Leo nodded his agreement. "Entirely possible - if your mind has walled off those memories, there is probably good reason for it. Best not to go back there in that case. However, I'd like to do some visualization exercises with you. What are the most relaxing places for you to visit? Do you like the waves rolling onto the beach? A grassy meadow in the springtime?"

  Millicent, glad for the change of subject, looked curiously at the Doctor then shrugged and said, "sure if you think it will help." She thought for a moment then said; "let's see. I would say more meadow like back home, the rolling green hills, it's very relaxing driving cart through them on a nice sunny day." She gave a sigh; "it's been too long, I really need to back there to visit soon, maybe after all this is over."

Rosalie's research continued quite productively as she found the necessary materials for translation of the cuneiform characters. She identified it successfully as Babylon-era Sumerian, and used the Sumerian-German dictionary to translate it into German, then a German-English dictionary to bring it back into a language she understood.

---

Rosalie, can I get an Occult roll and a Cthulhu Mythos roll from you? If you loop Leo and Millicent into your findings, they can roll as well.

Leo nodded. "Grassy meadow it is. Start by closing your eyes and imagining that grassy meadow with rolling green hills from back home. You're driving a cart - what kind of cart is it?" Helping people achieve a better mental state was something Leo regularly practiced. He was hoping Millicent would benefit from one of the exercises he used.

   Following the Doctor's instructions, Milly focused on the scene in her mind. It was a nice scene, a calming one and soon she felt more relaxed. Focusing on the cart she spoke.

  "It was a typical Jaunting car, a little old fashioned I know, but fun to drive. I remember as a lass being driven by my Grandpappy and later being taught how to drive it myself." She gave a wistful sigh; "those were the days. I used it up until I left to go help with the war. Then I just got too busy to go back home. I hope he still has it."

 She gave a slight laugh, "boy, these exercises of yours are something Doctor, it's been a long while since I thought of that thing." 

Rosalie spent no small amount of time deciphering the scroll, using several different resources available to her to ensure she had the right translation.  What she found puzzled her greatly.  While her experience with Egyptology and the practices of various ancient peoples had exposed her to a variety of religious believes and rituals of the occult, she was far too practical a young woman to truly believe in magic.  Perhaps the things they had seen of late had blurred the lines of her logical nature a smidgen, but not to such a degree that she'd started believing in spells.

The cuneiform was far more challenging, but the results were puzzling there as well.  The text referred to the mirror and she found several references to such an artifact throughout history.  Could it be the same one?  The possibility excited her as she jotted down the details in her journal.  Of course, she didn't really know what to think of the tales of the mirror, but if it was as old as her references indicated, it would be a great find and a way to further her career.

Mindful of Millicent's need to speak privately with her Uncle, she returned to their private cubicle only when she'd decided they'd had plenty of time to converse.  Arms stuffed with books, she rejoined them, bright eyes indicating her excitement.

"I had quite a bit of good luck in the library.  They had exactly what I needed to work out these translations!"  She was more than little proud that she'd been able to find what she needed without her uncle's help.  As always, solving a puzzle gave her a sense of satisfaction.  "Though what I translated is quite odd, in my opinion."    Spreading out her materials, she began to outline what she'd discovered of both the scroll and the mirror, showing them the oddities that lay in each.


OOC

22:23, Today: Rosalie Elias rolled 3 using 1d100 with rolls of 3.  Occult (27).



Scroll:

Rosalie quickly learns that the scroll contains a magical spell, Body Warping of Gorgoroth.  It allows the caster to change his or her physical form. The caster must invoke Nyarlathotep and repeat the phrases of the spell for 1d6+4 minutes while expending 6 magic points and an additional magic point for each point of SIZ to be gained or lost in the body warping. This spell also costs 2d6 Sanity points and 1 point of POW each time cast. Only one alteration per casting is possible, and the effect is permanent until the spell is recast to change back again. This spell cannot be cast on another being.

