Mistral's magic quickly swept the group away and they soon found themselves once more standing on the sandy beach of Grey's island.

 Upon their return, they found themselves greeted by Grey playing with a particularly miffed Fred while Wraith is chasing Jitters around the deck of the ship while growling angrily. They seemed to be bickering over bars of collected tass.

 Talion sighed and sat in a chair near his desk. "So you've managed to do what I couldn't over the course of the past ten years. So first, thank you. However, I believe that there are things you're still not telling me."

 He eyed both Noah and Mistral skeptically. "You two were acting strangely back there. I would like to know the full scope of what I'm being dragged into."

 Michael stood passively and watched the whole exchange between the powerful Mages. He did make mental notes of all the talk of Guardians and Heiromagus. Once they were safely back on the island, he takes a seat and lays his sword across his lap. “Well that was an interesting spa treatment wouldn’t you say? The next question is where do we go from here and should we lay low for a few days to let the heat die down?”

Nefertiti was also glad it was over for she too now had to do a lot of research and asking a lot of question that would surely cost even more favors to those that are more knowledgeable about distance places.

She didn't go looking for a seat at first but stood there in her humanly form and listening to what Talion was saying to the two.  Was there something more to be said and to understand.

She wasn't given a station in this new order because she can't cast such spells without her soul.  Letting out a deep breath she also wondered if they were all going to be taking some time to do other things.  Going back to Egypt was something she might be able to achieve now, and it would give her some time away from all this Chaos.

The poise and savoir-faire Mistral had demonstrated during the ritual diminished somewhat upon the return home, and she let out a long sigh before slumping wearily into a seat.  She sat in stillness with eyes closed for a short while before answering Talion, "That endeavor was far more successful than I had anticipated, in all respects.  I expected the test to provoke dissenting voices and difficulty from my Order, regardless of the results de l'étude.  I did not expect the dissolution of the Guardians, nor to found the Order that would replace it."  Mistral ran fingers through her hair, which seemed to have grown more lustrous and vibrant in coloration since the ritual, and muttered to herself, "Dans quoi me suis-je embarqué..."

Mistral looked up and proceeded to explain, "The designation of the Hieromagus was something of a formality, but très important politically.  It is a concept burdened with much prophetic baggage that is important to many Awakened, and to the Concilium.  The important factor is that now you will be regarded by most as an ally to réalité, rather than an enemy.  Suspicions will endure with some, but now the Concilium will work with you on the restoration of the Tapestry."

Mistral turned to Noah and said, "Surely you have more to add, mon dragon.  You always do."

Noah was sitting on the floor with his back to a wall with his eyes closed as he was doing what he could to remain awake but still dozy. "I was just covering holes that I could see and stopping future troubles as I saw them, but I am out of my league on this one. I've been freecouncil from the start. Freedom of choice and action has ever been the core of the whole lot of them. The idea of unification of a Hieromagus would taste bitter to any F.C."

"There are very few free councils that could give any credit to prophesy. They do, however, know that time magic lets you peek behind the curtain and people a long time ago did their best to translate what they saw. Lots of room for lost in translation there."

He pressed his lips into a thin line as he sat there mostly human. "I don't think the title matters, I think the support of the mages does. And no matter what we do people adore attaching hash tags onto things and others. It makes it easy to process. After all, everyone in this room has PTSD when it comes to power. We've gone past titles and names and just gone straight to 'fuck it, let's go' when it comes to the upper tier of all this."

"I mean, we just did a dine and dash and flipped the bird to the entire supernatural world to such a degree that there is no chance stories are not just growing and growing right now. We scared luna, set a blaze bright enough for the supernal realms to feel it, we had a fuck mothering goddess, hunter, vampire, and dragon actively working in a ritual... that shit doesn't happen."

"This was a line in the sand for everyone out there. It is a fine thing that the guardians just got a good dose of get up and go, but any mention of prediction, politics, and what should have happened is now dust in the wind."

"The Mighty Mistral now leads the guardians, and likely many space mages from other groups. But count your blessings and prepare for rain as they are ALL coming. Talion, you're not the Hieromagus, you're the damn Merlin of the world. The most powerful mage on the face of the world just let the world know it. Nef is going to start seeing spirits and souls pop up wanting to know more about her, gods on earth are rare. Lycanthropes will seek me out, Michael will find naturally supernatural people seek him out. Sal is going to get a love letter from every vampire shy of Cain himself. Fate is going to likely find the other half of magedom asking 'what can we do for you mam?'."

