargain, Kouzen, and I'll hold up mine. This, I swear, on my soul.”As the prayer goes on, Papa Yew moves his fingers from his face to yours, marking your forehead with the same booze. The pepper-infused rum stings your skin, but you manage to keep yourself from flinching away from his touch. Unfortunately, as far as you can tell, nothing happened. There's no sign that you're protected by anyone or anything, let alone whatever spirit Papa Yew was talking to. However, he seems satisfied with the ritual, as he's already screwing the lid back on that rum and leading the way down the street.“Wait – was that it?”“Yeah, man. You gotta have faith in the spirits. They ain't gonna take it kindly if you question 'em.”“I'm just saying, how do you know we're protected at all? Nothing happened.”“Listen, I swore my soul on this. That shit's heavy, so Gede Nibo knows that this is serious. He ain't gonna let us come to harm. Just make sure that I don't end up breakin' this fucking bottle, 'cause it's my ass on the line I don't get this rum to him by dawn.”“So, what, you'll die if this goes wrong?”“Might be able to bargain with the Gede to keep my soul, but I'd lose all of their trust and be in their debt. I'd end up as one of Nibo's horses for a year or some shit. So don't fuck this up for me.”You still don't know how he can be so confident. Whoever this Nibo is, you didn't hear him respond, nor was there any sign of any supernatural occurrence. It's just like you said – nothing happened. You can't help but wonder, for the briefest of moments, whether Papa Yew is actually like you, or just a little mentally ill.To make matters worse, the groundskeeper is leading you out of that empty side-street and towards a busier road. There are actually people driving along it, who might potentially see you. All it would take is for a cop to come down the road and you'd end up back in the clutches of the shadow government again, thrown into the back of a van, never to be seen again. Are you willing to risk that?>Ask for a detour. You want to pick up some stuff from your own place – you prepared a few things in case the shadow government ever came for you.>You just want to double-check that everything is going to be okay. Despite Papa Yew's warning, you should peer forward in time. (Time •)>Run off into the night, away from the busy street ahead of you. Fuck this and fuck Papa Yew. You're not risking your skin over his delusions.>Put your faith in the groundskeeper. If he thinks that this is going to work, then you're going to believe him. He's earned that much from you.
>>6433161>Put your faith in the groundskeeper. If he thinks that this is going to work, then you're going to believe him. He's earned that much from you.For some reason we saw in the future that the bottle was like corrosive acid, no need to doubt the man now
>>6433161>Put your faith in the groundskeeper. If he thinks that this is going to work, then you're going to believe him. He's earned that much from you.I trust him with my life.
>>6433161>>Put your faith in the groundskeeper. If he thinks that this is going to work, then you're going to believe him. He's earned that much from you.
If Papa Yew insists that this is going to work, then you're going to trust him. You can't lie, you're more than a little tense, but he's putting a lot on the line to get you somewhere safe. Besides, you saw what he's capable of in your visions of the future. You're pretty sure that he's capable of transcending the limits of mankind, just like you.Even if he accomplishes that by talking to his ancestral spirits or something, instead of achieving focus and harmony through xingyiquan and qigong. It's a primitive method, but if it works, maybe you shouldn't question it.The street lights flicker erratically as you walk out onto Memorial Drive. There's plenty of cars barrelling eastward, though there aren't many going in the other direction. It's getting late – exactly fifty-three minutes until midnight, according to your preternatural grasp on time. Anyone who wanted to have a good night Downtown is probably there already, while the people coming from that direction are probably heading home after a long day in the office or just a couple of hours in the club.Yet for a brief moment, the road clears entirely. There's no sign of anyone coming from either direction, so you take the opportunity to cross. Once you've arrived on the other side of the road, the street light dims before it cuts out entirely, leaving the two of you in a patch of darkness.“Stay cool,” Papa Yew insists. “Kouzen's workin' his magic.”Traffic soon resumes, with cars rushing past you and briefly illuminating you with their headlights. Above you, the lights cut out moments before you walk beneath them, shrouding the two of you in shadow. Shortly after you've moved on, once you're an inconspicuous distance away, they flicker back on. After only a couple of minutes of walking, the two of you arrive at the bench by a bus stop. With a groan, Papa Yew throws his weight back against it, the wood creaking beneath him yet refusing to give way. Unlike you, he's at ease.Even when you spot the silhouette of a patrol car coming from the east, cruising towards you.“Shit,” you mutter. “Hey. Hey, there's cops coming. We've got to move, they're going to – ”Before you can say anything else, you notice that a car going in the other direction has drifted further and further towards the middle of the road, to the point where it's gone over the line. Only the blaring of the cruiser's horn causes the drunk driver to swerve back into his lane and avoid crashing into the cop car.As you'd expect, the emergency lights on the cruiser immediately start to flash and the siren starts to wail, as the police maneuvers to give chase after the idiot, driving off in the other direction long before they're able to catch you in their headlights.And a second later, the bus you were waiting for pulls up with a hiss of its hydraulics.
“Well shit, if I knew it was gonna be here this soon, I wouldn't have sat down.” Papa Yew sounds a little too smug for his own good, but you suppose that he deserves it, if he's somehow responsible for this auspicious series of events.A crumpled five-dollar bill pulled from his pocket pays the fare for both of you. You earn a couple of strange looks from the other passengers – after all, you're a white guy straight out of the office, covered in dirt and taking the bus in the middle of night, holding something long, hard and suspicious hidden underneath a tarp. You're more than a little unusual. Fortunately, they know to mind their own business and leave you alone, while Papa Yew leads the way to the back of the bus.“Just gotta send some folks some shit, you'll get to meet 'em tomorrow. It's a bit fuckin' late for a powwow.” True to his word, he pulls a battered old cell phone from his pocket and begins to tap away on it. Your own is long gone, left behind at your old workplace.“You got anythin' you wanna ask, now's a good time, but make it quick and keep it quiet, got it? We're gettin' enough looks as it is and we've gotta get off in ten minutes, maybe less. Traffic's gonna clear soon as we turn into Glenwood.”>You want to know how he did that. The street lights turning off, the drunk driver distracting the cops, the bus arriving just on time – it was all way too convenient to be chance alone.>Ask about the shadow government. It's best that you learn more about your pursuers and exactly who you're dealing with, and if they're going to keep on hunting you no matter what.>Inquire about the people who he's talking to. If you're going to meet them, you want to know who they are and if you can trust them before a face-to-face encounter.>You have to learn more about what it means to be Awakened. At the very least, you want to know why you got a splitting headache when all you were doing was trying to meditate.>No need to say anything. With your sword and your soiled clothes, you're already a little too conspicuous. You don't want to attract even more attention by talking about crazy shit in public.
>>6433261>>You have to learn more about what it means to be Awakened. At the very least, you want to know why you got a splitting headache when all you were doing was trying to meditate.Let's sync player knowledge with MC knowledge. We're going to have to be careful about choosing when to use magic, it seems. Best to be prepared and aware.
>>6433261>You have to learn more about what it means to be Awakened. At the very least, you want to know why you got a splitting headache when all you were doing was trying to meditate
>>6433261>You have to learn more about what it means to be Awakened. At the very least, you want to know why you got a splitting headache when all you were doing was trying to meditate.I really want to learn some lore.
>>6433261>Ask about the shadow government. It's best that you learn more about your pursuers and exactly who you're dealing with, and if they're going to keep on hunting you no matter what.Missed the vote, I would have elected to go home and get some stuff and see how well the protection spell worked. Presumably they'd be watching our house, but maybe there'd be a way to sneak in?
“So, we're both Awakened. Does that mean that I was asleep before today or something? What made us so special that we got to wake up, while everyone else is...” Mundane. Banal. Trite. After you witnessed the majesty of the Ouroboros, the life that you led before that moment seems so drab in comparison, an amateur's pencil sketch next to a Picasso. You struggle not to feel the same way about everyone else on the bus, everyone else in Atlanta. Next to you and Papa Yew, they're nothing.“They're asleep too, Fugu. Ain't nothin' special about us. All they need is the right push, and they can all wake up just like we did. It's a deep sleep though, you get me?” His fat fingers flick across the screen of the phone that he's hunched over. “They all wanna live in this fake fuckin' world that's been made for 'em. They've gotta wanna break free from that shit before they've got any chance of wakin' up, but it's easier for most of 'em to go through the motions than it is for 'em to open their fuckin' eyes.”“Right.” You're not sure how you feel about that. On one hand, it puts a dampener on the idea that you're special, that you're above the rest of mankind. On the other hand, you were ready to Awaken, unlike the rest of the sheep who are content to remain Sleepers. You glance around the rest of the bus, for any sign that anyone's eavesdropping. No one's looking in your direction, but you keep your voice down anyway.“So... What happened back there? I tried to cultivate my energy, like I've done before, but something went wrong. All I got out of it was pain. My head's still killing me.” You're not going to use any big words. Papa Yew likely knows less about qigong than you know about vodou, and you barely know a thing on the subject. “See, the rest of the world might be sleepin', but they can still dream. It's that fuckin' dream that we're livin' in, that shapes the whole world way more than you or me ever could. So you gotta follow their rules. No doin'... whatever the fuck you were gonna do, unless you think it's worth the risk. You keep on usin' that Jackie Chan shit to wipe your ass, and you're gonna end up shittin' your guts out.”In other words, you shouldn't expend your qi on frivolous pursuits. It is a precious thing that you should use carefully, and reserve for dire situations. The more that your actions contradict the dream of the Sleepers, the more you will pay for your transgressions.“So, that prayer to... Nibo. You didn't seem to suffer for that.”“Nah, man. What rules did I break? Far as the dream knows, I just said some fuckin' words to thin air, rubbed some booze on you and me, then some shit happened 'cause we got lucky. That's the thing, man, you can trick the dream. You just gotta fuckin'... pantomime that shit, you get what I'm sayin'?”
So... If you went through the motions of trying to clean your clothes and used your vital energy to transmute that dirt into something else in the process, then the dream would have been far less pissed off with you than it was when you simply tried to will it into becoming another substance. Your deeds must make sense to anyone who happens to perceive them, even if there are no onlookers at all. You think that you get it now.“We're not the same though. You ask your spirits to do things for you, but I manipulate my vital energy in order to see or change things. If we're both Awakened, why are we so... different?”“Gonna be honest, Fugu, fuck if I know and fuck if I care. Maybe you've got some freaky fuckin' Chinaman as an ancestor and you can only do this shit 'cause his spirit's watchin' over you, I don't fuckin' know. All that matters is that you can do the shit that you do and I can do the shit that I do. It's all real and we'd just end up hurtin' our fuckin' heads by thinkin' too much about it. C'mon, we're gettin' off.”Even if it wasn't time for you to disembark, you get the feeling that Papa Yew has run out of tolerance for your questions. Without asking anything else, you follow him off of the bus and into the night, off of Glenwood Avenue and towards a nearby apartment block. Though the exterior of the building is relatively modern, the inside is already dingy and in a state of disrepair. Unfortunately, even the flickering lights, discarded trash and stickiness of the floor are not enough to prepare you for Papa Yew's apartment.It's a mad house. Colourful beads hang off of everything in the apartment, granting it a kaleidoscopic appearance. There's heaps of candles, cigars and animal bones strewn over every surface, along with numerous half-empty bottles of rum and perfume. Embroidered flags decorated with sequins are draped over every wall. Strange, animalistic sounds come from a large cube sitting in the middle of the floor, covered by a black sheet. As for the smell, it's heady, to say the least. As soon as the door opened, all of the mingling scents hit you like a truck. The odour is almost impossible to describe.“Gonna have to text the cemetery in the morning, say I had some sort of emergency. They ain't gonna be happy, but this shit comes first.” Papa Yew then jabs a fat finger in your direction. “Got just one ground rule, don't touch my shit. You're just stayin' here for the night, so there's no need to fuck with my crib. Just sit your ass on the couch and get some shut-eye. I've gotta give that rum to Kouzen Nibo, but you fuck with anythin', I'll know, got it?”
“I got it the first time, thanks.” You try not to sound too snide. In the end, you're grateful that this man, almost a complete stranger, is guiding you into the world of the Awakened. You could do a better job of showing that. Before you can say anything else, the fat figure of Papa Yew shuffles into his bedroom to perform the necessary rites, leaving you on your own.>Attune yourself to the internal qi of the life that can be found in this apartment block. If agents of the shadow government show up in the middle of the night, you want to be ready for them. (Life •.)>Pocket a few bottles of perfume, hopefully nothing that Papa Yew will miss. Some of this stuff is pretty valuable and if you can't go back home, you might need to pawn it for some cash. >Empty your mind and sense the presence of any ambient or solidified qi. All of these shrines must encourage the accumulation of mystical energy. Perhaps you can claim it for yourself. (Prime •.)>Inspect the covered cube and whatever can be found beneath it. You're a little scared off whatever is hidden under the cloth, though you can't imagine what sort of pet Papa Yew might keep.>Peer forward in time and witness what fate might befall this place in the next hour. You're still not certain that you trust Papa Yew entirely, so you want to see for yourself whether you're safe. (Time •.)>Sit down, shut up, behave yourself and go the fuck to sleep. The couch looks a bit stained and stinks of Papa Yew's sweat, but it's better than whatever the shadow government had in mind for you.
>>6433332>Sit down, shut up, behave yourself and go the fuck to sleep. The couch looks a bit stained and stinks of Papa Yew's sweat, but it's better than whatever the shadow government had in mind for you.
>>6433332>Sit down, shut up, behave yourself and go the fuck to sleep. The couch looks a bit stained and stinks of Papa Yew's sweat, but it's better than whatever the shadow government had in mind for you.If Yew wanted to cause us harm, we well saw that he's capable of it. And he's really gone out on a limb helping us like this. The least we can do is respect his wishes.Plus, today has been a day of revelations and ...excitement..., and we have to be exhausted.
>>6433360Yew reminds me of Samuel L. Jackson in Die Hard... 3? Impatient and crabby but still saving our clueless ass backwards and forwards because it's the right thing to do. I'm hoping we get invited into the cabal (I think the term for a group of mages, can't recall atm) - there'll probably be someone in his crew that Fugu can actually catch a vibe with, even if he is kind of an antisocial autist a lot of the time. I suspect as he acclimates to being Awakened he will be able to shed some of that ego, seems he is already having to reckon with how little he actually knew and how little he knows now, right down to pronouncing his own mage name. Conspiracy theories tend to make people feel like the smartest person in the room, so getting humbled a little will probably round out these rough edges. I think it'd be cool if Henry opens a dojo not even just as a front but honestly just to try finding a real inner balance with some yoga and shit, not YouTube slop. But maybe he could find a new job as a contractor instead, fixing clogged pipes by making small material adjustments that won't agitate any Sleepers around him.
Honestly, you are exhausted. It's been a long day, considering everything that has happened to you. Even if this new body of yours only came into being an hour or so ago when you manifested in that cemetery, it has still inherited all of the exhaustion that you accumulated throughout the day. Travelling through the dragon veins for hours on end, fighting for your life against the minions of oligarchy, and even spending half a day in the office has been more than enough to wear you out.Your cushions of the couch are unpleasantly soft. As soon as you've sat down, you sink into them as though you just made the mistake of planting your backside in quicksand. The purple velvet, stained and stinking, almost threatens to engulf you. You don't want to think about how difficult it'll be to get back up in the morning, because right now, all you want to do is sleep.It doesn't take long for you to become accustomed to the softness and descend into slumber. Before Papa Yew finishes his ritual and returns, you've already fallen fast asleep. Yet even as your body rests, your mind remains Awake.You find yourself there again, standing on the hide of the Serpent that is everything. From this angle, all you can see is that vast river of shining scales, trailing off into the infinite void. Though you long to view the Ouroboros in its entirety again, such a feat is now beyond you. The mere thought of taking a single step saps all of the strength from your dream-self.At least you're not alone, for Cleopatra floats before you. Her white robe still billows about her homely figure and her fingers are still stained with all manner of reagents.“I see that you have embraced change. You have become.”“I have Awoken,” you confirm, just to see how she reacts. She doesn't. Her expression remains sombre and resigned.“It was inevitable. So begins your journey towards stasis.”“I thought that stasis was impossible?”“It is. That has never stopped us from trying to reach it.”This time, the words do not come from Cleopatra, but from another woman, just as plain and soft-bodied. Her black hair has been coiled into small buns, a loose brown robe hangs from her body and any beauty that she once had has been ruined by burn scars. You know her name – Sun Bu'er.“Why? The people that we fought, weren't they agents of stasis? Why do we fight for the same goal as them?”“What else does the Serpent have to offer that is worth seeking?”These words come from a severe Persian man with an unkempt black beard, dressed in flowing robes and with a turban coiled about his head. He is none other than Abu Bakr al-Razi.“What form does stasis take, that we have all sought, in one form or another?”“Immortality.”
“That is what you shall seek, as we did.”“With each step that you take in the pursuit of eternal life, your talents shall expand.”“Yet you will fail, as we did.”Every sentence comes from a new figure, a previous incarnation of your soul.“Isn't this endless cycle of failure its own form of stasis?” There is no answer, only a solemn stare from each reflection of your self. “What am I supposed to do, to try and achieve immortality?”“Through chrysopoeia, produce gold. Through annihilation, produce aether. Barakah. Prana. Qi. Mana. Quintessence.”So many words for the same thing, uttered by so many mouths. How many lives have you lived?“What does any of that have to do with living forever?”“It is but a single step. The caterpillar does not know the butterfly that it will become with the first bite that it takes. It simply does what its nature demands.”A part of you yearns to defy these prior incarnations of yours. Nothing triggers your oppositional defiance like the insistence of inevitability. However, they aren't asking for anything that is particularly concerning – the use of alchemy to create gold and qi doesn't sound very malign or suspicious. What do you have to lose by doing such a thing, especially if it's the first step down the road to eternal life?>Prioritise this assignment. You should follow the instructions of your past selves, if it will lead to the expansion of your talents.>Keep it in mind, but you have more important things to take care of. Meeting the other Awakened of Atlanta comes first.>Put no effort into pursuing this goal. If you happen to fulfil the wishes of these ghosts, so be it, but it will be purely coincidental.>Refuse to do their bidding in any shape or form. Fuck them, you won't do what they tell you to. If that means denying power, so be it.
>>6433495>Keep it in mind, but you have more important things to take care of. Meeting the other Awakened of Atlanta comes first.>Put no effort into pursuing this goal. If you happen to fulfil the wishes of these ghosts, so be it, but it will be purely coincidental.>"What it is, shall be, and I'll leave it at that"Fuck you, me, you can't tell me-me what to do
>>6433495>Keep it in mind, but you have more important things to take care of. Meeting the other Awakened of Atlanta comes first.Reminds me so much of Red Lion, great alchemical book by a Hungarian lady that lives through WWII (you would like it, QM). I feel Henry is a regression, low in karma or what have you, and so I imagine him being a bit more self interested and slow to eventually approach The Great Work. I also think we will need friends if we're going to survive and proceed.
>>6433495>>Put no effort into pursuing this goal. If you happen to fulfil the wishes of these ghosts, so be it, but it will be purely coincidental.Eternal life is overrated anyway, even if it was achievable.
>>6433500>>6433549Looking back at our earlier vote for Fugu's motivation:>Altruism. You don't do this for yourself, you do this for the people. You yearn to lead the masses down the path to enlightenment, to free them from scarcity and show them how to create limitless energy for themselves.How do we feel about Fugu trying to uplift OTHERS to eternal life, in order to pursue the project in a different way, later? Or eventually investing in perfecting his own form so he can help perfect those of others?
>>6433553We'd want to sort out the limitless energy first, I think. That's our first love, and if we ever got to the point that people stopped dying, the population would explode, making resources and energy in extremely high demand.And while we may be altruistic, we're also a mildly paranoid conspiracy theorist. Us being proven right about the conspiracies will likely make us unbearably smug for a while (once the shock wears off), but the root personality that drove us into that mindset will creep back in eventually.
>>6433495>Prioritise this assignment. You should follow the instructions of your past selves, if it will lead to the expansion of your talents.The ghosts have helped us out so far. Also even not getting to immortality but most of the way there will still be useful.
>>6433495>>Prioritise this assignment. You should follow the instructions of your past selves, if it will lead to the expansion of your talents.Objective: Survive.Also, hopefully, learn about the Nephandi. They are my favorite "dark" mages.
>>6433765If Mages are orthodox cultivators, then the Nephandi are unorthodox cultivators. Far to many mage fans buy into the anti-nephandi propaganda and rhetoric. Personally, I believe it's because they fear examining their own actions and know that Nephandi are just as human as they are, and they cut into their own recruitment numbers.
>So we've got one vote for both "keep it in mind" and "put no effort into it," one vote each for "keep it in mind" and "put no effort into it," and two votes for "prioritise this assignment.">I consider this a bit of a tie, so I'll wait a couple of hours for someone to break it before I roll for it.
>>6433119I have a question about this.. what if you do a vulgar spell infront of someone who isn't awakened but believes, like a skeptic or a philosopher?
>>6433901believes its normal*
>>6433901>>Put no effort into pursuing this goal. If you happen to fulfil the wishes of these ghosts, so be it, but it will be purely coincidental.
>>6433907I would pick to refuse, but I am an intelligent voter
>>6433901I can answer that. Vulgar magic performed in front of witnesses who believe in magic, i.e. that your type of magic is possible, generates less paradox. It's why so many mages want to start cults: having witnesses who believe you can do what you are attempting makes the attempt easier and can even grant a modified difficulty or auto-successes. >Put no effort into pursuing this goal. If you happen to fulfil the wishes of these ghosts, so be it, but it will be purely coincidental.
Got a question QM. WIll you be doing merits and flaws, or will those come up if the quest lasts?
>>6433910are you like a co-writer? How can you answer this so confidently, you are not the QM (also QM if you are reading this, please get a capcode)
>>6433915Because this game is using a pre-established setting, Mage: The Awakening, from World of Darkness. Maybe it's Ascension, I only know Awakening lore from playing in mixed-template games (which, generally, Mage players suck all the fun out of, usually unintentionally at least). Fugu may not know this stuff in character, but what anon said is true.
>>6433915Because I have read the rule book. The near 700 page long rulebook. I have even read the Mage supplement of How Do You Do That explaining the rules. Mage: The Ascension is famous for how bad its rules are.
>>6433901>A Sleeper who is a true believer, who genuinely believes in the form of magic that you are practising (in the case of Fúgū, someone who places just as much faith as him in waidan, neidan, qigong and wushu) does not count as a witness for the purpose of this quest, though if the magic is vulgar, it remains vulgar.>If there is a large enough group of these true believers present to observe a display of vulgar magic that they believe in, and no Sleepers who do not believe in the magic being performed, then the magic may even count as coincidental instead of vulgar.>Additionally, there are locations where Sleepers are more open to the supernatural occurring, typically due to the beliefs of the Sleepers that frequent those locations. For example, conjuring and communing with the spirits of the dead might be coincidental in a graveyard that is known to be haunted.>Turning vulgar magic into coincidental magic is dependent on where you do it, who you do it in front of, and how you try to dress it up.>For example, if he knew about Paradox at the time, Fúgū could have tried washing or cleaning his clothes with something as he tried to transmute away the dirt. This would have tricked the universe into accepting his magic as coincidental, instead of punishing it for being vulgar.>>6433913>I am adapting and simplifying the system of Mage: the Ascension into a quest-friendly format, that is easier for /qst/ to engage with. There will not be a full character creation process, so no Merits or Flaws, or dots in Attributes or Abilities or Backgrounds.>Fúgū may acquire permanent advantages and disadvantage based on what occurs during the quest, but the only relevant stats are Fúgū's Spheres, Quintessence, Paradox and Health. I will explain how I am handling Health in this quest when it becomes relevant.
>>6433495>Keep it in mind, but you have more important things to take care of. Meeting the other Awakened of Atlanta comes first.Preventing early death by learning about the world as it is now sounds like an important step for what our past selves want too and we can prioritize immortality research later on if we want to. Great quest so far by the way!
Oh man I didn't even know this was an actual game, I just thought the QM was incredibly creative (not to downplay the quest, it's great thus far)
>>6433927Mad science in a supervillain's island lair could be considered vulgar or coincidental with his minions. However, mad science performed in a church in front of those who don't believe in science means it would be vulgar with witnesses and thus generate more paradox. For magic, you have to consider the instruments being used, the setting, the tangentials (the phases of the moon, day of the year, what is the intent behind what is being done, etc...), the Mage's paradigm, what spheres the mage possesses, and the resonance (the residual magic aura that builds up from repetitive or grand displays of magic).
“I guess that this step is inevitable, just like everything else you have told me.”“It is.”“In that case, if everything is predetermined, there's no reason for me to waste energy chasing after immortality. I will take each step when I am meant to, no matter how much effort I put into the process. Let it happen, when it should happen. Let the Serpent turn.”“If that is how you wish to proceed, so be it.”You had hoped that you would earn some sort of reaction from your prior incarnations, by turning their insistence on inevitability and predetermination against them. Instead, they remain indifferent, as resigned and solemn as they were before. It irritates you a little, just how implacable they are.Nevertheless, you mean what you say. You will not actively pursue immortality. If the means of achieving this first step that they speak of happen to fall into your lap, then you will make use of them. All you know is that you not go out of your way to make the wishes of these ghosts a reality. You have not Awoken from the tedium of one machine, just become a cog in another. You are your own man. You are Henry Cobbledick – you are Fúgū.With that innermost declaration, the apparitions fade along with the scales of the Serpent. The void engulfs everything, leaving you adrift in the oblivion of a dreamless sleep, until wakefulness finds you.“Man, you sleep like a fuckin' log.”With a groan, you push yourself up from where you lie. Though the couch fights against you every step of the way, you manage to sit up and open your eyes. Faint light pours in through the window and into the gaudy apartment of Papa Yew. Dawn has arrived, if only just. Whatever lives in the covered cube that's sitting in the middle of the floor, it's quietly clucking and crooning to himself.“What time is it..?”“Just went six. Get this shit down you, we got company comin' in twenty to pick you up.”Papa Yew chucks something on the cushion of the couch beside you. It's a bottle of water, along with a bowl made of cheap black plastic, sealed with a transparent lid. A double hash brown waits for you inside of the container, smothered, covered, chunked and diced.God bless Waffle House.Without hesitation, you tuck into the gooey mess of shredded potato, sautéed onion, smoky ham, diced tomatoes and American cheese, washing it down with the bottled water. After everything that you've gone through since you last ate, it might just be the best thing that you've ever tasted. You sit in silence with Papa Yew, who is busy demolishing an even larger bowl of breakfast slop. It's a moment of peace, during which you don't have to deal with his cussing and he doesn't have to deal with your questions. It's a chance for the two of you to share an unspoken appreciation for the simple things in life.
Before five minutes have passed, you've both finished and the peace has passed, as another order is barked at you.“Go get yourself cleaned up, you still look like a fuckin' mess.”“Yeah, whatever. Thanks for the food.”There's not much that you can do to tidy yourself up, all things considered. It's not like you have a change of clothes and while they're that filthy, it's not really worth showering. You splash your face with some water and scrub away the grime, you rinse your teeth with mouthwash and you spray yourself down with enough deodorant to hopefully mask any odour. You consider shaving away the patchy stubble that you've sprouted, but you decide against it. All the while, you never let Xuanyuan leave your sight. It's the only precious thing that you have left in your life.By the time that you've done, you only have five minutes left before 'company' is due to arrive. Papa Yew's too busy tending to the shrines scattered throughout the apartment to pay you much attention, though he does pause every minute or so to peer out of the window, for any sign of his guests. All you can do is sit back and finish that bottle of water, while you wait.The last thing that you expect is for the air near the front door to fizz angrily, only to suddenly split into a yawning gateway, crackling with energy.Papa Yew cries out and staggers away from the window that he was staring out of. You haul yourself to your feet and draw your sword from its scabbard, as quickly as you are able. You almost cut yourself in the process – you have no practice when it comes to wielding such a blade.Fortunately, it is not a squad of soldiers spitting plasma and lightning who march out of that portal. Instead, it is but a middle-aged man, dressed in the distinctive white suit of a Southern gentleman. His right eye is sharp and blue while his left is cloudy and blind, surrounded by a lattice of purple scarring. A head full of greying hair is slicked back away from his weathered face, while a drooping moustache of the same hue hangs beneath his bulbous nose and over his mouth. In his right hand, he wields a heavy cane hewn from hickory. His left remains free and outstretched, fingertips still faintly glowing with arcane light.“What the fuck, man?! I thought you were gettin' your fuckin' butler to drive you here or some shit!”“I did not believe that we had the time for that, nor do I believe that we can afford to be so blatant at this juncture.” The stranger speaks with a noticeable drawl, though it isn't strong enough for you to consider him a full-blown stereotype. He doesn't spare Papa Yew a glance, instead turning his attention towards you and stretching his hand out. “Ptolemy Lux bani Flambeau, at your service, sir. You must be this Fugu fellow that my associate here spoke of?”
You realise that your sword is still drawn and that your posture is still guarded. Can you afford to relax around this man? There's also the matter of Papa Yew, who looks like he was on the verge of a heart attack thanks to Ptolemy's sudden arrival.>You're pleased to make his acquaintance. Give him all of the respect that he has given you, and more. To shatter space like that, he must be a particularly powerful Awakened.>It's good to meet him. Shake his hand, but leave it at that. You can be civil but you're not going to debase yourself. After all, you are Awakened, just like him.>Ask for a warning next time. You were just as alarmed by his sudden arrival as Papa Yew was. You were mere moments away from stabbing the guy.>Demand an apology for Papa Yew. The man has put his life on the line for you, given you shelter, and even brought you breakfast. The least that Ptolemy can do is say sorry to him.>Keep your sword ready. He wields the same techniques as the agents of oligarchy. You aren't going to let your guard down until you are assured that you can trust him.
>>6434017>It's good to meet him. Shake his hand, but leave it at that. You can be civil but you're not going to debase yourself. After all, you are Awakened, just like him.
>>6434017>It's good to meet him. Shake his hand, but leave it at that. You can be civil but you're not going to debase yourself. After all, you are Awakened, just like him.Be polite, be efficient, have a plan to kill everyone you meet.
>>6434017>>It's good to meet him. Shake his hand, but leave it at that. You can be civil but you're not going to debase yourself. After all, you are Awakened, just like him.We are so very out of our depth still. But that's no reason to go bowing and scraping. For all we know, acting subservient might have some weird interaction with our powers.
You sheath your sword. It takes more than a few seconds, to clumsily slide Xuanyuan back into its scabbard. Once again, you nearly cut yourself in the process. You really need some practice with it.“It's Fúgū, but uh, likewise. It's good to meet you, Ptolemy.”Your hand shakes his. While his grasp is firm, yours is somewhat clammy. Nevertheless, the gentleman doesn't show any sign of being unimpressed with you. Instead, the greying mystic merely smiles as he withdraws his hand. It join his other, on top of that heavy cane that he rests his weight upon.“I would prefer if you made good use of my title of magister, but I do suppose that you are yet to learn of my order, let alone become a part of it.” His attention swivels towards Papa Yew and his eyes lose all trace of the kindness that he regarded you with. “I take it that you have not informed the fellow of all that much?”“Nah, man. What was I supposed to do, stay awake all fuckin' night, showin' him the ropes? Fucker needed some shut-eye so I let him have it.”You can sense a little animosity between the two of them. Papa Yew might be showing Ptolemy the same amount of respect that he gave you, but the greying gentleman seems far less tolerant of such behaviour than you are.“It had been a long day,” you butt in, in an effort to defuse some of the tension. “As soon as I sat down, I couldn't keep my eyes open. Once we get to wherever we're going, I'll have plenty of time to learn about being Awakened, right?” Neither of the men seem particularly happy about your interruption, but neither of them criticise you for it either.“As you say, Fú-gū.” Ptolemy attempts to say your new name properly, but judging from the grimace that makes, he isn't very fond of it. “I do suppose that we had better be on our way. We have but a minute before this gate of mine seals itself, so I do suggest that we hurry.”“Whatever,” is Papa Yew's report. “You two have fun on the other side.”“When I say 'we,' I mean the three of us, Yew.” The magister refuses to use any honorific when speaking to the oungan. “I doubt that you were subtle when you were bringing this fellow to your abode. I do believe that the Union shall be here before the day is done and if you are still here when they arrive, that shall be that.”“Fuck off. The lwa took good care of me and Fugu, they made damn sure that the feds ain't got shit on us. He's in your hands now, I've got my own shit to sort out.”
Do you have as much faith in the spirits as Papa Yew does, or would he be safer if he came with you?>Ptolemy is right. The two of you were pretty conspicuous, especially thanks to your soiled clothes and the sword you brought with you, even if it was covered by a tarp. It's safer for Papa Yew if he leaves this place behind.>You want Papa Yew to come along. Not in order to keep him safe, but just so that you aren't left alone with the magister. Ptolemy clearly has a very different perspective, which he may try and compel you to share.>Papa Yew is a grown-ass man. He can look after himself. The fat black cemetery caretaker has faith in his own abilities, so you should have some faith in them too. He doesn't need either of you to protect him.>Stay out of this. This is an argument that doesn't involve you. Papa Yew will think of you as a condescending asshole no matter what side you take, while Ptolemy might not appreciate you stepping out of line.
>>6434265>You want Papa Yew to come along. Not in order to keep him safe, but just so that you aren't left alone with the magister. Ptolemy clearly has a very different perspective, which he may try and compel you to share.
>>6434265>>Stay out of this. This is an argument that doesn't involve you. Papa Yew will think of you as a condescending asshole no matter what side you take, while Ptolemy might not appreciate you stepping out of line.I like Yew, and would appreciate his perspective in addition to what Ptolemy will have to say, but the whole point of the peppered rum thing was to minimize our profile on the way here. Plus, he's already done plenty for us, and it's obvious that he doesn't want to come along right now.
>>6434265>>You want Papa Yew to come along. Not in order to keep him safe, but just so that you aren't left alone with the magister. Ptolemy clearly has a very different perspective, which he may try and compel you to share.Fuck the hermetics. Actual Lucifer taught their founder, Hermes, as a tactic to try to deal with the Earth-Bound situation.
>>6434271>>>Stay out of this. This is an argument that doesn't involve you. Papa Yew will think of you as a condescending asshole no matter what side you take, while Ptolemy might not appreciate you stepping out of line.>>6434272Good point.Swtiching sides.>>Stay out of this. This is an argument that doesn't involve you. Papa Yew will think of you as a condescending asshole no matter what side you take, while Ptolemy might not appreciate you stepping out of line.
>>6434265>Stay out of this. This is an argument that doesn't involve you. Papa Yew will think of you as a condescending asshole no matter what side you take, while Ptolemy might not appreciate you stepping out of line.
You remain silent. Papa Yew's a big boy, he can take care of himself. As for the magister, you're not sure that he would appreciate the interruption.“So be it, Yew. If you do end up in the clutches of the Union, know that I will not come to your rescue. This way, Fúgū. By my reckoning, we have but thirty seconds left before the gate closes, and I will not allow myself to be caught by our adversaries in such a place.”Without another word, Ptolemy Lux turns around and strides through the portal from hence he came. The radiance of the eldritch gate swallows his body whole with an angry hiss.“Go on, get. Just don't let him fuck with your head.”That's as much of a goodbye as you're going to get out of Papa Yew. Regardless, you lift a hand in a gesture of farewell before you turn towards the portal, catching a glimpse of him nodding back at you. You can't afford to hesitate, considering how little time you have left. Putting your faith in the magister, you stride forward into the light and allow it to engulf you, consuming your body and your vision alike.When the light fades, you are elsewhere.Sunlight struggles to shine through the dusty windows of a vast cellar, with bare brick walls and great stone slabs that pave the floor. Many of the bricks and slabs bear symbols smeared on their surfaces with white paint, symbols which belong to a script that you have seen before, but cannot name. You are certain that you saw some of these characters on the hide of the Ouroboros, etched into its scales, yet your memory of your Awakening is already foggy. All that you can remember is the power that you possessed, and how empty you feel now in comparison to then.The arcane gate closes shut behind you, its radiance ceasing to be. You look behind yourself, at the wall where the portal once was. Most of it is bare, though more symbols are painted in a circle that formed the edge of the gate, at least while it was extant. To either side of that eldritch door frame, black candles burn, their blue flames dimming to a more natural orange as the magic fades.More of these candles can be found throughout the cellar, sitting in candelabra. They are the only source of light, other than the windows. The air is surprisingly dry for a chamber mostly buried beneath the earth, though it carries a woody aroma, thanks to all of the ageing books. Bookcases are scattered throughout the basement, stacked with tattered texts and occult paraphernalia. The only other forms of furniture that can be seen are a few antique chairs and a similarly old desk, sat in the middle of the room.“So,” Ptolemy begins as he leads the way towards that desk of his, “you have Awoken. From what I understand, it was quite a traumatic experience for you.” He pulls out one of the chairs, gesturing for you to take a seat. You do so. Though it is cushioned, it is far stiffer and less pillowy than the sweat-stained couch at Papa Yew's.
“Something like that. This... Union that you've mentioned a couple of times, they came to take me away yesterday afternoon, but I Awoke, like you said.”“The mundane details are irrelevant,” the magister replies, pushing in your chair once you've made yourself as comfortable as you can get. He circles around to take his own seat on the other side of the desk, speaking all the while. “I know about the Union, Fúgū. I have no need to hear more about them. What I am more interested in, is the nature of your Awakening. Who, or what, visited you in your time of need? What did you see, when you accepted their aid and followed their lead?”“Speak of us, but not of you. He need not know that you are but our latest incarnation, that you are but another turning of the wheel. Let him believe that we guide you, rather than learn that we are you.”You can feel the breath of Cleopatra as she whispers into your ear, a sensation that almost causes you to shiver. Her stained fingers rest against your shoulders while she waits for you to make your decision, and determine what you shall tell Ptolemy.>The whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Your soul is that of myriad other alchemists who sought immortality and failed, who were consumed by the Serpent and born again.>Leave out the reincarnation, as Cleopatra asks. She is your guide, who seeks to lead you down the road to immortality and who showed you the Ouroboros, in all of its glory.>Focus on what you accomplished during your Awakening and your mastery of qigong, of waidan and neidan. Hopefully this will still be of interest to him, even if it is a distraction.>Make something up. Nikola Tesla came to your aid in your hour of need and showed you the majesty of the Big Bang. Ptolemy needn't know any of the truth.
>>6434488>>Leave out the reincarnation, as Cleopatra asks. She is your guide, who seeks to lead you down the road to immortality and who showed you the Ouroboros, in all of its glory.We're not planning on pursuing the immortality angle anyway, and our "background" isn't relevant to our powers as far as we can tell. If he presses, we can talk about our interest in alchemy and zero-point energy stuff
>>6434488>Leave out the reincarnation, as Cleopatra asks. She is your guide, who seeks to lead you down the road to immortality and who showed you the Ouroboros, in all of its glory.
>>6434488>Leave out the reincarnation, as Cleopatra asks. She is your guide, who seeks to lead you down the road to immortality and who showed you the Ouroboros, in all of its glory.Cleo's been a good guide so far.
>>6434488>>Leave out the reincarnation, as Cleopatra asks. She is your guide, who seeks to lead you down the road to immortality and who showed you the Ouroboros, in all of its glory.Past lives is an actual background in Mage: The Ascension that works as a sort of special dice pool you can roll to see if you have ever encountered or learned of something in a previous life. It can even grant temporary or permanent skills. It works like Legacy for Demon the Fallen.
“When the agents who grabbed me were about to throw me into a van, I... She appeared before me. Some woman who looked like she was straight out of Ancient Rome or something, her fingers stained yellow and purple and black. She didn't even need to introduce herself, I knew her name as soon as I saw her. Cleopatra – not a queen, but an alchemist.”That gets Ptolemy's attention. He leans forward, blue eye and blind eye alike gleaming in the candlelight while he waits for you to continue.“Tread carefully.”“She wants me to live forever. She wants me to use the philosopher's stone to make an elixir of life, just like she did. To help me with this, she showed me... She showed me the Ouroboros, that Serpent that is the One is All. Through it is All, and by it is All, for if it is not All, All is Nothing.” You gulp, your mouth dry as you recall the words burned into your mind during the moment of your Awakening. “Once I had seen it, once I was free from it... I could do anything. Now I am a part of the Serpent again.”“I am grateful for your honesty,” the magister remarks. “You see, though the process might have seemed entirely unique from your perspective, the truth is that it was anything but. Each one of us has a Word, Fúgū, the Avatar of our Will that shapes our perception. Yours is Cleopatra. She was the lens through which you glimpsed the true nature of the universe.”Ptolemy hesitates for a moment and rests his cane against the arm of his chair, so that he might steeple his fingers. His one good eye never leaves your gaze.“Unlike you, I did not stumble into enlightenment. I earned this privilege through years of slaving away and more painstaking effort than you will ever know. The Word that I chose was Genapherim and when I achieved my oneness with it, my light touched every last corner of this earth. I saw the universe through that lens that I had made.” He wets his lips, before his drawling continues. “You see, Fúgū, my understanding of reality is spoiled by subjectivity, just like your own. Yet by recognising what we have in common and identifying the pattern that underlies our perspectives, we can achieve objectivity and grasp a single, universal truth.”The pregnant pause that follows makes it clear that you are supposed to ask the very obvious question. You decide not to disappoint the magister.“What truth is that?” “The power that we wield is magic, Fúgū. It is our Will made manifest. Though the likes of Yew might prefer nomenclature such as Awakened, the truth of the matter is that he is a mage, just like you and I. We may try to delude himself into believing that his power comes from his primitive ancestor worship, but the truth is that it is born from his oneness with his Word. I have no doubt that you channel your own Will through... particular beliefs. What would you say is the nature of your magic, Fúgū?”
“Well... I would say that I channel my qi through Taoist disciplines.” You're a little excited. No one's ever shown interest in your interests before. “You see, qigong serves as the basis of neidan, which is inner alchemy, though a strong understanding of qi is still of vital importance to waidan, which is – ”“Forgive me for disappointing you, but all of this qi-gong and nei-dan and wai-dan, it's all an illusion.”Oh.“I said that I chose my own Word, Fúgū. I did not lie. I have been trained in accordance with the teachings of Hermes Trismegistus, like the rest of my Order. We have spent millennia unravelling the objective nature of reality, so that we may see the Divine through clear eyes, rather than through the fog of Taoism, Vodou and other superstition. Our studies have revealed to us that magic can be broke down into three categories: Theurgy, astrology, and alchemy. So you see, Fúgū, even though you are... a little rough around the edges, I can already see that you are far closer to the truth than the likes of Yew. For that reason, I would like you to consider a proposition of mine.”“You want me to be trained in the ways of your order as well.” You don't need Ptolemy to pause, in order to understand what he is offering.“You have the right of it.” The magister sits back in his chair and wet his lips once more, before he drawls on. “I had to train for five years as an apprentice before I was able to become one with my Word, and for two more before my mentor was willing to recognise me as an initiate of our Order. As you are already capable of wielding true magic and have manifested the Avatar of your Will, I imagine that the duration of your apprenticeship won't be half as long, provided that you are able to adapt to the Hermetic style of alchemy with some alacrity.”“Your pursuit of the elixir of life shall take you through a labyrinth. The path that this magus offers shall lead you out of this maze and expedite the journey.”Yet the path would not be your own, it would be one of Ptolemy's design. Though he uses the word 'magic' in order to describe the power of the Awakened, the magister makes it seem far more mechanical than mystical. Yet Cleopatra makes it sound like he speaks the truth, as though this Order unravelled all of the secrets of the cosmos long ago. You need only follow their formulae in order to achieve your goals.>Accept the offer. If this Order of Hermes has already mastered magic, then as a mage, you should seek to learn from them.>You need time to think about it. Hopefully Ptolemy will understand that you can't decide right now. It's a big decision, after all.>Refuse the magister. You want discover the truth of the universe for yourself, without following in the footsteps of others.>Stand by your beliefs. Through neidan and waidan, you shall master the Serpent and become xian. The Tao is the truth. Hermeticism is delusion.
>>6434816>You need time to think about it. Hopefully Ptolemy will understand that you can't decide right now. It's a big decision, after all.>Prod him. If the Hermetic Order exists and people like Papa Yew exist who don't align with the Hermetics, does that mean there are different groups?
>>6434864+1Evil white man won't let us join to our Chinese Brothers and Sisters
>>6434816>You need time to think about it. Hopefully Ptolemy will understand that you can't decide right now. It's a big decision, after all.I hope its the Labyrinth I'm thinking of.Dual traditions are a merit in Mage: The Ascension; the hermetics are incredibly wealthy mages, and the Akashic Brotherhood only started to let non-asians join in the last century.
>>6434864Support. If we're enough of a prodigy that we can unlock our word and avatar without training, I'm interested in how far we could make it ourselves or even if there's others out there we can talk to. Though I am inclined to take his offer, we'll get to immediate learning of more of what we need.
>>6434864+1 Too early to make a commitment like that, we know him less than we do Yew, and as grumpy as he was, in a way I feel Yew respected us more than Ptolemy...
>>6434816>>6434864+1 support.Fugu used to work in corporate right? Number one rule of corporate is get everything in writing. Imagine accepting a job from a mage guild without even reading the fine print.
>>6434816>Accept the offer. If this Order of Hermes has already mastered magic, then as a mage, you should seek to learn from them.We're already used to pretending to follow the rule and example of others. This is an excellent, if lengthy, opportunity to learn what the hermetics think or know about alchemy and other aspects of magery.
You let the silence linger as you try to figure out what to say. You already know that you will not accept his offer – at least not right away – but you have to find the right words to convey that without offending Ptolemy.“I'm grateful for the offer,” you begin, “and I'm honoured that you consider me worthy of this opportunity. It's just a big decision, too big for me to rush into. I need some time to think about my other options first, before I can commit to something like this. I need to be certain that I am making the right choice.”“What other options do you have?”“I... was hoping that you could tell me, actually.” This is the difficult part. “Papa Yew doesn't belong to your Order. Are there many like him, who don't follow your teachings? Are there groups of mages other than your own, who have different views about what we've seen and what we do?”You had hoped to avoid upsetting the magister by using his terminology. Your hopes are dashed when you see his expression shift, from the patient and understanding mien of a teacher, to something far more stony and aloof. His hands move to grasp the arms of his antique chair.“Allow me to determine whether I truly understand what you are insinuating.” His tone has become colder. “I have spoken of the true nature of this reality that we live in, something that has been studied by a most noble tradition for thousands of years. I have given you the opportunity to become a part of this Order and learn the truth for yourself, to liberate your mind from your blinkered perspective. After all that I have said and done, your first desire is to... shop around? Clearly, you have either neglected to listen to my words, or you have refused to believe them. I am uncertain which is worse.”“Look, all of this is new to me, I need time to get my head around... everything. Only an idiot would make such an important decision without knowing what they're getting into, and what they might be missing.”“I have said enough of the Order of Hermes Trismegistus for you to be able to understand what it is, Fugu.” Ptolemy no longer puts in the conscious effort required for him to say your name properly. “You know that you would be joining an ancient instution, devoted to the pursuit of knowledge and truth. For you to believe that this is not the highest honour, you would have to doubt everything that I have said.”“Less than twenty-four hours ago, I Awakened.” You struggle to keep the growing frustration out of your voice. “I saw the Ouroboros, magister. I saw every last atom of our universe in its scales. In that moment, I was aware of everything – everything. Now you're telling me that is was all... false, that the most important thing that I've ever experienced was just Cleopatra playing tricks on my mind. You've got to understand how difficult it is to swallow that. I need time to digest everything.”
At last, Ptolemy relents. His expression softens, as does his grip on the arms of his chair. A sigh rattles past his lips before he speaks once more, any hardness having left his tone.“I suppose that I struggle to sympathise with your perspective, considering that I served the Order for years before I ever experienced oneness with my Word. I had already internalised our truths and I knew that everything that I saw, was witnessed through the lens of my Word. I was prepared for that moment. You were not ready for yours, so I shall give you the time that you need to come to terms with the subjective nature of your Cleopatra, and the Ouroboros that she had you behold.”“Allow him to remain ignorant of eternal return.”“Until you feel able to make a decision, I shall answer any question that you might have, even those concerning orders other than my own. After all, I am obligated to respect the other Mystical Traditions, to which my Order is bound.” Another sigh leaves the magister's lips. He clearly thinks little of this obligation of his.“That is enough of an answer for now.” Considering how heated the conversation became, maybe it's for the best if you don't express too much interest in these other Traditions. “Instead, I was wondering why Papa Yew chose to contact you, considering how the two of you... didn't seem to get along.”You find it hard to believe that Papa Yew's plan was to give you to the Order of Hermes, to which he doesn't even belong.“He did so because my obligations are numerous, my dear Fúgū. To my dismay, the mages of Georgia work as a collective and if I am to benefit from their endeavours, I must contribute in my own way. 'From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs,' as the odious Marx would say.” The magister grimaces. It isn't a policy that he seems to approve of. “As my estate is far larger than that of any of my collaborators, it is my duty to house those in service to the Traditions who are in need of shelter.”“I don't serve any of these Traditions.”“No, you do not. You are only here because Yew asked a favour of myself, because you may yet contribute to our cause, and because I happen to be feeling generous at this point in time. It is a generosity that I hope you will nor exploit.”“Of course I won't.”“Superb.” With those two syllables, Ptolemy reaches forward to pick up a small silver service bell from the surface of his desk. You thought it was just decorative, but its chime is as clear as a clarion when he rings it. The sound carries through the cellar and beyond, bouncing off of the brick and the stone until it inevitably fades. Not long after, the sound of shoes pattering against the floor can be heard, as someone makes their way down the stairs and into the candlelit chamber.
The woman who stops at the foot of the staircase must only be a little older than twenty, and looks a little too skinny for her own good. Her tawny hair has been cut short in a boyish style, devoid of fashion or flair. Blue eyes contrast with tanned skin, betraying her frequent exposure to the sun. As for her clothes, she is dressed in a crisp white shirt, blacks trousers with a half apron of the same hue tied about her waist, and dress shoes. Not so different from your own attire, but without all of the sweat and dirt that stains it.“Yes, Master?”“Fúgū,” says Ptolemy, paying no heed to the young woman beyond a single glance. “I would like you to meet Med, one of my many apprentices. Though none of them are yet to conceive their respective Words, let alone achieve oneness with them, rest assured that they are all dedicated to the Hermetic Order. Each of them knows of the truth, even if they are witness to see it for themselves.”Med simply bows her head. Not knowing quite what to say or do, you just nod in return.“As I have business to attend to, Med shall see to your breakfast, provide you with clean clothes, and show you to your quarters. She will answer any questions that you ask to the best of her ability. Should you wish to explore the estate, I ask that you do so in her company. Though you are a guest of mine, I do appreciate a certain degree of privacy and discretion.” Ptolemy's attention then shifts towards Med. “Do you have any questions, apprentice?”“No, Master.”“In which case, I shall not keep you from your duty.” The magister pushes himself upright with some effort, before he deigns to regard you once more. You rise as well, clutching the sheathed Xuanyuan by your side as you do. “We shall have the opportunity to speak later, Fúgū. Until that time, I bid you good day.”You're not given the opportunity to respond to Ptolemy's dismissal of you before Med speaks, her tone quiet but insistent.“If you would follow me, sir.”You hesitate for only a moment, before you fellow the lead of the apprentice towards the stairs that await you. As soon as you've walked past him, Ptolemy seats himself once more and focuses on the papers laid across his desk, which you did not have the opportunity to read. It would seem that his interest in you has waned, after your refusal of his offer – or rather, your refusal to accept it on the spot.Once you're out of the cellar, it becomes evident that you have found yourself inside of an old plantation house, built in the neoclassical style. Imacculate white plaster covers every surface but the floor, while the ceiling is held aloft by fluted columns of Doric design. You occasionally pass other men and women of various ages, all clad in the same outfit as Med, yet they simply bow their heads and refuse to meet your gaze. Other apprentices, you can only assume.
