Skyscraper Graveyard IC: Renaissance City

[Anarion]

"Frankly, it's more a plan to commit a spectacularly bloody suicide than a reasonable escape from my duty, and I'm not sure if the benefits remotely outweigh the costs"

"You're assuming that soul-severing like that has to kill you, but I don't think that's true. I don't really understand death magic, but I know a Moros and he seems to treat the soul as something much more malleable. If you cut out a piece of your soul, it could leave a void. If you could hold your body in suspension somehow, so that nothing came in to fill that void while the ritual was ongoing, maybe the original item could be replaced, but with changes made in the interrim?"

[Thanqol]

"You're assuming that soul-severing like that has to kill you, but I don't think that's true. I don't really understand death magic, but I know a Moros and he seems to treat the soul as something much more malleable. If you cut out a piece of your soul, it could leave a void. If you could hold your body in suspension somehow, so that nothing came in to fill that void while the ritual was ongoing, maybe the original item could be replaced, but with changes made in the interrim?"

"Oh, I'm sure my body would stay alive with the right magic," Cyprus said. "But say if I cut open your soul, removed your Awakening, and did my best with my limited mortal mind to understand it, fix it, and then stuck it back in your body? Do you think you would be fine?" Cyprus said. "To say there would be side effects would be putting it lightly. I could literally suffer personality death. I could lose my entire ethical compass and all my driving passions. I could permanently damage my soul.

"Oh, and your comment about leaving a void in my soul isn't very reassuring. Do you know, per chance, what is associated with having a void in your soul?"

Cyprus gestured out at the mass of Sleepers below them.

[Deadly]

[Acanthus with hope as his virtue? Eh, sometimes it's better not to ask.]

"Everybody in who's getting in." Jack started the engine, waiting only long enough to see if either of the others were joining him before setting off into Detroit's traffic.

Amun silently and quickly slips in the car where he can keep an eye on Slade. He's not exactly trusting the brain mage Seer holding a gun.

[Doubt I need say it, but watching out for any magic shenanigans here]

[Anarion]

"Oh, and your comment about leaving a void in my soul isn't very reassuring. Do you know, per chance, what is associated with having a void in your soul?"

Cyprus gestured out at the mass of Sleepers below them.

"My mother used to have a saying. 'When in doubt, leave it out.' So if you're not sure, we can look for other solutions. Maybe there is a way to manipulate a soulstone without removing it from your body, or a way to reach the effects indirectly. I've been learning the basics of spirit magic, so perhaps, with time it could be affected through the shadow."

[the_druid_droid]

"Right. Better late than never. Let's go, Jack." Turing hopped in the car with the others. "But if Tessen runs into trouble, we're coming back."

As they drove away, he kept an eye out for anything unusual approaching, and provided himself with Death's armor. "So what exactly is going on, Mr. Slade?"

[Thanqol]

"My mother used to have a saying. 'When in doubt, leave it out.' So if you're not sure, we can look for other solutions. Maybe there is a way to manipulate a soulstone without removing it from your body, or a way to reach the effects indirectly. I've been learning the basics of spirit magic, so perhaps, with time it could be affected through the shadow."

"I have little understanding of the Shadow," said Cyprus, "and reading any book written by a shaman on the topic is singularly unhelpful."

"Right. Better late than never. Let's go, Jack." Turing hopped in the car with the others. "But if Tessen runs into trouble, we're coming back."

As they drove away, he kept an eye out for anything unusual approaching, and provided himself with Death's armor. "So what exactly is going on, Mr. Slade?"

"He knows," said Slade, pointing out a direction at every intersection. "I've got no idea how, but he knows. I walked in to the office, everything normal, and he just looked at me like he knew. Look, I need you to get my family out of town, away from here - I promise I'll tell you everything once they're safe."

[the_druid_droid]

Turing tensed at the realization that Slade had a family - a combination of having another of his preconceptions dashed, and a sympathetic pang as his thoughts rushed to Emily.

"That's our first priority then. Any information about what we might be facing?"

[Thanqol]

Turing tensed at the realization that Slade had a family - a combination of having another of his preconceptions dashed, and a sympathetic pang as his thoughts rushed to Emily.

"That's our first priority then. Any information about what we might be facing?"

"I don't know. Depends if Overlord's done anything yet. He probably hasn't, he's probably still looking for me," said Slade, sounding like he was trying to convince himself, checking that his gun was loaded.

[the_druid_droid]

Turing considered that for a moment. "In any case, how can we make your family safe once we've got them? Does the Throne have any way to scry on them, or is it just you?"