"Have that Hieromagus feather on your cap, sure. But we blew past that expectation and went into a whole new category the moment we started. People made a story a long time ago, time to ensure that was just a pamphlet to the book we are writing. Right now, I am in a room with the most powerful movers and shakers this side of the world if not further. There is a lot of work to do so the details can wait. We gotta get working on the things that went unseen."

 Talion put his palm on his forehead. "Prophesies..."

 He spat the word out as if it were a curse. "Three millennia, 3 multiverses, and a few trillion light years from home and I still find one waiting for me... and the prophesies about saviors and heroes are far worse than the ones about villains. I've experienced both more times in my life than one man should and I can say with certainty..."

 His eyes became unfocused and the group could see his thousand yard stare. "...there's always a price to be paid. Always."

 He slid his hand down from his forehead to cover his eyes. "For now, we should avoid New York. Let's give things time to settle. This isn't the first time I 'rattled the cages', so to speak. You should be able to do any things you still need to do if you hurry. Once the word spreads, it'll be nearly impossible to move about easily."

Nefertiti had a slight giggle as she listened to Noah ranting and most of the things he said meant very little to nothing to her.  This time line was way beyond her years and she still hasn't had time to study or get to understand it.  Since her awakening, she has been fighting battles with Supernatural beings and Talion's missions.

But she was able to get a glimpse of something, of a place where her soul is being held.  She wasn't sure if everyone saw it when they were linked.

"I have a place I need to go, so I can make myself vanish. she said then looked over to Mistral "Was you able to see the location of my soul, as well?

Nefertiti’s words led Mistral to think back to the ritual and the many incredible visions granted by it, though one stark image stood out in her mind.  She asked the demigoddess, “La pyramide noire?  I saw it briefly, though I did not know its significance.  That was in Stygia, the realm of death.”  Mistral did not often show emotions, but there was a touch of fear on her face as she recalled the endless deathly wastes.  She said, “I can take us to this place, but I must first enter your memory of the vision to locate it.  Would that be agreeable?  You may accompany me in revisiting it, if you wish.”

Talion and Noah expressed distaste for prophecy, to which Mistral could only agree, “Prophecy holds no credibility for me, and I need no sauveur.  To my mind Heiromagus is a descriptor for one with the knowledge to repair this broken reality and offer innovation to a long-stagnated status quo.  You fit that bill, Monsieur, but with all due respect… you are no messiah.”  She gave an enigmatic smirk and then went on, “Whatever you may think of the title, it has its uses.  If a degree of superstition is required to gain cooperation among Awakened, then so be it.  Obstacles that hindered us yesterday are now removed.  Now they will listen, and thus the true work may begin.”

Mistral turned away to stare out to the stars on the ocean horizon and paused to consider her next words.  At last she spoke, “I have given the matter consideration and have decided… I am ready to seek Ascension.  I believe I shall need it, for what is to come.”

 Mistral's words snapped Talion out of his introspection and her comment about him not being a messiah actually drew a laugh from him. "I couldn't have said it better myself."

 He rose wearily from his chair and went into his room, returning with a full length mirror and four lamps. He placed the lamps in a square and set up the full length mirror in front of her. There are three main aspects of a mage's ascension.

 "There are three things that must be done before a mage can ascend. You have already accomplished the second and the third will be my job in this ritual. The first step is the last for you. You must now define your Noumenon. In the same way you work your will upon the world around you, you must now use your will to shape your soul. Archmastery will free your body from the this world and you will become a Supernal Soul Manifestation. You have already seen mine.

 Think upon what you want of yourself, of the world, and what you wish for your place in it to be. State it aloud for reality itself to hear, and hold that image of yourself fast in your mind."

Nefertiti gave Mistral a smile as she then nodded her head "You may have access to that memory, only. there was a lot of things running in her own private thoughts and she didn't need them to be discovered yet.

"I do wish to travel there with you so that I may know who was the jailer of my soul and why.  I do hope that they haven't corrupted it any.

