Noah did take note of Mistrals covert support like a secret to be treasured. The end of his tail tapped the leg of her chair as he looked about at everyone moving about.

Mistral gave Sir Jitters a serious look, as if speaking to a rotund spirit-squirrel-knight was perfectly normal, and said, “If Maître Argentus agrees, could you track that fragrance?  It came from the break—”  She was just gesturing toward the break room that was being investigated, but was interrupted by an explosion from somewhere outside.  Mistral leaped to her feet at once and went as near to the door as she could, trying to catch a glimpse of the gunmen and anything else of note on the scene of the attack.

After Argentus made his proclamation to the Concilium to reconvene elsewhere, Mistral looked to the leadership and stood ready to open a portal to any alternate location that might be declared.

---

Wits + Composure to look around the scene for any hint as to who the attackers were or any notable details:

• 09:36, Today: Mistral rolled 4 successes using 6d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s with rolls of 4,7,9,1,9,10(+8).  Wits + Composure.

Unveiling Resonance to see if they brought any bad magic along:

• 09:37, Today: Mistral rolled 2 successes using 6d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s with rolls of 8,3,1,5,4,8.  Int + Occult.

 The Merlin (the old man that has been heading the Council up until now) spoke up. "That's the plan, but it would be difficult to explain such an international gathering that never went through an airport, yes? The portal leads to a secure location where we can reconvene."

 The attackers with guns were all subdued and dragged through the portal for questioning while all the other magisters followed suit. The security force was the last to go through, waiting to see if you planned to follow or try to skip out (they did not look like the kind to let you do that without a fight though).

(Argentus waited for his spirits to report back to him on what they had started before the chaos.)

Noah started packing up his gear but he kept his eye on Mistral to make sure her blessing was given. He was not going to enter a portal without her all clear.

 Polt returned, reporting that the initial target had been poisoned somehow, but wasn't sure who he was. He looked like a mage servant.

 While the others were on guard, only Niri had anything useful to report. "There was a breach in the portal room we entered but nothing came through and then it closed."

Mistral's eyes narrowed as she looked out at the scene of the attack and the gunmen being carted away.  She quietly addressed one of the security team and pointed out to a truck parked outside, "That truck belonged to the attackers."

Without awaiting an answer, Mistral turned on her heel and went back to the others.  To Noah she reported, "It is the same vehicle that came for us after we met Prince Victor.  One wonders whether they managed to clean their sorcier's bloodstains from the upholstery."  Argentus's spirit called Niri reported a concerning detail about the portal room.  She turned that way, nodding for the others to follow.

Mistral arrived at the portal chamber and knelt, eyes fixated not upon the room itself but the space encompassing it, lips moving as she analyzed.  She was focused on the investigation and didn't bother to warn anybody that the portal might have been tampered with.

Sal stayed with the others, but activated Resilience, in case a trap had been set. He regretted bringing weapons, but he was a guest, and wasn't sure how it would be received. He had faith in his Cabal's abilities, anyway, and hoped they valued him enough not to let him die without a fight. He made sure to avoid the sun, though, if any was coming in.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:20, Wed 15 Jan 2020.

 Some of the others stopped and stared as Mistral began to work her magics. One of the security team stood nearby but did not interfere, yet.

 Fortunately for Sal, this portal room was an interior room and undamaged by the explosion.

Mistral’s eyelids fluttered and her gaze turned to places elsewhere.  Distractedly she said, “This Porte is safe.  Proceed as you will.”  Her eyes shifted, tracking something.

Noah quietly moved up behind Mistral. If he left before she was done working her magic it would mean they couldnt pivot if she came up with something more. And that was one thing they had over other Cabals, the ability to pivot given new information.

 When Mistral heads through the portal, she nearly bumped into the person in front of her, who had stopped in his tracks. It was the Magister from France... and the look of shock on his face was evident.

 The mages from the Grand Consortium, the most powerful gathering of mages in the world, were backing away from something against the far wall... and, as they thinned out somewhat, she could see what had evoked that reaction.

