(IC MtA) Tokyo by Night

[Bennosuke]

Act 1 Scene i

Modern Japan simply was cyberpunk. The Japanese themselves knew it and delighted in it. I remember my first glimpse of Shibuya, with one of the young Tokyo journalists who had taken me there, his face drenched with the light of a thousand media-suns...

-William Gibson

Taro Naegi sat across from Aika Kakita, on the outside porch of a coffee shop called Ballon D’Essai, located in the Shimokitazawa district of Tokyo. The two were left alone in relative peace, with few Sleepers about at this time of the afternoon. Aika was dressed in her usual Goth/Punk attire; an over sized obsidian colored and studded fo-leather jacket, over her checkerboard white-black dress. A cigarette hung precariously from her studded lower lip. It was a cheap cigarette and almost half out, producing a heavy odor and a small cloud of black smoke. She smiled at Taro, one hand resting on her cappuccino. The other hand held one sleeve of a black backpack, which rested with significant weight on the ground.

"Thank you for meeting with me Taro Sempai," she said in a husky voice, and with a curt bow of her head. It was their monthly tradition to meet for Coffee. Aika, who worked for NHK as a blossoming journalist, would tell Taro about her job, and any new conspiracy theories she had found on the internet. Taro would usually make up some lie about what he had been doing with his life. Aika chan could simply never know the Truth.

Her use of Taro's real name also made his shoulders tense, he was getting less used to people referring to him by his birth name. It was dangerous for other Mages to know who he really was, it would give them power over him.

Pulling the backpack up to her lap, Aika says, "I apologize for being so forward, but I actually need your help today." She bows her head again in apology. Coming up, she unzipped the backpack, removing a laptop. The computer was a black plastic, graffitid with a myriad of punk band stickers. Many were pealing at the ends, or faded to the point of being illegible.

There was a sudden whizzing sound as a large coffee grinder turned on, apparently by itself, from inside the coffee store. But no one seemed to pay them any mind, and the two were practically alone. Pushing the laptop towards Taro with two hands, Aika says, "[B]Would you mind looking at it for me?"

[Longes]

"Sempai? Sheesh, you are always so formal when you need something." Taro quietly laughed. They've been friends for six years now and went through the tough battlefields of exams and week-long alcoholic parties. And still, even though Aika was his best friend, though they've been through thick and thin, he couldn't talk to her about his life. What would he say? That he achieved spiritual enlightenment and opened his third eye? That he was a jobless bum who'd have to go work at McDonalds or steal if he doesn't find anything in the next few months? That he learned to shoot lightning out of his ass? Magic opened new worlds, but it was slowly closing off the old one.

Taro took the laptop and put it next to his cup. He drank simple black coffee, more because of its price than the taste. "What happened?" he asked booting it up. The coffee grinder whirred in the background and Taro glanced at it silently praying that nothing magical was about to ruin his day off. Gates of Aether opened within him, flooding his soul with energy and filtering the environment through arcana of Forces and Prime. Revealing the world to his Mage Sight.

[Bennosuke]

Aika looks slightly embarrassed when Taro asks his question. "I think it has a virus", she says, but quickly adds, "I don't know how it could have happened though."

The computer is slow to load up, telling Taro that she likely needs to defragg the darn system, but as it boots, he activates his Mage sight.

Taro was used to viewing computer screens through the flood of patterns and perceptual symbols of the Supernal. The flow of images, and buzzes and clicks that Taro perceived via his Forces told him that the the hardware and software of the computer were operating fine. Often with his Force sight, he could detect a computer bug, but there was nothing he could perceive. Taro's awareness of Prime showed that the computer was coated with a Tass like slime... but it wasn't Tass, it was some other form of magical residue. But, even stranger, there was no evidence of any sort of spells having been worked on the laptop.

Looking up, Taro's senses were flooded with the rippling and reaching aura of Aika's Sleeper presence. Tendrils of energy seemed to drip off of her, climbing towards the laptop and the computer. While alarming, it was completely normal.

So I assumed you were having Taro use Active Mage Sight here, based on the naming of his two primary Arcana, and the lack of any offered any offered roll. A Focused Mage Sight may be more useful, or perhaps Taro may want to pursue other avenues.

[Longes]

"Krishna's tits, what was she doing with this thing."
Whatever it was, Aika got into Awakened business. As far as Taro knew, porn, no matter how good, did not result in a fountain of not-tass all over computer. Or. OR. There was something very unusual about Aika. Brrr.

So the Awakened tools had to come out. Nothing invasive, only casting on himself. He respected Aika too much to throw a hex on her.

First things first, get what he can from Aika. "Listen, it'll be much easier for me to help if I know what you were doing. I'm not going to judge." Both statements were true. Both statements were True.

Next, refocus the inner eye. Taro, no, Count Zero looked at the monitor, recalibrating the balance of energies within. The river of Force dried out, leaving only Prime. This was his right and his duty as a mage. He was the bridge uniting Supernal and Mundane. Through him Aether purified this world. Count's eyes looked through the laptop, reaching for its reflection in the supernal realm.

I actually meant to examine the coffee machine, but I guess that works. :smallbiggrin: And yes, it was Active Mage Sight. It says in the book that you have to do Active before Focused, so it seemed prudent to do basic examination first.

Full italics text meant to represent thoughts.

Casting "Words of Truth" (p.168). Yantras are prayer beads (dedicated tool) and keitai, for a total of +3. Gnosis 3 + Prime 2 + Yantra 3 = 8. Using free Reach for instant casting. -2 Paradox from dedicated tool, so that's two more Reach. One spent on the Condition effect described in the spell. One spent for advanced Potency, I guess.
[roll0]

Focused Mage Sight (Prime). What's the Opacity?

[Bennosuke]

lol. My bad. So Taro passes his spell cast roll. Also, remember to be careful about casting in front of Sleepers. There wasn't anything uniquely obvious about the casting, but in general, that can risk paradox.

For a moment, Taro reaches his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket. In the right pocket, Taro's hand reflexively starts working the Keitai; he no longer needs to see to use the touchscreen. The left hand begins passing the beads of his father's prayer necklace (Oneju). His eyes close for a moment while he he works the Imago in his mind, gathering his spirit essence into a realization of Truth.

When Taro's eyes open again, the spell has been cast. Aika looks at him confused for a second, but her attention focuses when Taro speaks up.

In response to Taro's address, Aika says, "To be honest, I'm not really sure. I was doing some research on government conspiracy theories, but I don't think I was on any dangerous sites. The next time I loaded up my computer, it was going all crazy. Applications were opening and closing on their own. It was like someone else was using my computer!"

[Longes]

"Huh. Maybe you saw things man was not meant to know and hit some kind of trap." Count continued with a much more cheerful voice: "Don't sweat it. We'll clean this up."

Without tools and another PC, there was only so much he could do. He asked Aika for a password (he hacked into her mail and stole passwords long ago, but showing this would be foolish), and began checking the computer both normally and supernaly.
A thought crossed Count's mind. If someone was actually manipulating the computer remotely - was there an active link? He scrolled through the apps on Keitai before finding the one he used very often. The phone ran its sacred algorithms, and the world blossomed with hundreds of new colors and details to Count's eyes. The omnipresent weave of Internet stretched across the sky like a web of a giant spider - nascent layer of reality that will one day evolve into a noosphere. Electrical cables pulsed in the walls. People on the street softly glowed with their weak charges. Taro focused his attention on Aika's computer and the strand of Internet stretching to it.

Casting "Tune In" (p.141) Gnosis 3 + Forces 2 + Yantra 3 = 8. Using two free Reach - instant casting and potency. No Paradox as far as I can tell
[roll0]

Intelligence 3 + Computer 4. The book says that there's -3 penalty for doing non-magical actions while doing Focused Mage Sight, but I'd like to make a case that this is holistic investigation of the mystery.
[roll1]

Need to know Opacity before making Focused Mage Sight rolls and decisions

Wisdom: 7
Willpower: 5/5
Health: 7/7
Beats/Experience/Arcane Experience: 0/0/0
Tilts/Conditions: -
Aspirations:

Get a job (not necessarily lasting or legal)
Claim a Hallow: Find a Hallow
Fight against corporate authority: Find a clue that the government is up to no good
Obsessions:

Investigate the supernal realm of Aether: Summon a Supernal Entity
Develop the Virtual Adepts legacy: Develop personal Shadow Name

[Bennosuke]

Aika smiles in response to Taro's reassurances. His vision is still swimming with streams of Supernal stimulus, and he tries to gather his attention to focus back on the laptop.

Slipping his hands back into his pockets, Taro prepares and releases a second spell. His activation of Tune In draws the lines of ethereal connection to the Cafe's Wifi, highlighting glowing cords of power that ripple into the coffee shop. He listens for evidence of any "chatter", but hears nothing. While initially disappointed, Taro realizes the subtle implication. Whatever was controlling the laptop was not coming from outside the computer itself.

When the spell fades, and the buzzing of electrical wires ceases, Taro realizes that the mouse cursor is moving across the computer screen on its own, opening up a web browser, without Taro's input.


So a couple of things. Tune In succeeds. The opacity for this Mystery is 3. The computer test is a success, but I'm going to rule that this would take longer than an instant action, and probably takes place when Taro has a chunk of time on his hands. Because you smashed the dice roll, I'll let you keep the results. From a cursory examination of the computer though, nothing seems to be wrong with it structurally.

Third, and kinda most importantly, make sure you read some of the background information I have posted in the OOC thread. Specifically on VIruses. This should be Taro's first concern.

Fourth, can I have a Perception roll

Fifth, remember that use of Focused Mage sight may tip off whatever has possessed the computer of Taro's prying eyes, if the spells he's cast haven't already done so.

[Bennosuke]

The laptop continues to act on its own, opening browser after browser, and application after application, flooding the screen with windows.

Computers simply did not behave like this, and it was giving Taro the creeps. Looking up with the flood of colors and symbols still attacking his vision, the hairs on the back of Taro's neck begin to raise like he were hooked up to a wire. It was a sensation that Taro had gotten before. There was another magical presence near by. Instinctively, Taro looked up and around.

Across the street, there was a young man, with a wild tassel of hair, and an uneven stubble. He was maybe in his late teens or early twenties, with a designer t-shirt that had probably passed its use 5 years ago, under an indigo Yugata. His arms were crossed over his chest, and he appeared to be studying Taro intently, behind tinted sunglasses. Whene Taro caught his eye, the man even had the nerve to smirk at him.

[Longes]

"Yeaaaah, I'll need to take your laptop with me. This isn't something I can fix without tools. Hey, before we leave - can you grab another coffee for me? I've got to make a call."

The evening was rapidly going to ****. Yeah, he should have been more careful with the laptop. Count took the battery out of the computer without bothering to turn it off and stuffed everything into the backpack. Then again, the Seer should have been more careful himself. Obrimos, even mere Apprentices of Prime, had ways of learning things. And Count practiced his Supernal Vision quite a bit. Hands in the jacket pockets, he drew the sign of unveiling on the touchscreen as he crossed the street towards the Seer.

"Got a smoke, mate?" Count wasn't much of a smoker, but it was the simplest conversation starter available. He wondered if they looked stupid, standing there with their sunglasses and punk attitudes. Did the Seer have it better than he? Probably not, or he wouldn't be screwing around with cheap pranking like that.
"Can the hard drive be salvaged, or is it all already ****ed?"

Supernal Vision (Prime 1) - rote. Gnosis 3 + Prime 2 + Occult 4 + Specialty 1 - Potency 6 = 4
Rote, so 6 Reach. 1 reach on instant, 1 reach on advanced potency, 1 reach on advanced duration, 1 reach on the secondary effect because why not. Potency: 1 base, 1 because Potency is primary factory, 3 extra. Potency 5.
[roll0]

The questions are:

What is his Path?
What is his Gnosis?
What is his Nimbus?
What is his highest-rated Arcanum?
How adept is he at that Arcanum?



Wisdom: 7
Willpower: 4/5
Health: 7/7
Initiative: 6
Defense: 9 (applicable against Firearms)
Beats/Experience/Arcane Experience: 0/0/0
Tilts/Conditions: -
Active Mage Armor: Fate
Aspirations:

Get a job (not necessarily lasting or legal)
Claim a Hallow: Find a Hallow
Fight against corporate authority: Find a clue that the government is up to no good
Obsessions:

Investigate the supernal realm of Aether: Summon a Supernal Entity
Develop the Virtual Adepts legacy: Develop personal Shadow Name

[Bennosuke]

Aika watches with slight confusion as Taro begins dismantling her computer and packing it into his bag. He waits till Aika starts to walk into the cafe, before starting to cross the street towards the observing man. As Taro dodges an oncoming car, he begins to cast Supernal Vision, an act that should be obvious to another Mage, though he makes no attempt to dispel or resist Taro's intrusion. Instead, the man just grins at Taro.

The spell is cast, and a flood of information pours through Count's Perceptions. Taro can feel the Primal energy glowing from the man's form, an Aura of Rage and the smell of a wild predator (Taro knows that the man is in fact a Mage, And that his path is Thrysus, Nimbus is described). The man's aura is mingled with Shroud, and the rippling energy of The Gauntlet. This Spirit energy crackles and flows strongly through the man's animalistic Nimbus (Taro gathers that the Man's Gnosis is 1, his highest Arcanum is Spirit level 3).

However, as Taro crosses the street, the man gives a quick bow, before picking up a long and narrow cloth bag. Taro recognizes the bag as something used to carry the bamboo Shinai, or wooden Bokken, for Kendo equipment. He throws the bags over his shoulder, and begins briskly walking away. The man moves with impressive speed, given how little time Taro gave him to begin fleeing.

Taro can choose to give chase. If he does this, he will pretty much be abandoning Aika, and there is a chance he fails to catch this man.

If Taro is going to let him go, he has probably enough time for one more question using Supernal Veil, before the man is out of sight.

[Longes]

(in high speech) "Oh, you are going to run? Eat a ****, buttmunch!"

Count threw a rude gesture that doubled as a cursing mudra, energy rushing through his tools and twisting the strands of Fate stretching from the Seer to Arcadia. Escalating hostility wasn't exactly wise, but Count believed in justice. That punk will get what's comming to him sooner or later. Maybe he'll learn no to mess with people's computers for no reason.
After looking over the man's aura for the sigils of the Exarchs, Count finally relaxed, and the Supernal Vision unravelled, clouding his eyes with the Lie once again. Not long now. Just a phone call to the Pentacle's seer specialists, and he can go back to being Taro once again.

Exceptional Luck (Fate 2) - rote. Gnosis 3 + Fate 2 + Occult 4 + Specialty 1 + Keikai 2 + Beads 1 + Willpower 3 - Potency 6 - Duration 4 = 6
Rote, so 4 free Reach. 2 on reflexive casting, 2 on affecting spellcasting. 1 reach on advanced duration. 1 reach on advanced potency. 2 paradox dice, contained. Potency: 1 base, 1 because Potency is primary factor, 3 extra. Potency 5. Duration: 1 week
[roll0] - +2 on 10-again, should have been 6 dice; Exceptional success! Ignore Withstand level and take effect at full Potency.

Paradox: [roll1] - 0 on 10-again
Wisdom: [roll2] - +1 on 10-again

Hex. This is more complex than hexes are described, but seems to be within limits of the "design custom tilts" system. Please check for approval. Essentially this is a more limited and slightly conditional version of the first hex choice.
1. Next time the Seer decides to talk about Taro, he's penalised 5 (Potency) dice to his social pool. The idea being that he mumbles and stumbles and forgets things when he needs them most.
2. Next 4 (Potency-1) spellcasting rolls are penalized 5 (Potency) dice.