“If you do not object, I will take you to the dining room and see to it that your breakfast is prepared.”“Oh, no. No need, but thank you, I've already eaten.”“In which case, you will require a change of clothes, as the Master stated. We should have a spare uniform in your size, sir.”She is polite enough to not remark on how filthy your present garments are. She pauses as her plans change, stopping just long enough to recalculate her route and for you to interject, if that is your wish.>Accept the change of clothes. You can't recall the last time that you were this uncomfortable in your own clothing.>Keep wearing what you've got on. Not only have you become accustomed to the soiled fabric, but you're making a statement.>Ask to be taken to the laundry room. Through waidan, you shall try to clean your clothes once more, but this time, in a more subtle manner. You need no servants. (Matter ••.)>You want to know precisely how many people can be found in this place. You shall have to empty your mind and reach out, in order to sense their qi. (Life •.)>Peer towards the Serpent's tail, rather than its head. You want to see what happened in the past, rather than the future. What happened in these corridors, in the hour before your arrival? (Time •.)>Though it may take some focus, you want to learn all of the lifeforms in this mansion and everything that they were up to over the course of the last hour. (Life • / Time •.)>It's best that you don't waste your qi on such frivolous efforts, especially when you are supposed to be following Med. She might not appreciate tardiness. >Simply do as you are bidden. Allow yourself to be taken to your quarters, where you shall wait until you are called upon by the magister.>Take this opportunity to interrogate Med. She might not be Awakened like you, but she likely knows a lot more about magic than you do.>Ask if there are any other mages staying in Ptolemy's house and if there are any, ask to see them. It is his duty to provide shelter, after all.>Open your mind to the presence of ambient and solidified qi, which you might incorporate into your own. Go to it, if you find any. (Prime •.)>Please choose one option from each of the three groups.
>>6435108It's a shame he took such offense to our request for more information, but it is understandable.>Accept the change of clothes. You can't recall the last time that you were this uncomfortable in your own clothing.Our cloths are conspicuous, uncomfortable, and we learned our lesson on frivolous magic use.>It's best that you don't waste your qi on such frivolous efforts, especially when you are supposed to be following Med. She might not appreciate tardiness. It might be nice to know, but it seems doubtful that we'd learn anything worth the risk.>Take this opportunity to interrogate Med. She might not be Awakened like you, but she likely knows a lot more about magic than you do. Given more time later, hopefully we can also see if there are any other mages to talk to.
>>6435108>Accept the change of clothes. You can't recall the last time that you were this uncomfortable in your own clothing.Free stuff and we won't stand out that much anymore while here.>Though it may take some focus, you want to learn all of the lifeforms in this mansion and everything that they were up to over the course of the last hour. (Life • / Time •.)Curiosity. And meta-curiosity about combining the two. >Take this opportunity to interrogate Med. She might not be Awakened like you, but she likely knows a lot more about magic than you do.Free intel
>>6435108>Accept the change of clothes. You can't recall the last time that you were this uncomfortable in your own clothing.Might as well.>It's best that you don't waste your qi on such frivolous efforts, especially when you are supposed to be following Med. She might not appreciate tardiness. >Take this opportunity to interrogate Med. She might not be Awakened like you, but she likely knows a lot more about magic than you do.Lets follow and annoy her. Ptolemy is the spitting image of a Hermetic, grumpy ass guy. Think I liked Papa Yew a bit more.
>>6435108>Accept the change of clothes. You can't recall the last time that you were this uncomfortable in your own clothing.And>It's best that you don't waste your qi on such frivolous efforts, especially when you are supposed to be following Med. She might not appreciate tardiness.And also >Ask if there are any other mages staying in Ptolemy's house and if there are any, ask to see them. It is his duty to provide shelter, after all.I bet Yew partially doesn't get along with this guy because he runs his plantation like a plantation... But also, that advice to not let him get in our head was salient. Surely there's a mage around here who is genuinely friendly, maybe even trustworthy?
“Thanks.”You have nothing else to say regarding the clothes that you've been offered. With a nod, Med continues to lead the way through the corridors of Ptolemy's home. It takes less than a minute for her to guide you to the laundry room, where another apprentice is hard at work pressing shirts fresh out of the dryer. Picking up one of the dozen neatly folded sets of clothes that have already been prepared, Med presents it to you. Though you offers her thanks once more, you hesitate and glance about.“So uh, where should I change?”“Oh.” She blinks, as though she didn't consider that. “If you wish for privacy, sir, I can show you to the nearest restroom. That would be just this way.”So, the magister's apprentices don't seem to care much about personal privacy. It's a little cultish, but you'll let it slide.It doesn't take you long to change into the clothes that you have been given. The shirt is a little too snug around your midriff for your liking, but as long as you suck your gut in, you don't look too ridiculous in it. You shouldn't be surprised, considering how most of the apprentices seem to be in pretty good shape, if a little on the skinny side. In the end, you decide against putting on the half apron, just so you can be more easily distinguished from Ptolemy's students. Once you're finished, Med is waiting for you outside. She can't keep herself from assessing how poorly the shirt fits your figure, but thankfully she refrains from commenting.“I'll take your clothes and see to it that they're washed, sir. For now, if you'll follow me, I'll show you to one of the available guest rooms.”“That isn't necessary,” you remark. “There's a few things I'd like to ask you about, actually. Are you allowed to take me outside?”“Yes, sir, provided that we don't go beyond the limits of the property. If you'll follow me, I'll show you to the garden.”Once again, she leads and you follow. You take the opportunity to look around, to peer through open doors and see what lies inside. In this part of the house, the quarters originally intended for slaves have been renovated into dormitories occupied by Ptolemy's students, most of whom are already up and hard at work. Towards the front of the house, the rooms become larger and more elaborate. An apprentice is busy arranging chairs in some sort of assembly hall, while another is cleaning the dining room now that breakfast has been finished. You even catch a glimpse inside another room that must serve as a laboratory, judging from all of the elaborate glassware that can be seen on the shelves within.“Though the Jewess never achieved immortality, the same cannot be said for her invention. Her alembics may yet be of use to you.”
The morning sun shines down on you, stinging your eyes once you step outside. From the outside, Ptolemy's home looks less like a country home and more like an ancient Greek temple. The portico, supported by thick, fluted columns, grants you shade as you behold over an acre of lawn. Of course, yet another student is hard at work mowing it.“Ptolemy must come from big money, to afford a place like this.”“His master did,” Med replies, clasping her hands behind her back as she comes to a stop beside you. “This house once belonged to the Master's mentor. After his death, the Master was given this house in accordance with his mentor's will.”“So if you manage to Awaken, there's a chance that you might end up inheriting this place next, as Ptolemy's star pupil?”“I want to cultivate my Will and become my Word in order to better understand the truth, sir. The material benefits of achieving the fourth degree are irrelevant to me.” If she's offended by your question, she doesn't show it.“Fourth degree? I thought that Awakening was the first step of becoming a mage.”“I have achieved the second degree and proven that I am capable of magic, sir. I cannot work my Will like the Master and have yet to name my Word, but I can perform minor cantrips associated with Ars Virium.”“In which case, what is the difference between what you do, and what I do?”“If you are a mage, sir, then by your Word, your Will is done. Your understanding of the truth, what you call your 'Awakening,' allows you to alter the universe as you wish. It is the highest state of humanity. What I do is called goetia, or low magic. I must perform specific rites in order to change the world in a specific way, with the same result each time if I perform the ritual successfully. It is the difference between knowing individual words of a language, and having a fluent, native understanding of that language.”“Speaking of language... Med. Is that really your name?” Though you are curious about what sort of magic she can perform, perhaps it is for the best that you don't ask for a demonstration.“No, it is not. We do not use our given names while we are present on the Master's estate, in order to detach ourselves from the outside world. Instead, each of us is assigned an Enochian letter by which we are known, until we achieve the fourth degree and earn a true name from the Master.”Holy shit.“Has anyone here ever Awakened – I mean, achieved the fourth degree? What makes you think that you are going to?”“The Master was the last, sir. Even if I do not learn of my Word and become one with it, I am eternally grateful for everything that I have been taught. The Master has shown me that magic is real and that the world is full of wonder, that the powers that be try to hide from humanity at any cost. Even as a zelator, I can do things that most other humans would never dream of. It is my privilege to serve the Master.”
At this point, she is beginning to express some emotion. Rather than being offended by your questions, she is proud that she has earned the right to be here. She is honoured to be an apprentice of Ptolemy Lux and she will hold her head high for the rest of her life. Your lack of understanding means less than nothing to her.“Has he taught you anything about the other orders of mages, at least? He makes it sound like there's more than just the Order of Hermes out there.”“The other Mystical Traditions are not the focus of our studies, though we have been informed of their existence. Most of what I know, I have learned from interaction with the Master's other guests. Other than you, the Master's house is currently home to one of the Mercurial Elite and a scientist who belongs to the Society of Ether.”You can't help but sense some distaste in her tone, when she speaks of the latter of the two. Before you can question her any further about these individuals, she speaks again, her tone terse.“Though the Master asked me to accompany you, if we remain out here for much longer, I may miss the first lecture of the day. I would be grateful if you either accompanied me to the lyceum or allowed me to lead you to your room. I do not want this task to impair my studies, sir.”>Go with her to the lecture hall, so that you might learn aside her. You might as well see for yourself what sort of things Ptolemy teaches his students, if he wants you to become one of them.>Fine, you'll go to your room, though you may take the opportunity to explore on your own once you're unsupervised. You'd like to be able to look around without Med watching you like a hawk.>Inquire about these other guests of the magister and ask to be left with one of them instead. If you're going to have to sit in one place, you'd like to be able to learn from another mage as you do so.>Prevent Med from going to the lecture. You want to use this opportunity to try and deprogram her, to make her realise just how unhealthy her attitude towards Ptolemy and his teachings is.
>>6435253>>Go with her to the lecture hall, so that you might learn aside her. You might as well see for yourself what sort of things Ptolemy teaches his students, if he wants you to become one of them.The chance to sit in an actual magic class is too tempting, and it should hopefully give us at least a touch of larger understanding. Also, listening to their teachings should hopefully signal that we're not taking their hospitality for granted.This is an odd setup, but these people are here willingly, aren't being abused, and are actually being taught magic. I see no issue with it, though I have no interest in living so strictly ourselves.They keep speaking about a Word. I don't think our Awakening had a central word, unless you count Ouroboros.
>>Go with her to the lecture hall, so that you might learn aside her. You might as well see for yourself what sort of things Ptolemy teaches his students, if he wants you to become one of them.The Hermetics are hardcore cultists. There is abuse, but it is the abuse styled as "for your own good" with the intent of bringing out your true potential. Such abuse would not be dissimilar from the abuse present in the film Whiplash.
>>6435253>Inquire about these other guests of the magister and ask to be left with one of them instead. If you're going to have to sit in one place, you'd like to be able to learn from another mage as you do so.Let's meet the Mercurialoid.
>>6435253>Inquire about these other guests of the magister and ask to be left with one of them instead. If you're going to have to sit in one place, you'd like to be able to learn from another mage as you do so.I would like to go to the lecture, but it's a good time to not only learn about the other traditions, but also for networkHonestly? I would love to be part of a different tradition than the Chinese one (I can't remember the name desu), because it would be interesting to see how Henry's view change or incorporates the things he learned. Hell, I believe the Hermetics or the Etherites are perfect fits for him, but I wanna play Henry like someone intelligent enough to REALLY look around and learn before officially joining a tradition, to know if they're a good fit for them and know how they really operate
>>6435253>Go with her to the lecture hall, so that you might learn aside her. You might as well see for yourself what sort of things Ptolemy teaches his students, if he wants you to become one of them.We'll have an opportunity to talk to talk to the other guys later presumably. I want to see what Ptolemy has to offer.
>Locking the vote there, going with attending the lecture.
“Alright. When it's time, we can make attend this lesson. I've got a few more questions though...”You inquire about the nature of these guests, the Elite and the Etherite. The former is a more recent arrival, who seeks shelter in the magister's estate after she earned the ire of the Union with her actions. The latter of the two has been a guest in Ptolemy's home for over a year and serves as the eyes and ears with which he perceives the outside world, in exchange for food and lodging. In order to ensure that his students remain focused on their studies, the Hermetic wizard has cut them off from the rest of society.Another red flag, though you refrain from commenting on it.As for the factions that they belong to, Med confesses that she knows next to nothing about the Mercurial Elite, just that they once belonged to the Union, much like the Society of Ether. She is more aware of the Etherites, who she describes as scientists who have established a theory about the existence of a fifth element known as ether, which serves as the basis for all phenomena that defies conventional physics. The apprentice doesn't seem particularly impressed by this thesis, but Cleopatra seems intrigued.“Heirs to the legacy of Atlantis, Troy, Baghdad. Their philosophy is not a path, but a pair of Icarian wings.”Next, you ask about the Union. All that Papa Yew said about them was that they were akin to the Illuminati, that you were always right about a shadow government that has dictated the course of history for centuries. According to Med, they are a league of like-minded mages, not unlike the Order of Hermes. Unlike Ptolemy and his Hermetic ilk, they have no interest in enlightening humanity. Instead, their goal is to control the world, to ensure that there is no Word or Will but their own.Before she is able to say much more about them however, the ringing of a bell can be heard, larger and louder than the little thing that Ptolemy rang in the basement.“It is time. If you would follow me, sir.”You follow Med back into the house, where the other apprentices are gathering and filing towards the assembly room that you saw earlier. You join them in the hall and Med directs you to one of twenty empty seats, though she does not sit in her own. As the students assembly, they all stand to attention and await the arrival of the magister. There are sixteen of them present, a couple of whom appear to be middle-aged, while one looks young enough that he might actually be a minor.All of them stand in silence, and so you do the same. It is somewhat awkward and eerie but thankfully, you do not need to wait for long. Ptolemy strides into the hall and takes his place behind the lectern which all of you face. With a wordless gesture from their teacher, all of the students seat themselves in unison. You take a seat with the rest of them, so that you might witness the sort of wisdom that Ptolemy shares with his apprentices.
You get the impression that the lesson has been restructured to cater to you, because it begins with the magister quizzing his students about foundational concepts. The subject of the lecture is astrology – or rather, cosmology – and you find yourself struggling to take in all of the information, if only because it's all so outlandish.The physical world possesses a Jungian shadow, fittingly known as the Umbra. It is a realm born from mankind's unconscious perception of the universe, a parallel dimension where energy, matter and even life are spontaneously generated by the insensate Will of the Masses. Everything that humanity is aware of has a reflection in the Otherworlds of the Umbra, particularly other planets. In many cases, a thing can have numerous reflections, to represent the many different unconscious interpretations of that thing.Such is the case for each planet of the solar system. Each of these has a Penumbral version known as a Shard Realm, which embodies what contemporary humanity unconsciously thinks about that celestial body, and another version known as a Shade Realm, a far more fantastical interpretation of that planet which revolves around its associated Sphere.What is a Sphere? It is one of nine aspects of reality governed by magic. In order from Mercury to Pluto – the Order of Hermes still considers Pluto a planet, due to its spiritual significance – the Spheres of these Shade Realms are Correspondence, Life, Prime, Forces, Matter, Time, Spirit, Mind and Entropy. Most of these are self-explanatory, but Correspondence concerns three-dimensional space, Prime concerns the fifth element that is Quintessence, and Entropy concerns probability and spontaneous processes.For whatever reason, despite its immense importance to cultures across the world, the moon lacks a Shade Realm of its own. While it is commonly suggested that it might share the Shade Realm of Prime with Earth, this is impossible to discern. What mages have been able to discover is that the Shard Realm of Luna exists in three states that are simultaneously extant. That of the moon as the Masses believe it to be, a barren and cratered rock. That of the moon as the Traditions know it, an increasingly perilous crossroads that connects the Otherworlds. That of the moon as seen through the lens of superstition, teeming with all manner of wondrous spirits.The inhabitants of that third incarnation of the moon serve the focus of today's lesson. Luna herself is a spirit, a syncretic amalgamation of numerous moon goddesses, who also exist as independent deities, subservient to the deity that they live upon. Selene, Diana, Chang'e, Awilix, and so on. There are also the numerous legends born of lunar pareidolia, such as the Cain the Wanderer, the woodcutter Wu Gang, and the Jade Rabbit Yutu. Myriad other entities call Luna home, each representing a different belief regarding the moon.
However, Ptolemy is interested in one lunar entity above all others. That would be Thoth, one of the two gods embodied by the legendary Hermes Trismegistus. By invoking this Egyptian deity through goetic means, a practitioner of low magic may be able to divine events that are soon to unfold. The magister proceeds to weave his hands through the air, chanting in a tongue that you have not heard before. Where his fingers wander, airborne particles absorb all light, forming arcane symbols that float in the air and belong to the Enochian script. These are the runes that his apprentices must inscribe, and the words that he utters are those that his students must repeat, if they are to have any hope achieving foresight.You have no doubt that the invocation would be easier to memorise if you had any knowledge of Enochian, but even then, you imagine that you would struggle to internalise the ritual. Some of the younger students are hurriedly copying the Angelical symbols into the notebooks that serve as their impromptu grimoires, while some of the more experienced apprentices mouth the invocation as it leaves Ptolemy's lips, reciting it from memory. Three days from now, on a night when the moon is at its fullest, each of them will have the opportunity to perform this ritual. Should any of them succeed, the magister promises to elevate them to the third degree forthwith.You have been sitting here for over an hour, listening to a wizard dressed like a Southern gentleman in his plantation house ramble on about Jungian shadow planets, a vast assortment of apparently extant lunar entities, and a spell that would supposedly allow his devoted disciples to peer into the future, if only any of them could actually cast it.How do you feel about it all?>It's utter drivel. If even half of the things that he says are true, you would be astonished. He and his minions are far more delusional than you ever were as a Sleeper.>Ptolemy might be able to wield magic, but his students cannot. They are nothing more than a cult of rubes, and he exploits their yearning for power in order to feed his own ego.>He speaks the truth. You believe most of what you have heard, but you still feel thoroughly uncomfortable about the way that he is treating his apprentices. It's manipulative.>You get it. You understand that Ptolemy is trying to motivate his students and push them to their limits, by promising such a meaningful reward. He's earned some respect from you.>You now have the destire to learn Enochian, study this ritual and see if you can perform it yourself. Ptolemy has successfully managed to pique your interest. You want to learn.
>>6435685>Ptolemy might be able to wield magic, but his students cannot. They are nothing more than a cult of rubes, and he exploits their yearning for power in order to feed his own ego.We have broken free from the yoke of corporate wagecuckery, and at the same time broke free from the yoke of the illusory 'order' of reality. We know an exploitative hierarchy when we see it. Ptolemy had the misfortune of getting roped into this while he was still a Sleeper, and it led him right into an ego-trap upon Awakening. I think there's useful information here, but it's filtered through a lens in order to maintain a particular social order - that's the opposite of everything Fugu wants for himself, I would think.
>>6435685>>You get it. You understand that Ptolemy is trying to motivate his students and push them to their limits, by promising such a meaningful reward. He's earned some respect from you.I don't necessarily like how they're going about it, but I get it. And for all we know, these methods do eventually yield results. If there are such dramatically different ways of Awakening, it stands to reason that there are different ways to induce the wake up process.>You have been sitting here for over an hour, listening to a wizard dressed like a Southern gentleman in his plantation house ramble on about Jungian shadow planets, a vast assortment of apparently extant lunar entities, and a spell that would supposedly allow his devoted disciples to peer into the future, if only any of them could actually cast it.We could have been described in a similar crazy manner before our awakening. We were deep in conspiracy theories and mysticism, and would have been called nuts by most people if we'd tried to educate them.
>>6435685>>He speaks the truth. You believe most of what you have heard, but you still feel thoroughly uncomfortable about the way that he is treating his apprentices. It's manipulative.We are a living proof that awakening by being self-taught is possible, and we're shown that being in this kind of cult is also possible. Normal people can ascend, and by Med's own words, they can wield Magick to some degree and with some rituals and preparations. The problem here is that it's more of a cult and there most be other ways to awaken people without indoctrination. Maybe the other Traditions are the same, but for the moment, we don't know that.
>>6435685>>6435701>>He speaks the truth. You believe most of what you have heard, but you still feel thoroughly uncomfortable about the way that he is treating his apprentices. It's manipulative.What's funny is that his lecture is half right and half formed by inaccuracies, ignorance, and bias. The Jungian shadow is canonically how some nephandi grow their power. By exploiting the shadow selves of others and mastering one's own shadow self, you could convince someone into virtually anything. Cosmology is also a canon skill used for Umbral travel and represents one's unified understanding of the cosmos. Most mages do not possess that skill, and virtually no technocrats do.
>>6435685Options two, three and five all feel partially right. Learning enochian and trying to do the ritual would be interesting if only out of curiosity. That said, there are probably as much truths as falsities in his lectures and while it's none of our business I don't want us to become one of the students the way he treats them. Guess I'll settle with>He speaks the truth. You believe most of what you have heard, but you still feel thoroughly uncomfortable about the way that he is treating his apprentices. It's manipulative.as a middle ground.
You are willing to believe this ritual might allow its invoker to catch a glimpse of the future before it unfolds. After all, you know that precognition is possible, so you see no reason to question Ptolemy's method of achieving it, especially when he has proven on more than one occasion that his magic is very real. First the conjuration of the portal that brought you to this place, and now the manifestation of the Enochian equation that hovers in empty space. You're even willing to accept that Med was telling the truth when she said that she is capable of performing magic, even if she describes it as low and goetic.None of this changes the fact that Ptolemy is leading his students on, with the promise of such significant progress if they are able to perform the ritual successfully. You know a fool's errand when you see one. Perhaps the magister is using this as an opportunity to assess the methodology of his students in their pursuit of this impossible task, but he is still isn't being honest with the people who have devoted their lives to him. It's a little cruel.Ptolemy repeats the verbal component of the invocation a few more times, droning on and on. It gives some of his slower students the opportunity to jot down what is being said. The most senior students stay true to the Angelical script, the less experienced jot down the chant as best as they can in English, and a few clever clogs use phonetic transcription. You suppose that this is a point in the magister's favour – if this was a true cult, he would seek to eradicate these differences in methodology and enforce a single approach. Instead, he seems to be allowing his students to find their own way to his 'truth.'After several minutes of this, the lecture at last concludes. The students rise and begin to put away the chairs at Ptolemy's behest, clearing the floor of the chamber so that fencing practice may begin. Med ushers you out of the way to stand out of the way next to the entrance of the assembly hall, through which some of the apprentices depart to prepare lunch. It becomes clear to you that Ptolemy's operation runs like a well-oiled machine, in which each of his disciples serves as a vital cog. For every student who is focused on their education, there is always another who is hard at work maintaining Ptolemy's estate, until the time comes for the two of them to swap places.“I am aware that you are yet to eat, Med. Go and help with luncheon – the sooner that it is prepared, the sooner you will be able to fill your belly. I shall tend to our guest in your absence.”Those words come from none other than the magister himself. Without saying anything, the young woman who gave you guidance and exposition bows her head to her master and turns to depart. You are left to stand beside Ptolemy and observe the wizard's apprentices, as they begin distribute foils and whites among themselves.“I do hope that you found the lesson enlightening, Fúgū.”
“It was interesting,” you confess. “I'm surprised that your Order knows so much about all of these Otherworlds, when they must be so hard to reach.”“Oh, the mages of old did so much more than simply reach these Umbral realms. There was once a stronghold unlike any other, that served as the heart of our Order. Doissetep, they called it, a fortress built in a hidden space that existed between all of the incarnations of Mars.”“Are you telling me that you've been to Mars?” You're flabbergasted. You always knew that the shadow government was holding humanity back, but you had no idea that other freethinkers had already broken free from the shackles imposed on mankind and laid claim to other planets.“Sadly, that was before my time.” Ptolemy turns away, his one good eye staring off into space. “By the time that I became one with my Word, Doissetep had already fallen. Most of the Order blame the Union for its downfall, though no one knows for certain.”Even though you have beheld the Ouroboros in its entirety, you still struggle to grasp the enormity of the conflict that you find yourself in the middle of. The Union does not just seek absolute authority over Earth, but over every corner of creation. Yet is the Order of Hermes truly any better? The control that Ptolemy exercises over his students could be considered just another form of tyranny, shrouded in mysticism and esoterica. Then again, the only people that the magister rules over a score of loyal apprentices. He and his Order do not reign over the billions who call Earth home from its shadows. The Hermetics are by far the lesser evil.“So, what's next?” It's the first thing that you say after a lingering silence. The existence of a Hermetic fortress on Mars is far too discombobulating for you to have anything to add. “What's going to happen to me if I don't join your Order?”“After everything that you have seen and heard, you continue to doubt the veracity of my words?” You were prepared for Ptolemy to become sour once more. Thankfully, he manages to keep his temper in check. “Should you reject this most generous offer of mine, I may introduce you to associates of mine who seek students of their own. They may be more tolerant of this peculiar paradigm of yours, and grateful to have an apprentice to shape in their image.” “So you'd just sell me to the highest bidder?” You can't help but feel like a piece of meat, soon to be inspected by and passed between various mystics. It's hard to not feel offended.“You make it sound like you have no choice in the matter, Fúgū. None of us will compel you to learn from us, if you do not wish to. Such goes against the ethos of the Traditions. Though if you insist on standing alone and learning from no one, should you wish to remain here, then you shall have to contribute to my estate in some manner. I have little tolerance for dead weight.”
“However,” he continues, “we are yet to reach that point, and I would like to think that I am capable of magnanimity. You are my guest, and so it is my duty to satisfy any need that you might have, within reason, of course. What can I offer to you, while you are here?” After his earlier outburst, it seems that Ptolemy is determined to play the part of the gracious host, perhaps as a method of proving himself worthy of your apprenticeship, or as a way of asserting his wealth and superiority.>You wish for the means to learn Enochian. This language of angels has piqued your interest and it may be your first step towards truly understanding the Hermetic method.>Access to his laboratory would be a useful thing. If nothing, it might be a step towards satisfying the demands of Cleopatra and putting an end to her prattling.>Your soul yearns for the fifth element. Ptolemy spoke of the Quintessential power of the Prime Sphere, which you know as qi. Without it, you are diminished.>A chance to participate in the fencing practice would be nice. If nothing else, it is an opportunity to learn how to wield Xuanyuan properly, though it isn't exactly a foil.>All you want is to be excused so that you can meet with the magister's Awakened guests, the Etherite and Elite, preferably without one of his students looking over your shoulder.>Knowledge about the other Traditions, please and thank you. You're sick and tired of Ptolemy constantly ignoring your interest in the other Awakened factions.>You want to leave. You're finished with this place and you have no interest in ending up as the minion of any of these mages. So fuck them, you'll mange on your own.
>>6436214>>Your soul yearns for the fifth element. Ptolemy spoke of the Quintessential power of the Prime Sphere, which you know as qi. Without it, you are diminished.>>A chance to participate in the fencing practice would be nice. If nothing else, it is an opportunity to learn how to wield Xuanyuan properly, though it isn't exactly a foil.I'd like to start here, and if I had to pick one of the two, it would be the second - once we learn some basic drills and principles for swordplay, we can use Time, later, to rapidly develop those fundamentals, and Life to augment our strength, reflexes, and endurance. And eventually we will be able to combine both with Matter to become the jade-boned golden-skinned mercury-blooded alchemical demigod we were always meant to beWe are a ways away from using magic to defend ourselves reliably, and there are more things to worry about in the dark corners of this world than left-handed wizards.
>>6436214>>You wish for the means to learn Enochian. This language of angels has piqued your interest and it may be your first step towards truly understanding the Hermetic method.Fencing is tempting, but sword practice will be easier to come by than knowledge in the future.
>>6436214>>A chance to participate in the fencing practice would be nice. If nothing else, it is an opportunity to learn how to wield Xuanyuan properly, though it isn't exactly a foil.Will never say no to magic sword.
>>6436214>>You wish for the means to learn Enochian. This language of angels has piqued your interest and it may be your first step towards truly understanding the Hermetic method.
>I'll be available to post an update in two hours, so I'd lie the tie between Enochian and sword practice to be broken by then. If it isn't, then I'll roll for it.
>>6436214>You wish for the means to learn Enochian. This language of angels has piqued your interest and it may be your first step towards truly understanding the Hermetic method.Probably our only chance to do that, albeit fencing would've been nice.
“I suppose I'd like to try and learn Enochian. I couldn't understand any of that ritual, but I'd like to give it a shot myself, if I'm able to make sense of the language.”“While I do not have enough time on my hands to personally teach you the fundamentals of Angelical, I shall have an apprentice of mine attend to you. Gisg!” A lanky young man, certainly no older than twenty, pauses in the process of donning his fencing whites. He immediately rushes over to join you and the magister.“Yes, Master?”“I would greatly appreciate if you could show this guest of mine to the library, and see to it that he is supplied with a copy of the Complete Enochian Dictionary, for him to keep. You will attend to him and answer that questions that he happens to have. Consider this an opportunity to reinforce your own grasp of the language.”“Thank you,” you interject, in an effort to smooth things over. Ptolemy is giving you this book as an olive branch, so you suppose that you should honour his wishes and give him a little respect in turn. “Once I am finished with the book, I'll see about returning it, I promise.”“Think nothing of it, my dear Fúgū. We've a few more copies in this house of mine, to help new students along with their studies. Now go with Gisg, for I've a few matters of my own to attend to.”With that, the magister takes his leave, his cane clicking against the tiled floor as he departs. As for Gisg, the boy seems somewhat sullen to miss fencing practice, but you suppose that Ptolemy thinks that he needs a little more practice with Enochian. You are shown to the manor to a rather modest library, furnished with only a dozen or so bookcases. It is still large enough to house well over a thousand books, but you suppose that you suspected more from a wizard's personal collection.It doesn't take long for Gisg to locate a copy of the book that he was instructed to give to you. The Complete Enochian Dictionary, written by Donald C. Laycock. You cannot help but feel sympathy for a fellow bearer of an unfortunately phallic surname. Perhaps to the chagrin of Gisg, you spend a long while lingering on the introduction. It introduces two sixteenth century Englishmen – John Dee, a famous and worldly scholar of that period, and Edward Kelley, described as something of an occult charlatan. The book goes into depth regarding their numerous seances and how they supposedly learned the language from angels with which they communed.Laycock argues that the mapping of Enochian letters to the Latin alphabet and its strongly English pronunciation mean that it is likely a constructed language rather a natural one. However, he does remark that Angelical grammar is inexplicable and allows for multiple meanings of most statements. Certainly, that's what thwarts you when you try to figure out how to construct a basic sentence. 'I am alive' might as well mean 'it dwells in me,' 'I make life,' or 'the living visit me.'
“Where most see infinity, you see the Ouroboros. Is All not One?”You see it now. There is but one true meaning, the one that you intend whenever you speak or write. You Will it to be so. A Sleeper might not be able to determine what you mean – certainly, when you show a sentence that you have constructed to Gisg, all he can do is present you with some of its many possible interpretations. He is incapable of determining which is correct, which meaning you have impressed your Will upon. Only the Awakened are able to pluck truth out of such potentiality. No matter whether Enochian was invented or learned from angels, Dee and Kelley have given the world a language that only mages can truly comprehend.That is the test. Ptolemy wishes to see if any of his students are capable of isolating the correct meaning and imprinting it on the sigils that they shall draw and the incantations that they shall utter. Why would Thoth ever answer any invocation that does not petition him with the utmost precision? Without such intentionality and Will behind their actions, every last apprentice shall fail.Time flies when you are having fun and the ringing of a bell, combined with the bright sunlight flooding in through the windows, indicates that it is time for lunch. Gisg doesn't hesitate to lead the way to the dining room.A single long table has enough spaces for everyone present, though it seem as though Ptolemy is absent. He must eat elsewhere. You are led to a seat near the head of the table, where a small portion of Brunswick stew and a slice of cornbread await you. Chunks of pork, tomato and okra float around in the brown broth, alongside corn kernels and butter beans. The atmosphere is relatively relaxed, with many of the apprentices happily chatting with each other about their studies as they eat.A pair of women are the last to arrive, both of whom look very out of place among the uniform apprentices.One of them is a pallid and willowy woman, who looks like she must be in her early thirties, has her thinning brown hair tied back in a messy ponytail and her big blue eyes hidden behind thick glasses. Unfortunately, the spectacles don't much to hide the bags under her eyes, or the crow's feet that border them. A loose white tank top hangs off of her skinny torso, while baggy grey sweatpants look like they're moments away from falling down her legs. She's opted to go barefoot and does nothing to hide the numerous scars that litter the insides of her arms.
The other is a lot more colourful, a twenty-something with a dyed blue pixie cut that's starting to show its blonde roots and black eyes that seem to swallow all light. Unlike the first woman, she puts a lot more effort into how she looks, her lips glossy, lashes heavy with mascara, eyes framed with liner and imperfections all hidden with concealer. An oversized pink zip-up hoodie draped over her upper half contrasts with the snug black yoga pants that cling to her legs, which are tucked into chunky white sneakers. She couldn't look more bored if she tried.Her attention remains fixed on her phone as she takes a seat to the right of the scarred woman, who takes her place to the right of you. Her blue eyes, almost a little too big for her face, stare at you for a moment before she speaks.“Hey, are you new here? You look a little old for a new student, but I guess the magister must be lowering his standards a little. I mean, I'm not saying that it's a bad thing!” She speaks with the gentle rasp of vocal fry, though her tone is bright and cheerful, no matter how tired she looks.“He must be getting desperate,” is all that the bored woman mumbles without looking up, to herself rather than anyone else. Her fingertips continue to dance over the screen of her phone.“I'm not one of his apprentices, I'm... just here until I'm able to figure out my next step. If you're not here to learn from him, then you must be..?” You trail off, to give them the opportunities to introduce themselves. Pixie Cut doesn't deign to respond at all, while Ponytail doesn't seem to realise that it was a social cue until several seconds have passed – or maybe you just did a bad job expressing it. A conversation between the socially inept is always a nightmare.“Oh, sorry, I'm Aynorbee, though Nor is just fine. I run comms and tech support for the magister. It's kinda boring, but it's worth it for two hots and a cot, plus he doesn't give me shit for my implants. All in all, I'd say it's a pretty sweet deal.”“Call me Fúgū, I'm just here as a guest for now. What do you mean, your implants?”“Oh, where do I start?” Nor's worn-out face lights up with a grin. “I've gooot... sixty-three different ether-interactive devices inside of me right now. Storage, sensors, processors, enhancers, distributors... I'd go on, but the food would be cold by the time that I'd be done.”“I guess that explains all of the scars.”
“Most of them. Well, some of them. I've identified a positive correlation between the success rate of ether interaction and pain, though it's really hard to quantify. All you can do is rate how much something hurts on a scale of one to ten, it's not exactly accurate.” She waves about a hand in a dismissive gesture. “Anyway, I think it's got something to do with adrenaline.”>Express further interest in Aynorbee's methods. Can she give some examples of her implants? By ether interaction, does she mean magic? Have others tested her hypothesis regarding pain?>Let Nor know that you're worried about her. It doesn't matter if this helps her use magic, she's got to realise that none of this is good for her and that her 'implants' are entirely unnecessary.>Focus on whatever organisation Aynorbee belongs to. Surely she must work for one of the other mystical Traditions, if she is not part of Ptolemy's Order. That's the only part of her that you're interested in.>Shift the subject to Pixie Cut. The other woman hasn't said a word beyond that muttered comment about Ptolemy. Perhaps by focusing on her, you might be able to move the conversation away from Nor's self-harm.>Nope. You're not doing this One of these women is clearly unhinged, and the other has less than zero interest in you. You really should focus on your food instead and excuse yourself from this conversation.
>>6436214>Access to his laboratory would be a useful thing. If nothing, it might be a step towards satisfying the demands of Cleopatra and putting an end to her prattling.Show him we are no fool.
>>6436585>>Express further interest in Aynorbee's methods. Can she give some examples of her implants? By ether interaction, does she mean magic? Have others tested her hypothesis regarding pain?Pain being a path to enlightenment? Far more common a theme in Eastern fiction and martial practice than you would think.How do you think Akashics harden their hands so they can punch with fire?
>>6436585Implants? Sounds like tech.>Express further interest in Aynorbee's methods. Can she give some examples of her implants? By ether interaction, does she mean magic? Have others tested her hypothesis regarding pain?The pain thing is worrying, but it's worth hearing her out, at least.
>>6436585>Express further interest in Aynorbee's methods. Can she give some examples of her implants? By ether interaction, does she mean magic? Have others tested her hypothesis regarding pain?I don't think I want Fugu to join the Etheroids, but I could see him getting along with them a lot better than with the Hermetics, overall. Pixie Cut must be the Mercurialoid. QM, I like how you make all of the Mages seem pretty miserable themselves, or generally miserable to be around, it's extremely authentic to the World of Darkness.
>>6436585>>Nope. You're not doing this One of these women is clearly unhinged, and the other has less than zero interest in you. You really should focus on your food instead and excuse yourself from this conversation.
>>6436585>Focus on whatever organisation Aynorbee belongs to. Surely she must work for one of the other mystical Traditions, if she is not part of Ptolemy's Order. That's the only part of her that you're interested in.I assume these two are Ptolemy's guests.
“Hold on, you've mentioned 'ether interaction' a couple of times now. Are you saying that you are able to manipulate the fifth element with your implants?” Or rather, the sixth element. You prefer Wuxing over Empedoclean elemental theory, but there's no need for you to quibble over minutia right now. “I suppose that means that you belong to the Society of Ether – one of Ptolemy's apprentices mentioned them. She said that you study the stuff, but I didn't realise that you have such profound control over it.”“Well, I already know that the magister and his students don't think much of Science.” She puts a lot of emphasis on Ptolemy's title, and you recall that he prefers it when he is referred to by his title. You guess that Nor must take etiquette a little more seriously than you. “That's fine, I'm not gonna infringe on their right to believe in magic when they're cooking my food and making my bed. But yes, my implants interact with ambient ether, plus my internal ether. I used to call it orgone before I went through my Empowerment, but the Society opened my eyes. Most of the principles still apply though.”“What do you mean, your Empowerment?”“Oh uh, sorry. Before I achieved... oneness with my Word, that's what the magister calls it, right? Before I Awakened – that's what most of the other Traditions go with.” The differences in terminology are starting to become a headache. So many words, for what's effectively the same thing. “Hey, which one are you with? If you're not a student here, you've got to be with one of them.”“No, I'm... I just went through my Awakening. I'm new to all of this, I'm just trying to get a grip on everything that's going on. The magister's letting me stay here until I figure out where I'm going from here.”“Oh... Oh! I thought I recognised you from somewhere! You're that dragon guy that's gone viral! I mean, not like it's done anything to move the needle, the Techies have done their usual cover-up. How did you end up on their radar?”“I'm not sure, maybe they found out about my research, I can't think of any other reason.” If Nor was fascinated by orgone energy before her Awakening, then it seems like an obsession with the esoteric plays an important part in who gets to become a mage – or a Scientist, if you were to ask the Etherite. When she says Techies, you assume that she means the shadow government – the Union. Yet how could they possibly manage to cover up everything that happened? Your transformation, the portal, the cyborgs... How could the Masses ignore all of that? “I was at work and then they came to take me away, I don't know why. Before they could manage it, I Awoke.”
“That's just like them.” For once, it's not Aynorbee who speaks, but the woman with the pixie cut – the Mercurial Elite, you suppose. She doesn't even look towards you as she comments on your predicament. “They try so hard to stop something from happening, that they end up responsible for it happening at all. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy, I guess.”“It all worked out in the for you though, right? They popped your cherry, so you bloodied their noses. Good job, Foogoo! Just uh, don't try doing it again. It might've been easy while you were Empowered, but don't let that high go to your head. You're still human.”“So are you, but that doesn't stop you from cutting. Does pain really improve the performance of your implants? There's got to be a better way of doing it than...” You gesture to the track marks and razor scars that litter her arms with your fork, before you tuck back into that stew. It is already starting to cool a little and thanks to the conversation, you're eating far more slowly than any of Ptolemy's apprentices.“I tried a shock collar, but the current messed with a bunch of them. Besides, the pain didn't last long enough, it was just a quick jolt and that was it. It's gotta be a slow burn, you know? Anyway, I think that it's got something to do with the chemical composition of norepinephrine, it's gotta carry orders of magnitude more ether than other hormones. That's why a lot of us are Empowered during moments of stress, our adrenal glands accumulate all of this internal ether and when they dump it all into our bloodstream, that triggers a chain reaction, right?”“I think I understand. Have you considered acupuncture instead? You could use it to stimulate the production of endorphins, which might – ”“Acupuncture, seriously? Come on, that's total bullshit. Besides, isn't that used for pain relief. The ether interactivity of my implants only increases when it hurts, and only when it hurts a lot. So thanks for the advice but I'm gonna keep cutting, because it works.”All of a sudden, Nor's voice has hardened and all of that exuberance and eagerness to share has been replaced by a defensiveness that borders on hostility. You're reminded of when you neglected to accept Ptolemy's offer – it seems as though none of the Awakened appreciate it when their methods are questioned. Certainly, you feel a little frustrated by how quickly Aynorbee dismissed your suggestion, but you try to focus on your food instead of lingering on the disagreement.“Maybe you should show Fúgū what the internet thinks of him,” Pixie Cut mutters after a minute of awkward silence.
“I... Yeah, okay. Sorry, one of the reasons why I came here was to get away from all of the assholes questioning my methodology. Not that you're an asshole, just... ” Aynorbee sighs. “Anyway, ConspiracyTok is all over you. They'll move on in a week, but you might find it funny.”>Sure, you're up for watching a few silly videos on the internet. If nothing else, it might defuse the tension.>Insist on your interest in learning more about Nor, especially her implants. She still hasn't said much about them.>See if you can spend some time with the other woman instead. She's barely said a thing, and you've learned enough from Aynorbee.>Invite Pixie Cut along. Not only do you want to learn her methods, but you want to see how they contrast with Nor's.>Take your leave. You're far more interested in Hermeticism than you are in this pair of crazy bitches.
>>6436800>Sure, you're up for watching a few silly videos on the internet. If nothing else, it might defuse the tension.
>>6436800>>Invite Pixie Cut along. Not only do you want to learn her methods, but you want to see how they contrast with Nor's.Every mage believes they are truly right. And if they ever genuinely question their paradigm, they will have to change it, risk losing it, or double down.
>>6436585>Express further interest in Aynorbee's methods. Can she give some examples of her implants? By ether interaction, does she mean magic? Have others tested her hypothesis regarding pain?
>>6436800>Invite Pixie Cut along. Not only do you want to learn her methods, but you want to see how they contrast with Nor's.
>>6436800>>Invite Pixie Cut along. Not only do you want to learn her methods, but you want to see how they contrast with Nor's.
>>6436800>>Invite Pixie Cut along. Not only do you want to learn her methods, but you want to see how they contrast with Nor's.While I'm not a huge fan of how "the magister" operates, I'd take him every time over getting into cutting ourselves.Sidenote: it appears we are going to need to be more careful when talking to other Awakened if we want to avoid offense. We're not exactly socialites, but we did work in an office, so we've got to have some social niceties we can lean on.
>>6436800>Invite Pixie Cut along. Not only do you want to learn her methods, but you want to see how they contrast with Nor's.>>6436831There are other ways to be an Etheroids, but I agree.
>>6436800>>Take your leave. You're far more interested in Hermeticism than you are in this pair of crazy bitches.
QM is this a pure Mage game, or are Vampires and Werewolves out there bumping around in the night too?
>>6436856>I think that it's important to clarify early on that this is not intended to be a quest that features every game of the World of Darkness equally. This quest has been and will continue to be focused almost exclusively on Mage: the Ascension. If an aspect of any other World of Darkness game features in this quest, it will be as a cameo or a C plot. If anyone was looking forward to this being an all-encompassing World of Darkness quest, I am sorry to disappoint you, but I really want to focus on Mage: the Ascension first and foremost.
>>6436915Not disappointing! Just didn't know if we might end up running afoul of any other kinds of creepy crawlies - or might make friends with them. Got a soft spot for Nosferatu.
“I think that the magister might be grateful if the three of us stick together for a while. It would allow his apprentices to focus on studying, instead of babysitting his guests. Besides, I don't even know what you're called yet.”The blue-haired woman doesn't seem to appreciate becoming the focus of the conversation. She stubbornly remains silent, until it seems like Nor is about to say something. Rather than allow the Etherite to introduce her, she reluctantly states her own name, her black eyes reflecting the screen of the phone that she stares down at.“Vox Pop, but Vox is just fine. I was a lot younger when I chose to be called that, and names have a habit of sticking to you. I mean, you might not like being called Fúgū for very long, but it's not like you can go back in time and change your mind.”“Why would I want to change my name?” You're rather proud of it.“Maybe because it's gibberish? If you wanted your name to mean 'happiness in loneliness' or something, you should have gone with Gū Fú, though I'm pretty sure that it also means 'to disappoint.' Fúgū, though? I'm not exactly fluent in Mandarin, but I think that means sweet fuck all.”Oh.Your cheeks feel so hot that you could swear that someone set your head on fire. Nor raises a hand to her mouth and barely manages to choke back her laughter. Even Vox can't keep herself from smirking at you when she looks up from her phone, just to see your reaction to this revelation. She isn't disappointed by your obvious embarrassment.“Well, uh, how do you know it's Chinese?”“You're literally carrying around a fucking jian.”Your fingers squeeze tightly around the scabbard of Xuanyuan, which has laid in your lap while you've been eating and talking with these other Awakened.“... Maybe it was a conscious decision. Disappointing someone means failing to meet their expectations, so I chose to invert that, because I'll be exceeding expectations. So, Fú Gū instead of Gū Fú. Shorten that, and you get Fúgū.”“Seriously? That's like saying the opposite of the word 'happy' is the word 'pyhap.'” Shaking her head in disbelief, Vox turns her attention back to the screen of her phone.“Well, I thought that it was a pretty good save.” Nor can't keep herself from sniggering a little at your predicament. Her efforts to do so only lead to her punctuating her laughter with the occasional snort. “You wanna come along and see Fúgū's 'Awakening?' It's kinda cool.”“Sure, why not.”Perhaps it's just your imagination, but Vox Pop's tone seems to have warmed up a little, even though she still strives to appear aloof. You'd like to think that by being the butt of her joke, you managed to break the ice a little and smooth over the earlier tension.
It doesn't take you much longer to finish your lunch, though the process is still peppered with small talk. Vox's knowledge of Mandarin comes from being biracial and having a Chinese mother, while most of Nor's implants are sensors that feed information to her through tactile means. She boasts total awareness of every form of electromagnetism, and even the ability to manipulate it through implanted ether-reactive magnets and field generators. If the woman is to believed, Nor even generates her own Wi-Fi and is capable of almost instantaneously sealing the wounds caused by her cutting, through the precise redirection of her internal ether using strategically located modulators. You are once again reminded of acupuncture, but you decide against mentioning it this time.The three of you depart to seek out Nor's guest room, which has become a far more permanent abode and her impromptu office and workshop. As soon as you step within, you're reminded of the gaudy madness of Papa Yew's apartment, just taken in a different direction. Partially disassembled appliances litter every surface, including the floor, their wiring spilling everywhere like mechanical guts. Clearly, Ptolemy's students gave on cleaning the room long ago, as the carpet is stained in numerous places with dried blood, to the point where you can smell its metallic tang in the air. You imagine that there is even more to be seen beneath the plastic shells of dismantled electronics, and you refuse to look in the direction of her en suite bathroom. You'd rather remain ignorant to any gore that might be found within that place.Rather than seat herself at her desk, Nor throws herself on her unmade bed, where her laptop awaits. Unlike the rest of her room, that piece of equipment is immaculate, so lovingly maintained that you could almost swear that it's fresh out of the factory. Vox seats herself at the foot of the bed, while you sweep the disembowelled carcasses of a hair dryer and a toaster off of the chair by Nor's desk. Once you've sat down, the Etherite sees about bringing up the videos that she's mentioned, most of which come straight out of TikTok, but a few which are clips from local news. She starts with those first.“... Disaster struck at two in the afternoon earlier today at Peachtree Center, Atlanta, when scheduled roadworks took a catastrophic turn. One of the workmen had the misfortune of striking an underground gas pipe that didn't use the correct yellow polyethylene tubing, which highlights the importance of using the right materials for our nation's infrastructure, so that tragic accidents like these never occur again...”“You have to be joking,” you groan. “They're trying to explain it all away as some sort of construction accident? There weren't even any roadworks! None of this explains why a dragon was there, surely someone had to record that!” With a shit-eating grin, Nor plays another clip.
“... People heading back into the office after lunch today were greeted by an unusual sight – a Chinese New Year parade, in the middle of June, no less. Due to an outbreak of COVID that swept through the Chinese community of Atlanta during February, festivities were delayed indefinitely, but it seems as though they finally got to opportunity to celebrate their heritage this sunny summer afternoon...”“This is such bullshit!” You are honestly flabbergasted, to the point where you can't contain your anger. Are the Sleepers really so easily fooled by the shadow government's machinations? “You said I've gone viral. Surely there's at least a couple of videos of the truth?”At your behest, Nor brings up TikTok and introduces you to one ConspiracyTok video after another, all of which features shaky footage of your battle with the Union, taken with camera phones through dirty office windows or half a mile down the street. That grin never leaves her face, even as your disbelief grows.“Seriously guys, don't tell me any of you fell for this crap. Look at this, at the one minute thirty-two seconds mark. See how the dragon grows an extra claw out of nowhere, only for it to disappear a second later? This was so obviously generated using AI that I'm shocked it isn't clipping through walls or something.”“Okay, this is like, one of the worst instances of cultural appropriation that I've ever seen. I mean, look at how white this guy is, couldn't they have chosen someone from a culturally appropriate background or something? If they're gonna pull this kinda publicity stunt to open a restaurant or something, this is like, the biggest turn-off for people looking for authentic Japanese food. It's just really fucking gross, you know?”“This is a step too far. We've got to send them a message and let them know that they can't stomp all over our heritage like this. I don't know what film this is an advert for, but no self-respecting white man would transform into an Asian dragon. We've got our dragons, like the one that Saint George slew! Our dragons have wings, damn it! We've got to let them know that we've had enough of this slimy subversion of the culture of our European ancestors!”“Now look at this, right here, right... here. Can you see it? The man didn't turn into a dragon, he fell through the manhole into the jaws of the monster below. It's not even a dragon at all, it has all of the properties of a greater olm. That's right, you guessed it. This is yet another point in favour in favour of the irrefutable existence of Agartha.”“How much more of this crap is there?” At this point, your frustration has diminished. Instead, you just feel disappointed by the Masses. “Isn't there anyone out there who actually accepts what really happened, who's trying to get the truth out?”
“No one who isn't buried by the algorithm,” remarks Vox, who has been watching the clips with an interest that she has failed to disguise. “This is how it always goes. Any attempt to expose what really goes on always end up perceived as some kind of AI-driven publicity stunt. The Union doesn't even need to hide the truth any more.”“What about the people who were actually there? There's no way that they're going to forget that they saw an actual dragon.”“Unfortunately, they will.” Nor's grin has slipped off of her face. It's been replaced by an apologetic frown. “The Techies probably tracked down anyone who posted the original footage and wiped their brains clean. I doubt they emember anything from yesterday except for an ordinary day at work. Maybe a couple of people slipped through the cracks, but not enough to make a difference.”“These Techies, this Union... They're just in it for control? They're doing all of this, just so that they can rule over mankind with an iron fist?” Though Vox shoots Nor a look of warning, the pallid Etherite responds after just a second of hesitation.“Well... The idea is that they know what's best for mankind, and they're kinda right. I mean, look at the world we live in. There's more people than ever before, living better lives than ever before. This is the world that the Technocratic Union made. They just go way too far, you know? They don't see that etheric Science could be used to fix so many of the world's problems, they just see us as a threat to the Masses. If they treat fellow Scientists like that, how do you think they feel about people who call themselves mages?”“There has to be a way of fighting back.” The more that you hear, the more helpless you feel.“Honestly? From what I've been told, there was no fight with the Union for a couple of decades.” Your attention shifts towards Vox, who is far more nonchalant than sympathetic. “Maybe they had bigger problems to deal with than the Awakened, who knows? All I can say is that sometime last year, the cold war got hot, and now they're picking us off like flies.”“Why can't things just go back to the way they were?” These words are uttered by Nor, who lets out a petulant huff. “Don't tell the magister, but I can deal with the Techies being in charge. I even kinda like it, but why can't they just leave us the fuck alone?”>Defend the Union's actions. You're quickly starting to realise how dangerous the Awakened really are.>Agree with Aynorbee. Though the Techies have gone too far, the world that they have made is pretty neat.>You resent the Union for denying humanity a choice. Men should be free to decide what sort of world they want to live in.>As long as the Technocracy exists in any form, it will seek control. It must be destroyed, there is no alternative.>Earth must be reset. It must become a world of wonder and magic, cleansed of every last trace of the Union's influence.