[Thanqol]

Turing considered that for a moment. "In any case, how can we make your family safe once we've got them? Does the Throne have any way to scry on them, or is it just you?"

"I don't know!" yelled Slade, clearly not thinking straight.

[Anarion]

"I have little understanding of the Shadow," said Cyprus, "and reading any book written by a shaman on the topic is singularly unhelpful."

"Well, um you could get it directly from me a-as I learn, if you'd like. I do have a question though. Is this...connection...with God something that you have any control over? If you came with us, is there something we should do to protect ourselves in case you ever lose control over your body?"

[Thanqol]

"Well, um you could get it directly from me a-as I learn, if you'd like. I do have a question though. Is this...connection...with God something that you have any control over? If you came with us, is there something we should do to protect ourselves in case you ever lose control over your body?"

"... experience suggests that would be an exceptionally bad idea," said Cyprus. "No, by far the safest option is to stay where I am until we have a working theory. Meeting with a lone heretic is acceptable; regular contact with your entire cabal or, worse, open defection would be swiftly punished."

[the_druid_droid]

Ok, this was the real deal. Slade was seriously concerned, and Turing couldn't blame him. As they sped through Detroit's ruined streets, he kept his mouth shut, one hand against the dash and the other gripping his cane.

He could do this - even with the Seers in the mix, Turing could do this, but silently he wondered what the cost would be. If their pursuers wanted blood, he wasn't sure they could get away without someone getting hurt, and if it came to that it would be his responsibility to put the hammer down.

Turing ground his teeth and his knuckles whitened around the black wood of his cane.

[Anarion]

"Oh, of c-course." Rational as it is, Tessen seems a little disappointed. "So, is that all then? We'll do research, learn about the ritual that created you and come up with a plan, and when we have an idea, how, uh, will we even be able to reach you again? How long will you be in Detroit?"

[Thanqol]

Ok, this was the real deal. Slade was seriously concerned, and Turing couldn't blame him. As they sped through Detroit's ruined streets, he kept his mouth shut, one hand against the dash and the other gripping his cane.

He could do this - even with the Seers in the mix, Turing could do this, but silently he wondered what the cost would be. If their pursuers wanted blood, he wasn't sure they could get away without someone getting hurt, and if it came to that it would be his responsibility to put the hammer down.

Turing ground his teeth and his knuckles whitened around the black wood of his cane.

It wasn't long before they arrived at Slade's house, given the speed they were going; it was in a nice suburban part of town, white picket fence closing off a McMansion. The front door was hanging open.

They'd barely arrived when Slade had jumped out of the car, running for the door. "Mary? Mary?" he shouted when he got inside, desperately looking around and then running up the stairs. His shouting became more frantic.

Any mage sight the group cared to employ indicated the house was empty.

As they followed him in, there was the sound of a phone ringing. A mobile phone was on the coffee table, alongside a picture of Slade, a smiling woman and a young boy. It buzzed with the generic, factory-default tone, waiting for someone to pick it up.

"Oh, of c-course." Rational as it is, Tessen seems a little disappointed. "So, is that all then? We'll do research, learn about the ritual that created you and come up with a plan, and when we have an idea, how, uh, will we even be able to reach you again? How long will you be in Detroit?"

"As Archon I have something of an international portfolio, so I move around a lot. However, a Paternoster Pylon went dark in the city some time ago, and I can make a convincing argument to my Teratarch to allow me to investigate the disappearance. Should give me leave to return here in between my other duties," Cyprus said, still sounding rational and intellectual.

"As to further meetings," she said, rationality being replaced with totally fake casualness, "There's a symphony orchestra in town in about a week, and I could get tickets?"

[Anarion]

"As to further meetings," she said, rationality being replaced with totally fake casualness, "There's a symphony orchestra in town in about a week, and I could get tickets?"

"Oh. Um, do you know what they're playing? I really like the works of Gustav Mahler. But I'm sure whatever they're doing will be good. I can give you an update on our research there, I'm sure we'll have some news in a week."

[Thanqol]

"Oh. Um, do you know what they're playing? I really like the works of Gustav Mahler. But I'm sure whatever they're doing will be good. I can give you an update on our research there, I'm sure we'll have some news in a week."

"Gustav... Mahler," Cyprus muttered as she quickly wrote it down. "Sounds good. Ah, here we go,"

The food arrived. There is no adequate way to describe what kind of meal a four digit price tag will get you. Every piece was a sublime creation, a mixture of flavours that unwrapped in the mouth, a perfectly crafted experience from the hands of a master chef. This was the type of food that ordinary people weren't even allowed to know existed.

