A Sorcerer, his invisible friend, and a goddess

The site of the recently restored Braddock Lighthouse. Aircraft hangars and other X-Men facilities, including a Cerebra unit and the Danger Room have been constructed around the foundations of the lighthouse.

A Sorcerer, his invisible friend, and a goddess

Postby Sean Hall » Mon Aug 14, 2017 9:40 pm

Sean lead Sam and Hannah to his workshop at the point. The magic suffusing the room made the air feel like a current was running through it. Looking around the room it looked like Sean had taken over, or been exiled to depending on your interpretation, what would have been space for several people normally. The shop seemed rather well organized. There were areas each with their own projects in various stages of progress, a central desk covered in stacks of notes, designs covered in handwritten notes, and open books with dozens of post-its. There were a shelves full of books, some recently rebound. There was also an area where Sean did some smithing and enchanting with their own associated shelves of materials and tools. There was also a folded up cot, blankets, and other sundry things. Things that maybe showed he spent a little too much time down here away from people and sunlight.

"Make yourselves at home," Sean said, "I'm going to grab a couple things to... hopefully help figure out what's going on here."
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Sean Hall
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Re: A Sorcerer, his invisible friend, and a goddess

Postby Samantha McManus » Mon Aug 14, 2017 10:00 pm

"Look," she says in Hannah's direction as Sean is preparing. "I'm not... I don't really know how to 'psychopomp' you. I just get... feelings sometimes. Things I'm supposed to do."
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Samantha McManus
Student
 
High Concept: Waking Goddess
Aspect: Enraptured by Violence
Aspect: Made of Nightmares
Aspect: Not Crazy
Aspect: Driven by Wolves

Re: A Sorcerer, his invisible friend, and a goddess

Postby Hannah » Mon Aug 14, 2017 10:23 pm

"That's... reassuring. But thanks? I mean hell, I'm not really sure how I know either but you just... look like it, I guess. Is that rude? I don't know officer, but she sure looked like a psychopomp to me." she tries to joke.
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Re: A Sorcerer, his invisible friend, and a goddess

Postby Samantha McManus » Mon Aug 14, 2017 11:00 pm

"...you're not the only one. There's a few people who think I'm... something else."
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Samantha McManus
Student
 
High Concept: Waking Goddess
Aspect: Enraptured by Violence
Aspect: Made of Nightmares
Aspect: Not Crazy
Aspect: Driven by Wolves

Re: A Sorcerer, his invisible friend, and a goddess

Postby Hannah » Tue Aug 15, 2017 3:09 pm

"And are you?" she asks, looking up from where she'd been eyeing the stuff piled on Sean's desk.
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Re: A Sorcerer, his invisible friend, and a goddess

Postby Samantha McManus » Tue Aug 15, 2017 5:14 pm

"...you know, it's pretty surreal to be trying to convince a ghost I'm not crazy."

"...but maybe."
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Samantha McManus
Student
 
High Concept: Waking Goddess
Aspect: Enraptured by Violence
Aspect: Made of Nightmares
Aspect: Not Crazy
Aspect: Driven by Wolves

Re: A Sorcerer, his invisible friend, and a goddess

Postby Hannah » Tue Aug 15, 2017 6:00 pm

"Yeah, I don't think my judgement's gonna be worth much on that, but I sure hope you're not crazy cause I don't wanna know what that'd say about me. Everytime I try to remember what happened to me it's something else and they can't all be true unless I believe in the impossible..."
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Re: A Sorcerer, his invisible friend, and a goddess

Postby Sean Hall » Tue Aug 15, 2017 10:31 pm

Sean comes walking back carrying two vials, some chalk, and a series of notes. One of the tubes he carried had a red liquid in it the outside covered with a thin layer of condensation and the second contained some kind of shiny powder. The red liquid seemed darker than it should be, like it took in too much light, but maybe it was just a trick of the light in the room. Sean put down the vials and moved a project out of the way. He set down his notes next to himself and drew a circle inside of square. At each of the corner of the square he carefully drew a rune. It was obvious that Sean had put a great deal of time into perfecting his drawing skills at the very least. Once the square was done he began slowly pouring the powder onto the design he'd drawn.

