Nazareth Awakened - Chapter 02: Wives of Solomon

"I expect he didn't feel he had a lot of choice," Chance remarks, turning away from the photo to regard Magellan curiously. "We all awakened right around the same time, all up in his neighborhood. He had to deal with us one way or another. Figure, he could either watch as we bumbled around, maybe messing things up for him...or take us in hand and teach us juuuuuuuuust enough not to blow ourselves up, or bring down 'paradox' and muddy his waters."

She shrugs.

"Lesser of the two evils, really. But as you may have heard, things just keep gettin' more and more out of hand."

Shayuri said:

But even through the mirth, she also inspected the three women minutely...seeing if any of them had resemblances to the mysterious mage named Earnhart.

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I forgot to mention in my last post: None of the women in the photograph (or in any of the other photographs in the room) are Earnshaw as far as Chance can tell.

Chance, Harper, and Law

Magellan lifts both bushy eyebrows at Chance's mention of her and her companions all awakening around the same time, but he chooses not to address it. "That sounds like Penrose. He's never been very active in awakened society - he probably thinks he's doing you a favor." Magellan seems keen on seeing the best in Penrose. "I don't think he went to more than two or three Consilium meetings in all the time we were working together." He points at the photograph Chance had been examining. "That's me and him, right there. The Panoptic Eye," he says with faux grandiosity, before laughing. "It was as pretentious as it sounds." Magellan is very unlike Penrose. Where Penrose is private, quiet, and calm, Magellan is warm and energetic. He's like a veteran eagerly sharing stories about his old war buddies.

"The two of us were the original members. That's Rob," he's referring to the man with the slicked hair in slacks and a button-down, "Robbing Peter is his shadow name, but we called him Rob. Those are the Tango sisters," he's clearly talking about the twins, "before they started with that two bodies - one soul gimmick they have going on these days. And the last one," the redhead, "is Hospitaller. She was the rookie - well, we were all rookies, however highly we thought of ourselves. She was a sweet kid, maybe a bit idealistic but that's typical for an obrimos I guess. Rob and the Tangos couldn't stand her, but Penrose insisted she be let in."

Magellan is clearly happy talking about the old days and he has a contagious smile. He doesn't seem to realize how much he's rambling, monologuing about his younger years to an audience he's only just met. "We were old enough to know what we were doing, young enough to still want to get things done. We were doing good work. But, ah, well," he waves a hand as if to show he's all right, "after the incident," Penrose has never mentioned an incident with his former cabal - indeed, none of his students knew what a cabal was until a few days ago, "we all went our separate ways. Penrose found Nazareth, I signed on with the Guardians, Rob went into politics - he's hierarch now of course." Again, nobody knows what a mage hierarch is, and perhaps Penrose's students wonder if he's done them a disservice not teaching them more about awakened society. "He's running the New Panoptic Eye," Magellan rolls his eyes a bit, clearly thinking Rob hasn't gotten over the pretension of their youth, though he's still smiling. "The Tangos are still with him."

His eyes have been plotting a course from one side of the photograph to the other, describing each mage in turn. At the end of the photo is the redhead. "And poor Hospitaller. We never would've thought it'd be her." He sighs. These memories are bittersweet for him. "When you're my age you'll know it's always the innocent ones who suffer the most."

Agnasci

"Rise and shine!"

Agnasci wakes with a start when a bucketful of water is dropped onto him. He's still sore from the beating he took (Agnasci has taken 3 points of bashing damage - enough that it's painful without providing wound penalties to rolls). He tries wriggling upright into a seated position but it's difficult with his body bound in chains. It's late in the evening and the only light is from a bulb on the ceiling.

BR is standing nearby with a bucket in his hand, but Agnasci's vision is primarily dominated by the painting of himself. It's been dragged closer, so that it stares down at the prisoner, but for Agnasci it's no longer a mirror. It's a painting of Agnasci at the exact moment that he'd first seen it, before the beating and before the chains.

There's the sound of someone coming down the stairs and a moment later Mad Dog is with them. He makes a gesture and BR hesitates, glancing between Agnasci and Mad Dog, before finally leaving. Mad Dog drags a folding chair into view from behind the easel and takes a seat beside Agnasci. He looks down at the mage in silence for a few seconds, then reaches into a pocket to retrieve a small whittled statuette. He sets it down on the cement floor near Agnasci's face. It's a carving of Chance, about the size of a large chess piece.

"Who is she?"