Michael listened to Noah’s monologue in agreement and smiled. Mistral’s declaration of some sort of ‘Ascension’ peaked his interest. He assumed it had to do with some sort of advance in rank or power. He looked into the ritual preparation with keen interest.

Noah yawned as he started dozing off entirely, "I just need to sign the other towers, outside of that I am happy to help anyone with anything as needed." There wasnt much to say before he was out like a light.

Mistral readily agreed to Nefertiti's terms, "Comme tu veux.  That memory, and nothing more.  You will have your soul back, Queen Nefertiti.  Do not doubt it."

When Mistral said she was ready for the Ascension ritual, she hadn't thought it would be done right now.  Surely such a monumental ritual would require much intensive preparation, planning, and far too much pomp and circumstance, shouldn't it?  Apparently not, because Talion was ready to elevate her to the mythic pinnacle of Awakened being using a mirror and a handful of lanterns.


Talion's request was a weighty one indeed, and would require great introspection about her very soul and her ultimate vision of the universe.  Mistral gave a nod of acknowledgement, then bowed her head and closed her eyes.  She was silent and still for a long time.  The moments stretched on, and just when it seemed she might not reply, she raised her head.  With the Noumenon fixed firmly in her mind, she stared intensely into the mirror and began to speak.  She spoke in French, though all listeners would hear their own native tongue spoken with crystalline clarity.


The words were addressed to reality itself, and they echoed across the threads of creation to establish a new Truth.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:53, Thu 01 July 2021.

Nefertiti watched as Mistral moved to face the mirror and took her time to give her new form time to be created.  Staring into the mirror and waiting to see what new shape she would give herself.

As Mistral spoke, it wasn't heard in her native tongue but she heard it in French. Then she looked to Mistral and smiled.

"It is good to see you reach your full potential Archmage.

 Talion stood to the side. "Very good. The second step is to complete three tasks of great magnitude, or Omens. You must complete Personal, Earthly, and Celestial Omens. You have already done these. All that remains is to seal them and use the fixed points in time to fuel your Ascension. I will state your accomplishments and then seal them. You must accept each Omen as your own for the seal to be complete. A drop of blood in each lantern will serve."

 He took a deep breath and spoke aloud, addressing reality itself as she had done. "Mistral of the Ebon Tower. In accordance with the growth of oneself, you have learned the Art of Tenebremancy which will reshape this world. In accordance with the shaping of this world, you have set forth the dissolution of the Guardians of the veil and become their new leader and teacher. In accordance with the evolution of the celestial world, you have become the Ebon Tower, a foundational pillar upon which the new Supernal Order will sit. Do you accept these Omens?"

Mistral held her own gaze in the mirror as Talion spoke, listening with one instance of her consciousness while another instance focused entirely upon the Imago of her Noumenon.  She gave a single nod of understanding, then from a place-between-places she withdrew the blackened blade bestowed by Talion.  She twirled Défaiseur in one hand and then wielded it in a reverse grip, hovering dangerously above her left hand as Apocalypse recited the Omens that had brought her to this point.


It only took a light brush of the monomolecular cutting edge to open a razor-thin slice along the back of Mistral’s left forefinger.  The blade vanished as if it had never been, and she poised the hand over a lantern as the blood ran down to gather at the fingertip.  “Ceci, j'accepte.”  A single crimson drop fell into the lantern, which flared up and shone brighter with an unnatural white flame.


Mistral answered again in the universal language, “This, I accept.”  Another drop of blood fell into the second lantern in a flash, then also began to burn white.


Bright supernal vapors now trailed from her eyes as an arcane mist swirled about her feet.  Mistral’s reply was issued in the High Speech with cryptic words never meant for mortal ears, yet all understood, “These Omens, I accept.”  A third drop of blood fell into a third lantern, and it joined the others in a blazing arcane glow…
This message was last edited by the player at 06:41, Fri 02 July 2021.

Fate had remained quiet since the ritual with the thrones had ended. She didn't understand everything that had happened, but she did realize one thing, things were about to be a lot different. She was still so new to everything, but something told her that would have to change fast. She watched on in silence as Mistral took her vows. The achievement of archmage was nothing to scoff at and Fate did feel happy for Mistral to an extent, but at the moment her mind was still trying to digest the whole "Hieromagus" bit.

In reply to Fate (msg # 17):