He was very focused at the moment, which would give Sam and Hannah more time to talk. Hannah would notice there were no pictures, no decorations, nothing to make the space seem like anything other than one intended for work. It was fairly sterile, really.
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Re: A Sorcerer, his invisible friend, and a goddess

Postby Samantha McManus » Tue Aug 15, 2017 10:40 pm

"Well if you've wrapped your head around that much, you're here with Not-Harry-Potter and someone who can do a passable impression of the Morrigan."
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Samantha McManus
Student
 
High Concept: Waking Goddess
Aspect: Enraptured by Violence
Aspect: Made of Nightmares
Aspect: Not Crazy
Aspect: Driven by Wolves

Re: A Sorcerer, his invisible friend, and a goddess

Postby Hannah » Tue Aug 15, 2017 11:24 pm

"You really don't like absolutes, huh? Cause I don't think he's even remotely entertaining the idea of not being a mage." she chuckles with a look around the room. If anything that seemed to be all Sean tried to be, at least going by this room.
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Re: A Sorcerer, his invisible friend, and a goddess

Postby Samantha McManus » Tue Aug 15, 2017 11:39 pm

"Well it's a scale, aye? He can conjure flames from hoary netherworlds. All I've got going for me is... birds."
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Samantha McManus
Student
 
High Concept: Waking Goddess
Aspect: Enraptured by Violence
Aspect: Made of Nightmares
Aspect: Not Crazy
Aspect: Driven by Wolves

Re: A Sorcerer, his invisible friend, and a goddess

Postby Hannah » Tue Aug 15, 2017 11:48 pm

Hannah shrugs slightly. "I dunno. They're pretty impressive birds?"
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Re: A Sorcerer, his invisible friend, and a goddess

Postby Samantha McManus » Tue Aug 15, 2017 11:49 pm

"They're bloody terrifying birds when I'm... less grounded."
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Samantha McManus
Student
 
High Concept: Waking Goddess
Aspect: Enraptured by Violence
Aspect: Made of Nightmares
Aspect: Not Crazy
Aspect: Driven by Wolves

Re: A Sorcerer, his invisible friend, and a goddess

Postby Sean Hall » Wed Aug 16, 2017 2:13 am

Sean finished and turned to look at the Hannah and Sam.

"Hannah could you step into the center of the circle?" Sean asked before he grabbed the red vial.
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Re: A Sorcerer, his invisible friend, and a goddess

Postby Hannah » Wed Aug 16, 2017 3:38 am

"And summoning hellfire isn't?" she asks as she walks over to the circle and carefully steps inside. "So... what's this going to do?"
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Re: A Sorcerer, his invisible friend, and a goddess

Postby Sean Hall » Wed Aug 16, 2017 3:35 pm

"It's a type of scrying spell designed to reveal the nature of things or a thing," Sean said as he uncapped the vial, "According to the text I pulled and modified it from its usually used from a distance or with objects of unknown origin. Like most scrying spell it is usually... stronger when you use something from whatever or whoever you want to know more about, which is why you're standing on top of it."
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Re: A Sorcerer, his invisible friend, and a goddess

Postby Hannah » Wed Aug 16, 2017 3:46 pm

"Eesh... Buy a girl dinner first." she jokes. Mostly.
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Re: A Sorcerer, his invisible friend, and a goddess

Postby Samantha McManus » Wed Aug 16, 2017 4:54 pm

"Sort of thing that usually makes my head hurt, but he gets results."
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Samantha McManus
Student
 
High Concept: Waking Goddess
Aspect: Enraptured by Violence
Aspect: Made of Nightmares
Aspect: Not Crazy
Aspect: Driven by Wolves

Re: A Sorcerer, his invisible friend, and a goddess

Postby Sean Hall » Wed Aug 16, 2017 6:22 pm

"After this sure," Sean said distractedly. Obviously not really catching the subtext as he poured the contents of the vial onto each of the runes on the periphery. The runes began to glow and seemed to absorb what Sean poured on them. Sean spoke several words in a language that seemed to scrape against reality like nails on a chalkboard. The red color spread from the runes into the square. Sean spoke several more words and the lights flickered as the color spread into the central circle.

