Armstrong's Garage

A silver pinprick distends to a large silver slash, opening a rift to what a appears to be a archeological site in the desert.

Between the Gateway and the waiting van lies a set of amazingly complicated-looking math scratched into the dirt, which is obliterated as the van drives through the gateway. Anyone not actually riding in the van is herded through by Armstrong, and once everything is safely in Sacramento, she makes a vague wavelike motion reminiscent of someone erasing a chalkboard and the gateway shimmers and blips out of existence. "There, that only took an hour. Now," she turns to Fiddler. "How long do you think it will take to open your gateway into the shadow? If there's time, I'd like to work through an oblation to get some Mana back, unless anyone knows enough Prime and is willing to share. Or if someone has a Hallow we can do this in that would be even better."

Mental Shield, Supernal Vision

"We will be first through, secure the position." Captain says, and the crew all take a single step forward in Unison, their footstep echoing on the garage floor. Creepy, but still kinda cool.

Animus nods. "I'll set it up here, then. Everyone get comfortable; this is going to take a few hours."

Animus draws a rune on the ground and removes the mirror from his pocket. He begins chanting in High speech to start the ritual.

Spoiler:

After two and a half hours, the gateway opens, wide enough that two can cross at a time.

"Fifteen seconds, don't scuff the rune." Animus stands back, allowing Captain and his crew to cross first.

Captain Active spells:
Supernal Vision, Mental Shiled

"Move." Captain says, calm, deliberate. Ensign and he go first, followed by Leftenant and commander. A quick survey and Leftenant and Commander flash thumbs up, and open space for more incomers.

Animus follows as soon as Leftenant and Commander give the okay signal.

~~Narration~~

Theo arrived in his rental car minutes before the ritual was completed. He hoped and prayed they hadn't shifted again and was glad to find he had arrived before the crossing.