Supernal Vision. Not actually a question on the list, but seems in the same ballpark: which Exarch has his claws deepest in the mage?

Wisdom: 7
Willpower: 4/5
Health: 5/7 (2 bashing)
Mana: 11/12
Initiative: 6
Defense: 9 (applicable against Firearms)
Beats/Experience/Arcane Experience: 0/0/0
Tilts/Conditions: -
Active Mage Armor: Fate
Aspirations:

Get a job (not necessarily lasting or legal)
Claim a Hallow: Find a Hallow
Fight against corporate authority: Find a clue that the government is up to no good
Obsessions:

Investigate the supernal realm of Aether: Summon a Supernal Entity
Develop the Virtual Adepts legacy: Develop personal Shadow Name

[Bennosuke]

His perception still swarming with the Supernal, Count slowed his pace as the man took off. With his enemy still in sight, Count released another spell, this time a Hex on his would be stalker. His hands worked furiously in his pocket, one hand moving through a series of Mudras, the other working the Keita by feel. But as Zero pushes his magical abilities to their limit, complicating the spell over and over again, the Imago begins to become tainted. Despite his best efforts he can feel black tendrils starting to warp the image of the spell in his head, as something horrible lurked in the darkest recesses of his psyche, waiting till Taro was weak to begin crawling through his skull. Bracing himself like a man in a wind storm, Count chose to swallow that Paradox, rather than release it.

It was only a moment before the Imago was relealized, Taro reaching out two pointed fingers at his target. His Arcane sight still active, he see the ball of Arcane energy, a glowing electric spinning and pointed wheel, strike the man in the back of his dark blue Yugata. As the spell was cast, he could feel a fire burning in his chest, as he contained the tendrils of the abyss inside his sould. The man's skeleton seemed to light up with electrical energy for just a second, as the Hex took hold of his Mundane form. Then the man disappeared down a corner, just as Taro had one last chance to assess the man through his Supernal Vision.

Which Exarch has his claws deepest in the mage?

As Taro's Supernal awareness fades, a symbol is drawn, as if by the stroke of a calligraphy brush, a single circle; En. The symbol could be interpreted to mean infinity, but Count knew it's alternate and more likely meaning; Zero. The question was not applicable.

Left with the confusion of his answer, Taro allowed his Mage Sight to deactivate. He was left slightly breathless from the physical exertion, and his eyes and fingers throbbed with the sudden repeated outbursts of Arcane activity. He looked over his shoulder to see Aika just starting to return to their table, holding Taro's to go coffee. She was looking across the street at Taro, slightly confused.

[Longes]

Gritting his teeth against the headache, Count made his way back to the caffee. What was up with that guy? Was he not a Seer? A novice who hasn't been deeply marked yet? Or was he, Count Zero, going to become a time-rewriting Exarch? Ha. That'll be the day.

"Sorry. Some ******** tried to lift my wallet," said Count accepting a coffee from Aika. Calling the mentor can probably wait. There was something he wanted to do for some time now - call a being from the supernal realms. Tonight seemed like a good time. A cherubim might be able to provide some insight into the mage who virused Aika's computer and it would be a valuable learning experience. So much for the day off.

"Hey, this whole virus business kind of bothers me. Mind if I read you a prayer of protection before you go?"

Count casts Exceptional Luck on Aika

Exceptional Luck (pg 135, Fate 2, Potency, Rote Occult)
Reaches ( 4 available) = Instant, Advanced Potency, Advanced Duration
Spell factors = Potency 2+1 (-2), Duration One Week (-4)
Yantras = Occult mudra (5), Beads (1), High Speech (2)
Estimated dice pool= Gnosis 3 + Arcana 2 + Yantras 8 - Potency 2 - Duration 4 = 7
Paradox = none
Effect: boon, a protective charm. Count grants beneficial conditions Charmed (p.315), Inspired, Steadfast (p.318). The intent is more narrative than mechanical

Roll: [roll0]
10-again: [roll1]

Wisdom: 7
Willpower: 4/5
Health: 5/7 (2 bashing)
Mana: 11/12
Initiative: 6
Defense: 7 (9) (applicable against Firearms)
Beats/Experience/Arcane Experience: 0/0/0
Tilts/Conditions: -
Active Mage Armor: Fate
Aspirations:

Get a job (not necessarily lasting or legal)
Claim a Hallow: Find a Hallow
Fight against corporate authority: Find a clue that the government is up to no good
Obsessions:

Investigate the supernal realm of Aether: Summon a Supernal Entity
Develop the Virtual Adepts legacy: Develop personal Shadow Name

[Bennosuke]

Aika almost protests to Taro's offer. She grins at him, but struggles not to roll her eyes as she says, "You're really that worried? You know I don't believe in that sort of thing... but fine". She strikes a pose, winking and giving Taro the outstretched peace sign.

Taro places a hand on her shoulder, and plunges the other hand into his jacket pocket where he performs a series of Mudras. His Charm imago is successful, despite Aika's scrutinizing and confused eyes. When the spell is complete, she sighs comically and says, "Okay Taro. Are you done now???"

So I'm skipping it this time to move the story along, but in general I'm going to make you roll a stealth roll if you are going to perform Mudras during a spell in front of Sleepers. I added in the part where Taro keeps his hands concealed, but in general Mudras look a lot different than any religious blessing, and will raise eyebrows amongst sleepers, risking paradox dice ect.

[Longes]

"Yeah. Sorry, it's probably nothing. Too much caffeine recently. Ha ha." Yes, Taro was worried, but he didn't want to show it. "Hope work treats you nicely! I'll call when I figure out the computer."

Now, on to the supernal summoning. Count pondered for a bit and decided to just go for it. With urban development there were plenty of moving ley lines all across the city generating temporary hallows, and he was well equipped to find one. Besides, a walk would do him good and clear up the headache. Count plugged in his headphones and picked a track at random from his vast and eclectic collection. "House of the Rising Sun (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0sB3Fjw3Uvc)", by The Animals. Next he whipped up a spell to take him to a Hallow and set off, coffee in hand, letting Tokyo guide him where it will. Unlike the blasted hex, the spell went off nicely, from the heart. Count touched the soul of the city and was taken in, a tiny signal happily moving through the massive geomantic circut. It made him feel at peace. For a short period of time, it will be just music and the city.

Count casts Shifting the Odds, which he has as a Praxis, adding in conjunctional Prime to gain access to an unoccupied Aether-aligned Hallow

Shifting the Odds (pg 136, Fate 2, Duration, Praxis)
Reaches (1 free) = Instant, "+1 Reach: The mage locates the desired object within one hour."
Spell factors = Potency 1, Duration Concentration
Yantras = Keikai (2), Beads (1), Concentration (2)
Estimated dice pool= Gnosis 3 + Fate 2 + Yantras 5 = 10
Paradox = 0
Effect: Count gets one-time access to a rating 2 Hallow. I don't see this as satisfying the aspiration, since aspiration is oriented toward claiming permanent turf.

Roll: [roll0]
10-again: [roll1]

EDIT: Welp, I ****ed 10-again, but it's an exceptional success anyway. Give me a condition, chief!

Wisdom: 7
Willpower: 5/5
Health: 5/7 (2 bashing)
Mana: 11/12
Initiative: 6
Defense: 7 (9) (applicable against Firearms)
Beats/Experience/Arcane Experience: 0/0/0
Tilts/Conditions: -
Active Mage Armor: Fate
Active Spells: Exceptional Luck (Hex, Seer); Exceptional Luck (Boon, Aika)
Aspirations:

Get a job (not necessarily lasting or legal)
Claim a Hallow: Find a Hallow
Fight against corporate authority: Find a clue that the government is up to no good
Obsessions:

Investigate the supernal realm of Aether: Summon a Supernal Entity
Develop the Virtual Adepts legacy: Develop personal Shadow Name

[Bennosuke]

Count sighs as his spell takes effect. The sensation takes hold, first in his chest, before expanding and warming the rest of his body, tingling all the way out to his fingers and toes. He is overtaken by a wave of calm, and the awareness that all things will work out okay. It's almost like a mild high, something he could almost see becoming addicted to.

Focusing his concentration on the image of a Hallow, seething with arcane energy, Zero begins to walk. There is no magnetic pull, nor any revelation of the path before his eyes. Instead, Count simply walks on a whim, knowing that it will be alright. He follows a butterfly across the street, turns down an alley where the smell of frying Tonkatsu catches his attention, turns down a block to avoid a pretty girl.

He's almost walked a mile without even realizing it when he starts circumventing the beautiful Yoyogi park. It's a large, green park with a few ponds. Zero contemplates the likelihood of a Hallow being in the park, and considers entering, but there are an impressive number of pedestrians and Taro just... doesn't feel like it. Instead, Count circumvents the park, and finds himself in the parking lot of Jingu Stadium, the baseball stadium for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows. The lot is empty, save for one or two cars, and the stadium appears to be completely locked up.

Confused, Taro becomes frustrated. The stadium is completely closed, what was the point of coming here? But he is disrupted from his self pity, when a dog begins barking at Zero. It is a small brown mutt, yipping and barking until Count literally locks eyes with the animal. It's ears twitch up, and it's tail starts whipping back and forth, then the dog begins bounding away. Laughing, Taro follows the dog around the Stadium, over a low fence, and down a set of stairs where the dog stops, pawing at a metal door with the sign "Power Room".

As luck would have it, the door is unlocked. As he steps through the threshold, Count's senses are sharpened by the loud cyclic hum of a series of backup power generators. Despite being underground, the air feels crisp. There is the smell of ozone and metal. The room seems to expand as Zero enters, inviting and making room for him.

[Longes]

A power room? Fitting. Thanks, Tokyo!
Count Zero put down his bag and began setting up shop. First things first - cleaning, cleanliness is next to godliness! Count found a broom in the corner and swept the floor, meditatevely doing simple work in place of simple Forces spells. When all dust was swept outside and the door was closed, he moved on to ritual preparations. A blessing of the affair. A complex diagram in chalk resembling the inner circuits of an arcane computer. Fine lines of steel shavings settled over it. Steel shuriken pushed into the ground in the center like a long nail, focusing the power. Runes in high speech declaring Count's request. Two adjacent circles, one for the Count, one for Aika's laptop.
Preparation complete, Count Zero settled in his circle crosslegged, folded his hands into mudras signifying Aether, and began chanting prayers of invocation, calling down the Truth of Technology.

The aforementioned blessing

Exceptional Luck (pg 135, Fate 2, Potency, Rote Occult)
Reaches (4 available) = Instant, Advanced Duration, Can Affect Spellcasting
Spell factors = Potency 2+3 (-6), Duration One Scene
Yantras = Occult mudra (5), Keikai (2), High Speech (2)
Estimated dice pool= Gnosis 3 + Arcana 2 + Yantras 9 - Potency 6 = 8
Paradox = none
Effect: boon, plus 5 (Potency) to the next 5 (Potency) rolls

Roll: [roll0]
10-again: [roll1]

Required successes:
Base (10) + Duration Hour (2) + Paradox caused (1) + Rank 2 (5) - Proper Demesne (3) = 15

Roll 1: [roll2]
10-again: [roll3]
3 Successes

Roll 2: [roll4]
10-again: [roll5]
2 Successes

Roll 3: [roll6]
10-again: [roll7]
6 successes

Roll 4: [roll8]
10-again: [roll9]
2 successes

Roll 5: [roll10]
10-again: [roll11]
2 successes

Cashing in my Charmed here for a lucky summoning of some sort and taking my arcane beat from Charmed

Wisdom: 7
Willpower: 5/5
Health: 7/7
Mana: 10/12
Initiative: 6
Defense: 7 (9) (applicable against Firearms)
Beats/Experience/Arcane Experience/Arcane Beats: 0/0/0/1
Tilts/Conditions: -
Active Mage Armor: Fate
Aspirations:

Get a job (not necessarily lasting or legal)
Claim a Hallow: Find a Hallow
Fight against corporate authority: Find a clue that the government is up to no good
Obsessions:

Investigate the supernal realm of Aether: Summon a Supernal Entity
Develop the Virtual Adepts legacy: Develop personal Shadow Name

[Bennosuke]

As the spell casting begins, the whirring noise of the generators becomes accelerated in speed, creating a louder and higher pitched cacophany. The lights in the room begin to flicker in time with the generators, creating sudden strobe like shadows that flash in and out of existence.

Count can feel the energy from his soul, pouring into the room. His spell begins spilling around the cracks in the veil of the mundane, rippling into the Supernal to pull the the seams of the veil aside. The patterns resist, and Zero is forced to bear down, tensing a non-physical muscle tighter as he pours more power into the room.

The laptop, despite it's battery being pulled, turns on; the Windows program starting with a musical chime. Zero can feel a static field growing around the computer, which starts to vibrate and shake within its small circle.

Similarly, the Shuriken dart begins spinning like the needle of a compass, whirring round and round. Faster and faster it turns, till it is like the blade of a helicopter, creating the illusion of a spinning disc.

The lights go out suddenly, as Count focuses harder and harder on his Imago, working harder to realize his focus. Electrical sparks begin to shoot from the generators, booming in thunderous claps, like a drum.

Then the image begins to appear. It is a demon man of pure electrical energy. The entity has long teeth and pointed ears. It is a Raijin, a Thunder God. The being's appearance begins to solidify. Zero pushes more and more energy into the room. Thunder goes off again and again, now rhythmic like a Taiko drum.

Then the beat begins to fade, and the Generators begin to slow. The Raijin reaches out for Taro, as if about to speak, but it's image fades, crackling and dispersing, then suddenly puttering out into non-existence. The lights flicker back on, the Shuriken stops spinning.

The only noise left in the room is the laptop, which is now bouncing from side to side, within the confines of the circle Zero had drawn from it.

So Count fails the summoning, despite all of the succeeded rolls. I debated very hard explicitly explaining this to you, but decided against it, as it would add to the plot, but Taro lacks the necessary criteria for summoning, in that he has to have an Arcana at level 3. This was why I was hinting at you to re-read the rules on summoning. This is explained explicitly on page 95.

I am sorry to do this to you, but Zero should be able to successfully summon, if he has the assistance of another Mage with a dot in prime. He also probably IC needs to talk to someone more knowledgeable, who can explain to him why the summoning failed.

[Longes]

Welp. That was disappointing.

Resigned that the day hates him Taro cleans up and goes outside, calling Sanji and recaping events of the evening to him.

Wisdom: 7
Willpower: 5/5
Health: 7/7
Mana: 10/12
Initiative: 6
Defense: 7 (9) (applicable against Firearms)
Beats/Experience/Arcane Experience/Arcane Beats: 0/0/0/1
Tilts/Conditions: -
Active Mage Armor: Fate
Aspirations:

Get a job (not necessarily lasting or legal)
Claim a Hallow: Find a Hallow
Fight against corporate authority: Find a clue that the government is up to no good
Obsessions:

Investigate the supernal realm of Aether: Summon a Supernal Entity
Develop the Virtual Adepts legacy: Develop personal Shadow Name

[Bennosuke]

Frustrated and tired, Count cleans up all evidence of his summoning attempt. He returns the laptop, his shuriken and his chalk to his satchel and steps outside. Removing his Keita, he dials Sanji Sensei. The phone rings on and on, till Zero is sure his old mentor is not going to pick up. Perhaps it had been too long since Count last reached out, or perhaps his decision to strike out on his own had isolated the Mage called Zero from the man who had instructed him in the arts of the Arcane.