>>6437108>The Union is a collection of corrupted, desperate, and afraid "rationalists" clinging to the lie of safety. This is the world of darkness and a World of Gods and Monsters. The Technocracy has only been around for at most half a millennium. That's nothing. Eventually, magic will come back once the apocalypse kicks off, which is actually largely their fault. See Demon the Fallen.The nephandi have a saying I love, which goes like this. "We fear no gods or monsters because we are the gods and we are the monsters."
>>6437108I'm gonna +1 >>6437115 I like this approach for Henry
>>6437108>>You resent the Union for denying humanity a choice. Men should be free to decide what sort of world they want to live in.
>>6437108>You resent the Union for denying humanity a choice. Men should be free to decide what sort of world they want to live in.>>6437115+1 to this too
>Locking the vote there and going with >>6437115's write-in.
>>6437108>You resent the Union for denying humanity a choice. Men should be free to decide what sort of world they want to live in.>>6437115This is also good.
“They never will, because they're terrified of us.” This is everything that you have learned over the past twenty-four hours, crystallised. Everything that you have gone through, all of it has led to this singular realisation.“We've all been born in a box, in a world with so many arbitrary, pointless rules. The Union, Techies, whatever you want to call them – one of Ptolemy's students said they're Awakened too, right? Well, they're so scared of the truth that they woke up to, that they want to shove everyone back into an endless sleep. There's nothing but the box and the box is safe, that's the lie that they tell themselves. They can't imagine a world where energy is limitless, they can't think of a world where everyone lives forever.”You've hidden that fire smouldering in your heart for so long, that it's liberating to finally let it loose. Now you've burned away that sense of helplessness, you just can't stop.“Well, let them cling to the lie that they've made. Let them try to stop us from blazing a trail across the stars, and making a future free from the rules that they want to shackle everyone with. If they want their fear to rule over them and make the rest of mankind bend the knee to it, so be it. We will all be free, no matter how hard they try. There's no running from the truth.”Neither of the women seem particularly pleased by your declaration. While the expression of Vox Pop has hardened, Aynorbee frankly looks a little scared. Her big blue eyes have only widened further and look like they're close to popping out of their sockets. There is even a third woman is troubled by your declaration.“You stray from the path. The elixir of life slips further out of reach. Such regression is unwise.”“A path, a box, all limits that we impose on ourselves. Are you no better than the Union that you stand against?”Another voice reverberating in your soul – another prior incarnation of yours, perhaps? You do not know its name.“Oh yeah? And what is 'the truth' supposed to be? Is it Ptolemy's rambling about Words and Wills, or is it her etheric science?” Vox gestures towards the Etherite when she makes that remark, though Nor just averts her eyes and turns the laptop away from you, so that she and she alone may focus on the screen. This is a conversation that she does not want to participate in.“I'm still figuring that out,” you confess, though your newfound resolve doesn't diminish at all. “All I know is that the real world isn't the sham that the Union wants it to be. But that was a rhetorical question, wasn't it?”
“Well, 'the truth' is that there is no such thing as 'the truth.' There is no grand, sweeping narrative that neatly explains how everything functions. Any rules or laws that we attribute to the universe are just a human invention, they aren't actually real. The same is true for all of these Awakened theories about how everything works, they're just our way trying to make sense of the chaos. There's no system that can define it.”Great. She's a postmodernist.“That doesn't change the fact that the things that we do work,” she continues. “I don't know how you did it, but you transformed into a fucking dragon. Nor can manipulate electromagnetic fields or whatever with her implants. Ptolemy and his students can cast magic spells with their rituals. All of these things are real and true. I'm not going to pretend that I know why, but reality is malleable enough for us all to be right at the same time.”“A philosophy with the width of the Mediterranean and the depth of a beggar's cup.”“I can't help but notice that you haven't said anything about what you do, or what you believe in – other than nothing, that is.” Though you can appreciate that Vox is in favour of a big tent that accepts every Awakened approach, you remain sceptical of her methodology.“Even though the universe is flexible, the Masses have far more control over it than any single Awakened. Has anyone explained the nature of Paradox to you?”“I think so,” you respond. “I'm guessing that is your word for... the dreaming of the Sleepers? That's what Papa Yew described it as, when we're punished for using our power to do things that defy their narrow perception of reality.”“Shit, you know Yew?” For a moment, Vox is taken aback.“Now I feel bad for you. The few times I've met him, he's been a fucking asshole.” This is the first time that Nor has spoken in a while, though she still doesn't look up from her laptop.“Well, he taught you pretty well,” Vox continues. “I guess I just manipulate the power that the Sleepers have, by messing with their perception. If they think something is dangerous, it's dangerous. If they think something shouldn't be in a place, they'll ignore it. So on, so forth.”“But how do you do that?”“Graffiti, usually. Sometimes it's subliminal, but usually something blunt works just as well. Some of the other Elite call it 'memetic hacking,' but I think that's just pretentious.” She almost seems a little flustered, as you push her to explain herself. She doesn't seem particularly interested in talking about it.
At this point, you've been exposed to numerous different forms of Awakened power. The vodou of Papa Yew, and the Hermetic magic of Ptolemy Lux. The implants of Aynorbee, and the memetic graffiti of Vox Pop. Last but not least, there is your Taoist alchemy and the balancing of waidan and neidan. In a way, Vox is correct – you have seen evidence that at least some of these methods produce tangible results. Yet is that really because they are all simultaneously correct? Should you broaden your horizons, or should you remain true to yourself?>The truth lies in the Tao. All of this is possible because all of these Awakened somehow interface qi through their disparate methods. If they think otherwise, they are delusional.>There is an objective truth, these different systems just interpret it in different ways. The only one in the wrong is Vox Pop, for thinking that the universe is devoid of meaning.>While there is a single truth that defines the universe, it is vast. Each of these disciplines explores only a single facet of it. Your understanding will only grow if you learn as many as you can.>Vox is right. Every Awakened methodology is simultaneously valid and meaningless. Just because they work, that doesn't mean that they say anything about the nature of reality.
>>6437385>“Well, 'the truth' is that there is no such thing as 'the truth.' There is no grand, sweeping narrative that neatly explains how everything functions. Any rules or laws that we attribute to the universe are just a human invention, they aren't actually real.eeeeewwwww.>>6437387>The truth lies in the Tao. All of this is possible because all of these Awakened somehow interface qi through their disparate methods. If they think otherwise, they are delusional.Let's stay away from the "blind men and the elephant".
>>6437387>The Dao is Truth. The pursuit of enlightenment is the pursuit of oneness with the Dao. Orthodox, Unorthodox, all paths lead to enlightenment, but some paths lead to greater enlightenment than others.
>>6437387>There is an objective truth, these different systems just interpret it in different ways. The only one in the wrong is Vox Pop, for thinking that the universe is devoid of meaning.>"The way I see it, Ether existing and being a vital part of us Awakened, even if we call it by other names through our Wills and Words, is a constant that spreads through all of us. Maybe the truth is reaching a point where we grab Ether with our bare hands and use the most pure essence of it and make what we do, as effortless and powerful as possible. Maybe the end goal of it all would be of the Masses also reaching that power, or maybe us getting it and weaving a more united and better world, without the excessive control that the Union wants to inflict. What is certain is that they're hunting us, and the least we can do is just giving up and lose to them. If they understand the world as a number in a spreadsheet where the Awakened and the Awakenings are at 0, where they only remain, at what point we can say existence is alive? Or that we're even living?"I got inspired, and I just want Henry to fuck them up with some really deep philosophical questioning that will be enough to give us an idea for a breakthrough (lmao)
>>6437387What's funny is that out of all the traditions, it's the Chorus who are closest to the actual truth. Except God is canonically a woman in WOD who asked Lucifer to rebel; Lucifer asked The Ten to awaken humanity to their full potential, thus creating the first mages/helped Lilith in Eden/created the nephilim (which is a mage merit that lets you use lores that are smaller versions of spheres that don't cause paradox and are used by angels).
>>6437393I like your effort, anon, so I will back this up with +1 I also lean towards the idea that we are all interfacing with a different level of reality using philosophical/ritualistic implements that allow us to focus and enact our will. For Nor, those devices and the pain let her reach clarity and singular focus, while for us it's balancing our inner energies and transmuting essence. Big tent is clearly the most logical interpretation of what we have seen, but the NIHILISM from Vox is so weaksauce. I see Henry being an advocate for his own methodology and ideals, but not nearly so arrogant as Ptolemy or Nor about it. Taoism is good because you don't have to cut yourself and you can achieve power without having to jump through the hoops of the Hermetic education program. That doesn't mean those other paths are worthless, and clearly an Energy Liberationist like Henry could even learn some valuable ideas from someone like Nor. Too bad she is an apologist for the Energy Elite.
>>6437387>There is an objective truth, these different systems just interpret it in different ways. The only one in the wrong is Vox Pop, for thinking that the universe is devoid of meaning.
Rolled 2 (1d100)>>6437401>>6437393I cast my vote in favor of these.
>>6437387>The truth lies in the Tao. All of this is possible because all of these Awakened somehow interface qi through their disparate methods. If they think otherwise, they are delusional.
>Locking the vote there. There's a lot of interesting ideas, so I think I can create something that makes use of all of them.
The Tao is the truth. Through harmony with the Tao, anything is possible. Yet there are ways of stumbling into alignment with the flow of the universe, thanks to the convergent evolution of disparate philosophies. Those who do not know the wisdom of Laozi are still able to interpret the Tao through other means, even if they are less elegant. The Hermeticism of Ptolemy Lux, the Etheric Science of Aynorbee, these are nothing more than primitive methods of pursuing the Tao. They touch the truth, even if they are not aware of its totality like you are.However, it wouldn't be wise to word it like that. This knowledge is enough and if it means staying on the good side of other Awakened, you are capable of swallowing your pride.“Whatever you want to call it, ether does exist. It's a constant that all of us can touch, it's a vital part of becoming and being Awakened.” Nor glances up from her laptop. She seems pleasantly surprised by the acknowledgement of her philosophy. “The truth is that the Sleepers deserve the chance to interact with ether like we do, that all of us should strive to become one with it, so that we can wield to the best of our ability against those who would keep the Masses down. Together, we can make a better world, but we can't do it as long as the Union is still hunting us. To them, the universe is just a bunch numbers on a spreadsheet, something to be optimised and controlled. They won't stop until everything runs like clockwork, until there's no difference between life and death.”“You seem pretty confident about what the Union wants, for a guy who was a Sleeper yesterday.” Vox Pop doesn't seem particularly moved by your speech, but then again, you haven't seen any sign of her being moved by anything so far.“You don't need to Awaken to figure out what they're trying to do. I've known about them for years, I've always known that there was someone in the shadows, holding us back, imposing limits on humanity to keep us all in check. The only difference is that now I know their name.”“I mean, the world isn't so bad right now.” While Nor seems to have relaxed now that you've consciously softened your rhetoric, she's still hesitant. “Thanks to them, we have flight, refrigeration, the internet... Humanity has never had it better. I was just fine with the truce, I don't think that we've got to fight them.”“Who's to say that we wouldn't have all of that and so much more, if it wasn't for them? The Union is all about limits, the only change that they allow is so slow and incremental that it barely feels like change at all. If it wasn't for them, who knows what the world would look like, how much we would be able to accomplish without some shadow government holding us back?”Maybe that's a little too much. Take it back a notch, Fúgū.
“All I am saying is that people deserve the chance to choose what kind of world that they live in,” you add, “and they're never going to get that right as long as the Union insists on making decisions for everyone. As long they're in charge, the Sleepers will never really know what it's like to be free.”“Wow, look at you.” At this point, you're not surprised that Vox is hiding how she really feels about your screed behind a veil of insincerity. “You spend one day as one of us, and you've already become some sort of dad bod freedom fighter.”“Dad bod? He doesn't have the muscles for that.” Nor can't help but snicker a little. “Skinny fat, maybe?”You let them tease you. In fact, you consider it a sign of your victory. Neither of them can argue against what you've said, or have any desire to do so. You shouldn't compel them to verbally agree with you, however – if nothing else, you have learned that every last one of the Awakened is stubborn and proud. Even Vox, in her own way.“So, I keep hearing about all of these Traditions,” you remark, trying to shift the subject away from your unimpressive physique. “I know about the Order of Hermes and a little about the Society of Ether. What about the uh, the Mercurial Elite? You're one of them, right, Vox?”You linger in the company of Nor and Vox for quite some time, learning of the myriad Awakened factions. To begin with the Mercurial Elite, they seem to be one of two subgroups that adhere to the same philosophy. They both believe that everything that exists is nothing more than information, that the universe functions like a program. Those who Awaken are able to perceive and interact with the source code of this program. Vox doesn't like wording it this way and prefers simple statements like 'reality is malleable' instead. While the Mercurial Elite are dedicated to using these principles to improve the extant world, the other faction are more interested in escaping from it. These Virtual Adepts are in the process of developing a Reality 2.0, a universe separate from the original that is designed according to their specification.“They're insane and they're cowards, thinking that they can just run away,” Vox bitterly mutters. “It's an escapist fucking fantasy.”“A task as Sisyphean as your own.”As for the Society of Ether, you already know a little etheric science. According to them, ether is a substance that permeates all of reality, through which anything is possible. Through the usage of devices that can interact with ether on a local level, a Scientist can defy the laws of physics. Such is what the Trojan philosopher Aretus teaches through metaphor, in the Kitab al-Alacir. It is a book that was responsible for Aynorbee's Empowerment, that was loaned to her by one of the two Etherites that she knows.
“I haven't spoken to either of them in years,” she admits with a shrug. “We've each got our own projects to focus on and Science isn't really a collaborative process.” Unfortunately, their knowledge regarding the other Traditions is limited.There are the Celestial Chorus, who believe that they are nothing more than conduits for God's will, and that God is responsible for their Awakening. Vox knows a couple of them, a Southern Baptist and a National Baptist. The first one's an asshole, the second's alright, if she's to be believed. There's also the Dreamspeakers, a bunch of shamans who believe that their power comes from communion with the spirit world.“I'm guessing that Yew is one of them?” It seems obvious to you, but Vox shakes her head.“Actually, no. I only know one of them and while she's really into Vodou, I think she hates Yew's guts. I've only ever seen them in the same room once and it wasn't pretty.”Instead, Papa Yew belongs to the Chakravanti. All Vox knows about them is that they view being Awakened as some sort of sacred duty, something about restoring balance to the world. He's the only member of the Tradition who either of them know, but apparently there's also a Hindu out there who Yew has mentioned a couple of times. There's also the Akashayana, who are interested in achieving enlightenment and escaping from the chaos of the world, rather than fixing it. Both women only know one Akashic, who is some sort of Zen Buddhist.“I think he's called Keido or something? He's even whiter than you, I think you'd get along great.”You aren't so sure.The Ecstatics are another faction, who believe that an elevated state of consciousness is key to Awakening. There's two of them out there, some yoga enthusiast who is a friend of Vox's and a drug dealer who both women despise. Finally, there are the Verbenae, who embrace magic as a property of the natural world that can be found in the land and the creatures that live on it. Vox wants to say that there aren't any in Georgia, but according to Nor, there's a witch in Savannah.“How the fuck do you know someone who I don't?” The Elite actually sounds surprised.“I don't know, but she's great. She's the only one who's ever helped me install my implants.” You're not sure how great this witch is, if she's happy to enable Nor's self-harming shenanigans.Finally, there are a couple of Awakened who call themselves Hollow Ones, but Vox makes it sound like they aren't a Tradition. Apparently, they're just gothic trailer trash who keep to themselves and don't really cooperate or collaborate with any of the other groups. By your count, this means that in all of Georgia, there are less than twenty of the Awakened, excluding any that the two women aren't aware of. Against the monolithic power of the Union, it doesn't seem like much of a resistance.
It's not much, but at least you know something about each of the Traditions now. You find yourself armed with enough knowledge to inform Ptolemy about the particular factions that interest you, or at least the ones that you want to learn more about. He might not be happy if you reject the Order of Hermes, but as he has said, he is obliged to introduce you to associates who may be able to serve as your mentor.So, where do your interests lie so far? What options do you want to explore?>The Order of Hermes.>The Mercurial Elite.>The Virtual Adepts.>The Society of Ether.>The Celestial Chorus.>The Dreamspeakers.>The Chakravanti.>The Akashayana.>The Ecstatics.>The Verbenae. >There is nowhere where you belong.>You may choose multiple options, unless you choose the final option.
>>6437858>The Chakravanti.Funny enough this seems most aligned with Fugu's altruistic philosophy and aversion to a lot of these other group's odd proclivities.
>>6437856>They both believe that everything that exists is nothing more than information, that the universe functions like a program.Huh. Sounds like they're operating under a variant of the "we're all part in a simulation" theory.Hmm.Henry has two aspects in tension: 1) his rage against the shadow government, and 2) his desire to bring the "light" to the Sleepers.The Chakravanti seems to kinda-sorta align with #2, but no one seems to be focused on fighting the good fight, as it were.There seems to be several factions with the objective of escaping reality through various means, which is largely opposite to our goals. Even if it would be incredibly cool to see/work on Reality 2.0.Ether looks to be an analogue to our Qi, so I could see us getting along with them.The Ecstatics also have aspects in common with our Awakening.If we wanted to worship the Snake, we could go for the chorus.>>6437858So far, I'm feeling like the Chakravanti are most aligned with us, but we might as well get a little more info about some of the other more promising options.>The Chakravanti.>The Society of Ether.>The Ecstatics.
>>6437858>The Society of Ether>The Chakravanti>The AkashayanaFunny enough, like how Henry reacted to Keido, the Akashayana are not really fit for him. The only reason I'm voting is because they're the ones that are closer to the type of magic and Will as Henry. But, the Chakravanti and Society of Ether are the ones that fit him moreThe Chakravanti because of the higher purpose that they have and the one that Henry saw for himself, and Society of Ether because they lean more into Science and tinkering with Ether, something that Henry himself is really interested.I'm leaning more with the Etherites because they don't seem to be asking you exclusively to follow a certain believe system, like with the Order of Hermes and the Chorus, and the Chakravanti seems more leaning into the spiritual, which is also cool with me.
>>6437858>The Order of Hermes.Going against the grain, but Ptolemy and his Order of Hermes seem the best fit for us to start with. Long term we probably won't stick around, and his control over the students is a little shady, but he teaches real magic which we're able to understand, and while he's a little cranky he genuinely seems to want to help us.>The Akashayana.>The Society of Ether.Ideally if we're going to overthrow the shadow government, or at least kick them in the balls, we need to find the most capable of these different groups and bring them together. That means we should try for the ones who aren't totally insane and/or isolated in their own little worlds.
>>6437858>>The Chakravanti.
>>6437858>There is nowhere where you belong
>>6437858>The Order of Hermes>The AkashayanaThe funny thing is, our strongest spheres are matter and prime, which are the spheres the Technocracy like the most. With them at two or three, you can start making simple one-time magic items or tech. Shame we don't have Mind or Forces, which are the spheres the factions Im interested in look out for.
>>6438177>>6437858Changing to>The Chakravanti.>The Ecstatics.
The lack of information regarding most of these disparate groups makes it difficult for you to determine which ones are worth your time, if any.The Chakravanti appeal to you more than any other, based on the little that Vox and Nor could tell you about them. Of all of the Traditions, they seem to be the only one who use their Awakening as an opportunity to serve the greater good. Unfortunately, you do not know how they go about this. Though Papa Yew exhibited altruism by lending you a hand, you don't understand how he 'restores balance to the world' by posing as the groundskeeper of a cemetery.“They will hate you for the path that you must walk.”The Society of Ether are another possibility, for they are closer to the truth than most. Ether is but another word for qi, the fundamental stuff of the universe. Yet the Etherites fail to realise that they are the true conduits of this vital energy. They hobble themselves, by relying on tools and trinkets. On the other hand, the methodology of the Akashics is on point. By achieving a higher understanding of reality, they better themselves. It's unfortunate that their goal is so fucking Buddhist. If existence is suffering, it should be improved by living in harmony with the Tao. Life isn't something for mankind to flee from.“Which shall take you farther? Wings of wax, or a will of iron?”The Ecstatic method doesn't seem too different from the Akashic one, though it sounds as though they seek a higher state of consciousness for its own sake. The fact that one of them seems to accomplish this through narcotic means is questionable. Finally, there is the Order of Hermes. The magic that Ptolemy teaches is very much real, even if it does not align with the Tao. The magister argues in favour of control over harmony, that reality should be bent to one's Will. The Hermetic way is one of purest Yang. It could be a useful tool, as long you are able to counterbalance its influence on your qi.“He wants to lead you down a road well trodden. They would do nothing but distract you from your works.”“Is it a question of which would give you the best tools, or which would be the best tool? Why allow yourself to be led, when you can lead? Think not of the revolution of the Ouroboros, but of your own.”The conversation with Vox and Nor continues a while longer. It's mostly just the blue-haired woman making various comments about other Awakened and the last time that a lot of them met, during a conclave of the Traditions last year. Aynorbee's interjections have grown few and far between at this point. Though she seemed to be energetic and cheerful to begin with, all of that energy seems to have left her by now. The opposite is true of Vox Pop, who seems more than happy to lead the conversation now that she's finally opened up. Though she still isn't particularly expressive, the Elite certainly has a lot to say.
“Look, I hope neither of you mind, but I do have work to get on with. The magister doesn't let me stay here free of charge. My report's due tomorrow, so I better get on it.” It seems like Nor's social battery has run dry, after only an hour or so of banter.“You've got to write reports for him? I thought you weren't one of his students.”“He likes to keep an eye on academia. Every week, I've got to give him a summary of all of the latest research and papers and dissertations and whatever. I think it's how he looks for prospective students or something. Anyway, could you just go, please? I've got work to do.”“Um, yeah. Sure, see you later.” Though you never got the impression that they're particularly good friends, you can tell that Vox isn't all that happy about being shooed by the Etherite. She gets up from the bed and makes her leave, blood-stained carpeting and discarded circuitry crunching beneath her feet.“Thanks, for everything. I appreciate it.”That's your awkward farewell as you take your own leave, though you take more care to avoid the detritus on the floor. It's actually a relief when you step out of the chaos of Aynorbee's quarters and into the sterile white of the corridor beyond. Suddenly, the metallic tang that filled your nostrils has been replaced by fresh air. You close the door behind you and leave the Etherite to her work.“Do you know her well?” That's your question to Vox, who replies with a shrug.“Not really. Before I came here to lie low, I'd only met her twice. All of that implant shit really skeeves me out, and all of the cutting... I'm not going to say it to her face, but one of these days, she's going to end up killing herself.”“You heard her. She cuts herself, because it works.” After her outburst over lunch, you're not going to question Nor's methods again. “I suppose I should find Med or Gisg or something, since I'm not supposed to wander around on my own.”“They're probably in the middle of a lesson,” Vox replies nonchalantly. “If there's one thing I've learn about Ptolemy's cult, it's that they take their studies seriously. Nothing matters more to them than Awakening, and 'the magister' has convinced them all that Hermeticism is the only way that it'll ever happen. We can hang around until they're finished for the day, if you need company.”You're somewhat surprised by the offer, but is there really much more that you can learn from the postmodernist graffiti mage? You don't exactly have much in common.>Hang out with Vox Pop. Maybe you can find out more about her Awakening, or why she has to lay low here.>Seek out Ptolemy and his students. If they are in the middle of a lesson, it's an opportunity for you to learn.>Return to the library. There's plenty of other books there, which will allow you to learn on your own terms.>Explore the mansion. While everyone else is occupied, this is a chance for you to uncover some secrets.
>>6438277>>Hang out with Vox Pop. Maybe you can find out more about her Awakening, or why she has to lay low here.It would be a waste to not take the opportunity after it took so long for her to open up. Even if we don't learn a ton, cultivating connections in this brave new world is no bad thing.
>>6438277>Hang out with Vox Pop. Maybe you can find out more about her Awakening, or why she has to lay low here.We don't need to be besties, but we won't survive without reliable contacts. Eventually we owe Papa Yew a lunch or something to thank him for his hospitality.
>>6438277>Hang out with Vox Pop. Maybe you can find out more about her Awakening, or why she has to lay low here.Friend!
>>6438277>Hang out with Vox Pop. Maybe you can find out more about her Awakening, or why she has to lay low here.Probably best to deepen our connections and learn more about what makes a mage.
>>6438277>>Seek out Ptolemy and his students. If they are in the middle of a lesson, it's an opportunity for you to learn.
>>6438277>Return to the library. There's plenty of other books there, which will allow you to learn on your own terms.
“Sure.”It's a little odd. Before today, the only people who ever tolerated your presence were your colleagues, and that was because it was a part of their job. You've gone from spending day after day working alongside tired white collar workers, to hanging out with a colourful woman who is a decade your junior and has almost nothing in common with you.The only significant trait that you share is that you've both Awakened. You suppose that is enough, in a world that is so hostile towards those who no longer Sleep.“So, what happened, to make you have to come here in the first place? Sometimes it seems like you'd rather be anywhere else.”“I decided to mess with the Union,” she says with a shrug while she leads the way through the corridor. “A friend of mine went missing earlier in the year, and all evidence points towards them grabbing him. I was at a low point and wanted to get a little payback. Do you remember a shooting that happened around two weeks ago, somewhere around Sylvan Hills?”“Maybe?” Honestly, you're not sure. Sometimes it feels like someone's shot dead every other day in Atlanta. “Wait, was this the one that kicked off that race riot? I remember hearing something about protests at a police academy afterwards. Didn't they try to burn it down?”“I was hoping that they would succeed. Anyway, it wasn't actually the police who killed that guy. I don't know who did it, but I planted a few suggestions into people's heads to make them think it was the cops. It's not really that difficult to convince them, when there's already resentment there. I even managed to gaslight a couple of guys into thinking that they saw the guy get shot by a fed.”“There was a reason for this, right?”“I mean, yeah. I'm not a fucking psycho. That academy is a Union monitoring station. The locals don't notice all of the Black Suits who come and go, even I never gave that place a second glance. But there was this guy that I knew, he always seemed really fucking stoned – the thing is, he always insisted that he had never done weed or anything else. I got a bit suspicious, so I put him through some deprogramming. As soon as the fog had cleared, all he would talk about was that place and all of the crazy shit that he had seen. That broke the spell on me as well, suddenly I could remember all of the times that I saw men in black around that place.”By the time that Vox is finished, you have already arrived at her room. The interior is a hell of a lot cleaner than Aynorbee's, though it seems as though she's living out of a small suitcase that she's yet to unpack, beyond a few sets of clothes.
“How many places like that are there?” You sit on the edge of the desk, while Vox seats herself at the bottom of her bed. A favourite spot of hers, apparently.“Who knows? There could be three in Atlanta, or there could be thirty. Breaking through all of that subliminal indoctrination wasn't exactly easy. Anyway, I don't know if they've figured out that I was responsible or not, but I wasn't gonna stick around to find out. I asked Ptolemy to extract me and ever since, I've been stuck here. That's the story, I guess.”“He did say that it's his duty to offer this place as a safehouse for other mages.” Vox grimaces at your choice of words. “Sorry – Awakened. Ptolemy made it sound like everyone has a part of play, so I've got to wonder, do you have any responsibilities?”“Yeah, I keep people out of places. Our gracious host calls it warding, he's even had me set up a few in the woods around here. It's just a case of putting the right symbols in the right places, so that people get the impression that they should stay the fuck away. It's not really that different from what the Union does at that police academy.” So far, everything that she has said about her abilities indicates that she is some sort of mentalist. You'll need to make sure that she doesn't tamper with your thoughts. “My turn to ask a question. What's with the sword, the name, the whole... Chinese thing? How did you get into that stuff?”“I don't really know,” you begin. “A couple of years after I had left college and found a stable job, I found myself wondering if there was really nothing more to life than that. Everything had become a monotonous routine, I couldn't find any joy in anything. A couple of times, I was so tired of the world that I considered... Anyway, I eventually started looking into mindfulness as a way out of that. The Tao resonated with me in a way that nothing else did, it taught me that I could find happiness in life, through harmony with the universe. I guess that's what drove a lot of my research – the desire to balance the monotony of my work with some sort of excitement. A little yang to counter the excess of yin, I guess.”“Oh yeah? What sort of research is that?” You're not sure if Vox is amused or bemused, but at least she's not judging you. You already feel awfully self-conscious, for speaking so much about your interests. Last time you tried, Ptolemy cut you off before you were able to say much at all.
“Well, I started learning about qigong and wushu, since I wanted to cultivate a healthier mind and a healthier body.” You try to ignore her judgemental stare dropping towards your gut. “I also wanted to try and improve myself through alchemy, not just waidan and neidan, but the Western tradition as well. I figured there had to be some sort of truth behind it, because... Well, I've always suspected that there was some sort of shadow government, someone controlling society. Everything that we've been taught about physics, about science, it's just never made sense. It always seemed like it was constructed in order to keep the Masses in their place, so I started looking into free energy as well. Perpetual motion, reactionless drives, that sort of thing.”“That's... I mean, that is a lot.” Vox doesn't seem to know what to say, after hearing all of that. If she thinks that you're crazy, at least she's kind enough not to say it. “I've gotta give you credit though, you were more right about the world than I ever was before my Awakening.”“How did yours go? You've seen mine for yourself, it's only right that I know what you went through.”“Hold on, you asked me two questions, I've only asked you one so far. I'll consider answering you, but only if you show me what you can do with all of this Taoist stuff. I wanna see it for myself.”>Nope. You are not a circus performer. You have your dignity and you are not going to waste your qi on such a needless endeavour. You refuse to put on a show for this woman's amusement.>Attune your qi to that of Vox. Become aware of her vital energy, learn of every feature and flaw of her physical form, and hope that she does not consider this a violation of her privacy. (Life •.)>Have her write down a statement which you cannot see, then peer into the future so that you might foresee what is written. But does this power come from the Tao, or your connection to the Ouroboros? (Time •)>Through waidan, transmute one substance into another before the very eyes of Vox. Due to the lack of the appropriate instruments, you know that this risks incurring the wrath of Paradox. (Matter ••.)>Become one with Xuanyuan. Let your qi flow into its mystical steel and demonstrate the might of your sword through the art of cutting. Hopefully Ptolemy will forgive the property damage. (Prime ••. This will spend 1 point of Quintessence. You have 1 point of Quintessence that you may spend.)
>>6438455QM, I want to do something subtle and non-paradoxical, but more impressive than the trick with the paper. Could we attune ourselves to a coin with Matter 1, in order to help us more easily anticipate how it will flip with Time 1, and then just flip it a half dozen times or more and call it every time? Both subtle powers of perception but on a small scale, impressive but not vulgar. Then we just tell her that we don't want to do anything vulgar, but that this is a demonstration of Taoist oneness, being aligned with the natural order of things and thus able to anticipate what will be with clarity, able to be one with the coin. Very mindful, much wise.
>>6438455>>Through waidan, transmute one substance into another before the very eyes of Vox. Due to the lack of the appropriate instruments, you know that this risks incurring the wrath of Paradox. (Matter ••.)
>>6438455>Become one with Xuanyuan. Let your qi flow into its mystical steel and demonstrate the might of your sword through the art of cutting. Hopefully Ptolemy will forgive the property damage. (Prime ••. This will spend 1 point of Quintessence. You have 1 point of Quintessence that you may spend.)Seems like the best option to do something cool without it being a paradox magnet or being too pedestrian.
>>6438455>Attune your qi to that of Vox. Become aware of her vital energy, learn of every feature and flaw of her physical form, and hope that she does not consider this a violation of her privacy. (Life •.)
>>6438464>The manipulation of probability usually falls under the Sphere of Entropy. However, I think that this combination of knowledge of the intrinsic properties of the coin through Matter and knowledge of the potential outcomes through Time can be used to determine how the coin is most likely to land in this instance. If people want to vote for this write-in, I'll allow it.
>>6438464>>6438469Alright! That'll be my vote then! Thanks(:
>>6438464+1I'm sure Henry will fail a couple of times, but attunement to the coin + looking into the future looks like a safe way to bypass into Entropy
>>6438455I'm still going to support >>6438464, but I thought of something cool we could do if Vix thinks we're bullshitting her or if she's not impressed>With a short meditation by putting our palm against Xuanyuan, attune to our blade, granting our fingernail to become as sharp as our sword, and gently show her how with a single pass we cut some paper like a sharp knifeI believe that with our single dot in Life, Matter 2 and maybe Prime (or maybe not using prime and using 1 Quintessence instead) we can do this. Xuanyuan was already made out of Qi and we should be able to just transfer that sharpness, and maybe, we won't be butt fucked by Paradox because we should be able to make it look like a party trick where we either applied pressure or with some flick of the wrist.
>>6438464Support, this is cool.
>>6438455>>6438464+1 to this. Would support the other write-in too but I suspect we won't get enough votes for it as many have cast theirs already.
>>6438493>Right now, your power over Life is limited to what is stated in >>6430416 and your power over Matter is limited to what is stated in >>6430005 and >>6431083. No matter if you argue that your nails should governed by Life because they are a part of your living body, or if you argue that they should be governed by Matter because they are made of dead keratin, neither Sphere currently allows you to alter their sharpness and combining them would not allow you to achieve that either.>The only method of sharpening them that you currently possess is Prime ••, which allows you to spend a point of Quintessence to make a single attack especially damaging. That is what you are doing with your sword in the option that I provided, and that is what you would do to your nail.>In order to limit confusion, I am going to repost all of your current Spheres and what they are individually capable of in a single post that is easier to refer back to.
>You have Life •. You may use this Sphere to perceive the presence of nearby life, as well as the biological composition and overall health of any organism that you detect.>You have Matter •. You may use this Sphere to perceive the material composition, underlying structure, intrinsic properties and integral stability of any inert object.>You have Matter ••. You may use this Sphere to transmute one substance into another similar substance, without altering its shape or state. You may turn water into wine, lead into gold, salt into sugar, and so on. Rare substances are more difficult to produce.>You have Prime •. You may use this Sphere to perceive and absorb ambient Quintessence. This is a resource that you may spend to reduce the difficulty of rolls, though it will gain other uses as your proficiency with Prime grows.>You have Prime ••. You may use this Sphere to detect and absorb solidified Quintessence. You may spend Quintessence to energise attacks, reinforce defences and craft Trinkets and Charms.>You have Time •. You may use this sphere to perceive your immediate surroundings as they were up to an hour before now, or as they might possibly be up to one hour from now. Retrocognition is reliable. Precognition is not.
>Locking the vote there and going with the write-in of >>6438464.
“Sure, I can do that.” If she wants to see a magic trick, you'll show her one. You rummage around in your pockets for a moment, before you remember that these aren't your clothes. If you ever had any loose change, it's probably still in the pockets of the pants stained with grave dirt. “Do you uh, have any change on you?”“Seriously? A coin trick? Is this something that you used to do to impress your nephew or something?”“I don't have a nephew. I do have three nieces though.” You can't remember the last time you saw any of them. You're not exactly close to either of your brothers. “You called it Paradox, right? There's no way I'm going to risk going through that again just to put on a show for you. So give me a coin already.”“Okay, fine. I've got... Yeah, I've got a quarter. Will that do?”“It should.” You hope so, at least. You hold out a hand and Vox drops a tarnished quarter into your palm. It's a pretty old one too, 1964. Good. The longer it has been around for, the more likely it is to have imperfections that you can use to your advantage. “I'm going to guess which way it'll land and flip it. Not just once, either. I'm going to call it five, six times in a row.”“Come on, there's a fifty-fifty chance that you get it right every time. That's not magic, that's just luck. It'll be more impressive if you call all of the flips right now, in the right order and everything.”“That's not something that I can do, the future isn't set in stone like that.” There are too many potential possibilities. While you might be able to reliably predict what might happen in the next few seconds, the more you look ahead, the more unreliable your foresight becomes. You saw that in the cemetery, with all of those wildly divergent futures. “Can you give me a moment? I need to focus.”“Fine, whatever. At least it'll be funny if you fuck up.”While Vox settles back against the foot of the bed to watch, you kick off your shoes and seat yourself on the floor, cross-legged. Once more, you regulate your breathing in an effort to draw your jing into your lower dantian, along with the essence that clings to the coin. These shall become your qi, which shall become shen, which shall become wu wei. Through this, you shall become one with the void in which the Ouroboros dwells, and ascertain the Serpent's revolution.All of this, to call a coin toss.>I want three rolls of dice+1d100 and I will accept the best of three. You will need to roll 50 or higher in order to succeed at this task. The higher you roll above the target number, the better the outcome.>Each roller may choose to say “Spend Quintessence,” in order to spend 1 point of Quintessence and decrease the target number of the roll by 4. For example, if two out of three rollers say “Spend Quintessence,” 2 points of Quintessence are spent and the target number is decreased by 8. You have 1 point of Quintessence that you may spend.
Rolled 74 (1d100)>>6438714rollin boss
Rolled 53 (1d100)>>6438714
Rolled 68 (1d100)>>6438714I am the force and the force is with meI am the force and the force is with me
>>6438715Great roll
>>6438714>Come on, there's a fifty-fifty chance that you get it right every time.Sure, but the odds we get all 6 right is 1/64. It runs on powers of 2, so each additional right flip is half as likely as the previous. 7 is 1/128, 8 is 1/256, etc.
It is not just energy that flows into you from the coin, but knowledge.Though both sides are significantly scratched, the observe has suffered more damage than the reverse. The face of George Washion has been worn down to the point where it is unrecognisable, while the text by his chin has become illegible. The reeding that the Founding Father faces has been worn down to the point where it almost entirely smooth. On the other side, the more significant detailing has led to the accumulation of debris – a congealed mixture of sweat, dead skin and food residue, with minute traces of urine and faecal matter. Though the latex coating used in scratchers can be found in most of the reeding, it is particularly prevalent near the base of the coin, where the year of its manufacture is written.The most important information is that the weight of the quarter is not evenly distributed, thanks to all of the above factors. That is knowledge that you can use.As all thought and effort leaves your mind, the tarnished coin looks less like a coin and more like the scale of a great beast. You are there again, on the hide of the Ouroboros, if only for a fraction of a second. Through the Tao, all is possible. The innumerable plates that cover the Serpent flow like a river but through your oneness with the universe, you can see where they may wander. The emptiness of your mind is filled with all of the potential that the future holds and by balancing all of those odds, you are left with a probable outcome.“Heads.”It is difficult, to take action while maintaining wu wei. It must be effortless, it must be thoughtless, it must be innate. You aren't even of the movement of your muscles as you flip the coin and catch it. You do not perceive the outcome. There is only the Ouroboros – to heed the result would be to ground your self and peel it away from the Tao. All you can do is call the next toss and realise it.“Heads. Tails. Heads. Heads. Tails. Tails. Tails. Heads. Tails.”Yet this detachment from the material plane cannot last forever. Your curiosity about your success rate so far gets the better of you and you find yourself perceiving the physical universe once more. Where there was the Ouroboros, there is now Vox's room. There was a burnished scale, there is now a dirty coin, resting in the palm of your hands. It's tails.“You, uh, you're stopping there? That was ten in a row by my count. That's two to the power of ten, so that's like... one in five hundred? Not bad.” One in one thousand and twenty-four, actually, but you feel no need to correct her. While the blue-haired woman shows no sign of being visibly impressed, she rarely shows signs of any emotion. You wonder if that might be her mentalism at work, or if that's just the sort of person she is.
“It's difficult to remain in harmony with the Tao for long. There's just too many distractions.” You decide against mentioning that your mind interprets the Tao as a giant snake biting its own tail. “Anyway, I hope you're satisfied.” You can't help but grunt as you shift out of that cross-legged pose. You were only like that for a few minutes, but you're already a little stiff.“I guess. You used some sort of breathing exercise to do it? I know a couple of Awakened who use meditation, but never to predict the future like that.”“It's called dantian breathing, though I guess you could call it breathing with your diaphragm. I draw the unrefined essence that dwells in my body into my lower dantian, where it becomes energy. I channel that energy into my middle dantian, where it joins my spirit. I let my spirit flow into my upper dantian, where it reaches from my body to touch the Tao.”As you explain each stage of the process, you gesture from your gut to your heart, and then to the bridge of your noses. You are relieved that Vox doesn't seem particularly sceptical of your methods.“You really are into this stuff. I still think you'd get along great with Keido, you know.”“He's a Buddhist. That's completely different.”“Whatever, I don't know enough about it to argue with you. You've earned another answer from me though, so are you still interested in how I Awakened?”“You got to see how the Union 'popped my cherry,' so it's only fair that I get to hear what you went through. I guess that you did something similar?”“Nothing like that, actually. I was studying philosophy in college, I had a great boyfriend, but I just... I guess I was bored with life. I fell down a rabbit hole, sorta like you did. There were a lot of drugs and arguments and big fat zeroes on assignments. I ended up dropping out and as soon as he found out, my boyfriend dumped me. I freaked the fuck out and... that's when it happened.”“Don't you have an Avatar, or a Word?” You aren't certain if they're the same thing, but that was the impression that you got from Ptolemy's explanation.“I do, yeah. Art talks to me. As in, I can literally hear it fucking talk.” Vox frowns and scratches at her temple for a moment. It doesn't seem to be something that she's very happy about. “Drawings, paintings, images on a screen... If it's a picture that was made by someone else, it always comes to life and always has something to say to me. It's fucking maddening, but at least the stuff that I make stays still. I guess that's why I took up graffiti. I don't have to deal with all that bullshit if I can just paint over it.”“So, what then?”
“All of the world became colours which all flowed together into this muddy, black abyss. Everything and everyone was just a streak of paint, draining into the murk and dissolving into the darkness... Look, I know I offered to tell you about it, but this is way heavier than I thought it would be. It doesn't matter. None of it fucking matters.”It's a little baffling that you had to be abducted by the Union in order to Awaken, while all Vox had to do was go through a bad breakup. Then again, it doesn't sound like her head was in a good place at the time. At the time, it probably felt like her whole world was falling apart. That's what you try to tell yourself, at least.The conversation shifts away from her Awakening and back to your respective abilities – your 'magic,' so to speak. Vox Pop continues to needle you about your Taoism, so you supply her with answers. Qigong, wushu, neidan and waidan, you explain all of it as best as you can. She's a lot more reluctant to speak about her own methods, though she's willing to make a demonstration by drawing a line on the floor between the two of you, staining the carpet with a Sharpie in the process.“Go on, just try to cross that line – if you think you can.”Why does she sound so confident, as if walking over the line is such a significant challenge? What magic has she imbued the line with, why is it there at all? What's the point in visibly demarcating such a boundary, if there isn't a consequence for crossing it? All of a sudden, you find that your stomach has tied itself into knots, thanks to all of the terrible possibilities that the boundary represents. Perhaps if you truly pushed yourself, you could transgress and cross that line – but Vox has already made her point.According to her, her magic is as simple as taking advantage of internalised symbolism. So many different shapes and symbols are attributed with significant meaning by mankind, she just exploits that meaning and amplifies it. Even something as basic as a line can plant a powerful suggestion in the mind of someone who wants to go past it.The conversation continues for a while longer, with Vox explaining the potency that humans attribute to symbols, an entirely imagined power that these things do not truly possess. It all plays a part in the war that she wages against metanarratives – there is no higher meaning, there is no fundamental truth underlying all of this. Everything only means anything because people want it to. At least she knows better than try and say this directly about the Tao.Eventually, the topic shifts to something else.“So, what's your plan?”“What do you mean?” In response to your question, Vox Pop shrugs her shoulders.
“Well, it's not like you're gonna be staying here for long, unless you're planning on studying under Ptolemy or doing something to earn your keep, like Nor. I'm giving it another week before I'm outta here. I'm probably not going back to Atlanta for a while, but the whole cult atmosphere is driving me crazy.”“So what, are you just going to live out of your luggage for the rest of your life?”“Only for a little while. I'm used to couchsurfing, but it shouldn't take me too long to find somewhere permanent. I just need to think of the right sob story and find the right shoulders to cry on.” That does make you wonder. With her aversion to the truth, was anything that Vox said about her Awakening actually real? “That's what it's like, being Awakened. You either fight back against the Union and live your life on the run, or you hunker down and spend the rest of your life hiding from there. So I'll ask again – what's your plan?”>You should stay in Ptolemy's manor for as long as you can. It's the closest thing to a fortress that the Awakened have, from the sound of it.>It is about time that you got a little revenge. You need to stick it to the Union like Vox did, and find a way of fighting back against them.>You need to learn more about what it is to be Awakened from a suitable mentor. Finding the right Tradition for you should be your priority.>The Sleepers need your attention far more than the Awakened do. You want to focus on helping the Masses with your newfound abilities.>You would like to return to some sort of normality, after all this madness. Finding a new place among Sleepers should come before any shenanigans.>The acquisition of more power comes before all else, of course. You need to return to the heights that you experienced during your Awakening, you have to.
>>6438883>You need to learn more about what it is to be Awakened from a suitable mentor. Finding the right Tradition for you should be your priority.QM I have to tell you, I'm really impressed by your understanding of the source material and your ability to imaginatively deploy it in this story. Vox and her magic are both really interesting. It's a hard needle to thread but you make your comprehension of both WoD minutiae and real world esoterica/philosophy seem a lot more effortless than I know it is and knit them together very cohesively to keep the story immersive.
>>6438877>“Drawings, paintings, images on a screen... If it's a picture that was made by someone else, it always comes to life and always has something to say to me.Shame she didn't have us draw a stick figure or something and see what it had to say.>>6438883As I see it, we want to tear down the Union and help the Sleepers. But to do either of those, we need power. Power will come from our own abilities, and/or from any Allies we gather.Going for being powerful in our own right is tempting, but we still know so little about the world of the Awakened that we risk running face-first into more trouble.>You need to learn more about what it is to be Awakened from a suitable mentor. Finding the right Tradition for you should be your priority.Even if none of them quite align with our goals, having a group to learn from and rely on (at least for the smaller stuff) will go a long way in supporting our quest for enough power to Make A Difference.
>>6438883>You should stay in Ptolemy's manor for as long as you can. It's the closest thing to a fortress that the Awakened have, from the sound of it.I think we need to fight the Union and help the Sleepers, but there's realistically no way for us to do that in our current state. We're only recently awakened, and we're too weak/ignorant to do anything other than simple magic tricks like what we just did with Vox. I say we stick with Ptolemy for a little while, not long-term, but enough to increase our knowledge and get some more skills before we set out and find a suitable mentor/other people to help. We'll probably want to talk to Ptolemy about the whole student thing though, we're not going to be fully onboard with everything he does but if he gives us some leeway we can probably act as a tutor or something to his students.
>>6438883>You should stay in Ptolemy's manor for as long as you can. It's the closest thing to a fortress that the Awakened have, from the sound of it.
>>6438883>>You should stay in Ptolemy's manor for as long as you can. It's the closest thing to a fortress that the Awakened have, from the sound of it.
>>6437857Those are just the awakened you know about. This does not include Nephandi, my awesome and edgy decension boys, or marauders.
>>6438883>>You need to learn more about what it is to be Awakened from a suitable mentor. Finding the right Tradition for you should be your priority.Orphans don't last long, and the sooner we find a mentor, the sooner we can start to learn special skills.
>>6438883>>You need to learn more about what it is to be Awakened from a suitable mentor. Finding the right Tradition for you should be your priority.
>>6438883>It is about time that you got a little revenge. You need to stick it to the Union like Vox did, and find a way of fighting back against them.Wouldn't mind hanging out with her more. Maybe see if we can learn some mind
>>6438883>You need to learn more about what it is to be Awakened from a suitable mentor. Finding the right Tradition for you should be your priority.Agreeing with >>6438955 here. Tutelage to gain power as a means against the shadow government and for helping the sleepers.
>>6438883 #>You need to learn more about what it is to be Awakened from a suitable mentor. Finding the right Tradition for you should be your priority.>>6439181Ditto
You want to make a difference. You want to make the world a better place for everyone who lives in it, by freeing them from the yoke of the Technocratic Union. Before your Awakening, you just wanted the rest of the world to live in a world where energy was abundant, where it isn't hoarded by oligarchs lurking in the shadows. Now, you want to share the gift that you have been given with everyone. Every last man woman deserves the right to change the world as they see fit. You are not special, there is no distinction between you and them – you are all manifestations of the Tao.Yet to do this, you need to hone your newfound abilities. You need to realise what you are capable of, and become capable of more. Perhaps you could accomplish this on your own, but you cannot deny the truth that this would be so much with others to learn from. If not a mentor, then an accomplice at the very least, someone who you could turn to in your times of need.“I've been asking about all of the Traditions for a reason, I need someone who can teach me more about this stuff. Someone who I'm not going to butt heads with too much, someone whose ideals already match mine.”“Hate to break it to you, but I don't think there's anyone in Georgia who fits that bill. I'm the only Awakened with Chinese heritage that I know of, and I don't know shit about the Tao. I still think that Keido is your best shot, but...” She doesn't need to say anything. The way that you grimace when she mentions the Buddhist says enough. “... Yeah, that. Look, no matter who you're going to try and work with, you're going to have to sacrifice some of your beliefs, or argue a lot with your mentor. There's no such thing as a perfect teacher, trust me.”“I'm guessing that you learned that the hard way.”“Yeah, okay, I guess I made it obvious.” Vox rolls her eyes. “Guy called Boole took me under his wing, he's one of those Virtual assholes I mentioned. I just wanted to get away from everything after I Awakened, so his offer of leaving this world and building another seemed like a sweet deal. It's just... It was just us. What's the point in living in paradise of your own making, if you don't get to share it with anyone else?”“Here I thought that nothing mattered,” you remark. You can't help but prod a little at her postmodernism, though you take care not to jab too hard. There's a difference between banter and actively attacking her philosophy. “Why should you care about other people, if that's the case?”“Oh, fuck you.” Thankfully, there's no real bite behind that retort. She's not offended – you think. “In a world without any higher meaning, the only thing that means anything are the people capable of attributing meaning. Without us, nothing matters, so we're the only thing in the universe with any value. That's why I left Boole and the other Adepts behind, their priorities are completely fucked – their new world matters, but people don't.”
The conversation is disrupted by a knock at the door. You move to get up, but Vox has an easier time standing from where she's sat. She reaches the threshold before you do and on the other side, there is none other than Med. Though she looks somewhat exasperated, the boyish student seems relieved to have finally found you.“Forgive me for disturbing you, but the Master has requested Fugu's presence.”You bid farewell to Vox Pop, who offers you a casual goodbye in return and dismisses you from her room. There were more questions that you could've asked, but you think that you've learned enough from the Mercurial mage for the time being. As Med leads you through the corridors of the old plantation house, she questions you about your whereabouts for the past couple of hours. You tell her the truth, that you've been with the other Awakened. On one hand, Med is glad that she's been able to focus on her studies during that time. On the other, she's concerned about what you might have been up to while you were unsupervised.“If the magister wants to know where I've been, he can just ask Vox and Nor,” you explain. “They'll be able to corroborate what I've told you.”Med's primary concern is the displeasure of her teacher. In such a dogmatic environment, you can't help but wonder how Ptolemy handles the punishment of unruly apprentices. While you ponder this, your guide leads the way down to the cellar from which you emerged, earlier in the day. The afternoon sun pours in through the windows of the vast basement, which remains lit by candles. The light of a hundred tiny flames illuminates the Enochian letters painted all over the floor and the walls, though you do not have enough knowledge of the language to identify any particular words.The white-clad figure of Ptolemy Lux is sat behind the desk at the heart of the chamber, where he enjoys a glass of sweet tea. He looks as peculiar as ever, with that foggy left eye of his and the web of scarring that surrounds it clashing with his best efforts to play the part of a gentleman. It's an illusion that never quite lands, despite his best effort.“Ah, Fúgū, take a seat. I do hope that you will have something to drink.” Without waiting a response, the magister sets about filling a second glass with the contents of an icy pitcher. Med takes her leave while you choose to comply and seat yourself opposite of the wizard. “I could not help but notice that you were not present at either of my lectures this afternoon. Is the Hermetic method not to your liking?”“That isn't the reason, magister.” Nor made it quite clear to you that Ptolemy's appreciation for formality isn't something that you should ignore. “I'm new to what it means to be Awakened – to be a mage. This was a chance to learn other perspectives, to get a better idea of the world that I find myself in.”