The sorcerer can change to any shape and appearance though retaining personal abilities. This form must be fleshly, though it can appear to be of stone, wood, a rug, etc. Once changed into a new shape, the caster has the mobility of that shape. The caster's STR, CON, INT, POW, and DEX never change. If emulating a person, the sorcerer's APP becomes that of the individual emulated. The caster can take on only the form of what he or she knows.


Cuneiform:

The first part of the inscription identified the entity to whom the Mirror was dedicated— “Šen-šen ___ Gal (The Mirror {or Wrath} of the Great ___ )” but the symbol where the God or King’s name should go has been chiselled out. The cuneiform inscription continues that the Mirror was made in Lagash and is a gift from King (Lu-Gal) Bur-ra Bu-ri-ia-aš (“Servant of the Lord of Thunder and the Lands”) to his “brother”, King of Egypt, Ne-ne-fe-ka-____; (this has no meaning in Sumerian and is probably a phonetic transcription of the Egyptian Ne-Nefer-Ka-____; The symbol which should represent the patron god of this pharaoh is likewise destroyed). “When the King my Brother wishes to view his enemy, anoint the mirror with Ub-raan. When he wishes to strike his enemy, anoint the mirror with Ga-bé-se-gal. Let there be no misunderstanding between us.”

Obra’an/Ub-ra-an: {Sumerian: “The sound of the drum of heaven”: ub—drum; ra—to strike, bang; an—sky, heaven}

Gabeshegal/Ga-bé-se-gal: {Sumerian: “The milk sacred to/from the shrine of the great howling/buzzing one”: ga—milk; bé—buzz or howl; se—shrine, sacred, dedicated to a god; gal—great, supreme}

You believe this is an artifact of significant importance, and significant fame will accrue to the archaeologist who publishes a paper describing it.

The only references to the Mirror occur after Napoleon’s invasion of Egypt in 1798. You locate an anecdote about an occultist operating in Paris during the Second Restoration, from a biography of the occultist Collin de Plancy:

One fellow made a small fortune claiming to have a mirror which allowed him to espy the boudoirs of Paris’ most beautiful ladies. The mirror, a dull grey affair curiously stamped with Hebrew symbols, was said to have been recovered from an Egyptian tomb plundered during Napoleon’s excursions there a generation previous. Anointing its metal with foul-smelling Eastern unguents, the mystic gained all sorts of rewards for his services. He came to a bad end, after agreeing to kill, by magic, the husband of a wealthy patron. When her agents arrived at his chambers to demand satisfaction, the reprobate had fled, magic mirror in tow. His body was found in a Genoese brothel a few weeks later, his heart clawed out as if by a wolf.

OOC:

Rosalie, great Occult roll! Could you also make a Cthulhu Mythos roll? Leo and Millie can make one of those too. It's for more/different knowledge.

22:47, Today: Rosalie Elias rolled 18 using 1d100 with rolls of 18.  Cthulhu Mythos.

I didn't realize till after you rolled that Leo is the only one of you three with non zero Cthulhu Mythos lol

Leo nodded at Millicent and smiled at her response, though when Rosie came back, he thought it best to pause their exercise. "Excellent! Let's take a short break."

Leo turned his smile to Rosalie as she indicated her success, and then he dove into it as well. "Great work! Let me take a look at those oddities. Perhaps it's something related to what I've been reading."

06:19, Today: Dr. Leonardo Elias rolled 9 using 1d100 with rolls of 9.  Cthulhu Mythos (13).

Something here seemed to tie into this whole mystery they'd started unraveling.

19:58, Today: Millicent O'Connor rolled 33 using 1d100 with rolls of 33.  Cthulhu Mythos. She doesn't have any so I don't know what she was supposed to roll.


  The vision faded from her mind when Dr. Elias told her to stop and she went over to where Rosalie was to listen to her findings. She was impressed with how much she was able to find out; the woman was obviously good at her job.

She looked fearful at the scroll remembering her experience with this whole magic stuff.

