The events in week 7 of the Mage: the Ascension chronicle: Duplicity (#DPLCTY), between 09/15/2019 to 09/21/2019.
Clay Hellstrom, Sitri Lovelace & Jonas Carter (Continuing scene from Week 6)
Mage Storyteller:
Kai face is twisted into a grimace of confusion, “This shits getting too weird for me man, I’m about ready to fuck the hell out of here.” Sitri, Clay, you see this odd newcomer approaching the group of feather-gatherers. Do you interfere?
Sitri Lovelace:
[Ive jumped down from my perch and am huddled close to kai.] “Look It’s been nice talking to you but with All this going on and Harry Potter showing up I think it’s time for us all to split”.
Mage Storyteller:
Allison, who has began to shake slightly from anxiety, pipes up and says “Clay, I think I agree with the stoners. Let’s get out of here.”
Clay Hellstrom:
“Yeah… look I’m going to stick around. Could you maybe wait for Des, point him this way? He’s kind of familiar with weird shit and can help. He ought to be coming in here the way we did. If not, I’ll catch up with you later. Cheap dinner, my pull.”
Mage Storyteller:
[@LovelaceSitri] As you move away from the scene of chaos behind you, Kai & Allison are visibly less tense. After a few moments of silence Allison says “Hobbyists, Am I right? People will obsess over anything”, to which Kai emphatically agrees. The shock and confusion is fading.
Sitri Lovelace:
“Y..ya hobbyist…hey Is your friend going to be ok?”
Clay Hellstrom:
To Sitri: Yeah, see you around.
To the newcomer: Hey! Hey! Trust me here you do not want to get near those. They’re… um…
… psychoactive… I’ve got… a…containment guy on the way.”
Jonas Carter:
I walk closer to clay and give him a good look up an down “Psychoactive? And how did you reach that conclusion” as I say that I subtlety start moving my fingers around to cast a spell to read surface thoughts [Mind 2]
Clay Hellstrom:
“Look at how the people around this bird have been acting. You have another more acceptable explanation?” [I would extend my senses periodically].
Jonas Carter:
“More acceptable? I suppose not. More True? Now that depends.” I look Clay in the eyes, trying to read his response to my next words. “One could see this as a more supernatural, more magickal, phenomena. Hypothetically of course.”
Clay Hellstrom:
“Yes… if one were so inclinded. Few are, so caution is needed.”
Jonas Carter:
“Too true, one must be careful when discussing such alternative, though one could say they are the more Traditional explanations.”
Clay Hellstrom:
[I’m wary now] “Yeah one could, if one were a subscriber to Tradition.”
Jonas Carter:
“Ah I see.” I lower my voice, trying to keep my words between the two of us. “Let us drop pretenses, shall we. I don’t care if you want to remain independent, so long as you aren’t with the Union we can work together, and there is no time to lose.”
Clay Hellstrom:
“As long as you aren’t Euthanitos we might get along. Clay Hellstrom, unaffiliated, freelance newbie.”
Jonas Carter:
I chuckle. “Hardly, I am Jonas Carter Hermetic Mage of the 6th Degree. The issue before us Clay, is that this is not just some simple effect that attacks the mind, it also is doing something to the soul of those afflicted.”
Clay Hellstrom:
“Jesus.” [I double check to ensure Allison has gone to meet Des]
Jonas Carter:
“Exactly. So look, we need to get those sleepers away from whatever the source of this effect is. Then we can work to neutralize the source. Unfortunately I’m not well versed in the Ars Potentiae or Ars Spirtuum. But there may be something we can do.”
Clay Hellstrom:
“So far, I can only sense magic and not do magic. Dealing with them will be touchy, they’re driven by a sort of mania. I only just resisted it. First to simply obsessively observe, it exploded, now to possess a feather. And not just any feather, but THE perfect one.”
“I called a guy who understands about this sort thing, he ought to be underway here too. Three heads might be better than JUST one experienced head and one amatuer one.”
“Hermes, huh? You aren’t tight with anyone from Baltimore are you?”
Jonas Carter:
“Hmm, that makes this more tricky. If they are that obsessed they could easily hurt us or each other. Maybe some kind of distraction…Not particularly, no. Is there someone up there you’re looking to get in contact with?”
Clay Hellstrom:
“No, more like stay out of touch with. Long story. But I had the same concerns. I have a medical background and have know the mindset these people are in is dangerous to them and anyone else around. Another reason I didn’t call this in to EMS. Done wrong… eeesh.”
