Mage: The Awakening PbP - Preludes

[Tokiwong]

Daniel rolls 2 successes on his Primal Flow improvised spell. He grants Thessaly Supernal Vision so she can see what he sees. Thessaly casts her own rote, Spatial Awareness and gets 3 successes.

Daniel channels Prime fingers through his fingers into Thessaly granting her sight of the supernal that saturates the fallen world in waves. She activates her own rote, and can see the spatial depth of the area, thankfully she does not see any spatial tethers at least not with a cursory glance.

But the floorboard that Denial points out seems like a spatially dead zone, as if space is warping away from it. It is an odd effect that Thessaly is not familiar with in the least. Combined with the cold darkness around it, gives the floorboard and perhaps what lies underneath an ominous aura.

Daniel makes a Wits + Composure roll and gets 3 successes.

Daniel sees that the tools are neatly put away where they should be, and he should be able to get the floorboard up with what is in the modest tool box for repairs around the shop and living space. But even more so he notices a letter with a wax seal on it, but the seal has an Atlantean rune pressed into the wax.

It seems out of place just sitting on the desk like that in place sight. He can easily pick out Winnie’s resonance on the sealed letter; it is not hidden in the slightest. His mage vision sees the weight of magical energy on the letter, potent wards.

 

[Lichtenhart]

"Tess? Don't do anything yet."
He walks to her and gives her the letter.
"I think this is for you too. It's by Winnie too. Just don't ask me how. There are wards on it, that's why I think it's for you to open. This is your home after all. I'm just a guest."

 

[Shayuri]

Thessaly swallows nervously. "This is so weird," she murmurs, turning the envelope over to look at the seal. "I was just cleaning up in here the other day. This wasn't there."

She looks up at Daniel, wide eyed. "Do you think it's really her? Her ghost?"

As she asks this, Thessaly warily starts prying the seal apart to open the letter.

 

[Tokiwong]

As she asks this, Thessaly warily starts prying the seal apart to open the letter.

The letter opens easily in her grip and the ward that shielded it melts away like a fog. The actual letter itself is neatly folded into three sections and unfolds in her hands. The script is delicately written, the ink even smells fresh.

August 4th, 2006

Dearest Allison,

I have lived a good life. I have seen and done many wonderful things, the most wonderful being raising my children and watching over you, my dearest granddaughter. I am sorry that will leave you when you will need me most, this fallen world is unfair; but do not despair. You have Daniel to help you, and I know that you will awaken and realize the limitless potential of your gifts.

But with my passing I also leave you a terrible burden. In my youth I saw much of the world, I learned many things from my cabal, about myself, the fallen world, and the Mysteries. I was not always the frumpy grandmother, I was in my time a Second Degree Master of Space and Time. I studied the lore of Atlantis, and even perhaps learned a few things that a frumpy grandmother should not know, so to speak.

But my time with my cabal ended when I came into possession of the artifact that I am sure now has much of your attention. I can honestly say that even through my studies I have yet to glean much of their purpose or history. This artifact came into my life at great cost, two of my dearest friends gave their lives in the effort to glean its secrets. I have been a solitaire ever since, and have vowed to keep it hidden and perhaps learn its true purpose, but it seems that I shall pass on without fulfilling my work.

I leave the Eyes of Salt to you; this burden may perhaps be too much for you, but I cannot trust anyone else. I love you Allison, and perhaps in the Supernal Realms our souls shall meet again. I write this knowing that I have lived a good life, and I am so proud of the woman you have become. Trust your friends and trust yourself, and remember that this fallen world is only a prison for the beautiful soul that burns inside of you.

With all my love,

Grammy.

A second sheet of paper rests inside as well. With the following words written:

By Her grace She leaves this Ring
So we might find the Truth we seek.
She leaves this Robe of mystic night
So we might dwell beyond Their Sight.
This Scepter drawn She leaves for all
To brush aside Their distant calls.
She leaves to us this Crown of souls
To twist Their thralls toward our own goals
By Her grace She leaves this last
A Throne whose seat will let us pass

 

[Tokiwong]

Thessaly and Daniel both have the maximum amount of mana at the moment in time.