“You seem to have acquired a preference for their nomenclature,” Ptolemy notes. “I will have you know that each of those women operates according to a paradigm that is aligned with the Union. The Society of Ether, the Mercurial Elite, or Virtual Adepts, or whatever they might call themselves these days – there is nothing about these groups that is Traditional whatsoever. They are born of Technocratic thinking and only deign to side with our cause because they fell our of the Technocracy's good graces.”“Neither of them seemed to sympathise with the Union.” Well, that might not be totally true. Nor certainly bemoaned the war with the Techies, as she called them, and expressed an appreciation for the world that they have built. Despite this, she never voiced any support for them.“That does not change the fact that their philosophies are born of a banal state of mind, Fúgū. Ay-Nor-Bee hobbles herself by relying on crudely implanted technology, in order to achieve things that she could accomplish with the right incantation, if only she embraced the Hermetic method. Vox Populi is so frightened of the world of possibility that lies within her reach, that she squeezes her eyes shut and plugs her fingers in her ears, all so that she might pretend that none of this is real.”“But you spoke with them,” Ptolemy continues, “so that you may learn of their perspectives. Do tell me what you learned, Fúgū. Etheric Science. Memetic Hacking. Do either of things have any merit in your eyes, my boy?”>Pander to him. Clearly other Traditions are nothing more than misinterpretations of mere facets of Hermeticism. They view the entirety of magic through such a narrow and limiting lens.>Stay true to yourself. All of the practices that you have learned of so far are nothing more than different methods of seeking harmony with the Tao, including the methods of Ptolemy.>Take a stand against postmodernism and 'Science.' There is wonder in the world and though Vox and Nor do not stand with the Union, both of these women refuse to see magic for what it really is.>Try to be diplomatic. Though the Order clearly wields incredible power, the other Traditions also seem very capable. Insist that you're too inexperienced to make any definitive judgement. >Cut to the chase. Everything that you have learned about the magister makes it clear that he is urgently looking for a real apprentice, one capable of Awakening. Why is he so desperate?>Take a page out of Vox's book. It doesn't matter who is truly right, when every Tradition is clearly capable of weird and wonderful things. You're all Awakened and that's all that matters.
>>6439330>Take a stand against postmodernism and 'Science.' There is wonder in the world and though Vox and Nor do not stand with the Union, both of these women refuse to see magic for what it really is.Southern etiquette dictates that we agree with him without really agreeing with him, and we never ever 'cut to the chase', I also vote that we thank him for the sweet tea and compliment his hospitality and estate now that we have seen more of it, in order to further meander. He IS desperate, so let's not do his work for him. If we slow walk, he will stop condescending and try to earn our allegiance in a more respectful fashion, allowing us to perhaps proceed by establishing a mutually respectful friendship that still maintains our magical autonomy.
>>6439336+1
>>6439330+1>>6439336Very well put. Everyone has been accommodating, and I have respect for Ptolemy for being hospitable despite his disagreements with all of us. I don't want to burn any bridges with anyone.
>>6439336There is only one true paradigm in the world of darkness. The madness of power. The world is a chaotic jumble of conflicting timelines, realms on realms on realms, living and unliving, consuming and being consumed. The problem with marauders is that they stared into the madness and blinked. Fugu has the potential to accept that this is a world built by a mad and deluded god and know that humanity is merely a transitory state into something greater.
>>6439336Support. We're definitely not the apprentice Ptolemy is looking for, but perhaps we can help awaken some of his students.
>>6439330>>Cut to the chase. Everything that you have learned about the magister makes it clear that he is urgently looking for a real apprentice, one capable of Awakening. Why is he so desperate?
“They're both Awakened who contribute to the fight in different ways. Nor monitors the outside world on your behalf and Vox took a stand against the Union, that's why she's here in the first place. They're valuable assets...”“However..?” Ptolemy clearly expects some negativity to accompany those positive remarks. You're not about to disappoint him.“... However, both of them have an extremely unhealthy approach to magic. Aynorbee, she thinks that she has to cut herself and stick metal inside of her body in order to wield something that seems comes naturally to all mages.” No more Awakened talk. Around Ptolemy, stick to the Hermetic vocabulary. “As for Vox, I don't think she likes the thought that she's a mage at all. She hates the idea that she's able to manipulate minds with magic, so she kids herself into thinking that she is just exploiting what people already believe.”You're exaggerating it a little for the magister's sake. Both women are able to touch the Tao through their respective methods, it's just that one damages her body and mind in the process, while the other pretends that there is no meaning in what she does.“Well said, sir. I cannot deny that they have their uses, but should we ever find ourselves victorious, their ideologies are the first that we should rid our confederation of. For what is what the Traditions are, an alliance of convenience between mages who I would never describe as like-minded.” While Ptolemy is busy speaking of mystical matters, you take the opportunity to sate your thirst. “Once the Union falls – if it ever falls at all – I have no doubt that there will be a new war, to determine which Tradition will rule in the stead of the Technocracy. It is a grisly truth, one that few other mages would deign to share with you, but I see no reason to lie to a man yet to find his footing.”“I appreciate the honesty,” you retort, to butter up the magister just a little. “I'm grateful for the drink as well, along with the rest of your hospitality. You've given me the time that I need to adjust to this new reality, now that my eyes are open and I've become one with my Word. I've had the opportunity to think about where I might belong, though Vox and Nor weren't able to tell me much about all of the Traditions.”“Of course not. Neither cleave to a paradigm that values knowledge. It is the duty of a true mage to become familiar with all of the mystical orders of the world, so that they might learn from them – but only if there is any value to be found in their practices. If you are still in the process of... shopping around, then I may provide you with the knowledge that they were unable to.” There is a tension is the air. You know from previous experience that Ptolemy will be displeased, if you express interest in any Order but that of Hermes.
“I was interested in learning more about the Hermetic 'paradigm,' to tell the truth. Though I'm curious about a number of Traditions, I would be lying if I said the Order of Hermes wasn't among them. I believe that Med spoke of... Ars Virium. Is that something that you teach?”“Ars Virium is the Art of Force and the traditional name for the Sphere of Forces. Of all the Spheres, I would argue that it is by far the most fundamental. To wield the stuff of the cosmos is a most Promethean act, it is what elevates men and makes us more than mere beasts. It is the principle field studied by our Order and my House. Should you deign to join us, then I would have you learn the Art of Forces, if you do not already possess some degree of control over it.”“You said that you belong to a House, magister. Is this a subgroup of the Order of Hermes, like how Vox's Tradition is divided into the Elite and the Adepts?” Good. Starting off with an interest in Hermeticism has kept Ptolemy from feeling slighted.“I suppose that is an apt comparison, though the Hermetic Houses are far more numerous. Fortunae, Tytalus, Quaesitor, and of course, Flambeau. That would be the House to which I belong, the sword of our Order. It is most unfortunate that we are the only ones with any presence in Georgia, other than Bonisagus, who neglect to carry their weight. So I am left with little choice but to bear the burden of every House.”“Wait, you're saying that there are other Hermetic mages in the state?”“Only one other: Sophus Serapis bani Bonisagus. A most reclusive fellow, who I believe you shall never meet. Unlike I, he takes no apprentice and cares little for the preservation of our Order. His only interest lies in the Art and while that is a noble endeavour that I most certainly respect, it would do him well to pay more heed to our material concerns.” Interesting. “If nothing else, I suppose that he is staying true to the purpose of his House. The Bonisagi have always been charged with the study of magical theory.”“While House Flambeau are charged with serving as the sword of Hermes. My guess that this means that you're supposed to serve as the Order's military.”“You would be correct, Fúgū. Though I rarely get the opportunity, I assure that there is a great deal that I can accomplish in combat with my mastery of Ars Virium.” He straightens himself with some pride. “Rest assured that if you become an apprentice of mine, you shall learn all that I know. The Union would surely learn to fear that sword of yours.”“I don't doubt you, magister. I've got to wonder though, is Enochian the key to all Hermetic magic, or are there other methods of wielding magic that you use?”“Each Art makes use of particular foci. Angelical might be of use to Ars Spirituum and the correct celestial alignment may aid Ars Temporis, but when it comes to wielding Ars Virium, fire and steel are far more potent conduits for your Will.”
“I suppose that the Society of Ether does something similar with their devices,” you continue, as carefully as you can. “They believe that the magic that they wield comes entirely from their Science, but these things are little more than their foci, right? They insist that their Empowerment, as they call it, allows them to invent revolutionary technology, when the truth is that all of that power comes from within them.”“You would be correct... Yet your earlier words led me to believe that you do not think much of Etheric Science. Was I mistaken, Fúgū?” As you expected, Ptolemy isn't very appreciative of you shifting away from the subject of his Order.“Like you said, magister, there's value in learning about all of the Traditions, if only to see if there is anything of value to be learned from them. I think that their theories regarding ether are far from useless. The presence of a substance that permeates existence and serves as a conduit for our magic, that makes sense to me. It reminds me of the fifth element that you spoke of when you described the Sphere of Prime earlier today – I know it as qi, but I believe that you called it quintessence?”“Shrewd,” remarks Ptolemy. “It is true that the Etherites make abundant use of quintessence when assembling their creations. In fact, objects infused with sufficient quantities of this fifth element can manifest magical properties, even once a mage ceases to channel their Will through it. The existence of such enchanted trinkets is what allows the Society to fool themselves into believing that their tools are the source of their power. While Ay-Nor-Bee's implants are little more than useless pieces of metal thrust beneath her skin, I do believe that your blade possesses an enhancement of some sort.”Though your memory of your Awakening is increasingly foggy, you recall being able to see your foe's next move in the reflection of Xuanyuan. Perhaps that is a permanent trait of your sword, and another reason to keep it close.“Don't worry, magister. The magic that made this sword came from within me – I'm not dumb enough to think that it's the source of my strength. Nor said something about the Kitab... the Kitab al-Alacir, I think. Some sort of book. Is this what taught the Etherites how to imbue their technology with quintessence?”“I daresay that it is one of the finest books ever written, Fúgū. My library was once home to a copy of text, but I fear that it went missing some years ago.” His expression becomes grim, for but a moment. “Though it is written from the perspective of Aretus, I do not believe that he was the actual author. All I know is that whoever truly penned the Kitab al-Alacir was a genius. The Trojan War serves as the perfect metaphor for the importance of rigorous rumination, so that one might learn of one's Word and achieve oneness with it. Many Etherites claim that reading it was enough to cause their own 'Empowerment.'”
“I came to wield my Word when I was being dragged off by the Union's agents, while Vox came to wield hers when her boyfriend left her. It's hard to believe that a book, no matter how well-written, could have the same impact on someone as either of those events. Are there any other unusual causes of... oneness with one's Word?” At this point, the urge to say 'Awakened' and 'Awakening' is overpowering, but you continue to humour Ptolemy.“There is the Cult of Ecstasy,” the magister says with a grimace. “It is supposedly common for an Ecstatic to rise above the Masses through intoxication. By submerging their brains in mind-altering substances, they somehow learn of their Words and come to believe that these things are the source of their power, the foci through which they must channel their Wills.”“... They mustn't live for long, if that's really what they think.” You can't imagine what it must be like, for a mage to have to drug himself whenever he wants to wield any sort of magic.“There is one Ecstatic, Harmony bani Sahajiya, who I consider respectable. While I am not aware of how she came to wield her Word, I know that she is able to channel the Arts through meditation. Through yoga, in particular. Unfortunately, the other that I am aware of lives up the unpleasant reputation of the Cult – Jenkem. I do not know the meaning of his name, but he is an odious individual.” Oh God, you know what that name means. “He seeks to uplift the Masses through methamphetamines, of all things.”“I'm not sure that I understand, magister. What do a meth addict and a yogini have in common?”“According to Ecstatic doctrine, they are both able to achieve the elevated state of mind that magic requires. If you were to ask them, it is impossible to perceive one's Word while one is grounded and sensate. By opening one's mind to a higher state of consciousness through sublime and ecstatic experiences, one is better able to realise the truth of the universe. Both of them are dedicated to the Awakening of the Masses through these means, without realising their folly. It is focus and Will that allows a mage to make use of magic, not blind euphoria.”You aren't so sure. Through the diaphragmatic breathing exercises of qigong, you are able to empty your mind and achieve harmony with the Tao. Is that not a form of elevated consciousness? If Harmony is able to reach a similar state of mind through yoga, isn't her method very similar to your own? Don't you share the Cult's goal of enlightening the Masses? However, it seems like ]Jenkem is steering the Ecstatics in a very different direction, and Ptolemy makes him sound like he's far more representative of the Cult than Harmony is.
“From what I understand, the Akashayana are another Tradition that seeks enlightenment, just without the drug addiction. Surely Harmony would fit in better with them?”“Ah, the Akashic Brotherhood. I confess, I am not surprised that you are curious about them.” A knowing look from the magister reveals that he is all too aware of your interest in factions other than his own. Thankfully, he doesn't express disappointment. Perhaps he is appreciative of your more subtle approach, or maybe he is attempting to be tolerant. “When I first heard your name and heard you speak of your qi-gong and so on, I suspected that you might lean towards them.”“Not necessarily, magister. While I wasn't able to learn much from Vox about them, I do know that they want to use enlightenment as a way of escaping this world, instead of making it a better place.”“I fear that might have been a case of Vox Populi projecting her distaste of the Virtual Adepts onto another Tradition. Like Harmony, I would describe Keido bani Akashayana as reasonable. After achieving oneness with his Word, he seeks oneness with the world. Not just for himself, but all who are willing to learn. Though I cannot claim to fully understand his methods, he attempts to accomplish this through discipline. Asceticism, detachment from material concerns, purity of heart and mind, he preaches all of these things. I can appreciate the man's strength of will, but I must say, I have no stomach for that way of life. Certainly not when I can enact my Will through the Hermetic method. That is likely why Harmony and others shy from it, Fúgū. It strikes me as a joyless sort of living.”“When you talk about 'oneness with the world,' what is the outcome of it meant to be, if not escape?” You remain unconvinced.“This is an aspect of magic that I do not claim to be entirely aware of, my boy. There are some who say that we are capable of Ascension, of returning to the heights that we achieved when we first seized our Words. When I became one with Genapherim, my light shone on the whole world. Perhaps if I truly master my Will, I shall become the sun once again and shine for evermore. Maybe if you do the bidding of your Cleopatra, you will be able to free yourself from the Ouroboros again.”“Impossible.”“I do believe that is what Keido and the other Akashics are after, Fúgū. I can hardly blame them. The power that we have all felt in that moment, it is enough to tempt any man. If there is any chance that they can bring that lost strength to bear against the Union, then I shall cheer them on every step of the way. Even without it, they are an asset. They focus their Will through a fighting style – Dō, I believe that is their name for it. It makes them damn formidable.”Of all of the other Traditions, Ptolemy certainly seems to respect this Brotherhood the most. You have been cured of some of your apprehension towards the Akashayana, but not all of it.
“I haven't seen many uses of magic yet, but maybe one of the most impressive that I've seen so far is what Papa Yew did. He called on this spirit to protect us... Nebo, I think? As soon as we stepped out on the street, everything unfolded in a way that stopped us from being seen. Is that something that he learned from his Tradition, the... the Chakravanti?”You had done well to avoid antagonising the magister so far, but you've clearly slipped up by daring to compliment Yew's magic. His displeasure becomes obvious with the darkening of his expression but thankfully, he refrains from commenting on your error.“I do believe that they called themselves the Euthanatoi until recently, but I understand that after some rather sordid events, they wish to cultivate a new image. I always found it odd that they accepted the likes of Yew into their ranks, but I suppose that those spirits of his are morbid enough for their taste. You see, the Chakravanti are death cultists, Fúgū.”“That isn't how they were explained to me,” you confess. You're a little surprised to hear that, especially regarding Papa Yew. Though you met him at a cemetery, he didn't strike you as some sort of grisly fanatic. “Vox said something about how restoring balance to the world is their sacred duty. Did she get that wrong?”“I suppose that is how they would like to depict themselves. You see, my boy, the Chakravanti believe in reincarnation. It is a foolish superstition that the Akashics unfortunately share, they both insist in this cycle of rebirth – a wheel, that is the metaphor that they use for it.” Lúnhuí. The Ouroboros. Both of these Traditions know of it. “If the Akashics look to free themselves from this wheel, then I do believe the Chakravanti insist that it is their duty to protect it, to keep it in order and ensure that it is turning as it should. To be quite honest with you, I find it all to be nonsense.”“That depends on how they go about protecting this wheel of theirs,” you remark, feigning ignorance. “They consider it their duty to ensure that everything dies when it should, Fúgū. If they think that someone's life is too short, they use their magic to prolong it. If they think that someone is living longer than they should, they kill them. If they think that someone causes more harm to the world than they should, they kill them too. They style themselves as agents of fate and use superstition to judge their victims. The truth of the matter is, they're little more than ritualistic murderers, scarcely deserving of being called a Tradition.”You aren't so sure. You recall your revelation during the height of your Awakening – you know, deep in your heart, that the Union are agents of stasis. You know that they seek to free the tail of the Ouroboros from its jaws. They yearn to break the Wheel and bring an end to Lúnhuí. Is it not your duty to fight them, to keep them from turning life itself into a stagnant, endless thing?
“Is it not their duty to destroy you, once you imbibe the elixir of life and such a fate befalls you?”“I must say, that is quite a diverse selection of orders that has earned your attention, my boy. I do hope you are simply accumulating knowledge for its own sake”“Information is always a useful thing,” you retort.“And so I shall grant you a tad more,” the magister continues. “I am willing to grant you yet another favour, my dear Fúgū. Should you wish it, I can reach out to a mage of each Tradition, to see if they have any interest in acquiring you as a student. Though I should offer you a word of warning, as mages are a proud lot and we do not look kindly on having our time wasted. I will not protect you from the ire of any man or woman who you summon to this place, only so that they might suffer your rejection.” There is another warning hidden in his words, that isn't so subtle – you should be worried about his ire too.“Think of your great work. Think of who might aid you.” “Think not of alchemy, but of who you might lead. Think of glorious revolution.”>The Society of Ether.>The Cult of Ecstasy.>The Akashayana.>The Chakravanti.>Summon no one.>You may choose multiple options, unless you choose the final option. Additionally, apologies for the length of this update, it was necessary for suitable amounts of exposition from Ptolemy.
>>6439513>>Summon no one.I think this has convinced me to work with Ptolemy. For all his flaws, I can see him being fair, as long as we maintain our independence.>apologies for the length of this updateNo need to apologise. Like another anon said, you do a sublime job of blending the esoterica into the writing. It flows wonderfully
>>6439513>"Think of glorious revolution.”Sir yes sir >The Akashayana.>The ChakravantiThe latter may piss him off a little bit... I don't want Ptolemy as a mentor but I'd like to figure out a way to get past his ego and make him a good friend. I can't really decide between the two traditions based on what we've heard. I wish there was a way to bridge the gap. Certainly there's a lot of variety in specific philosophy underneath each one, but could we be an Akashic that wants to preserve the wheel instead of escape it? While we want to help the masses, is Yew's way really the best for it? Ptolemy is kinda onto something by his dislike of their judge/jury/executioner shit. Hunting down immortals feels like too small a calling for Fugu. Maybe we join the Akashics and start our own cult in secret, dedicated to suing their arts to begin the the ENERGY REVOLUTION and free mankind from the yoke of capitali-err uh, I mean, the Technocracy... Yes. The Technocracy.
>>6439518Also yes, I am genuinely pleased to get such a lengthy update! I really love WoD and it's a rarity around here. You're a talented writer, so having a big chunk of material to read at once is nothing I'd complain about.
>>6439513>Summon no one.I do think it wise that we get in contact with the Akashics eventually though. Ptolemy is going to be immediately useful for learning how to fight and use our sword, but the Akashics are probably best for when we embark on our grand project to seek immortality and overthrow the technocracy. Chakravanti I agree with Ptolemy entirely, they would be very similar to the technocracy if they were in charge.
>>6439548I don't know a ton about Mage, despite my general WoD autism - would an Akashic that wants to focus their time and energy on the mundane world, rather than abandon it, be unacceptable to the others?
>>6439513>The Cult of Ecstasy (Harmony).>The Akashayana.Harmony seems to have methods interestingly close to Henry's so I think it's worth to at least learn more. If she's the less representative of CoE than the other one she might appreciate the support to her way of thinking. Besides, we already know Time...As for Keido, we might find similarities in our methods at least, Dō might be natural extension of our already syncretic martial arts knowledge. It's worth to discuss further this oneness with the world if Henry already learnt that it's not necessarily just escapism.If we won't find common ground with any of them we can always stay here or find Papa again.>apologies for the length of this updateI agree with the other anons, no need to apologize, it's amazing quest.
>>6439556Ah, I'm the wrong anon, I'm completely clueless when it comes to WoD. The other guy is the Mage The Awakening scholar.
>>6439513>>Summon no one.I dont want to be in further favor debt. I also like the idea of being one of the non-stereotypical heremtics. They have a great sword training program, access to massive amounts of knowledge, and have a variety of houses to choose from, namely banisagous, who are great at prime, same as fugu. They also teach forces, which we need if we want to start being able to do massive damage. Unfortunately, the Ahashics are just not viable right now.
We at least know what Ptolemy's deal is. He talks down to non-hermetics, falmbaues do not live long lives, and he is a war-mage, which explains a lot. We can also try to help some of his students, as you only need life 1, mind 3, and prime 2 to give an avatar that last push into awakening. The downside of heremetics is that most neglect the prime, and especially life spheres.
FYI, if fugu wants to become a dragon again, he would need to rote Mythic Form, which is a hermetic spell requiring Forces 3, Life 5, Matter 2, Mind 2, and Prime 2.
>>6439681>The downside of heremetics is that most neglect the prime, and especially life spheres.For reference, we already have prime 2 and life 1, so we would need to learn mind for that particular work. The dragon one is a pain, but we've also got matter 2 and Ptolemy told us he wants us to have a good grasp on Forces. So the overlap there is "we need to learn Mind" and the difficulty is "Ptolemy can't help us develop Life." I think the dragon spell is a good long-term development goal if we want to lock in on that.
>One of the strengths of Mage: the Ascension is how open-ended the magic system is, and how all sorts of things can be accomplished by mixing and matching different Spheres inventively. I would rather have this quest focus on imaginative uses for the Spheres that you currently possess, than focus on acquiring specific rote spells that are far beyond your current capabilities, especially ones that come from unofficial sources. As people familiar with Mage: the Ascension might have noticed, I have already dramatically altered how Time • functions, so I ask that you don't expect this quest to rigidly conform to the rules as written.>As this is a relatively important decision, I just want to inform everyone that I will start writing the update in the next four or five hours. I will go with whatever option(s) the majority of voters have voted for. Right now, out of five votes so far, three are in favour of summoning no one, two are in favour of the Akashayana, and the Cult of Ecstasy and Chakravanti have one vote each.
>>6439726Yeah I appreciated you letting me fiddle with Matter + Time for coin-flipping, and that's what I more or less expect out of the spheres. I have sort of referenced it a few times, but nWoD's Second Sight has a passage about Taoist alchemists. I don't remember the exact wording, but the imagery has always stayed with me: gold skin, jade bones, immortal and perfectly balanced. I am not sure where Fugu will end up or what the democratic majority will steer us towards, but personally, that's my mental image of the long term goal: a being that masters internal and external alchemy in order to become both inwardly peaceful, and simultaneously a force of nature. I think it would probably require Matter+Life+Prime and MAYBE Forces, but we could develop it as a spell to deploy in a pinch. I have already been thinking too about achieving more Time and Matter in order to rapidly oxidize/weather enemy weapons - maybe a sort of barrier around us that turns bullets to dust as they pass through, even. Sky is the limit with this stuff! Suppose I can agree with other anons about the advantages of Hermeticism, but I can't imagine Fugu abandoning his principles to conform to their rigid theories, let alone hierarchy. I also feel that Flambeau in particular, being a war-mage, is a bad philosophical fit for a Taoist.
>>6439734+1I agree. But if we end up staying at the Ptolemy's we could at least mess with the alchemical apparatus to explore Matter and maybe turn that lead into gold.
>>6439513>The Cult of EcstasyHarmony sounds like a person we should and would want to meet sooner or later. I'm kind of okay with staying with the hermetics for fencing, access to the library and the alchemy lab but it will be a pain to layer the hermetics principles on top of our inner approach all the time. Harmony's way of magic just seems so much closer to our own.
Also wanted to say I really dig your lengthy updates and your way of writing, OP. No need to feel bad as far as I'm concerned.
>>6439782>it will be a pain to layer the hermetics principles on top of our inner approach all the time.I really hope we don't have to assimilate too much and lose what makes us special. I also have the concern that the deeper we get with the Hermetics, the harder it will be to get out. The more Ptolemy teaches us, the more livid he will be if we take that investment of resources and knowledge somewhere else, to serve ourselves or, God forbid, one of the many mages he views as an inferior or future enemy (or both).
>>6439726Sorry. I mostly play Vampire, so when somebody started posting paths I just went "yeah that sounds good."
>Locking the vote there. With six separate voters, three in favour of summoning no one, the Cult of Ecstasy and the Akashayana having two votes each, and one in favour of the Chakravanti, I am going with summoning no one.>>6439787>No need for apologies. I have prior experience with burnout being caused by participants focusing too much on the potential future of the quest rather than what is happening in the moment, so I am nipping this issue in the bud for the sake of this quest's longevity.
“In that case, magister, there's no need to waste anyone's time or protect me from anyone's outrage. I don't want you to summon anyone.”Silence follows your declaration. The jaw of Ptolemy goes just a little slack and he regards you with disbelief, blue eye and blind both widening with something approaching shock. Despite all of his insistence and his best efforts to win you over, it seems as though the wizard had already convinced himself of your disinterest in the Hermetic method.“I beg your pardon?”“If I have to join one of these groups, then the Order of Hermes are my first choice. You've made it clear that there's much that I can learn from you and now that I know more about the other Traditions, it's apparent than none of them have as much to offer me as your Order.”Your interest in the Chakravanti was dashed when you learned of their fixation with fate and death, even if Ptolemy was exaggerating it. Though you are curious about Harmony and her yoga, the other Ecstatic is a problem that you have no desire to deal with. Your concerns about the Akashayana have not abated – it still sounds like they seek to abandon the world, rather than improve it. As for the Society of Ether, well, their reliance on tools and trinkets is utterly at odds with the harmony that you have with the Tao.On the other hand, you have seen what the Order of Hermes has to offer. Wealth. Knowledge. Security. Power. It is an ancient Tradition that has developed its understanding of magic over the course of millennia. If you are to become a mage capable of bringing about a better world, then you need the strength that the Hermetics can grant you.“I do hope that you have thought hard about this, Fúgū.” Ptolemy has recovered from his shock, though he is yet to celebrate. He needs to know that you're serious. “You shall be expected to abide by all of the Laws and Protocols, and you shall held to the highest standard. I shall be your teacher and master – as my apprentice and an initiate of our Hermetic Order, you will owe me obeisance and cleave to my teachings. Are you ready to abandon your falsehoods and accept the truth?”>Yes – with an asterisk. You are not ready to abandon the Tao, but for as long as you are a student of Ptolemy Lux, you will obey him and adhere to Hermeticism. You will live a lie.>You refuse to surrender your truth. Though you are willing to serve as Ptolemy's apprentice, you must remain true to yourself. Hermetic magic will be but a facet of your Taoist paradigm. >Submission is not your style. As a fellow mage, you are his equal. You are so much more than his Sleeping cultists, so you demand better treatment. You will not be Ptolemy's minion.>No. Fuck this. You refuse to be bound by all of these rules, to be shackled by any of the Traditions. It just isn't worth it. After much consideration, you've decided to go at it alone.
>>6439886>Submission is not your style. As a fellow mage, you are his equal. You are so much more than his Sleeping cultists, so you demand better treatment. You will not be Ptolemy's minion.Oh anons..... Whyyyy have we done this to Henry.......
>>6439886>Submission is not your style. As a fellow mage, you are his equal. You are so much more than his Sleeping cultists, so you demand better treatment. You will not be Ptolemy's minion.>"Ptolemy, I don't think our goals align. You might, metaphorically speaking, whip me into shape, but I'm sure I won't even bend. With how you like to work things, I'll be more of a headache and a pain in the ass to you, than a prominent student, and with how much hospitality and opportunities you've been given to me, I can give back honesty to tell you all of this. Forgive me if you believe your time and efforts have been a waste, but if I'm as shifty as to accept a gracious offer like yours, you can already tell how our relationships would've been if I accepted them. But, as I have no job, and nowhere to go, I have to ask for us to have other arrangements: Let me be of service to you like Aynorbee is, I'm sure there is some work that needs to be done that could require my working experience, and if there's none, then I could be your "errand boy" and help you with the things someone with a high position as yourself in the world of the Mages, is needed to do."I can't talk shit to other anons because I didn't vote, but damn, we just fucked it up even worse. But don't worry, our knowledge and our special interest surely can help us in this predicament, thanks to the millenary Chinese art of kowtowing
>>6439886>Submission is not your style. As a fellow mage, you are his equal. You are so much more than his Sleeping cultists, so you demand better treatment. You will not be Ptolemy's minion.We went with this because he is a known quality and because we want that alchemy lab plus the GOOD lore. Every single tradition is a cult. The Heremetics are just honest about it. They are also rich and they have alot of power. They are the ventrue and shadow lords of Mages.
>>6439886>>Submission is not your style. As a fellow mage, you are his equal. You are so much more than his Sleeping cultists, so you demand better treatment. You will not be Ptolemy's minion.
>>6439886>>Submission is not your style. As a fellow mage, you are his equal. You are so much more than his Sleeping cultists, so you demand better treatment. You will not be Ptolemy's minion.>>Be firm but respectful. You will excel, and it will benefit the both of you, but you cannot if you are treated as nothing more than a peon.Essentially, they both know Fugu beside Ptolemy is a good deal. As such, Fugu can ask for privileges others would not get. Would Ptolemy risk Fugu resenting him and further fraying the already tenuous state of Georgia, all for his ego? I find it unlikely.
>>6439914+1
>>6439914Anon, with all due respect, I don't feel like your write-in aligns with the option you've voted for. Seems more like you want to backtrack the student and apprenticeship talk and go for a working relationship, where he can teach in exchange for services rendered. Is that right?It's also pretty wordy. Would you please be able to clarify as to what your option is? I personally don't feel like your write-in will lead to a good result at present.
>>6439886>Yes – with an asterisk. You are not ready to abandon the Tao, but for as long as you are a student of Ptolemy Lux, you will obey him and adhere to Hermeticism. You will live a lie.
>>6439886+1 to >>6440031
>>6440031Support.I think if we can strike a deal with him, we stick around until one of his students awakens and gets trained to an acceptable level, it will sweeten things a little on his end. Though that then leads into how awakening works, which seems to come from some kind of extreme emotional event. I wonder how the technocracy does it? They were after us before we awakened, which suggests they have a way to predict it. Though they evidently didn't see that they ended up causing it either.
>>6439886>>6439949He's a hermetic. Their entire mindset is valuing will. He will respect this.>>Be firm but respectful. You will excel, and it will benefit the both of you, but you cannot if you are treated as nothing more than a peon.
“I'm ready to learn how to wield Hermetic magic, so that I can use it to liberate the Masses and fight the Union.”“However..?”Ptolemy's expression is already beginning to darken. After everything that you've just said, you have no doubt that he's already guessed that you're unwilling to live the same life as his other apprentices.“I've spent over a decade working a bullshit job in an office, doing whatever I've told to do, being a cog in a machine. Now that I've become one with Cleopatra, now that I'm a mage, I'm not going back to that life. I didn't break free from that cage just so I could be locked up in another. I'm more than willing to help you, magister. I'll assist you with your projects and stand beside you against your foes. What you've got to understand is that I'm going to do this as your student, not as your servant. I want you to teach me, not rule over me as a goddamn master.”“Do you truly believe that I treat these apprentices in this manner to pander my ego, Fúgū? In order for a mage to cultivate the Will necessary to wield their Word, they require control! Without discipline, without dedication, they cannot hope to ever channel the Arts! Only a regimented lifestyle can grant them the single-mindedness that Hermetic magic requires, and the same is true of you. If you refuse to commit yourself, you cannot hope to ever touch the truth!”“The truth is the Tao!” Though Ptolemy scoffs at your words, you refuse to relent. “Cleopatra might have shown me the Ouroboros, but I already know it for what it truly is. It is everything as one, it is the Tao! Through waidan and neidan, and through the teachings of Hermes, I will achieve harmony with it again. That is my Will, and my Will is my own! It isn't a thing for others to break apart and remake as they see fit!”“How can you hope to commit yourself to the Hermetic method while your head is full of so many contradictory ideas, boy?! You don't realise what I am offering you! You shall enter the Order as a mage of the fourth degree, with privileges far beyond those of my other apprentices! All I ask is that you accept me as your teacher and master, and that you commit fully to our ways. You spurn my offer out of fear of obligation, without even knowing what will be asked of you!”“That is exactly why I can't just blindly accept it! I don't even know what any of these Laws and Protocols are, let alone why I should follow them. You're asking me to throw myself into a life that I know nothing about, so of course I'm going to ask for assurances that I won't become some peon without any mind of my own. I need to know that you won't infringe on my Will and that I will remain my own man. I'm willing to learn from you and follow your lead, magister. I just need to know that I'll be treated like a human, not a piece of clay to sculpted in your own image.”
“You speak of harmony with your Tao, when magic is something that must be dominated, if one is to control it. I can't begin to imagine how you hope to balance two diametrically opposed philosophies.” It is possible, you are sure of it. Ptolemy knows even less about Taoism than you know about Hermeticism, so you aren't about to trust his verdict. “We will speak more of this another time, Fúgū. I shall ensure that you are informed of all of the rules that you would have to live according to, as a mage of the Order and the Traditions. These are not negotiable. For now, I am done arguing with a stubborn child of a man, who thinks he knows everything about the world now that he's opened his eyes for the first time.”Ptolemy Lux dismisses you with a wave of his hand and immediately turns his attention to papers arrayed before him, making a show of losing all interest in you. Yet you know that you achieved a small victory. Towards the end, his anger had begun to cool and though he made sure that he got the last word and used it to insult you, everything that he said before then was a step in the direction. The magister was no longer insisting on your submission, or the abandonment of the Tao, all he wants is for you to abide these rules, whatever they might be.There's a chance that you might've convinced him.The boyish Med stands at the top of the stairs that lead out of the basement, her brow furrowed. You have no doubt that she heard the yelling, along with a few other details of the conversation.“Dinner will be served in roughly two hours.” Sounds about right. Your attunement to the Sphere of Time tells you that it is twenty-four minutes to four. “Until then, I am to accompany you and attend to your needs.”“Don't you have any lessons to attend to?”“Not at this point in time,” Med replies. Her tone is terse, likely due snippets of the conversation that she might've overheard. “Most afternoons, the Master allows those of us who are not performing other duties to revisit his teachings as we see fit. Independent study is an important part of our learning.”
What she really wants to say is 'it is learning that you are disrupting with your presence.' That's the impression that you get, at least. Regardless, it seems like you have some free time on your hands.>Allow yourself to be confined to your room. You need some time to think and Med might be grateful for the opportunity to focus on her studies instead.>Ask to talk with Vox or Nor again. After your conversation with the magister, you want to talk with another mage. (If you choose this option, pick either Vox or Nor.)>Let Med get on with her revision, as long as you get to sit in on it and look over her shoulder. This is an opportunity for some second-hand learning.>Focus on studies of your own. Ask to be taken to the library. While you're there, you'll be able to read up on a subject of your choosing. Perhaps some more Enochian.>Instruct Med to lead you outside, and proceed to take your leave of this place. After that confrontation with Ptolemy, you're finished with all of this mage shit.
>>6440128>you want to backtrack the student and apprenticeship talk and go for a working relationship, where he can teach in exchange for services rendered. Is that right?Yeah lol, that was the idea, my bad, but I like your vote more.>>6439886Changing my original vote >>6439914 to +1 >>6440031
>>6440195>>Focus on studies of your own. Ask to be taken to the library. While you're there, you'll be able to read up on a subject of your choosing. Perhaps some more Enochian.Fugu will excel, it is inevitable. It will give something to throw any restless energy into, and will additionally serve as another piece of proof of Fugu's commitment to learning.>If you refuse to commit yourself, you cannot hope to ever touch the truth!The Tao has already been reached, it need only be remembered.
>>6440195>Let Med get on with her revision, as long as you get to sit in on it and look over her shoulder. This is an opportunity for some second-hand learning.Would be good to know some of the things we're skipping over.
>>6440195>Let Med get on with her revision, as long as you get to sit in on it and look over her shoulder. This is an opportunity for some second-hand learning.Let's not be too much pain in the ass by drawing her away from the studies and maybe learn some more about the Hermeticism, maybe we can reconcile at least parts of it with the Tao?But Enochian sounds interesting too as it clearly is not just a normal language.
>>6440195>>Let Med get on with her revision, as long as you get to sit in on it and look over her shoulder. This is an opportunity for some second-hand learning.Im really liking Med as a character. One of my favorites who have been produced so far.
>>6440195>Let Med get on with her revision, as long as you get to sit in on it and look over her shoulder. This is an opportunity for some second-hand learning.
>>6440195>>Focus on studies of your own. Ask to be taken to the library. While you're there, you'll be able to read up on a subject of your choosing. Perhaps some more Enochian.Hermes was an alchemist, so let's see what the Hermetic library has to say about alchemy, since we study both the Eastern AND Western traditions. We need to find more common ground to help us get along here, since we are going down this road.
>“Is it a question of which would give you the best tools, or which would be the best tool? Why allow yourself to be led, when you can lead? Think not of the revolution of the Ouroboros, but of your own.”It just occurred to me on a re-read that this sounds vaguely similar to the Consumption of Leviathan, which is the practice of seizing power whenever and however you can from sources at your power level, and progressively working your way up the metaphysical food chain while not dying.
>>6440239That's a good question what that voice is. Inverted Avatar? But then what would be Cleo and the alchemists, just Past Lives? Deeper level of Avatar that leads Henry to true seeking and understanding of his paradigm? Or maybe something else entirely.
>>6440240No one knows what avatars actually are besides that they are spirits who can be killed or altered with high-level attainments in the spheres of prime and spirit, that you need them to do awakened magic, that they can be shattered, that they can be weak or strong depending on their rating with high level avatars having a greater ability to urge or aid you along your path of enlightenment/endarkenment, that they can be used to store quintessence, and its their job to test you whether you are worthy or prepared enough for unlocking higher arete/magical power.
>>6440195>>Focus on studies of your own. Ask to be taken to the library. While you're there, you'll be able to read up on a subject of your choosing. Perhaps some more Enochian.
It could be a different type of avatar trying to influence us, since they are primordial, questing, static, or dynamic avatars that all have different goals. Primordial are the coolest and the ones most high-level mages possess.
>Locking the vote there so I can start working on an update. Going with watching Med study, rather than focusing on your own.
>>6440246Mages usually have single Avatar of single Essence so I don't think that's it. It may be some aspect of Henry's avatar, maybe some interested in the energy revolution more than immortality.It doesn't sound malicious enough for an Inverted one, but then again what corrupting thing does?
>>6437384>Another voice reverberating in your soul – another prior incarnation of yours, perhaps? You do not know its name.>>6440239>>6440240>>6440246>>6440274I am finding the advice from this second voice is more aligned with Henry's rebellious streak, and his wider ideals. Maybe Tesla? It's possible that Fugu is a special case and all the avatars we had to choose from are in the wings, and the choices we make can attract the attention of new ones. I could also see this being an entity that wants to draw us down a darker path by appealing to our self-righteous anger and anti-authoritarian sentiments.
“Maybe you should use this as an opportunity to demonstrate what you know, if you were planning on doing some revision before you were asked to babysit me. If I'm going to study here, I'd be grateful for some insight into the subjects I'm going to have to learn.”Med hesitates when she hears your words. She regards you with uncertainty for a moment, as though she is trying to determine the sincerity of your request. Though she eventually provides you with a response, you find it difficult to discern her feelings.“... Of course, sir. If you will follow me, I will need to collect some of my books from my quarters. Once I have them, we can begin in the sitting room.”With that, she turns to lead the way, moving with some haste. Such is her pace that you need to focus on keeping up with her, rather than asking questions. While the guest rooms are on the second floor of the house, your guide's quarters are found with those of the other apprentices. Shared dormitories that must have once housed servants or slaves, these rooms remain sparse and undecorated. Med's room-mate looks up from where she's sitting on her bed to placidly glance your way, before she buries her nose back in the book that she was reading. As for Med herself, she wastes no time collecting her satchel from beneath her bed. With that, she's on her way again and you're hurrying after her.Thanks to the pace that Med is marching at, you arrive at the sitting room in short order. Plush, cushioned chairs surround a low table that sits in front of an ornate hearth, with more seats found by the walls with side tables to accompany them. You can just picture this room a century ago as it might have been a century ago, full of well-to-do gentlemen enjoying their host's whiskey and cigars and pining for the good old days. In the present, it is home to no more than a couple of Ptolemy's students, one of whom is busy sketching something while the other is submerged in a particularly heavy tome.Med turns a chair to its side table and seats herself. You follow her lead, while she sets about unloading the contents of her satchel on the surface. A sketchbook and a heavily annotated copy of the Key of Solomon, as translated by S. L. MacGregor Mathers, are the two most notable objects that emerge from the confines of that bag. According to the student, she is in the process of learning how to draw the Seventh Pentacle of Mars from memory. Med says that the main difficulty lies in the freehand drawing of a regular octagram, though recalling which Agrippan alphabet is also a source of frustration.While the pentacle that she points out certainly looks complex, you can't help but wonder what Med means by Agrippan alphabets.
The Key of Solomon relies on five separate scripts that are used for the construction of pentacles. The first and foremost of these is Hebrew, from which all of the others are derived from and correspond to. The second of these is the Alphabet of the Magi, as given by Theseus Ambrosius. The third, fourth and fifth are the Agrippan Alphabets, as given by Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa – Celestial, Malachim, and Transitus Fluvii. All four of these scripts supposedly have divine origins and were given to mankind by angels.“Isn't that supposed to be the source of Enochian? Why would angels give us all of these different alphabets?”“I don't think that they did, sir. It's far more likely that the mages of the Renaissance disguised their words of power as angelic languages, as a way of trying to persuade the Masses to adopt them and make use of them. It might have been a way of fighting the influence of the Technocratic Union.”“The Union was around, even that far back?”“Yes, though the Master claims that they called themselves the Order of Reason during that period, out of spite for the Order of Hermes.” So the Union has been ruling the world from the shadows for over half a millennium. If that's the case, then it's no surprise that everything has gone to shit.In any case, the Agrippan Alphabets are all very similar. Almost every letter is some combination of circles and lines intersecting with each other. For this reason, it's difficult for Med to distinguish between them in her head. As an example, the Malachim zayin is indistinguishable from the shin of Transitus Fluvii, while the Celestial he is a horizontally flipped Malachim dalet. The worst one is the Malachim waw, which is just a vertically flipped Malachim zayin – the very next letter. To make matters worse, the pentacle requires these letters to be written in a circle rather than a straight line. No wonder Med is having so much trouble with this.Though you are tempted to think of Agrippa's constructed languages as complete bullshit, your Awakened mind seems to have an affinity for them. After only a few minutes of browsing the alphabet, you are able to determine exactly which character has been written and which alphabet it belongs to, before Med even has to explain it. Like Enochian, these scripts somehow react to your Will.“So, what is this pentacle supposed to achieve?”“When the right incantation is spoke by its maker, it is transmuted into a projection of fire, that can be used in an offensive capacity. Though I have used it once before, the Master had to guide me through every step of the process.”Are you supposed to believe that this skinny tomboy, who isn't even a true mage, is capable of lobbing fireballs?
You communicate your disbelief in a more diplomatic fashion, which leads to the student performing a demonstration for you. She begins to draw the Third Pentacle of Mars, which far simpler. It only uses Hebrew and rather than a regular octagram, all it requires is an equilateral triangle divided into four congruent triangles. Nevertheless, it's impressive that she's able to draw it from memory.As soon as it is complete, the student tears away the sheet that it is written on. She pinches that paper between her finger and thumb and dangles it in the air, before she begins to speak.“Te adiuro, spiritus ignis, per voluntatem Eius qui terram movet eamque tremere facit.”It takes some concentration for her to complete the recital but as soon as she's finished, the paper bursts into flames, consuming itself in a matter of seconds. You reel back in your chair, almost tumbling backwards. One of the students in the room is similarly startled by Med's spell, while the other is utterly unphased by it. He doesn't even look up from his own sketching.“That was... Was that Latin?” Med is utterly unimpressed by your question.“... I have to ask, sir, do you know any language other than English?”“Well, I suppose that I have a working knowledge of Chinese.” You'd like to think so but no, you really don't.“Forgive me, I know that I shouldn't question the wisdom of the Master, but I don't quite understand why he is showing such a significant interest in you, sir. You have no prior knowledge of Hermeticism, nor do you seem to possess any of the skills that would make you a suitable candidate for our Order, let alone an intiate of the fourth degree.”“I've become one with my Word, Med. That's the only reason why he cares about me.”“If you don't mind me asking, sir – how? How does someone like you manage to manifest their Word and wield it, while the rest of us fail to even perceive ours, no matter how many years we devote to the Order?” You can hear the frustration and incredulity growing in her voice. “Every single one of us have given up our lives, our families, for a chance to touch the power that just... fell into your lap. Forgive me, sir, I just wish that I could understand.”>The sad reality is that you don't know. Maybe it was predestined, or maybe it boils down to probability. You won't pretend to know the answer.>The key is reincarnation. Your power comes from your ancient and storied soul, though you should ask her to not share this with Ptolemy.>Tragedy is the trigger. Trauma serves as the spark that ignites the spirit. None of the apprentices have suffered enough.>Truth faith is what allowed you to Awaken. Ptolemy's students need to find something they truly believe in, rather than blindly follow him.>Accept that she is right. The magister shouldn't favour you over any of the other students. You don't deserve preferential treatment.
>>6440330>Tragedy is the trigger. Trauma serves as the spark that ignites the spirit. None of the apprentices have suffered enough.>The sad reality is that you don't know. Maybe it was predestined, or maybe it boils down to probability. You won't pretend to know the answer.It probably is tragedy, or some kind of traumatic heightened emotional state, but we don't know enough to be certain. Ptolemy probably doesn't want to risk the lives of his students either.
>>6440330>Write-in >"You are correct that I do not possess any prior knowledge of Hermeticism as dictated by your order. But I do possess a reliable knowledge of Western alchemical principles, many of which derive from the teachings of Hermes Trismegistus, and a vast understanding of Taoist alchemy curated over many years of diligent study. My way is not yours, or his, and yet through neidan and weidan, when under dire circumstances, I cleared my mind and made contact with the Tao. I manifested a blade of pure qi and took on the form of a mighty Loong. Have I disrespected your decision to commit to this craft in order to achieve the power of a mage? No. Perhaps you ought to respect my commitment to my own craft, and the insights it has provided me. Have you considered that the Hermetic path is one of many, and that it does not produce Awakened mages any more often than any other path? It is already quite clear to me that your sect only accounts for a small portion of those that have become one with a Word. I did so without any coddling from a mystic order. This power didn't fall into my lap any more than it is going to fall into yours, Med. I woke myself to it with great effort, albeit unaware of what that truly meant until it finally occurred. I was always working towards oneness, I have practiced the Tao for many years." Sorry to yap but I am fed the fuck up with these Hermetics talking shit to us. It's time Henry stands up for himself ffs.
>>6440330>Truth faith is what allowed you to Awaken. Ptolemy's students need to find something they truly believe in, rather than blindly follow him.>>6440337+1. Henry does believe in Tao so I think that fits with the above option.
>>6440330>You have to experience an event that makes you realize that everything is a lie built to mask the one truth that connects everything. In that brief moment where the lie of you unknowingly connects with your higher self, who in turn has deemed you strong enough to accept that the bedrock of your beliefs are lies without breaking, you connect with every past version of yourself and briefly experience what we call oneness with the world and truth before it slips from your fingers due to a human mind not containing the structure capable of supporting such profound realization.
>>6440330Language is a tool we use to understand reality and ourselves. Knowing multiple languages and dedicated study means you have higher-quality tools capable of doing more. That said, there are situations when the tools you have are not the right tools for a particular job, so you find another craftsman with different tools or knowledge of how to use tools you don't possess. You are not a poor craftsman; you merely lack the knowledge of the specific tools you are capable of using to manifest a masterpiece. My advice? Try to remember what came naturally to you before you joined the Order of Hermes and attempt to recapture that feeling. Awakening is a profound personal experience that words fail to convey.
>>6440337I like your write in, but I like the tomboy, even if she's butthurt about a balding salary man turning into a mage. And also because I feel that Henry already fighting with Ptolemy might've calmed him down.>>6440330>Truth faith is what allowed you to Awaken. Ptolemy's students need to find something they truly believe in, rather than blindly follow him.>"Med, I was a simple guy working a 9-to-5, I think some people call it a wageslave on the internet. And while I was acting as if I was working, I kept doing research, looking through photos, hoarding PDFs and any little bit of information, the difference between you, me, or any other student is in our paths and choices. How could I know? Some glowies just came to my office and dragged me out for no reason, and it just happened, a voice with no physical body spoke to me, and it all happened. And I'm not planning to abandon whatever path I was following, the same that opened my eyes just as easily. I'm not even sure I can go back to my regular life, because I might be thrown in a black van and get killed, I'm not sure I could get back to my family because they might hurt them, the difference is that you all chose to let all of those things go while I was just shaken and thrown around until I fell here">"Do you really expect me to tell you how I turned into a Mage, when maybe all the other mages only have theories upon theories that are being thrown into a wall, and hopefully they stick before those theories are scrapped off? Well, the truth is that I'm the fucking Yellow Emperor, I came here to this life to bring a new age of prosperity. Do you like my answer? Or do you get what I'm going at?">"It might be luck, it might be chance, it might be a divine bloodline, how could I know? It IS hardwork, right? Because Ptolemy is the living proof of it. It might be a bad break up, or even just miraculously not dying of Overdose. The thing is that even if it's a fraction of a fraction of a chance, you're still chasing, just like I'm still chasing the chance to make a miracle pill that after taking it I have the amazing hair I had in my younger days. Same struggle, same shit. All is One and One is All"
True faith is an exceedingly powerful merit and force in Mage. 1 dot means you have stronger faith than most priests, can drive off supernaturals, or even partially counterspell magic for spheres you don't have. True faith is what the angels fed on and cultivated back during the rebellion. True faith 6 means you win Mage: The Ascension full stop. Ascension is never clearly defined in M20, but when it comes to true faith, true faith 5 means you can force any foe to their knees, cast miracles paradox-free, counterspell most magic, incinerate foes, and are one step short of actual ascension. It's like having a version of a fallen angel's apocalyptic form.
>>6440337+1
>>6440349True, but I think in this context we are just taking about really strong belief in something, not the Merit.
The most based thing we could possibly do is teach Med Taoism and it lead to her awakening with similar beliefs about the nature of the universe.
>>6440356>"Henry, you were the worst that could've happened not only to me, but for the Order of Hermes as a whole. How I'm supposed to talk to the other Mages and all of the Order as a whole, and explain how MY student is the reason we have a branch of Taoist Hermeticism">"Come on Ptolemy, it's not that bad! They're Flambeau still and willing to be the Order's militia, right?">"Yeah?! And what about the Buddhist that came to be thanks to you?!">"Stop! Don't you dare to smear to my face the bane to my existence! You're going over the line, Ptolemy!"
>>6440358This is sending me. The Order of Hermes has a rich amount of minor houses with all kinds of diverse beliefs. They are also to blame for the birth of the technocracy, House Tremere (Tremere was the weakest archmage of all the founders), erasure of entire cultures of magic through rampant imperialism, infernalism through arrogance, producing a fair amount of nephandi, scary high attrition, deadly internal politics, and sheer asshole behavior. I love them so, but I also hate them because they deserve to be hated.
>>6440361You might like this too, lore-kun.
>>6440330>>The sad reality is that you don't know. Maybe it was predestined, or maybe it boils down to probability. You won't pretend to know the answer.
>Locking the vote and going with >>6440337's write-in, though I may factor in other write-ins that overlap with it.