 It was Talion... but something was wrong with him. His body was gaunt and pale, he twitched and moved in odd patterns, and his head lolled off to one side. His eyes were sunk deep into his sockets and were wide, showing off all of the whites. They burned with a near luminous, almost feral, intensity.

 In one hand... claw? It was almost easy to imagine that his fingers were now monstrous claws rather than normal fingers, he clutched the throat of someone you did not recognize... but his sleeve had been torn off and the tattoo of the demon cult was plainly visible.

 His burning hatred was affixed entirely on the victim in his hands, who was scrabbling at his throat. There was evidence that spells had been thrown, judging from the fresh scars (that looked like paradox scars) on several mages' hands. Despite everything, the maelstrom of spirit was not present here.

 When Talion spoke, his voice was level, cold and deathly still, devoid of the warmth it had always carried when he'd spoken to any of you (even when he had been annoyed or flustered... or even when he'd taken on a monstrous form). Instead, it rang out like a clarion call across the barriers of space like a death knell, a final end to all things. "Did you think I wouldn't come for you? Did you think I wouldn't take it personally?"

 His victim began to glow from within with a blue light, highlighting his veins as if his skin had become translucent, burning away the demon's mark. "Your eternity ends now. There shall be nothing awaiting you after this. No mercy, no damnation. You will be unmade. I will show you Oblivion. I will show you despair...."
This message was last edited by the player at 09:07, Fri 17 Jan 2020.

Noah stepped through and pushed a little bit so there would at least be room to move. No one wants a portal enclosing on their tail after all. When he saw that it was Talion, as he was heads taller than everyone else, that tail thumped once. "Looks like Talion caught himself one of the demon mages." It was unlikely it was the one Mistral had been chasing, he wouldn't be at council.

Noah hopped up on the shoulders of the french magister and hopped over the crowd like a bird who didnt weigh a bit. "Talion, may I encourage you download his memories before you return to the true nothing? He may have a lead on the others who had been vanished." He walked up offering one of his slates as if it was a magical data storage device.

He was cautious about the man. But Noah would never be able to not help.

Coming through the portal and pushing his way forward, Argentus was shocked to find Talion, but was glad he had already caught the demoniac traitor.  "Gotta agree with Noah - we're still missing some of their accomplices and we don't know if Emily went with the True Fae of her own will or if her going was part of the demon cult's plan.  Beyond that, you could hold back on the judgment of a mage, as a show of goodwill to those who he just attacked, and give them a moment to catch up before you issue judgment."

To those assembled, he said: "Does anyone with authority want to recommend people stop attacking the man that just found the traitor who murdered one of us and is in league with an earthbound?  They have a space mage in the wind, and with this guy here and undealt with, they could have just tracked us and done something bigger."

Mistral strode through the portal and into the gathering of mages on the other side.  She recognized the Magister of France after nearly running into him in the crowd, and groaned inwardly.  She intentionally dealt as little as possible with the higher echelons of mage society, and so had not seen nor communicated with the Magister in some years.  She inclined her head and bowed slightly to him and said, “Bonjour, Magister.”  In French she goes on, “<I am somewhat less dead than reported, I am afraid.>”

The commotion at the far end of the chamber caught Mistral’s attention, for how could it be ignored?  She faded to the margins of the room as the dramatic spectacle unfolded.  Her breath left her as the voice of the end of all things rang out, and she took an involuntary step back.  She’d hoped for the cultist to be incinerated by Talion’s raw magic, but could see the sense in learning what he knew first.

This scene would not ingratiate Talion to the Consortium, Mistral reckoned, but it would certainly substantiate her cabal’s claims.  She elected to observe, for the time being.

 As Noah landed in front of Talion, the man drew his head up in an awkward angle to look at him, then his eyes moved to the device. There was a moment of thought but not of softening before he reached into the glowing mage's chest and tore his ghost from his body, letting it flop to the ground like a smoldering meat sack.