He introduces himself as part of the Mysterium and gives Ruby the note. Asking about the situation, he is given a basic update and follows them into Shadow.

~~~

The group passes into the Shadow, seeing the material give way to ephemereal representations. Or are they? Perhaps the material world is the reflection. Although spirits continually observe them, and approach their periphery, the group is large enough to stave off any overly-curious spirits.

After some time, they see the park in the distance, and Animus, Fiddler, and Joshua can begin to discern the glowing obelisks.

Armstrong carried the two stones she had pulled out of storage during the extended gateway ritual. She had also taken a moment to get a quick shower and change into blue jeans and a matching windbreaker. A deceptively small math book was clutched in her hands.

She had offered shower courtesy to everyone that was willing to take it. You don't get to see much of the sanctum. The front room was home to a set of sleek black leather furniture that skipped right past the fancy and went straight to the smancy, as well as a new HD flat screen thin enough to shave with and large enough to serve as a dinner table if laid on it's back. Her kitchen hosted a set of ultra sleek things that most likely helped to prepare food somehow, but instead looked like some kind of alien spacecraft waiting for a call from the mothership before lifting off from the countertop. The guest bathroom was done up in yellows and reds, and the towels were decadently fluffy. The guest shampoo was some kind of Orange/Cinnamon mix and there were wax pencils in a container attached to the side of the shower.

(( The obelisks are 100M --football field-- away. We are now tracking all Health, WP, and Mana, including the Sleepwalkers. ))

Captain active spells: Mana: 10/15
Mental Shield, Supernal Vision
Crew active spells: none

"We'll take rear guard." Captain and the crew start herding the group forward.

Animus has a distinct drained feeling, but fights it off and forces himself to full alertness as he walks toward the obelisks. He keeps his mirror out in case he needs to cast in a hurry.

~~Narration~~

The obelisks remain as they were, the group can see as they approach. No new ones seem to be activated, but the air is almost syrupy with Resonance. The closer the group gets, a faint sound can be heard, like a tuning fork's harmonic, which continues to rise in volume, but never louder than a whisper.

Those holding stones feel a slight vibration from them, as they return the sound. It's apparent to all that the obelisks and cubes seem to be made of the same materiel.

"Alright. What order do we put these in? Invocation or Banishment? MY vote is for banishment."

Theo focuses his senses and looks beyond the surface to purer, subtle essence of magic that existed underneath all things.
He then calls on the surrounding forces to protect him.
01-01-2008 10:00 Thistle rolls 5 to Activating Supernal Vision (10 Again) 3,7,7,10,8,2 2 successes
01-01-2008 10:00 Thistle rolls 5 to Activating Unseen Shield (10 Again) 6,3,5,6,9 1 successes

Mana 7
Health 7
Willpower 6

(( I need to know where everyone is in relation to the obelisks; also, Scrutiny will reveal the dominant Arcana on each obelisk and cube. ))

Captain and crew stands beside the prime stone, two with their eyes turned outwards, two inwards.

Captain scrutizinizes the stones that his crew have:
(Unsure of how many he grabbed, so assuming 5)

Spoiler:

Ruby's hanging back a short ways, two stones.

Standing about ten to fifteen feet away from the outer stones, Theo circles a little to get a better all around view.
He squats on his heels and talks quickly to himself while thinking.
"Banishment makes sense since the stones are going in the invocation cycle starting with the first subtle it hits. But is that really considered the invocation if it's in the wrong order. Or should we adjust the banishment to match instead of starting at death and go staight to Spirit or should we start at Prime in the opposite corner from where the stones started. Should gross arcana be skipped first time around or not?"
Theo sighed, hung his head and closed his eyes.
"And how does this relate to the picture and script at Carson. Wish I had seen that. Why would we do banishment if it's associated with death rather than invocation with life that's empty anyway and possibly needs to be filled. Or is the date a warning that banishment needs to occur in a certain time or death will occur."
He becomes less coherent, his thoughts going from one thing to another without always giving words to their pattern. Trying to figure it out he goes through what he's been told in his head.

01-01-2008 10:00 Theo rolls 6 to scrutiny of stones (Int+Occ) (10 Again) 9,1,7,4,8,4 2 successes
01-01-2008 10:00 Theo rolls 6 to try to solve what order to put stones in (Int+Inv) (10 Again) 5,8,3,2,9,10,9 4 successes

Animus stands about thirty feet back from the obelisks, remembering their power all too well.

Briefly muttering in the Atlantean Tongue, Animus takes conscious control over his body. Whatever was about to happen, a little extra reaction time could make the difference.

Spoiler:

As Captain approaches the stones, the humming gets louder. The obelisks and 'keys' both begin to glow. Those standing near the stones begin to see protrusions, that quickly form into faces, then bodies.

Each stone extrudes a white figure, naked and sexless, with an androgynous face. Those that are well versed (4+) or better in Occult are reminded of ananke, but these seem distorted. All ten figures resonate with the Arcana of the stone they came from...

(( It's that time. PM me Initiative, DEF, SPD, & Armor ))

(( Combat Turns begin. Remember to track all Active Spells and consumables (WP, Mana, Health, etc) in every post.

Ananke are Armor 3, DEF 3, Resolve 3, Composure 3. Please refer to them by the Arcana name to make things easy

After you post, please indicate who is next at the end of your post. ))

Order of Initiative:
Joshua Morris
Leftenant
Animus
Captain
Ensign
Ruby
Commander
-- ALL Ananke
Armstrong
Theo

Joshua UP

(( Leftenant is UP, it's obvious the Ananke are hostile ))

"Sir? Orders?" Leftenant begins backing up, reflexively draws his gun.
Animus is up.

Animus walks toward the Death Ananke while encouraging the spirit of Leftenant's gun to shoot just a little bit straighter.

[spoiler]Coaxing the Spirit
04-12 23:06:39 Animus rolls 6 dice to Gnosis + Spirit 1 success
5,3,5,7,8, 2[/color]
((+1 die bonus to Leftenant's first attack.))

"Make Ready and Fire!" Captain points with his left hand at the Anake

Leftenant shoots the Prime Ananke:

04-12 23:30:03 Leftenant rolls 5 dice to Dex+Firearms+2+1+spec-arm 1 success 7,10,3,4,1, 1

Captain meanwhile, takes the prime stone, ducks under the Ananke, and slams it into the Prime Obelisk.

Ensign draws her revolver and gets it pointed in the right direction.
"Yes Sir! Light 'em up!" She Laughs.

~~Narration~~

Leftenant's shot hits the Prime Ananke causing a shower of chips and creating a divot. Immediately after, Captain's key is absorbed by the obelisk, causing it's Resonance to fade and the Ananke to stop moving.

(( Ruby UP ))

Ruby sees what Captain is doing and follows suit. She throws the Spirit stone in her hand towards its obelisk, and

Telekinesis
04-13 16:11:45 ruby rolls 6 dice to gnosis+forces 2 successes
3,8,1,10,4, 4,6
Successes towards Dexterity

Guides the stone into its slot from afar.

If necessary, she will take her move action to keep behind the others.

(( PM sent asking for clarification; Throwing is an Instant Action & casting is an Instant Action -- both cannot be done in a single Turn. ))

((It's been clarified, there's no throw. Just a telekinesis action to move her stone at speed of 6 towards its obelisk.))

~~Narration~~

Ruby is concentrating on the key; it will take 2 turns to reach the obelisk.

(( Commander UP ))

Commander draws his pistol, and begins backing up and away from the stones (move action away from the stones)

Bad Times for the PCs are up

Space Ananke moves to Prime Obelisk and removes Key.

Prime Ananke re-animates.

Matter Ananke's spell fails.

Time Ananke's spell fails.

Death Ananke casts; Ruby's Key is englobed in ephemera.

Forces Ananke casts; 4L on Captain, Leftenant, Commander and Ensign.

Mind Ananke casts; 1L on Ruby.

Life Ananke casts; JOSH and ANIMUS roll RESOLVE+GNOSIS; 0 or 1 success = flee Scene. 2+ suxx = unaffected.

Fate Ananke casts; -4 on next 2 Actions for Josh, Ruby, Captain, and Theo.

Spirit Ananke casts; -2 on next Action with Equipment for Josh, Leftenant, Commander, and Ensign.

(( Armstrong UP ))

Armstrong thrusts both her hands towards Forces, her right holding one of the stones and her left holding her small math book. With a small grunt of effort, her nimbus shimmers into being and Forces shimmers and blurs like it's an out-of-focus movie, parts of it shifting from red to blue as she tries to tear the thing apart with her magic.

Spoiler:

~~Narration~~

The Forces Ananke staggers as Armstrong's spell tears it in different directions, cracks spider-webbing across it's features.

(( Theo UP ))

Theo pulls out his hymn book and opens directly to a march. Holding the book with one hand he signs with the other. Mana courses through him, granting strength.

Base paradox 2, minus 1 for tool, -1 for rote. Chance die
01-01-2008 10:00 Theo rolls 1 to Paradox (Chance) 3 failure

Actualizing Potential (Strength)
Spend 1 mana
Resolve4+Athletics2+Life3-4
01-01-2008 10:00 Theo rolls 5 to Actualize Potential (10 Again) 3,8,8,6,6 2 successes

Fiddler reaches out to the angered Spirit of Joshua's gun, soothing it back to slumber.

Spoiler:

End of Turn 1. Turn 2 Begins.

Joshua UP -4 Penalty to any Action, 1 of 2 Penalized Actions

g0

(( Just an FYI to everyone waiting, Jmiland1 had a question, which I answered. ))