Ernst: still isn’t going to be able to get to find Veles but might get his powers back before the Consilium meeting. Needs to discuss with Salih geasa around loyalty. Ernst’s aura will grow back different.

 

Lorant: Go into torpor for a month, to write the Shadow Cult text. Utilize the Llull-Bruno machine. Chop off both his hands and have Matthieu attach them to the machine. Left hand in Hebrew, right hand in Latin, and machine in German. Also, wants to make sure his cult will not interfere with either Labyrinth or Cryptopoly.

 

Matthieu: Become an Archmage and Archmaster of Death. Become a Councilor.

 

Salih: Mastery of Space, more Gnosis, Consilium Status and an Academics specialty in Schools. 

 

Cabal meeting about Ernst, Consilium meeting. Hold it in the lands of the dead, in a time bubble, under a Ward, using Telepathy.

 

So we know the Seers hate the opera. Salih wants to put a geas up to let us know if Ernst has turned to the Seers. Matthieu wants to trap Seers in bodies as well as put a trap on the Profane Urim. Salih was going to use Shifting the Odds to nudge his coffee-drinkers into the hands of the Seers.

 

Consilium meeting to determine type of rulership: Consilium, majority rule, or some sort of war footing. Lorant says he told the Rosicrucians to lay low due to the Seers’ backdoor. Don’t suggest majority rule, just vote for it. The Consilium counselors and provosts know about Perun and Libuse. Do we want to keep that under wraps? No, says Matthieu, and Lorant wants the Rosicrucians to know. 

 

Salih says, “None of this matters. The future is no longer in Prague.”

 

Ernst says, “Either proposal sets us up a little bit. Do we come in with a plan, or pivot along with what’s happening? I don’t trust that whatever’s thrown out there goes in our favor. Do we want to be rigid, or fluid?”

 

Salih: “The structure of the Consilium has been eroding, collapsing for as long as we’ve been here. Just as Europe’s is.”

 

M: “That may be a little melodramatic.”

 

S: “Perhaps. But I do think we are above whatever happens to them.”

 

M: “I happen to very much disagree. This is the organization of the remaining Mages of Prague. I think that things would grind to a halt with majority rule. We could do nothing and allow totalitarian rule to happen, which would mirror very much what would happen under the Sleepers’ dogmatic rule. Or we can try to maintain a semblance of structure.”

 

S: “What do you suggest?”

 

M suggested an Order of Orders, a bureaucracy, S wanted the traditional structure, and Cosmas obviously wanted majority rule. 

 

S: “Which would be most beneficial for Prague?”

 

M: “We need more voices.”

 

Salih wonders what the other cabals do. We are more powerful than them now. We do more.

 

The Rhombus is the elders of Prague. The Servitores prevent mortal charlatans from taking in the Emperor. But even with all the Arrow members, they have not kept Prague safe. And the Arbor Vitae, who are researchers and academics. 

 

But now the Peregrini do all three of these better. We are researchers, we are the only ones defending the city, and we are by far the most powerful.

 

Ernst will have his vote, regardless of his soul status at the time of the Consilium meeting. We may patch in Santiago and Svador as well. 

 

So Ernst. We’re not going to do anything before the Consilium meeting.

 

(Salih’s Mentor background still counts. He could use his office, he could use his name. Salih is the senior Ladder in Prague.)

 

The Council chamber: there are many missing seats. No Perun, no Makovsky, no Typotius, no Libuse. Cosmas, Khunrath, Gans, and Matthieu. Six empty seats. 

 

http://pragamystica.pbworks.com/w/page/81032438/Consilium%20as%20of%20Session%2057 

 

Salih has natural Prime Sight up. Matthieu also has Prime Sight. Brux puts up the Ward. Lorant has Telepathy up with the four cabal members. 

 

Cosmas begins with a point of order. “We all know why we’ve been gathered here. The disappearance of one of our council members, and the demise of another. We are also dealing with an obvious and unsubtle ploy of the Seers a couple of night ago. I have spoken with the members of my cabal, and our Consilium, including our new provost. I present a proposal to change the constitution of our cabal to majority rule. Everyone in the Consilium shall have the ability to debate and discuss.” Cosmas yields the floor. 