 He then reached into the ghost as if he'd reached into the body, ripping the soul from the ghost in the same motion, handing the empty ectoplasmic shell to Noah.

 The raw soul in his hands began to smolder and then burst into blue flame. Moments later, nothing remained of either body or soul (only the ectoplasmic husk).


 There was another pause as Argentus's words rang out and someone spoke. "S-Stand down! You... T-Talion, what of learning what he knew?"

 Talion took a staggering step forward, inhaling and then exhaling, emitting a sound like dry wind through an open crypt. "We will learn what he knew. Neither his body nor his soul are required for that. As for these..."

 His eyes affix to the men who are now tied up and helpless in the hands of the Concilium forces. "Give them to me..."

 His voice was quiet, but his countenance burned with murderous rage. The cultists stared at him in horror and then looked up at their captors, pleading at them silently.

 The man with an air of authority stepped forward. "I am Helios, the Adamant Sage. These men are in our custody and will receive a fair trial. Then they will be judged by the council."

 The man had kept his composure and the arrival of the group had emboldened him.

Sal watched in silence. Helios he thought. Ironic that I should stand in his presence. Mages certainly match kindred on audacity when it comes to names. Hardly a reason he should die. Hopefully, Talion doesn't destroy him for his temerity.

Noah was not about to tell a father to stand down from getting his vengeance for what was done to his children. Hell, Noah would likely have helped if not for the fact Talion only needed help with fine details rather than power. When Talion handed him the shell of the ghost Noah went right to work. He worked the ectoplasm until it was folded down. Once it was down to a sheet he framed it and then folded it once more before spiriting it away into his suit pocket. "Going to take a ritual and a bit of time to program it but we should have the man's whole life on record now."

Noah followed something up from Talion and was looking into the ceiling for a moment before he opened his little roll case and pulled out a bottle of water along with both a mana bar and a real protein bar, offering it to Talion. "Lunch will be at the Ark. I'll be making Calzones by hand. You are well invited Talion."

He then looked to Helios, "Sorry mate. You're standing in between a father and the men who did harm to his children. Normally I would encourage Talion to stand down as a means to provide good faith. But you are holding back his wrath from men who gave an infant to Nephandi."

"A thousand times over, I beg you to not stand between Talion and his enemy. They are already dead, it's just a matter of time. They gave an infant and a young lady to the Nephandi, one they killed and the other they carved into their soul. The arrow enjoy a fight but there is no honor in this, there is nothing to learn in this." Noah had seen just how deep Talion plans. Last time the goons showed up he infected them with a nanite heart-stopper before starting other means to bring them down. Talion could likely kill everyone in the room with the same nanite plague.

Talion already made a submission by letting their ghost shell remain for pulling data. It was time for the mage council to do the same as Talion could only be pushed so far. Noah made a silent call for Grey whom he picked up and held on one arm.

Noah was willing to throw down but he did not want to, at all, ever.

"Talion, if .... no, I can't even ask you a if or what if. I cannot stand between a father and his justice. I'd want the same in your shoes. Will you give them an hour at least until they die? A death sentence from you is a sure thing, no doubt they are already dead and just waiting for time to catch up."
This message was last edited by the player at 01:00, Sat 18 Jan 2020.

Sal finally decides to speak up, "Come now, you all want justice, correct? How many wizards need to die in an unnecessary conflict over who gets to punish these terrorists? The important thing is that they indeed get punished."

 Talion stopped, letting Noah's, and then Sal's words reach him. "Very well. 60 minutes and not a second longer. Do as you will until then, but then they belong to me."

 Helios bristled, but Sal's words tempered his rage. Despite that, he spoke. "You have no right to intrude upon our investigation."

 Talion simply closed his eyes, as though he'd fallen asleep standing up.

Talion reaches down and scoops up Talion as well. "Talion has disconnected. He wasn't really here to start, he was working through a Proxy, kind of like how I do it when running around as a human." He inclined his head to Helios. "Not to sound too much like a dick, but you've got a fifty-nine minutes to conduct your questioning. After that no force on earth shy of an archmage will be able to save them. Best bet, their hearts will just turn off, he's done that before."

