Gloria Mundi Update
Tyrrhenus continued his politicking, calling up Chain Parris to ask about goings-on. Chain invited the cabal to dinner, and they started talking about the future. Chain saw himself, Tyrrhenus, Potestas and the Nemean as the top contenders for Hierarch, should there be a praxis seizure, as it were. He mentioned that Hierarchs up and down the East coast were Silver Ladder (which the cabal knew from talking to Ti Malice), and mused that knowing more about the Secret Concord would help. They asked for more details, having only heard about it in passing, and Chain told them a little of the history of Boston, and about the (unnamed) Free Council mage who recited the preamble to the Concord...and then melted into a pile of flesh.
The cabal learned that the Concord dated to 1906 and had been signed by the turn of the century incarnations of the White Putnams and the Ebon Noose. They also knew that at least one person had claimed to see it, but that person was dead and Chain didn't know her name (though he suggested Davey Jones might, since he was Free Council as well). During the dinner, Knit used her attainment (as a Sphinx) and saw interesting threads; Chain to the cabal, Simon (one of the Putnams, remember) to Isis and also to Ogma...but those latter threads weren't reciprocated. Had Ogma cut them? Simon forged them? Was Ogma unaware of their relationship?
(I love Mage. I love being able to tell players a lot of information without making any definite statements.)
The cabal went to the Atlantean Temple library and looked for information on the Concord...but the only book on it was gone. The Librarian-spirit told them that taking a book out of the Temple without permission was supposed to be impossible, but using the Safe-Keeping spell it might occur. They decided to look into the history of the Consilium and learned some interesting facts. For one, the Free Council and the Guardians of the Veil were once powerful factions in Boston - the Guardians (in the person of a cabal called the Emerald Scroll) in charge until 1980. But now, the "Emerald Scroll" is the name of a sanctum of Free Council mages - WTF? More questions for Davey, and for the Shadow Chorus (which, by the way, Chain had mentioned as a "wild card" in all of this).
The cabal didn't take Knit to the Temple (probably just as well), and so, on a lark, she tried scrying for the Concord. Yep, chance die. Yep, she succeeded. Knit saw the paper, but almost immediately lost it. She then felt threads of sympathy being woven onto her, and followed them back. She saw a dark room, with six identical men standing in it. She cut the threads (using her imbued item, a scissors with the Sever Strands spell).
Next day (3/20/05), the cabal went their separate ways for a while. Ogma contacted the Shadow Chorus, and Februs called him back. Ogma asked him where the Chorus would stand if the Nemean were to fall, and he responded by asking where Ogma's loyalties were. Ogma said it wasn't important to him who was in charge, and Februs responded that when he was ready to ask questions and care about the answers, the Chorus would be ready to provide information. Ogma, annoyed, said that he supported his friends, and Februs asked, "Do you support your friend, or Tyrrhenus?" Ogma replied that he supported his friend...and Februs hung up.
Isis (Mysterium, remember) went to the Athaneum and did some more digging into Boston mage history. She learned about some "heathen magic-workers" who left Salem in the early 1900s, about the time that both the Putnams and the Noose claimed it, and that it wasn't long after that when the Seers took Harvard. She learned that the Emerald Scroll (the Guardians cabal) disappeared after the Nemean took power, that they'd always worn masks and no one knew their real names. For all anyone knew, the Shadow Chorus could be the Emerald Scroll.
Tyrrhenus went to practice with Ti Malice, and Niamh and Knit went to breakfast. There, Knit asked Niamh about Tyrrhenus, and why she'd heard him referred to as the "boy king." You'll recall that when Tyrrhenus learned about that title, Niamh wasn't there, so she couldn't tell Knit.
The mages regrouped and went out to the Emerald Scroll. Davey wasn't there, but Menaleus was. They talked history for a while. Menaleus himself didn't get to Boston until after the Nemean had taken power, but both Hydra and Potestas predated the switch, so the characters might ask them about life pre-Ebon Noose. Also, he talked about the fight between the Guardians and the Council, about how the Guardians tried to dole out knowledge in little bites to cultists while the Council wants it available to everyone (like science!). Tyrrhenus asked why the Free Council didn't take the Hierarchy. Menaleus answered that since the Council had exhausted itself sniping at the Emerald Scroll, they had nothing left when the Noose claimed the Hierarchy (and the Putnams backed them).
Menaleus expressed his belief that once the anthill got kicked over, the chaos might be good for the city...but someone had to do the kicking. Everyone was paranoid, because the first person to swing generally gets hit back, and on one wants to be in that position, but that was allowing the Nemean time to rebuild his power base. Also, Menaleus mentioned that there was another possible wild card - the Illuminated Pentad. Also Silver Ladder, but opposed to the Nemean. Tyrrhenus made a note to talk with them and the cabal headed out.