 

Not a lot of anxiousness to speak. The Servitores are sitting together. No one makes his way to the dais.

 

Lorant subtly gestures to the Rosicrucians to go up and talk.

 

Salih asks, “Do you intend this proposal to give all members of the Consilium equal authority and standing?

 

Cosmas says, “This was envisioned as on a decision-making basis. I envisioned the titles would remain intact. The titles would be… not ceremonial, but advisory.”

 

Salih asks if that means we could simply have everyone have a title.

 

Cosmas: “If we did away with one of each path, we could offer titles to everyone in this room.”

 

M: “What constitutes a quorum?”

 

Cosmas says, “Out of 15… two-thirds? 10?

 

M: “Participation is mandatory?”

 

Cosmas considers this. “I would say if the Mage is able to attend, he must and must vote. If there are not able to attend or communicate.”

 

M: “I mean more in my time in Prague, often not everyone has chosen to attend the meetings. For doing their own business. Which up to now has been fine. But not anymore.”

 

S: “We have a great imbalance of Paths among us.” Cosmas nods. 

 

Gans and Khunrath react a bit more enthusiastically and recognize Salih’s points.

 

In Telepathy, Matthieu says, what are you suggesting, are you suggesting we replace Paths with Orders? I think handling things through Orders is much better than Paths. The rationale for having Paths is gone; there are virtually no Obrimos.

 

Cosmas: “Do we simply have five Councilors and Provosts with no rhyme or reason, or by Order. I would be inclined to reject either and simply have five Counselors and Provosts.”

 

In Telepathy: Salih asks who are the most powerful Mages in Prague. The three Peregrini, Khunrath, and then maybe either Gans or Maier. Lorant says there is something to be said for making this a pure meritocracy. Salih says we do not want that much responsibility. 

 

Matthieu proposes we do things by cabal then. One representative from each on the council. Cosmas nods sagely and wonders why we’d not done this before. But there is the worry about ties.

 

Salih says we could put ties to the masses. Lorant very slowly, “If I may make a suggestion? If there is a tie, I could play the role of devil’s advocate.”

 

Matthieu piggybacks on this, “If I may, it might be a good idea to open this to the vampires of Prague.”

 

At that: silence. Cosmas: “Provost, I cannot in good conscience allow that. I have nothing against your… Proximus, or receiving an embassy from them, but we cannot allow them on the council.” 

 

Salih: “I agree.” Matthieu and Lorant were able to tell Gans and Khunrath weren’t against the idea. Lorant says over Telepathy: “Perhaps we should put that to a vote.” Matthieu: “Not yet, but I am going to put that in my back pocket. If there was a clan of werewolves here, I’d do the same. It’s not vampires specifically, but that you are allied with us.”

 

Cosmas says, “We could nominate one of the four to act as Hierarch, to take Perun’s place, and gave that person the tiebreaking vote, essentially giving them two votes. It would allow the position to mean something.”

 

Salih says, “It should be the most powerful mage in Prague, this Hierarch. Or the most powerful of the four Councilors.” With this Matthieu eyes the room. All three of the current councilors shift uncomfortably. They are afraid to go to the system because it might trigger Hubris. Also, none of the three of them come close to being the most powerful Mage in Prague. 

 

Salih: “I suggest this because there is a strong imbalance among our abilities. We as a group have deep weaknesses, and I… feel that at least whichever leader we turn to has the ability to compensate for that.” 

 

Lorant Matthieu and Salih discuss over telepathy: Salih is obviously trying to set this up to be Matthieu. If we do this, aren’t we setting ourselves up? Matthieu asks. 

 

Khunrath says, “I would have been reluctant prior to this explanation. It does skirt the lines of Hubris to suggest the most powerful Mage could rule wisest and best. But given that we have lost several of our number and we are vulnerable, I am not opposed to the idea.”

 

Matthieu suggests, “I have an addendum. For a tiebreaker, we should make it possible for the Consilium to vote as a whole. The Hierarch could allow for a vote. If the resistance to the way we are moving, or a challenge, it could come from the body politic.”

 

S: “Part of accepting leadership is not having constant second-guessing. But I agree we should implement a means of checks and balances. The Consilium body should be allowed to overturn that vote under circumstances.  A general vote could overturn that Hierarch slot if there is controversy or debate.”