“You know what? You're right, I don't know nearly enough about this sort of magic. I've never looked into all of these angelic languages before now. What I do know a lot about is alchemy, Western and Eastern alike, to the point where I have manifested Cleopatra the Alchemist as my Word. It is through my way, through neidan and waidan, that I cleared my mind when my freedom was threatened and made contact with the Tao. Not your way, or his, but my own. I made this,” you heft Xuanyuan, which has never left your side, “from my own qi. I became loong. Now, I respect your commitment to your craft. I'm here right now because I want to learn from you. All I ask in return is that you respect my commitment to mine, through which I have Awakened.”“Of course, sir – forgive me, I shouldn't have challenged your affinity with magic.” Already, Med has retreated back into her shell, having smothered her frustration. If anything, she seems embarrassed by her outburst, but you're not done.“No one is going to learn anything if their knowledge isn't challenged, Med. I'm challenging myself by confronting how little I know about theurgy, astrology and other aspects of Hermetic magic. You're being challenged by the realisation that the path laid before you by Hermes is just one of many. If what I've learned is true, only a fraction of Awakened mages belong to your Order. Other than the magister, I don't think I know of any who realised their Word through the Hermetic method. We all found our own way to that point, it didn't fall into our laps and it isn't going to fall into yours. If yours is going to be anything like mine, then it's going to take great effort. You're going to have to cultivate your own path, without ever knowing for certain if it's the right one. I spent years working my way towards oneness with the Tao, without any idea that Awakening was possible at all. I earned this and so can you, but you'll have to find your own way.”“Are you suggesting that the teachings of Hermes are not right for me, or for any of us?” The apprentice seems perturbed. You've challenged her conformity to the teachings of Ptolemy, and she's not comfortable with that. Neither are the other two students in the sitting room, both of whom have looked up to observe your conversation.“I didn't say that. You're capable of magic before you've even Awakened, clearly you're capable of great things. All that I am asking is that you use everything that you learn from the magister to find your own way forward. Rather than follow his guidance to the letter, you need to decide for yourself what the next step should be. The Seventh Pentacle of Mars – do you want to master it because the magister has told you to, or is this something that you want?”“I do this because I want to,” she insists, her jaw set. She's ready to defend her beliefs now, if you're going to challenge them further. That isn't your plan.
“Well, can you explain why only six out of the eight points of the star have letters in them? I'm not saying that it's a mistake, I just don't understand why. It looks like... He, bet, waw, resh, yod, mem... What does that spell, H-B-V-R-Y-M?”“Haborym,” she says, though she's somewhat surprised that you've grasped these scripts so quickly. “Bibilical Hebrew is an abjad. It doesn't have any vowels, but some of the consonants are matres lectionis, they can be used to indicate them.”“Did you study linguistics at college or something?”“I was planning to, sir. I was introduced to the Master just before my high school graduation. It's something I've always been interested in, I even got an honourable mention at the NACLO for being the youngest student to ever compete in it. It's a computational linguistics competition.” You're not familiar with it, but it does sound like she was some sort of prodigy, before Ptolemy got his hands on her.“As for Haborym,” Med says, quickly moving on from the life that she left behind, “it is the name of a demon whose name is found in the Ars Goetia. If I wanted to petition him – which is expressly forbidden – then I would use his sigil. By invoking his name in this manner, I abjure him and demand his compliance, under threat of divine retribution.”“I won't lie, you've got a better grasp of language than I could ever hope to have.” You decide against telling her that she would have an easier time understanding the Agrippan Alphabets if she was Awakened. “I don't know much about the Keys of Solomon either. I'm just not sure that it's a good idea to try and draw any kind of perfect polygon without some sort of aid.”“The spell doesn't work if the pentacle is drawn with precision using tools. The process of drawing it unaided is a part of what imbues it with magic. It's a demonstration of mastery, without a clear display of coinfidence from the practitioner, the named spirits refuse to answer the invocation.”“Well, what about starting with a sheet of grid paper underneath the sheet that you're drawing the pentacle on? Draw a circle on the grid paper with a compass and use a protractor to divide it into eight forty-five degree sectors. Mark a clear dot wherever a line intersects with the circle, clear enough that you can see it through the pentacle paper. Once you've got that, then you can start drawing.”“Isn't that still an aid of some sort, sir?”“Look, just call me Fúgū. If I'm going to be studying under the magister, you're not going to be calling me 'sir' for long anyway. Besides, even if it doesn't work, it's going to help you with your practice. If you want to be able to draw this thing freehand, you'll need to take steps to build up your confidence. Let's just try it and see how it goes.”
It doesn't take too long for Med to assemble the tools that she needs to try your method, though she has to borrow some grid paper from one of the other apprentices. Once the circle and its sectors have been drawn, the points are clearly marked and she is able to use them as reference points for the drawing of her eight-pointed star. You provide occasional tips and words of encouragement, though once or twice, Med has to politely ask you to shut up so that she can focus on drawing straight lines and perfect circles.After over a dozen failed attempts that end up as screwed-up balls of paper, Med has at last drawn the outline of the pentacle. When it's time for the text, you help her as best as you can with the Celestial letters, but you leave the Hebrew to her. Within a matter of minutes, the pentacle is complete, almost a perfect imitation of the one found in the Key of Solomon. The only difference is the names of the spirits being invoked.“The names given by the book are complete nonsense,” Med explains, “probably to prevent any random person from just copying what's in the book and conjuring fire without knowing what they're doing. True understanding of the Keys is required to make use of these pentacles, which is why I would like to go outside, to see if this one will work.”“Let's go.”The sun is coming down from its zenith but the air is still pleasantly warm. A gentle breeze causes the page to flutter in Med's hand, but she is careful not to let go of it. She encourages you to take a step back once you stop in front of the grounds, before the open lawn outside of the old plantation house. The tanned student takes in a breath to steel herself, before she begins to chant in Latin once more, pentacle held aloft.“Maledictus, damnatus et in aeternum proiectus esto; atque aeterno cruciatu torquearis.”The paper rustles in the young woman's hand, but nothing else happens. Though she is used to disappointment by now, Med still seems deflated by the failure. A defeated sigh leaves her lips and her arm drops back down by her side.>Be honest with Med, she doesn't belong here. She's a bright young woman with a promising future, if only she finds her own path, far away from Ptolemy.>Express concern about the invocation of demons. Even she isn't using sigils, she is still trying to draw power from a denizen of Hell with this spell.>Make a deal with Med. You'll teach her what you know of alchemy, if she continues to share her knowledge of theurgy with you. Hopefully that'll motive her.>Offer to teach her about the Tao. Med is trying to channel yang when she lives a life of yin. To cast this spell with confidence, she requires balance.>Med is probably right, she will need to learn how to draw the pentacle unaided. However, this was a step in the right direction. All she needs is practice.
>>6440608>Make a deal with Med. You'll teach her what you know of alchemy, if she continues to share her knowledge of theurgy with you. Hopefully that'll motive her.
>>6440608>>Make a deal with Med. You'll teach her what you know of alchemy, if she continues to share her knowledge of theurgy with you. Hopefully that'll motive her.If Med somehow progresses on her path thanks to us, she will have to accept that there is some validity to the Tao and Hermetic Practices overlapping. Absolutely, loving this quest so far.
>>6440608>>Make a deal with Med. You'll teach her what you know of alchemy, if she continues to share her knowledge of theurgy with you. Hopefully that'll motive her.
“Look, Med – you've made it clear that you know what you're doing when it comes to this stuff. Even if you want to say that you just perform the goetic form of it, low magic is still magic and it's the foundation of what I will have to learn as a mage of the Order.”“How can you say that I know what I'm doing when it didn't work? The Third Pentacle was child's play, but drawing the Seventh entirely from memory, with total confidence and without any aid? It's next to impossible.”“You told me that you've done it before with the magister's assistance, so I'm confident that you can do it again. It's going to take time and it's going to take effort, but you can do it. I want you to teach me how you did it when you do and in exchange, I'll teach you what I know. The Enochian invocation of Thoth, that's a combination of theurgy and astrology. These pentacles, they seem purely theurgical. The magister said that the third aspect of Hermeticism is alchemy, but all I've seen concerning that subject is an empty lab. What has he taught you about natural philosophy?”“It's mostly been limited to the study of the four elements proposed by Empedocles and how they interact, as well as the study of Aristotelian aether, though the Master speaks of it as quintessence. From what I understand, Master Sophus was entrusted with that laboratory and all matters concerning Ars Materiae, though I've not seen him for as long as I've studied under the Master.”This complicates things. On one hand, you now have leverage, something that you can offer to Ptolemy's students that he cannot. With this, you can barter for more autonomy and authority. On the other hand, it seems that there is little that the magister can teach you regarding alchemy. For that, you might need to find the wizard of House Bonisagus, Sophus Serapis.“The path has more twists and turns than expected. It does not matter. It will deliver you to your destination regardless. Once you have laid claim to the tools of the Jewess, you shall have the means to perform chrysopoeia. That is all that matters.”“Everything matters. Everyone matters. This woman shall learn your truth – the truth – and so shall all of the others, here and beyond. So begins the transmutation of One and All.”“There's a whole lot more for you to learn, then. Do you at least know about the alchemical symbols attributed to Zosimos? Even if you don't, you should catch on quickly.”You haven't got every last symbol committed to memory, but you recall more than enough Western alchemy to show Med the basics. After convincing the boyish student to keep the failed pentacle, the two of you retire to the sitting room so you can show her some of the alchemical formulae for basic chemical reactions, along with the Pharaoh's Serpent as an example of something more complicated and wondrous.
By the time that two hours has passed and dinner is ready to be served, spirits have lifted and both of you are feeling better, thanks to the knowledge that you've shared. You even catch Med smiling once or twice, though you decide against commenting. The Order of Hermes takes discipline seriously, after all.After the heavy stew that you had for lunch, it seems that there's something lighter in store for the last meal of the day. Chicken noodle soup, of all things. You take the same seat as before, with Vox Pop sitting a little further down the table. The Mercurial mage offers you a wave and calls over, doing her best to keep herself from sounding too interested.“Hey, how'd the meeting with the magister go?”“Honestly, I don't know. I'll let you know when he gets back to me. Where's Nor?”“No idea, I've not seen her since we left her room. She wanted some space, so I gave it to her.”Fair enough, maybe she's just not in the mood for sitting at a table with so many people after you burned through her social battery. Rather than focus on smalltalk, you decide to tuck in. You've developed something of an appetite after all of that chattering and arguing, so the sooner that you're able to fill that void in your stomach, the better.The skinny, pallid Etherite shows up not longer after finished your meal. She's like a woman possessed, marching towards the table and radiating frantic energy, clutching her laptop tight to her chest. Before you or Vox are able to greet her, she barks a question, her vocal fry hoarser than usual.“Is your name Henry Cobbledick?”Vox Populi, who normally tries so hard to appear unphased by everything around her, almost doubles over cackling when she hears your given name for the first time. Aynorbee isn't laughing.“I thought we weren't supposed to share our Sleeper names. Yeah, that was my name, but – ”You can see the panic on her face as she clumsily uses one hand to try and sweep the empty bowl in front of you out of the way, while the other clings to her laptop. As soon as you've cleared the surface, she slams it down and opens the computer in front of you. Her forefinger hammers down on the spacebar and a video clip from a local news channel starts to play.“... Local authorities are currently offering a reward for any information about the whereabouts of two Atlanta residents, Henry Cobbledick and Trevor Fontaine, who are suspected of involvement in an international child pornography ring. The APD claim that copious amounts of sickening and disturbing material were found on their personal devices, but both men remain at large...”On the screen, there is a photo of you taken straight from your driver's license... and there is a picture of Papa Yew. He might not have the hat or the glasses, but you recognise that beard.
“How the fuck did they figure out that Yew was involved?!” Is it your fault? Did someone on that bus end up reporting you both, all because you were walking around covered in dirt and carrying a sword wrapped up in a tarp?“You... Wait, holy shit, they've got Yew?” Vox, who had almost recovered from that fit of giggles, now has to deal with immense whiplash as she learns that another Awakened is on the Union's radar.“I thought it was him, I knew it was you, but I couldn't be sure if it was him... No, no. They wouldn't offer a reward if they already had their hands on him, but... Why? Why the fuck didn't you bring him here with you if you led the Techies right to his doorstep?!” Nor is on the verge of hyperventilation, her voice tinged with hysteria. Right now, the Etherite is literally shaking with anxiety.“I thought he had covered our tracks! I had no way of knowing that anyone was onto him!”“It's the fucking Union,” Vox butts in, raising her voice just enough to not be drowned out by Nor's hysterics and your defence of yourself. “They have all of the resources in the world at their disposal and just as many Awakened as us, if not way more. There's a reason why I got the fuck away from Atlanta before they figured me out.”“If they have his phone, if they know he's been in touch with the magister...” Nor looks like she's about to throw up. “... They'll know about us, they'll know that we're all here and we'll be next. We're next.”“There's no pointing tearing your hair over the worst case scenario.” You try to ignore all of the bewildered looks that the three of you are getting from Ptolemy's students. They might have been taught not to butt into mage business, but you're causing a spectacle right now. “What's important is that we get this to Ptolemy right now, so that we can get Yew out of there.”Vox couldn't agree more with you, while a clear course of action seems to calm Aynorbee enough that she's willing to follow your lead. While you don't know exactly where Ptolemy is, you've got a good guess. The cellar seems to serve as her sanctum, the place where he is most at ease. Perhaps all of the Enochian serves as warding that protects him from the outside world, or maybe it empowers him and allow him to cast his most devastating spells. You can only guess.Of course, the way down to that arcane chamber is locked. After several seconds of knocking and bellowing to get the magister's attention, you're about to give up and continue your search when the door suddenly gives way. You almost topple down the stairs, but you manage to stagger your way down instead, until your shoes hit the paving stones. Ptolemy is already looking up from his desk towards you, stern and unamused. Unlike you, it doesn't seem like he has recovered from the earlier quarrel. Well, too bad. You've got more important things to worry about now.“The Union's found out about Papa Yew.”
Everything that you've just learned from Nor is shared with the magister. She deserves the opportunity to catch her breath and calm down a little – the Etherite is of no use to anyone when she's on the verge of breaking down. As for Ptolemy, nothing that you said seems to phase him. When you suggest finding Papa Yew and getting him out of Atlanta before the Technocracy find him, he merely scoffs.“Did I not say that the Union would be at his door before the day was done? I told Yew that I would come to his rescue and I like to think of myself as a man of my word. He spurned my offer of protection and now he pays the price.”“Are you seriously letting another mage fall into their hands, over something that petty?” You can hardly believe what you're hearing. “Someone has to do something.”“Something shall be done. I will conjure a gate that will take Vox Populi and Ay-Nor-Bee to somewhere safe, near the man's abode. At the stroke of midnight, that gate shall open once more and allow them to return to this house with Yew in – ”“What the fuck?! Why me?!” Nor practically croaks those last two syllables, her big blue eyes bulging. The mere thought of this mission has her on the verge of a panic attack. “I am aware of your implants,” Ptolemy drawls. “Should Vox Populi come to blows with agents of the Technocracy, she will need someone to protect her. You are more than capable of doing so.”“What about me? The man saved my life and brought me here, I owe him everything! What sort of person am I if I don't help him now, after everything he's done for me?”“You are the future of our Order, Fúgū. Despite everything, I am willing to accept you as an apprentice and an initiate. You shall get to keep your freedom and autonomy, and in return, all that I ask is that you do not risk yourself for a man who did not want our Order's help.”“None of us would be at risk if you came with us, magister.” You've learned to stand up to Ptolemy. You're not about to back down. “Please, just aside your ego and accept that we can't afford to lose another mage.”“There is more to this decision than ego, boy! I cannot without first considering the wellbeing of my students! What if they used the Chakravanti's means of contacting me to locate this house? What if they take advantage of my absence to assault this place, and slaughter to a score of noble men and women who trusted me with their lives? Their fate is in my hands and I cannot afford to be careless! Nor can you, if you are to be the heir to this house. The life of a Hermetic mage is not a thing to be thrown away so – ”“Ptolemy, can you shut the fuck up and just make the fucking portal?!” It's Vox's turn for an angry outburst, her voice as sharp as a knife. “I don't care who the fuck comes with me, but I'm going to get Yew. The longer we fuck around with this argument, the less likely it is that he comes out of this alive.”
“I'm not fucking going,” Nor insists, stumbling backwards towards the stairs. “I came here to get away from all of this... this. I'm not going to let any of you volunteer me for a fucking suicide mission!”>You're going, full stop. After everything that Papa Yew did for you, you couldn't live with yourself if you stayed behind.>You will stay behind. If you are going to be Ptolemy's student, you need to start accepting his decisions.>Vox should go. Other than you, she's the only one who is willing to put her life on the line to save Yew. Let her.>It's best if Vox stays. There's a good chance that the Union is still onto her and that they'll be ready for her in Atlanta.>Nor has to come. If Ptolemy is right about her, her implants might be the difference between success and failure.>Nor should stay. No matter how useful her implants are, she's too mentally fragile to be of much use to anyone in Atlanta.>Ptolemy can stay. He's doing enough by providing you with support in the form of portals, and he has his students to look after.>The magister has to help. If he refuses to come, then you will refuse to join the Order of Hermes. It's time to put it all on the line.>Please choose one option from each of the four groups.
>>6440711And now the other shoe drops. I knew that the discussion on The Union would lead to a reveal that they had been working in the background.>You will stay behind. If you are going to be Ptolemy's student, you need to start accepting his decisions.Hear me out: Ptolemy should stay so he can protect his students, and because hermetics are at their most dangerous on their home turf. Second, this is obviously a trap, not a suicide mission, and I refuse to walk into the hands of the order after they destroyed our name.>Nor has to come. If Ptolemy is right about her, her implants might be the difference between success and failure.>Vox should go. Other than you, she's the only one who is willing to put her life on the line to save Yew. Let her.>Ptolemy can stay. He's doing enough by providing you with support in the form of portals, and he has his students to look after.I get wanting to rescue Yew; I really truly do, but I trust in his capabilities, and us going off on some half-cocked rescue attempt may interfere with his own plans.
>>6440711The possibility of a Union attack on this place is too high, given that this place likely has a node and tons of artifacts, and that the technocracy would do anything to acquire.
>>6440711>>You're going, full stop. After everything that Papa Yew did for you, you couldn't live with yourself if you stayed behind.We owe him double the lifesaving now, plus a waffle House bowl. >Vox should go. Other than you, she's the only one who is willing to put her life on the line to save Yew. Let her.Her skills are subtle but maybe invaluable. We could maybe combine her magic with ours to give us a buff to sword-fighting depending on her exact spheres. >Nor should stay. No matter how useful her implants are, she's too mentally fragile to be of much use to anyone in Atlanta.I don't exactly dislike her, but she'll be a liability if she comes with. Also, I think it may be wise to leave some extra muscle behind to hold down the fort in cast there is an incursion in our absence. For the last one, if it is permissible: >Write-in >Ptolemy does have a responsibility to all of the mortals here, they'd be massacred by even just two of the agents the Technocrats sent after you yesterday. But you will need more assistance than Vox. Demand he send two of his most martially gifted students to attend as bodyguards. You already saw a fencing class, and you've no doubt there is a gun range on this campus. If this is the Order's military wing, you know there are at least a handful of acolytes here with firearms and combat training. If we can't get a couple of operators, then I will vote to have Ptolemy stay here at the house. If he comes with us and this place is sacked, it'd be devastating beyond belief for our character and future. If something bad happens to use while we are on the mission, my hope is we can leverage that later against Nor for sitting it out, in order to get her to take some responsibility and take a stand. That's where my head is at.
>>6440719+1I agree with thid plan for getting Papa Yew back.
>>6440711>write-in>Peer into the future of the house with Time• (optionally Prime• to focus on seeing future flows of quint giving us knowledge if some Effects are going to be cast)If there is time, maybe we could use our powers to give us some info. We can't see remotely without Correspondence, but we found potentially see if house is going to be attacked or not.>>6440719+1, but if above would be allowed then maybe additional info would change the answers
>>6440720>>6440726Worst case scenario they are redshirts, but a couple of guys with handguns, knives, martial arts basics, and a pinch of low magic can probably serve as a solid equalizer against low level agents.
>>6440711>You will stay behind. If you are going to be Ptolemy's student, you need to start accepting his decisions.>Vox should go. Other than you, she's the only one who is willing to put her life on the line to save Yew. Let her.>Nor has to come. If Ptolemy is right about her, her implants might be the difference between success and failure.>Ptolemy does have a responsibility to all of the mortals here, they'd be massacred by even just two of the agents the Technocrats sent after you yesterday. But you will need more assistance than Vox. Demand he send two of his most martially gifted students to attend as bodyguards. You already saw a fencing class, and you've no doubt there is a gun range on this campus. If this is the Order's military wing, you know there are at least a handful of acolytes here with firearms and combat training.I think we should obey Ptolemy in this matter, he IS the resident combat expert, and I doubt he'd be foolish enough to lose two other awakened mages on a trap. And if things do go wrong, we can be sent in as backup. Additionally, it might also serve as the inciting incident for these students to awaken. Ptolemy is evidently struggling with getting them there, but this might just be what they need. I don't think we should push him by asking for some of his star pupils to go along with ourselves, that would likely be an unacceptable risk in his eyes.
>>6440792Oh I wasn't even thinking about it might Wake up one of the students, heh, would be funny as hell if Med turns out to have Sarah Conners commando skills and our idea gets her stuck on this, even funnier if she Awakens from catching a bullet and both thanks us and resents us for coming up with the idea KEK
>Locking the vote there. Going with going yourself, Vox going, Nor staying and Ptolemy sending his most gifted students.
“Fine. If you want to stay, then stay.” The last thing that you need is a hysterical technomancer collapsing in the middle of a rescue mission. Her implants won't be of any use to anyone, in the state that she's in. “But I'm going with Vox. If it wasn't for him, I'd probably in the clutches of the Union right now, and you wouldn't have an Awakened apprentice. You owe him too, so the least that you can do is send two of your most gifted students to assist us.”“I refuse to squander the future of our Order all because of the error of another mage! If you insist on throwing your life away, so be it, but I will not allow you to lead any other student of mine into the belly of the beast.” Ptolemy's moustache quivers with indignation, but you're not about to back down.“They're your pupils, not your children! I've seen what they can do, so I know that they're far from helpless. Besides, they're disciples of House Flambeau, the sword of the Order. If you've been training them in the hope that they can become war mages, here's the chance for you to put your money where your mouth is and prove that you're worth a damn as a teacher. If none of them can stand their ground against the Union, then you've failed them.”“One!” The magister barks that single syllable, raising a finger to punctuate his statement. “I will allow you to take one of my apprentices. Seek out Graph and inform him that he is to prepare three sets of armaments, one for himself and one for each of you. He will need all of the magic that he can muster. Now begone, I have preparations to attend to.”Ptolemy's frustration is palpable as he dismisses you with a wave of his hand, only to turn to his desk and begin to search to his drawers. Though Nor has begun to get a grip of herself now that she realises that she doesn't have to go, Vox still helps her on the way up the stairs. As soon as you're out of the cellar, the ringing of a bell can be heard from below, its chiming carrying through the house. Within moments, Med comes rushing past you to attend to the needs of the magister.“Here,” Vox murmurs to the Etherite as she guides her back to the table, which the other students are already busy clearing, now that dinner has concluded. Thankfully, Nor's soup remains. “You should eat something. Don't worry about Atlanta, you don't have to go. It's all going to work out, alright?”The difference between Vox's usual behaviour and this tender, nurturing side of her is astonishing. Perhaps this is who she truly is... or maybe she is just exploiting the contrast between her present self and the image that she's cultivated, in order to work her magic on Aynorbee and soothe her nerves. When it comes to Vox, you're starting to realise that you can never tell when she's being genuine and when she's manipulating your perception of her.
You don't have the time to linger on the Mercurial mentalist.“Graph! The magister's said that he needs an apprentice called Graph!” You only know two out of the twenty or so students you've seen so far at Ptolemy's estate, so all you can do is shout and hope that the right man will answer you.“Present, sir,” answers one of the older men in the room, roughly your age – though he looks a lot better for it. He's as tanned as Med and a few inches taller than you, with a tawny crew cut and deep brown eyes. Not a trace of stubble can be seen on his square jaw and years of discipline have given him a lean, fit figure, devoid of any unnecessary body fat. Considering how good he looks in that uniform compared to you, you can't help but feel a little inadequate next to this man. “What are the Master's orders?”“He wants three sets of armaments prepared – one for each of us. He said that you'll need all of the magic you can muster.” You stick to the magister's choice of words, as Graph will likely have a better idea of what they mean than you do. With a nod, the apprentice turns to lead the way. Vox gives the calming Etherite one last pat on the shoulder before she joins you, so that you might follow Graph's lead.The first destination is a locked door that leads to the house's armoury, the key to which can be found in Graph's possession. It seems as though Ptolemy has truly given you his most trusted student. The armoury clearly doubles as some sort of boiler room, judging from all of the pipes and tanks that can be found within, but there are several metal cabinets which the apprentice goes about opening. Within one of them, a collection of snubnosed revolvers can be found, along with ammunition. Graph makes sure that they're loaded and that each of you are provided with two speedloaders – that's fifteen rounds each. No need for holsters, when you can hide them in your pockets instead.Unfortunately, swords are not so easily hidden. Though you already have Xuanyuan, Graph is generous enough to give you a sword belt so that the jian can hang by your side. It comes with numerous pouches, almost in the style of a military utility belt, but the leather compartments are a little too small and uniform for that. The apprentice arms himself with an infantry sabre, while Vox refuses to wield any blade.“I don't know how to use a fucking sword,” is her explanation. “Besides, you're going to need someone who can blend in and actually talk to people, if you guys are going to wander around looking like that.” Fair enough.You explain the situation to Graph as he leads the way from the armoury to his quarters, where he immediately begins to rummage through his belongings. He produces several scrolls, not unlike the pentacles that Med was showing you, tucking them into his pockets and into the many pouches of his sword belt. Meanwhile, Vox is busy fetching some things from her own room.
As soon as the three of you are prepared, you hurry back to the magister's chamber. Every minute that you waste brings the Union a step closer to getting their hands on Papa Yew. You spy Med rushing into the chamber ahead of you, carrying a stoppered carafe full of some clear fluid.Things have changed in the cellar, since you last left. With the aid of his cane and his other hand outstretched before him, Ptolemy stands in front of a rift, the outline of which crackles with radiant energy. This wound in space does not seem to be a portal but a window, through which you can see the apartment of Papa Yew. It has changed significantly since you last saw it – furniture overturned, missing paraphernalia, and a handful of forensic investigators poring over everything, under the watchful eyes of two agents clad in black suits.Med places the carafe beside another vessel on the magister's desk, a glass bottle that once held some expensive whiskey if the label is anything to go by. Right now, the only thing inside of it is a fat little man, flabby and naked, scarcely four inches tall. He screams and bellows, though you can't hear a thing through the glass. Unfortunately, you can see all of the faces he's pulling and the profane gestures that he's making.“What the fuck is that?” Thankfully, Vox asks the question so you don't have to.“An imp, ma'am,” says Graph, as though there's nothing more to it than that.“I would advise against investigating the abode of Yew. I do believe that the Technocracy already has a significant presence there.” These are the words of Ptolemy, who has noticed your arrival, though he sounds somewhat distracted. You have no doubt that this scrying of his requires significant focus. “You will have to find some other method of discerning his location.”“Can't you just look for him through that window?”“Ars Conligationis grants a mage dominion over space and space alone, Fúgū.” Ptolemy allows his hand to fall and the rift before him to seal shut. He turns to face you. “To look in on the Chakravanti, I would need to know the space that he occupies. With sufficient knowledge of Ars Vitae, I could use the two Spheres in tandem and make the man himself the object of my magic, but I am sorry to say that I lack such knowledge. Consider this your first lesson regarding conjunction between Spheres.”“What's with the... imp?” Vox remains bewildered by the angry little fellow trapped in the bottle, who has begun furiously tugging himself while giving the finger to anyone who makes the mistake of looking at him.
“One of the Spheres that I do possess ample knowledge of, is Ars Spirituum. It governs creatures of Umbral origins, such as this specimen, which shall serve as the object of my scrying. Should you bring it with you, I shall be able to watch you through its eyes for as long as it remains in your possession. Should you lose possession of it, then the original plan remains – I shall reopen the gate that will deliver you to Atlanta when midnight arrives, so that you may return here, with or without Yew.”“Is the other bottle important?” As far as you can tell, the carafe holds nothing but water, or maybe vodka?“Quintessence – or qi, as you like to call it – is the very stuff of magic. Through the harnessing of this quintessential substance, a mage is able to strengthen his bond with his Word. This vessel holds a portion of tass – solidified quintessence. By imbibing it, you will be better prepared for any challenges that lie ahead.”“What, none for me?” Despite those words, Vox doesn't seem particularly bothered by the preferential treatment that you're getting.“I do believe that it would be wasted on the likes of you,” is all that Ptolemy has to say to her, before his attention shifts back to you. “This boon is for you, Fúgū. If you wish to squander it by sharing it with Vox Populi, that is your prerogative. There is one more matter that we must discuss, before I shall allow you to depart.”The magister gestures to Graph, who stands to attention.“I am trusting you with my most valuable apprentice. Graph has served me well for eight years now, and I would not have him throw his life away on a whim. If you fail to return him in tow, then you will surrender that precious sword of yours. It has no value to me, but failure must have consequences. Any heir of mine must understand that the responsibilities that they shall inherit. If you cannot bring yourself to agree to this, then I fear that I cannot let you depart with him.”>You agree to Ptolemy's terms. If you fail to bring Graph back to him, then you'll give up Xuanyuan. Something of value to you, in exchange for something of value to him.>In that case, Graph can stay. You've got no idea what's waiting for you and you refuse to throw away your most valuable possession – your only possession – if Graph happens to die.>Drink all of the contents of the carafe, as Ptolemy wishes. Its energy shall be yours. (Prime ••.)>Share it with Vox. It would be wrong for you to hoard every last drop of Quintessence. (Prime ••.)>Vox can have all of it. She will be far more useful than any of yours in the urban sprawl of Atlanta.>You can take it with you. If either of you have need of it, you can drink some of this tass later.>Turn it down. You don't need Ptolemy's charity in order to get the job done. Your qi is sufficient.>Please choose one option from each of the two groups.
>>6440996>You agree to Ptolemy's terms. If you fail to bring Graph back to him, then you'll give up Xuanyuan. Something of value to you, in exchange for something of value to him.We've pushed him enough. I was angling for a couple of random gunners, but it seems like we have a genuine badass with us; guy will probably be more likely to come back than us. I love our magic sword but we haven't used it since we got it and one day could make another. Plus if Ptolemy takes it, he may yet give it back one day when we most need it, as our mentor. >Drink all of the contents of the carafe, as Ptolemy wishes. Its energy shall be yours. (Prime ••.)Again, we've pushed him enough. I suspect he isn't worried about Vox because her magic is subtle and doesn't often rely on qi.
>>6440996>You agree to Ptolemy's terms. If you fail to bring Graph back to him, then you'll give up Xuanyuan. Something of value to you, in exchange for something of value to him.We can always make a new one. Will it be as cool as making a sword out of our pure Qi? No, but getting into a quest to find magical resources to make a new sword like Xuanyuan will be awesome, like imaging making some bullshit saber made out of flowing mercury or something like that. Don't know how crazy we can go with our alchemy studies but the possibilities are infinite>Share it with Vox. It would be wrong for you to hoard every last drop of Quintessence. (Prime ••.)But, before we share it instantly we should ask her >"Vox, if you can make a powerful spell right now that will let us go around undetected until we can find Papa Yew, you can take the whole thing and do so"It's a gamble I'm willing to take, if we can get down and secure Papa Yew with no interruption or without being noticed, it will make things a lot easier. Hell, maybe if we're able to take something personal from his apartment we might be able to track him with a Life + Prime + Time spell
>>6441006>"Vox, if you can make a powerful spell right now that will let us go around undetected until we can find Papa Yew, you can take the whole thing and do so"I'll back this if she's able, clever thinking, anon.
>>6440996>You agree to Ptolemy's terms. If you fail to bring Graph back to him, then you'll give up Xuanyuan. Something of value to you, in exchange for something of value to him.>In that case, Graph can stay. You've got no idea what's waiting for you and you refuse to throw away your most valuable possession – your only possession – if Graph happens to die.It'd be hard to lose it, but so would be losing Graph for Ptolemy, so I assume that's fair.>Share it with Vox. It would be wrong for you to hoard every last drop of Quintessence. (Prime ••.)I support asking Vox to mask us, but I would hope half of it would be enough to do that as I imagine us trying to find Papa Yew with our own magic and I suppose we'll need the Qi for that too. Or for a decent chance at doing so.
Damn, I meant>>6440996>>6441006+1
>>6441006+1
“I'll make sure that he comes back. If he doesn't, then Xuanyuan is yours.” Though Ptolemy raises his eyebrow when you utter the sword's name, he doesn't comment. You've accepted that this man's life is now your responsibility and that is enough for him. As for the tass, I'm willing to share it with you, Vox. You can even have it all, on one condition.”“I'm listening.” Those words come from the Mercurial mage after a second of hesitation. She's clearly taken aback by your generosity. If anything, it might have even made her a little suspicious.While you answer Vox, the magister turns away from you both and begins to chant, weaving his fingers through the air. With each gesture, a different Enochian character painted on a brick or paving stone starts to shine with arcane light. Med knows her role in this ritual. Producing more black candles from a drawer of Ptolemy's desk, she hurries about the chamber, placing them in strategic locations, particularly around the patch of bare brickwork on the far wall. While Graph might the magister's most senior student, she seems to serve as his personal assistant, more often than not.“Can you cast some sort of spell that might allow us to go around undetected, at least until we find Papa Yew? That's the condition. If you can manage that, the tass is all yours.”“That's not going to work,” she replies, almost before you've finished. “I don't cast spells, I just exploit people's perception of reality. Look at you both, you're walking around with swords. Of course you're going to be fucking noticed, nothing I can do can change that. You'll either have to ditch them, or go along with another idea.”“Go on.”“You stand out like a pair of sore thumbs, so I can make you stand out even more. Your clothes might be ruined after they're covered in paint, but the point is, you'll both look so fucking weird, no one will want anything to do with you – like no one wants anything to do with a drunk bum screaming slurs at anyone who walks past him. Everyone sees him, everyone knows he's there, they just want nothing to do with him, and they'll want nothing to do with you.”“Forgive the interruption, but that is the opposite of what he asked for, ma'am.” Graph doesn't seem particularly impressed by her suggestion.“It's not perfect. People are gonna see you and remember you and if you do anything really disruptive, of course they're going to react. If you don't fuck it up though, you're just gonna be a couple of freaks who everyone will wanna to stay away from and do their best to ignore.”>Repelling people is even more useful than not being seen by them. Vox has your permission to fuck your shit up.>You don't want to be detected in any shape or form. If you and Graph have to give up your swords to make that happen, so be it.>Neither appeal to you. You don't want to disarm yourself, nor do you want to be transformed into a freak show. Rescind your offer.
>>6441096If she's certain that it will also repel Union agents and not instantly attract their attention then>Repelling people is even more useful than not being seen by them. Vox has your permission to fuck your shit up.Otherwise>You don't want to be detected in any shape or form. If you and Graph have to give up your swords to make that happen, so be it.The Union has guns and if they are able to summon at least some of the forces we have seen at the Awakening then swords may not be a great help anyway, maybe some daggers or knives at best to hide them. Graph's prepared spells may be of greater use.
>>6441096>Neither appeal to you. You don't want to disarm yourself, nor do you want to be transformed into a freak show. Rescind your offer.I do wish we had done the fencing lesson instead of studying sigils that aren't of any use - the basics of the former could've made a difference that the latter won't for some time. Even still, Graph chose a sword while knowing the nature of this mission and the kinds of enemies he may have to face. If he thinks it's the appropriate kind of weapon, I trust his judgment, and our sword is *magic*, so still a lot more useful than any knife. It's probably the most dangerous thing about us, we would be foolish to leave it here. On the other hand, we are wanted on some Epstein shit, in the news. People may be repelled by us, but if they will remember us and we will attract a ton of attention, they will likely also recognize us. Even if they don't, it's just leaving more of a trail for the Techoids. Let's just do what Ptolemy says and drink the juice before we hit the road. He seems to think Vox is fine without it and I'm inclined to agree.
>>6441096>Neither appeal to you. You don't want to disarm yourself, nor do you want to be transformed into a freak show. Rescind your offer.
>Neither appeal to you. You don't want to disarm yourself, nor do you want to be transformed into a freak show. Rescind your offer.
>>6441096>>Neither appeal to you. You don't want to disarm yourself, nor do you want to be transformed into a freak show. Rescind your offer.
“Let's just split it then. I'm not going without a sword and the last thing that I want is for people to remember that we were there. You saw the news clip that Nor brought up, I'm a wanted man. There are going to be people actively looking for me, so they might just see through your perception hacking.” Even that terminology sees to make Vox cringe a little. She really does struggle with the supernatural nature of her actions.“Suit yourself. I'm not certain how useful swords are gonna be when we're going up against guns, but you're in charge, apparently.” Though she hasn't commented on it so far, Vox has clearly noticed how the relationship between you and Ptolemy has changed. She might have a few things to say about it later but right now, you've got other things to worry about.The magister's ritual continues. Characters painted on surfaces throughout the chamber continue to glow with mystical power, in geometric patterns along the walls and in a shape reminiscent of a tree between Ptolemy and the portal that he seeks to create. The black candles that Med has placed light themselves of their own accord, their flames immediately burning blue. It's impossible for you to keep track of every symbol that Ptolemy traces in the air and every alien syllable that he utters – this magic is far beyond your present understanding.Instead, you pick up the carafe that rests on the table and pull out the stopper. You take a sniff and find yourself puzzled by the briny smell of its content. Sloshing the fluid around reveals that it is slightly thicker than you would expect water to be. You're still not certain what it is, but if the magister insists that it will replenish your reserves of qi, you're willing to drink it. You close your eyes, empty your mind as best as you can, and pour some of the concoction into your mouth.It's salty, in a cloying way that clings to your tongue and doesn't let go. The slippery substance coats your mouth and your throat in a manner that isn't at all pleasant. The only word that comes to mind when you search for a description of this drink is miserable. Imbibing it is a wretched, joyless experience that threatens to fill you with despair. As your eyes begin to water, you finally realise just what the vessels hold.You are drinking a pint of tears.>I want three rolls of dice+1d100 and I will accept the best of three. You will need to roll 50 or higher in order to succeed at this task. The higher you roll above the target number, the better the outcome.>Quintessence cannot be spent on this roll.
Rolled 56 (1d100)>>6441290
>>6441291B^)
Rolled 63 (1d100)>>6441290
Rolled 37 (1d100)>>6441290
The despair contained within the carafe threatens to overwhelm you. It's as though all of the misery that led to the shedding of these tears has been concentrated within them. There is an urge that is growing in your heart, a yearning to retch and sob until you have purged every last drop of this substance from your body.You resist it.Once you have finished drinking, you close your eyes and regulate your breath. Your gut takes the essence of these tears and refines it into qi, which suffuses your body and becomes one with your spirit as your heart pumps it about your body. Yet the negativity remains and so you must open your third eye, so that the darkness within you might flow free and escape your body. All of that sorrow disperses into the emptiness that you cultivate and with all that excess yin gone, you are left with nothing but the power that hid in those tears.>You gain 4 Quintessence. You now have 5 Quintessence.“You okay? That didn't look like a good time.”When you open your eyes again, Vox is regarding you with a pensive expression. In return, you offer her the carafe. She understandably hesitates after sniffing it, before she takes a sip from the vessel. She has to screw her eyes shut in order to swallow that mouthful of tears and after another moment of hesitation, she musters the courage to drink as deeply as you did. She doesn't cope quite as well – by the end, the Mercurial woman looks like she's about to empty the contents of her stomach all over the floor. With a few desperate breaths and a hand that grabs at the nearby desk with a white-knuckle grip, she manages to get a hold of herself. A few stray tears have ruined her makeup by the time that she's finished, though she's quickly to rub them away with the sleeve of her hood.“Fuck,” is all that she bitterly mumbles once she has recovered. You're not sure if she was able to rid herself of all that sadness, or if she ended up internalising it. Though you're certain that she has just as many questions about the bottle of tears as you do, now isn't the time to ask them.“Olemeganza.”Ptolemy utters the last five syllables of his rite with strength and clarity. He draws his hand down through the air and with that motion, the wall on the far side of the chamber splits open. The circle of scintillating energy soon dims and through that gateway, you can see the urban wilderness of Atlanta. The verdant foliage of trees revelling in the height of summer offers a great deal of cover, but the sky beyond them is obscured by looming apartment blocks. No matter how green the other side may look, it's still the city that you remember.The magister turns to face you, gripping the handle of his cane more tightly than before. Beneath his moustache, his lips are drawn in a tight line, while his stare harbours a steely resolve. The web of scarring that mars Ptolemy's face smoulders with violet fire, its glow reflected in the blind eye of the wizard.
Magic comes with a cost, even for a mage of his skill.“Now is the time to depart,” Ptolemy drawls, as effortlessly as he is able. With a stiff upper lip, he pushes his way through any pain that he might be feeling. “Remember what I said – should you lose possession of the specimen, you are to reconvene at this location by midnight, with or without Yew. Should you fail to accomplish this, I shall no method of extracting you.” He turns his attention to his most senior student. “Graph, if you would kindly take point.”The stoic apprentice does so, while Vox sees about acquiring the bottled imp. You check yourself one last time – you've got Xuanyuan hanging by your side and that revolver in your pocket. You've nothing else on your person, but what lies within you is of far greater importance. An abundance of purified qi and your Awakened soul shall be of far greater use than any physical tool, or so you hope.The gateway crackles once Graph steps through it. Through its rippling surface, you can see the man on the other side, glancing about furtively with his hand on the hilt of his sabre. After a moment of consideration, he nods and beckons for you to follow. You go first, with Vox Pop following after you – you've already gone through one of Ptolemy's portals once today. You know what sensation to expect. The closer that you get to the gate, the brighter it becomes, until there is nothing to see but its radiance. When you step through it, the portal's light consumes all that you are, leaving you insensate.When you come to your senses, you are elsewhere.Graph's hand clamps down on your shoulder, in order to prevent you from staggering into him. Birdsong fills the air in this sparse patch of woodland, disrupted by the sound of cars rushing along a nearby road. Though the sun is drifting lower in the sky, it's still a couple of hours away from setting. You've no doubt that most of Atlanta's inhabitants are heading home from work at this time of day, so the city is going to be busy. Unfortunately, every second that you waste brings the Union closer to capturing your fellow mage, if they haven't caught him already.“Fuck,” Vox mutters again, blinking blearily as she emerges from Ptolemy's gate. As Graph did with you, you find yourself having to grab her to keep her from stumbling right into you. Within moments of her arrival, the portal's light begins to dim and its energy disperses with a final hiss. It's just the three of you from here on out – and the furious little fellow that's trapped in the bottle that Vox is holding.
“So, we're busting into Yew's place in search of clues, right?” The suggestion comes from the Mercurial mage, as soon as she's regained her wits.“It would be wiser to gather information first, ma'am.”“First thing's first, we need to figure out where we are. Vox, give me the imp, go and see if you can figure out where we are.” Though you're certain that Graph can hold his own in combat, he's been studying under for Ptolemy for years. Any knowledge that he ever had of the city had likely decayed by now. You're a poor candidate for scouting as well, considering the sword that you're carrying. The mentalist is the only one who knows the city and is able to blend in right now.You're given possession of the horrid little gremlin, while Vox goes to have a look around. The bottle shifts in your grasp whenever the monster throws his weight against the side of his prison. All the while, he shrieks and hollers, though you thankfully can't hear a word that he's saying through the glass. The imp has been going at it since you first laid eyes on him, he's inexhaustible. Graph doesn't say anything. He remains alert, far more interested in watching out for anyone who might come across you than he is in any sort of conversation. “I know where we are,” Vox says when she returns. “We're not far from Glenwood Park. Yew's apartment is like, quarter of a mile away. I've got a couple of tricks that I can use to take a peek in there, maybe even get us there without having to make the trip. Paradox might kick my ass, but it'd be worth it.”>Hunker down and wait. You need to wait for Atlanta to go to sleep first, you can't risk being seen. Yew will just have to sit tight, wherever he is.>Make your way to Yew's place on foot. You might be seen while you're en route, but you need Vox in peak condition, in case of an emergency.>Go with Vox's plan. At the very least, you want her to spy on the apartment before you approach it, so you've got some idea of what to expect.>There is no need for magic. You would rather reserve your qi for a more pivotal moment in time.>Focus on the life that can be found in this location. Sense the living qi of this woodland, how it has flowed over the past hour and how it shall flow over the course of the next. (Life • / Time •.)>Use Xuanyuan as the object of your foresight. Peer ahead and see the potential futures that shall unfold in the presence of your sword, no matter where you might take it. (Matter •• / Time •.)>Please choose one option from each of the two groups.
>>6441578>Go with Vox's plan. At the very least, you want her to spy on the apartment before you approach it, so you've got some idea of what to expect.It might NOT kick her ass, too, and we are on a strict time limit PLUS need to avoid being seen as much as possible. >Use Xuanyuan as the object of your foresight. Peer ahead and see the potential futures that shall unfold in the presence of your sword, no matter where you might take it. (Matter •• / Time •.)Let's give ourselves... An edge on the competition... B^)
>>6441578>Hunker down and wait. You need to wait for Atlanta to go to sleep first, you can't risk being seen. Yew will just have to sit tight, wherever he is.Apartment is being watched guaranteed. Going there would tip them off that we're here. Yew is probably at the Graveyard, or has left a clue there.>There is no need for magic. You would rather reserve your qi for a more pivotal moment in time.
>>6441582+1
>>6441578>>Make your way to Yew's place on foot. You might be seen while you're en route, but you need Vox in peak condition, in case of an emergency.>There is no need for magic. You would rather reserve your qi for a more pivotal moment in time.
>Locking the vote there.
“Go for it. Do you need anything to make it happen, or is it just something that you can do?” You still don't have a firm grasp on how the mentalist's magic works.“I just need a window to work on, I've got all of the stuff that I need. Just find me a house that isn't occupied and I can get started.”With that goal in mind, the three of you cautiously venture away from the scorched undergrowth where the gateway manifested. Thankfully, the majority of the area can be best described as leafy suburbs. For every apartment block that looms over the woodland, there are at least a dozen squat little houses that are situated between them. It's one of these homes that serves as Vox's target. After a minute of peering at the place for the treeline, you can't see any sign of movement inside or a car in the driveway, so you make your approach.“Are you planning on breaking in or something?”“Fuck, no. All I need is a window, and for both of you to look away. It's harder to subjectify shit when I've got an audience.” Subjectify. Is that even a word? As you ask yourself that, the Mercurial mage produces a can of flat black spray paint. After a moment of shaking it, she gets to work covering the window with a layer of wet, inky darkness. Her brow is furrowed and it's obvious that she's focusing on something, even though she's performing such a simple task.Regardless, you do as she asks. You've got some magic of your own in mind – Ptolemy's talk of using multiple Spheres in conjunction with each other gave you an idea. Just like how the magister said he would use Ars Spirituum to see through the eyes of the imp, perhaps you can exploit your connection with Xuanyuan to witness its future, rather than simply limiting your perspective to your immediate surroundings. It's worth a shot, and no one seems to be at home. If they were, they'd have already bellowed Vox for painting over a window of theirs.“Graph, keep watch. I must meditate.”Your choice of words is unintentionally vague, but it's difficult to describe what you're about to do, to a man who is unfamiliar with qigong. Thankfully, Ptolemy's apprentice is loyal to a fault. Without skipping a beat, he turns away to observe your surroundings, to watch out for anyone passing by who might take an interest in you.As for you, you draw Xuanyuan from its scabbard and lower yourself to the ground, crossing your legs as you sit on the overgrown grass beside the house. The bottled imp is laid down beside you, before you dare to continue. Once you are ready, you rest the blade of the elegant weapon on top of your outstretched fingers, one hand close to its point, the other close to its guard. You close your eyes and attempt to empty your mind, so that the qi of your flesh and the qi of your sword might unite and perceive the Ouroboros as a single entity, weapon and master as one.
You try not to think about how ridiculous the three of you must look. A balding salaryman meditating on the ground with a seemingly ancient sword in his hands, a colourful young woman with running makeup feverishly painting over the window of somebody else's house, and a chiselled adonis standing guard, ready to draw a sword of his own. In fact, you shouldn't think at all. To behold the Serpent, you must be devoid of thought.In the bin steel of Xuanyuan, you see your reflection, as it was and as it shall be. Born of your qi during the height of your Awakening, this weapon transcends the very notion of time. It is your connection to the Ouroboros made manifest – you can think of no better conduit for your Will.>Any roll that makes use of the sword Xuanyuan decreases the target number of the roll by 4 for every dot of Time that you possess. As you have Time •, the target number of this roll has been decreased by 4.>I want three rolls of dice+1d100 and I will accept the best of three. You will need to roll 51 or higher in order to succeed at this task. The higher you roll above the target number, the better the outcome.>Each roller may choose to say “Spend Quintessence,” in order to spend 1 point of Quintessence and decrease the target number of the roll by 2 for every dot of Prime that you possess. For example, if two out of three rollers say “Spend Quintessence” and you have Prime ••, 2 points of Quintessence are spent and the target number is decreased by 8. You have 5 point of Quintessence that you may spend.
Rolled 40 (1d100)>>6441890I'd rather save the quint for doing a bigger spell, for now
Rolled 65 (1d100)>>6441890
Rolled 83 (1d100)>>6441890We got this
You rise from the ground. Vox wipes the paint off the window with a rag. It offers a glimpse into the apartment of Papa Yew through one of his windows. You decide to use Vox's shortcut of getting in, which involves opening an unlocked door. Somehow it leads into Yew's home, but when Vox steps through, she simply disappears along with the imp. The investigators run while the agents fight you. Though you manage to dispatch them, Graph is shot and you are struck by Paradox. You leave the building in an effort to find Vox but when you try to cross the road, a steady stream of nine cars prevents you from doing so. You're ambushed by more agents of the Union before the traffic comes to an end and eventually, you are overwhelmed. Graph is shot dead, while you are tasered and dragged into the back of a van. Xuanyuan is shoved into a black bag along with Graph's sword and scrolls, and you see no more. You rise from the ground. Vox wipes the paint off the window with a rag, but nothing happens. She punches the window in a moment of unusual frustration, breaking it and cutting her hand. You decide to approach Yew's home on foot, though a steady stream of nine cars prevents you from doing so. By the time that you arrive at the apartment, the agents are ready for you and Vox is shot dead before she can react and the bottle shatters, allowing the imp to escape. Though you manage to dispatch them, Graph is shot. More agents soon pour into the apartment and after a protracted engagement, during which you and Graph suffer grievous wounds, one of Ptolemy's portals opens up. You flee through it, and you see no more.You rise from the ground. Vox wipes the paint off the window with a rag. It offers a glimpse into the apartment of Papa Yew through one of his windows. Her nose is bleeding. You decide to use Vox's shortcut of getting in, which involves opening an unlocked door. Somehow, it leads into Yew's home. You are able to dispatch the agents with ease, but a quick search of the apartment reveals nothing useful. You soon leave using Vox's method, but this takes a significant toll on her. She seems to have lost all motor control, forcing you and Graph to carry her into the woodland to recuperate. You rise from the ground. Vox wipes the paint off the window with a rag. It offers a glimpse into the apartment of Papa Yew through one of his windows. You decide to approach Yew's home on foot, though a steady stream of nine cars prevents you from doing so. By the time that you arrive at the apartment, the agents are ready for you, but you are able to dispatch them with ease. A quick search of the apartment reveals nothing useful and very soon, more agents arrive. After a protracted engagement during which all of you are wounded, you flee from the building and are almost ran over by another stream of nine cars when you try to cross the road. You eventually make your way back to the woodland, to tend to your wounds and think of a new plan.
