Liam pinched the bridge of his nose. It really was like dealing with children. He could sense they were rapidly headed for a precipice, and while he probably couldn't prevent them from careening over the edge with Robyn so determined to steer them in that direction, he thought perhaps he could still soften the impact.

Despite his initial reservations Maeve remained an ally and the closest to their position of the four. If his words carried weight with anyone, it would be with her.

"It would not have been enough to set aside the tome," Liam said quietly from his place on the ground. "Anonymity is no longer the assurance it once was in Verdant Falls, if it is even a viable prospect at all in this age of omnipresent surveillance. We are encircled on all sides and each passing day the snare grows tighter. Robyn would have had to give up the fight altogether, or at least the fight within the city. At some point she would have had to abandon the grove."

Of the other wizards, the older one seemed his likeliest bet.

"Julian, is it?" he asked. "Forgive my ignorance. I'm not versed in the hierarchies of wizards. Am I to understand that you engage everyone present, Robyn included, in your magical research and experimentation? Or perhaps there's a threshold at which you would be personally obliged to consult everyone and open the books so to speak?"

Liam was fairly confident he knew the answer otherwise he wouldn't have asked. There had been at least one conversation about destroying the city that had transpired without including Robyn. He presumed there were many more. The mages were refusing to see the obvious - that Robyn was an equal. In all likelihood their better, but for the purposes of this discussion at least, their equal. Instead they were behaving like a gaggle of tenured professors who had taken afront to a grad student with the audacity to join their ranks without even first defending their thesis.

"I'm curious..." he said finally, now addressing no one wizard in particular. "Are none of you curious why this moon in particular?"
This message was last edited by the player at 16:26, Thu 30 Nov 2023.

"I am the Primus for the Sons of Ether," Julian replied. Liam vaguely recalled that this was the order to which Jack belonged. "An equivalent to your clan Justicars. I oversee the Council's frontier pursuits, and yes, occasionally that means collaborating with a Sorceror."

"They were more than happy to let me achieve the impossible when it meant defeating the Tremere scourge," added Robyn. "But now that I'm testing the limits of linear magic, they're suddenly feeling threatened."

"I'll bite," said Maeve, eager to change the subject. "Why that moon?"

"The Garou deserve a chance to flourish here," said Robyn. "For that, they need a moon like Earth's. Not in size or material composition. It needs to be brimming with Gnosis, and for that, it must have been revered for millennia. In order to not be a monster, it needed to belong to an extinct civilization. I found several that fit the bill, but this particular moon belonged to a planet on the far side of Andromeda. About twenty years ago, a solar storm wiped out all life, down to the cellular level. An entire planet of societies, cultures and peoples much like our own, wiped out in an instant. It's a shame you aren't more willing to let me do my work, Julian. With your technology we could safely set foot on its surface tomorrow."

"My god," said Julian. "How did you find it?"

"The Tome is a conduit to an omniscient being," Robyn replied. "Vamanando is everywhere. Such knowledge is trivial to It. Not just dead worlds, either. You've spent your life in search of sentient species. I have a list of the ten closest pinned up on my wall."

Julian was as unsettled as he was intrigued by all this. Unfortunately, the other two Mages didn't share his curiosity about the cosmos. To them, this seemed to confirm their fears.

"All this power," said the younger man. "The ability to unravel the greatest mysteries of our time, and we're just supposed to trust you to wield it judiciously?"

"Yes," said Robyn. "The same way we trust you to wield your own power.

Liam nodded. The younger man had the right of it though he clearly thought he was being glib. "It is the very same."

"There is a difference between collaboration and the need to seek permission."

Liam stood and dusted off his hands. He was clearly an active participant in this discussion now, and there was no sense in pretending otherwise. "I would ask if your objection is towards Robyn availing herself of the untended matter of the universe, or the magic with which she acquires it?"

This question was put to the group at large, though it had been the woman who had voiced it formally.

"If it's to the former, what she does now is no different than a beachcomber plying the sands for shells and driftwood apart from scale. If it's to the later, whatever it is you may think of sorcery she has already demonstrated a capacity to do so safely, and the forethought to do so respectfully," he concluded, gesturing vaguely towards the heavens.

"I think a reimagining of the order of things is due. If sorcery has been underestimated it would seemingly be due to a failure of imagination of past practitioners and not an inherent limitation of the art itself. Robyn is not a girl," he said, shooting the young mage a look. "She is not your student, and she is not your ward. She is your equal."

"And she is as deserving of the same deference and respect as any one of your number."
This message was last edited by the player at 12:39, Fri 01 Dec 2023.

"Our primary concern is, of course, the source," said the woman. "She said it herself - the Tome is a conduit to an omniscient being. Can you name a single instance of a magic user making a deal with a demon or an elder god that ended well?"

"You didn't have a problem with it when I was using it to end the Fugue," Robyn retorted.