 

The overall tenor in the room indicates this idea is gaining some steam. 

 

Idea: each Councilor will have a Provost from his own cabal. For Cosmas it is Brux, for Khunrath it is Maier, for Gans it will be Habermel. For Matthieu it will be Salih (two dots of Consilium). 

 

The vote is unanimous. “Hierarch?” Cosmas asks. “What is our first order of business?”

 

Matthieu takes the Hierarch seat as his and Salih’s Gnosis flares. 

 

“Prior to the change in events, we had discussed the idea of putting together a separate organization to deal with the Seers. We need to examine that idea and see if that is the way to approach it.”

 

Cosmas asks, “What exactly do you propose?” rhetorically.

 

“The original proposal was that we needed the input of all the Orders.”

 

Cosmas: “This committee’s mandate would be to find and destroy, as you did?” He gestures to the Peregrini’s banner with the Seer skull.

 

M: “Those responsibilities would be for the committee to decide. The idea being that as a Guardian I cannot think of what a Silver Ladder would want to do in a particular instance. That would be the best way for us to protect ourselves. Our numbers are diminished and our seats of power have been lost. It may not be the best idea, but I put that to those assembled here.”

 

C: “Would you be drawing exclusively from Councilors and Provosts? Or only from Provosts and below?”

 

M: “Now, instead of our interests being represented by the metaphysical limitations of our Arcana, we have the concrete interests of our cabals.”

 

C: “I agree. And now over half of the members of the consilium have a title, so we are more invested in our collective well-being. And I swear to you, my fellow Councilors, that the Servitores Apicis’ mandate will not longer be solely concerned with mortals. We are going to change our cabal channel to be more representative of the true threat to the Crown.” The rest of the Servitores are a bit shocked. That is a big decision and all their magic resonates with that channel. Cosmas, though, realizes that mortals don’t matter.

 

Ernst telepathically: “Isn’t this playing into the Seers’ hands? They use mortals.”

 

M: “Cosmas, I think that may prove useful, but I also think all of us need to understand the Sleepers more. The Seers use them as puppets. And! The projection of the war that is coming is not a war of Mages. It is a war of men.”

 

S looks at Gans. “They will fight the war, but they are not the spark. They are not the root.”

 

M: “However I think protecting from them is primary objective.”

 

C: “We’ll retain and share our information on mortal occultists. How do we know they are working in Prague? We know from their original incursion, against the Emperor, which you dealt with. And we know due to Herr Kelemen’s opera. What other signs should we be looking for?”

 

Lorant asks if Ernst told anyone other than us about the Emperor being ridden. No.

 

Ernst says, “I can tell them that I was approached but not say how.”

 

S: “What if they ask?”

 

E: “Then I can lie.” Salih is not sure about that.

 

M: “We can reveal about what happened at the Church of St. Mary Under Chain.”

 

E feels they may want something more than that.

 

S: “We don’t know if there’s another cell here.”

 

Matthieu repeats this out loud, and then tells them about the Church. Gans was there. “Independent investigations are of course welcome.”

 

We are keeping secret the Emperor visiting Ernst as well as the Rosicrucians’ philosophical “back door.” 

 

Salih asks if we should plant a falsehood to flush out the Seers, as we’d planned. Lorant says we could say there’s two in the city instead of one. Ernst says we could lie about who was approached. Matthieu says we could talk about the Profane Urim. We could say they should beware people using the Profane Urim to possess a human without using Mind magic. S: List the magics they have? Matthieu thinks we should say it’s in a Guardian Labyrinth. Lorant decides NOT to use Aura Detection because that would trip them off to the idea of their setting a trap.

 

M: “This is our primary order of business until this is dealt with. I have, as a Guardian, long sight. And I have another issue I’d like to put before us. Something I have been working on for quite some time is a Guardian Labyrinth required to move the mages of Prague more underground than they already are.” Blank looks. “The war that is coming is inevitable. If religion is the motivation of this wat than we are particularly at risk. Prague has been a wonderful haven, where we could be safe, where we could display our wonders, where we could skirt the edges of PAradox itself. That needs to start becoming a little bit more private. This is a long-term plan, but we need to ensure the safety of our numbers, of out magical knowledge, our magical items… we need to preserve the legacy of Atlantis. I want to preserve as much as possible below the surface.”