Law steps forward, once again introducing himself, unsure if Magellan had heard him the first time,

"I'm Law, I'm not sure if you were fully told why we are here, so I'll give you a run down of whats happening in Nazareth. Penrose obviously shows concern that four people in a close proximity of each other all awakened at the same time. There's something going on in Nazareth, whether it's only there is yet to be seen. The four of us Agnasci, Chance, Harper, and myself" Gesturing to each mage as he speaks their names, "Have been doing odd jobs, sort of reconnaissance, into different events. First off there was a hitch in a Lay Line which I guess is fixed now. There's also been Hallows opening up in town, one in a dilapidated church and another in a vacant home. Then there's Earnshaw. She knows about us.." referring to the group. "So now she's in and out of town for some unknown reason. Penrose wants us to come here and ask you about setting up wards? Yet another topic he has failed or chosen not to explain"

Law stops for a second, racking his brain trying to remember all of the specifics, but instead decides to bring up concerns of his own.

"Penrose has not told us much about the Awakened Society, so you can say we are at a disadvantage when it comes to how things work. If I had to guess I'd say Penrose is a sort of hermit hiding himself away from society. He being our teacher we are doomed to suffer the same fate, and I don't want that. I'd prefer to know everything so that I can make my own decisions on what to do, I don't like them being made for me. He has mentioned the Mysterium, Guardians, and all sorts of things that we know nothing or very little about. Penrose sent us here to get your input on what's going on in Nazareth, but I'm here to also learn about Awakened. I'm tired of getting half the story, half truths, half explanations"

Law looks to the others, unsure of how they would feel about going over Penrose's head about learning things that Penrose himself might try and be hiding.

Harper, Thyrsus mage

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TillForPie said:

There's the sound of someone coming down the stairs and a moment later Mad Dog is with them. He makes a gesture and BR hesitates, glancing between Agnasci and Mad Dog, before finally leaving. Mad Dog drags a folding chair into view from behind the easel and takes a seat beside Agnasci. He looks down at the mage in silence for a few seconds, then reaches into a pocket to retrieve a small whittled statuette. He sets it down on the cement floor near Agnasci's face. It's a carving of Chance, about the size of a large chess piece.

"Who is she?"

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Agnasci knows when he's lost. This thug knows what he's doing. If Agnasci talks, if he doesn't talk - it's all the same.

Out of no particular loyalty to Chance, but rather out of the most spiteful, antagonistic corner of his psyche, he replies.

"Queen. Moves on the diagonals and lines." He casts third eye, hoping to discover whether Mad Dog or the painting have any magical qualities before Mad Dog surely takes his vengeance.

(If Agnasci is forced to roll for resisting torture, please give me a heads up with the dice pools involved. He may use willpower or...other means....to resist)

Chance, Harper, and Law

Magellan blinks at Law and Harper and their change in topic from the good old days to the problems of the present. They get the sense he'd talk about the past all day if they let him.

Rubberneck said:

"I'm Law, I'm not sure if you were fully told why we are here, so I'll give you a run down of whats happening in Nazareth. Penrose obviously shows concern that four people in a close proximity of each other all awakened at the same time. There's something going on in Nazareth, whether it's only there is yet to be seen. The four of us Agnasci, Chance, Harper, and myself" Gesturing to each mage as he speaks their names, "Have been doing odd jobs, sort of reconnaissance, into different events. First off there was a hitch in a Lay Line which I guess is fixed now. There's also been Hallows opening up in town, one in a dilapidated church and another in a vacant home. Then there's Earnshaw. She knows about us.." referring to the group. "So now she's in and out of town for some unknown reason. Penrose wants us to come here and ask you about setting up wards? Yet another topic he has failed or chosen not to explain"

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GlassEye said:

"And that gang that did the occult stuff that blocked up the ley line in the first place. And those strange kachina," says Harper in a low voice.

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"All right, all right," Magellan lifts both his hands. "One thing at a time. Yes, I know why you're here. Penrose wants wards in Nazareth to keep unknown mages out. That'll be expensive." And now the three know why Penrose sent them rather than come himself: They'll be the ones paying the cost of Magellan's services. It seems nobody eats for free even among old friends.

Rubberneck said:

"Penrose has not told us much about the Awakened Society, so you can say we are at a disadvantage when it comes to how things work. If I had to guess I'd say Penrose is a sort of hermit hiding himself away from society. He being our teacher we are doomed to suffer the same fate, and I don't want that. I'd prefer to know everything so that I can make my own decisions on what to do, I don't like them being made for me. He has mentioned the Mysterium, Guardians, and all sorts of things that we know nothing or very little about. Penrose sent us here to get your input on what's going on in Nazareth, but I'm here to also learn about Awakened. I'm tired of getting half the story, half truths, half explanations"

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"I can sympathize." There's a tense pause, the kind of pause that can only precede a but. "But I'm not going to mentor another mage's students behind his back. I want that to be clear. Still," he relents, "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to answer some questions. But I'm not touching anything too controversial - I'll leave that for Penrose."