Jonas Carter:
“Agreed, but I worry about the spiritual damage they may suffer if we do nothing. There is an effect I could do, but it worry that it might mix with the aura of compulsion in unintended ways.”
Clay Hellstrom:
“That’s why I made a call to someone more experienced… too bad that artist guy left. We could have used him to run a distraction: a bigger better woodpecker… over there…” .
Jonas Carter:
@MageStoryteller “I might be able to nudge the obsession into something else, but I’m not sure what that might cause…” [Is there anything else nearby that I might be able to use Mind 2 to channel their obsession onto?]
Mage Storyteller:
As the two of you are having this conversation the folks continue to root around, growing more feverish. You see also, a small coalescence — the creature, reforming. You could try to divert them to some of the other, less exciting birds in the area but it won’t be easy.
Clay Hellstrom:
[I take off my shirt to throw it over top]
Jonas Carter:
[I’m going to use my wand and begin an extended cast to try and channel the compulsion onto the other birds] “If this works, as soon as they’re away cover it up as subtly as possible, even if this works it will be tenuous.”
Clay Hellstrom:
[I stand back a bit to observe. Also put my shirt back on].
Mage Storyteller:
[To clarify your plan, Jonas you are going to try to use a mind effect to redirect their compulsion to a mundane bird and if/when that succeeds Clay you are going to try to cover up the reforming creature. Is that correct?]
Clay Hellstrom:
[Not if covering it with my shirt interferes with his mojo] “Hey, will me covering that thing with my shirt interfere?”
Jonas Carter:
“Not at all, just try to avoid them noticing.” [yes that is my plan]
Clay Hellstrom:
[Starts re-removing shirt]
[starts remembering I actually have some talent in misdirection. Hands shirt to Jonas to cover the thing up, and I will I try to misdirect the crowd into following me to and *even* better woodpecker]
Mage Storyteller:
[Great the two of you will be working in conjunction, first Jonas will try to peel them off of their obsession long enough for Clay to get them clear.] Jonas, you reach out and feel their passions gripped in this things talons. How do you approach freeing them?
Jonas Carter:
[I am envisioning this compulsion as a chain pulling the victims towards the source, I am moving my want as I mutter an incantation to redirect where the chain is pulling them towards a bird in another tree]
Mage Storyteller:
[The effect is vulgar but the sleepers cannot currently witness anything else. There’s also that small complication — that bit of this effect outside the purview of the mind sphere. Roll Arete difficult 7.]
Jonas Carter:
[I will spend a point of willpower]
(3d10 Rolled: 8, 7 and 7. My work here is done.) [4 successes with the willpower]
Mage Storyteller:
A resounding success. Is there any physical manifestation of this effect or how does it take hold?
Jonas Carter:
[As I finish the spell there is a small flash at the end of my wand and a crack in the air like a whip as the victims attention turns to the new target of their obsession]
Mage Storyteller:
As their attention whips around the woodpecker finishes forming and screeches in rage. The strength of your will keeps the people from being torn away from you but you feel the entity fighting for control. @HellstromMta what do you do?
Clay Hellstrom:
[Crap. Bird? People? Bird? People? I signal to “bag the bird” then turn] “Hey! Look at that one over there! I’ve never seen one so amazing! I’m going to get the perfect feather before anyone else can!” [start running away from the area to another area with woods to keep the lking
“Oh my god, there it is again! What is it? No it’s fying that way, we have to get to it!” [run harder]
Mage Storyteller:
[Roll Manipulation + Misdirection, difficulty 7 as they’re in a state of magickal confusion]
Clay Hellstrom:
[Spend a willpower, or two, or three as needed] (6d10 Rolled: 4, 7, 3, 10, 6 and 1.)
Tobias Washington (Continuing scene from Week 6)
Mage Storyteller:
The music is soothing and naive, some sort of folk music for a new generation. It’s good enough to be slightly distracting from your book, not able to fully hold your attention. What sort of book of is it?
Tobias Washington:
It’s an older printing of 1984.
Mage Storyteller:
You’re reading the passage with the great “Freedom is slavery” quote, which you unfortunately saw tattoos on one of your students bodies a few weeks ago, when the letters on the page begin to rearrange themselves. You blink, uncertain, but sure enough the passage is now…
interrupted by the short phrase “Hello Tobias. It’s nice to see you getting to relax.”
Alesky (Continuing scene from Week 6)
Mage Storyteller:
What does your studying environment look like? What vice is Aleksy prone to when in the throws of research?