 

C: “Will the Emperor allow this? He is very fond of the mages he knows.”

 

M: “Yes, but the Emperor is interested in flash, in trinkets, and we can do that with alchemy, with science, and we can give him gifts that are not real in order to keep what is real obfuscated.

 

Cosmas’s mood changes. “Hierarch, with all due respect, I have been at this court for 15 years. You, less than 2.”

 

M: “That doesn’t sound like all due respect at all, sir.”

 

C: “My cabal was founded to stop people who would trick the Emperor with false magic. I don’t want to start doing that. Are you aware of how he’s evolved? Even in the past year? His melancholia has gotten worse, his episodes…”

 

M says calmly if smugly: “Yes, I’ve been his doctor.”

 

C pauses. “It would make sense to… take away these things which could entice him, as an attempt to ramp things down. I’m afraid that now, the Emperor’s vision is true. He may be a Sleepwalker. This may not be able to be proven, but I know he’s reacted to several events at court with an awareness that goes beyond a normal mortal’s.”

 

This is new information: that they know something’s up with the Emperor. Is he talking about Sleepwalker, Ghoul, spirits visiting him? 

 

L: “Be that as it may, Emperors come and go. Prague must endure.”

 

C: “And that is the next thing we have to be realistic about. We know there is to be a war, that will likely involve a change in rulership. I take your point that we need to remain safe after the Emperor’s aegis is gone, but…”

 

M: “And we do this by having a plan in place. We do this by removing things slowly that are important. We do this by shading our own circles of influence into the background until they need to be made ready. This is the long plan, not the short term.”

 

S: “All empires fall. Alexandria. Rome. We need to preserve what has been built here. Find ways to preserve and relocate them before they are swept away.” Matthieu smiles at this.

 

Salih’s words hit a chord with the entire consilium. “Hierarch, Provost,” Cosmas says, “what should we do to get started on this?”

 

S: “We are hoping to delay this war as long as we can. We have dedicated much of what the Peregrini have done to this cause, since we first learned of it. Personally, I am working on this through some of my own works here. Send your works far from here, safe, where it can be found later. Other books, knowledge, discoveries we have presented to the Emperor, should be spread wide. Perhaps some bits of the Emperor’s collection to be sent somewhere else…”

 

Matthieu intervenes and shares that he has set up Labyrinth to select and preserve Awakened items. None of these are hidden from the Awakened of Prague, just outsiders. As Mages of Prague, you should figure out your exit strategies. Whether that is what you want to do, or you want to stay and fight is up to you. But there should be a plan held in play. This is not mandatory, but I think you should have a plan just in case. Think ahead. Seers think ahead.”

 

Lorant: “Take a page from my people’s history. Be ready to pack up and move at a moment’s notice.”

 

S: “Part of what the Seers do is hold things back and keep them down. The way to defeat them is to keep moving forward.”

 

The consilium is rapt. They are fully invested in what the Peregrini are saying and planning.

 

Ten days after the Consilium meeting: The Seers would like to meet Lorant and Ernst. Talk about the opera and the torture demon’s being dispatched. During a market evening, near the astronomical clock tower. In a big crowd, so no magic can be used. Ernst will pretend to be bringing him grudgingly due to their perceived fight.

 

Lorant has up Aura Perception. No Telepathy because they might see the effect. But they do have a code word to break the meeting off: he’ll spin his sword at his belt twice. 

 

Lorant and Ernst look through the luxury goods being displayed: silks and clocks and spices. The finest things the nobles and gentry of Prague could hope to have. Two individual peasants who have brought their wares to the market emerge from the crowd.

 

“Freiherr. Herr Kelemen? Let’s walk.” During the conversation, they do a circuit of the market. The woman says, “Thank you for bringing Herr Kelemen here.” Ernst can tell; this seems to be the one that was in the Emperor’s body. (2:07:38)

 

L: “To whom do we have the pleasure of speaking?”

 

The woman says, “My name is Christian. This is Valentine.”

 

E: “I am to understand your end of the bargain has been fulfilled.”