Then the line picks up, it is quiet for a long moment before Taro hears the common phone greeting, "Moshi moshi". Then Sanji says no more, perhaps waiting for Taro to speak up, to explain why he has called, or make some form of apology.

[Longes]

"Hey." Count does minimal socially acceptable amount of small talk before moving on to actual issues. He recaps the encounter with who he assumes was a Seer, asking to pass the description to the network when Sanji gets the chance.
"And another thing. I've tried supernal summoning. It didn't work. Saw Raijin, felt a bunch of power moving, and... nothing. Any ideas on what could have gone wrong? I've found a good hallow and everything."

Wisdom: 7
Willpower: 5/5
Health: 7/7
Mana: 10/12
Initiative: 6
Defense: 7 (9) (applicable against Firearms)
Beats/Experience/Arcane Experience/Arcane Beats: 0/0/0/1
Tilts/Conditions: -
Active Mage Armor: Fate
Aspirations:

Get a job (not necessarily lasting or legal)
Claim a Hallow: Find a Hallow
Fight against corporate authority: Find a clue that the government is up to no good
Obsessions:

Investigate the supernal realm of Aether: Summon a Supernal Entity
Develop the Virtual Adepts legacy: Develop personal Shadow Name

[Bennosuke]

After describing the encounter, Sanji begins laughing. "Tell me, can you describe him?"

He waits for Zero's description, then chuckles again. Cutting Zero off, Sanji says, "I don't think that man was a Seer. He had his hair in a topknot, right? I believe that is my new pupil, Musashi. He has been studying Spirit Arcana under me. I sent him to meet with you". Sanji begins roaring with laughter, "Did you really curse him???", more laughter, "that's amazing! He needs your... expertise Zero-Kun."

Sanji Sensei then listens while Count describes the attempted Summoning. Waiting for Zero to finish, he says, "Hmmmm.... I think I understand. To be honest, it sounds like you got farther than I thought". Giving a long sigh, Count's old mentor says, "I think you tried too soon. Zero, you have always impressed me by how quickly you advanced through the Arcana, and your dedication and ambition have been most impressive. However", and he says this matter o'factly, "I don't think you were ready for a Summoning. You simply haven't advanced enough through your Arcana. Perhaps we should meet at some point to discuss this." This last suggestion is slightly shocking. Count and Sanji had barely spoken in a long time, and as far as Zero could tell, his master had little interest in seeing him.

I apologize for the delay in posting. Things have been very very busy for me. I hope you are enjoying the game so far.

[Longes]

"It's not paranoia if they are really out to get me. And he was acting suspicious." Count chuckles to himself. "But fine, I'll drop the curse. Hope he didn't blow up yet, I've outdone myself with that one. Say hi from me. I haven't left you that long ago, so either his progress to Disciple was amazing, or it's a hand me down. Which is it?"

The news about the reasons for failure were unfortunate. That was not something he could fix. Not now or quickly anyway. Bugger. "I'm going to swing by Athenaeum tomorrow, look if we have anything on Raijin in our library. We can meet there."

Social interaction concluded, Count wondered what to do next. The supernal summoning failed, so things will have to go the hard way. Which means he needs protection. Count went back into the power room. Letting go of the cloud of misfortune he sent on Musashi meant he could put on two magical bulletproof vests. Consideration lead to chosing a sneaky spell and protective spell. If Count was going to poke the hornet's nest with a stick, it'd be best if hornets found him invisible and sting-proof. Under the stable humming of electricity the supernal energies were brought down to earth.

No problem, real life happens.

Poor Musashi. With -5 dice penalty he probably rolled a chance die for every spell he tried to cast since we've met.

How do you handle XP? I've seen some people give out beats fairly regularly over the course of the game, do you prefer to just toss it in chunks at the story ends? Also can I claim a beat towards Investigate Aether obsession?

Wards and Signs (pg 168, Prime 2, Duration)
Reaches (1 available) = Instant, Advanced Duration
Spell factors = Potency 1+3 (-6), Duration One Week (-2)
Yantras = Beads (1), Keikai (2), High Speech (2)
Estimated dice pool= Gnosis 3 + Arcana 2 + Yantras 5 + Willpower 3 - Potency 6 - Duration 2 = 5
Paradox = chance
Effect: When the subject is the target of a spell, that spell is Withstood with the Potency of Wards and Signs.

Roll: [roll0]
10-again: [roll1]

Paradox (contained, chance): [roll2]
Wisdom: [roll3]

Supernal Veil (pg 168, Prime 2, Duration, Rote Occult)
Reaches (4 available) = Instant, Advanced Duration, Advanced Potency
Spell factors = Potency 1+1 (-2), Duration One Month (-2)
Yantras = Occult mudra (5), Keikai (2), High Speech (2)
Estimated dice pool= Gnosis 3 + Prime 2 + Yantras 9 - Potency 4 = 12
Paradox = none
Effect: Passive abilities (such as Peripheral Mage Sight) automatically fail to detect the veiled phenomenon, while active attempts provoke a Clash of Wills.

Roll: [roll4]
10-again: [roll5]

Wisdom: 7
Willpower: 5/5
Health: 7/7
Mana: 10/12
Initiative: 6
Defense: 7 (9) (applicable against Firearms)
Beats/Experience/Arcane Experience/Arcane Beats: 0/0/0/1
Tilts/Conditions: -
Active Mage Armor: Fate
Aspirations:

Get a job (not necessarily lasting or legal)
Claim a Hallow: Find a Hallow
Fight against corporate authority: Find a clue that the government is up to no good
Obsessions:

Investigate the supernal realm of Aether:
Develop the Virtual Adepts legacy: Develop personal Shadow Name

[Longes]

Today was just not his day. The shielding spell didn't work, so Count had to build a new Imago. He tried to make it less taxing, which of course meant sacrificing effectiveness. Double checked the sequences in Keitai, puzzling out the intricacies of atlantean language. Memory turned back to Taro's lessons with his father as he fingered the beads, trying to find that ellusive zen no-mind. It felt like an eternity has passed since when he was little. Yeah, he'd make a fine priest. "Please, donate to a church of Saint Turing and ask Osho Roboto for a blessing." Well, he did just see a god of technology, so maybe this was less insane than it seemed.

Wards and Signs (pg 168, Prime 2, Duration)
Reaches (1 available) = Instant, Advanced Duration
Spell factors = Potency 1+2 (-4), Duration One Day
Yantras = Beads (1), Keikai (2), High Speech (2)
Estimated dice pool= Gnosis 3 + Arcana 2 + Yantras 5 - Potency 4 = 6
Paradox = chance
Effect: When the subject is the target of a spell, that spell is Withstood with the Potency of Wards and Signs.

Roll: [roll0]
10-again: [roll1]

Paradox (contained, chance): [roll2]
Wisdom: [roll3]

Well **** Wards and Signs I guess.

Wisdom: 7
Willpower: 4/5
Health: 7/7
Mana: 10/12
Initiative: 6
Defense: 7 (9) (applicable against Firearms)
Beats/Experience/Arcane Experience/Arcane Beats: 0/0/0/1
Tilts/Conditions: -
Active Mage Armor: Fate
Aspirations:

Get a job (not necessarily lasting or legal)
Claim a Hallow: Find a Hallow
Fight against corporate authority: Find a clue that the government is up to no good
Obsessions:

Investigate the supernal realm of Aether:
Develop the Virtual Adepts legacy: Develop personal Shadow Name

[Bennosuke]

Sanji San agrees to meet Zero the following day. Then Zero returns to the humming engines of the Generator Room, only to have his efforts be in vain to cast a Shielding spell over the Hallow.

After the two failed attempts, and the near brush with paradox, which had actually caused a trickle of metallic blood to exit his nostrils, Count was exhausted. His head throbbed, and his bones ached. Taro had already been down here for about two hours at this point. The Hallow was rather comforting, but it appeared it would take a lot more to claim it. Despite the headache, Count's brain raced with questions regarding this Hallow and its Raijin guardian. He was hungry to truly make contact with the Thunder God, and to claim the Hallow as his own. He would dream about it tonight, he was almost certain.

Yikes, bad luck on the rolls my man. So first, please note that Taro took bashing damage for containing paradox on that second roll (didn't see it in your character box).

In regard to your questions about Beats: I will hand out beats based on Aspirations/Obsessions, as they are completed and then more at the end of each Game session. Remember, you can always convert a failure to a dramatic failure for a beat. Also, if at any time you feel you have completed an Aspiration/Obsession, please let me know. I am always happy to discuss and consider giving a beat. Since you failed to summon the Raijin, I want you to keep this Obsession, but I will give you an Arcane beat for getting one step closer (I hadn't considered this but it seems fair). However, as this is an obsession, and Taro failed on his first attempted summoning, I see this as something that Zero should be fairly "Obsessed" with. It should kill him that he couldn't summon the Raijin. He should be consumed with the desire to succeed in this summoning, rather than just, Oh, darn, maybe next time.

That said, you did find a Hallow, so you can knock that off your Aspirations list and take a Mundane beat (I intended to bring it up earlier, but I've been a little busy/distracted, and forgot to mention it).

So, is Taro calling it a night? Anything else you want to try to do before you meet Sanji tomorrow?

[Longes]

He was tired, but the night has just began. Seeing how Count had no skill with the Arcana of Spirit, simply throwing a dispellation at the computer won't do. Which means he'll have to do it the hard way. Count set off home to hook set up data analysis tools on his PC and ask fellows on darknet for advice.

[Bennosuke]

Count returns to his small apartment, his mind still reeling from the evening's exertion. He now had two mysteries to preoccupy his thought, the laptop, which had finally shut itself off, and the attempted summoning of the Raijin.

His apartment was little more than a rolled out futon, a desk with his desktop rig, and a few cabinets filled with the odd assortment of clothing, books, and gadgets. Taro's room would be considered spartan by American standards, though Ancient Egyptians would consider his room a fairly spacious sarcophagus.

Once he'd unpacked everything, Count gets to work with his investigation.

Again, thank you for the patience this week. I see two rolls for this: A Int + Computer for the hardware/software analysis.
For the dark net chat rooms, I would do Presence/manipulation + Socialize. I see the two projects taking Count till about Midnight/1 in the AM.

[Longes]

Count Zero set things up and twirled in the chair, thinking things through. First, he decided to see what he can find in the computer itself. The virus may have been magical, but if its permanency was rooted in software or hardware - perhaps fixing them would fix the whole thing. Supernal Veil might be able to cut off whoever monitors the virus from noticing the activation. Count dug in a drawer and found a brush, a bottle of ink and a stack of papers. Carefully controlling the brush Count covered them with runes, sounding them out as he went, turning mere strips of processed wood into an impenetrable veil. Precautions taken, Count got to work analyzing the laptop's guts.

When he got out what could, he went on to consulting with the experts. A practiced rote unravelled the future before the young mage, scrolling through hundreds of possible opening lines, jokes, problem descriptions and requests. The right answer was sticking to what he knows - brief technical descriptions and showing the analysis he, Count Zero, already did. Would help him get his name out there too. Show he knows his stuff, get some hacker cred.

Supernal Veil (pg 168, Prime 2, Duration, Rote Occult)
Reaches (4 available) = Instant, Advanced Duration, Advanced Potency
Spell factors = Potency 1+1 (-2), Duration One Month (-2)
Yantras = Beads (1), Mudra (5), Environment (1)
Estimated dice pool= Gnosis 3 + Arcana 2 + Yantras 7 - Potency 2 - Duration 2 = 8
Paradox = no

Roll: [roll0]
10-again: [roll1]

Serendipity (pg 135, Fate 1, Potency, Rote Computer)
Reaches (5 available) = Instant, Advanced Duration, Advanced Potency, Substitute any skill
Spell factors = Potency 1+1 (-2), Duration One Scene
Yantras = Beads (1), Mudra (4), Keikai (2)
Estimated dice pool= Gnosis 3 + Arcana 2 + Yantras 7 - Potency 2 = 10
Paradox = no
Effect: When the mage’s player makes a roll to achieve her stated goal she may substitute any Skill for the one that the task calls for.

Roll: [roll2]
10-again: [roll3]

Int+Computer: [roll4]
10-again: [roll5]

Presence+Computer: [roll6]
10-again: [roll7]

Aspiration "find hallow" updated to "Learn what's wrong with Aika's computer"

Wisdom: 7
Willpower: 5/5
Health: 7/7
Mana: 12/12
Initiative: 6
Defense: 7
Experience/Beats/Arcane Experience/Arcane Beats: 0/1/0/2
Tilts/Conditions: -
Active Mage Armor: Prime
Active Spells: Exceptional Luck (Aika), Supernal Veil (Advanced Potency 1, Advanced Duration Year)
Aspirations:

Get a job (not necessarily lasting or legal)
Learn what's wrong with Aika's computer
Fight against corporate authority: Find a clue that the government is up to no good
Obsessions:

Investigate the supernal realm of Aether: Investigate Raijin
Develop the Virtual Adepts legacy: Develop personal Shadow Name

[Bennosuke]

First off, again, thank you for the patience.

Second, as you can probably count; Count passes Supernal Veil with 4 successes, Serendipity with 2 successes, his Int+Computer roll by 3 successes, and Presencte+Comp by 3 successes. However, because Supernal Veil worked so successfully, see below. Should you wish Taro to go forward with the rest of the actions, all the rolls will be kept.

Third, as stated in the OOC thread (see post #3), the scene is not over (the scene actually ends probably with this investigation). Because of this, you can't refill an aspiration till then. Tentatively, you can say "Aspiration "find hallow" updated to "Learn what's wrong with Aika's computer"", but you can't get another beat for it, till the next scene starts. Sorry.

Fourth, and maybe you want to answer this in the OOC thread, is the format for spell casting working for you? It definitely is making my job WAY easier, but let me know if it's too clunkly for you.

Fifth, did Count regain the WP spent on Wards and Signs (post #23), or was it never reflected as spent in your character box?

Count hung the pieces of calligraphy around the laptop, envisioning a barrier being built around the computer. When the spell was completed, and the last symbol placed in its circle there was a thunderous popping noise. As if a bomb had exploded beneath the computer, it shot into the air, colliding hard with the ceiling, flattening out the two hinged plates of the laptop. As Aika's computer began somersaulting down, it changed trajectory, suddenly moving at 90 degrees, parallel to the ground. But when the computer reached the border of the painted Kanji symbols, it hit an invisible wall, and sat suspended in air vibrating like a fly caught in a spider's web.

The computer screen had turned on, and programs were opening at random, as if a child were mashing the buttons of the keyboard and mouse. Error keytones fired repeatedly, and multiple error windows bloomed onto the screen. Where as before, it was as if the computer had a mind of its own, it was now like the computer had lost its mind!

The spell had definitely worked, but the effect was... not what Count had expected.

So I suppose Count can ignore this, if he does, the computer will continue to fire off at random, and he could theoretically get the rest of his work done, though he may want to investigate.

[Longes]

Welp. That was something. After brief deliberation Count decided to study the computer with prime sight before doing anything else. Unfortunately, from what he knew the virusing used spirit arcana, so simply dispelling it wasn't an option. Now that the appartment was hidden from magical surveilance, focused sight seemed like a fairly safe option. Count considered, and relinquished the spell to keep the protection on his appartment. He was doing magic here after all, fairly regularly. Sitting in his room, shielded from the world, investigating a mystery - this was yet another step towards building a sympathy with his chosen name.