 

[Shayuri]

Thessaly has to take off her glasses and wipe her eyes midway through the letter. By the end she's only a hair's breath away from actually crying; holding it in by sheer will alone.

"Oh grannie..."

With a deep, steadying breath, she looks at Daniel and says thickly, "She was protecting something...some kind of artifact. And there's this poem too..." She gives Daniel the second piece of paper.

"I'm not sure how it all fits together. But that must be what's under the floor there. Do you think it's safe to move? It looks pretty well protected there."

 

[Lichtenhart]

Daniel understands what Thessaly is going though.

"I'll give you some moments alone. You don't have to decide anything now. Whatever is under there has waited for a long time and I think can wait a little more. I'll look into this."

He returns to the shop, closing the door behind him. If Cymbeline is still there, he apologizes.

"I'm sorry. It's an old house, with all sorts of wrinkles. We have a little problem with the floorboards on the back. Tess is sorting it out, we'll probably have some work to do. In the meanwhile can I help you?"
Daniel looks at her and concentrates for a moment on her aura.
"I hope you're not still upset because of what you saw. This... is a strange place. Have it ever happened to you before?"

If Bell is gone, he reads the poem several times, trying to memorize it, trying to figure it out. Then he tries to do some research about it.

I have 2 Intelligence, 2 Academics, 3 Occult and a 1 dot library. Mix and match as you like.

 

[Tokiwong]

"I'm sorry. It's an old house, with all sorts of wrinkles. We have a little problem with the floorboards on the back. Tess is sorting it out, we'll probably have some work to do. In the meanwhile can I help you?"

Bell is about to say something and then pauses, “No, I think I will come back a little later, I have class in about thirty minutes; Tell Allison… or is it Tess? That I will probably stop by and we can chat some more, I could really use someone to talk to… being so far from home. I hope everything is alright.”

Daniel looks at her and concentrates for a moment on her aura.
"I hope you're not still upset because of what you saw. This... is a strange place. Have it ever happened to you before?"

“Oh I am sure it was just my eyes playing tricks on me… it seemed so vivid, but I mean ghosts come on, that stuff isn’t real,” she laughs. Then she pauses, “Umm… Daniel right? I don’t have many friends, well I don’t have any around here… I was wondering if you and Allison would like to grab some coffee or something some time, I mean… if you don’t have anything better to do…”

She takes a deep breath, “It would be nice to spend some time out of my dorm room.” She pauses and then walks up to the counter grabs a pen and writes her number on a piece of paper with her name, “Here, just in case you guys want to do anything… or whatever.”

She slides it over and smiles at Daniel before leaving fairly quickly.

Daniel attempts to unveil her resonance making an Intelligence + Occult roll. This is a secret ST roll.

Daniel continues to focus his mage sight and examine the vibrant colors that exude off Cymbeline. He recognizes the vibrancy as someone on the cusp of Awakening, like what he saw in Thessaly. It brightens then dulls for a brief moment… as if pulsing.

 

[Shayuri]

Thessaly rereads the letter, then carefully refolds it and puts it back in the envelope. She wasn't sure where she'd keep it yet, but she knew she wouldn't be throwing it away. Her eyes are drawn back to the strange dark -bent- place in the floor. What could it be that was so onerous? The tone in the letter made it sound on par with The One Ring, or some other...

She had to grin then, even laugh to herself. Like a monkey's paw. An item of great power, that wound up being more trouble than it was worth. Goddess, it was almost as if the whole store was named after it...and that thought brings a little shiver down Thessaly's back. How far back did this go?

Slowly, cautiously, she kneels down and waves her hand through the warded area...then gingerly touches the floor at its center.

 

[Tokiwong]

Slowly, cautiously, she kneels down and waves her hand through the warded area...then gingerly touches the floor at its center.

The wooden floor I seamless but where the disturbance, the void as it were; the floor is neatly cut, and can be removed with ease as long as you knew what to look for. The floor easily pops open and there is a small black velum satchel, with draw strings made of a golden material.

Strangely there is no dust inside, and the ward does not activate, so she seems safe for the moment.