 

C: “Oh yes,” she chuckles. “It was right where we thought it would be. Right in the bloody chambers of the Emperor’s torturers, right near the Executioner’s home. It dwelt among the prisoners, but I banished it. It will not take material form, at least not for 101 years, let’s say. It is on the other side of the Gauntlet, if you want to destroy it permanent, but I’d be a little cautious about that. I don’t know if it’s a good time to be destroying the Emperor’s ability to torture.” Ernst smiles. C: “I’m sure the political situation soon will render torture an absolute necessity. But in any event, speaking of the political situation. Herr Kelemen! It is… a beautiful opera.”

 

L: “Thank you.”

 

C: “But these ideas, they just won’t do.”

 

L: “You can attract more flies with honey than vinegar.”

 

C: “I would’ve thought at least one of your friends would have been against your vouchsafing occult ideas to the Sleepers like this. Or at the very least, I’m not concerned with the specifics of Pythagoreanism, but the elements of the play, the things you wish to instruct the Sleepers in…”

 

E: “You are much less aware of your surroundings than I originally thought. I thought you’d done your homework. Obviously, you don’t understand what our group has been fighting for. We should be beyond this.”

 

C: “Very well. The interruption of your play was a necessity. You believe like the rest of your cabal that you should try to hold off this war, for as long as possible?”

 

L: “I seek only to stock my larder for the upcoming winter.”

 

C: “Well anybody could say that.”

 

E: “It is the interest of our peers to delay if not avoid the war. We may well not dance around what we all know.”

 

C: “It is important to recap what has been said and what has not been said, it is the first time I am meeting Herr Kelemen. Did Ernst anger you, when he suggested to start the war early to get the bad blood out?”

 

L: “You angered me, when you sought to disrupt my art.”

 

E: “I angered him as well.”

 

C: “I sincerely apologize. It is a Great Work. As are the works of your Rosicrucian brothers. All of these ideas are quite beautiful.”

 

Lorant knows the Rosicrucians have published nothing openly. But the Seers know.

 

C: “Reconciliation between Catholics, Protestants, Utraquists… Christians, Jews, Muslims. It can’t happen. We can’t allow it to happen. Every good thing humanity has done has been born from war or conflict. That is the way they will reach the top of the ladder and reach the Throne. Progress, Herr Kelemen, that is something you can understand, no?”

 

L: “Indeed.”

 

C: “As Ernst has said, no reason to beat around the bush any longer. What we seek is the advancement of Awakened and Sleeper, and in order to do that, creative destruction must happen.”

 

L: “*Creative* destruction. Meaning?”

 

C: “Meaning that if the various sects and divisions within Europe were to be healed, society would stagnate. Do you know much of distant China, the empire that has lingered there for a hundred years, stagnant. Think about how much the last 100 years in Christendom differs from the last 1000.”

 

L: “Think of how much was lost when Alexandria burned.”

 

C: “This is true. You can’t build anything from ashes, and the Dark Ages were regrettable. But they were stagnant for precisely the reasons I’m saying. The entire continent covered by a church that had no opponents, no discord. We tried. Every heresy of the Middle Ages has our stamp on it. As do the Crusades. Every time there was a pogrom, we did it. Have you thought about your people, and the suffering they’ve been through, and yet all of the riches and intelligence they now possess. You as now as unto a light upon Europe. That is our doing. Your suffering created something greater. Think of the alchemical crucible, the flames that purify dross into gold. I don’t tell you anything you don’t already know. If you choose to oppose us or not, in the grand scheme of things, it’s not important. I would love to make every mage of Prague into a Seer and join the Exarchs. I know that’s not going to happen. But ultimately if you steer clear of a few simple things, we’ll have no reason to be in conflict.”

 

L: “And these things are?”

 

C: “Just don’t push reconcilation. Don’t push unity. And don’t push a sense of open questioning among the Sleepers. It’s not good for them. You know you’re better than this mob,” and Christian gestures to the rich of Prague. “You know in your heart you are a predator and they the prey. They don’t know what’s good for them.”

 

L: “There is a difference between husbandry and genocide.”

 

C: “We would never want to engage in something as wanton as genocide.”

 

E: “You’d prefer it to happen organically.”

 

C: “We’re not going to do any killing in 20 years, or hopefully sooner than that. We’re not going to be any of the killing. The sons of these nobles will be.”