Scrutiny
1: [roll0]
2: [roll1]
3: [roll2]
4: [roll3]
5: [roll4]

10-again
1: [roll5]
2: [roll6]
3: [roll7]
4: [roll8]
5: [roll9]

Result: Count Zero succeeds after 4 turns, ending with an exceptional success.

Wisdom: 7
Willpower: 3/5
Health: 7/7
Mana: 12/12
Initiative: 6
Defense: 7
Experience/Beats/Arcane Experience/Arcane Beats: 0/1/0/2
Tilts/Conditions: -
Active Mage Armor: Prime
Active Spells: Exceptional Luck (Aika), Supernal Veil (Advanced Potency 1, Advanced Duration Year)
Relinquished Spells: Supernal Veil (Advanced Potency 2, Advanced Duration Month, Unsafe, runes covering the appartment)
Aspirations:

Get a job (not necessarily lasting or legal)
-
Fight against corporate authority: Find a clue that the government is up to no good
Obsessions:

Investigate the supernal realm of Aether: Investigate Raijin
Develop the Virtual Adepts legacy: Develop personal Shadow Name

[Bennosuke]

The moment Zero let go of the spell shielding the computer, it stopped its mechanical thrashing. The movements of the mouse again became slower, and apparently more purposeful, though what it was doing was beyond Count.

Taking a deep breath, and resting his hands in his lap, Zero began to focus his awareness on the Supernal, preparing himself for the flood of data he was about to navigate. His body went slack, Count's eyes being the only active part of his body, scanning back and forth over the laptop. The first thing Count became aware of was the smell; the laptop did not smell like ozone, in the way a normal electrical device did. The smell was something familiar, something akin to the rot of miso paste and kombu, that one might find in his mother's kitchen when she was making soup. But this was sweeter, and more... putrid. It was the smell of ectoplasm. Zero had removed the computer's battery, but this computer was being powered by ectoplasm.

It took nearly a minute before Count then realized the next important piece of information; there was no evidence of the Supernal here... No, there was something... a Mage's spell from maybe a week ago. But the Nimbus had already faded. There was no evidence of human energy, or Mage energy for that matter. This computer was not infected by a Mage. Everything Taro had read made it sound like a Supernal Virus was when a Seer essentially Shadow Walked his Soul into a computer, and ransacked it for data about the Mage owner before frying the entire system. But there was no evidence of this sort of intrusion here. Whatever was acting on the computer was not a normal Virus.

Count's focus was suddenly drawn to the screen. A window had popped up, with an invitation to videochat. The window was a blur of color and falling tapestry, making it hard to focus on anything so mundane... but something was inviting Count to chat.

So, it appears to me Zero actually succeeds after three rolls (not 4). Since this is the same mystery as before, opacity is 3. Roll 1 has 4 successes, and strips the opacity to 2. Roll two has two successes, successfully stripping opacity to 1. Roll three has four successes, stripping the mystery of opacity.

Nowhere is there an exceptional success, not that it matters. Now if Taro had Spirit Arcanum, he could have gathered A LOT MORE information, but this is what he gets with prime.

[Longes]

Puzzled, Count turns his attention to the chat window.

I'm going to go through the same Serendipity routine. Do you want me to make a casting roll again or is the old one good?

[Bennosuke]

Count accepts the video chat request. In the top right corner of the screen is the video feed of Zero staring at the screen, just below the camera. However, in the main chat window is a nearly identical image. The window shows the reflection of Count's apartment, but where Zero sits is simply a blurred silhouette. The fuzzy shape seems to shift, sometimes contracting, sometimes expanding in one direction or the next. It does not mirror Taro, it does not move like a human.

A chittering, popping noise comes through the computer speaker. A ringtone chimes, as a text message pops up under the video window. In the textbox is just one word, written in the transliteration of High Speech; it reads, "MINE".

Serendipity spell results reserved.

[Longes]

Hm. Count Zero leaned back in the chair scratching his chin. This was... weird. Weirder than usual anyway. On the positive side - it wasn't a Seer, so he didn't need to worry about finding a new appartment. On the negative side - what wasn't Supernal yet spoke High Speech? The simplest logic suggested that this was a spirit that picked the computer as its fetish, or something like that. But then how did it know High Speech? More investigation was needed. Losing the computer was no big deal - it was just a computer. But having weird monsters hanging around, ruining people's computers was not cool. More investigation was required.

Count put his hands on the keyboard and typed in High Speech: "Who are you? Why do you want that computer?"

Wisdom: 7
Willpower: 3/5
Health: 7/7
Mana: 12/12
Initiative: 6
Defense: 7
Experience/Beats/Arcane Experience/Arcane Beats: 0/1/0/2
Tilts/Conditions: -
Active Mage Armor: Prime
Active Spells: Exceptional Luck (Aika)
Relinquished Spells: Supernal Veil (Advanced Potency 2, Advanced Duration Month, Unsafe, runes covering the appartment), Supernal Veil (Advanced Potency 1, Advanced Duration Year, cast on Count Zero)
Aspirations:

Get a job (not necessarily lasting or legal)
-
Fight against corporate authority: Find a clue that the government is up to no good
Obsessions:

Investigate the supernal realm of Aether: Investigate Raijin
Develop the Virtual Adepts legacy: Develop personal Shadow Name

[Bennosuke]

The chittering noise becomes louder, as the figure seems to expand across the screen. One tentacle like limb even extends beyond the video window, blurring desktop behind it. The response, again etched in the chatbox reads, "IT IS MINE".

[Longes]

Does Count know about anything like that ever happening?

Intelligence+Occult: [roll0]
10-again: [roll1]

Wisdom: 7
Willpower: 3/5
Health: 7/7
Mana: 12/12
Initiative: 6
Defense: 7
Experience/Beats/Arcane Experience/Arcane Beats: 0/1/0/2
Tilts/Conditions: -
Active Mage Armor: Prime
Active Spells: Exceptional Luck (Aika)
Relinquished Spells: Supernal Veil (Advanced Potency 2, Advanced Duration Month, Unsafe, runes covering the appartment), Supernal Veil (Advanced Potency 1, Advanced Duration Year, cast on Count Zero)
Aspirations:

Get a job (not necessarily lasting or legal)
-
Fight against corporate authority: Find a clue that the government is up to no good
Obsessions:

Investigate the supernal realm of Aether: Investigate Raijin
Develop the Virtual Adepts legacy: Develop personal Shadow Name

[Bennosuke]

Zero has never heard of a computer being possessed by a malicious spirit. He does remember his former mentor describing how every machine has its own spirit entity, but talk about the Shadow realm never interested Count. If the computer was being possessed by a malicious spirit, Zero wondered what had happened to the laptop's indigenous spirit.

[Longes]

Yeaaah, this was a job for a techno-shaman. The whole idea of some alien entities claiming home in humanity's greatest and shiniest tools felt slightly offensive to Count, but what was he going to do about it? Nothing, that's what. For now he just needed to contain this thing and show it who wears pants around here. But how? Forces wasn't the answer - the thing clearly shown that it can turn on the PC without battery. Prime? Sure. Why not Prime. Words resonated through the instruments of his will until mere sound became fire and force.
"TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT AND WHY, OR I'LL RUIN YOUR DAY."

Words of Truth (pg 168, Prime 2, Potency)
Reaches (1 available) = Instant, Inspired or Guilty condition
Spell factors = Potency 1+3 (-4)
Yantras = Beads (1), High Speech (2), Keikai (2)
Estimated dice pool= Gnosis 3 + Arcana 2 + Yantras 5 + Willpower 3 - Potency 4 = 9
Paradox = chance
Effect: All subjects of this spell can hear her and understand her clearly, regardless of distance, noise, or language barriers. Moreover, all subjects know, on a soul-deep level, that what the mage says is true.
Reach: If a listener goes along with what the mage said, he gains the Inspired Condition. If, however, he ignores the mage’s words, he gains the Guilty Condition.

Roll: [roll0]
10-again: [roll1]

Paradox (contained, chance): [roll2]
Wisdom: [roll3]

Wisdom: 7
Willpower: 3/5
Health: 7/7
Mana: 12/12
Initiative: 6
Defense: 7
Experience/Beats/Arcane Experience/Arcane Beats: 0/1/0/2
Tilts/Conditions: -
Active Mage Armor: Prime
Active Spells: Exceptional Luck (Aika), Supernal Veil (Advanced Potency 1, Advanced Duration Year)
Aspirations:

Get a job (not necessarily lasting or legal)
Learn what's wrong with Aika's computer
Fight against corporate authority: Find a clue that the government is up to no good
Obsessions:

Investigate the supernal realm of Aether: Investigate Raijin
Develop the Virtual Adepts legacy: Develop personal Shadow Name

[Bennosuke]

The response came again, "THIS IS MINE". This time the high pitched clacking noise came on at full volume, Count actually watched the volume cursor rise, to the piont that the laptop's measly speakers were picking up feedback. The response came again, and again. "MINE MINE MINE", the responses pinged one after the next, till they wree filling up the chatbox, and the laptop was now vibrating on the table with the volume of the clicking.

Then there was a pause, followed by the a single symbol in bold. It read "Goodbye". The computer screen went black as the computer shut down. The vibrating complete with the loss of the stereo, the laptop screen began descending, till the computer had closed itself with a click of it's latch.

[Longes]

"Prick."
This wasn't a response Count was hoping for, but it seemed like there was no danger of being immediately eaten. Puzzled, Count turned to mage chat to ask the specialists.

Wisdom: 7
Willpower: 3/5
Health: 7/7
Mana: 12/12
Initiative: 6
Defense: 7
Experience/Beats/Arcane Experience/Arcane Beats: 0/1/0/2
Tilts/Conditions: -
Active Mage Armor: Prime
Active Spells: Exceptional Luck (Aika), Supernal Veil (Advanced Potency 1, Advanced Duration Year)
Aspirations:

Get a job (not necessarily lasting or legal)
Learn what's wrong with Aika's computer
Fight against corporate authority: Find a clue that the government is up to no good
Obsessions:

Investigate the supernal realm of Aether: Investigate Raijin
Develop the Virtual Adepts legacy: Develop personal Shadow Name

[Bennosuke]

With Aika's laptop deactivated... at least for now, Count quickly logs onto his computer and accesses the Dark Net. Hopping between forums was a difficult feat, given how intently The Seers were monitoring the Dark Net these days. But Zero was incredibly lucky tonight, perhaps in no small part to his manipulations of Fate, and it was only moments before he was chatting with a Mage in Osaka, who went by the username Pl80fStake. Pl8 claimed to have heard of a case. A friend's computer had been infested by a Yokai just a few days before, but it was the first time Pl80fStake, or anyone else, had heard of such an incident. Apparently, this sort of thing, shouldn't and normally doesn't happen.

I'll give Zero an opportunity to ask pointed questions, if you have any.

[Longes]

Count asked the meat-loving mage to arrange a chat with his unfortunate friend, just in case that fella figures something out, and snickered at the observations about "normality". What is normal for a mage? When space and time can be traversed freely, when fire and lightning obey your will, when dumplings jump into your mouth at a word - is anything normal?
Just in case Count asked Pl80fStake if he knew anything about supernal entity that resembles Raijin, answered any questions the mage had to him, and logged out. That avenue gave nothing. Perhaps Sanji would know more, spirits were his thing.

After spending some more time pondering spirit lore, checking the books and eating a sandwich, Taro went to sleep. Simple cleaning rituals didn't take long, but there was a change in the mirror. On Taro's wet and tired face was a smile. He had a mystery to crack.
After some consideration Taro grabbed a salt shaker from the drawer and made a circle around the laptop before getting in bed. You never know with these things.

Wisdom: 7
Willpower: 3/5
Health: 7/7
Mana: 12/12
Initiative: 6
Defense: 7 (9) (Applicable to firearms)
Experience/Beats/Arcane Experience/Arcane Beats: 0/1/0/2
Tilts/Conditions: -
Active Mage Armor: Fate
Active Spells: Exceptional Luck (Aika), Supernal Veil (Advanced Potency 1, Advanced Duration Year)
Aspirations:

Get a job (not necessarily lasting or legal)
Learn what's possessing Aika's computer
Fight against corporate authority: Find a clue that the government is up to no good
Obsessions:

Investigate the supernal realm of Aether: Investigate Raijin
Develop the Virtual Adepts legacy: Develop personal Shadow Name

[Bennosuke]

Pl8 simply ignores the offer to set up a chat with his friend, instead cracking some stupid joke about Trolling with Mind Arcana. The meat lover then teases Zero for his ignorance regarding one of the most classic Japanese folk spirits, before posting a link in the chat box and signing out. The link explains that Raijin are traditional Thunder Totem spirits who control the energy of major storms. They hold sway over lesser electrical spirits. Raijin are drawn to areas of high electricity, and in areas where the gauntlet is weak, are known to sometimes integrate themselves into areas with either dramatic weather changes, or areas of large voltage electrical storage. Raijin have been known to make pacts with those who embody honor, and a bold warrior spirit, often aligning with creatures such as the Gauru. They have associations with drums, electricity, and are represented by the symbol "Tomoe".

After finishing his nightly chores, and warding the laptop with salt, Taro curls up in his small, firm bed, though it is nearly two hours before his excited and racing mind allows him to finally fall asleep.

End scene 1. I will tally up aspirations, beats ect, and will post OOC. I will subsequently post IC with the start of the next Scene. Please be patient. It's 10:45pm and I am still at work. This transition into my new leadership position has been a pretty rough one. My life will be normalizing of over the next few weeks. I appreciate your patience with me in the interim. Cheers.

[Bennosuke]

Act 1 Scene ii

The Metropolis should have been aborted, long before it became New York, London, or Tokyo
-John Kenneth Galbraith

It was about six in the morning when Zero arrived at the bus stop outside Shinjuku station. The late spring sun was already rising and coloring the morning from pink to blue. Worse, this was when all the business men and students began making their way to whatever Sleeper role occupied their waking hours. Commuting by bus or subway was always a claustrophobic experience this time of day, but Count had no choice in the matter.

Due to tight Seer surveillance, The Mysterium's treasured Athenaeum could not be a static, easily discovered place. Count imagined that it had to have taken the best Space trained Mystagos to build an entrance to the Athenaeum at the back of the 6:15am bus. Zero still wasn't sure if it was simply well made pocket dimension, or a portal based connection, despite a few covertly attempted spells to investigate the matter. Even the best revealing spells would fail to uncloak the entrance.

Zero was surrounded by a tightly pressed mob of commuters, and the smell of cigarettes and perfume from those nearby was practically overwhelming. But just a few shoulders over, Count could make out the unmistakable face of the Mage that Sanji had called "Musashi". He looked completely unkempt, like he had just gotten out of bed. A scraggly shadow of a beard rippled as Musashi gave Count a grin that reminded him of The Cheshire Cat's smile. But the man made no attempt to approach Count. Perhaps he was unable to, in the press of bodies waiting for their bus.

[Longes]

Tired and annoyed, Taro rattled in the public transport alongside the faceless mass of people hurrying to work. Tiring experience, that. He prefered to bike or parkour through the city, Forces opening the roofs to him like to no one else. And top it off, he had a stalker. What was up with this guy? How did he find him anyway? Not through magical detection, that's for sure - Supernal Veil should have taken care of that. Deciding to take charge, Taro snuck a hand into his pocket and blindly typed a message on his phone to a random number: "What do you want?"

Lucky Number (pg 136, Fate 2, Duration, Praxis)
Reaches (1 available) = Instant
Spell factors = Potency 1, Duration 2
Yantras = Beads (1), Keikai (2), Concentration (2)
Dice pool= Gnosis 3 + Arcana 2 + Yantras 5 = 10
Paradox = no
Effect: Correctly guess Musashi's phone number and gain Informed (Musashi) condition.