"Yes, I did," said the woman. "Allowing you to proceed was a dangerous risk. One made of desperation, and because the only alternatives were... more extreme. It is a miracle that you've lasted this long with your mind and your soul intact. Please, quit while you're ahead."

"We're also concerned about her patron's motivations," Maeve added. "We worry that this will end with It securing Its freedom."

Robyn bit her tongue. "This all just sounds like doubt in my abilities to me," she said after a moment. "You can't compare this situation to anything from the past because nothing like this has ever happened."

"Admittedly my only experience with Faustian bargains in the literal sense is Faust," Liam confessed.

"Robyn has not said she will never put aside the Tome. Only that to do so now would be calamitous. If your caution to her is to quit while she is ahead then give her space to solidify these gains. This place is not yet self-sufficient. Without the Tome it will wither on the vine."

He looked to Mave directly. "The node along with it."

"You're here judging a half-finished project," Robyn concurred. "Let me finish, and then if you like we can have this argument all over again."

"After what she just did for us," sighed Maeve. "The least we could do is give her a shot."

"I gotta admit," said Julian. "I kinda want to see what you do with the place."

"The world is changing in so many ways," Robyn said. "This place isn't just a refuge for me, it's a refuge for everyone. Can you really not see the appeal of a plane without paradox? Where distance doesn't matter, and time is variable? Imagine what could accomplish if you chose to work with me, instead of against me."

"These primordial forces," said the woman. "Do you really think you can bend them to your will? You're not the first to try."

"Look around you," Robyn said. "I already have. I won't say that a disaster is impossible. It's a possibility I work very hard to avoid. There was risk in harnessing electricity. There was disaster when mankind first split the atom. But does that mean we simply shouldn't try?"

"Do you promise you won't steal more celestial bodies?" said the younger man.

"I promise I will steal more celestial bodies," said Robyn firmly. "But I can also promise you no living creature will ever notice they're missing."

Liam's gaze swept from Robyn to the council. Robyn had said what needed to be said. All that remained now to see was how well it would be received. Maeve and Julian at the very least seemed receptive. The woman had said nothing, while the younger man clearly still held reservations - though not near so strong as they'd been before.

"The hardest part is already done. We're here."

"Please."

Robyn would never say please. It would seem too akin to asking for permission, and she was far too proud for that. But Liam could. And sometimes a simple plea was the best kind.

Julian looked at the others. His position was clear.

"She'll need supervision," said the younger man. "We can't let an undertaking like this go unmonitored." He looked at Maeve pointedly.

"Maeve and Jack are welcome to live here," said Robyn. "As my friends."

"I'd like that," said Maeve. "You're a prodigy with a bottomless font of knowledge at her fingertips, but I think there's still a few things I can teach you."

"Hell, none of this would have been possible without your work on the node," said Robyn. "There's plenty I'd like to pick your brain over."

"It's decided, then," said Julian.

"I still say this is a bad idea," said the woman. "But I will focus my attention on the damage she did to the Gnostic network, not on this fool's errand."

"Well I'm glad that's settled," Liam replied. The renewed proximity of Maeve and Jack added something of a wrinkle to their plans but he was pleased (and admittedly a little surprised) with how things had come around in the end. It certainly could have gone much worse.

"Can I offer anyone some refreshments in camp before you leave? We're heavy on venison."

The old woman looked scandalized. Julian stepped in quickly. "Ah, it's probably better for everyone if we slip out quietly. We have to report back to the rest of the Council."

"Perhaps you can drop us somewhere a little quieter than the crater site," the younger man said. "It's probably crawling with surveillance by now."

"I can drop you anywhere," said Robyn. "How's Halifax?"

The trio looked as though they'd never been. How is Halifax?

"It's a medium East-coast town with plenty of amenities and comparatively few people," Robyn clarified. "Good place for a short regroup before going wherever it is you really want to go." She shot Liam a sly look. As if she didn't know exactly where the council was located.

"That will do just fine," said Julian.

"Liam, would you show them to the portal?" asked Robyn. "Maeve and I should talk."

"Of course," Liam said with a bow of his head. "If you'll follow me?"

He started out of the grove with the trio in tow, leaving Maeve and Robyn to catch up.

The old woman and the younger man muttered conspiratorially to one another as they walked. Julian walked ahead with Liam, far enough to give them their privacy.

"I'd like to come back and visit," Julian said to Liam. "Once the fires are put out. The Council is already on edge with the government's involvement in the Tremere fiasco, and they have very good reason to be wary of pocket dimensions. I have a feeling it will fall upon me to get the other Traditions on board." He sighed. "I don't suppose I could bring you along to deliver a speech. You defused that situation well."

"It would be my pleasure," Liam genially remarked. "I've had a lot of practice. Kindred carry grievances a long time."