His eyes focused in, "It's not easy talking down a hurricane, I've done it once already but Talion is a force of nature. I implore you to hurry."

He looked to the Merlin, "Mind showing me where we will speak again? He likely has a security setup on this body and I don't want anyone touching him and setting him off, or it getting to far from us and activating some kind of proximity trigger." He knew Talion was likely just chilling, but if they thought he was gone gone they would likely be a little more open to talking so he could hear.

As the confrontation carried on Mistral drifted through the gathering, slowly circling the chamber.  She arrived near to the prisoners as the hour of interrogation was negotiated, and there she placidly regarded them like an entomologist with a set of insects she's about to pin to a board for study.  Mistral stared discerningly at each prisoner in turn, taking in every detail.

---

Wits + Composure to examine the prisoners for any notable details about them.  Do any look familiar from previous thug encounters?  Any clues as to where they came from?  Any interesting items, clothing, physical features?:

• 19:50, Today: Mistral rolled 3 successes using 6d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s with rolls of 10(+4),10(+7),8,5,3,6.  Wits + Composure.

Then Int + Occult to ID the demon tattoos:

• 19:50, Today: Mistral rolled 3 successes using 6d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s with rolls of 10(+4),10(+7),8,5,3,6.  Wits + Composure.

 Talion was dead weight as Noah picked him up but was surprisingly light. The Concilium started finally recovering from their initial shock as the scene comes to a close.

 "What's going on here?"
 "What was that?"
 "Was that... the Emperor?"

 Helios glared at the form slumped over Noah's shoulder. "I don't care what he is, these are our prisoners and they deserve a trial."

 Regardless, he began to lead them into private, warded rooms for interrogation.


 As they're taken away, the Merlin began leading the mages to another location to re-convene. As they do, Noah can notice a Life Master being taken into the private rooms, just in case.

"What's going on here?" - Noah's tail pointed at the asker. "We just proved that Talion is calm and negotiable even when he is in the fit of a 'you hurt my children' rage. ARgentus, being the brilliant man he is, has encouraged that we work as envoy to Talion for you all. And we have just proven full, well, and able to do so."

"What was that?" - Noah's tail pointed at the asker. "You're gonna need to be more detailed in your question but I can assume you mean the event itself. Talion found a demon pact mage, one of the few whom stole his children from him. He gave me the memories of the person and did with him as any father would an aggressor."

"Was that... the Emperor?" - Noah's tail pointed at the asker. "Is that, is the operative phase. He is still here, but he spent three months without sleep, food, or water while he watched everything they did to the kids. I know, I went into the Manastorm to see him. So he is sleeping for another fifty-eight minute." Noah was answering their questions to cement in the herd the idea that they could indeed come to the group to answer questions. A means to make an iron-clad foundation that mages could come to the Cabal for help and questions.

It had to start somewhere and moments of wonder and fear are massively useful in manipulating the psychology of the herd.

He leaned down to Prom, "If their life mage is in contact with the bodies when the time is up they may be also afflicted with whatever means Talion has employed to kill the aggressors. It would be a black stain for us if they died also and you're the only life mage who could react to the nanite plague."

He bowed his head to Sal, "A tempered tongue, God bless you. No doubt Helios would have gone aggressive without you."

Noah tilted his head side to side. "Merlin, I am going to strongly encourage that no one but we touch the body of Talion here. No doubt he has more protective measures than the collected mages here. More so that its just Grey and I as we are effectively immune to the worst things that could happen." He smiled, "How is the Synth doing? They should have powered down during the storm bu they should have turned back on ok."

 The magisters finally calmed themselves and began to assemble in the new auditorium (which was not quite as structurally impressive).

 The Merlin nodded. "He woke up just fine. I don't see anything wrong with him... I still can't believe you turned yourself into a dragon."