Sean stepped back from the circle and made a complex hand sign before beginning to chant. The lights flickered and dimmed as Sean drew upon a great deal of magical energy. The ritual circle began to glow. The diagram changed as Sean chanted becoming more and more complicated before reaching an end state. The runes etched into Sean's skin began to glow, but where once all had been bright were many runes that looked almost smudged. The lights dimmed further as the spell picked up cadence and more energy was pulled into the room. For a instant something imperceptible seemed to break and the lights flickered again. In that moment the runes on Sean's body strained. Beneath them past their burning light was something held at bay, it made the air heavy with dread, the smell of earth, and death. As quickly as it came it was gone. The spell went toward completion as Sean stared at Hannah hoping that this would work, that they'd get something, some unknown about Hannah's nature. The spell itself intended to reveal truths for all who witnessed the spell, though like most things that didn't mean you could understand that truth, or that there even was a truth to be revealed.
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Re: A Sorcerer, his invisible friend, and a goddess

Postby Hannah » Wed Aug 16, 2017 9:37 pm

At first nothing happens, aside from Hannah nervously watching the circle spring to life around her. It gives her bit of an otherworldly glow and makes the fact that she can be ever so slightly transparent at times that much more obvious. Then a sudden wind whips up that flutters the papers on the desk but seems to move on without causing too much of a disturbance. The localized gust swirls through the room in an expanding spiral, snapping open books and closing others, pages flipping rapidly in the wind. Here and there loose papers are picked up and it even tears a couple books from the shelves before collapsing inward again, towards Hannah. She just kind of watches with a look between amazement and uncertainty on her face as the gathered up papers and books swirl around her. She reaches out to grab one of them when hundreds of tiny lights suddenly flare up all around her, growing blindingly bright for a split second before fading again.

When everyone, including Hannah, are done blinking the spots out of their eyes all the paper the wind had gathered has been dropped just outside the magic circle in a loose pattern. Sean would recognize most of the papers as notes he'd written down about the spell he'd been researching, partial translations and speculation about it's function. The books are mainly tomes that speculate about the nature of magic. Thaumaturgica, The Nature of Spells, basic stuff really, nothing that would strike Sean as particularly in depth or even necessarily correct. A lot of this stuff is speculation and often requires the reader to find the couple of things the authors got right between hear-say and superstition. They all seem to be open on particular pages though.


Thaumaturgica wrote:...and thus the patterns align what may be with the thing that are in the hands of a skilled magus. Some argue that a mental fortitude that is strong enough to will a structure on the world can force a corresponding change in the nature of things, but none have shown themselves capable of breaking with established rules. The creation of truly new patterns remains the domain of charlatans and gods as no human mind can bring forth the discipline to bend the very rules of the universal structures.


Encyclopaedia Astralis wrote:First and foremost every Traveler shall be warned for the nature of the Planares Astralis are fickle. What one may find beyond the veil one day might be gone the next for the Astral does not adhere to the geographical rules we are familiar with. Rather, one finds themselves in different regions based on a number of conditions, be it the casters own mental state, alignments in the stars or other, as of yet undiscovered factores. This makes it even more important for those traversing the dimensional barriers to be aware of the flow of causality and the rules that do apply. Not unlike the Fey realms, words have power here, perhaps even moreso, but most importantly it is the realm of myth and stories, of the underlieing currents of the human condition. Zeitgeist plays an important part as much as themes that have carved paths through this chaotic world since time immemorial.


Unaussprechliche Kulte (translated) wrote:They laught at me! Every one of them! Why oh why does it not work! This world bends to my will as long as I knoweth the right spells! Even they have to admit that our spells are fueled by the Astral Domains and I have shown that the spirit transported to them can create more than mere cantrips. Yet no structure, no spell, no pattern will make this world yield to my imaginations! Do they not see that their very doubt is what is holding me,
no! What is holding ALL of us back? If only they believed I could prove it, yet without prove they will not believe! It is enough to drive anyone mad! But there's one thing that may make them help me yet... [Translator's note: parts of the page in the original were marred with dried blood and indecipherable]


Summoning Spirits and Daemons wrote:For long Magi have chased the possibility to truly create. Homunculii, the Philosopher's Stone and many more attempts have been made to bind a spirit into a vessel. Spurred on by rumors of Nebuchadnezzar II tome containing secrets that go beyond any summoner's wildest dreams they have searched, only to find barely enough to keep the hope alive without ever achieving their goals. It is said he had the power to call upon Djinn and spirits unheard of before and some even say he'd create them from nothing but make-belief. And it is true that one of the most persistent myths is that almost any rumor, almost any story about him turned out to be true. Kingdoms fell to the mere fear of defeat at his hands.