Roll: [roll0]
10-again: [roll1]

Wisdom: 7
Willpower: 5/5
Health: 7/7
Mana: 12/12
Initiative: 6
Defense: 7 (9, effective against Firearms)
Experience/Beats/Arcane Experience/Arcane Beats: 1/0/1/0
Tilts/Conditions: Informed (Musashi)
Active Mage Armor: Fate
Active Spells: Exceptional Luck (Aika)
Relinquished Spells: Supernal Veil (Advanced Potency 2, Advanced Duration Year, runes covering the appartment), Supernal Veil (Advanced Potency 1, Advanced Duration Year, cast on Count Zero)
Aspirations:

Get a job (not necessarily lasting or legal)
Learn what's wrong with Aika's computer
Fight against corporate authority: Find a clue that the government is up to no good
Obsessions:

Investigate the supernal realm of Aether: Investigate Raijin
Develop the Virtual Adepts legacy: Develop personal Shadow Name

[Bennosuke]

The spell goes through, and in a moment Musashi is quickly checking his cellphone. After a quick glance, he grins back up at Zero, again the ear to ear cheshire cat grin. A few quick finger taps, and suddenly Count's phone is buzzing in his pocket. The text reads "I think you and I are looking into the same Mystery".

A second buzz hails the message "I think you could use my help"

If Taro looks back up at Musashi, the grin has become just a bit cockier.

[Longes]

Fair enough. This was a spirit problem and Count could use some help. Sure, he knew the occult theory and could perform summonings and exorcisms, but these were not as good as the Supernal methods. Brave Fencer didn't have to be such a creep about it though. Count shrugged and put down the phone, waiting for his stop.

(assuming Musashi gets off at the Athenaeum as well) "Yo. So, what brings you to this mystery?" Count offered a handshake. "Sorry about the curse yesterday."

For mundane spirit summoning see core p.139

Wisdom: 7
Willpower: 5/5
Health: 7/7
Mana: 12/12
Initiative: 6
Defense: 7 (9, effective against Firearms)
Experience/Beats/Arcane Experience/Arcane Beats: 1/0/1/0
Tilts/Conditions: Informed (Musashi)
Active Mage Armor: Fate
Active Spells: Exceptional Luck (Aika)
Relinquished Spells: Supernal Veil (Advanced Potency 2, Advanced Duration Year, runes covering the appartment), Supernal Veil (Advanced Potency 1, Advanced Duration Year, cast on Count Zero)
Aspirations:

Get a job (not necessarily lasting or legal)
Learn what's wrong with Aika's computer
Fight against corporate authority: Find a clue that the government is up to no good
Obsessions:

Investigate the supernal realm of Aether: Investigate Raijin
Develop the Virtual Adepts legacy: Develop personal Shadow Name

[Bennosuke]

A few more minutes and the bus reached a short free way underpass, suddenly accelerating far faster than such a vehicle could safely or physically move. This was a moment Count always braced for, but one which never failed to nearly knock him off guard. The darkness of the man made tunnel went on for far longer than was implied by the structure. One moment you could see the others side, and the next you were on a subway car miles from its next stop. The Sleepers were all frozen, a tightly packed mob of porcelain faces stopped in mid-action.

The bus was now being assaulted by rockets of neon colors, as if it were speeding through the fever dreams of the spirits that powered Shibuya's ubiquitous electronic signs. Reds and greens and pinks shifted across the faces of the frozen passengers, in a mad disco of color. The bus had made the jump towards Aethenaeum, and at least for now, the two Mages were alone. Not ever the driver was aware of what had happened.

Zero squeezed his way between the now rock solid passengers towards the smug fencer, how made no attempt to flee or meet the Mystagos halfway.


"Yo. So, what brings you to this mystery?" Count offered a handshake. "Sorry about the curse yesterday."

Musashi peered down at Taro's offered hand, almost offended, and instead performs a curt bow, never taking his eyes off Zero's face. One hand was resting the same Shinai bag, which was propped up against a tree. When Count mentions the curse, his grin returns behind a light chuckle, "That was not so nice". Musashi casually scratches at his patchy facial hair, then shrugs. After glancing around the bus, as if to make sure no Sleeper had suddenly come to and started listening in, Musashi says, "I saw what you were posting on the Net yesterday. I've noticed it recently; the Yokai infecting computers. I thought we may be able to work something out."

[Longes]

"Well you creeping from across the street wasn't too friendly either. Let's let bygones be bygones?"

Count walked towards the entrance, matching pace with Musashi.

"Sure. Yoko is supposed to be here today too, and I'm definitely open to help. Spirits are not exactly my specialty. So far all I know is a single laptop case. What else has been happening?"

Wisdom: 7
Willpower: 5/5
Health: 7/7
Mana: 12/12
Initiative: 6
Defense: 7 (9, effective against Firearms)
Experience/Beats/Arcane Experience/Arcane Beats: 1/0/1/0
Tilts/Conditions: Informed (Musashi)
Active Mage Armor: Fate
Active Spells: Exceptional Luck (Aika)
Relinquished Spells: Supernal Veil (Advanced Potency 2, Advanced Duration Year, runes covering the appartment), Supernal Veil (Advanced Potency 1, Advanced Duration Year, cast on Count Zero)
Aspirations:

Get a job (not necessarily lasting or legal)
Learn what's wrong with Aika's computer
Fight against corporate authority: Find a clue that the government is up to no good
Obsessions:

Investigate the supernal realm of Aether: Investigate Raijin
Develop the Virtual Adepts legacy: Develop personal Shadow Name

[Bennosuke]

"Sure. Yoko is supposed to be here today too, and I'm definitely open to help. Spirits are not exactly my specialty. So far all I know is a single laptop case. What else has been happening?"

Musashi smirks at Taro. Shrugging, he says "I don't think Yoko Sensei is coming. He sent me here in his stead". There is an obvious implication of Yoko's favoritism for his new protegee. The bus has become a dark throbbing realm of red, the brightness slowly fading and then growing, casting odd shadows throughout the room, and creating the illusion of the frozen Sleepers shifting about. "As far as what's been happening," Musashi continues, "The Adamantine Arrow have been monitoring the Dark web. Your's is actually the third occurrence of such an event in Tokyo. The other two mages are dead."

The smirk on Musashi's face is then gone, replaced with a mask of contempt. "We do believe the Seers are responsible, but how they are doing this, or why, is beyond us. Evidence points to a puppet corporation, called the Seihojyo Kaishya, which is being funded by the Tokyo Municipal Government. We were hoping that between my ability with Spirit Arcanum, and your knowledge of Prime and computer technology, we may be able to get to the bottom of this."

Gain a beat, the Seers are up to no good.

[Longes]

" 'We'? Is this an official Adamantine Arrow job then?
I agree about this being a likely seer job. My friend's computer got hit when she was looking into government corruption. Do you have any leads then? Or are you hoping to get something out of the guy I've got in the laptop?"
When the moment is right Taro recounts the interaction with the spirit last night.

Wisdom: 7
Willpower: 5/5
Health: 7/7
Mana: 12/12
Initiative: 6
Defense: 7 (9, effective against Firearms)
Experience/Beats/Arcane Experience/Arcane Beats: 1/1/1/0
Tilts/Conditions: Informed (Musashi)
Active Mage Armor: Fate
Active Spells:
Relinquished Spells: Supernal Veil (Advanced Potency 2, Advanced Duration Year, runes covering the appartment), Supernal Veil (Advanced Potency 1, Advanced Duration Year, cast on Count Zero), Exceptional Luck (Aika, protection, advanced duration month)
Aspirations:

Get a job (not necessarily lasting or legal)
Learn what's wrong with Aika's computer
Fight against corporate authority: Find a clue that the government is up to no good
Obsessions:

Investigate the supernal realm of Aether: Investigate Raijin
Develop the Virtual Adepts legacy: Develop personal Shadow Name

[Bennosuke]

" 'We'? Is this an official Adamantine Arrow job then?

Musashi shrugs, almost a little embarrassed and shakes his head 'no'. "Actually, it was something that I've been looking into independently with Sanji Sensei. He was the one who thought you may be able to help."

The bus has now come to a halt, though Count never felt it decelerate. A bright portal shimmers in hazes of yellow and white from where the back of the bus would be. It is the entrance to Athenaeum. The Sleepers remain suspended in time, as lifelike as wax sculptures. Musashi looks over at the back of the bus uncomfortably.


I agree about this being a likely seer job. My friend's computer got hit when she was looking into government corruption. Do you have any leads then?

"Well, the Seihojyo Kaishya is probably the best lead I have so far, though I don't really have any ins to get near their corporation. I think our best course of action may be examining the Yokai on your friend's laptop, if the bugger hasn't completely melted the system by now.", Musashi answers. He scratches his chin and says, "Tell me a bit about what happened with your friend's computer anyways."

Count summarizes the events leading up to today. When Zero has finished, Musashi says, "Well, that definitely sounds like the personality of a Yokai. They are mostly stupid, impulsive little spirits, very hard to have a meaningful interaction with." He sounds excited, perhaps even greedy while talking about the Yokai, as if he were a middleschooler talking about his friend's new videogame system.

[Longes]

"Well come on, don't just stand there. We don't have much time here."
The pun was horrible and Count felt absolutely no shame for it. To be perfectly honest, he wasn't all that thrilled about portals either - they could be subverted and you usually didn't know where you'll get out. But he wasn't going to admit it.
So, with a brave face Count made his way to the back of the bus, snaking between the frozen passengers and over them.

[potential marvelling depending on what's on the other side]

It was clear that Musashi's interest in the yokai was not the desire to do something good. No, he saw a challenge and was going for it. Count recognized this zeal. Perhaps it was one thing that united all mages.
"The bastard should be feeling real bad now about being uncooperative yesterday, press that when you talk to him. And once you are done we can hit the books and see where the Seers got him, and go check out there. I suppose it's a good thing my summoning of Raijin yesterday didn't work. The laptop would have probably melted."

Wisdom: 7
Willpower: 5/5
Health: 7/7
Mana: 12/12
Initiative: 6
Defense: 7 (9, effective against Firearms)
Experience/Beats/Arcane Experience/Arcane Beats: 1/1/1/0
Tilts/Conditions: Informed (Musashi)
Active Mage Armor: Fate
Active Spells:
Relinquished Spells: Supernal Veil (Advanced Potency 2, Advanced Duration Year, runes covering the appartment), Supernal Veil (Advanced Potency 1, Advanced Duration Year, cast on Count Zero), Exceptional Luck (Aika, protection, advanced duration month)
Aspirations:

Get a job (not necessarily lasting or legal)
Learn what's wrong with Aika's computer
Fight against corporate authority: Find a clue that the government is up to no good
Obsessions:

Investigate the supernal realm of Aether: Investigate Raijin
Develop the Virtual Adepts legacy: Develop personal Shadow Name

[Bennosuke]

The two step through the portal together. There is a popping sensation in Zero's skull, and a rush in his groin much like when he was a child on a swing set, and then he is through to the other side. It is a scene Count has seen a number of times, on his various trips to the libraries of the Aethenaeum, but one which always makes his jaw drop.

Zero is standing in a gigantic wooden hall, much like the Buddhist prayer rooms of major temples, or the main Dojo of a Budokan; all unpolished but smooth dark beams of oak projecting out in long shots. Row after row of wood and bamboo shelves, filled with scrolls, books and ipads, stretch back and forth through the massive chamber, stacked against each other so that there is almost no room to travel between them. A large painted plaque stands before the entrance reading


"Knowledge is Power
Knowledge has a Price"

Looking up, there is no visible ceiling to the library, just an endless tower of wooden slats. In fact, Zero could never tell where the light in the building came from, as there were no identifiable windows, nor any lamps. And there is nothing to which the wooden plaque hangs.

At a modern looking desk, under the massive plaque sits Lady Murasaki (Pronounced in English). Cocooned in layer upon layer of yellow and green Kimono, her almost white hair flowing in unkempt waves over a western bound book, one of the most powerful and (by Mystagoge standards) wealthiest Mages of the Mysterium sits before Zero and his companion smiling. "Welcome", she says in a booming yet hoarse voice, bowing from an already crooked back, "may all knowledge be sought, and all questions answered." She rises from her bow, her warm eyes observing the two Mages from behind a sea of wrinkles. "How may I serve?"

[Longes]

" 'Knowledge has a Price.' Do you ever wonder if the Mysterium in China are communist? What are they like?"

Approaching the woman Zero politely bows.
"Good morning lady. I hope it greets you well. My companion is Musashi, of the Adamantine Arrow." Zero pauses for Musashi. "We would like to look for the information regarding techno-spirits and the Yokai, there appear to be signs of an infestation in the city. Glorified fumigators, that's us." He gives a small self-deprecating smile.
"And I was hoping to find anything on a spirit of Aether that resembles Raijin."

Wisdom: 7
Willpower: 5/5
Health: 7/7
Mana: 12/12
Initiative: 6
Defense: 7 (9, effective against Firearms)
Experience/Beats/Arcane Experience/Arcane Beats: 1/1/1/0
Tilts/Conditions: Informed (Musashi)
Active Mage Armor: Fate
Active Spells:
Relinquished Spells: Supernal Veil (Advanced Potency 2, Advanced Duration Year, runes covering the appartment), Supernal Veil (Advanced Potency 1, Advanced Duration Year, cast on Count Zero), Exceptional Luck (Aika, protection, advanced duration month)
Aspirations:

Get a job (not necessarily lasting or legal)
Learn what's wrong with Aika's computer
Fight against corporate authority: Find a clue that the government is up to no good
Obsessions:

Investigate the supernal realm of Aether: Investigate Raijin
Develop the Virtual Adepts legacy: Develop personal Shadow Name

[Bennosuke]

Lady Murasaki rises from her bow and smiles at Zero. "Very noble young Mystagos", she says with a smile, "but as always, knowledge comes with a price; are you both willing to pay?" Light from nowhere reflects heavily off of her horn rimmed spectacles and obfuscating her penetrating eyes.

Zero had brought a small token of sacrifice, knowing full well the customs of his Order. I will let you choose what it is that Count has brought, a small token that represents a loss of self to gain further knowledge. But Musashi looks back and forth between Murakami and Zero a little hesitant. Lady Murakami makes no sign of recognizing the sudden wide eyed shock on Musashi's face, but it is clear to Count that he was unaware of this policy.

[Longes]

Count extracted from his bag a carefully wrapped lotus flower and presented it to Murasaki. It wasn't he pretiest or the largest flower, and its white had blemishes of color, but it was one of the flower Count grew himself, in a small box that occupied the entirety of his windowsill. After much experimentation he cooked up a spell that maintained the optimal light and temperature regime around the box, helping the little guys grow in the harsh environment of urban Tokyo.
"I hope it brightens your day, lady. My comrade benefits from the knowledge I obtain, so his payment will be in services. Musashi will devote his time to solving the yokai problem, and to helping us update our data on them, right?"
The last question is mostly rhetorical, and addressed to Musashi.