   "It really does that? What in the world would one use it for? This mirror though, you think it is the same on they are talking about? That thing gave me the heebie jeebies, seeing myself change like that. I wonder what that cultist does with it?"

Leo seems to recall things as he reads it, but isn't sure exactly how he knows them.

"It sounds like the mirror I've read about," she said with a nod.  "But I don't know what they'd be doing with it.  Maybe they believe the myth and think that it shows or can show them their enemies or even help them destroy their enemies.  I'm not certain what enemies they believe they have.  Perhaps it is anyone that comes after their cult or threatens to expose them."

Leo paused and thought about what Rosalie had conveyed regarding the cuneiform. Something tugged at his brain, or perhaps pushed at it. Knowledge bloomed, though he knew not from where.

"Gabshegal is a black, powdery substance. It can either be derived from the Milk of Shub- Niggurath, or from the mysterious ores mined by the Mi-Go." He paused, then explained. "I think I must have read that in a book sometime. I'm not certain I know what a Shub-Niggurath is or a Mi-Go is."

The physician frowned. "The scroll reminds me of some of the stuff I've picked up from the books that Roger Carlyle had hidden away."

 Millicent gave the two a look, "from what I've seen, I really don't want to know what either of those things are. But," she hesitated a little. "I don't like what you're saying about that mirror. If it's true about that thing, couldn't they use it so see us? I mean wouldn't we be considered their enemies? For Christ's sake, I actually looked into the thing and it could have captured my image somehow." She looked around fearful like she would be about to spot something out of the ordinary."

"I would really like to see it for myself," Rosalie admitted.  "I'm not sure what's true and what's not, but there are enough stories about it that it's important historically -- if it is the same mirror."

She jotted down what Leo remembered with her own notes and then closed her journal.  "We should head back to check in with Avery and see if the others are finished with their errands.  I want to know if Bo and Stanley saw anyone at the spice shop."

"Are you two quite done, or do you need more time?  I could go back into the stacks if you're still chatting."

Leo shook his head. "We can continue chatting later. Though I do wonder - Millicent, did you see any black, powdery substance near the mirror before you were assaulted?" The existence of the mirror did concern Leo. Hopefully their intrepid group could do something about it.

OOC:

Millicent, make an Idea roll.

  Millicent gave a rather poignant negative shake of her head. "Oh no you would not Rosalie. Believe me, if you ever see that thing, stay away from it, or if you must be near it, don't look into the thing."

  At the Doctor's question, Millicent thought for a moment, "I'm not sure, but let me think, so much happened since then."

OOC: 13:26, Today: Millicent O'Connor rolled 32 using 1d100 with rolls of 32.  idea.

PM

  "Sorry," Millicent said finally remembering something. "I didn't see any kind of powder; but", she added, "there were some vials around that Vincent took, maybe it was inside those. You should ask him what he did with him when we get back. DO you think it would be of some use?"

Leo's eyes opened slightly wider. "Well, it might be of use if we get our hands on that mirror. If we can figure out how to use it without losing ourself in it..." Leo frowned and considered some more, but then looked to his niece. "What do you think about trying to make use of the, er, artifact?"

"I'm thinking that I want to have a look at it and study it before attempting anything.  The stories are all different, but they all indicate that this artifact, if it is the artifact, is dangerous.  Maybe even cursed.  We should be careful."  She gestured to Millie with one hand.  "If what she saw is any indication, we should be very, very careful." 

She began stacking books so they could be re-shelved and collected her writing materials and journal.  "I want to have another look at the other things the boys brought back.  If they didn't see anyone during their stakeout, we might be able to gain access to the shop again."

  "I would be very surprised if it were as easy as last time to get in there," Millicent said as she got ready to head back with the others. "Surely they can't be so lax or arrogant as to not expect someone to maybe try again after what happened." She shrugged, "unless they think we're not that stupid." She just hoped no one would get hurt if they did.

Leo nodded at the responses from both the women. "Study and great care sound like a good way to proceed with this thing. Let's head back and see how the others have made out. Perhaps our next step will become more clear."