Back at the house, Knit told the others what she'd seen. They thought a bit, and then remembered where they'd seen "six identical men." That was the nimbus of the Gray Pope.
More in two weeks!
The cabal learned that the Concord dated to 1906 and had been signed by the turn of the century incarnations of the White Putnams and the Ebon Noose. They also knew that at least one person had claimed to see it, but that person was dead and Chain didn't know her name (though he suggested Davey Jones might, since he was Free Council as well). During the dinner, Knit used her attainment (as a Sphinx) and saw interesting threads; Chain to the cabal, Simon (one of the Putnams, remember) to Isis and also to Ogma...but those latter threads weren't reciprocated. Had Ogma cut them? Simon forged them? Was Ogma unaware of their relationship?
(I love Mage. I love being able to tell players a lot of information without making any definite statements.)
The cabal went to the Atlantean Temple library and looked for information on the Concord...but the only book on it was gone. The Librarian-spirit told them that taking a book out of the Temple without permission was supposed to be impossible, but using the Safe-Keeping spell it might occur. They decided to look into the history of the Consilium and learned some interesting facts. For one, the Free Council and the Guardians of the Veil were once powerful factions in Boston - the Guardians (in the person of a cabal called the Emerald Scroll) in charge until 1980. But now, the "Emerald Scroll" is the name of a sanctum of Free Council mages - WTF? More questions for Davey, and for the Shadow Chorus (which, by the way, Chain had mentioned as a "wild card" in all of this).
The cabal didn't take Knit to the Temple (probably just as well), and so, on a lark, she tried scrying for the Concord. Yep, chance die. Yep, she succeeded. Knit saw the paper, but almost immediately lost it. She then felt threads of sympathy being woven onto her, and followed them back. She saw a dark room, with six identical men standing in it. She cut the threads (using her imbued item, a scissors with the Sever Strands spell).
Next day (3/20/05), the cabal went their separate ways for a while. Ogma contacted the Shadow Chorus, and Februs called him back. Ogma asked him where the Chorus would stand if the Nemean were to fall, and he responded by asking where Ogma's loyalties were. Ogma said it wasn't important to him who was in charge, and Februs responded that when he was ready to ask questions and care about the answers, the Chorus would be ready to provide information. Ogma, annoyed, said that he supported his friends, and Februs asked, "Do you support your friend, or Tyrrhenus?" Ogma replied that he supported his friend...and Februs hung up.
Isis (Mysterium, remember) went to the Athaneum and did some more digging into Boston mage history. She learned about some "heathen magic-workers" who left Salem in the early 1900s, about the time that both the Putnams and the Noose claimed it, and that it wasn't long after that when the Seers took Harvard. She learned that the Emerald Scroll (the Guardians cabal) disappeared after the Nemean took power, that they'd always worn masks and no one knew their real names. For all anyone knew, the Shadow Chorus could be the Emerald Scroll.
Tyrrhenus went to practice with Ti Malice, and Niamh and Knit went to breakfast. There, Knit asked Niamh about Tyrrhenus, and why she'd heard him referred to as the "boy king." You'll recall that when Tyrrhenus learned about that title, Niamh wasn't there, so she couldn't tell Knit.
The mages regrouped and went out to the Emerald Scroll. Davey wasn't there, but Menaleus was. They talked history for a while. Menaleus himself didn't get to Boston until after the Nemean had taken power, but both Hydra and Potestas predated the switch, so the characters might ask them about life pre-Ebon Noose. Also, he talked about the fight between the Guardians and the Council, about how the Guardians tried to dole out knowledge in little bites to cultists while the Council wants it available to everyone (like science!). Tyrrhenus asked why the Free Council didn't take the Hierarchy. Menaleus answered that since the Council had exhausted itself sniping at the Emerald Scroll, they had nothing left when the Noose claimed the Hierarchy (and the Putnams backed them).
Menaleus expressed his belief that once the anthill got kicked over, the chaos might be good for the city...but someone had to do the kicking. Everyone was paranoid, because the first person to swing generally gets hit back, and on one wants to be in that position, but that was allowing the Nemean time to rebuild his power base. Also, Menaleus mentioned that there was another possible wild card - the Illuminated Pentad. Also Silver Ladder, but opposed to the Nemean. Tyrrhenus made a note to talk with them and the cabal headed out.
Back at the house, Knit told the others what she'd seen. They thought a bit, and then remembered where they'd seen "six identical men." That was the nimbus of the Gray Pope.
More in two weeks!