Session 19: The Cycle Report
General Summary
In Blight's Chantry - Flagstaff
After passing through the crematorium rather nonchalantly, the neonates find themselves seamlessly transitioning into Blight's Chantry as they climb up a flight of stairs. As they greet him, Eleanor gives him the fetter he sent them out to retrieve and Dr. Blight stows it away just like the others. As a reward, he gives them a choice between an Oddity, a sum of Money, or aid in revealing a Secret. The third option is new and highly contested, Dr. Blight informing the coterie that he's spent a long time honing the art of piercing the veil and divining, but ultimately the coterie votes to receive the oddity.
Adel puts out her hand and has something small placed within it; an ancient gold coin. It seems Grecian and has an ancient greek ruler carved on one side and an owl on the other. Dr. Blight explains that it's an Obol but he doesn't know of its purpose. He tells that the obol is often in their position in his visions and it may be of use at some point during their journey. Eleanor is enraged by this gift, desperate for answers- her firey reaction displeases Blight, but he offers to return on some of his research he had been doing on behalf of the coterie. He says he's found a way to try and unravel the memories linked to ones soul and offers to try this spell out on Chesley. The group agrees and Chesley's glasses are set on the table so Dr. Blight may cast the spell.
As he does, the spell arches off of his lenses and hits each member of the coterie. At first- nothing seems to happen to any of them until Magnus hits the ground, falling instantly unconscious. Dr. Blight freezes before flipping through his notes, concerned and visibly confused that the spell had any effect on flesh and blood. It takes a few moments of further sorcery before Magnus is made conscious again, claiming he simply blacked out as a result of the spell. His mentor doesn't seem too sure but doesn't push any further. Chesley informs Adel that the spell did work on him to an extent but he needs some time to process what he saw.
Lastly- Dr. Blight tells Adel that he is finished with Jeremy Palmer's fetter if she'd like to have it back, but it may be good to get it back from him at the bottom of the mountain as the wraith may mess with their car while they're driving. He also disclosed that he unfortunately had to destroy Cecelia's painting fetter because she was being hostile towards the other wraiths in his possession.
Down the Mountain - To Tempe
The drive down the mountain is slightly more eventful. Eleanor nearly hits a deer that Maki ends up cursing off the road in its own tongue. Closer to Tempe, the coterie bullies Eleanor into picking up a hitchhiker despite her clarifying that it appears to be the same guy- just this time on the other side of the road. With much debating, the strange worn looking man is allowed to climb into the van and introduces himself as Ezekiel. He speaks pretty freely of himself to those who ask, the group quickly learning he's a mangy gangrel who takes the form of a coyote in these parts. He describes himself as being pretty unaligned at the moment given some nuwisha just split his pack and he's been flying solo for a few weeks now. Osa takes to him immediately, finding some solidarity in his lifestyle and finding his clever use of gym showers to look presentable around kine insightful. Ultimately, Zek thanks them for the ride and asks to be left at a gas station right outside the city, having no desire to deal with the sheriff's hounds if he gets too much deeper into the Tempe domain.
As they say their goodbyes, Eleanor gets a call on her phone from an unknown number. Since she's driving, she ignores it, but Adel reaches into her purse to grab the phone and answer it on her behalf. It's the sheriff, Elias, and he's asking for a second opinion on a subject relating to the convention center issue. Although the young coterie is hesitant, they agree and meet the sheriff at the Tempe police department.
Once there, they're escorted back to the outside of an interrogation room where Kristoff (Teddy's book keeper) is in handcuffs at the table. Elias explains that Kris was found unconscious in a closet at the convention center- in the same room where the demonic ritual was happening. He states that Kris keeps telling him he doesn't know how he ended up there or why they wanted him there to begin with and that he doesn't believe him in the slightest. He asks if the coterie thinks he's in the wrong for finding him suspicious, where-in the coterie agrees that it's strange for him to have been there. A few of them go in to try and question him themselves, Magnus eventually resorting to a truth-telling ritual that squeezes a bit more information out of Kristoff. This is what he had to say;
- He feels like he was knocked out right as he was unlocking the door to enter the occult archives as that's the last thing he remembers before becoming conscious again when the police find him.
- He admits to being previously part of some sabbat affiliated cult, but specifies that he hasn't been a part of that group in several years. [He specifically seems put off about admitting this detail for some reason.]
- He didn't have anything to do with the ritual to his knowledge & doesn't know why he was spared or what role he was meant to play in all of this- Ultimately in the dark to some master plan.
After divulging all of this, Kristoff requests the coterie send for Teddy, or in the very least inform Teddy of his whereabouts, of which they agree before leaving.