It was a lesson he had learned the hard way with no sire around to show him the niceties of Kindred society - not that Judas could ever have been said to be nice. Liam still wasn't exactly welcome in Halifax. The Brujah grudgingly respected him now and let him go about his business but it was a chill reception at best.

"I hope you consider Robyn's proposal as well. It would be something remarkable to step out onto the face of an alien world. Once the business back home is resolved of course."

"Believe me," said Julian. "My mind is already racing at the prospect. With her abilities and my resources... the mind reels at the possibilities."

He handed Liam a business card. There was no name on it, merely 'Council Representative & Head of Interdisciplinary Outreach, Sons of Ether.' An anonymized e-mail address and phone number followed. "What's the best way for you to be reached?"

"Cell phone, but there's a blackout on the city," Liam replied. "We should have service here by the end of the night. If you need to reach me in Verdant Falls I have a satphone, but its government issue. I trust it, but I feel that bears disclosing."

"Well, I wouldn't want to bother you when you're in the field at any rate," said Julian. The Halifax portal was marked by a sturdy arch - Liam's own handiwork. At some point, someone had replaced the simple signpost with a hand-painted one that bore blue waves and a passable rendition of the iconic Peggy's Cove lighthouse.

The old woman passed through without so much as a goodbye. The younger man, to his credit, gave Liam the briefest of nods. Julian rolled his eyes. "You'll be pleased to know that they're considered to be two of the Council's most open-minded members."

"Well then I'd say we've got our work cut out for us," Liam said with a grin. He returned the young mage's nod before turning his attention back to Julian.

"Safe travels, Julian. It was nice to meet you."

"And to you, Liam," said Julian. "Good luck with... all of this."

In the moment he stepped into the portal, Liam felt an uncomfortable tingling as his name scratched itself off his memory. Indeed, he remembered very little about the trio. He knew they were visited by three delegates from the Council, and the details of that meeting remained more or less clear, but their names and faces eluded him completely. He doubted he'd be able to pick them out of a line-up or recognize them if they passed him on the street. Suddenly it became clear why none of them bothered with introductions.

It was round about two thirty in the morning by Liam's estimation. There was plenty of time left to take care of any business he had pressing, especially with the mobility options that Nowhere presented him. Likely, the attention of both the Tremere and the local governments was fixed upon the crater, but Liam estimated the fight in the woods was long over, and the Redwatch had stopped sending in reinforcements when none had reported back.

Liam turned away from the portal with a grunt. First thing first, he decided a debrief with Robyn would be wise - presuming she wasn't cloistered away with Maeve.

Maeve and Robyn were talking as Liam returned. They both glanced at him as he stepped into the grove.

"We'll catch up more in a bit," said Robyn. "We've got more work to do. Go see Joyce down by the bonfire, and she'll set you up in one of the houses."

"Liam," said Maeve as she trotted past.

"I can't thank you enough for your help tonight," said Robyn as Maeve left. "I was fully expecting to have to fight at least two of them."

Liam offered a smile and a nod to Maeve in passing, and fell in beside Robyn.

"I'd say that went pretty well, all things considered," he concurred. "I even got a speaking gig out of it."

He held up the business card for Robyn to see. "I think. The details all seem a little fuzzy now."

"Great, actually," said Robyn, looking over the card. "I doubt he'll be able to convince them on his own. The mages rival the Camarilla in terms of their stubbornness and rootedness in old ways. It doesn't help that they aren't the original council, and they were lost when the Mages' own pocket dimension collapsed. They're bitter, biased, and they have it in their heads that they are in charge of everything even remotely magical. And they've got some fucked up ideas about what their stewardship entails."

She took a seat on the edge of the altar. "Do you know that if I failed, their backup plan was to blow up a spirit nuke in Verdant Falls? Talk about performing under pressure."
This message was last edited by the player at 19:49, Tue 02 Jan.

"You mentioned," Liam said, although he was still a little fuzzy on the magic of spirit nukes.

He glanced over his shoulder to make sure Maeve was well and truly gone before continuing.

"Only problem is, they're not exactly wrong about Vamanando's motivations. And if they were mad before I can only imagine what the next conversation is going to look like."

"Everything okay between you and Maeve?"

Robyn chuckled. "Truth be told, I think she's madder at you than she is at me," she said. "That might change once we do what we gotta do. Speaking of which, tell me your plan one more time, now that I can pay better attention."

"Tomorrow night? Or the big night?" Liam asked.

"Tomorrow I sweep the ruins with Micky, Tyr and Mik to split the Alhambra's attention while the Gangrel burn the aerie."

"We set charges at both entrances and bring them down once the mages have been dealt with. Micky has a theory that Seavers hid another room behind the walls of his sanctuary. With Tyr's help he hopes to find it. Then we hightail it out of there and I go help the kids finish up in the suburbs."

"Presuming the explosives do their job we're free to come in on another night from the river access with no disruptions. You can take all the time you need with the ritual."