Wisdom: 7
Willpower: 5/5
Health: 7/7
Mana: 12/12
Initiative: 6
Defense: 7 (9, effective against Firearms)
Experience/Beats/Arcane Experience/Arcane Beats: 1/1/1/0
Tilts/Conditions: Informed (Musashi)
Active Mage Armor: Fate
Active Spells:
Relinquished Spells: Supernal Veil (Advanced Potency 2, Advanced Duration Year, runes covering the appartment), Supernal Veil (Advanced Potency 1, Advanced Duration Year, cast on Count Zero), Exceptional Luck (Aika, protection, advanced duration month)
Aspirations:

Get a job (not necessarily lasting or legal)
Learn what's wrong with Aika's computer
Fight against corporate authority: Find a clue that the government is up to no good
Obsessions:

Investigate the supernal realm of Aether: Investigate Raijin
Develop the Virtual Adepts legacy: Develop personal Shadow Name

[Bennosuke]

Musashi's grin spreads all the way across his face. He looks to Count and pulls a "Minnie Mouse" headband from his pocket as his cheeks turn bright crimson. "I was just going to offer this", Musashi says to his companion. It is a black plastic band with a red and white polka dotted bow and large black mouse ears.

Turning back to Lady Murakami he says, "I offer the headband of my last love, as an symbol of my willingness to sacrifice my old life for knowledge." Musashi bows deeply and continues, "I would not have come to your esteemed Athenaeum without being familiar with your protocols."

Lady Murakami smiles and takes the offerings from each of the visitors with two hands and bowed head. "Welcome," she says , "may your pursuit of knowledge be like a circle." She rises and with a wave of a hand, the stacks of books begin to roll and shift as if pulled by great chains from above. With a ruckus of noise, the shelves reassign themselves like cards of a shuffled deck till Musashi and Count are surrounded by a wall of books, and somehow separated from Lady Murakami. Her voice carries throughout the halls and over the stacks from wherever she has disappeared to. "These are the books you may have access to. You may leave whenever you wish."

[Longes]

Liar. Oh well, if it was good enough for Murasaki..

"Let's get cracking then. You take the right side, I take the left?"
However they split it, Count Zero gets to work scanning the books for relevant titles and then going in depth through the list of those.

Wisdom: 7
Willpower: 5/5
Health: 7/7
Mana: 12/12
Initiative: 6
Defense: 7 (9, effective against Firearms)
Experience/Beats/Arcane Experience/Arcane Beats: 1/1/1/0
Tilts/Conditions: Informed (Musashi)
Active Mage Armor: Fate
Active Spells:
Relinquished Spells: Supernal Veil (Advanced Potency 2, Advanced Duration Year, runes covering the appartment), Supernal Veil (Advanced Potency 1, Advanced Duration Year, cast on Count Zero), Exceptional Luck (Aika, protection, advanced duration month)
Aspirations:

Get a job (not necessarily lasting or legal)
Learn what's wrong with Aika's computer
Fight against corporate authority: Find a clue that the government is up to no good
Obsessions:

Investigate the supernal realm of Aether: Investigate Raijin
Develop the Virtual Adepts legacy: Develop personal Shadow Name

[Bennosuke]

After about an hour and a half of sifting through scrolls, and crackled leather bound books, and an iPad loaded with more digital books, and articles pulled from various blogs, Count comes across a personal account written by the famous Samurai Yagyu Sekishusai, who had helped popularized the sword style of the Shinkage Ryu. Sekishusai was famous for his accounts of battling Tengu demons, but Zero was not familiar with the Samurai interacting with other supernatural beings.

In the account, Sekishusai and his companions are traveling through Northern Japan on horseback in a thunder storm, trying to ford a river. Their passage is halted by the appearance of a Raijin who appears to the travelers as a mighty glowing warrior beating a large Taiko drum to make thunder. Their attempts to pass the Raijin are stopped by furious blasts of lightning and buffetting waves, discharged by the Supernal being, and all of Yagyu Sekishusai's mighty attacks were futile and easily turned away. It is only when Sekishusai's favored son, Yagyu Munenori retrieves a Shakuhachi bamboo flute, and plays in time with the demon's Taiko beat that the Raijin's demeanor settles, and the travelers are able to ford the river while the storm subsides.

If the account was to be believed, perhaps music could be used in some way to aid in the summoning and interaction with Zero's Raijin!

[Longes]

It was an open question whether this Raijin was a Supernal Spirit Zero saw, or one of the locals. Supernals rarelly came to the fallen world on their own, but then again, who knew what the rules were like in the ages past. Perhaps the Abyss was narrower back then.
Count got up from his chair, stretched and turned to Musashi.
"Found anything worthwhile?"

Wisdom: 7
Willpower: 5/5
Health: 7/7
Mana: 12/12
Initiative: 6
Defense: 7 (9, effective against Firearms)
Experience/Beats/Arcane Experience/Arcane Beats: 1/1/1/0
Tilts/Conditions: Informed (Musashi)
Active Mage Armor: Fate
Active Spells:
Relinquished Spells: Supernal Veil (Advanced Potency 2, Advanced Duration Year, runes covering the appartment), Supernal Veil (Advanced Potency 1, Advanced Duration Year, cast on Count Zero), Exceptional Luck (Aika, protection, advanced duration month)
Aspirations:

Get a job (not necessarily lasting or legal)
Learn what's wrong with Aika's computer
Fight against corporate authority: Find a clue that the government is up to no good
Obsessions:

Investigate the supernal realm of Aether: Investigate Raijin
Develop the Virtual Adepts legacy: Develop personal Shadow Name

[Bennosuke]

Musashi shrugs at Count's question, "Not much. I think I would be able to negotiate with a Raijin if given the opportunity. From what I'm reading, they are proud beings, but can be swayed with the right approach. You said you believe you can summon one?"

[Longes]

"No. I need some more practice with the Arcana first. Anything on the yokai?"

Wisdom: 7
Willpower: 5/5
Health: 7/7
Mana: 12/12
Initiative: 6
Defense: 7 (9, effective against Firearms)
Experience/Beats/Arcane Experience/Arcane Beats: 1/1/1/0
Tilts/Conditions: Informed (Musashi)
Active Mage Armor: Fate
Active Spells:
Relinquished Spells: Supernal Veil (Advanced Potency 2, Advanced Duration Year, runes covering the appartment), Supernal Veil (Advanced Potency 1, Advanced Duration Year, cast on Count Zero), Exceptional Luck (Aika, protection, advanced duration month)
Aspirations:

Get a job (not necessarily lasting or legal)
Learn what's wrong with Aika's computer
Fight against corporate authority: Find a clue that the government is up to no good
Obsessions:

Investigate the supernal realm of Aether: Investigate Raijin
Develop the Virtual Adepts legacy: Develop personal Shadow Name

[Bennosuke]

Musashi again shakes his head in the negative, "No, this sort of thing is too new. Yokai are usually fickle and aimless spirits. They usually don't act with such directive. There is plenty of history of Yokai being manipulated by powerful figures in our history and in Mage history, but an attack on a computer like this is unprecedented." He smirks at Count knowingly, leaning forward so as not to be heard, though as far as Zero can tell, the Library is empty. In a whisper Musashi says, "I'd rather like to study the darn thing directly," there is a greedy look in Musashi's eye. Count recognizes the look, it is the look of a Mage faced with a new Mystery, an expression that Zero has worn countless times on his own face. "I think together we could crack this thing wide open", Musashi continues.

[Longes]

"We sure will. Maybe then Sanji will finally let you out from under his skirt." Count smiles and winks.
"Do you have a good place where we can work? I haven't really set up Sanctum yet, but I can find something if you've nothing in mind." The patterns and connections were standing out cleaner and cleaner in Count's mind these days, and searching through the books helped formalize the ideas a bit. The core of Fate grew closer by the minute.

Unless I'm forgetting something, I guess we are ready to move on to studying the laptop.
I'm building up stuff for Count to found his legacy. He's got the XP for it. If you don't mind, I'd like to spend the XP now and get Fate as Ruling arcana, and then develop the first attainment at a narratively appropriate moment.

Wisdom: 7
Willpower: 5/5
Health: 7/7
Mana: 12/12
Initiative: 6
Defense: 7 (9, effective against Firearms)
Experience/Beats/Arcane Experience/Arcane Beats: 1/1/1/0
Tilts/Conditions: Informed (Musashi)
Active Mage Armor: Fate
Active Spells:
Relinquished Spells: Supernal Veil (Advanced Potency 2, Advanced Duration Year, runes covering the appartment), Supernal Veil (Advanced Potency 1, Advanced Duration Year, cast on Count Zero), Exceptional Luck (Aika, protection, advanced duration month)
Aspirations:

Get a job (not necessarily lasting or legal)
Learn what's wrong with Aika's computer
Fight against corporate authority: Find a clue that the government is up to no good
Obsessions:

Investigate the supernal realm of Aether: Investigate Raijin
Develop the Virtual Adepts legacy: Develop personal Shadow Name

[Bennosuke]

Musashi scowls slightly at Count's remarks about Sanji, but says nothing. But when Count asks about a Sanctum his lips turn upwards, back to the Cheshire cat smile. "I have a place," he says with the smile glowing, "but it may be best if you let me have the laptop and investigate things on my own."

Count was used to this time of suspicion and secrecy. Mages were the most untrusting people that Zero had ever met, it was something that had always confused him as a Mastigos. But there was a hint of an invitation behind Musashi's words.

General policy as stated earlier is for expendature of Xp to occur between scenes, to allow for "off screen" development. Aside, with an appropriate Social maneuver roll, Count should be able to gain access to Musashi's Sanctum. Also, I apologize for not responding till now, I only realized that you had responded some how till late last night.

[Longes]

"Come on buddy, we are in in this together. Besides, I've got you into a Mysterium library, didn't I? We'll have to trust each other for this partnership to work out."

Point of order: Count Zero is an Obrimos, not Mastigos.

Presence 2 + Persuasion 0 (-1) + Willpower 3: [roll0]
10-again: [roll1]
Socializing is not Count's strong suit

Wisdom: 7
Willpower: 4/5
Health: 7/7
Mana: 12/12
Initiative: 6
Defense: 7 (9, effective against Firearms)
Experience/Beats/Arcane Experience/Arcane Beats: 1/1/1/0
Tilts/Conditions: Informed (Musashi)
Active Mage Armor: Fate
Active Spells:
Relinquished Spells: Supernal Veil (Advanced Potency 2, Advanced Duration Year, runes covering the appartment), Supernal Veil (Advanced Potency 1, Advanced Duration Year, cast on Count Zero), Exceptional Luck (Aika, protection, advanced duration month)
Aspirations:

Get a job (not necessarily lasting or legal)
Learn what's wrong with Aika's computer
Fight against corporate authority: Find a clue that the government is up to no good
Obsessions:

Investigate the supernal realm of Aether: Investigate Raijin
Develop the Virtual Adepts legacy: Develop personal Shadow Name

[Bennosuke]

Still passed, and I think the word I was looking for was Mystagogue... easy mistake, right :smalltongue:

Musashi gives a long sigh that is equal parts mock exasperation and genuine fatigue and chuckles to himself. He looks around the room again before saying "Very well, very well. I'm ready to go if you are."

Zero and Musashi collect their things and quickly show gratitude to Lady Murakami, who smiles knowingly at the two mages as they leave. Exiting the Library is much like falling down a well. There is a large rush of cold air from below, and the sensation that one's testicles are rocketing into one's abdomen, and the two are left suddenly stumbling across the pavement of Shinjuku in the early morning. There is the smell of ozone, but no one seems to have noticed the pair's sudden arrival.

Stone faced sleepers trudge en mass to their daily responsibilities. Count follows Musashi who cuts through the throng like a blade through dried bamboo, darting aggressively between pedestrians. During their trek, Musashi checks over his shoulder repeatedly, as if to make sure Count is keeping up. Finally, the two come to a stairwell entrance in the alley between two multi-level electronics stores. Musashi turns back to Count nervously and says, "Okay, close your eyes and give me your hand."

[Longes]

I assume Count re-aquired the laptop

Not long now... Soon I'll join my consciousness to the Mysterium, one of many minds in the intricate web of knowledge. No more lotus growing then.
He didn't really mind. Gardening, and experimenting with Forces to improve it, was fun.

Following Musashi wasn't much trouble - Count was reasonably athletic, and karate experience gave appropriate ammount of assertiveness when it came to shoving people. Haru-sensei didn't waste time on philosophy of the battle and the way of the warrior. His was the art of punching people until they surrender and then possibly kicking them for good measure. All enlightenment gained in the process was entirely accidental. It was a good way to wind down from the high minded concepts of the supernal world.

As they approached what seemed to be Musashi's sanctum, new questions came to mind. Count hasn't given much thought before to foiling magical defenses. Would whatever Musashi has protecting his home even see him? The Supernal Veil hung around Count like a cozy cloak, hiding him from prying magical eyes. Or was his sanctum in Twilight, protected just by natural unreachability of the place? That seemed dangerously unwise. Small case wise, not the magical Wise.

Count closed his eyes and offered his hand.

Wisdom: 7
Willpower: 4/5
Health: 7/7
Mana: 12/12
Initiative: 6
Defense: 7 (9, effective against Firearms)
Experience/Beats/Arcane Experience/Arcane Beats: 1/1/1/0
Tilts/Conditions: Informed (Musashi)
Active Mage Armor: Fate
Active Spells:
Relinquished Spells: Supernal Veil (Advanced Potency 2, Advanced Duration Year, runes covering the appartment), Supernal Veil (Advanced Potency 1, Advanced Duration Year, cast on Count Zero), Exceptional Luck (Aika, protection, advanced duration month)
Aspirations:

Get a job (not necessarily lasting or legal)
Learn what's wrong with Aika's computer
Fight against corporate authority: Find a clue that the government is up to no good
Obsessions:

Investigate the supernal realm of Aether: Investigate Raijin
Develop the Virtual Adepts legacy: Develop personal Shadow Name

[Bennosuke]

Ya, lets just assume that the laptop is picked up before Musashi takes them towards his Sanctum, just to keep things moving. It seemed like things were starting to drag, so I just tried to move things along. Hope that's okay.

Musashi removes a Kendo Tenugui from a jacket pocket; a bandana like piece of clothe that is worn under the helmet. It smells like old sweat as he ties it around Zeros eyes, ushering in darkness.

It seems like Musashi leads Count around on level surface for an extended period before finally taking him up an incline. Surprisingly, the ground is soft like dirt, rather than concrete. Then there are a series of sharp turns, one after the next, and at some point all the city noise fades away, though Musashi cannot tell where or why. The ground continues to become softer, and then there is the soft sound of... something coming to and fro at odd and extended intervals.

The ground becomes softer still, and when they stop, and Count's blindfold is removed, the two are standing on a gravely beach. The sound was that of a gentle tide coming in and out. Despite the early morning just moments before, the Sun appears to be setting now, and from where they stand on the sand, Zero can see other flat islands off in the distance.

Resting in the sand, yards from Musashi and Count is a series of wooden desks, their feet yellowing from presumably high tide. On one desk is a large personal computer which appears to plug directly into the sand. On another is a series of books. A third desk is littered with various swords, and wooden practice weapons.

Musashi looks nervously at Count, "Well, here we are."

[Longes]

"Nice trick." Count surveied the environment. "Is that a natural feature or did one of ours do the portal? I'll have to set up my own sanctum, so..."
He knew Musashi couldn't have made a portal himself based on the yesterday's read, and this looked nothing like Twilight.
"You a sword enthusiast then? We should spar sometime, could be fun."
While making small talk Count unpacks the laptop and sets it up following Musashi's instructions.