All of them talk more or less about the same thing. The Astral world is extremely negotiable, but manifesting it in the real world by casting spells follows rules. Otherwise any Magus with an overactive imagination would constantly be calling forth manifestations of ideas and concepts. That's not something that happens, because that's what Gods are. They exist, but they aren't just made, no matter how many people you try to coax into believing into an alien called Xenu, there's no spell that'll make it as real as the red-head standing in the room. Yet Sean's notes neatly placed among the open books seem to contradict that. They talk about binding structures exceeding those of any normal spell that temporarily conjures flames or reveals the truth. Patterns vibrating with unrealized potential, just waiting to literally write something into existence. And in the middle of the accumulated texts is Hannah, awkwardly having caught a book that must have flown straight at her in the chaos, simply saying "Urban Legends - The Modern Fairy Tales?" on the cover. Sean's not even sure he's seen that book before although it could be something he carried over here from the mansion's library among some of the other stuff.
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Re: A Sorcerer, his invisible friend, and a goddess

Postby Samantha McManus » Wed Aug 16, 2017 11:31 pm

"I'm... a bit out of my depth here, but there definitely seems to be... a theme."
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Samantha McManus
Student
 
High Concept: Waking Goddess
Aspect: Enraptured by Violence
Aspect: Made of Nightmares
Aspect: Not Crazy
Aspect: Driven by Wolves

Re: A Sorcerer, his invisible friend, and a goddess

Postby Sean Hall » Thu Aug 17, 2017 2:31 am

"Amazing," Sean said as he took in the information in front of him. The creation of structures, real objects from the aether, bringing something into being from nothing was territory of madmen and believed impossible. However, everything laid out in front of him spoke otherwise of the possibility of doing so. That he could do so given the time to study this. He paused to think as the runes on his skin faded. If somebody had been counting they'd realize there were fewer now than before, whatever enchantment had been embedded in Sean's being was slowly coming undone.

"A pattern, yes, it appears that I pulled Hannah here from the astral plane," Sean said taking in what Sam said but stopping upon seeing the book that Hannah held. "Now that's... odd. I don't think I've seen that book before."
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Re: A Sorcerer, his invisible friend, and a goddess

Postby Hannah » Thu Aug 17, 2017 4:48 am

"Well it was flying through your study, but that probably doesn't say much." she says, feeling kind of awkward as the center of attention, even if it's mostly from books. She turns over the one she's holding on to to read the title and flip through the first couple pages. "Morality tales through the ages. Common archetypes and their psychological basis. Grimm vs Craven or The Importance of Gore." she reads off some of the chapter titles with bit of a dubious frown.
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Re: A Sorcerer, his invisible friend, and a goddess

Postby Samantha McManus » Thu Aug 17, 2017 5:07 am

"...you do seem to know a bit about horror movies."
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Samantha McManus
Student
 
High Concept: Waking Goddess
Aspect: Enraptured by Violence
Aspect: Made of Nightmares
Aspect: Not Crazy
Aspect: Driven by Wolves

Re: A Sorcerer, his invisible friend, and a goddess

Postby Sean Hall » Thu Aug 17, 2017 6:20 pm

"Could be clues about why you've died so many times," Sean said, "The rest is astral theory or using magic to exceed what many scholars believe are the limits of magic to create... constructs. Powers limited to legends about ancient arch-mages leveling cities with a word or summoning godlike beings to annihilate armies.

The ability to write something into existence using magic."
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Re: A Sorcerer, his invisible friend, and a goddess

Postby Hannah » Thu Aug 17, 2017 7:15 pm

"Well as far as summoning godlike beings goes I think you might need some practice then, cause I'm more annihilee than annihilator." she says, glancing at the scattered notes before looking back at the book in her hands and flicking through it. "I've definitely been through some of the stuff in here though."
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Re: A Sorcerer, his invisible friend, and a goddess

Postby Samantha McManus » Thu Aug 17, 2017 7:18 pm

"I mean, what if you really are... how did you put it? The 'penultimate girl'?"
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Samantha McManus
Student
 
High Concept: Waking Goddess
Aspect: Enraptured by Violence
Aspect: Made of Nightmares
Aspect: Not Crazy
Aspect: Driven by Wolves

Re: A Sorcerer, his invisible friend, and a goddess

Postby Hannah » Thu Aug 17, 2017 7:33 pm

"Just sounded better in my head than 'The Victim'..." she mumbles awkwardly.
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Re: A Sorcerer, his invisible friend, and a goddess

Postby Samantha McManus » Thu Aug 17, 2017 7:34 pm

"I'm not... trying to make you uncomfortable here."

