Chapter 1: __________ is Magic

Magic is Real.

We fly over oceans, hold the sum of all recorded knowledge in our hands, and speak with relatives halfway across the world without leaving our chairs. Magic isn't just flying on broomsticks or calling down fire from the Heavens. Magic is limited only by your Imagination, and your Will to make it manifest. There's a battle going on over the nature of Reality and Mankind itself. Pretend it isn't there, or get involved and forge the Future you envision.

Welcome to the Ascension War.

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Hermit
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Re: Chapter 1: __________ is Magic

Post by Hermit » Sun Nov 10, 2019 10:44 pm

I agree. I think here is as good a place as any to wrap up this Chapter and move onto the next one.
Letting out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, the tension all but evaporated from Dexter as he leaned back into the couch and tilted his head up towards the ceiling, basking in the sterile fluorescence from the arco lamp in the corner of the drawing room. Despite his apparent relief over the possibility of exonerating their defendant of the crimes and certámen levied against him, the Orphan knew better than to believe that things would simply resolve themselves peacefully and move on without future consequences. What had started as a relatively entertaining and informative social gathering had devolved into some shadowy plot to wrongfully discredit a man who would likely never convince anyone other than himself of the naive ideology he advocated. Even though he knew that at the end of the day he'd chosen the moral thing to do by standing up against this injustice, Dexter still couldn't help but feel some part of him argue he was ultimately better off letting this ridiculous kangaroo court play out rather than draw attention to an outsider like himself by interfering.

And what of Pixel? he wondered. Quinton's decision to omit her method of information gathering was probably the most prudent course of action in this instance, however it did nothing to quell the feeling of bitter unease festering within the half-romani. He knew well enough that secrets tended to have a way of incurring debts in organizations like the Council, and there would no doubt come a day when either the secret inevitably came to light or Quinton decided to collect on the debt now owed by the Adept for showing her leniency this night. Regret once again gnawed at Dexter's heart and mind for roping her and the others into this mess. He could only hope that perhaps some day he might be able to repay his own debt to them and absolve himself of this folly.
''At the center of your being you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want.'' - Lao-Tzu

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Re: Chapter 1: __________ is Magic

Post by ManWithDoor » Wed Nov 20, 2019 11:15 pm

It appears that all the cards are on the table, and the die has been cast. Quinton gathers himself, standing up. "I shall see you at the Council Meeting then this evening." By this time Ulrich has finished up with guarding over Ken and Phoenix, and joined the main group. "And given how our good priest here has been eyeing me, yes, you will be seeing me with a different face at the meeting. My apologies, but I could not move openly with everyone else here. I will explain my deception in good time. Know that I appreciate your brave efforts here, and will see them rewarded." His old face crinkles into a wry smile, and he makes his exit into the back rooms.
Well that wraps up the Scene! Rory and I have had a side chat on Discord on finalizing how to get him in the Campaign. So he'll be at the Council Meeting and be dropped right into the thick of things with you guys. ;) Poor guy.
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Re: Chapter 1: __________ is Magic

Post by Muskrat » Thu Nov 21, 2019 6:49 pm

Pixel rubs her forehead and asks rhetorically, "Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" She turns to Ulrich and asks, "What's this about seeing a different face? Is the one we saw an illusion?"

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Re: Chapter 1: __________ is Magic

Post by Karstil » Sun Nov 24, 2019 11:28 pm

Ulrich could not prevent his Face to show an 'I knew it' for a brief moment.

When Pixel asks her question, he says, "As I said, our friend Mason here, had an active camouflage spell up. until now, i wasn’t sure how strong and what was camouflaged." He shrugs his shoulders, "Well, we’ll know for sure about it later."

"I think we should talk with Hash, at least to let him know what will go down at the Council Meeting."

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Re: Chapter 1: __________ is Magic

Post by Muskrat » Mon Nov 25, 2019 7:58 pm

"Ah, yes, it would be good to tell him, wouldn't it?" The words tumble hastily out of Pixel's mouth. "Hopefully, he won't think we made a hash of things." It is clear from the expression on her face that she only realized the pun she was making after it was out of her mouth.