You open your eyes and rise from the ground.Thankfully, Vox has been too reoccupied with her own magic to comment on your own. With a rag soaked in mineral spirits, she furiously scrubs away at the window, with a victorious grin spreading across her face. The wet black paint sloughs away, to reveal a glimpse into another place entirely. You recognise Papa Yew's apartment, from earlier today, from Ptolemy's scrying, and from the visions that you've just experienced. Xuanyuan is returned to its sheath while the Mercurial mage turns to face you.“A window exists to let you see another place, that's its sole purpose. If reality is malleable, then all you have to do is redefine what that place is in order to look in on it. This is my window now, I've made my mark on it, so now it shows me what I want to see.”Honestly, she sounds insane, but at least she seems pleased with the outcome, if a little manic.“By my count, there are two of the Union's agents in there and a handful of investigators. They won't give us any trouble, but the men in black will.” When Vox gives you a weird look, you explain yourself. “Through Xuanyuan, I have seen what might be. They see us coming if we go on foot and they've got reinforcements waiting nearby – it's a trap. No matter how we get inside, we don't find any clues about where Yew is, and there's a good chance of your trick of getting us in there backfiring.”“Okay, so what the fuck are we supposed to do?” You've successfully taken all of the wind out of Vox's sails. She thought that she pulled off a cool trick by seeing inside of Yew's apartment from afar, while you've successfully seen how the Ouroboros might turn and glimpsed four possible futures. Her question is a valid one – where do you go from here?>Have Vox open a door into Yew's apartment. You only saw two futures in which you were able to search the place, maybe this time you'll be able to look more thoroughly, now that you're better prepared.>Locate the reinforcements and deal with them first. Once you've handled them, you'll be able to deal with the two goons in the apartment without much difficulty. After that, you'll hopefully have plenty of time to search.>Head towards the cemetery instead. That's where you first met Papa Yew, so maybe that's where he's hiding, if there's no sign of where he went in his apartment. You can't think of anywhere else he might be.>Go to the road and figure out what's up with the traffic. Every time you got near the road in your visions, a very specific number of cars always prevented you from crossing. Good luck explaining this to Graph and Vox.>Head back into the woods and wait. It's clear that trying to accomplish anything during the daytime is just going to end in the Union spotting you and ambushing you. You need the cover of night on your side.
>>6441971>>Head towards the cemetery instead. That's where you first met Papa Yew, so maybe that's where he's hiding, if there's no sign of where he went in his apartment. You can't think of anywhere else he might be.It's where Yew is strongest, too, he may be hiding there with spirits to protect him? The agents likely have eyes on it also, but if we get there and look backwards in time we will probably get some kind of lead on Yew. So glad we are saving ourselves the headache and bullet wounds of hitting the apartment.
>>6441971>Head towards the cemetery instead. That's where you first met Papa Yew, so maybe that's where he's hiding, if there's no sign of where he went in his apartment. You can't think of anywhere else he might be.If he's expecting being extracted by us then he will be there. It's the only place we both know, besides his home. If he doesn't want to be found then we won't find him, the spirits surely protect him. I suspect that's what the nine cars might be. Or some sort of technocratic procedure, but 9 is too traditional of a number I think.
>>6441971>Go to the road and figure out what's up with the traffic. Every time you got near the road in your visions, a very specific number of cars always prevented you from crossing. Good luck explaining this to Graph and VoxThe car is a pattern and surely destiny is letting us know that, if we make something extremely risky, we'll get cut there, I believe we have to investigate to learn what that pattern is and why is so specific, AND, because it looks like Papá Yew has the Entropy Sphere's, surely it was one of his spells. Maybe he's near the road hiding somewhere, maybe an alleyway or maybe is the other Chakravanti who went there to help him, either way, it's an anomaly worth checking out.And also because even if the cemetery makes sense to check it out, it's obvious the Union is surely having their eyes there and surely a few agents inside, other option is to wait it out for the night, but we'll just be wasting time.Also>Ask Vox if she has anything that will fool the Sleepers or Agents so they don't see Henry's face.Maybe use her spray can to cover our bald spots or just some glasses, we need anything so people don't recognize us. It doesn't matter if we look like weird guys with swords, we've been put into the news and slandered with some serious crimes, it just needs one person to call 911 and things will go to shit
>>6441971>Go to the road and figure out what's up with the traffic. Every time you got near the road in your visions, a very specific number of cars always prevented you from crossing. Good luck explaining this to Graph and Vox.Definitely something to check out. Worst case scenario there's some technocracy mage operating there, but given that we don't get ambushed until the apartment they probably won't be prepared for us.
>>6441988>>6442051My assumption is that the traffic is a trigger to both delay us and tip off the agents at the apartment. It does feel similar to Yew's trick with the street lights, but it feels fishy and dangerous. I will admit I am anxious about us running up against the clock in general, though.
>>6441971>>Head towards the cemetery instead. That's where you first met Papa Yew, so maybe that's where he's hiding, if there's no sign of where he went in his apartment. You can't think of anywhere else he might be.We don't have entropy, but maybe we can use time to see when he was last here.
>>6441971>Head towards the cemetery instead. That's where you first met Papa Yew, so maybe that's where he's hiding, if there's no sign of where he went in his apartment. You can't think of anywhere else he might be.The cars do seem suspicious, but my guess it's some kind of Technocratic trick or maybe even some kind of trap spell cast by Papa Yew that backfires on us.
Ok, I'm convinced>>6441971I'll change my vote >>6441988 and instead vote for >Head towards the cemetery instead. That's where you first met Papa Yew, so maybe that's where he's hiding, if there's no sign of where he went in his apartment. You can't think of anywhere else he might be.But I'll keep my write-in
>>6441971>Go to the road and figure out what's up with the traffic. Every time you got near the road in your visions, a very specific number of cars always prevented you from crossing. Good luck explaining this to Graph and Vox.Sounds like the spell Yew did before, might be him trying to stop us from falling into the trap, it's the only lead we've got.I wouldn't go to the cemetery, Yew seemed to be a worker there and the technocracy would know that.
>>6441971>Go to the road and figure out what's up with the traffic. Every time you got near the road in your visions, a very specific number of cars always prevented you from crossing. Good luck explaining this to Graph and Vox.I agree with the assessment that the technocracy probably knows about the cemetery if he was registered as a worker there using his legal name. And while I dont know much about the technocracies ways and means in Mage, I did play a Samedi in VtM for a while back then and I'm pretty sure the number nine was somewhat associated with the Gede. Maybe we'll hear a rhythm, smell some rum, catch a glimpse of some candles by observing those cars or get some other hint out of this.
>>6441971>Go to the road and figure out what's up with the traffic. Every time you got near the road in your visions, a very specific number of cars always prevented you from crossing. Good luck explaining this to Graph and Vox.
>>6441971Okay, I'm convinced of significance of 9. Changing my vote>>6441984to>Go to the road and figure out what's up with the traffic. Every time you got near the road in your visions, a very specific number of cars always prevented you from crossing. Good luck explaining this to Graph and VoxGraph may know something about this. Also supporting >>6441988 write-in, some kind of disguise would be nice.
>>6441988+1
+1 to the makeshift disguise write-in of >>6441988 too
“There was one more thing.” You hesitate before you continue, as you consider how to word this. “Every time we tried to cross the road to Papa Yew's place, either going in that direction or coming back from there, a bunch of cars always stopped us from crossing.”“Well yeah, it's rush hour. People are gonna be coming home from work.” Vox seems nonplussed by this particular topic.“It was always a specific amount of cars, every time, arriving just in time to cut us off before we could cross the road. Nine cars, every single time, I swear. I'm not mistaken in thinking that the number nine has some mystical importance, right?” Vox looks at you like you're insane, while Graph speaks up after a moment or two of consideration, glancing over his shoulder at the pair of you.“There are the nine Spheres of magic that govern the Tellurian, sir.” Tellurian – that was a word that you heard during Ptolemy's lecture. It is the term used for the totality of existence, the physical universe as well as its spiritual shadow, the Umbra. “For each Sphere, there is an order of mages associated with it, each of which claims a seat on the Council of Nine Mystic Traditions.” That cinches it.“Are you sure that this isn't like, seeing shapes in the clouds? It doesn't have any meaning, this shit is just random chance.” The Mercurial Elite crosses her arms, seemingly unconvinced.“It's too similar to Yew's magic. When we were getting the bus back to his place, every street light turned off as soon as we walked beneath it. A cop car almost got hit by a drunk driver, just before we were caught in its headlights. The spirit that he called to, Nebo or whatever, it was able to cause all of these coincidences. Maybe it's behind this too.”“That sounds like Ars Fortunae, sir – the Sphere of Entropy.” You're pleasantly surprised that Graph isn't questioning your judgement. In fact, you're grateful for all of the support that he's throwing your way.“See? By invoking that spirit and by using Ars Fortunae, Yew can mess with fate and make all of this stuff happen.”“Come on, listen to yourself. You said that these cars just cut us off every single time. There's no reason why Yew would conjure some spirits just to inconvenience us like that. It's way more likely that some Awakened agent of the Union is using this Sphere to hinder you.” She's really not backing down.“If it was the Union, then it could be any number of cars running us over, it doesn't have to be such a specific number, and especially not such a mystical one.” That makes Vox groan beneath her breath. “Look, all that I'm asking is that we get close to the road and figure out what's up with this. I'm not asking for us to take any sort of drastic action.”“If this really is 'fate,' then it sounds like it's triggered by us getting close enough to the road to try and cross it. If that's the case, someone could see us, Fúgū. This isn't worth it.”
“That's why I want you to come up with some sort of disguise for me. Do you have anything that could cover my hair?” Or your growing lack of it. “Glasses, anything at all that could cover my face, conceal my identity?”“I didn't prepare for fucking espionage,” she grumbles. “Graph, tell Fúgū what a shitty idea this is. We're not gonna risk getting spotted by the Union over some weird fucking hunch.”“The Master has entrusted him with my life, ma'am. I have faith that he won't jeopardise it.” Graph turns away again, to focus on the perimeter. All Vox can do is let out a groan of despair before she finally relents.“Fine. Fuck it. I've got a hat, some sunglasses and some COVID masks. They put your mug shot on the news, not your beer belly. Once we cover your face, no one will recognise you. No one will know who you are.” She sounds like she's trying to convince herself, rather than you, as she rummages about in the bag of goodies that she prepared for this outing. “Once we've got your face covered, then we can go... look at these fucking cars, for all of the good that'll do us.”“Have a little faith.” You hold out your hand to accept the various accessories, but she just slaps it away.“Shut up and stand still. I've gotta put this on you, it's gotta be just right. When I'm done, no one will recognise you.” She repeats those five words again like a mantra. You even hear her mumbling them beneath her breath as she leans up, gingerly hooking the bands of a cheap blue medical mask behind your ears, adjusting the face covering over your mouth and your chin. Next, a pair of wireframe aviators are perched on your face, darkening your vision significantly. The final touch is a fuzzy cream beanie, the cosy fabric pulled over your balding head. It's almost too small for you, but Vox manages to cover your hair with it. The whole process is uncomfortably intimate, which is made that much worse by how she whispers that chant to herself.“No one will recognise you,” Vox repeats one last time, nodding in satisfaction as she steps back. “If I didn't dress you up myself, I know that I wouldn't. Now let's go and have a look at your cars. I hope it's worth the risk.”The three of you leave behind the house that you have just vandalised, one of its window still dripping with black spray paint that has only partially been wiped off. Abandoning the cover of the woodland, you step out onto the sidewalk and towards the road. A few hundred yards away, on the other side, stands Yew's apartment block. As the least conspicuous member of your group, the Mercurial mage takes the lead and approaches the asphalt during a lapse in traffic. She stops by the edge of the road and glares over her shoulder at you when the road remains clear, with no sign of any cars.“I told you that this was a waste of our fucking – shit!”
As soon as you catch up to her, a car comes barrelling down the highway. Its current velocity is easily over double the speed limit, careening in the direction of Yew's place. Vox staggers backwards just in time to avoid being clipped by its wing mirror, while you're doing your best to focus on the details, to identify any sort of pattern as another car follows at a similar speed, and then another.Silver Honda CR-V, BXK9755...Black Ford Fusion, RDA8223...Silver Honda Civic, EAQ3343...A steady stream of dangerous drivers race past, seemingly triggered by your presence in particular. By the time that the road is clear and the last of them has continued on its way down the road, almost thirty seconds have passed. You would've been risking your life if you tried to cross over to the other side at any point in that period. The fumes left in their wake sting your nose, with an odour that is strangely reminiscent of spiced rum.“Assholes,” mutters Vox, “but there really were nine of them. Fucking weird...”“Breakfast.”Though you state that one word with triumphant clarity, even Graph has to regard you with an odd look. Maybe he's wondering if he misheard you, thanks to the mask covering your mouth.“I'm sorry, sir?”“The first letter of each license plate. When you place them in order, they spell out 'breakfast.'” If nothing else, a decade of working as an accountant trained you to process data quickly. “This morning, Yew brought me breakfast from... Waffle House, I think.” Surely he isn't just sitting inside a diner, but maybe your next clue is there?“If we're really committed to this, then the nearest one isn't that far away, it's like a ten minute walk from here. Papa Yew took me there a couple of times when I was staying with him.” Vox furrows her brow. She can't quite believe that she's actually playing along. “We gotta move fast though, we're out in the open now and thanks to those swords you two are lugging around, we've probably been noticed already.”Maybe she's just being paranoid but on the other hand, you recall how prepared the agents were at Yew's apartment, whenever you approached it on foot in your visions. There aren't any pedestrians nearby right now, but maybe whoever's watching you isn't so easy to spot.>Make your way there on foot. There's no need to draw more attention than you already do, with those swords of yours.>Start running. Even if you're unrecognisable, you're still conspicuous enough that the Union has to be onto you already.>Hitch a ride. Vox can hopefully use her mentalism to convince a driver to take you to the Waffle House posthaste.>Find an unlocked door that Vox can use. If she's been to this Waffle House before, hopefully she can her magic to get you there.>Retreat back into the wood. This is obviously a trap of some sort, the Union is probably waiting for you there.
>>6442440>Hitch a ride. Vox can hopefully use her mentalism to convince a driver to take you to the Waffle House posthaste.A ride so we can see the waffle house from outside first. Using the door would be baiting paradox too muchI think.
>>6442440>Hitch a ride. Vox can hopefully use her mentalism to convince a driver to take you to the Waffle House posthaste.We are LARPing, sir, and we need carbs... Posthaste!
>>6442440>Hitch a ride. Vox can hopefully use her mentalism to convince a driver to take you to the Waffle House posthaste.>"Vox, if anything we can tell the Taxi driver we're just going to shoot some indie movie or something and we're late. Hell, you could be from the make up department or something."Two grown men and a manic pixie girl going around with swords is weird. Except when you make up fake indie movie and she's our make up director. I've been thinking about this shit since we met Papá Yew, trust.
>>6442440>Make your way there on foot. There's no need to draw more attention than you already do, with those swords of yours.
>>6442495Dude I forgot this is Atlanta.Of course we are movie extras.
>>6442495+1Gotta start doing our stuff more though, Vox might get hit with paradox if we overrely on her
>>6442440>>Retreat back into the wood. This is obviously a trap of some sort, the Union is probably waiting for you there.
>>6442495+1 to this
“Which way's the local Waffle House?” Vox answers your question with a gesture to the left, the direction that the string of cars came from. “In that case, let's get on the other side while the road's clear. Get the next car that comes along to stop and give us a ride.”“I guess that shouldn't be too difficult,” she replies, after a moment of thought, “though I'll need a good explanation for why they should let a couple of guys with swords into their car. Without that, it's gonna be a lot harder to mess with their head.” You feel less comfortable about the idea when she words it like that, and a little perturbed by her willingness to screw with the minds of others. In the end, if it gets you to Yew in time, it'll be worth it.“We're in the Hollywood of the South, Vox. Just say that we're working on an indie film and we're late for the shoot. Use your imagination, make something up. Have some fun with it if you want, just get us there.”That explanation is good enough for her, so hopefully it'll be good enough for whoever she tries to convince. You cross the road and wait on the other side, while Vox extends her arm towards the asphalt with her thumb up. After only twenty or so seconds, a car comes into view, moving towards you at a much more sensible pace. As soon as she catches sight of it, Vox flashes a bright smile and waves energetically at the driver with her free hand. The aloof, inscrutable Elite that you know is gone, replaced by a bubbly extrovert.The driver pulls over and the window comes down. A conversation ensues and the Mercurial mage weaves her spell, using your cover story. Though he gives you and Graph a wary glance, the guy behind the wheel is seemingly charmed by Vox's lively antics and the cover story that you devised. Once you're inside and the vehicle starts moving, she answers every question that is asked with enthusiasm.Hourglass Extreme is a mind-bending low budget high concept action thriller all about famous philosophers throughout history whose minds were all plucked from their respective eras and placed in the bodies of modern men, who must battle each other with wit and weapons alike to prove the value of their philosophies in the present day. As for you, you have to cover up because you're immunocompromised and suffer from severe photophobia – such is the price that you must pay for your immense talent.Thankfully, she doesn't have to improvise for too long. The journey only lasts a few minutes and when the drivers offers her his number, Vox enthusiastically accepts and promises to call him later, to tell him all about the movie. Once you've all clambered out of the car and she's waved goodbye to the poor sucker, that cheerful mask of hers immediately evaporates. It's almost unnerving to behold.“If Yew isn't here, I'm gonna... I don't know, he just better fucking be here.”
Your journey has taken you away from leafy suburbia, to sterile urbanity. Past a strip mall and opposite of a high school, the squat red-brick structure of the Glenwood Waffle House stands, a monument to greasy spoons everywhere. There's nothing out of the ordinary about the building, as far as you can tell. The parking lot is almost empty – it's no surprise that it isn't busy at this time of day. Who has a hankering for hash browns and grits in the early evening?“We're exposed out here, sir. We should go inside.” Graph is understandably a little paranoid. He glares at every car that passes the diner, his hand close to the hilt of his sabre. It's still hard to believe that Yew would have been able to hide a clue inside of this place, let alone himself, considering that he's a wanted man.>Head inside and give the place a once over before you use any magic. You'd like to know what you're working with before you expend any qi unnecessarily.>Time for Vox to work her magic again. Have her grill the staff about anything unusual that has happened. You want the truth and nothing but the truth.>Find somewhere in the parking lot to hide. Find an employee's car and hunker down behind it, so you can keep an eye on the goings-on of this joint.>Empty your mind and attune yourself to the flow of living qi and the traces that it has left behind. If Yew has been here recently, you will know. (Life • / Time •.) >Meditate on the steel of Xuanyuan once more. Through your blade, you shall witness potentiality. Your sword served you well before, it will do so again. (Matter •• / Time •.)
>>6442886>Head inside and give the place a once over before you use any magic. You'd like to know what you're working with before you expend any qi unnecessarily.Open carrying swords is actually normal in the Atlanta waffle house I know this for a fact >t. Southoid
>>6442886>Head inside and give the place a once over before you use any magic. You'd like to know what you're working with before you expend any qi unnecessarily.We might've got into a blind spot for the Union, no need to act now. Let's get in and see what ensues, maybe let Vox tell the workers the same story but that we're waiting for the crew to call us to start shooting.
>>6442886>Empty your mind and attune yourself to the flow of living qi and the traces that it has left behind. If Yew has been here recently, you will know. (Life • / Time •.)
>Head inside and give the place a once over before you use any magic. You'd like to know what you're working with before you expend any qi unnecessarily.Listen to Graph. He has a good mind for tactics.
>>6442886>>Meditate on the steel of Xuanyuan once more. Through your blade, you shall witness potentiality. Your sword served you well before, it will do so again. (Matter •• / Time •.)
>>6442892+1
>>6442886>Head inside and give the place a once over before you use any magic. You'd like to know what you're working with before you expend any qi unnecessarily.
“You're right, let's go in. You've still got that imp, right?”“Yeah, I picked it up when we left that house,” Vox answers “It's in my bag, there's no fucking way I'm gonna show it off in front of a bunch of Sleepers. How would I explain that?” The downside of that is that Ptolemy has no way of keeping an eye on you, as long as the imp hidden. If he sees through its eyes, all he can see right now is the contents of the mentalist's bag.“Alright. If anyone asks any questions about us, just tell them the same old story. Don't mess with their heads unless they try to kick us out.”The interior of the Waffle House is exactly what you would expect. Tacky tile pattern vinyl flooring, cheap plastic benches with cushioning that's just a little sticky, recently cleaned countertops that stink of cleaning chemicals – the works. The odour of fried food is inescapable, no matter what you go. There are only two other patrons at the moment, a couple of salarymen heading home after a long day at the office. While they seem perturbed by the swords that you and Graph carry, the staff who are currently keeping the place running couldn't care less. You're not sure that the worker who's busy cleaning the floors has even noticed at your armaments – then again, the guy reeks of weed and looks like he's in a world of his own.Graph remains alert and stands by the door, watching every car that goes by. You're not sure if he's just being vigilant, or if he's spooked by being out of Ptolemy's estate for the first time in years. When one of the diners asks what's up with the swords, Vox takes the lead and repeats that spiel about the indie movie that's being shot, though she's a lot less convincing and energetic without the support of her magic. As for you, you take your time inspecting the place. You glance over every booth, you peer at the walls, you even crouch the look beneath some of the tables, for any sign of a clue that Papa Yew has left behind. Nothing. A quick inspection of the restroom reveals just as little, though your nostrils are offended by the combined stench of bleach and excrement.“Ma'am, if one of you ain't gonna place an order, then you need to leave.”As soon as you're out of the restroom, an irate worker behind the counter has already taken issue with your presence. Vox is busy trying to mollify the ornery woman by making a show of looking for some cash in the bag that hangs off of her shoulder. Just when you're about to give her some support, you hear Graph call out.“Sir! Someone's pulling up.”You're starting to get the impression that the apprentice's paranoia is a detriment, but when you look out of the window, your heart sinks. An unmarked white van comes to a stop by the curb, not so far from the front door. No light seems to escape from the vehicle – you can't see anything through its windows. It's virtually identical to the van that you were going to be thrown into, if it wasn't for your Awakening.
Maybe this was a trap after all, or maybe they just tailed you to this diner you were spotted, though you've got no idea how you might have been seen. Drones? Magic? CCTV? Some bystander that you didn't snitching on you? There's even the chance that Graph's paranoia is infectious and you're just jumping at shadows. Maybe it's not the Union at all – maybe it's just a coincidence.>Open fire. As soon as you see someone in a black suit step out of that van, start blasting. You've got a clear shot through the window, you need to act first.>Clear the building. A single gunshot should be enough to convince everyone to evacuate the building and give you the time and space that you need to take cover.>Use the diners and workers as human shields. If the Union value human life, then perhaps they'll refrain from attacking you for as long as they're at risk of hurting innocents.>Demand to be taken through to the backdoor. Pull a gun on the workers if you have to, but you don't want to be stuck in a Waffle House with a bunch of Technocratic agents.>Spill the cleaner's mop bucket by the front door. Seek attunement with the soapy shuǐ and transmute it into a far more slippery lubricant. (Matter ••.)>You need to be certain that Papa Yew hasn't been here first. Step back from the window and take the time to meditate on the qi that has flowed through the Waffle House. (Life • / Time •.)
>>6443109>"Graph, take cover. Vox, look for the backdoor, we need to be ready to get out whether it's a trap or not">You need to be certain that Papa Yew hasn't been here first. Step back from the window and take the time to meditate on the qi that has flowed through the Waffle House. (Life • / Time •.)
>>6443109>You need to be certain that Papa Yew hasn't been here first. Step back from the window and take the time to meditate on the qi that has flowed through the Waffle House. (Life • / Time •.)
>>6443112+1
“Graph, take cover. Vox?”“Yeah?” She glances over her shoulder towards you, half-way through fishing the change out of her bag.“We've got company. Look for a backdoor, we need to be ready to get out of here.”The Mercurial Elite just gives you a nod before she goes to vault over the counter and shove her way through the employees only door. Almost immediately, the poor cashier goes rushing after her, exhausted and angry in equal measure.“God help me, not this shit again... Ma'am, you can't go back there! Ma'am – Ma'am! Caroline, help me get this bitch outta here!”Sounds like Vox is about to have her hands full. One of the two diners is already hurrying out so that he isn't caught in any potential crossfire, while the other seems baffled by the entire situation. None of the tables or benches offer any significant cover at all, so Graph has dropped to a crouch behind the corner of the counter. It's a lot more solid than any other furniture and at least from that angle, anyone coming through the door will have a hard time seeing him, let alone shooting at him. He's already drawing his revolver from his pocket.You step away from the window just as all of the doors of that van open simultaneously. Three men and a woman emerge, though considering how all four of them are brick shithouses dressed in crisp black suits with their hair clipped close the scalp, you're not sure that her gender means anything. You now know without a shadow of a doubt that the Union are onto you.You could rush for cover, but every movement is precious. Every second that you spend scrambling for safety is a second spent attached to the material world. If you are to find any trace of Papa Yew here, you need to stand your ground, close your eyes and focus, before it's too late. Emptiness isn't your goal. Instead, you devote your attention to your microcosmic orbit, to the flow of qi through your meridians, down through your Ren Mai and up through your Du Mai. Yet qi does not flow through you alone – by meditating on your own vital energy, you hope to become aware of that which courses through the bodies of others. Through the Ouroboros, All is One and One is All.>I want three rolls of dice+1d100 and I will accept the best of three. You will need to roll 60 or higher in order to succeed at this task. The higher you roll above the target number, the better the outcome.>Each roller may choose to say “Spend Quintessence,” in order to spend 1 point of Quintessence and decrease the target number of the roll by 2 for every dot of Prime that you possess. For example, if two out of three rollers say “Spend Quintessence” and you have Prime ••, 2 points of Quintessence are spent and the target number is decreased by 8. You have 5 point of Quintessence that you may spend.
Rolled 95 (1d100)>>6443194Spend QuintessenceI think it's the time. We don't wanna get 'doxed and we could use the info.
Hell yeah! Fugu locked the fuck in.
Rolled 90 (1d100)>>6443194Spend Quintessence Please...
Rolled 27 (1d100)>>6443194Great rolls.Spend Quintessence
>You have spent 3 Quintessence. You now have 2 Quintessence.In a moment of clarity, you become distinctly aware of your high cholesterol and blood sugar levels. If your unhealthy diet persists, you will have a somewhat significant chance of developing diabetes and some sort of heart disease. You also need to work on your posture, as you are at risk of developing kyphosis.Behind you and a little to your right, there is a thirty-four year old man who is far healthier. His diet is ideal, his musculature is impeccable, his body fat percentage is around thirteen percent. Unfortunately, he will not be able to maintain this forever, thanks to his hereditary haemochromatosis. Based on his current iron intake, he will begin to experience chronic fatigue, weakness and joint pain at some point in his early forties. Poor Graph.Further ahead and further to your right, there are three women, two chasing after the third. That has to be Vox Populi. Twenty-six years old, stunted due to childhood malnutrition. Her dopaminergic pathways are completely fucked up and she has a convexity meningioma. It's benign at the moment, but she'll probably start suffering symptoms when she's thirty, at the rate at which it's growing. At least she's doing a lot better than the fifty-three and fifty-eight year old women chasing after her, whose bodies have been absolutely ruined by their poor lifestyle choices. As long as they don't corner her, Vox should be fine.There are the two customers, the one leaving and the one watching in bewilderment, along with all of those who came before them. They've all got the high cholesterol that you would expect of Waffle House regulars, as well as a smorgasbord of other conditions. You don't think any of them fit what you know of Papa Yew, unfortunately.Then there are the four muscle-bound brutes, two of whom are currently approaching the door to the establishment, while the other two stand guard by the van outside. Common practice, apparently. Their nutritional intake is designed to compensate for the heightened weight gain and developing osteoporosis caused by their significant steroid abuse, which has left all four of them chemically infertile. They all suffer from severe neurological damage that makes Vox look normal in comparison.There's all of the people who have been walking by, all of the birds that soar overhead, all of the rats that nest nearby, all of the potted plants struggling to survive, and all of the microbial organisms growing here and there.Finally, there is the anomaly.
A thirty-nine year old man has been lying down nearby, for as far as back as your connection to the Ouroboros will allow you to perceive. He's been like that for an hour, at least. Based on his breathing and his occasional movement, he's been conscious the whole time, uncomfortable but not restrained. He's clinically obese with cholesterol that's through the roof. He's well on the way to developing chronic kidney disease, alcohol-related liver disease, and coronary artery disease. Unless he drastically changes his lifestyle, there's no way that he'll live to see fifty.That's your boy.If you have to guess, Papa Yew must be somewhere in the parking lot – perhaps he is lying down in someone's car? In this state, you can only perceive the vital energy of other organisms and the position of that energy relative to your own. It's impossible to determine the exact location of any entity, relative to the world of inert matter that you live in. It is a world to which you must return.So you allow your focus to depart from the microcosmic orbit of your self. Your consciousness flows from your meridians back into its seat in your skull and you open your eyes once more. The door to the diner opens and one of the men in black enters, alongside the woman in black. “Good afternoon, sir. Agent Williams, at your service.” The only thing that differentiates him from the other men is that his buzz-cut hair is ginger and his face is rather freckled. “This is Agent Miller.” Only a slight difference is facial structure and body structure informs you that she is female. “If you and your companions would disarm yourselves and come with us, we have some questions for you.”Sir – not Mister Cobbledick. They don't know who you are. Vox's disguise actually worked – it wasn't enough to keep the Technocracy from tracking you down, but who knows how many agents they might have sent if they knew who and what you really are.“Yeah? What if the answer's no?” Even if they know what you sound like, the mask muffles your voice to the point where it's hard to recognise.“It is in your best interest to comply with our request, sir.” As Agent Williams speaks, Agent Miller shifts her jacket to the side and reaches down to her hip, where a taser is holstered. You also see some handcuffs there. “As long as you cooperate, there won't be a problem.”
They don't see to realise that you're a mage – not yet. Thanks to your clothes, perhaps they just think you're one of Ptolemy's apprentices, if they're aware of the magister and his academy at all. The element of surprise is on your side.>Disarm yourself and pretend to surrender. Graph might be able to shoot them when their guard is down.>Unsheathe your sword and charge in. Reserve your ammunition and your qi, you don't need them yet.>Draw first, shoot first. Pull your revolver from your pocket and start blasting from afar.>You are one with Xuanyuan. Allow your qi to flow into the blade and strike with effortless action. (Prime ••. This will spend 1 Quintessence.) >Channel your energy in such a manner that your flesh shall be impervious to the prongs of that taser. (Prime ••. This will spend 1 Quintessence.)>Siphon the yang from the plastic components of that taser, until they are so soft that it will crumple in Miller's hands. (Matter ••.)
>>6443244There is also the cleaner present in the building, a twenty year-old man. While your consciousness is flowing through your microcosmic orbit, you are able to confirm that he is as high as a kite. Increased heart rate, lower motor coordination, all of the typical symptoms of someone intoxicated by a significant amount of marijuana. He doesn't actually have anything physically wrong with him, aside from the growing number of neurological issues caused by the overconsumption of that particular drug. Like the customer who chose to remain, he remains a baffled spectator, just watching the madness as it unfolds.
>>6443247>Ask how it feels to fight for a dying fascist dream while signalling Graph to shoot the other agent.
>>6443247Im happy we rolled so well. Now we have some intimate knowledge of the mages around us. Life and mind are some of the best spheres due to their ability to give so much information.
>>6443252Agreed, but with one quint spent and a roll that high off the bat, we absolutely did not need to burn another two :/ I feel it would've been better spent casting a more powerful/vulgar spell like the options here to protect ourselves, and we will be vulnerable when we run completely out. >>6443247>Channel your energy in such a manner that your flesh shall be impervious to the prongs of that taser. (Prime ••. This will spend 1 Quintessence.) QM could we blend this with our Matter 2 in order to further reinforce our skin? We don't know what they are capable of so I think a great defense is the best offense. They'll be even more surprised when we are able to shrug off their less lethal approach, then we can shoot them both and try to scramble out and get Yew. I am worried about the other two at the van... But I am trusting Graph's training and his scrolls to give us an edge.
>>6443247>write-in>If there is some hanging light above them, use Matter•• to make them fall (shitty, old wires, it happens). If not then sap yang from their clothing, buckles of their pants, it's sure to confuse them. Aim is to coincidentally confuse them giving us an edge in a fight.
>>6443259>QM could we blend this with our Matter 2 in order to further reinforce our skin?Why our skin and not our clothes? Maybe, to the Sleepers and agents, we might be wearing some extra clothes below our shirt and the taser doesn't hit us... Or maybe even the fabric is special enough to resists the prongs, and that's just me thinking about any bullshit reason for the same effect we're looking for.Also damn, I thought we were going to use just 2 Quintessence, or maybe I didn't understood.>>6443247>Force a standoff by holding the sword on the front, acting like we're really considering to go and stab them.>Siphon the yang from the plastic components of that taser, until they are so soft that it will crumple in Miller's hands. (Matter ••.)And we can pull this off and make the run, we can go for the backdoor, maybe go through the kitchen, and throw them some hot oil. Except that instead is some corrosive acid that fuck them up even worse, but how could the universe know the difference in such dire moments like this? :^)
>>6443265I actually really like this, but I'm confused on what do you mean with sapping yang from their clothes and how that could affect them.
>>6443259>No. Matter covers inert and unliving objects, tampering with anything alive, including yourself, requires Life.>At Life •, you aren't capable of much more than supernatural insight into life, as you just saw.>However, Prime •• allows you spend 1 Quintessence to inflict a single instance of unnaturally devastating damage, or make yourself unnaturally resistant to a single instance of damage.>In this case, Prime •• will harden your skin for just long enough for it to be impervious to this taser.>>6443265>There is nothing hanging above them that you can make fall like that, though I am open to you transmuting the clothes of agents into a more flimsy material that will cause them to fall apart.>>6443268>For each roller who says Spend Quintessence, 1 Quintessence is spent. Three out of three rollers said Spend Quintessence, so 3 Quintessence was spent.>I am open to the use of Matter •• to transmute your clothes into a harder material.>The current capabilities of your Spheres are listed here: >>6438682
>>6443270>>6443265I mean, so their belt buckles break and pants fall down basically so they trip, fall, etc and Graph will have easier time dispatching of them.
>>6443268>>6443272In that case I would say we should use Matter to make our clothing impervious to the prongs of the taser, even if it makes them a bit heavier (so long as it does not make them too stiff and rigid to move freely), because that will last longer than the first shot and protect us from some other forms of harm.
>>6443276Oooooh, gotcha>>6443278We could do both, right? Let's actually transmute materials>>6443272QM, can we use Prime 2 to absorb some of the better properties of the Agents and integrate them into our clothes? It would make our clothes sturdier to stop the prongs to hit us, maybe we can push things so they can resist bullets, but the first effect is good enough for me.
>>6443281I don't think Prime really works like that, unfortunately.
>>6443283Fuck, not Prime, I meant Matter. I brainfarted
>>6443281>>6443285>I am open to the use of Matter •• to transform the material of the agents' clothes into something flimsier and transform the material of your own clothes into something sturdier at the same time, though accomplishing both at once will come at a higher difficulty than doing one on its own.
>>6443289Yeah count me out of that first part, we are low on quint now so I don't want to press our luck with paradox, too.
>>6443289Okay, fair enough, I'll change my vote >>6443268 to instead go with >Use Matter•• to transmute the Agents clothes into more flimsy materials that will fall apart.
>After that conversation, I'm just clarifying what people are actually voting for. I'm more than fine with ideas being discussed, but it can muddy the waters when figuring out what people are voting for.>>6443250>Ask how it feels to fight for a dying fascist dream while signalling Graph to shoot the other agent.>>>6443259>Channel your energy in such a manner that your flesh shall be impervious to the prongs of that taser. (Prime ••. This will spend 1 Quintessence.)>>6443265>Transmute the material of the agents' clothes into a flimsier substance that causes them to fall apart. (Matter ••)>>6443278>Transform the material of your clothes into a more durable substance that is more resistant to the prongs of the taser. (Matter ••)>>6443298>Transmute the material of the agents' clothes into a flimsier substance that causes them to fall apart. (Matter ••)
>Unsheathe your sword and charge in. Reserve your ammunition and your qi, you don't need them yet.We need to dispatch these guys, find Yew and get out of here
>>6443338We don't know how to swing a sword, brother. We literally do not know how to hold it.
>>6443308Because anons seem very split, I'd like to just change my vote to using Prime to protect us from the taser, with the understanding that we (and presumably Graph) are going to shoot these guys before they switch to more lethal tactics.
>>6443247>>Siphon the yang from the plastic components of that taser, until they are so soft that it will crumple in Miller's hands. (Matter ••.)
>>6443308>Transmute the material of the agents' clothes into a flimsier substance that causes them to fall apart. (Matter ••)I'll vote for this.
>>6443308>>Transform the material of your clothes into a more durable substance that is more resistant to the prongs of the taser. (Matter ••)Hopefully this lasts for a while.
>Locking the vote there. Going with changing the clothes of the agents into a flimsier substance.
You don't reach for Xuanyuan, nor do you reach for the revolver in your pocket. Instead, you need to empty your mind and reach out, to the minions of the Union standing before you, to the suits that they are wearing. If you are able to transform them into something flimsier that will fall apart as soon as they try to move, not only will you cause confusion, but you will disarm them in the process. Any weapons that they possess will be lost in the heap of rubbish that their clothes will become.Yet in order accomplish this, you will need to liberate your consciousness from your body. Your mind must become empty so that your spirit can flow freely through your third eye, your shàng dantian, and touch the essence of those garments. Only then will you be able to alter them, and you will only have a few seconds during which you will be able to accomplish this.All of the breath leaves you and then you draw it back in, down to your gut. The essence that you take in shall flow through your belly and become qi. The qi shall be drawn into your heart and become your spirit. Your spirit shall rise to the void between your eyes and leave your body, by way of wu wei...“Agent Miller, cover me. I will restrain the subject.” Unperturbed by your meditative state, unaware of the magic that you are about to unleash, the ginger goon takes his first step towards you. The burly woman behind him unbuttons the strap securing the taser in place in its holster.At the same time...“Over here!” The sound of Vox's voice is distant and accompanied by the yelling of the poor Waffle House workers trying to intercept her, but you also hear the sound of a door banging open. She's found another way out.You don't have the time to focus on that. You don't have the time to focus on anything. You have to empty your mind and let your Will take flight.>I want three rolls of dice+1d100 and I will accept the best of three. You will need to roll 60 or higher in order to succeed at this task. The higher you roll above the target number, the better the outcome.>For each roller who chooses to say “Spend Quintessence,” 1 point of Quintessence is spent to decrease the target number of the roll by 2 for every dot of Prime that you possess. For example, if two out of three rollers say “Spend Quintessence” and you have Prime ••, 2 points of Quintessence are spent and the target number is decreased by 8. You have 2 points of Quintessence that you may spend.>You are casting vulgar magic with witnesses. For every roller that fails to meet the target number of the roll, you will accumulate 2 Paradox. No matter what the outcome of the roll is, you will accumulate 1 Paradox.>Further rules for Paradox can be found here: >>6433119
Rolled 24 (1d100)>>6443499Spend Quintessence
Rolled 20 (1d100)>>6443499Whoa, seems like I missed all the action and we went with something weird. Glad to see Papa Yew is alive and around though. Spend Quintessence.
>>6443501>>6443502F
Rolled 94 (1d100)>>6443499Damn.
>>6443499The good news is that 5 paradoxes can be burned off over the next week, and we induce a backlash ourselves, prime 2 so that our paradox score does not continue to increase. After prime 5, is when real problems start.
>>6443505Nice save. Now all is left to pray for no backlash.
Voters went with vulgar magic for some reason, but on the plus side, technocrats are nothing without their tools. This may also allow us to do more damage, as bulletproof or magic-resistant clothing seems standard.
>>6443507Here is the RAW m20 paradox breakdown.Paradox 1-5: mages take bashing damage or gain a trivial paradox flaw, such as temporary weird smells, wind, or small cosmetic changes.Paradox 5-10: Mages take bashing damage or a minor paradox flaw, such as inconvenient sounds or brief flare-ups of a health condition.Paradox 10-15: Mages take lethal damage, are visited by a minor paradox spirit (spirits who police magic), gain a significant paradox flaw, such as horns, hoards of flies, wings, claws, etc..., or temporarily enter the lowest levels of quiet (insanity and the first steps to becoming a Marauder).Paradox 15-20: Mages take lethal damage, gain a point of permanent paradox (you need an archmage in prime to remove this), a severe paradox flaw, such as limb loss, no face, derangement flaw, major social difficulty increase, etc..., moderate quiet, or a visit from a stronger paradox spirit.Paradox 21+: Mages can no longer exist on Earth or interact with humans, become a marauder, mutate beyond human form, banishment from Earth. You may need to start a new character.
And now we have no quintessence.I am impressed anons managed to burn through all the quintessence in two updates. What will we do now?
>>6443513Quitessence works differently in this game than in other games. We also have Prime 2, so we can get more. Based on us being given 5 quint, we can just meditate at a node, almost certainly in the mansion, and gain more.
>>6443513I feel like there should be some way to prevent anons from wasting quintessence because we've already burnt through it all and we haven't recovered Yew yet. Especially given the anons spending 3 quintessence when the first roll already cleared the DC.
>>6443522>>6443513>I would rather stick with the system as it is currently implemented, as there are situations where you will want to roll high as possible.>For example, the Life • / Time • roll was beaten by a value of 47. This is what allowed that roll to give you so much information. If you beat that roll by a value of 7 instead, the only information that you would have gotten is the vague location of nearby organisms.>An example of this can be seen in >>6431571, where beating a Prime • roll by 6 barely gave you any information at all about the ambient Quintessence.>So my preference is to continue to allow individual players to use their own judgement when it comes to when and how Quintessence should be spent.>If a lot of people continue to take issue with this system however, then I will implement a rule that prevents people from spending Quintessence once the target number has been beaten.
>You have spent 2 Quintessence. You now have 0 Quintessence.>You have accumulated 5 Paradox. You now have 7 Paradox.>To clarify, if you have 9 or less Paradox, it passively decreases at a rate of 1 point of Paradox for every day that you go without casting magic.>If you have 10 to 19 Paradox, it passively decreases at a rate of 1 point of Paradox for every week that you go without casting magic.>If you have 20 to 29 Paradox, it passively decreases at a rate of 1 point of Paradox for every month that you go without casting magic.>If you have 30 or more Paradox, it passively decreases at a rate of 1 point of Paradox for every year that you go without casting magic. May the One save your soul.Your mind escapes from your body and touches the fabric that the agents are wearing. You struggle to represent exactly what materials are involved, but none of it seems natural – synthetic polymers, surely. You struggle to make sense of them, especially within the context of wuxing. What elements does plastic fall under? A combination of tǔ and huǒ, perhaps. Your mind almost becomes lost in the tangle of fibre. Yet of those two elements, it is fire that is associated with yang. By drawing the huǒ from the fabric and into the emptiness that you have cultivated in your mind, all that will be left behind is weakness, earth without fire, yin without yang.Such is your Will.In less than a second, the suits of the two agents transform before your very eyes. Their crisp white shirts, the rich black fabric of their pants and jackets, it all becomes polystyrene, stiff and brittle and worthless. As Agent Williams lifts a leg to put his foot forward, it ends up going straight through the rigid plastic. As soon as she observes this transformation, Agent Miller reaches down to pull her taser from her holster, but the holster has been transmuted as well. The weapon falls through the crumbling polystyrene and clatters on the floor, soon buried by more of the deteriorating plastic.“Now, Graph!”In the confused flurry of movement that follows, their clothes disintegrate entirely, including their underwear. The unnatural musculature of the hulking agents is left bare, a sight that shall be burned into the memories of anyone unfortunately enough to behold the naked goons. Rapid muscle growth has left them both with significant stretch marks all across their bodies and bulging veins that are unpleasantly apparent, thanks to their thin skin. Williams shows signs of gynaecomastia, while Miller suffers from hirsutism. His testicles are tiny, while her clitoris is massive. It's not a pretty sight.
A gunshot rings out from somewhere behind you and blood goes spurting from the shoulder of Agent Miller. Without stable footing thanks to the heap of polystyrene that she now stands in, the impact sends her falling flat on her backside. By this point, the remaining customer is running for his life, a scream bursting from his lungs – things have gotten a little too exciting for him. As for the cleaner, he wordlessly throws himself at the nearest window and crashes through it. In his intoxicated state, that likely seemed like the smartest method of getting away from a shoot-out. He might have been right.“We've got a MURD!”Those are the words that Miller bellows as she ends up on the ground, loud enough for her comrades to hear. Both of them are reaching into their suit, though only one of them is running towards the door to reinforce the other agents. The other remains by the van, barking something into the cuff of his jacket that you can't quite make out.While all of this is happening, while the wounded Miller falls back and screams to her comrades outside, while the over-curious customer runs for the door and the cleaner plunges out of the window, Agent Williams is barrelling towards you. He slips on the polystyrene remnants of his suit, but his momentum still carries him forward and he does his best to take advantage of it, to try and tackle you to the floor. You've no time to focus, or to empty your mind – now is not the time for magic. All you can do is try to defend yourself against this mountain of a man descending upon you.>First of all, I would like each roller to say “Sword” or “Revolver,” depending on which weapon you would like to defend yourself with.>I want three rolls of dice+1d100 and I will accept the best of three. You will need to roll 60 or higher in order to succeed at this task. The higher you roll above the target number, the better the outcome.>If anyone rolls 30 or lower, you will suffer 1 Bashing Damage. If any roller rolls 10 or lower, you will suffer 2 Bashing Damage. I will explain how I am handling Health and Damage as soon as you take any form of damage.>You have no Quintessence that you can spend.
Rolled 22 (1d100)>>6443532Sword
Rolled 3 (1d100)>>6443532Swordlet us hope it works
>>6443537sorry anons
>>6443529Ah, fair enough. Didn't realise it worked that way. I'm still a bit leery on letting the first few rollers decide if we do or don't use quintessence, but I'll leave it alone until we've done a few more rolls.
Rolled 10 (1d100)>>6443532Sword
Oh damn, we were NOT lucky this time
>>6443539>The alternative would be to put aside several hours every time magic is used, so that everyone has a reasonable chance to contribute on whether Quintessence should or should not be used. However, I feel like that would slow down the quest immensely, especially on days when I have the free time to work on multiple updates. I'd rather not have one of those updates boil down to 'do you want to use resources on this spell, yes or no.' On days when I don't have much time to focus on the quest, such a vote might be the only update for up to twenty-four hours.>If people are really okay with that, I can consider such a change, but I prefer being able to grant individual voters more control over resources as a way of expediting things.
>>6443532Ah, hubris and the mailed fist of reality. Let this be a lesson to voters. Keep your magic subtle; think before you vote instead of reaching for magic every time, or face the consequences. We are about to take so much bashing damage. Luckily, we have life so we may be able to speed our recovery along a bit. Bashing heals from bed rest and mundane medical treatment.Also, hot descriptions of the agents. I especially like Agent Miller.
We now realize we have been walking around with a blade we don't know how to use.
You just aren't able to react in time. Though you fumble for the hilt of Xuanyuan, before you're able to begin sliding the sword free from its scabbard, Williams is on top of you. The bulk of the agent sends you careening backwards onto the floor. The back of your skull smacks against the recently cleaned vinyl and for a few seconds, all you can hear is ringing and all you can see is stars. The impact of the agent crashing into you has knocked all of the window out of your body.>You now have 5/7 Health – 2 Bashing Damage, 0 Lethal Damage.>You have 7 Health, which may be reduced by Bashing Damage and Lethal Damage. The main difference between them is the amount of time that it takes to heal this damage.>Bashing Damage comes from blunt trauma that isn't particularly life-threatening. Punching, kicking, falling short distances, and so on. With medical treatment, you heal this damage at a rate of 1 point of Bashing Damage for each day of rest that you get. Without medical treatment, you heal this damage at a rate of 1 point of Bashing Damage for each week of rest that you get.>Lethal Damage comes from more life-threatening sorts of injuries. Being shot, being stabbed, being cut open, and so on. With medical treatment, you heal this damage at a rate of 1 point of Lethal Damage for each day of rest that you get. Without medical treatment, you heal this damage at a rate of 1 point of Lethal Damage for each month of rest that you get.>Should you reach 0/7 Health, you will become incapacitated, and who knows what will happen then.>The Sphere of Life – at higher levels than you currently have access to – can be used to heal both forms of Damage and restore Health instantaneously. However, I am open to you using Life • in order to medically treat yourself (as stated above) and recover as quickly as you naturally can.Though you squirm as much as you can, you're vaguely aware of your arms being grabbed and pinned to the floor above your head, while a great weight and heat bears down on you. You struggle to breathe with that mask covering the bottom half of your face, so you are almost grateful when it's torn off of your head, along with Vox's glasses and hat. Your vision returns to you just in time for you to make out the shocked expression of Agent Williams, as he stares down on your bare face.“It's Cobbledick!” There's a new sense of urgency in his tone as he lifts his head, barking an order over his shoulder. “HOAR 9, AFET 3, don't –”Another gunshot. A bullet crashes into the left temple of Agent Williams and exits his right temple, accompanied by a spurt of blood. You see the precise moment when the man in black's jaw slackens and the light leaves his eyes. It looks like Graph was able to get a clean shot as soon as the goon leaned away from you. Speaking of Ptolemy's strapping apprentice, he charges out from behind cover to boot the naked carcass off of you. Finally, you can well and truly breathe again.
“We've got Cobbledick! DTFT 5, AFET 3!”Those words come from Agent Miller, who seems to have finally extracted her handgun from the pile of polystyrene that her clothes have become. Instead of using it, she goes fumbling for that taser again, despite the obvious threat to her life that you and Graph both represent.You manage to stagger back to your feet with the apprentice's help, and just in time. The third agent has burst through the door, to provide support to his comrades. His handgun is already in his hands and though his eyes are covered by mirrorshades, the angle of his head betrays that you aren't his target. He's gunning for Graph instead.You can only assume that Vox is already long gone, having escaped through the backdoor as soon as she heard the first gunshot. You can't blame her – maybe you should follow suit.>Vault over the counter and start running for the employees only door, and then the backdoor. It's a long shot, but the sooner that you can reunite with the other mage, the better.>Dive for cover and get your revolver out, so that you can open fire on these assholes. Trying to get out of here isn't a good idea while any of them are still standing.>Serve as a human shield for Graph. If you're so important, maybe they won't risk shooting at you, or at him while you're in the way. Miller does have a taser, though...>Dive through the broken window. Follow the example of the weed-addled cleaner, it's the fastest way out of the building. You'd rather deal with broken glass than a couple of men in black.>Alter the metal in that other agent's handgun so that it becomes inoperable. You aren't so proficient that you can target single components, so you'll have to transform the entire gun. (Matter ••.)>Siphon the yang from the plastic components of that taser, until they are so soft that it will crumple in Miller's hands. Perhaps this will be easier, now that you're more familiar with plastic. (Matter ••.)>Transmute the armaments of both agents, so they are both left unarmed. Splitting your consciousness between two fundamentally different substances will make this a lot harder. (Matter ••.)
This is tricky. We can't afford to get locked down here, especially when we know where Papa Yew is (outside).But Graph must survive too. Gun seems like a surer bet then sword, but the best move would be to start GTFO'ing imo.
>>6443567>>Dive for cover and get your revolver out, so that you can open fire on these assholes. Trying to get out of here isn't a good idea while any of them are still standing.Time to start blasting. We don't have much time, so we need to kill these agents, grab Yew, and GTFO.
>>6443567>Dive for cover and get your revolver out, so that you can open fire on these assholes. Trying to get out of here isn't a good idea while any of them are still standing.
Anons why did we burn the last of our quintessence to make the agents naked.......>>6443567>Dive through the broken window. Follow the example of the weed-addled cleaner, it's the fastest way out of the building. You'd rather deal with broken glass than a couple of men in black.Yell for Graph to come with, we need to regroup. Unless he can whip out a scroll or kill both agents real quick we gotta go go go. >>6443555Another alternative is that you could decide when Henry uses quintessence, at least in order to lower the difficulty of rolls. I would trust you to judge when that's appropriate. But let us continue to vote on spells that require quintessence to perform. I understand your concern about slowing the game to a crawl by including votes on the use of a resource like that, but I'd say it's a point of friction between TTRPG and quests. As it is now, there is no democracy to it, any anon can make an executive decision to effectively waste a precious resource, which I would say at least three anons have done now. I think all from genuine misunderstanding but this would also be a very easy way to troll the quest, and Summer does bring out the trolls. It's your game and you're a great QM imo, so I'll follow your lead, but that's something to consider, I think.