 

L: “You’re whipping them into a frenzy that will be apocalyptic.”

 

C: “It’s not going to be apocalyptic.” Christian laughs. “Don’t engage in Christian eschatology! That’s not what you believe! There is no “end of the world.” That is a superstition that the Christians have pushed onto the world.”

 

E: “It is a truism of any belief system that there will be an end, a reckoning. I’m sure even yours has an end as well.”

 

C: “Yes, our end is that we all join together in servitude to the Exarchs, as is proper, and all rule over this world as Awakened. There is no reason for the Sleepers to suffer. But we have to get there first. And the machine that will fuel that advancement and Awakening. Think of the wars that were fought earlier in this century. Crude cannon, cruder weapons. Tactics stuck in a medieval mindset. What’s happened in the last two to three generations? Advancements in mathematics, architecture, all driven by war. War drives technology. Technology Awakens the Sleepers.

 

L: “And that is what I mean by apocalyptic. Perhaps I should’ve said cataclysmic. It is going to be war on an industrial scale. And speaking as a Jew and a Kindred, I know how easily my people can burn.”

 

C: “Well, you have me there, Herr Kelemen. You have every right to be concerned about that. It won’t be easy for those who are different. But you and the mages of Prague have the power to preserve yourselves.” And with that, she gives a very purposeful glance at the clock. Lorant and Ernst look up as well. She might be looking to it for some timing reason? “In any event, it’s been very enlightening speaking to you, Herr Kelemen. As I said, there is no reason for Seers and Pentacle mages to be in conflict here. Just let us usher these people to their eventual war in the way we have designed.” 

 

L: “I will take that under advisement.”

 

She smiles, they leave their bodies. 

 

L: “Speak of this to no one.” Lorant turns and walks away.

 

Ernst returns to his office, sees a note from Ludovic. The spies have found the old man, Veles. He lives in the village near Benatky.

 

Lorant and Matthieu:

 

L: “I am seeking to create… a Labyrinth, much like yours. One of the things I need to do is write… a Bible, for this cult. I intend to write this book from my memory palace while in torpor.”

 

M: “And then you will write it from the Llull-Bruno machine?

 

L: “Yes. And what I’d like to do is remove both my hands and attach them to the machine. My left hand will write in Hebrew, my right hand will write in Latin, and the machine will print in German.”

 

M: “And then I will reattach them afterwards.”

 

Ernst’s soul: M killing it regularly so E can remain to be seen to be soulless to the Seers, etc. 

 

Veles is working on a farm near Benatky as a serf and everyone seems to just accept he should be there. All the peasants feel like he’s lived there for 30 or 40 years.

 

Veles recognizes Ernst from the night of the play, but perhaps a little bit from his faint memories. He’s plain, homespun, but simple. Not a trickster.

 

Veles bows. E: “That is not necessary.”

 

V: “Sire?”

 

E: “I did not expect to see you here.”

 

V: “This is where I live, Sire.”

 

E: “Yes, I remember seeing you at the play.”

 

V: “I went to Prague for some reason, I don’t remember why. I met you there.”

 

E: “But you are here now?”

 

V: “This is where I have always been.”

 

E: “You are well taken care of?”

 

V: “I work in the fields. I help things grow. I bring them out of the fields, and I sell them.”

 

E: “Show me.”

 

V: “Come with me.”

 

As Ernst tours the land, and feels the synergy with Veles’s identity, he starts to see bits and pieces of the Gauntlet turn thin enough for him to see faintly through.

 

As Veles and Ernst walk away from the fields, Ernst points to Benatky. “Do you know that house?”

 

V: “It is the manor.”

 

E: “You know that there is where I am from.”

 

V: “No, I didn’t! It’s a fine house, sir.”

 

E: “You are welcome to sell your wares there.”

 

V: “The house is now… a school?”

 

E: “Yes.”

 

V: “You must have a lot of hungry students there.”

 

E: “I do, and they are looking for what you grow.”

 

V: “I would not have to travel to market, to risk the roads?”

 

E: “You are welcome at my home, whenever you wish.”

 

V: “Sire, thank you. This will make everything so much easier.”

 

E: “Thank you. I must go. I sincerely hope I see you again soon.”

 

And with that, Ernst bows to Veles, just as Veles did.