Legacy of the Stone Assembly, Chapter I: The Cabal, The Quill, and the Concord

[Shayuri]

Thorn glances around at the others, wondering if they saw in this what she saw.

The last person to try this...a 'third level master'...wound up ditching the job. Now they wanted a gang of fresh newbies to try. They were willing to offer a really sweet deal for it.

Call her cynical, but Thorn had this idea that they weren't really expected to find the artifacts, nor use the sanctum and Hallow for very long. It was more like...they were expected not to have the sense to quit that the experienced mage had. They'd keep digging, trigger some kind of response, and the Nemean and his gang would learn what to expect. Then they'd round up another bunch of kids, give them the same offer, and tell them how to avoid that first problem. Then they'd see how far those new kids got.

Like sending monkeys into a minefield.

Then, when the last set of monkeys got across safely, they'd come in, grab all the goods, say thank you... Well, they might let that last bunch keep the sanctum and hallow. What were those things compared to limitless wealth of magic power from an earlier age?

So, the way Thorn saw it, they really only had one way to 'win' this. They had to make sure that THEY were the monkeys that got to the end. Or they could cut their losses and bow out of the game.

Or...if they were really good...maybe they could secure a piece of that pie at the end for themselves. Hm?

Thorn nodded to herself, then repeated that gesture at the Nemean.

"Count me in."

 

[Hella_Tellah]

* * * * *
​

They followed Arathnos' kitted-out Honda Civic to a two-story house in a tree-lined neighborhood in Cambridge. It was painted with a slightly chipped coat of white paint, with a sloped, wooden-shingled roof, accessible from a second-story bedroom window. The front lawn was patched with a few clumps of snow from the recent cold-snap, and a pair of tall oak trees dangled over the stone walkway up to the front door. A tire swing dangled from a low-hanging branch, twisting in the stiff, biting November breeze.

As they stepped out of their cars into the darkness of the unlit street, Arathnos lit a Menthol cigarette and asked, "Well, what do you think?"

 

[Shayuri]

Thorn went over to the tire swing, kicking at a patch of snow absently as she passed it. She pushed the swing, then caught it when it came back.

"It's rustic," she decided. "I'm pretty sure I saw this place on a postcard somewhere."

The young mage looked around, trying to assess how close the nearest neighbors were.

"Looks big enough for all of us," she adds approvingly. "How's it work moneywise? We pay rent? Utilities? Can we renovate?"

 

[magic_gathering2001]

"I find myself more concerned with its mystical implications. Does this place also contain resident spirits with which we will cohabitate? Also, where, and of what strength is the hallow? And about security, does the house have any standing protections against mystical interference, or must provide them ourselves?"

 

[Hella_Tellah]

"Spirits? I seriously doubt it," Arathnos said with a wry smirk. "Miss Jane got pretty paranoid about that kind of thing. You may have heard about the rote she designed--strengthens the Gauntlet everywhere she goes. We took down all the other wards she had up, but I bet you'd still have a hell of a time trying to summon anything around this place. The hallow's down in the basement. I can't speak to the resonance coming off of it, but I'd put a little time into altering its wavelength.

"Don't worry about making rent or anything like that. This place is owned under one of the Consilium's phony business licenses, so there'd be no one to give the money to. On paper it's rented out to somebody, I'm sure, but you won't have to worry about electricity, gas or water. No trash service, though. There's a dumpster in the back, but nobody's going to come collect it. We try not to have any regular visits from Sleepers to Consilium properties.

"That's all Sleeper law, though. As far as the Lex is concerned, this place is yours. Under the Right of Sanctuary, the Consilium backs anything you want to do in the event of theft or damage."

 

[Shayuri]

Thorn glanced over at the dumpster and frowned slightly.

I give it a week before they start wanting to dump it in the Shadow instead of taking it to the dump.

"Well, sounds cool. Thanks." She looked back at Arachnos.

"Hey, I'm curious. What's this Benefit thing Miss Jane's supposed to be at? Figured we might want to look her up before we stick our necks too far out."

 

[Hella_Tellah]

"Hey, I'm curious. What's this Benefit thing Miss Jane's supposed to be at? Figured we might want to look her up before we stick our necks too far out."

"Heh, yeah, Benefit." Arathnos gestured to Levanna. "Hippie chick over there might get a kick out of it. It's a commune out near Waltham run by an Awakened couple; they've got a farm, schoolhouse, creepy bonfires with drum circles, and all that crap. I've got no idea why Miss Jane's holed up there. I don't think anybody does, to be honest.

"Anyway, here's the key to the place. Enjoy, I guess."

As Arathnos was walking back to his car, his phone started buzzing with a "Ridin' Dirty" ringtone. He turned away from the group and talked in hushed tones, then turned back to the group, covering the mouth piece.

"Jeremiah, Gabriel? You'd better come back to Cormant House." He looked genuinely frightened.

 

[Hella_Tellah]

"I don't suppose saying 'no' is an option," Jeremiah grumbled. "What the hell is this about?"

Arathnos handed his phone off to Jeremiah. As Jeremiah listened to Arathnos' ridiculous, diamond-studded iPhone, his expression gradually changed from annoyance to somber acceptance.

"I understand. Yes, I agree. The Concord does take precedence. Why us? *@#&$! Alright. I'll tell him." Jeremiah hung up the phone and handed it back to Arathnos.

"Gabriel, we'd better get going. I'll explain on the way."

 

[magic_gathering2001]

Unwilling to directly query the leaving mages, Prometheus will put the conversation to memory for later investigation. After all, anything that managed to upset the wonderful tour guide would likely have enough importance to affect the rest of them at a later date.

Jeremiah and Gabriel were called back alone. Either they have some connection to the concord that the rest of us lack, or they simply have more mystical power. In either case, looking into it can wait for now.

After the others leave, Prometheus will turn to Thorn,

"Well, I guess that leaves it to us to explore this place. Shall we begin?"

Barely managing to mask the worry from his face, Prometheus almost cannot keep it from his speech. Only by shortening his words, does he manage.

 

[Shayuri]

Thorn watches the proceedings with an eyebrow raised. She glances at Prometheus, then calls, "Hey...guys, catch you back here later, right?"

When Prometheus makes his suggestion she nods, then waves Levanna over and unlocks the door.

"Yeah, lets check it out."