"But really, do you remember anything before this... started happening to you?"
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Samantha McManus
Student
 
High Concept: Waking Goddess
Aspect: Enraptured by Violence
Aspect: Made of Nightmares
Aspect: Not Crazy
Aspect: Driven by Wolves

Re: A Sorcerer, his invisible friend, and a goddess

Postby Hannah » Thu Aug 17, 2017 7:38 pm

"Hell I can't even really tell you when it started. It's been going on for as long as I can remember and some of it is just... blurry now."
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Re: A Sorcerer, his invisible friend, and a goddess

Postby Samantha McManus » Thu Aug 17, 2017 7:43 pm

"It's... a bad story."

"But what if we could write a better one?"
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Samantha McManus
Student
 
High Concept: Waking Goddess
Aspect: Enraptured by Violence
Aspect: Made of Nightmares
Aspect: Not Crazy
Aspect: Driven by Wolves

Re: A Sorcerer, his invisible friend, and a goddess

Postby Hannah » Thu Aug 17, 2017 7:48 pm

"That's a nice thought and all, but it's not like I haven't tried to not get horrifically murdered before."
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Hannah
 

Re: A Sorcerer, his invisible friend, and a goddess

Postby Samantha McManus » Thu Aug 17, 2017 8:02 pm

"I'm not saying it's your fault, I'm saying I want to help. He got you out of the story. We can maybe acknowledge it is a story, now."

"...and between Sean and I, we're finding things you can interact with."

Sam holds her hand out and concentrates on feelings of welcome and sanctuary, two birds from the flock weaving them around and back in on themselves until they resolve into a construct of an apple.

"...see if you can take that."
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Samantha McManus
Student
 
High Concept: Waking Goddess
Aspect: Enraptured by Violence
Aspect: Made of Nightmares
Aspect: Not Crazy
Aspect: Driven by Wolves

Re: A Sorcerer, his invisible friend, and a goddess

Postby Hannah » Thu Aug 17, 2017 9:11 pm

Hannah reaches out and takes the apple without a problem but she seems dubious. "Not feeling great about apples, but thanks." she says, mustering a smile, because even though she can't help but find the shiny red apple unsettling for some reason she does appreciate the literal thought that went into it.
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Hannah
 

Re: A Sorcerer, his invisible friend, and a goddess

Postby Samantha McManus » Fri Aug 18, 2017 12:20 am

"You both get what I'm thinking here though, aye?"
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Samantha McManus
Student
 
High Concept: Waking Goddess
Aspect: Enraptured by Violence
Aspect: Made of Nightmares
Aspect: Not Crazy
Aspect: Driven by Wolves

Re: A Sorcerer, his invisible friend, and a goddess

Postby Hannah » Fri Aug 18, 2017 12:44 am

"I get the idea, but... how?"
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Re: A Sorcerer, his invisible friend, and a goddess

Postby Sean Hall » Fri Aug 18, 2017 2:31 pm

"Everything here seems to lead to the conclusion that it's possible," Sean said, "Which means between me and Sam's abilities we can do it. The real question is what will the story be?"
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Sean Hall
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Re: A Sorcerer, his invisible friend, and a goddess

Postby Samantha McManus » Fri Aug 18, 2017 4:23 pm

"What if she became the final girl?"
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Samantha McManus
Student
 
High Concept: Waking Goddess
Aspect: Enraptured by Violence
Aspect: Made of Nightmares
Aspect: Not Crazy
Aspect: Driven by Wolves

Re: A Sorcerer, his invisible friend, and a goddess

Postby Sean Hall » Fri Aug 18, 2017 4:54 pm

"Is that another horror movie reference?" Sean asked.
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Sean Hall
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Re: A Sorcerer, his invisible friend, and a goddess

Postby Hannah » Fri Aug 18, 2017 5:23 pm

"It's the one that survives and confronts the killer. Your Red Riding Hoods or Ellen Ripleys."
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