Reminder: thanks to Mana Sensitivity Count automatically percieves nodes and mana

Wisdom: 7
Willpower: 4/5
Health: 7/7
Mana: 12/12
Initiative: 6
Defense: 7 (9, effective against Firearms)
Experience/Beats/Arcane Experience/Arcane Beats: 1/1/1/0
Tilts/Conditions: Informed (Musashi)
Active Mage Armor: Fate
Active Spells:
Relinquished Spells: Supernal Veil (Advanced Potency 2, Advanced Duration Year, runes covering the appartment), Supernal Veil (Advanced Potency 1, Advanced Duration Year, cast on Count Zero), Exceptional Luck (Aika, protection, advanced duration month)
Aspirations:

Get a job (not necessarily lasting or legal)
Learn what's wrong with Aika's computer
Fight against corporate authority: Find a clue that the government is up to no good
Obsessions:

Investigate the supernal realm of Aether: Investigate Raijin
Develop the Virtual Adepts legacy: Develop personal Shadow Name

[Bennosuke]

Musashi shrugs, grinning widely again at Zero, "Sanji gave this to me a while back. It's a pocket dimension that he used to practice surfing in." Looking at his pile of Bokken and other weapons Musashi winks, but does not answer Count's question nor respond regarding the possibility of a sparring session. When the laptop is laid out he takes a moment to survey the thing. There is the hungry look in his eyes, but he also appears fairly cautious, hesitant to turn the computer on.

Fortunately, the Yokai does not appear too agitated at the moment, and it would be hard to tell the computer was even possessed at the moment. Musashi looks to Count one last time and says, "Anything I should know before turning this thing on?"

[Longes]

"Well isn't someone a teacher's pet."
Count gave a friendly scowl.

"To recap:
1. It was infected while going through websites about government conspiracies.
2. The spirit inside is an ass, but he should be feeling like **** now because he went against me. You can press that guilt.
3. It went bananas when I set up an anti-magic ward around it. I can set one up here if we need to.
4. There are signs of an old spell of some sort.
5. That's about it.

I'll be keeping an eye through Prime, ask if you need anything."

Supernal Vision (pg 166, Prime 1, Praxis, Potency)
Reaches (2 available) = Instant, Advanced Duration, Spell Reach
Spell factors = Potency 2, Duration One Month (-2)
Yantras = Beads (1), Shadow Name (2), Keitai (2)
Estimated dice pool= Gnosis 3 + Arcana 2 + Yantras 5 - Duration 2 = 8
Paradox = Chance Die (spending 1 mana)
Reach: The spell reveals the nature of supernatural beings and effects other than Supernal phenomena — though there’s no guarantee the mage knows what the aura of, for example, a Promethean looks like, and most of the questions will return nonsensical imagery that best translates as “not applicable.”

Roll: [roll0]
10-again: [roll1]
4 successes - critical success (Praxis). Gaining "A Condition which will give Arcane Beats when resolved, on either the mage or her subject." Informed (Yokai) seems like a good fit.

Paradox (releasing, chance die): [roll2] - basic failure

Wisdom: 7
Willpower: 5/5
Health: 7/7
Mana: 11/12
Initiative: 6
Defense: 7 (9, effective against Firearms)
Experience/Beats/Arcane Experience/Arcane Beats: 1/1/1/0
Tilts/Conditions: Informed (Musashi)
Active Mage Armor: Fate
Active Spells:
Relinquished Spells: Supernal Veil (Advanced Potency 2, Advanced Duration Year, runes covering the appartment), Supernal Veil (Advanced Potency 1, Advanced Duration Year, cast on Count Zero), Exceptional Luck (Aika, protection, advanced duration month)
Aspirations:

Get a job (not necessarily lasting or legal)
Learn what's wrong with Aika's computer
Fight against corporate authority: Find a clue that the government is up to no good
Obsessions:

Investigate the supernal realm of Aether: Investigate Raijin
Develop the Virtual Adepts legacy: Develop personal Shadow Name

[Bennosuke]

The grin on Musashi's face spreads just a little further at Count's comment, but he says nothing more. After Zero finishes his list, Musashi cracks his knuckles and says, "Thanks. Let's do this.".

He turns the laptop on, but instead of a loading screen there is simply a rippling blackness as if there was a layer of molten tar behind the screen. The laptop itself jostles in its position a few times. Musashi looks to Zero with brows raised, "Was it like this before?" While still looking at Count, Musashi's fingers begin tapping away at the keyboard.

As Zero's companion begins his examination of the Keyboard, The Supernal Vision begins to take effect. In the same way that Count knew where his hand was without looking, he began to understand the computer and the Yokai that seemed to have become part of it.

Ok, so Count gets four questions. Informed makes perfect sense. I am going to have Musashi cast a spell or two as well, but I need his CS to do so. I am on a 24 hour shift tonight and will have access to it tomorrow morning. Thank you for the patience this last week or two. I know my post rate has been a little lower, and I have had less substantial posts. This will be improving markedly starting Sunday as my schedule will be freeing up a lot.

[Longes]

Hey, no worries. I haven't been a very speedy poster either.
For the record: Supernal Vision is cast on the mage and can be used to scrutinize whatever you want over and over for as long as the spell duration allows you.

Also, I've totally forgotten that I had "Informed (Musashi)" since way back when. Would have been useful when I had to convince him to let me into the Sanctum :D

The questions on the spirit are:
* What is the spirit's Ban?
* What is the spirit's Influence?
* Is the spirit associated with any of the Exarchs?
* How much Essence does it have?

While waiting for Musashi to do stuff, Count Zero will also scrutinize him to figure out his arcana and their levels.

Wisdom: 7
Willpower: 5/5
Health: 7/7
Mana: 11/12
Initiative: 6
Defense: 7 (9, effective against Firearms)
Experience/Beats/Arcane Experience/Arcane Beats: 1/1/1/0
Tilts/Conditions: Informed (Musashi), Informed (Yokai)
Active Mage Armor: Fate
Active Spells:
Relinquished Spells: Supernal Veil (Advanced Potency 2, Advanced Duration Year, runes covering the appartment), Supernal Veil (Advanced Potency 1, Advanced Duration Year, cast on Count Zero), Exceptional Luck (Aika, protection, advanced duration month)
Aspirations:

Get a job (not necessarily lasting or legal)
Learn what's wrong with Aika's computer
Fight against corporate authority: Find a clue that the government is up to no good
Obsessions:

Investigate the supernal realm of Aether: Investigate Raijin
Develop the Virtual Adepts legacy: Develop personal Shadow Name

[Bennosuke]

Okay, so finally had time to sit down and do the necessary leg work! First, I mistook how Supernal Vision works. The number of questions asked per turn is equivalent to the Spell's casting potency, which in this case is 2. Assuming Zero casts the spell before Musashi starts casting, and continues scrutinizing through Musashi's casting, that would mean Count has time to ask about 6 questions up until what I am about to post. Now the spell is going to last a long freaking time, unless Zero wants to let the spell go (though his high Gnosis allows him to keep 3 spells active at a time without extra reaching), so he will be able to continue scrutinizing as the scene progresses. However, since this is a significant investigatory scene, I think it's important to not spill the beans too quickly, so to speak.

So, lets have Count ask 6 questions, which can be split between the Yokai and Musashi as desired. I will answer them in the next IC post, and will refrain from answering the 4 posted till then.

The pupils of Musashi's eyes begin to dialate to impossible sizes, and a yellow light begins to glow from deep within his eyes. His brow furrows, and with his hands clasp together in Dhyani (also known as Amida Buddha in Japanese), Musashi begins to chant in what Zero recognizes as an old Shinto Mantra meant to shine Buddha's enlightenment into The Shadow. Gone is the cocky grin that had been plastered on Musashi's face, replaced with a serenity that Count had seen in many skilled Mages.

His chanting drones on for about 30 seconds, before the light fades in his eyes, replaced with red and tired orbs. He swallows hard, and then the grin returns. Smiling again at Zero, Musashi says "The Yokai's name is Hiderigami, it is a minor spirit of drought. This thing was compelled by a Mage, for there is a dark handprint on its shadow. I think I know what compels it, and with its name, I should have power over it. It knows we are here and is afraid. I could attack it, but I fear damaging the computer. I think I can compel it to leave the computer temporarily, which I will need to do to attack it... assuming you want the computer unharmed".

Musashi wipes the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand and calmly retrieves a long and well oiled White Oak Bokken from his table, and twirls it a few times, as if refamiliarizing himself with its weight.

[Longes]

"Can we move it somewhere? Into your laptop, or a phone or something? I don't want to kill it if we don't have to, it's not doing this of its own will."

I'm sticking with my questions about the spirit. Let's add "What is the spirit's Rank?" to the list. I can't think of any other question I can justify as being connected to the supernal, so the last one will be for Musashi. What is Musashi's second highest arcana?

[Bennosuke]

Before Musashi can answer, Taro's answers come flooding into his mind as a series of questions. Each vision is an assault on Zero's conscious, threatening to lit him off the ground.

What is the spirit's Ban?
The Yokai, a bulbous headed shadow of shifting size and limb length opens its mouth to consume book after book after book. Like a snake the thing's body warps and distends with every meal, growing in both length and width. This was a spirit of hunger, that must feed on all information it could consume

What is the spirit's Influence?
A web of rivers spiral inwards towards a lake. Waters churn and slosh along banks into a body of water rippling with symbols of Force. But at the center of the lake floats the same shadowy spirit, it's mouth distending wide like the maw of a whale. Water filled with Force sucks down into the growing Yokai. The spirit drinks and drinks, and grows and grows, till the bed of the lake is dry, and filled with the darkness of the Yokai, and the rivers stop flowing. The Yokai can drain resources of Force from its surroundings; electricity, fire, wind.

Is the spirit associated with any of the Exarchs?
A figure with long blood red robes stands under a bronzed and warped Buddha statue in an empty temple. His high pointed hood shadows his face except for a grin filled with thousands of pointed teeth. She stands over Aika's computer, her shadow surrounding the laptop but pushed back by the light of its screen. In one hand is a wand. The Mage's grin is replaced with a grimace, a moment before he vomits up a black shadow onto Aika's laptop. The shadow comes out with a bulbous head, landing on and tainting the computer. As if splashed with foul water, there is a crackle of electricity from the laptop before it shorts, the bright screen dying as the Mage's silhouette consumes it. Yes. Absolutely yes.

How much Essence does it have?
Symbols of prime swarm and boil within the shadow of the Yokai. Like a thermometer they seem to push their way up through it's towering form, filling up to what would be its nipple line. 6

What is the spirit's Rank
The spirit cackles, still towering over Zero, it cackles and cackles till there is a thunderous boom that fills the entire nothing. A stump like foot explodes through space, sending Count and the Yokai flying into the abyss. And when Zero lands, he realizes he is far larger than the Yokai that once loomed over him. Rank 1

The visions fade leaving Count's awareness returning to the beach, and to Musashi. Echoes of the hallucinations dance along the sand like marionettes made of crepe paper and gauze.

Musashi stares at Count, and in a fit of deja vu repeats, "The Yokai's name is Hiderigami, it is a minor spirit of drought. This thing was compelled by a Mage, for there is a dark handprint on its shadow. I think I know what compels it, and with its name, I should have power over it. It knows we are here and is afraid. I could attack it, but I fear damaging the computer. I think I can compel it to leave the computer temporarily, which I will need to do to attack it... assuming you want the computer unharmed".

Then like a spinal reflex, Taro responds, "Can we move it somewhere? Into your laptop, or a phone or something? I don't want to kill it if we don't have to, it's not doing this of its own will."

"I'm not strong enough to tie it to a new fetish. I can try to force it into something else, but that's like trying to force a bird out of the only open window", Musashi responds as Time moves forward."Trust me, I'd love to not destroy this thing, but it's not going to be easy."

Then Count's vision tunnels as his scrutiny draws a bead on his companion.

What is Musashi's second highest arcana
The image of Musashi on the beach shifts and warps. Where once there was sand is now a sea of rice plants, and where once was the ocean is a monolithic oak tree, it's branches crowned with tendrils and leaves. Life Arcana

The mirage fades and Musashi is left staring at Zero, a look of concern on his face. "Hey man, are you okay?"

[Longes]

"Yeah. I'm okay. Change of plans - this thing is tied to the Exarchs, perhaps even a minor of shoot of an Exarchial concepts."
Count made a pause, silence showing that they have to kill it.
"Lets get it out of the computer. What do you want me to do?"

Wisdom: 7
Willpower: 5/5
Health: 7/7
Mana: 11/12
Initiative: 6
Defense: 7 (9, effective against Firearms)
Experience/Beats/Arcane Experience/Arcane Beats: 1/1/1/0
Tilts/Conditions: Informed (Musashi), Informed (Yokai)
Active Mage Armor: Fate
Active Spells:
Relinquished Spells: Supernal Veil (Advanced Potency 2, Advanced Duration Year, runes covering the appartment), Supernal Veil (Advanced Potency 1, Advanced Duration Year, cast on Count Zero), Exceptional Luck (Aika, protection, advanced duration month)
Aspirations:

Get a job (not necessarily lasting or legal)
Learn what's wrong with Aika's computer
Fight against corporate authority: Find a clue that the government is up to no good
Obsessions:

Investigate the supernal realm of Aether: Investigate Raijin
Develop the Virtual Adepts legacy: Develop personal Shadow Name

[Bennosuke]

Musashi frowns at Zero, his jaw working back and forth. "If we kill it we can't study it", he says, the words almost more a complaint than a protest, "but I suppose we have no other choice... At the very least lets see if we can't get it out of the computer and separated."

Musashi walks around the table and opens up a previously unnoticed mini fridge; one that would fit perfectly in a college dorm, and pulls out an ice tray. "I will cast it out of the computer, but then will need time to sever its connection to the laptop", he says cracking out a hand full of cubes into one fist, "I need you to keep it busy for me while I do that. Do anything you need to to get ready, because I'm going to need time to sever the connection once I've kicked it out."

I'll give you a chance to respond and also to cast any pre-combat spells you want. Just to keep things moving, also roll for initiative.

[Longes]

"Can you enchant me so I can touch spirits? That would help a lot."
Count goes through the list of effects he can create and settles down on two - an environmental protection to neutralize the effects of spirit's influence, and a Kinetic Blow, a combat rote he knew.

Kinetic Blow (pg 143, Forces 2, Rote, Duration)
Reaches (4 available) = Instant, Advanced Duration, Change Primary to Potency, Stunned Tilt
Spell factors = Potency 3 (-2), Duration One Scene
Yantras = Mantra (3), Shadow Name (2), Keitai (2)
Estimated dice pool= Gnosis 3 + Arcana 2 + Yantras 7 - Potency 2 = 10
Paradox = No
Reach: The spell applies the Stunned Tilt

Roll: [roll0]
10-again: [roll1]

Environmental Shield (pg 143, Forces 2, Duration)
Reaches (2 available) = Instant, Advanced Duration, Advanced Scale
Spell factors = Potency 2 (-2), Duration One Week (-2), Advanced Scale 1 (Count Zero, Musashi, Computer)
Yantras = Beads (1), High Speech (2), Keitai (2)
Estimated dice pool= Gnosis 3 + Arcana 2 + Yantras 5 - Potency 2 - Duration 2 = 6
Paradox = Chance Die (spending 1 mana)

Roll: [roll2]
10-again: [roll3]

Paradox (releasing, chance die): [roll4] - basic failure

Wisdom: 7
Willpower: 5/5
Health: 7/7
Mana: 11/12
Initiative: 6
Defense: 7 (9, effective against Firearms)
Experience/Beats/Arcane Experience/Arcane Beats: 1/1/1/0
Tilts/Conditions: Informed (Musashi)
Active Mage Armor: Fate
Active Spells: Supernal Vision, Kinetic Blow (Potency 3, Duration Scene, Stunned Tilt), Environmental Shield (Potency 2, Duration Week, Advanced Scale 1)
Relinquished Spells: Supernal Veil (Advanced Potency 2, Advanced Duration Year, runes covering the appartment), Supernal Veil (Advanced Potency 1, Advanced Duration Year, cast on Count Zero), Exceptional Luck (Aika, protection, advanced duration month)
Aspirations:

Get a job (not necessarily lasting or legal)
Learn what's wrong with Aika's computer
Fight against corporate authority: Find a clue that the government is up to no good
Obsessions:

Investigate the supernal realm of Aether: Investigate Raijin
Develop the Virtual Adepts legacy: Develop personal Shadow Name

[Bennosuke]

Musashi grins again at Taro, "I could, but I'm not going to." He places the ice cubes around the computer, and says, "I'm going to force it to materialize. You should be able to hit it, otherwise you'll be chasing it in Twilight. Now cover me"

Repeating a Shinto prayer, easily recognized as the Norito (spell of purification) Musashi's brows knit together as he draws on his Spirit Arcana. The computer vibrates at a daunting frequency, causing a rattling across the table top. The vibrations become more and more coarse, as Musashi finishes the prayer. He raises his voice, and in a deeper and more commanding boom, he orders, "Leave this hiding. Come to this plane and show yourself like the locust in the field."