>>6443567>>Dive for cover and get your revolver out, so that you can open fire on these assholes. Trying to get out of here isn't a good idea while any of them are still standing.
>The next time that you acquire Quintessence, there will be a vote on a potential change of rules regarding the handling of that resource.“Get down!”That's as much warning as you're able to give, before you go diving for the cover that the counter provides. You've just not got the strength or the mass to tackle Graph and successfully push him behind cover. Once you're safely out of harm's way, you're able to see about fishing your revolver out of your pocket. Your ears are still ringing and your vision occasionally swims, but at least you're able to see. You shouldn't be surprised that you're a little concussed after receiving head trauma.Graph isn't so lucky. Before he's able to make it behind cover, another gunshot rings out. With a cry of pain, Ptolemy's apprentice ends up staggering forward and slipping, falling behind the safety of cover alongside you. His right hand still grasps his gun while his left clamps down on his hip, with blood oozing out between his fingers. The strapping student manages to push himself up into a crouching position and grip his revolver with both hands, though he has to rest most of his weight against the side of the counter – his right leg's having a lot of trouble supporting him right now.“Mister Cobbledick, it is in your best interest to surrender! As long as you cooperate, there won't be a problem! I promise that you won't be harmed!”That's the sound of Agent Miller calling out to you, through gritted teeth. Thanks to how she reached for her taser instead of her handgun, you're inclined to believe her – she seems to have a vested interest in taking you alive. Unfortunately, you're not interested in handing yourself over to the Technocratic Union, dead or alive. If they're truly responsible for the present state of the world, then you can't think any enemy more deserving of your ire.You hear the sound of polystyrene crunching underfoot, as one of the agents takes a step forward. After exchanging a glance with Graph, you gather all of your courage and rise to take aim over the top of the counter, and open fire on your assailants.Whether you'll successfully hit any of them, is another matter entirely.>I want three rolls of dice+1d100 and I will accept the best of three. You will need to roll 60 or higher in order to succeed at this task. The higher you roll above the target number, the better the outcome.>If anyone rolls 10 or lower, you will suffer 2 Bashing Damage.
Rolled 39 (1d100)>>6443673
Rolled 15 (1d100)>>6443673
Rolled 65 (1d100)>>6443673
You start blasting.You've not had any formal training when it comes to revolvers, but you've handled them on the range a few times. A few years after coming out of college, you went through a self-defence phase, as a way of wrestling with your ennui. That was what led to your study of martial arts in the first place, which blossomed into your devotion to the Tao. Anyway, the fact that this revolver is double-action is awfully helpful – you don't need to worry about cocking the hammer yourself, all you need to be think about is who you're aiming at when you're pulling the trigger.Maybe it's your concussion, or maybe you've gotten rusty after going years without discharging any sort of firearm at all. The sound of the gunshot causes your ears to ring once more, while the recoil leaves your arms aching. The smashing of a window behind the agents is evidence that you missed your shot and they both start to move, diving for cover. There's not much of use for them to hide behind however – there's nothing but flimsy plastic benches and tables near the entrance of the Waffle House.You squeeze the trigger again, and again, and again, and again. Another window disintegrates as a round crashes through it. A table develops a visible rift in its surface, that emanates from the hole that a bullet has left with it. Far more severe cracks are left in the thinner plastic that a bench is made of, as your last two shots blast right through it. Those shots hit their mark, striking the gun-totting agent who was unwise enough to seek cover behind it. Though you're not certain where he was struck or if it was enough to take him out of the fight, he still ends up on the floor.Out of sheer instinct, you pull the trigger a sixth time, only a useless click to come from the revolver. This serves as a signal for the naked Agent Miller, who emerges from the cover of another table with her taser at the ready. You prepare yourself for the agony of an electric current coursing through your body, but your expectations are shattered by the sound of Graph's revolver discharging to your left. Once, then twice. Both rounds find their mark, slamming into the sinuous gut and rippling ribs of the hulking woman. Like her comrade, she goes crashing to the ground, vitae oozing from her as she bleeds out all over the vinyl flooring.Neither of you have the time to confirm kills. As for the fourth agent, there's no sign of him – perhaps he's taken cover behind that van. The last time that you saw him, he was speaking into the cuff of his jacket, potentially calling in support. You manage to haul Graph to his feet and support him while you make your way to the other side of the counter, through the employees only door and the kitchen beyond it, then through the backdoor of the Waffle House.
You find yourself beneath the open sky once more, in a small parking lot. Only a handful of cars can be founded here, one of which has its trunk open. The faded blue hair of Vox can be seen as she peers out from behind the vehicle and when you stagger over towards her, you find that she is hiding with none other than Papa Yew, in the flesh. The fat black bastard is sweaty, fraught and clutching at his heart, while the Mercurial mage has her revolver at the ready.“You found him?” You're almost disappointed. A small part of you hoped that you could seize all of the glory for yourself.“Kinda.” Vox is a little too rattled to care about the credit. “Once I made it out and people started shooting, Papa got out of that trunk and was about to run. I managed to catch him before he got away. Shit, is he alright?” Her attention shifts towards Graph and the blood-soaked fabric clinging to his right leg.“I'll be fine, ma'am.” Nevertheless, the burly apprentice groans as you lean him against the car that Yew was apparently hiding in.“Man, I fuckin' told you to ditch that sword!” That's none other than sweat-soaked Papa Yew, growling between wheezing breaths. Over an hour of being stuck in the trunk of a car in the early summer wasn't a pleasant experience for him, it seems. “I told you that taking that shit with you was a bad idea!”“Well, maybe you should've listened to Ptolemy instead of sticking around,” you jab right back at the urban oungan. “What were you doing in there anyway? What made you think that you could hide from the Union forever in the trunk of some random sedan?” You've learned to stand up for yourself a little since you last saw Yew.“Well I figured that you wouldn't be such a fuckin' moron that you'd miss all the goddamn clues I left for you! You fuckin' owe me, so I knew you'd be back for me. You'd have to be some sorta heartless motherfucker to leave me to die.”That's the closest thing to gratitude that you're going to get from the Chakravanti right now.“Listen,” you begin, “we can't stick around. The Union tracked us here and while we took of them, I'm pretty sure that they called in reinforcements.” You probably shouldn't mention that these reinforcements are going to be particularly interested in you, though you still don't know why. “We need to get back to Ptolemy as soon as possible.”“That's why I got this guy out.” Vox gestures to the whiskey bottle sat on the asphalt. The inexhaustible imp is still raging, throwing himself against the glass in defiance of his undignified fate. “If he's been watching us through the imp, then he knows that we've found Yew. He's probably getting a gate ready as we speak, so the last thing that we should do is move.”
“I said it before and I'll say it again, fuck that.” Papa Yew doesn't seem all that impressed by that idea. “You've got no goddamn idea what that asshole is doing. How long is this shit gonna take, one minute, ten minutes, a whole fuckin' hour? We're supposed to just sit out in the open 'til then?” Vox purses her lips. She seems a little uncertain, now that she knows that more of the Union are on their way.“We wait for as long as the Master needs us to,” says Graph between gritted teeth, though his attention soon shifts to you. “Or for as long as you want us to, sir. The Master gave you command during this mission, so I'll follow your lead.” While he speaks, the apprentice sets about reloading his revolver, replacing the one round he has left with a fresh set of five. He's starting to look a little pale though, with blood visibly dripping from his sodden trouser leg. >You need to get moving. You're not sure how you can evade the Union, but staying here is just going to get all of you killed or worse.>Head back inside the Waffle House. The kitchen and the counter should provide some decent cover and hopefully enough time for Ptolemy to get you out.>Stay where you are. Vox was right, Ptolemy is likely already preparing to get you out. The more you move around, the longer you will have to wait for a portal.>Meditate on the steel of Xuanyuan once more. Your sword shall tell you what the future has in store for your merry cabal. (Matter •• / Time •.)>Allow Graph to take care of himself. While he has trouble walking, it's unlikely that he's going to bleed out from that bullet wound.>Give the apprentice the attention and care that he needs. You'll need to remain in one place for quite a while though, if you want to safely stop the bleeding.>Attune yourself to his qi. Encourage the production of yin to compensate for that which is leaving his body. Stabilise him. (Life •.)>Please choose one option from each of the two groups. You cannot choose more than one magic-based option.
>>6443730>You need to get moving. You're not sure how you can evade the Union, but staying here is just going to get all of you killed or worse.With the caveat that Vox and Yew BOTH do some casting to make it smooth - even at the risk of paradox, this is DIRE. >Attune yourself to his qi. Encourage the production of yin to compensate for that which is leaving his body. Stabilise him. (Life •.)We need to ask him what kind of scrolls he is packing, anything at all that could help us buy time for Ptolemy to scoop us or that he can have at the ready if/when the Techoids find us. I really want to look forward to inform our move but we don't have time even for that, and Graph will bleed out if we don't help him ASAP. He is maybe the deadliest of the group, we need him as ready for action as possible. Plus I don't want us to lose our magic fucking sword because of one fumble at the Waffle House...
>>6443730>Head back inside the Waffle House. The kitchen and the counter should provide some decent cover and hopefully enough time for Ptolemy to get you out.>Attune yourself to his qi. Encourage the production of yin to compensate for that which is leaving his body. Stabilise him. (Life •.)The portal shouldn't take long, and we need to get to cover before those reinforcements arrive. And maybe we can interrogate those agents about why they want us so badly.
>>6443730>>You need to get moving. You're not sure how you can evade the Union, but staying here is just going to get all of you killed or worse.>>Allow Graph to take care of himself. While he has trouble walking, it's unlikely that he's going to bleed out from that bullet wound.
>>6443730>Stay where you are. Vox was right, Ptolemy is likely already preparing to get you out. The more you move around, the longer you will have to wait for a portal.>Give the apprentice the attention and care that he needs. You'll need to remain in one place for quite a while though, if you want to safely stop the bleeding.
>>6443730>Stay where you are. Vox was right, Ptolemy is likely already preparing to get you out. The more you move around, the longer you will have to wait for a portal.Hide behind the sedan and pray he already casts.>Give the apprentice the attention and care that he needs. You'll need to remain in one place for quite a while though, if you want to safely stop the bleeding.
>>6443730>You need to get moving. You're not sure how you can evade the Union, but staying here is just going to get all of you killed or worse.Gesturing frantically at the imp as we go to make it clear that opening a portal here is Not Safe. >Attune yourself to his qi. Encourage the production of yin to compensate for that which is leaving his body. Stabilise him. (Life •.)
>Locking the vote there. Going with stabilising Graph with Life • and moving elsewhere.
“We just don't have the time, more of the Union could arrive any second now, and not just their dumb muscle. We need to take care of that first though.” By 'that,' you mean the blood dripping down Graph's leg, something that you make clear with a gesture. “As soon as I'm done, we're moving. It's up to you two to figure out where and how.”“I'll manage just fine, sir –”“Graph, your teacher has trusted me with your life and I'm not about to throw it away. Stay still and tell me about those scrolls you brought. If there's anything that we can use to distract the Union, or buy us time, or anything, I want to know about it.”It also serves as a distraction for the apprentice while you're busy examining his injury. His body tenses and a hiss rattles out from beneath his teeth when your palm over the puncture in his trouser leg, over the wound. Once more, you must focus on the floor of qi through your meridians. An awareness of your microcosmic orbit shall grant you the opportunity to attune yourself to his, and hopefully the chance to slow his bleeding, if not stop it outright.“I have... two sets of Martian pentacles, all but the second, sir. The first, for invoking the spirits of Mars. The third, for conjuring fire and binding it to a pattern. The fourth... The fourth is for striking true. The fifth is for compelling the spirits of Mars, the sixth, for repelling a foe's attacks. The seventh is for the projection of flame.”“Wait, you brought one of Ptolemy's Sleepers with you?” Papa Yew sounds sceptical, but you're too busy focusing on the flow of your qi to respond. You're only just able to register what any of them are saying at all.“Relax, Graph's been useful.” At least Vox is willing to stand up for him while your mind is elsewhere.“I'm just sayin', he's still a goddamn Sleeper. Even if he believes in Ptolemy's Harry Potter shit, he don't believe in us. This is gonna be a real fuckin' problem.”“I... hadn't thought of it that way,” the Mercurial mage mutters. Nor had you. Perhaps the presence of Graph is why Vox's technique of travelling through doors seemed to backfire half the time in your visions.“Through union with your Words, you're able to wield magic, but you hobble yourselves by refusing to use Hermetic methods.” Upon hearing Yew's opinion of Ptolemy's magic, Graph offers a little backchat for the first time, in an effort to defend his teacher. “The Master's teachings offer the clearest focus for a mage's Will. Hermes... Hermes teaches the truth.”“See, that's what I fuckin' mean. As long as he don't accept our magic as the real deal, he's a liability.” You just wish that they would focus on figuring out a way of getting out of this mess alive, like you asked.>I want three rolls of dice+1d100 and I will accept the best of three. You will need to roll 40 or higher in order to succeed at this task. The higher you roll above the target number, the better the outcome.
Rolled 95 (1d100)>>6443971
Rolled 85 (1d100)>>6443974Nice work anon.>>6443971ROLL
Rolled 11 (1d100)>>6443971
With great clarity, you are able to perceive the qi flowing through the meridians that criss-cross your body. Through your physical contact with Graph, you are able to detect his channel network as well. You can sense the vital energy ebbing from him, flowing from his body through his compromised wood phase meridians. Qi that should be running through his liver and gallbladder is being depleted. Exerting control over your own life force is one thing, but redirecting the course of Graph's vital energy is another entirely.It requires your full concentration. For a moment, you are able to hear what the others are saying, as your consciousness is submerged in the river that flows through you both. By your Will, some of these streams are dammed, while others redirected. Through the stimulation of certain acupuncture points, you increase the production of wood phase qi and diminish the production of others. More yin and less yang, to compensate for the dearth of the former. Last but not least, you ensure that the rift left by the bullet's passage is sealed, at least for now. The metal cannot be removed at this time and over-exertion may lead to renewed bleeding, but for the time being, Graph shouldn't be at risk of passing out from blood loss, let alone dying.Your consciousness retreats from the channel network of Graph and back into your own microcosmic orbit, before it returns to the comfort of your mind. By the time that you're aware of your surroundings, it seems like some colour has already returned to Graph's face. His breathing is steadier and he no longer seems faint. If anything, the man seems reinvigorated. The other two mages have thankfully moved on and are now discussing possible avenues of escape.“... I've got an open door right there,” Vox insists, pointing back at the Waffle House from the cover of the sedan. “I already know what's on the other side, so that's gonna make things harder, but if I can trick myself into forgetting that, I might be able to take us somewhere else in the city.”“You're gonna bust your brain doin' that in front of the Sleeper.” Papa Yew isn't so confident in her plan. “Look, I pulled a lot of fuckin' strings with the Gede to get this far. Kouzen Nibo made sure that some asshole would be dumb enough to leave their ride unlocked, and dumb enough to leave their keys behind.” The oungan dangles the keys to the sedan. “All we need to do is get to Oakland. Once we're at the cemetery, it's just a case of convincin' Bawon and Brav to let us go anba dlo. Once we're on the other side, ain't no fuckin' way that the feds can follow.”“You're talking about the Umbra, right?” You interject for the first time since you began work on stabilising Graph. “Is that safe? That sort of magic has got to be just as vulgar as Vox's plan.”
“Shit, listen to all of them fancy-ass words. You really let Ptolemy get to you.” Papa Yew doesn't seem to impressed by that. “Anyway, you assholes risked everythin' to get this far. Ain't no way I'm gonna let you hog all of the risk gettin' us out too.”“We didn't come all of this way just so you could get possessed by a pissed-off ancestor of yours or whatever,” Vox snaps back at him angrily. “At least let me get us through a door close to there, so that we don't have to drive? That's just gonna end with the Union ramming us off the road.”“Yeah, and if it don't work, then we're gonna be surrounded by the fuckin' feds. At least we know that the car works right and drivin' won't end with you gettin' fucked by 'dox.”“The servants of stasis are almost upon you.”“The pretender speaks the truth. Do or die.”If you're leaving, you need to make up your minds now. Every second wasted just makes it more likely that you'll end up in the clutches of the Union.>Start running. Fuck the magic, fuck the car, you need to get a move on, right now. Your feet won't take you as far in the long-term, but getting a strong head-start is more important.>Get in the car and start driving. There's no need for any magic just yet. Once you've lost the Union, then you can make your way to whatever destination that you have in mind.>You will drive the sedan, but you will need some sort from your mages to avoid the Union. Yew and Vox will have to use whatever coincidental magic they can muster to obstruct any pursuers.>Vox will need to use her magic to open a door to another destination. The risk of Paradox is high, especially with Graph around, but it's the fastest way out of here.>Oakland Cemetery is your destination. Once you're there, Papa Yew can use his magic to take you through the Umbra, hopefully out of the reach of the Union.>The woodland where you first emerged should be your destination. Perhaps that is where Ptolemy will expect you to go – you may even find a portal waiting for you there.>Somewhere safe, somewhere out of sight, somewhere private, far away from the gaze of your adversary. You should only stop once you're certain the Union doesn't know where you are.>Please choose one option from each of the two groups.
>>6444045>You will drive the sedan, but you will need some sort from your mages to avoid the Union. Yew and Vox will have to use whatever coincidental magic they can muster to obstruct any pursuers.Both of them should be causing pile-ups and traffic jams and whatever else as needed. I think driving will be scary but it's smarter than going on foot or basically flipping a coin on getting cornered right now. Graph can use his scrolls too, a wall of flame or a perfectly precise shot into the forehead of an enemy driver? They also won't fire at the car with us in it, they'll try to stop us and pull us out. >The woodland where you first emerged should be your destination. Perhaps that is where Ptolemy will expect you to go – you may even find a portal waiting for you there.Someone can hold the imp in front of their face and mouth out where we are going and we can have a portal waiting.This turned into a bit of a shit show but we can turn it around with a little luck...
>>6444045>You will drive the sedan, but you will need some sort from your mages to avoid the Union. Yew and Vox will have to use whatever coincidental magic they can muster to obstruct any pursuers.>Somewhere safe, somewhere out of sight, somewhere private, far away from the gaze of your adversary. You should only stop once you're certain the Union doesn't know where you are.We still have the imp, Ptolemy should be able to open a portal anywhere as long as it's some hidden space. No need to retrace our steps, the Union may already know that place.
I wonder how the Union knew our whereabouts too. Was that info from hidden micro cameras in our previous driver's car (some sort of Correspondence effect)? Or maybe the imp is giving away our location? Ptolemy wouldn't betray us, right? No, that would be too elaborate of an intrigue.
>>6444045>>You will drive the sedan, but you will need some sort from your mages to avoid the Union. Yew and Vox will have to use whatever coincidental magic they can muster to obstruct any pursuers.>Oakland Cemetery is your destination. Once you're there, Papa Yew can use his magic to take you through the Umbra, hopefully out of the reach of the Union.
>>6444052Yeah, they didn't know it was us, but still showed up basically as soon as we got here. Maybe they tracked Yew and it was just really bad timing, but I don't really believe in coincidences in this story. Yew's been here over an hour apparently, so maybe they were waiting nearby for other mages to come for him? I doubt that though, how would they know anyone might? Why wait?
>>You will drive the sedan, but you will need some sort from your mages to avoid the Union. Yew and Vox will have to use whatever coincidental magic they can muster to obstruct any pursuers.>Oakland Cemetery is your destination. Once you're there, Papa Yew can use his magic to take you through the Umbra, hopefully out of the reach of the Union.We have a high enough attunement of the prime for a body of light, so Im down for umbral travel.
>>6444045>Get in the car and start driving. There's no need for any magic just yet. Once you've lost the Union, then you can make your way to whatever destination that you have in mind.There's a possibility the Union can track magic use. Remember that we used coincidental magic to get a guy to drive us to the waffle house in the first place.>Somewhere safe, somewhere out of sight, somewhere private, far away from the gaze of your adversary. You should only stop once you're certain the Union doesn't know where you are.Should pick it at random. A park or some kind of market.
>>6444045>You will drive the sedan, but you will need some sort from your mages to avoid the Union. Yew and Vox will have to use whatever coincidental magic they can muster to obstruct any pursuers.>The woodland where you first emerged should be your destination. Perhaps that is where Ptolemy will expect you to go – you may even find a portal waiting for you there.
>>6444045>>6444051+1 to thisAgreeing in full with the reasoning and hope of >>6444046, but I'm too afraid that the woods are compromised too to want to go there.
>Locking the vote there. Going with driving the sedan with support from the other mages and searching for somewhere safe and secure.
>>6444460Yeah if we don't go with where we came from, unfortunately that precludes us from having a portal waiting at our destination. But we can and should still be covering our getaway with magic, at least.
“Get in the car.” You snatch the dangling keys from Papa Yew and throw yourself into the driver's seat. The interior reeks of marijuana – perhaps it belongs to that cleaner, who must've been so intoxicated and panic-stricken that he just ran, instead of returning to his car. You can't help but wonder if Yew's magic might have played a part in his addled state. Poor guy.“Who the fuck put the fresher in charge?” The oungan grumbles as he clambers into the vehicle, with the other two soon following.“He acts with the Master's authority,” answers Graph as he settles into his seat with a groan of discomfort. Though you've stopped the bleeding, the apprentice still has a significant limp and every step seems to be a source of pain for him. Though Papa Yew doesn't respond to that, you swear that you catch a glimpse of a frown beneath that beard as you start the car with a twist of the key.“Enough of the dick-measuring, we gotta decide where we're – ”Before Vox is even able to finish, three more featureless white vans come barrelling into view down Glenwood Avenue, from the direction that you came from. You don't have the time to manoeuvre out of the parking spot in a safe and sensible fashion – you just gun it. As the breaks come off and your foot slams down on the gas, the sedan mounts the curb in front of you and with a twist of the wheel, you narrowly avoid slamming into a wall. You're off and away, surging down the road in a shitty Toyota Corolla with three big wagons hot on your heels.“Do whatever it takes, just get rid of them!”Though you're more than familiar with Atlanta, you've no idea what your destination is. The woodland where you first arrived in the city is a poor choice – that's in the direction that they came from and maybe they've got eyes there, for all you know. The cemetery is another bad idea, since you don't have time for Papa Yew to perform some ritual that sounds like it might take you somewhere just as dangerous. All you can do is keep on driving until you're struck by a good idea.With the Union pouring in from the main highway, you've not got any choice but to follow the road that you're on into a far larger parking lot for a Kroger. Following it to its end would just end with you being cornered. While you're focusing on the asphalt ahead of you, Papa Yew is busy clutching a fistful of colourful prayer beads, holding them to his brow and mumbling an appeal for aid from the Gede. The Mercurial Elite is just clutching her gun and yet to make any of use of herself, while Graph is busy with a chant of his own, having pulled a scroll free from his belt.“Te adiuro, spiritus ignis, per voluntatem Eius qui terram movet eamque tremere facit...”
You heard a similar incantation from Med, earlier today. That quaint moment in the sitting room feels like a lifetime ago. As soon as he is finished, the pentacle that the apprentice holds is set aflame and he casts it out of the open window, to flutter in your wake. The nearest van drives straight into it and as soon as the paper makes contact with the windshield, fire spreads across the surface of the glass as though it has been coated in gasoline. That wagon has no choice but to veer off to the side and to a stop.Confronted with a corner, you swerve around it as best as you can in an unfamiliar car, only to be confronted with one of Kroger's customers pulling out of their parking spot. You don't need to significantly correct your course to avoid it, but it still causes your heart to leap in your chest. Sensing an opportunity, Vox leans out of the sedan for long enough to fire her revolver... into the air above, aiming at nothing.The gunshot has clearly put the fear of God in the heart of that poor shopper, as they slam down on the accelerator out of instinct, thoughtlessly ramming into the flank of one of your pursuers. The third van barely manages to swerve out of the way in time and avoid rear-ending the impeded wagon. In your wing mirror, you spot yet another brawny suit-clad brute leaning out of the passenger window of the remaining vehicle, handgun clutched in a single meaty hand. The barrel of that sidearm flashes and dirt flies out from the asphalt a few yards ahead of you, moments before you turn another corner. They're not longer playing.You're making distance between yourself and your pursuer without too much difficulty. It's not a surprise – these sorts of cargo vans might be great for moving furniture about and looking inconspicuous, but they're certainly not made for chases like this.“Shit, we've got more comin' in!”Unfortunately, Papa Yew is right. Over the top of row after row of parked cars, you're barely able to glimpse another white wagon driving into the parking lot from one of the other roads that leads into it – and two more, from another road. You swear that you can even hear the sound of approaching sirens. This is no longer just between you and the Union if the cops are getting involved, though you have no doubt that they will serve the Technocratic agenda.“They see the Masses as an arsenal, nothing more. Tools be owned and used. Turn these weapons against those who would wield them.”
Now is not the time for you to heed the voices in your head. Though your allies have numerous tricks at their disposal, your adversary has numbers and coordination on their side. It's only a matter of time until they pen you in, unless you do something daring.>Take a shortcut and get on the I-20. That dead end from before wasn't really a dead end. A dozen yards of thin woodland – and a sharp drop – is all that separates it from the busiest highway in Atlanta. If you make it without wrecking the car, you'll have far greater freedom of movement.>Try to manoeuvre out of the parking lot and into the side-streets. You still don't have a destination in mind, but sticking around here is stupid. You'll have a better chance of losing the Union in the narrow streets of Atlanta – or maybe they will have a better chance of cornering you.>Drive straight through the doors of the Kroger. It's a massive grocery store, not only will it provide you with a lot of cover, but there will be plenty of people around. As long as you're around a lot of Sleepers, hopefully the Union won't deploy their most terrible weapons.>Enter a private parking deck. You can see the shadowy entrance to a multi-storey garage, blocked off by a flimsy barrier gate. You won't need to worry nearly as much about endangering the lives of innocent people once you're in there, but the only way out will be Ptolemy's portal.
>>6444581>Drive straight through the doors of the Kroger. It's a massive grocery store, not only will it provide you with a lot of cover, but there will be plenty of people around. As long as you're around a lot of Sleepers, hopefully the Union won't deploy their most terrible weapons.I am really torn here, and open to altering my vote if a compelling case is made, but hear me out: What if we drive through the store and get ourselves into the walk-in freezer? There'll be thick walls on all side and a reinforced door, with steel and insulation that will absolutely protect us from gunfire. We will be cornering ourselves, but we can use Matter 2 (or one of our companions can use one of their appropriate spheres) to totally seal the door. Then Ptolemy just has to make the portal before the Techs get inside. This is a batshit and dangerous plan. The high number of sleepers will probably stop them from turning the door into a steam or walking through the walls. But it might not. Probably wouldn't stop us from fucking with the door from the inside with only Graph present, especially if we were subtle like creating an insane amount of rust or ice buildup? Again, I am open to alternatives.
>>6444581>>Take a shortcut and get on the I-20. That dead end from before wasn't really a dead end. A dozen yards of thin woodland – and a sharp drop – is all that separates it from the busiest highway in Atlanta. If you make it without wrecking the car, you'll have far greater freedom of movement.I want a high-speed chase. I also like the balance of sleepers and potential to get out of dodge. Not too high, not too low.
>>6444581>Drive straight through the doors of the Kroger. It's a massive grocery store, not only will it provide you with a lot of cover, but there will be plenty of people around. As long as you're around a lot of Sleepers, hopefully the Union won't deploy their most terrible weapons.
>>6444581>>Enter a private parking deck. You can see the shadowy entrance to a multi-storey garage, blocked off by a flimsy barrier gate. You won't need to worry nearly as much about endangering the lives of innocent people once you're in there, but the only way out will be Ptolemy's portal.
>>6444581>Enter a private parking deck. You can see the shadowy entrance to a multi-storey garage, blocked off by a flimsy barrier gate. You won't need to worry nearly as much about endangering the lives of innocent people once you're in there, but the only way out will be Ptolemy's portal.The sleepers in the Kroger might make it harder for Ptolemy to open a portal
>>6444676Inside the walk-in freezer, where they can't see? The Med and Graph didn't seem to cause any problems for him opening one up, earlier, and that was with him in their physical presence.
>>6444581I'm all for >>6444587 proposal. Sooner or later we have to stop somewhere and I don't think open roads will help us. They will eventually bring in police choppers, they got satellites, I don't think we can lose them by car. In freezer we can maybe use Matter 2 to reinforce the walls, perform some sort of countermagick against them breaking them.If the sleepers will try to peek in we can always cover the doors window with something.
>>6444710>cover the doors window with something.American grocery store walk-in FREEZERS don't have windows on the walls or door, actually, and dairy walk-ins will have the same solid insulated door, but one wall will be glass doors for customers to reach in and grab things. They are both opened by a lever on the exterior, but the interior has a large, glow-in-the-dark button the size of your palm that will use a spring to engage the latch, and push the door open. So, a padlock can be put on the exterior, but it's designed to be really easy to open from the interior, so no one freezes to death working a night shift alone.
>>6444678>>6444715>American grocery store walk-in FREEZERS don't have windows on the walls or doorThat assuages my concerns, thanks>>6444581>>6444676Switching to>Drive straight through the doors of the Kroger. It's a massive grocery store, not only will it provide you with a lot of cover, but there will be plenty of people around. As long as you're around a lot of Sleepers, hopefully the Union won't deploy their most terrible weapons.Switching to
>>6444581+1 to >>6444587Also try to communicate it to Ptolemy through the imp (if we already know the layout).
>Locking the vote there. Going with driving into the supermarket, favouring >>6444587's write-in.
Though you've never be in this particular supermarket, an idea is beginning to form in your head. You angle the sedan towards the entrance of the Kroger and step on it. With any luck, you should be able to make it inside before any of the Union's wagons are able to intercept you.“Whoa, whoa, what the fuck are you doin'?!” Papa Yew's feverish praying comes to an end as he notices how you're careening straight towards the front door of the supermarket. The pitch of his wheezy voice rises higher with every syllable that leaves his mouth. It's almost as though he's displeased by the car's current trajectory.“Everyone, hold on!”You don't have the time to explain every little detail of your plan. All you can do is ask for a little faith and you're relieved when Papa Yew grants it. Rather than reach for the wheel, the oungan seizes the grab handle and clenches his jaw as he prepares for impact. His bearded face might be a mask of wide-eyed terror, but he's not going to question your judgement any further. The same can't be said for Vox. Her attention has been locked on your pursuers since you entered the parking lot but you can see her head swivel to look ahead when she hears your warning. The manic pixie gawks for but a moment, before she begins to protest.“Fúgū, don't you fucking dare – ”Before she is able to finish, you've mounted the curb. The bump is so significant that you can feel your teeth rattle in your skull. Meandering shoppers are already dispersing, running for their lives and scurrying to get out of the way as you continue, full speed ahead, towards the sliding doors. Glass windows and a flimsy steel frame will do nothing to impede you.A breath away from impact, you accept that your greatest challenge will involve the dodging of the numerous Masses that are milling about, and keeping yourself from totalling the sedan in the process.>I want three rolls of dice+1d100 and I will accept the best of three. You will need to roll 60 or higher in order to succeed at this task. The higher you roll above the target number, the better the outcome.>If you fail to succeed at this task, if any roller rolls 20 or lower, you will suffer 2 Bashing Damage, and if any roller rolls 10 or lower, you will also suffer 2 Lethal Damage.
Rolled 62 (1d100)>>6444835
Rolled 51 (1d100)>>6444835Please... Tao be with us
Phew
Rolled 23 (1d100)>>6444835
VERY narrow success jfc
Phew, that was close
Thankfully, the first set of sliding doors are wide open, thanks to a customer recently leaving the supermarket. The same can't be said for the second set, which are slowly rolling shut by the time that you plough into them. Metal shrieks as it is bent out of place around the sedan, scraping around the car's shell. The windshield is transformed into a chaotic spiderweb of cracked glass that makes it almost impossible to see where you're going, but you keep on going regardless.Panicked shouting drowns out the soothing muzak playing in the background. The yelling becomes screaming, when Vox sticks her arm through the window just long enough to loose two more rounds into the ceiling of the supermarket, filling the building with the cacophony of gunfire. If people weren't running for their lives before, they are now.An endless stream of profanity comes from Papa Yew as he holds on for dear life, while Graph grinds his teeth together in stoic silence. Behind you, you can hear the sound of Vox breathing raggedly, on the verge of hyperventilation.You're not about to get out of the vehicle just yet. You want to get as close to the warehouse as you're able and as far away from your pursuers as possible before you left behind the safety of the sedan. You knock row after row of shelving, sending groceries spilling everywhere in your wake. A fire alarm has already started blaring, just to add to all of the chaos.A stack of toilet paper serves as a cushion, softening the impact as you finally ram into a solid wall. The windshield shatters into a shower of shards that decorate your lap but other than a few small cuts and a few seconds of disorientation, you're left unharmed – and so is everyone else in the building. A handful of yards away from the busted sedan lies a door to the warehouse, left ajar by a witless worker. More of Papa Yew's handiwork, you suspect.You're just glad that you somehow, by some miracle, managed to avoid hitting anyone.“This way!”You shove open the door and clamber out. Vox is the first to follow, but Papa Yew has to help Graph climb out and support the weight of the apprentice as he hobbles towards the door. Now that you're out of the car, your lead is diminishing with every second that passes. Within a couple of minutes, the Union will likely have you surrounded.Once you're in the warehouse, the Mercurial mage empties the last two rounds in her revolver into the air, scattering the employees who fled out back to escape from the carnage that you caused. She still clutches the bottled imp in her other hand, while you lead the way across the bare concrete floor of the warehouse, past cage after cage full of surplus inventory.“Okay, Fugu, fess up. Do you even have a goddamn plan?” Papa Yew does his best to keep up, though Graph's injury combined with his own fatigue causes the oungan to lag behind.
“That's it, right over there.” You jab a finger ahead at a great white cube sat against the wall of the warehouse, complete with a door and a ramp leading up to it. “That's a walk-in freezer. Thick, insulated steel walls, with only one way in and one way out.”“Are you fucking suicidal?! It opens from the outside! There's nothing stopping them from just – ”“I know!” You snap those two syllables, interrupting Vox before she's able to finish her objection. “That's why I'm going to seal the door with waidan. We'll be safe for long enough for Ptolemy to make a portal to get us out of her. Figure out how to tell him that, and get the fuck inside.”With that command, you grab the handle of the freezer's door and forcefully yank on it, pulling it wide open. Frozen air comes rushing out, despite the best efforts of strip curtain that's designed to keep it in. Vox is the first to scurry inside, though she shoots an angry glare at you. If this goes sideways, you know that she'll never let you hear the end of it. While she gets to work scribbling a short message on a scrap of paper using a Sharpie, you usher Papa Yew and Graph into your frigid holdout.“This is fuckin' insane,” is all that the oungan has to mutter. Even Graph's expression can be best described as grim. No one has any love for your plan, but at this point, there's no other choice. Where else can they run, other than straight into the clutches of the Union?By the time that you step inside and swing the freezer door shut behind you, you can hear heavy shoes hammering against the concrete floor. Looming figures clad in black suits are barely visible through the cages and shelves stack high with stock. The adversary has arrived, just in time for you to lock yourself away.Within a second of the door shutting, the sterile illumination of the walk-in freezer suddenly flickers off. The only source of light is the gentle green glow of the emergency door release, so that poor souls trapped in the freezer might be able to free themselves. Fortunately for you, you're not trapped – you want to be here. The hundreds of frozen cardboard boxes stacked inside are engulfed in chilling darkness, as are you and your companions.“Shit, I didn't even get to show the message to the fucking imp,” Vox hisses. You can only imagine the scowl on her face right now.“Graph, if you've got another Third Pentacle, use it to give us some light.” You're already start to shiver, thanks to the biting cold gradually sapping the heat out of you. You need to push your discomfort out of your mind however – you need to liberate your consciousness from your fragile flesh and focus on the molecular composition of the door. In less than thirty seconds, the men in black will figure out where you've gone and bust open the freezer. If that happens, you'll have a hard time fighting them off.
You can't afford to fail.>I want three rolls of dice+1d100 and I will accept the best of three. You will need to roll 60 or higher in order to succeed at this task. The higher you roll above the target number, the better the outcome.>You are casting vulgar magic with a witness. For every roller that fails to meet the target number of the roll, you will accumulate 2 Paradox. No matter what the outcome of the roll is, you will accumulate 1 Paradox.
Rolled 27 (1d100)>>6444920Welp, it's Tao or never....
Rolled 69 (1d100)>>6444920Adversity must be overcome. One is All.
>>6444929GOD BLESS This paradox is going to hurt like a motherfucker but God damn am I just glad we are safe in this box for a minute
Rolled 84 (1d100)>>6444920Rollin
Rolled 1, 2, 1, 1, 2, 1, 2, 2, 1, 2 = 15 (10d2)>You have accumulated 3 Paradox. You now have 10 Paradox.I am triggering Paradox Backlash.I am changing the rules regarding Paradox Backlash. Instead of rolling a die with a number of faces equal to your accumulated Paradox, I will roll a number of two-sided dice equal to your accumulated Paradox. You will lose an amount of accumulated Paradox equal to the number of twos that I roll, but the more Paradox that you lose, the more severe the outcome of the Paradox backlash will be.The purpose of this rules change is make the probability more of a bell curve, rather than a flat line. This will produce more consistent results and make the management of Paradox more predictable.
>>6444948I like this change. It reminds me of the paradox rule in M20 where you roll a paradox pool of dice equal to your rating, and the more successes you get, the worse the outcome, but the more points of paradox you lose.
QM, if Vox used her gunfire and Mind sphere to scare all of the shoppers and grocery workers away, does that mean the Union will be able to cast their hearts out when they close in? I was hoping based on the greentext that if we locked ourselves in here and all the customers were still nearby it would hamper them until Ptolemy could scoop us out of sight.
>>6444948we're fucked
>>6444961>Your control is ultimately limited to Fúgū, who was too busy with a parking lot car chase and not crashing the car inside of a supermarket to explain the complexities of the plan to the others. Vox is a separate character that you don't have control over, with her own priorities, which involve not directly harming the Masses.>However, if it helps, all she did was inspire fear, using the gunfire as a focus for her magic, as a way of compelling them to get out of the way, not necessarily to run out of the building. While some are undoubtedly getting as far away as they can, others might be too stunned to leave or in hiding nearby.>So the location isn't entirely devoid of civilians and it would still be wise for any mage, regardless of affiliation, to avoid waving around vulgar magic.
So it didn't matter that our witness believed in magic and was busy and it was dark? Not complaining, just trying to understand the system better. Would an unconscious or feeble person count as a witness to too? Or was it another witness (e.g. a customer on the outside) and not Graph that triggered this?Might be good to know for future endeavours (IFF we make it out of here alive and all that).
Rolled 2, 2, 1, 2, 1, 2, 1, 1 = 12 (8d2)>>6445130>The witness in this instance was Graph, who is a sorcerer, an unAwakened individual capable of a lesser form of magic. I thought that sorcerers still served witnesses for all forms of Awakened magic that done align with their world view and the form of magic that they perform, but this only applies to Technocratic sorcerers. The type of sorcerer that Graph is, is not a witness for any kind of Awakened magic. As I was mistaken, I'll be downgrading the previous roll to vulgar without witnesses, but that still garners 1 Paradox instead of 3 Paradox, and I am still triggering Paradox backlash.>When it comes to vulgar magic being done in the dark, if it produces an outcome that the Sleeper will be able to observe when the darkness ends that defies that Sleeper's understanding of reality, the Sleeper counts as a witness. As an example of this, imagine a mage and a Sleeper, together in a room. The light in the room turns off for ten seconds and in the pitch blackness, the mage teleports. If the room has an open door, then the Sleeper has a potential explanation for how the mage disappeared and doesn't count as a witness. The spell could even count as coincidental. If the room has a locked door, then the Sleeper can't explain how the mage disappeared and counts as a witness, as their personal understanding of reality has been violated.>Mage: the Ascension has several aspects that are responsible for creating a lot of debates, and what counts as coincidental magic, vulgar magic without witnesses and vulgar magic with witnesses is one of those points of contention. >So when we vote on a potential change of rules regarding Quintessence, I'll also hold a vote on rules regarding Paradox, to try and get everyone on the same track.>As you have only accumulated 1 Paradox and only have 8 Paradox now that I have changed my verdict, I am rerolling the Paradox backlash with eight dice instead of ten.
>>6445181>The type of sorcerer that Graph is, is not a witness for any kind of Awakened magic.Ok, very nice - I am the anon that pitched bringing a couple of Ptolemy's students initially. I have very little experience with Ascension, but a decent familiarity with Awakening, and I know in that game there are rules for Sleepers with a capital S versus cult members and humans that can comprehend magic without having command of it, I think there's a merit for it and I would compare them to Wolf-Blooded or whatever. I kind of assumed it worked the same here but should have looked before I leapt on that one, even if it turns out to be working that way. I commend you for adhering to the system as much as you can in this format, or even at all, the original WoD gamelines all have friction points and jank that can trip people up easily.
>>6445181Thanks a lot for the explanation (and even more so for the unexpected reevaluation of Graph)! Personally I just want to understand the mechanics and don't need to vote on it, but am fine with that too ofc.And it's pretty nice that you got an even split for the paradox roll again. Feels like fate now.
As was the case with the transmutation that you performed in the Waffle House, you must liberate your mind from your body. Your consciousness must flow freely from the vessel of meat and bone that serves as its vehicle, so that it might better understand the matter that surrounds it. Once it is free from your flesh, it glides effortlessly into the metal door that lies beneath your hand. Compared to the tangled weave of the polymers that made up the clothes of those now-dead agents, this plane of painted steel is painfully simple. Just a vast, flat surface of metal, stretching on for what seems like forever...The sheer scale of the steel door from that perspective is overwhelming. It seems almost as unending as the Ouroboros, an endless desert of jīn that you cannot escape from. Panic starts to roil within your spirit, creating a disparity between it and the emptiness of your biological mind. As soon as your consciousness is disrupted by the slightest imbalance, the wu wei that enabled its escape serves as a vacuum, drawing it back into your body. You try to anchor your Will to the metal, so that you might alter it before your inevitable return to your flesh, yet that just pulls in that which you are trying to transmute. Your detached self slams back into your physical manifestation by way of your fingertips, along with so much steel – the door, its handle, its locking mechanism, its hinges, even the wall that surrounds it. All becomes One with your Will.You reel away from the entrance to the freezer, aware of the biting cold once more. A grunt comes from Papa Yew as you bump into him, yet all you care about is how terribly heavy your right hand has become. You're forced to cradle it in your left arm, as you listen to the Latin that leaves the lips of Graph.“Te adiuro, spiritus ignis, per voluntatem Eius qui terram movet eamque tremere facit...”Light, at last, in the form of the orange glow of fire. The smouldering paper of the pentacle is touched a cardboard box that well and truly goes up in flames, illuminating the inside of the freezer. Thankfully, the smoke made by the makeshift bonfire is drawn out by the condenser fans, so you're at not risk of suffocating inside of this metal box.The door to the freezer, along with most of the wall that it is mounted on, is no longer steel. Even the layer of paint that once coated it has been transformed into another metal entirely – tungsten. Over twice as heavy, and far stronger. The lock of the door was never meant to be made of such weighty components, which has left it inoperable and impossible to open. You've accomplished the task that you set out to do, with just one small complication.Your right hand, along with half of the forearm that it's attached to, is now made of the same metal.
Your tungsten fingers are frozen solid, in the position that they were in when you unconsciously drew your hand away from the door. There is no sensation to be found in that metal and you have no idea how the rest of your arm is still functioning. Are your arteries somehow pumping blood into the tungsten? What are your muscles now attached to? This transmutation of your very flesh defies all reason.>You cannot make any use of your right hand. Whenever you roll, you will be limited to rolling dice+1d90 instead of dice+1d100. This backlash will last for four updates.>You have discharged 4 Paradox. You currently have 4 Paradox remaining.“Fuck.” That's all that you can say. You can't look away from what your hand has now become. Have you really just lost almost half of an arm, thanks to this magic? The effortless action of the Tao is beyond you right now, thanks to the terror welling up in your heart. “Fuck, fuck, fuck...”“Holy shit,” mutters Papa Yew, as soon as he lays his eyes on the gleaming grey metal that you cradle in your other arm. “Look, man, that ain't gonna last forever... 'dox might be a bitch, but there ain't no way that you've gotten enough of that shit for somethin' permanent like that. Give it time.”“Fuck.” You utter that syllable one last time. It's impossible for you to rid yourself of all of the horror that you're feeling, thanks to just how dead your hand feels, how cold and lifeless and heavy it is in your grasp. To make matters worse, it's your dominant hand. In the end, you can't afford to focus on it forever. You hear muffled voices on the other side of the door, along with the rattling of the doorhandle and thumping on the sheet metal. It's useless. The fused tungsten refuses to budge, serving as an ideal barrier between you and your adversaries. Your plan worked, even if it had a cost.“There. If Ptolemy's still watching, he... he's gotten the message. Fuck, did you have to choose a freezer to hide in?” Vox is visibly shivering. She huddles close to the fire, the bottled imp at her side along with a piece of paper that reads PORTAL NOW. Even the little fellow in the whiskey bottle seems to be suffering from the chill, chattering and hugging himself as he sits on the bottom of the glass.“Nowhere else in this place was going to have steel walls. This is the best that we could hope for.” You lean against a pallet full of frozen stock and reach for the revolver in your pocket. You fumble about as you try to load more rounds into it but ultimately, it's hopeless. “Agh, goddamnit. Yew, can you reload this thing for me? You know what, keep it, I can't shoot like this.”
“Ain't had to shoot anyone since I Awakened. I swear, Ptolemy better get us outta here...” Papa Yew does as you ask, while Vox follows your lead and sets about reloading her own gun. As for Graph, he's clutching his piece in one hand while the other hands another pentacle with a white-knuckle grip, his eyes fixed on the doorway.After a minute of hearing muffled voices beyond the freezer, unintelligible thanks to the thickness of the walls, there is a new unpleasant development. With no sign of any gateway manifesting as of yet, you're appalled to hear a faint, angry hissing that quickly grows in volume. It reaches its peak when a narrow beam of light, the size and shape of a pocket knife, pierces one of the other walls, rather than the one that the door is mounted on. The metal around it glows red hot with paint peeling away, as it gradually cuts its way down the steel.“Why can't that old cunt get a fucking move on?!” Vox is visibly shaken by the blade of energy cutting through the metal, slicing through another inch of steel with every second.“The Master's magic takes time,” Graph snaps right back at her. “If they're going to break in here, we're going to need cover to hide behind. Stack some of these boxes.” You're not sure how good a few box full of frozen TV dinners are going to be at stopping bullets, but it's a better plan than just waiting to die. The four of you set about making a wall of icy cardboard as hurriedly as you can, while the beam of light cuts a new doorway into the steel.Just when you're struggling to pick up your fourth box, thanks to your altered hand, you hear someone new. Though someone is raising their voice, her words are only audible due to the sound being carried through the vents. She must be standing right next to them, on the other side.“Mister Cobbledick? If you are in there, I would like to make you an offer. This shouldn't have to end in violence.”The stranger's voice is confident and firm, yet without any force behind it. Compared to the monotonous repetition of the men in black, she sounds impossibly eloquent, her words untouched by any sort of accent. You can't help but want to hear what she has to say, if there's a peaceful solution to all of this, you really should listen – “Don't fucking listen to her,” Vox snarls beneath her breath, driving an elbow into your ribs and snapping you out of your reverie. “Don't listen and don't say anything. She's fucking with you.”“I'd like to apologise for the actions of my colleagues, Mister Cobbledick.” The smooth talker on the other side of the vents doesn't seem to hear anything that the Mercurial mage just said. “I'm Special Agent Aveni, here to represent the interests of... well, I suppose that your comrades-in-arms have already told you who we are. I suppose I should begin by saying that we have a vested interest in your wellbeing, Mister Cobbledick.”
The brilliant glow of the knife dies out, having cut a vertical line through the wall from six feet up, down to the floor. A moment later and its radiance can be seen once more, cutting a horizontal line across from the top of the previous incision. At Vox's bidding, you keep your mouth shut and focus on assembling some cover, as best as you can.“Unfortunately, our Operations branch was charged with the acquisition of your services, and they tend to rely on the stick and neglect the carrot. Once again, I'd like to apologise for their behaviour and actions towards you. No one else needs to die today, Mister Cobbledick. My superiors are more than happy to authorise the release of your accomplices, provided that you agree to cooperate with our requests. They won't be hurt or impeded in any shape or form, you have my word. In any case, this is a rare opportunity. It's quite unusual for the Ivory Tower to express such an interest in a single individual. You're special, Mister Cobbledick. All we want is to help you realise your potential, and help you make the world a better place.”By this point, the beam of light has cut four feet across from the top of the prior line. Now it is cutting down towards the floor again. Once it reaches the bottom, nothing will stop the Union from kicking the wall down and charging into the freezer. There's still no sign of a portal.“Won't you consider my offer, Mister Cobbledick? I don't want this to end in violence. You deserve better than that.”The cool, reassuring voice that comes from on the other side of the vent just won't stop. Vox can mouth 'shut the fuck up' at you as many times as she likes, it doesn't make the urge to speak with Aveni any less overwhelming. You don't even have to do as the special agent says, you just have to talk.>Agree to Special Agent Aveni's terms. You are willing to hand yourself over in exchange for the release of your comrades. Every single one of them is going to hate that. They will not cooperate.>Ask about what makes you so special. You're responsible for the deaths of a dozen of the Union's operatives at this point, surely they won't let you get away with that scot-free. >Engage in ideological debate. This is your first opportunity to give the shadow government a piece of your mind. Let her know of what you think of her masters' efforts to shackle the Masses. >Try to buy some time for Ptolemy. You can't think straight under so much pressure, you need a moment to think. You're 'willing to consider her offer,' but only if her goons give you some breathing room.>Say nothing at all. Keep on preparing for the inevitable violence. Vox is right, this Aveni woman is just trying to fuck with your head. Block her out and get ready for the carnage.>Try to repeat what you did to the door with this wall. Perhaps you can turn it into tungsten too. Yet there's a chance that this might just make things even worse for your hand. (Matter ••.)
>>6445256>Try to buy some time for Ptolemy. You can't think straight under so much pressure, you need a moment to think. You're 'willing to consider her offer,' but only if her goons give you some breathing room.But also if possible>Ask Vox for help with her talents. Maybe give you pointers what topics to touch upon, maybe act in a way that helps convince them that you are really considering their offer. Or just something to negate agents influence, maybe their methods of influencing people are similar.
>>6445256>Try to buy some time for Ptolemy. You can't think straight under so much pressure, you need a moment to think. You're 'willing to consider her offer,' but only if her goons give you some breathing room.I don't think Aveni will comply with this, but it's the only option I think we have. It was worth a shot but they are just too fast. Can we maybe at least whisper for Vox or Yew to try anything? Surely we aren't the only one in the box with at least 2 dots in a sphere, and we just sacrificed our arm to protect them - the least they could do is attempt some coincidental magic to protect us and themselves. Anyone with some Forces or Matter could probably at least delay their... Plasma cutter? Thermal lance? Magic fire knife? Idunno man, I'm out of ideas.
>>6445264+1, but also>"Vox, I'm sure you like to just ragebait people online. Come on, help me to run some circles around this agent.">Not only try to sound as if we're convinced, try to act dumb and make the Agent repeat herself while we try to either make her mad, or just so she can't really focusI don't know if it works, but my idea is for Henry to be a somewhat catalyst for Vox magic to work through us (?) maybe she gives us some funny glasses or something, or she just tells us what to say to mess with Aveni.>Use either Prime or Force to absorb whatever they are using to cut through the wall. If it's just fire, absorb the energy to make the flame die out, and basically make up more time by fucking with their equipment. If it's magical, absorb the energy to try and gain some Quintessence back.I don't remember if it was Prime or Force where we have 2 dots, but, if QM allows it, we can maybe use those two spheres to make the same effect I'm describing.
>>6445271We have Prime 2, and Forces 0. I don't think Prime could do what you're describing, and even if it could, I think we are too compromised to make the attempt ourselves, personally.
>>6445271>>6445273>Due to a lack of Quintessence and only possessing Prime •• at the moment, you are not capable of using Forces or Prime to disrupt or absorb the energy of the plasma cutter right now.