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Re: Chapter 1: __________ is Magic

Post by Karstil » Thu Dec 12, 2019 7:29 pm

Ulrich does not react to the pun. Maybe he didn't realize it.
He waits for a moment if one of the others wants to say anything. "So, if that's ok for you I would like to ask Hash some questions, before we tell him what will happen at the meeting?"

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Re: Chapter 1: __________ is Magic

Post by Muskrat » Thu Dec 12, 2019 8:26 pm

"Uh, sure," says Pixel. "What sort of questions?"

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Re: Chapter 1: __________ is Magic

Post by ManWithDoor » Thu Dec 12, 2019 11:36 pm

The trio of still-active investigators, ones that didn't drift away or were pulled into other things, have handed their results to Quinton, or whatever his real name was. He seems to be on the side of justice, perhaps some sort of internal affairs investigator? All you know is that he believed you, and was never seen in public outside of your conversations.

You are able to make it back to the remains of the party. The time for the Council Meeting has coming up, so many are making their polite goodbyes and heading out the door. You can see Hash is still practically anchored to a corner of the kitchen, avoiding the others as much as physically possible. You surmise he will make himself scarce until he can slip out unnoticed.
You have enough privacy as the others have been leaving that you can continue debate, or approach Hash now.

Also, please look at the OOC Discussion thread, and put your responses to my Post there.
Rule Number 12: "A soft answer turneth away wrath. Once wrath is looking the other way, shoot it in the head."

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Re: Chapter 1: __________ is Magic

Post by ManWithDoor » Tue Dec 24, 2019 5:27 pm

Pixel, Dexter, and Ulrich circle back with Hash. As earlier noticed, he has glued himself to a corner of the kitchen, avoiding everyone else as much as possible. He is a perhaps naive idealist, and if used to being ignored or shunned by the others. This is a whole new level of that, where his known actions have made him a pariah in the community. While another may have risen to the task of being his Second, justice-oriented people such as Sparrow or compassionate men like Phoenix come to mind, but you were the ones that stepped forward first, and followed the evidence. Quick observation by Dexter noticed that the assault-ee looked a little too smug and self-satisfied to be a true victim, and then the whole tale unraveled from there.

But none of the party know if Hash can be trusted with the whole truth. After all, he did get bamboozled not more than a couple hours ago. Best to keep him in the dark until the truth is revealed to all. The trio decide that the best course of action would be to reassure Hash that the Duel has been delayed at least until the end of the Council Meeting, and they were continuing to work to defuse the situation. They reassure him that he should attend the Council, despite what happened.

-----------

The Council Meeting tonight is being held, oddly enough, in the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in San Francisco proper. The Museum is spacious and well-lit, and was the first museum on the West Coast devoted solely to 20th-century art. The museum's current collection includes over 33,000 works of painting, sculpture, photography, architecture, design, and media arts. They are displayed in 170,000 square feet of exhibition space, making the museum one of the largest in the United States overall, and one of the largest in the world for modern and contemporary art.
The Museum has been reserved in the evening for this Event, likely under some obscure non-profit corporation set up by an enterprising Hermetic, with all of the staff provided by the Council. Everyone here is either a member of the Traditions, or their sleepwalker associates. The security cameras will show a mundane but lively social event afterwards, courtesy of the Virtual Adepts. Chairs have been set up around a series of large tables, and a small dais with a speaker's stand is up front. This could easily be a charity or corporate event, given the lack of stereotypical arcane trappings.
OK, going over the OOC responses, it looks like the group is good with an Interactive Cut Scene. So I'll post, then feel free to post your internal/external responses. It'll flow a lot faster than a normal scene. Thanks for helping me out with your comments!
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Re: Chapter 1: __________ is Magic

Post by Muskrat » Thu Dec 26, 2019 6:17 pm

Pixel sits in her seat watching, unaware of the fact that she is shifting her position every few seconds, a reaction to her psychological discomfort with what might be about to played out. She disliked these displays of hierarchy and power, but felt that they had already done their best to ensure a fair outcome and now it was largely out of their hands, a frustrating feeling.

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