Agnasci

"Cute." Mad Dog doesn't deliver the blow that Agnasci perhaps expected.

Agnasci remained defiant even at the risk of further punishment and so fulfilled his virtue. He recovers a point of spent Willpower, putting him back at a full reserve.

"Guys in Vegas told me you were real good at dealing with people," he says, resting his elbows on his knees. "There's no dealing with me."

Agnasci focuses and casts Third Eye. There's no sign of any magic in the room, but there is something else. Agnasci remembers the night out in the desert in the rain. In the trailer he'd detected what seemed like psychic residue, something leftover from the use of some sort of mental power. It hangs thick in this room, concentrated in especially thick clouds around Mad Dog, the painting, and the statuette. Mad Dog doesn't seem to have sensed Agnasci's use of magic.

Mad Dog leans back into the chair and pushes a hand back into his pocket, this time retrieving a phone. Agnasci's phone. "She in here?" He leans forward and raps the phone a few times on Agnasci's forehead. "What's the phone's password?" He keeps rapping the phone against Agnasci's head, harder now, following the mage as he squirms away. "I can call the boys back in here."

Law nods in understanding,

"I guess I can respect that, what can you tell us about awakened society? Also what are wards? How do they keep mages out?"

TillForPie said:

"Guys in Vegas told me you were real good at dealing with people," he says, resting his elbows on his knees. "There's no dealing with me."

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"Somebody's sure as hell dealing with you, Picasso," Agnasci says, nodding toward the painting.

Agnasci focuses and casts Third Eye. There's no sign of any magic in the room, but there is something else. Agnasci remembers the night out in the desert in the rain. In the trailer he'd detected what seemed like psychic residue, something leftover from the use of some sort of mental power. It hangs thick in this room, concentrated in especially thick clouds around Mad Dog, the painting, and the statuette. Mad Dog doesn't seem to have sensed Agnasci's use of magic.

Mad Dog leans back into the chair and pushes a hand back into his pocket, this time retrieving a phone. Agnasci's phone. "She in here?" He leans forward and raps the phone a few times on Agnasci's forehead. He keeps rapping the phone against Agnasci's head, harder now, following the mage as he squirms away. "I can call the boys back in here."

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Agnasci knows Mad Dog can't guess the password to his phone. He also knows it's only a matter of time before Mad Dog beats it out of him. For a brief, defiant moment, Agnasci considers putting Mad Dog through the trouble of having to interrogate and torture him, but then better sense wins out.

"Listen man, I don't know her personally," Agnasci says, feigning surrender. "Don't even know her real name. What's it to you, anyway?"

Rubberneck said:

Law nods in understanding,

"I guess I can respect that, what can you tell us about awakened society? Also what are wards? How do they keep mages out?"

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"What can I tell you about awakened society? That's a big question." Magellan readjusts himself in his chair. "Well, at the core of awakened society are the Consilia and the Orders."

"Most cities host their own Consilium, which is a sort of mage government. In theory they exist to arbitrate disputes between willworkers," Penrose has very occasionally used willworker to refer to a mage and his students get the feeling that it's probably something of an antiquated term, "but a good number of Consilia are involved in more than that. Everything from Prescott to San Tan Valley falls under the jurisdiction of the Phoenix Consilium." The region described includes the vast majority of the population of Arizona. "The hierarch - currently Robbing Peter - is the head of the council. The four councilors are elected within the four Orders: The Mysterium, the Guardians of the Veil, the Adamantine Arrow, and the Silver Ladder."

"A ward is, strictly speaking, a spell that anchors a location, prevents spacial modification. But with a bit of work you can ban certain things. You could prevent light from entering an area, or insects, or air, or people named Dennis." Magellan rolls a hand as he lists examples.

Mosier said:

"Listen man, I don't know her personally," Agnasci says, feigning surrender. "Don't even know her real name. What's it to you, anyway?"

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Mad Dog considers. And then the phone starts ringing.

Agnasci's captor leans back in the chair and checks the phone's screen. He watches the phone without answering it until it finally stops ringing.

Mad Dog shrugs. "If it's important they'll call back." He puts the phone back in his pocket and leans forward to take the figurine. "You don't know her real name. What name do you know?"