There is a low yowling noise, like the sound of a beaten cat and the computer suddenly stops its rocking. TA coil of black smoke billows above the two Mages' heads, filling the air with the smell of rotten eggs and ash. The screaming noise begins to find a focus, as the cloud gathers into the form of a one armed, one eyes woman with a myriad of insect legs. The Yokai drifts away from the two, till she is about 3 yards from Musashi and Zero. She glares from her one eye to the two Mages, hissing.

With his attention still on Hiderigami, Musashi casts a second spell, bellowing a prayer of protection. The ice on the table seems to shiver and glow with a bright light as each shard becomes imbued with Musashi's energy. The Yokai hisses and stumbles back on its many legs.

"Give me just one moment" Musashi says to Count, making no attempt to approach their new enemy.

Zero's turn before the Yokai can act.

[Longes]

As Musashi asked, Count went on to draw the spirit on himself. Calling back to his training, Count charged forward and shot his mystically enhanced fist out at the enemy, aiming for the shining weak point revealed by the mystic sight.

Sorry for the big delay!

Strength 2 + Brawl 3: [roll0] - Resolving "Informed (Yokai)" and taking arcane beat for it
10-again: [roll1]
Weapon damage: 3
Applied "Stunned" tilt due to Kinetic Blow spell

Wisdom: 7
Willpower: 5/5
Health: 7/7
Mana: 11/12
Initiative: 6
Defense: 7 (9, effective against Firearms)
Experience/Beats/Arcane Experience/Arcane Beats: 1/1/1/1
Tilts/Conditions: Informed (Musashi)
Active Mage Armor: Fate
Active Spells: Supernal Vision, Kinetic Blow (Potency 3, Duration Scene, Stunned Tilt), Environmental Shield (Potency 2, Duration Week, Advanced Scale 1)
Relinquished Spells: Supernal Veil (Advanced Potency 2, Advanced Duration Year, runes covering the appartment), Supernal Veil (Advanced Potency 1, Advanced Duration Year, cast on Count Zero), Exceptional Luck (Aika, protection, advanced duration month)
Aspirations:

Get a job (not necessarily lasting or legal)
Learn what's wrong with Aika's computer
Fight against corporate authority: Find a clue that the government is up to no good
Obsessions:

Investigate the supernal realm of Aether: Investigate Raijin
Develop the Virtual Adepts legacy: Develop personal Shadow Name

[Bennosuke]

Zero lunges forward with a stepping cross, known in Karate as a Gyaku Zuki. The Yokai chortles, moving laterally on its myriad insect legs, Count's fist just missing it by inches.

Zero can feel the pressure as one of it's bamboo like appendages begins to hook behind his rear knee, and Hiderigami reaches out for him with it's one clawed hand.

Hiderigami attempts to Grapple (note Zero's defense should be 5 not 7, unless I'm mistaken). [roll0] [roll1]


and taking arcane beat for it

Yes, and resolve the aspiration, learn what's wrong with Aika's computer please.


The foul thing's claws sink into Zero's shirt, pulling him towards it.

Zero is now grappled. On his next turn he will need to make a contested Strength + Brawl roll. Will roll for Musashi and Hiderigami today and will post Musashi's turn. Sorry for the delays.

Musashi growls and reaches out a hand towards the Yokai, his voice dropping back into another quick Mantra, as the Yokai wrestles with Zero. "Forsake this protected technology", he finishes.

Through Count's peripheral Mage site, he is aware of a whistling sound as the Yokai begins to glow slightly. Hiderigami turns it's attention to Musashi for a moment, the female Cyclopes face furrowing into a rictus of furry. Then it cackles slightly before turning back to Zero.

Musashi attempts to remove the Fettered condition from the Yokai but fails. It is Zero's turn.

[Longes]

Having failed his attack, Count struggles against the spirit's manhandling to regain control.

Strength 2 + Brawl 2 + Willpower 3: [roll0]
10-again: [roll1]

Although I'd like to note that Zero's defense is 5 base and 7 with Fate armor (active now) and is effective against firearms.

Wisdom: 7
Willpower: 4/5
Health: 7/7
Mana: 11/12
Initiative: 6
Defense: 5 (7, effective against Firearms)
Experience/Beats/Arcane Experience/Arcane Beats: 1/2/1/0
Tilts/Conditions: Informed (Musashi); Informed (Yokai)
Active Mage Armor: Fate
Active Spells: Supernal Vision, Kinetic Blow (Potency 3, Duration Scene, Stunned Tilt), Environmental Shield (Potency 2, Duration Week, Advanced Scale 1)
Relinquished Spells: Supernal Veil (Advanced Potency 2, Advanced Duration Year, runes covering the appartment), Supernal Veil (Advanced Potency 1, Advanced Duration Year, cast on Count Zero), Exceptional Luck (Aika, protection, advanced duration month)
Aspirations:

Get a job (not necessarily lasting or legal)

Fight against corporate authority: Find a clue that the government is up to no good
Obsessions:

Investigate the supernal realm of Aether: Investigate Raijin
Develop the Virtual Adepts legacy: Develop personal Shadow Name

[Longes]

The spirit is strong, but having only a single arm puts it at a disadvantage. Zero burries his free fist in the node of power that would roughly correspond to human liver. The enchantment carries the strike's force deep into the spirit's body, tearing at the channels and pathways of the being. The pain and force of impact throws the yokai out of the clinch, creating distance and giving Zero time to breathe and prepare for the new round.

[Bennosuke]

The blow from Musashi, an uppercut strike to what would be the creature's right floating ribs both doubles the Yokai over, while lifting it up off its feet. The Spirit stumbles back several feet, hunched over, its one arm folded into its chest.

The thing looks up, its jaw slack to show rows of jagged teeth. Hiderigami's cyclopean eye moves from Zero to Musashi, before screeching in a voice like nails on a chalk board, "Mine!". The Yokai's jaw opens wider, unhinging like a terrible snake's.

Zero is able to perceive a high pitched ripping sound, though it is unclear where the noise is coming from. Musashi lets out a gasp before his free hand reaches up to clutch his head, before he drops to one knee. Musashi's entire body seems to quiver and shrink for just a moment, while Hiderigami's seems to expand, as the vampiric entity feeds from the Mage's very essence.

The Yokai lets out a sigh as its jaw returns, a long mucousy strand of saliva dripping from between it's teeth.

Musashi's senses return an instant later and his eyes light up with an intensity like that of an angered wolf. He curses under his breath before raising the white Bokken up in his two hands into an overhead stance known as Jodan no Kamae. He swings the wooden sword down, it's oiled blade whistling through the air in a diagonal cut 'kesa giri', extending his essence through the strike as he casts a powerful fraying spell.

The spell seems to explode from inside Hiderigami, causing the creature to to be whipped sideways. It remains upright, but it's single eyes is now heavily lidded, and strange purple discoloration, and cracks of dark light are spreading throughout it's corporal form.

Hiderigami is very badly injured. It is now Zero's turn.

[Longes]

With Musashi joining the fray, Zero circles the spirit to flank it and pound it some more. Covering the distance with quick steps, Zero unleashes a series of blows at the yokai expecting to finish it off.

Strength 2 + Brawl 3 + Kinetic Blow 3 + All-Out Attack 2 + Willpower 3: [roll0]
10-again: [roll1]

I didn't quite have the grasp on how the weapon modifiers work. I thought Kinetic Blow was supposed to apply to damage, not to attack.

EDIT: that's either 1 or 2 successes depending on whether or not the yokai has more than 5 defense. Regardless, if it lives - it gets Stunned and Knocked Down.

Wisdom: 7
Willpower: 3/5
Health: 7/7
Mana: 11/12
Initiative: 6
Defense: 5 (7, effective against Firearms)
Experience/Beats/Arcane Experience/Arcane Beats: 1/2/1/0
Tilts/Conditions: Informed (Musashi); Informed (Yokai)
Active Mage Armor: Fate
Active Spells: Supernal Vision, Kinetic Blow (Potency 3, Duration Scene, Stunned Tilt), Environmental Shield (Potency 2, Duration Week, Advanced Scale 1)
Relinquished Spells: Supernal Veil (Advanced Potency 2, Advanced Duration Year, runes covering the appartment), Supernal Veil (Advanced Potency 1, Advanced Duration Year, cast on Count Zero), Exceptional Luck (Aika, protection, advanced duration month)
Aspirations:

Get a job (not necessarily lasting or legal)

Fight against corporate authority: Find a clue that the government is up to no good
Obsessions:

Investigate the supernal realm of Aether: Investigate Raijin
Develop the Virtual Adepts legacy: Develop personal Shadow Name

[Bennosuke]

Zero pummels the creature with the series of blows, each strike working deeper into the unflesh of the Yokai. His final blow shatters Hiderigami, as if the spirit were made of some opaque glass. The many fragments sprinkle to the ground with the chimes of prayer bells, and dissolve into the sand as if they were water.

Musashi ***** his head back and hawks a large loogy into the sand. He looks at Zero, the wry grin returning to his face. "Well that didn't go as planned", he says, "I guess we won't be dealing with Hiderigami for a long time. Well... what do we do now?"

[Longes]

Count bounces a bit in place, letting adrenalin and combat magic leak out of him. This was... exciting.
"You alright mate?"
As they talk, Count's supernal sight reveals more truths about Musashi and his magic, carefully filed and stored in Count's mental lockers.
"Hiderigami wasn't much of a lead, but we've saved the computer, so that's something. I figure we should keep researching and find the source of these bastards. There are three ways I can see. First." Count uncurled a finger. "I'll look through the computer to see what resulted in the spirit infestation. Second." He uncurled another. "I think you've mentioned you've heard of similar incidents before? We can look into that. Three." And another. "I'm sure this is happening around the city. Someone probably asked for tech support on some forum. It'll be boring, but I'm sure tralling through the internet and computer stores around the city will turn up something."


Wisdom: 7
Willpower: 3/5
Health: 7/7
Mana: 11/12
Initiative: 6
Defense: 5 (7, effective against Firearms)
Experience/Beats/Arcane Experience/Arcane Beats: 1/2/1/0
Tilts/Conditions: Informed (Musashi); Informed (Yokai)
Active Mage Armor: Fate
Active Spells: Supernal Vision
Relinquished Spells: Supernal Veil (Advanced Potency 2, Advanced Duration Year, runes covering the appartment), Supernal Veil (Advanced Potency 1, Advanced Duration Year, cast on Count Zero), Exceptional Luck (Aika, protection, advanced duration month)
Aspirations:

Get a job (not necessarily lasting or legal)

Fight against corporate authority: Find a clue that the government is up to no good
Obsessions:

Investigate the supernal realm of Aether: Investigate Raijin
Develop the Virtual Adepts legacy: Develop personal Shadow Name

[Bennosuke]

Musashi grins, "I'm fine, just a little frustrated". He puts the wooden Bokken back on the work station, and folds up the laptop to hand to Zero. "The lead isn't gone. We didn't exactly destroy Hiderigami, and with some help we could possibly find a way to bring it back for questioning in a more controlled setting."

He shrugs at Count's suggestions, "I've already spent plenty of time hunting for information regarding the Yokai. I don't know if there are more cases to dredge up. But it may be worth looking through that computer and talking to your friend a little more. Whatever they were doing was pretty... foolish.I can see if there is any more information to be gathered regarding the prior incidents."

[Longes]

"So would that be like spirit necromancy or what? Do spirits leave ghosts?"

Count looked at the local ley lines and aligned the laptop to draw power from them. Can't dig through the computer that has no power.

[Bennosuke]

Musashi shakes his head. "No", he says dryly, "but it is very hard to actually kill a spirit. What we did was more like force it into hibernation. While there are many skills within the Spirit Arcana that I lack, I am capable of forcing a spirit to awaken early so to speak. And this time I can keep it from materializing, and since we know it's Bane we can basically force it to play nicely with us, if we put in the preparation ahead of time."

[Longes]

"Do you need a fetish to store it? I've got enough garbage in my bag to weld a primitive computer."

Count boots up the computer to check what damage the spirit did to software and try and see what Aika was doing before she got haunted.
Wisdom: 7
Willpower: 3/5
Health: 7/7
Mana: 11/12
Initiative: 6
Defense: 5 (7, effective against Firearms)
Experience/Beats/Arcane Experience/Arcane Beats: 1/2/1/0
Tilts/Conditions: Informed (Musashi); Informed (Yokai)
Active Mage Armor: Fate
Active Spells: Supernal Vision
Relinquished Spells: Supernal Veil (Advanced Potency 2, Advanced Duration Year, runes covering the appartment), Supernal Veil (Advanced Potency 1, Advanced Duration Year, cast on Count Zero), Exceptional Luck (Aika, protection, advanced duration month)
Aspirations:

Get a job (not necessarily lasting or legal)

Fight against corporate authority: Find a clue that the government is up to no good
Obsessions:

Investigate the supernal realm of Aether: Investigate Raijin
Develop the Virtual Adepts legacy: Develop personal Shadow Name

[Bennosuke]

"I wasn't planning on binding the Spirit", Musashi says, his ear to ear smile turning into a mischievous grin, "but I suppose we could... let's just not go telling people about it."

Musashi sighs and places the weapon back on the table. "You will probably need a bit of time to make the computer, and to be honest, I think I would like a bit of time to decompress." He looks at the door through which the two came, but does not explicitly ask Taro to leave. "Perhaps we could meet up tomorrow to perform the summoning. I will need some time anyways to get a few items prepared."

When Count boots up Aika's laptop, he says nothing, looking slightly disappointed.

Welcome back. Taro will need to make a hard -2 Wits + Computer roll.

[Bennosuke]

Apparently not taking Musashi's hint (:smalltongue:), Zero begins plugging away at Aika's computer. It isn't too hard to begin browsing through her search history. A few tabs before it looks like the computer began going haywire brings up a series of sites on a conspiracy theory that the Government was investigating new ways to hack into and "take over" the Dark Web to try to stop hackers. One of these sites appears to have some hidden code encrypted in High Speech glyphes meshed into the background wallpaper. A quick buzz with Count's Arcane Site reveals to the site to be covered in a slimy residue that smells strongly of Hiderigami.