Maybe put the revolver to our head and tell them to chill the fuck out for five minutes so we can think. And write on one of the cardboard boxes with a sharpie, so Yew/Vox can see: 'DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO BUY US TIME IM FUCKING SPENT' I mean we gave Vox half of our tass and I feel like she has only cast coincidental spells, she's got to be able to do SOMETHING....
Gonna smack Nor with our tungsten mitt for being a chickenshit too scared to come with us!
>>6445271Great idea with being a catalyst, that's kinda what I meant.
>>6445273>>6445274Goootcha, my bad! I don't know why I thought we had Force, I guess I just confused the two.In that case I wanna keep making some time and ragebait Aveni.QM, can we use Vox magic like I said? It would be like how she used the glasses and mask on us, to empower our words to ragebait Aveni
>>6445276>>6445278True, we can be a newbie and we fucked up at the Waffle House, BUT GODDAMN, HENRY BACK IS GOING TO BE BROKEN FOR CARRYING THESE MFS.And true, we need to have a talk with Nor. It seems kinda crazy she's so scared of conflict when her implants are functional through pain. One would think she could just turn into a Cyberpsychosis super berserker but actually functional and capable of not murdering her allies
>>6445280>>6445279>>6445271>I am open to you cooperating with Vox and using her magic to assist your distracting of Aveni.
>>6445264+1
>>6445256>>6445265I will change my vote >>6445271>>6445284To this scheme, if we can keep her gabbing for five minutes we might be ok, but Vox has gotta put some fucking sauce on this one
>>6445256>Engage in ideological debate. This is your first opportunity to give the shadow government a piece of your mind. Let her know of what you think of her masters' efforts to shackle the Masses.Fuck the Illuminati shadow government that rules the world, why would we ever work with them? Though I am interested in why they're so desperate to have us. Is it that second voice we have in our head? If we could set up some kind of neutral negotiating ground later on where they're not trying to break into the freezer, I'd be inclined to give them a shot at explaining things.
>>6445315I think it may be the first voice, actually, since Cleopatra claimed to be one of our earlier incarnations. I suspect our Magnum Opus is what the Technocracy is after, perhaps hoping to indoctrinate us and break the cycle, or use us to perform Hieros Gamos, maybe some other alchemical ritual that could grant them even more power over the mundane world.
>>6445256>>Try to buy some time for Ptolemy. You can't think straight under so much pressure, you need a moment to think. You're 'willing to consider her offer,' but only if her goons give you some breathing room.
>>6445256>Say nothing at all. Keep on preparing for the inevitable violence. Vox is right, this Aveni woman is just trying to fuck with your head. Block her out and get ready for the carnage.>Try to repeat what you did to the door with this wall. Perhaps you can turn it into tungsten too. Yet there's a chance that this might just make things even worse for your hand. (Matter ••.)She will just know if you are lying, I bet. Do not talk to her
>>6445256Supporting the Idea of VOX heloing us to distract Aveni. >>6445271 >>6445284Follow Vox's lead if she has an idea for this. >>6445315I'd bet they go for "we don't usually do this, but you're special" nine out of ten times they try to acquire a newly awakened.
“Vox – help me buy some time. I need to know what to say.”Even your whispering earns an angry scowl from Vox, at least until she registers you just said. You keep your voice as low as you can, to keep it from being heard through the ventilation. While the other two continue their preparation, she reaches up to clutch your face in her hands. Though her skin is warmer than the frozen air, the chill leaves her fingers feeling cold, tough and waxy.“Just think of what I would say,” she insists, her voice little more than a hurried hiss. Her beady black eyes stare up into yours as she continues, in spite of your initial confusion. “I'm not complicated. No one is. Think of when we hitched that ride, think of who I was then, and start talking. Say nothing but what I would say in your shoes.”At her bidding, your mind goes back to the road on the way to the Waffle House, to the transformation of Vox from a distant and cynical cow, into a bright and cheerful young woman. It didn't matter who her authentic self was, she became who she needed to in order to accomplish her desired outcome. Who you are doesn't matter. What you believe doesn't matter. Your true feelings, whatever they might be, don't matter. The only thing that matters is the goal that you have set your mind to. There is no definition or meaning to be found beyond that.“Stop. Please stop, just give me a moment – I can't think under this pressure. Please, I just need a minute, I can't fucking think like this.”Your wavering words are tinged with hysteria. Your voice even breaks a little as you call out to Special Agent Aveni, to plead with her for some sort of reprieve. Your desperation is palpable. Vox just stares blankly into your eyes during the tense moment that follows, as you wait for the negotiator to respond.“Pause entry procedure.” There's some force behind her words at last, now that she's talking to someone other than you. After a couple of seconds of hesitation, the jet of plasma gutters out, three and a half feet above the floor. “I've given you some time, Mister Cobbledick. You deserve that much, at the very least.” That cool, soothing tone has returned, now that is Aveni is exclusively focusing on you once more. “I can't give you forever, but I want you to be sure that you're doing the right thing.”“I just... I don't get it. Why me? There are two other Awakened in here – why are you willing to let them go, in exchange for me? What makes me more valuable than both of them combined?”Those words might leave your lips, but they're not yours. They're concocted by a construct inside of your head, a manifestation of anxiety and despair. They're the words of someone who is doomed, who is desperate for an escape from his fate, who cannot bring himself to believe it when he is presented with an out.
“I'm sorry, Mister Cobbledick, but the answers to those questions are above my pay grade.” Aveni sounds genuinely apologetic. “All that I am able to disclose is that the Statisticians expressed a great interest in acquiring you, even before your 'Awakening.' You have been on our radar for quite some time, Mister Cobbledick. The same cannot be said for the individuals in your company.”“... But you will let them go, right?”That question only comes out your mouth after a long pause. Doubt wrestles with hope in that moment of consideration, and it's all fake. It's all perfectly designed by that simulacrum of you that you see reflected in the eyes of Vox. It is you, if you were as devoid of integrity and sincerity as she is.“Of course. I give you my word, Mister Cobbledick. We will allow your companions to leave this building, unharmed and unimpeded.”“I-I need more assurance than that. I need to see it for myself, I need to know that they're not going to just be bundled into one of those fucking vans as soon as they're out of my sight. I... I want to believe you, it's just... I need to know. They need assurance that they're going to be okay. I need to know that I'm not just abandoning them to die or something. It's – I don't want anyone else to be hurt because of me. Please.”You feel nothing. None of those words mean anything. They're not yours. You don't register them at all, not even as you say them, not even as you stop to let out a trembling sob between every other sentence. It's all meaningless. Even you are meaningless, a wretched black hole of a person who ruins everyone and everything that enters your orbit. Nothing means anything to you, so you are left envious of people who have a reason to actually live. Sometimes you hate them, sometimes you want to be them, sometimes you want be around them. The details don't matter. Each time, your goal is to steal those morsels of meaning from them until they're as hollow as you are. This newfound heroism of yours, that led to you volunteering for this suicide mission? It was a mask, just like the one that you're presenting to Aveni. It's just another act, just another futile effort to fill the void inside of you and pretend that you're more than an empty shell of a person. You don't care. You've never cared.“All of that can be arranged. In exchange, we need your promise that you're going to lay down your arms and refrain from any hostile action, Mister Cobbledick. That applies to your comrades as well. There isn't much I can do to defend them if they – ”“Impending level four spatial deviance! Resume entry procedure, immediately! I'm done with this farce, Aveni!”
That declaration comes from another woman beyond the freezer, her voice far sharper and harsher than Aveni's. The blade of light manifests once more and the cutting resumes, shattering Vox's concentration and causing her hands to fall from your face. You soar free from the pit of ennui – your voice and your thoughts are your own once more.Less than a second after the Mercurial Elite stumbles away from you, the frigid air of the freezer fizzes with fury and splits wide open. The orange glow provided by Graph's fire is nothing compared to the blinding radiance of the gateway that yawns into being before you. At the same time, something heavy hammers into the other side of the wall that is being cut open. They're already trying to force it open.Vox is the first to plunge through, throwing herself into the portal without a second thought. Desperate to escape from this nightmare, Papa Yew staggers in after her even as the steel is struck again, visibly deforming and bending inward. Graph hobbles towards the crackling rift and reaches down towards the bottled imp as he passes it by. A third strike and industrial light pours into the freezer through the beginnings of an opening. You help the apprentice with the last couple of steps that he needs to take to reach Ptolemy's gate. Together, you step into the light and away from Atlanta, with that jet of plasma scarcely a foot from the floor and a fourth blow warping the wall further.You do not emerge in the sanctum of Ptolemy Lux.Once more, you stand on the hide of the Ouroboros, on that ribbon of glittering scales that trails off into the infinite void. You are not alone, though it isn't Cleopatra who stands before you. It is the figure of a man, little more than a silhouette against the shining river that is the Serpent. Something filters your perception of him – you are not able to see anything more than a shadow, the impression of a person.“Nothing is certain. This outcome was not preordained. You earned this victory, through suffering and toil.”“Where are Cleopatra and the others?” The last time that you were here, you spoke with numerous figures – myriad alchemists, myriad lives that you had lived before this one. You are certain of this.“Dormant. They have little interest in your latest escapades, for they do not relate to the impossible or the inevitable. If your actions do not concern the pursuit of futility, they do not concern Cleopatra.”“Who are you?”“I am that which Cleopatra and her amalgam claim to be. In return, I masquerade as that which they are.”“That doesn't answer my question.”“Wisdom freely given is useless. It is given purpose through its acquisition. A destination is a hollow thing without a journey that leads you to it.”“When I saw the Ouroboros, I saw everything – I saw all of my previous lives. I didn't see you there.”
“So you confess that you did not see everything.”If Ptolemy Lux is to be believed about the process of Awakening, then Cleopatra is your Avatar – the Word through which you channel your Will. She is the subjective lens through which you viewed reality when you Awakened. The Ouroboros is not the truth, but how Cleopatra wants you to perceive the truth. You saw what she wanted you to see. What about that which she wants to hide?“Why are you here?”“What was the purpose of this adventure?”“I went back to Atlanta to save Papa Yew.” You thought that was obvious.“Why?” This shadow of a man lowers himself to a crouch on top of a gleaming scale, squatting comfortably while he interrogates you. “Why did you risk everything for the sake of one man, who you hardly know?”>Honour. Papa Yew had saved your life, so it was only right that you saved his. What sort of man are you if you can't repay your debts?>Obligation. The oungan was only in that situation thanks to you. You couldn't live with yourself if the Union caught him because of you.>Rebellion. You seek to thwart the Union, no matter what their goal might be. By rescuing Yew, you further your cause and hinder theirs.>Camaraderie. The Awakened must stand together. You are far stronger together than you are alone, as this mission clearly demonstrated.>Ambition. You need connections and you need a reputation. By saving Papa Yew, you have taken a step towards cultivating both.>Caprice. It felt right in the heat of the moment. You don't need to clearly define your motivation. You just trust your gut.
>>6445616>Honour. Papa Yew had saved your life, so it was only right that you saved his. What sort of man are you if you can't repay your debts?Sticking it to the Energy Elites was just a bonus, a step on the path to the free energy revolution. But if Henry wouldn't even help out the first person that helped him, what would be his dreams of helping Humanity. Obligation played a role here too, but I think the Honour is the main reason here. Clearly it was a Right Thing To Do.
>>6445616>>Honour. Papa Yew had saved your life, so it was only right that you saved his. What sort of man are you if you can't repay your debts?>"I cannot uplift my fellow man if I do not walk in an upright manner. His kindness, generosity, and courage helped to save me. His life has been terribly endangered by that sacrifice, because of the forces arrayed against me. By repaying his sacrifice with my own, I walk the righteous path of the Tao. As Above, So Below. This was not the easy thing to do, but the right thing. I make the world more righteous by doing it... And the Technocrats, they have developed a vast structure around what is wrong, but easy. Had I embraced cowardice, apathy, or self interest when given the chance, I would be doing them a service and betraying mankind."
>>6445623Well said!
>>6445623+1
>>6445616>>6445623+1 support.It is not wrong to care.
>>6445623+1Based
>>6445616>Obligation. The oungan was only in that situation thanks to you. You couldn't live with yourself if the Union caught him because of you.I am a little open to hearing more of the Technocracy's pitch to joining them though. Their desperation to have us is intriguing.
“I want a brighter future for all of us, free from the reign of the Union. How can I bring that about if I don't act uprightly? Yew saved me, when he could have just left me to my fate. He endangered himself on my behalf, so I had repay his sacrifice with my own. Yin and yang. As above, so below. The teachings of Hermes and Laozi alike demand balance – every kindness must be repaid. I cannot bring about harmony by acting without it. That is the way of the Union, the path of least resistance – the way of ease and apathy. Had I embraced cowardice and self-interest when given the chance, I would have been doing them a service and turning my back on my people and myself.”“How is this relevant to your pursuit of immortality?”“It isn't. That is what Cleopatra wishes for me. If it is truly inevitable, then I will take each step when I am meant to. Harmony and humanity come before all else.”“Do you not restrain yourself with this philosophy?”“He who tries to shine dims his own light. I help no one by throwing myself headfirst at power, least of all myself. By leading a balanced life, I'm better able to act in harmony with the Tao and the world around me. By helping Yew, I've walked the righteous path and I've done so without regret.”“If this is your wisdom, then so be it. Through this truth, you bind yourself to those around you. Through harmony with these others, you heal the rift that divides us all. I do not ask that you walk any road or cling to any doctrine. All I hope is that your footsteps will serve as a path for the Masses to follow and that by your Will, All will be One.”Humanity has been led astray. The Sleepers lead lives defined by imbalance. Those who the Union would exploit wallow in yin. Those who the Union would wield brim with yang. You have witnessed this for yourself. Under the rule of the Energy Elite, mankind has become nothing more than the cattle and weapons of this foul demiurge. Only through harmony with the Tao, no matter what you perceive it to be, will you be able to unite and challenge their supremacy.
You have taken the first step. You have cultivated a balance between yourself and Papa Yew, as well as the others who you have fought beside. These dharmic bonds are the first of many that you shall forge. Through unity with each other, you shall achieve unity with the cosmos. Together, all of you will liberate yourselves and all of the energy of the universe, so that you might be bring about utopia. The Ouroboros is the One that is All and mankind is the All that will be One. This is the Tao. This is the truth that burns inside of you.>Correspondence •. You may use this Sphere to detect the presence of all objects and entities in your immediate vicinity, even if they are hidden. >Entropy •. You may use this Sphere to determine the probability of outcomes and detect the flaws in objects and entities, as well as the likelihood that someone is lying.>Forces •. You may use this Sphere to perceive all forms of mundane energy, as well as the fundamental forces of the universe.>Life ••. You may use this Sphere to heal, harm and significantly alter simple organisms – anything that is not a vertebrate. You may also heal and cosmetically alter yourself.>Matter •••. You may use this Sphere to transform one substance into any other, as well as alter the shape and density of any object, though creating and enhancing machinery and electronics is still beyond you. You may spend Quintessence to make matter out of nothing.>Mind •. You may use this Sphere to detect the emotions of the people around you and whether or not they are lying.>Prime •••. You may use this Sphere to use this Sphere to transfer Quintessence into and out of Wonders and other Awakened – even against their will. You may spend Quintessence to create temporary energy weapons and negate magic.>Spirit •. You may use this Sphere to detect the presence of spirits and peer through the Gauntlet to witness the spiritual reflections of your immediate surroundings.>Time ••. You may use this Sphere to perceive the past or the potential futures of the area that you find yourself in, with no upper limit to how far back or forward you may look. You may also shield yourself against retrocognition and precognition.>Choose one and only one of the above.
>>6445679>Prime •••. You may use this Sphere to use this Sphere to transfer Quintessence into and out of Wonders and other Awakened – even against their will. You may spend Quintessence to create temporary energy weapons and negate magic.
>>6445679>Matter •••. You may use this Sphere to transform one substance into any other, as well as alter the shape and density of any object, though creating and enhancing machinery and electronics is still beyond you. You may spend Quintessence to make matter out of nothing.Really torn between this and Prime. I think this is a better direction for now, though, as the offensive and defensive capabilities are much higher.
>>6445679>>Entropy •. You may use this Sphere to determine the probability of outcomes and detect the flaws in objects and entities, as well as the likelihood that someone is lying.
>>6445679>>Prime •••. You may use this Sphere to use this Sphere to transfer Quintessence into and out of Wonders and other Awakened – even against their will. You may spend Quintessence to create temporary energy weapons and negate magic.Remove the gift of quintessence from those who would seek to abuse it. Also, counterspell!I liked this update in particular QM, the philosophical back and forth and your fluency with the Tao is appreciated
>>6445679>Prime •••. You may use this Sphere to use this Sphere to transfer Quintessence into and out of Wonders and other Awakened – even against their will. You may spend Quintessence to create temporary energy weapons and negate magic.I do want to spec more into Time though because shielding ourselves from precognition is cool and will definitely be useful against the Technocracy, but best to get a level 3 pip first.
>>6445679>Life ••. You may use this Sphere to heal, harm and significantly alter simple organisms – anything that is not a vertebrate. You may also heal and cosmetically alter yourself.Finally get our hair back! And healing would be very nice, especially right now, altering our looks similarly so. Our skin will be as gold, our bones will be as jade, our blood will be quicksilver with a Matter. Maybe it will be on the next rank of both of those Spheres, but certainly we can start enhancing ourselves.
>>6445679>>6445687>>6445712Changing my vote to>Life ••. You may use this Sphere to heal, harm and significantly alter simple organisms – anything that is not a vertebrate. You may also heal and cosmetically alter yourself.Because anon said the gold skin/jade bone thing. Also? We are wanted for child sex crimes, we actually genuinely need to be able to cosmetically alter ourself. High levels of Life (and Matter) will let us juice the fuck out of our speed, endurance, strength, reflexes, and durability. Being a dragon is awesome, but just being Colossus or Wolverine is also extremely serviceable.
>>6445679>Life ••. You may use this Sphere to heal, harm and significantly alter simple organisms – anything that is not a vertebrate. You may also heal and cosmetically alter yourself.
>Right now, we're looking at three votes for Prime •••, three votes for Life •• and one vote for Entropy •. I'm in the process of working on a housekeeping update regarding potential rule changes for Quintessence and Paradox, so I would ideally like the tie to be broken within the next six hours.
>>6445679>Prime •••. You may use this Sphere to use this Sphere to transfer Quintessence into and out of Wonders and other Awakened – even against their will. You may spend Quintessence to create temporary energy weapons and negate magic.Life would be great too, but we can substitute most of it mundanely for now and negating magic sounds too good to pass up.
>>6445679>Life ••. You may use this Sphere to heal, harm and significantly alter simple organisms – anything that is not a vertebrate. You may also heal and cosmetically alter yourself.Because most of the Order lack this sphere, and with Prime 2, Matter 2, and Life 2, we can start on the path of modifying ourselves. Life is also something we have been rolling really well at so it makes sense to increase it.
So the red really seems to be our true Avatar or at least deeper layer of it. Could the alchemists really be just our Past Lives then? Interesting that he says that he is masquerading as them. As whom? In presentation he didn't seem past livey. Hubris? They are hung up on futility. Maybe they are manifestation of Paradigm perhaps, parts that are restraining Henry at least. Or does he mean the shadow, that those lives are mere shadow of true capabilities, enlightenment, not something to strive for.Very intriguing vision.
>>6445832I get shadow self vibes. Like maybe the red avatar is the parts of Henry from his past lives that his conscious self refuses to acknowledge.
>>6445679>Prime •••. You may use this Sphere to use this Sphere to transfer Quintessence into and out of Wonders and other Awakened – even against their will. You may spend Quintessence to create temporary energy weapons and negate magic.Hell yeah, lets take that energy back from the elite.
>You gain Prime •••. You may use this Sphere to use this Sphere to transfer Quintessence into and out of Wonders and other Awakened – even against their will. You may spend Quintessence to create temporary energy weapons and negate magic.You gain 5 Quintessence. You now have 5 Quintessence.>Due to debate regarding the rules for Quintessence so far, I will present you with four options for how Quintessence could be handled in the future.>Option A: We keep the rules for Quintessence the same. For each roller who chooses to spend Quintessence, 1 point of Quintessence is spent to decrease the target number of the roll by 2 for every dot of Prime that you possess. The upside of this is that it involves some decision-making and agency in the process of rolling by letting each roller alter the odds, if they think that it is worth the expenditure of this resource. This can be done to turn a narrow failure into a narrow success, or to beat the target number by as much as possible for the best possible outcome. The downside of this is that this grants individual rollers significant control over this resource, without any democratic process. This can lead to disagreements about when Quintessence should have been spent and can potentially be exploited by trolls.>Option B: We keep the rules for Quintessence the same, with one significant change. Whenever a roller wants to spend Quintessence, if they roll the target number or higher, or if a previous roller has already rolled the target number or higher, the Quintessence is not spent. The upside of this is that it prevents the resource from being 'wasted' if success has already been achieved. The downside of this is that it prevents rollers from spending the resource to beat the target number by as much as possible for the best possible outcome. Rollers will only be able to spend Quintessence to turn failures into successes.>Option C: Once you have voted for an option that involves using magic, I will present you with the target number of the upcoming roll in the next update. All of you will have the option to vote on how much Quintessence should be spent, with every 1 point of Quintessence that is spent decreasing the target number of the roll by 2 for every dot of Prime that you possess. The upper limit on how much Quintessence you can spend is equal to the number of dots of Prime that you possess. The upside of this is that it makes the management of this resource a democratic process and allows you to collectively decide when it should be spent. The downside of this is that holding a new vote to decide on how much Quintessence should be spent whenever you use magic will slow down the quest significantly.
>Option D: Quintessence can no longer be spent on decreasing the target number of rolls. Instead, every roll to use magic will have its target number passively reduced by 1 for every 1 point of Quintessence that you possess. The upside of this is that it will streamline the process of reducing a roll with Quintessence and make it as frictionless as possible, while still maintaining the resource management aspect, as Quintessence can still be spent on particular uses of magic. The downside of this is that it removes the decision-making element of being able to directly influence the odds of a roll by staking Quintessence. Additionally, this might encourage people to be very conservative about using any magic that spends Quintessence, in order to hoard as much of the resource as possible and decrease the target number of all magic rolls by as much as they can.>I also want to discuss the possibility of changing the rules surrounding Paradox. This is a much simpler binary choice.>Option 1: I inform you of whether magic is coincidental, vulgar without witnesses or vulgar with witnesses once you have chosen it and have to roll. The upside of this is that it encourages critical thinking from voters, as they need to determine whether or not an option might lead to them accumulating Paradox and whether or not that is worth it. The downside of this is that voters might disagree with my logic regarding what counts as vulgar and what counts as a witness, so they may be unpleasantly surprised when an option that they chose leads to the unexpected accumulation of Paradox, which may lead to me having to justify myself whenever I rule a use of magic as being vulgar.>Option 2: I inform you of whether magic is coincidental, vulgar without witnesses or vulgar with witnesses when I present it as an option. The upside of this is that voters are able to make informed decisions without needing to guess whether the magic is vulgar or not, so they know exactly what is at risk when they make a decision. The downside of this is that voters may feel encouraged to avoid options that they know are vulgar, even in situations that might be worth the risk of accumulation of Paradox.>A: Keep the rules for Quintessence the same without any changes.>B: Prevent Quintessence from being spent when you have already succeeded.>C: Everyone gets to vote on how Quintessence should be spent.>D: Quintessence passively reduces the target number of magic rolls.>1: State whether magic is vulgar or not after it has been chosen.>2: State whether magic is vulgar or not when presenting it as an option.>Please choose one option from each of the two groups.
>>6445679>Life ••. You may use this Sphere to heal, harm and significantly alter simple organisms – anything that is not a vertebrate. You may also heal and cosmetically alter yourself.A thing i have always wanted to do is create life that is accepted by the sleepers like some weird monkey some unique beetle or type of mammal or mushroom something like a platypus a oddball something you can say "have someone been smuggling animals" "Huh guess its a new species"Also being able to alter our body and appearance is needed if you want to hide along with the narrative taste with our tungsten hand and earlier Dragon form Awww fuck the update posted while i was waiting on the timer
>>6445845>BD is really interesting too, but I share the sentiment that it might result in hogging the resource and that might cause friction again. >2I'm pretty confident we'll still be taking risks more often than not.
>>6445845>A: Keep the rules for Quintessence the same without any changes.We may have panicked a bit, but I believe anons will learn.>1: State whether magic is vulgar or not after it has been chosen.Thinking about the effect is fun so I'd say leave it but I think it would good to incentivize us to describe how the Effect is performed, cos I think that's where the surprise comes from. Maybe describe shortly how the option is supposed to perform magick (not only the effect) or add a text asking voter to optionally describe their idea for how it should be done.
>>6445844>>6445845>D I think B sounds good at first blush, but could still lead to basically the same problem. We do BO3, so hypothetically the DT is 60. First roller pops a Quint, but gets a 23. Second pops another because we really wanna nail this, but gets a 47, and the last roller thinks 'surely if we reduce the difficulty to 54 we'll succeed on this last roll'. They pop a Quint, but roll a 50. This is statistically more likely to happen than not, albeit narrowly, and while it wouldn't be as frustrating as spending Quint on a roll we have already beaten, it would still be rough, because three anons have executively decided to spend 3 Quint - which is needed to attempt our most powerful magic - to lower a DT by a mere 6 overall, and without it benefiting us. Having a vote AFTER all three rolls, once we know if it's even possible to lower the DT enough to meet our highest insufficient roll would be an idea, but I agree with you that it would slow things down too much, especially during an action sequence. For Paradox... >Option 2At least until anons that are less familiar with Mage get a better feel for these various intersecting factors. It can be quite complicated, Graph being a perfect example, and my experience playing Mage/WoD in other formats leads me to believe it's better for the one running the game to clarify those elements up front, generally.
>>6445857>The specific wording is "decrease the target number of the roll by 2 for every dot of Prime that you possess.">With the current system and Prime •••, each roller who chooses to spend 1 Quintessence lowers the target number by 6 - two for each of the three dots that you possess. If all three rollers choose to spend 1 Quintessence, this lowers the target number by 18.>This seems to have been a source of confusion, but I'm not sure how to word this more clearly than I already have. I have provided an example each time I have given the chance for Quintessence to be spent precisely to further clarify this, but it doesn't seem to have worked.
>>6445863Ok, that makes a lot of sense, I think for me I was getting tripped up because we also had two DOTS in Prime, and my brain wanted to conflate the twos. Will mastery cap at 5 dots in this game, or because it's oWoD, could Henry potentially get 6 or even 10 dots in Prime?
>>6445866>The plan is for a maximum of five dots in each Sphere.
>>6445866I did a deep dive on how long it takes to increase magic in WOD, and I have included the mechanics below.Having access to a mentor, a powerful avatar, or background dots in library can significantly reduce the amount of time it takes to learn a sphere (i.e. reduce the exp cost). For a character not part of a tradition per Mage the Ascension revised edition, it takes 1 month to learn the first dot in a new sphere, 6 months for a second dot, 1 year for a third dot, 5 years for a fourth dot, and 10 years for a fifth dot. This time can be cut in half if the sphere to be increased is your affinity sphere. A mage can not have a sphere rating that exceeds their arete rating. Mage Trait XP CostSpecialty Sphere (Tradition based) 7x Current Level Non-Specialty Sphere 8x Current Level Arete (Requires Seeking) 8x Current Level Brand new Sphere 10Ex. Arete 4 will cost twenty-four xp.
>>6445870That being said, there are backgrounds you can take during character gen to start with a sphere rating at a maximum of three. Having been awakened for less than a week and Prime possibly being our affinity sphere, Prime three is explainable. That being said, there are characters from lore who break these general rules. There was even a character in lore who mastered forces and matter at 19 (5 dots in each). Archspheres are 6 and above and should take decades, if not a century, to unlock. For every 10 masters, there is maybe a single archmage. Most mages dont even have the potential to reach master rank.
My votes.>D: Quintessence passively reduces the target number of magic rolls.>2: State whether magic is vulgar or not when presenting it as an option.Thank you, QM, for being so willing to alter the mechanics and for putting out such consistently enjoyable updates.
The costs of achieving higher spheres and arete in M20 are prohibitive, and this indicates that the process of learning magik requires great effort, sacrifice, and constant study.
>>6445870>>6445874>>6445876>While I appreciate the effort that you have gone to and these are the standard guidelines for progression in Mage: the Ascension, I would just like to clarify that is not how progression will work in this quest. I am not including Arete as a mechanic, nor will I be using experience points. You will get the opportunity to increase Spheres at narratively appropriate points in the quest, such as during moments of triumph and/or introspection, or after a significant investment of off-screen time and effort.>By and large, the rules-as-written of Mage: the Ascension aren't compatible with this format, so I am taking a lot of liberties to try and make an enjoyable quest, hopefully without straying too far from the source material.
>>6445879>so I am taking a lot of liberties to try and make an enjoyable quest, hopefully without straying too far from the source material.It's no small task, and you're doing a good job.
>>6445879I figured. It was not much effort, as I had the information from a previous mage quest. It's, in my oppinion is, just flavor text for those less familiar with mage as a setting. Personally, Im loving this quest, and I just dont want voters to think that obtaining magic is that easy, which your response explaining how learning magic will work has cleared up for me.
>>6445844>A: Keep the rules for Quintessence the same without any changes.I was wanting to change it before, but I think the system is fine. Main problem is anons recklessly spending Quintessence on rolls without thinking, which I hope (big emphasis on the hope) can be addressed. Deliberately targeting a better outcome is fine though, and ideally would have more of a conversation around it, but I appreciate the thought you've put into the systems of the quest, QM. My main worry is spending all of it on 2 early rolls and then being unable to cast better magic for the rest of the scene, but we'll see how it goes. >1: State whether magic is vulgar or not after it has been chosen.
>>6445844>B>1
>Locking the vote there and this time, I will be casting the final vote myself to break the tie, since it's not an in-character decision but one regarding the rules of the quest.>We will be going with:>D: Quintessence passively reduces the target number of magic rolls.>2: State whether magic is vulgar or not when presenting it as an option.>I'm open to changing these rules if there are further issues, but this should eliminate most of the friction and misunderstanding. Henceforth, I will be committed to providing as much information as possible about any roll or risk. My primary concern is that this will lead to a much more cautious and risk-averse play style, but we'll see if that comes pass.
>>6445845>B: Prevent Quintessence from being spent when you have already succeeded.>1: State whether magic is vulgar or not after it has been chosen.
Through your deeds, you have come to better understand yourself. Through this understanding, you have opened a door inside of yourself that was previously locked. Qi flows more freely and vigorously through your meridians than ever before. You close your eyes for a moment, so that you might bask in the euphoria that comes with the realisation of yourself and the strengthening of your bond with the Tao.When you open your eyes, the Ouroboros is gone, as is the shadow that sat before you. There is nothing but the fading of the light that engulfed you as you emerge from the portal, reinvigorated in spite of the ache in your skull and the dead weight of your right hand.The firelit walls of the freezer are gone, as its pervasive chill. Rime that had begun to gather on your clothes begins to thaw as soon as you step past the threshold and into the warmth of Ptolemy's estate. You are still supporting the weight of Graph, for whom scarcely a second has passed. Your vision of the Serpent and shadow occurred in a moment outside of time. As for the other two, they have already arrived. Wheezy Yew staggers towards a load-bearing arch that he can lean against while he recovers his breath. Vox is far more paranoid and has already turned to face the portal, her gun drawn and her finger on the trigger. It's pointed directly at you as you step out of the gateway, but thankfully she has the self-control to not open fire.At the heart of the cellar, the white-clad figure of Ptolemy Lux stands tall. One hand hangs by his side, clutching a revolver far more elegant than the snubnosed things that you were given. His other is outstretched towards the gateway, palm facing out towards it. A moment after your emergence, the moustached mage utters a handful of syllables and closes his hand into a fist. An angry hiss comes from behind you as the crackling energy collapses in on itself. Its light ceases to be and the flames of the many candles throughout the chamber no longer burn blue.Vox's gun trembles as she keeps it pointed at the space where the portal was for a few seconds longer, only for her legs give way beneath her. She falls flat on her ass without any ceremony. It seems as though the rescue mission took a heavy toll on her.You're more concerned about Graph, who still has a bullet lodged in his hip. Though your efforts might have kept him fighting fit and from bleeding out, he still needs medical attention. Thankfully, Ptolemy is keenly aware of this. Almost immediately after he has dealt with the portal, the magister turns towards Med and another apprentice of his who stands alongside her – a shorter and older woman, if only by a handful of years, who has opted to clip all of the hair off of her head.“Na! Take Graph to the infirmary and see that he is tended to. Med, assist her.”
“It was good working with you, sir.” These are the last words that Graph offers, before he allows himself to be led away by the two women. Though you are relieved that you no longer have to support the weight of a wounded man, you regret that your actions led to his injuries, especially considering how much he contributed. The man slew two Technocratic goons without blinking an eye. Clearly, someone doesn't have to be Awakened to contribute to the Awakened cause.“Likewise. Take care of yourself, Graph.”“I suppose I should be grateful that he did not die during your escapade,” drawls Ptolemy, his tone dry. He slides his revolver back inside of the jacket of his suit and makes his way back over to his desk, where he slumps into his chair with less grace than he would like. The magic that he has maintained since your departure – almost half an hour ago – has taken its toll on him. The wizard is clearly exhausted. “I do hope that you don't plan on drawing this much attention every time that you leave our estate. As for Yew – I am not to say I told you so, however...”“Don't you fuckin' start and don't you expect gratitude from me! You sent those fuckers into Atlanta to die, it's just dumb goddamn luck that we all managed to get out alive.” Papa Yew refuses to play nice with Ptolemy, even after everything that he's gone through. “None of this shit was my fault either. The lwa kept us from getting' caught on the way back to my place, but it must've been that fuckin' sword of his...”“You're welcome,” you snap right back at Yew, just as he jabs a finger towards you. “The Union would have tracked you down no matter what. They must have been onto us as soon as we stepped out of the woods, because less than a minute after we arrived at the Waffle House, they were there too. I don't know how they did it, but clearly they're not messing around when it comes to surveillance.”“They do run the goddamn world,” the oungan grumbles, “so I guess it ain't a surprise that they got the means to sniff us out like that. Fine. I saved your ass, you saved mine. Guess that makes us even.”“You're welcome.” Your voice is softer and this time, you genuinely mean it. Your attention shifts back to Ptolemy, who seems to be eyeing your tungsten mitt with concern. “I'll be fine. It'll wear off soon.” You hope. “Do we need to worry about them tracking us here, magister?”“I do believe that my house has been sufficiently warded. They cannot use Ars Conligationis to spy on this land of mine, nor can they use it to enter it from afar. No electronic device functions beyond the confines of this building and though the Union are not known for the conjuration of Umbrood familiars, such entities cannot enter my home without my permission. Thanks to the protection that Vox Populi has provided during her stay, any agents of theirs should also be unwilling to enter my property – provided that her magic is sufficient.”
“It'll work.” Vox joins the conversation at last, pushing herself upright and dusting off her leggings. She seems to have finally snapped out of her trance and pulled that mask of apathy right back over her feelings again. “They were pretty interested in you though, Fúgū. They might put in some extra effort into tracking you down.”“They say that shit to every newbie,” grunts Yew in response. “He Awakened yesterday, they know that he's new to all this shit, so they went for him 'cause they figured he was the weak link. That's all there is to it.”“You are of value, for other reasons. You are the latest of us. Yet this is something that the disciple of Hermes must not learn. Do not give him reason to suspect that this is the case.”For whatever reason, Cleopatra seems ignorant of your conversation with the shadow. She's far more concerned about being discovered by Ptolemy.>Papa Yew is right. Special Agent Aveni and the agents at the Waffle House were interested in you because you have only just Awakened, therefore you are theoretically more susceptible to conversion and indoctrination.>You are special. For some reason, the Technocratic Union is very interested in you specifically. Everything that happened in Atlanta this evening was a trap that was laid for you. Papa Yew just got caught in the crossfire.>There's Technocratic terminology that you don't understand. HOAR 9, DTFT 5, AFET 3 and 5, the Statisticians – perhaps Ptolemy knows what all of these things mean. However, inquiring about these things might make him suspicious.>Lie. While you are quite certain that you're unique, even among the Awakened, it isn't a good idea to let anyone know that. Back up Papa Yew on this one and shut down Vox's suggestion that you might be anything more than just another mage.
>>6446713>Lie. While you are quite certain that you're unique, even among the Awakened, it isn't a good idea to let anyone know that. Back up Papa Yew on this one and shut down Vox's suggestion that you might be anything more than just another mage.He'll learn these terms eventually
>>6446713>Papa Yew is right. Special Agent Aveni and the agents at the Waffle House were interested in you because you have only just Awakened, therefore you are theoretically more susceptible to conversion and indoctrination.Let's not lie outright, we owe them that much. It may really be there we just are new that they are chasing us, but there is no need to put down Vox's suggestion. If they really are more interested in us then the extra protection is warranted, we don't want to endanger whole mansion. But I wonder about that incarnation. Maybe they want us specifically because we are next incarnation of some Technocratic master? Alchemy is kinda sciencey...
>>6446713>Papa Yew is right. Special Agent Aveni and the agents at the Waffle House were interested in you because you have only just Awakened, therefore you are theoretically more susceptible to conversion and indoctrination.This reinforces my theory that the Techs want Henry for his Magnum Opus. Still leaves me wondering about this 'shadow' figure, though...
>>6446713>>There's Technocratic terminology that you don't understand. HOAR 9, DTFT 5, AFET 3 and 5, the Statisticians – perhaps Ptolemy knows what all of these things mean. However, inquiring about these things might make him suspicious.I feel like this or lie should be the option. There is obviously something special about us, but what it is we don't know. Ptolemy I think should at least be clued in that the technocracy is planning something big.
>>6446713>There's Technocratic terminology that you don't understand. HOAR 9, DTFT 5, AFET 3 and 5, the Statisticians – perhaps Ptolemy knows what all of these things mean. However, inquiring about these things might make him suspicious.
>>6446713>Lie. While you are quite certain that you're unique, even among the Awakened, it isn't a good idea to let anyone know that. Back up Papa Yew on this one and shut down Vox's suggestion that you might be anything more than just another mage.
>>6446713>Evade/Downplay the question. Being the newly awakened in the group, we're obviously no good judge as to what that Ivory League guys think or want. It sounds pretty plausible that they just wanted to exploit the weakest link and if they have any other reasons we probably can't know them (yet). Obviously we don't want anyone to know about our former selves (much as we don't want our former selves or anyone to know about the mysterious shadow within us), and we can't risk talking with Ptolemy about the technocratic vocabulary just yet, but outside of that we should be open and cooperative with the others. Treat this as "Lie" in case no write-in is allowed here, but I would prefer this as a middle ground between agreeing with Yew while still accepting the possibilities Vox implies. For the technocratic terms we can probably get some intel by asking Aynorbee and/or learn more somewhere else later on, which is why I don't see the need to risk something by discussing it openly right now.
>>6446713Changing my vote from >>6446721 to >>6446948
>>6446948>>6446713+1 support. Happy to LIE if this is not acceptable. Mages are funny, they are all special, but being too special is a bad thing.
>>6446713>>>There's Technocratic terminology that you don't understand. HOAR 9, DTFT 5, AFET 3 and 5, the Statisticians – perhaps Ptolemy knows what all of these things mean. However, inquiring about these things might make him suspicious.
>>6446948+1
>>6446713>>6446726Changing my vote to >>6446948
>Locking the vote, going with >>6446948's write-in.
“You're right when you say that I'm new to this. I'm not going to pretend to know what Aveni or her Ivory Tower want, but it makes sense that they'd assume that I'm the weakest link.”No need to say more than that. If these Statisticians that Special Agent Aveni mentioned truly are interested in you, you can only guess at why. Maybe it has something to do with the numerous past lives within you who serve as your Avatar, or perhaps the shadowy figure is responsible. You're not interested in disclosing the existence of either of these things to anyone. Cleopatra wishes for her true nature to remain hidden, while even she seems to be unaware of the shadow lurking in your consciousness.“The Ivory Tower? Though my knowledge of the Union is limited, I do believe that they are the academic branch of the New World Order. It is unusual for them to involve themselves in that sort of fieldwork.” Ptolemy's brow furrows.“Do they really call themselves that?”“I think it's meant to be tongue in cheek,” Yew sneers. “Makes a whole lotta sense that they'd call in the experts, after I slipped through their greasy fuckin' fingers. If the goons can't get the job done, call in the eggheads, right?”“Yew, my dear fellow, I ask that you refrain from praising yourself so effusively.” You're grateful that the magister's attention has shifted to the oungan. “I doubt that you would have left Atlanta alive, if it was not for the aid of these two mages and my apprentice, aid which I happened to enable. I've yet to hear sufficient gratitude from you, let alone how you plan to repay this favour.”“I told you not to expect any fuckin' thanks from me. If you wanted any, you should've shot up the Waffle House and tore through a goddamn Kroger yourself. Vox, Fugu, that fuckin' cultist of yours? I can give 'em some thanks and I already have.” Not really, but you're willing to let it slide. “If you want me to pay for bed and breakfast, fuckin' fine. We can figure somethin' out, but I ain't gonna stick around for any longer than I have to. I'm gonna need a few things first, to keep the spirits off my back. Without 'em, you might as well have left me to die.”“What do you require?” You're familiar enough with Ptolemy that you can tell that his patience is running thin.“Two handles of Cruzan, three packs of Factory Smokes and a rooster. Gotta be a Jersey Giant, gotta be alive.” The magister pinches his brow and lets out a sigh of frustration as soon as he hears this request.“Where in God's name am I supposed to get such a chicken from, Yew?”“You figure it out. We're in the fuckin' country, there's gotta be some farms about. If you want me to make myself useful, then you don't want the lwa riding me until Fèt Gede. If you don't want that, then you better get me that goddamn rooster by Monday. The booze and smokes, I need 'em before dawn.”
“How about we get you something to eat?” Just when you are about to intervene, Vox jumps in with that question. You're grateful that she's doing something to defuse the tension – for the last minute, she hasn't done much other than stare at you.“I do believe that would be wise,” says the magister, through gritted teeth. “I will see that you have what you need, Yew. We will continue this conversation some other time.”“Just get me my shit.” The oungan shoves himself off the arch with a groan, though Vox is soon by his side, to help him towards the stairs. Over an hour spent in the trunk of a car has left him overheated, the excitement of the chase has left him exhausted, and the bulk of his body is an impediment at the best of the times. Honestly, you wouldn't have been shocked if Papa Yew had a heart attack before you were able to get out of Atlanta.Vox gives you one last wary look, its meaning inscrutable, before she disappears upstairs with the Chakravanti. Back in the freezer, you were able to glimpse her mind as she spoke through you to Special Agent Aveni. Maybe she knows what you saw, or maybe she was able to peek into your head at the same time. You're not sure which would be worse.The magister sinks back into his chair with a long, ragged sigh that rattles past his teeth. It is the sound of fatigue, of someone who has simply had enough. The illusion of a Southern gentleman has dissipated and all that is left in its absence is a tired old man. He lifts a hand, to gesture to the chair on the other side of the table.You seat yourself opposite of Ptolemy. For the first time since your adventure began, you are well and truly able to rest.“I suppose that you do not need me to explain the consequences of vulgar magic.” His gaze falls to your tungsten hand once more.“I could've done with that and a whole lot more, before I left to help Yew. I'm grateful for the help, magister. This wouldn't have been possible without you, but you could've given us more to work with, you could've let us known that the Union would be there, waiting for us.”“There are some lessons that you have to learn for yourself, Fúgū. The truth of the matter is that I was prepared to lend my aid, if you proved incapable. On two separate occasions, I began the rite required to create a gateway that would allow me to join you, when I feared that your life might be in danger. Each time, I brought an end to the ritual when I saw that you had the situation under control.”“So this was a test?” You feel a little used, knowing that Ptolemy held himself back in order to assess your performance. Perhaps if he offered more aid, Graph might not have gotten shot. Was he truly willing to risk the life of his most senior apprentice, just for the sake of evaluating you?
“This was your mission. None of this would have happened if you did not will it. The truth of the matter is that if I was there from the very start, the Union would have unleashed its full might on us. I have no doubt that they were holding back, in the hope of acquiring less experienced mages who they could bend to their will. In any case, I sincerely doubt that the Technocracy was waiting for you, Fúgū. If there is any lesson that you should take away from this, it is that the resources of the enemy are almost infinite. There are few things in this world that they do not have access to, that they do not control. Only through magic, are we able to avoid their gaze. To try and wield the trappings of civilisation against them is to try and wrest the sword from their hands by grasping its blade – it is folly.”“How do you know that they don't have drones flying over this place right now then, or a satellite keeping an eye on you twenty-four seven? You're certain that your wards are able to protect this place against all of that?”“I am certain. I am just as certain that you belong in the Order of Hermes. Though your magic is unorthodox and your methods are brazen, through decisive action, you achieved your objective and returned without any loss of life.” The magister hesitates, before he continues. You can almost visibly see him swallowing his pride. “Earlier today, we spoke of your initiation. I made certain demands of you – I asked you to surrender yourself to my authority and abandon your paradigm. I regret that decision. If you believe that you can balance your fondness for the Tao with the teachings of Hermes, then I will trust you. I will not ask that you serve, only that you learn and that you abide by the Code of Hermes and the Protocols of the Grand Convocation.”“I still don't know what those are,” is all you manage to get out before Ptolemy continues.“That is why you will learn of them now. While the Laws of Pymander are unique to our Order, each of the Traditions demands adherence to the Protocols. Should you refuse them, you will not be able to find a place in the Council of Nine.” The magister pauses for but a moment, before he begins his recital of these universal rules.
“Respect those of greater knowledge.”You'd like to think that you've abided by this so far. You've only defied the wishes of Ptolemy when they've impeded your freedom.“A tutor's debt must be paid.”Though the magister insists that he will not seek to rule over you, you will still owe him. Not that it matters – you've already proven that you pay your debts.“A mage's word is his honour; do not break a sworn vow.”Likewise, you've proven your honour today.“The will of an Oracle must always be obeyed.”This is one that you're less familiar with. Ptolemy uses this as an opportunity to explain – an Oracle is a mage who came closer to Ascension, only to refuse to become one with the world. Instead, they remain with the benighted, so that they might guide them down the path to enlightenment. The magister makes it seem like this Protocol is defunct, as he does not know of any Oracle, nor if any have ever existed.“Betray not your Cabal or Chantry.”A cabal is little more than a group of mages, whereas a Chantry is a larger, looser network of mages. Ideally a Chantry is also the structure that houses that network and serves as its base of operations, but the magister's home is the closest thing that the mages of Georgia have to that.“Conspire not with the enemies of Ascension.”A second Protocol that refers to this escape from mortal existence. It must have been of immense value at the time when these rules were written. You suppose that the enemies that it speaks of are the Union, who would undo all of the magic in the world if they had their way.“Protect the Sleepers, for they are ignorant of what they do.”Is it not your purpose to inform them? Would you not protect them from the influence of the Technocracy by guiding them down the path to liberation and autonomy?“Be subtle in your arts, lest Sleepers know you for what you are.”You are more concerned with the Union discovering the truth rather than the Masses, but the weight of your tungsten hand reminds you of what happens when you act without subtlety.These are the Protocols of the Grand Convocation, decided upon when the Council of Nine Mystic Traditions was formed over half a millennium ago. Two of those Traditions have left since then and two new factions have taken their place on the Council, but the rules remain the same.The Code of Hermes follows. It contains the Laws of Pymander – but what is Pymander? It is the shining city of idealism, it is the utopia that every Hermetic mage should long to build. It is the glorious future for humanity that might be brought about, if only mankind was liberated from control and the need to be controlled. Through these rules, the Order hopes to make this dream a reality, though they are somewhat wordier than the Protocols.
“I swear everlasting loyalty to the Order and its members. The Order's enemies and friends are my enemies and friends, and I shall not spurn a friend nor succour an enemy.”As long as the Order of Hermes is in alignment with the other Traditions and stands against the Technocracy, you hardly see an issue with this.“I shall not through action or inaction endanger the Order, nor consort with devils or undead, nor anger the fae.”The bottled imp – left behind by Papa Yew and still thrashing about in its glass prison – is evidence that there might be a little fine print that can be worked around.“I shall not deprive any Order mage of magical power nor through action or inaction attempt to bring harm to an Order mage, except in justly declared and open certámen.”Certámen – a mystical method of duelling, through which one mage might prove the superiority of his magic. Should you wish to lawfully fight Ptolemy in the distant future, you may need to learn this curious martial art.“I shall not spy by any means or manners upon another Order mage's private works, nor read an Order mage's mind, nor invade or observe another Order mage's Sanctum, save to guard against a clear, direct, forceful and imminent threat to the safety of the Order.”How kind of the author to include a loophole at the very end, to justify espionage. Fortunately, your magic does not lend itself to espionage.“If called before a Tribunal, I shall abide by its verdicts. If called to sit on a Tribunal, I shall vote wisely, respect the vote of others, and support the Tribunal's verdicts.”Reasonable.“Upon reaching the Fifth Degree or higher, I shall train apprentices and instruct them in this Code. I bear the entire responsibility for my apprentices and shall duly admonish, restrain, discipline, or arrest an apprentice who endangers the Order, and shall yield same apprentice to the Order's lawfully appointed agent or Tribunal.”This is a Law that binds Ptolemy, rather than you. Should you act against the interests of the Order, then he will be compelled to deal with you, one way or another.“I solemnly swear to uphold this sacred Code of Hermes, and venture any risk or sacrifice to protect it. Should I breach it, may all mages of the Order rise as one united and hunt me down and destroy me for evermore.”An extreme punishment – somehow you doubt that the Order destroyed every mage who dared to break these Laws.“I solemnly swear to vigorously and actively pursue the Enemies of Ascension and to unmake their works in this world and all others.”Once again, Ascension is referenced, in a rule that is little more than a wordier version of the sixth Protocol.“Admire their reverence of the impossible. They see the beauty in futility.”“It was never impossible. Pymander is the faded recollection of a time when man could touch the heavens, before we were divided. We will be One again.”
“These are the Laws and Protocols by which I abide – by which you will be expected to abide. These are the rules which cannot be negotiated, Fúgū. Accept them, or deny them. This is not the time for formal ceremony, but there must be clarity between us. I must know for certain if you wish to serve as an initiate of the Order, or if you are merely another guest of mine.”>You will join the Order of Hermes.>You will seek out another Tradition.>You will carve your own path.
>>6447189>>You will join the Order of Hermes.We have gotten the various privileges we asked for by risking ourselves. I would not cast it away now
>>6447189>You will join the Order of Hermes.I was somewhat against joining the Order, but being an unorthodox Hermetic with a fascination with far-eastern theology and mysticism could be interesting. Originally, I was even thinking about joining the Ecstatics after hearing one of them practices yoga. But I enjoy the heterodoxy of our beliefs, plus, I think Hernetic politcking and hiding the true nature of our avatar could be fun.
>>6447189>You will join the Order of Hermes.Pymander is Taoist Oneness is a Post-Scarcity Free Energy Society is the Goal. Since we have earned some respect and equity from Ptolemy, and it seems possible to square our ideals with their ideology... I am down to commit. We would be making a real enemy by spurning him at this point, we already basically joined and that's why he let Graph take a bullet for us, literally. I'm not crazy about the Hermetics, but their preoccupation with warring on the Technocrats is not mutually exclusive with our desire to uplift humanity and/or become an alchemical demigod messiah.....
>>6447189>You will join the Order of Hermes.they seem cool
>>6447189>You will join the Order of Hermes.Joining the Order seems like a good idea to get resources to raise further and how we might have some connection to the Order with our previous lives or learn more about our past lives.
>>6447189>You will join the Order of Hermes.Reasonable, and with a lot of advantages.
>>6447189>You will join the Order of HermesI wanted to vote against, because we still don't know that much about other Traditions, our practices and paradigms (and Spheres) don't match The Order that much - there will be friction, but Henry already chose by staying here so it may be fitting after all. Let's make the City of Pymander a reality!
>>6447296Besides, those funky mind reactive languages and alphabets really are interesting.
>>6447189>You will join the Order of Hermes.Ptolemy swallowed his pride, we basically already joined, Cleopatra is in support, the shadow seems to be supportive too, the rules sound alright and we've got a lot to learn anyway.
>>6447189>>You will join the Order of Hermes.There are far worse traditions to join.