[Anarion]

Tessen eats her meal quietly. Being careful to savor the food, but not eating with any special appetite. She compliments Cyprus on the quality and thanks her for the meal at the end.

[Tiki Snakes]

"Hey, Slade. Your phone here is ringing. You'd probably better answer it." Jack said, standing just inside the doorway. He kept his eyes open for signs of anything that looked off, checking that what he could see looked like there had been someone other than Slade living here.

Jack felt a chill running up his spine. There was something faintly morbid about the whole situation somehow. It made him uneasy.

[Thanqol]

Tessen eats her meal quietly. Being careful to savor the food, but not eating with any special appetite. She compliments Cyprus on the quality and thanks her for the meal at the end.

"So... tell me about the Pentacle?" Cyprus said, making conversation. "My knowledge of your organisation is... biased."

"Hey, Slade. Your phone here is ringing. You'd probably better answer it." Jack said, standing just inside the doorway. He kept his eyes open for signs of anything that looked off, checking that what he could see looked like there had been someone other than Slade living here.

Jack felt a chill running up his spine. There was something faintly morbid about the whole situation somehow. It made him uneasy.

"That's not my phone," said Slade, hesitation in his voice.

There were no dangers here; the place seemed like an ordinary, lived in suburban house.

[Tiki Snakes]

"Would you like me to answer it for you?" Jack walked in to stand nearer to the phone. He held Slade's eyes for a moment, measuring his reaction. His expression was flat, serious and unsmiling.

[Thanqol]

Slade closed his eyes, brief murmur of Time magic passing across his mind.

"Yes," he said.

[Tiki Snakes]

Jack held his gaze for a moment longer. He frowned slightly.
"Alright then. Turing, Amun, stay with him and be on your toes."

He picked up the phone carefully and walked out of the building to stand in the yard, surrounded by white picket fences and then calmly pressed the button that answered the phone, holding it up to his ear.

[Thanqol]

Jack held his gaze for a moment longer. He frowned slightly.
"Alright then. Turing, Amun, stay with him and be on your toes."

He picked up the phone carefully and walked out of the building to stand in the yard, surrounded by white picket fences and then calmly pressed the button that answered the phone, holding it up to his ear.

"Hello, Mr. Hearts," said a calm voice on the other end. There were the sound of two voices screaming in the background.

"My organisation is currently suffering an intelligence leak. I would like to see it closed. There is a pistol on the counter, please pick it up and use it to shoot Mr. Slade."

[Tiki Snakes]

"I'm sorry, I don't believe we've been introduced. This is Jack speaking and you are?"

[Thanqol]

"I am Overlord," said the voice.

It didn't have any qualifying traits, no uniqueness to the sound. It was hard to qualify even as male or female. It could have been anyone.

"And more to the point, I have Mr. Slade's family, and unless you shoot Mr. Slade with the pistol on the counter I will kill them both."

[Tiki Snakes]

"Nice to finally make your aquaintance. Is there a particular reason for using the gun on the counter? I'm not a great shot, but I've put some time in with my own pistol if that's an acceptable compromise?"

[Thanqol]

"The gun on the counter will ensure Mr. Slade does not leave a ghost, which is important in seeing this leak is permanently closed," said Overlord. "Please pick it up and shoot him with it."

[Anarion]

"So... tell me about the Pentacle?" Cyprus said, making conversation. "My knowledge of your organisation is... biased."

"I don't know if I can properly represent them all either. The pentacle is really 5 different organizations, all with different ideas about what's important for humanity. We all believe that magic, if used properly, is a good thing, and so we all seek knowledge and understanding of the world, the supernal and the awakening process. Here in Detroit, I think we spend a lot of our time fighting the abyss because manifestations are so common and everyone agrees that those are bad.

That's all I can really say for everyone. For myself, I think that awakening is something that resides in all people, all souls. But lots of them aren't ready, and if you force it upon them, they'll just panic and reject it. So, what I try to do is support people, make the world better and more beautiful, give inspiration when I can, and oppose the forces of the abyss. I think that inspiration is something that can spread, that motivated people lead to more motivated people, and that ultimately, if we make the world better for everyone, then people will become ready to embrace awakening and remember that inside each of us is a little piece of God."

[Thanqol]

and remember that inside each of us is a little piece of God."

Cyprus involuntarily laughed at that. "Not as good as it's cracked up to be.

"So, you're basically optimists? The Throne has a different stance. The Throne says that anyone who wants to Awaken bad enough can and does Awaken. Anyone who doesn't is essentially satisfied with the Fallen world as it is, or is too fearful or pathetic to take real responsibility upon themselves. The Throne says that they are this way because they want to be."