Interlude Three: Mission of Mercy

Session One (6.4.11)

• Malachite & Rasayana travel into the astral to talk to Sirin and Eos, hoping that one of them has some information we can use to save the LA Tourblanc family.
• Sirin can only tell us what she knew about Arisa, her apprentice who was an Awakened Tourblanc. Arisa brought her sister Abby with her when she came to study with Sirin. Two of Arisa's cabalmates were a Thearch named Tulius (sp?) and Chiron (sp?), an unpleasant gunslinger. Sirin also tells us that Arisa was Auctorita's mother.
• Eos is happy to see us. She has a nice little afterlife going in a reflection of the gardens at the Hotel Regina.
• Eos tells us what she remembers of Auctorita's feelings about her family and her motivations when it comes to them. Most of the LA Tourblancs are descended from Arisa's sister Abby, and Abby is really the one who raised Auctorita. Because of that, Auctorita harbors a deep affection for her family, Abby's descendants.
• According to Eos, Auctorita believes she's seen the true masters of the world and that's why she switched sides. She feels she's protecting her family in doing so. If she could have, she would have brought her family under the aegis of the Seers, but as that wasn't an option, she's shielded them from the Seers instead.
• Many of the Tourblancs had objections when Auctorita switched sides. She kept them under control by threatening them with what the Pentacle Orders might do to them. She didn't want them to leave her.
• When Malachite points out that Auctorita has abandoned the Tourblancs now, at the Seers' behest, Eos says that Auctorita probably doesn't see it that way. After all, she recruited us to help them. She remembers her time with us and knows what kind of people we are. She was sure we would help.
• Eos also tells us that Issa is Auctorita's biggest regret. Auctorita can't help but feel that Issa is justified in his rage toward his family. If Auctorita hadn't spent so much time away from her son, Issa's father, then maybe she could have prevented what happened to Issa's mother. Issa's father is a great disappointment to Auctorita.
• After our astral trip, Rasayana manages to call a Free Council emergency meeting. They want him to bring Malachite along.
• While we're waiting for the last few stragglers to get to the meeting, Malachite is accosted by an Acanthus named Laila. She pulls a gun on him and threatens to put a bullet in his brain. She was close friends with one of his victims, a mage named Abria.
• Laila demands that Malachite give her one reason not to kill him. He tells her he only has one to offer: if she kills him, he can never bring down the Seers who made him into the man who killed her friend. She slowly puts away her gun, saying that his words plucked at the strings of Fate. He's not done with the Seers yet.
• Laila is going to send Malachite Abria's journals. She says he should learn everything he can about the woman he killed. And not just Abria, but all of his victims.
• After that bit of excitement is over, Rasayana explains to the audience why he called this meeting. It takes two hours of debate, but when he's done with them, they're ready to mount up and ride to the Tourblancs' rescue. But that's not really feasible, so instead they come up with other ways to help out.
• One Free Councilor offers to find out which Guardians were assigned to put down the Tourblancs; another loans Rasayana a piece of stone from the Chicago Tribune building, which is the perfect hub for creating portals to places all over the world. Corvian knows a muckraking Free Council reporter in LA who would love to know what the Guardians and the Silver Ladder have been up to there. Best of all, Shakti knows an Awakened Tourblanc named Aquinas who lives in Paris and would be willing to take in the refugees.
• It turns out that the Guardians and the Silver Ladder in LA have been careful to keep their activities a secret from the other orders, because they knew their actions would not be approved. But once we let the LA Free Council know what's going on, they take steps to run interference for us while we mount our rescue operation.
• Issa portals Rasayana and Malachite into the home of Wash and Nell. When we tell them why we're there, they are somewhat suspicious, but soon they're all too ready to embrace the opportunity we're offering them. Nell goes out into the neighborhood to spread the word to the other Tourblancs under the guise of delivering food.
• The Sleeper bodyguards we hired are stymied at the gate to the subdivision by a couple of State Patrol cars. Assuming they're Guardians, Malachite orders some of his mercenaries to try and take them out, without bloodshed. The mercs are quickly captured, but luckily the cops aren't Guardians. They're local Adamantine Arrows, sent in to make sure no violence takes place in the subdivision. They're using the Guardians' own secrecy against them; since the Guardians' operation is unofficial, the Arrows don't have to acknowledge their authority or allow them to proceed.
• Malachite gives Issa the signal to open up the portal to the Chicago Tribune building. Issa and Aquinas are waiting there to escort the refugees to their next destination. There is heavy Mind magic on the Tribune's lobby, so no Sleepers notice the portals that open and close around them.
• Malachite sends Wash through first, since he's the only one who knows that Issa is waiting on the other side. Many of the Tourblancs will think Issa is there to kill them. Malachite is hoping that Wash can ease the tension. Wash thanks Issa for what he's doing, and also tells him that the Guardians are holding his father.
• While Rasayana is talking to one of the Arrows, a Guardian shows up on the scene, the same woman that Rasayana saw kill an entire family in their sleep. The Arrow and Rasayana confront her. Rasayana pulls his gun out. He really, really wants to shoot her. But the Arrow says he can stop either of them before they make a move, and his fastest spells are killing spells. Both Rasayana and the Guardian back down.
• Issa starts opening up additional portals to move the refugees out faster. Four people were out of the neighborhood when we came in. Issa is able to use their true names to locate them and portal them to safety. We manage to get all but one of the Tourblancs out of the city. The Guardians get to the last man before we can.
• Malachite sends Rasayana through the portal after the last Tourblanc, but stays behind to talk with the Arrow named Job. He wants to make sure his Sleeper bodyguards are going to be released unharmed.
• Job assures Malachite that his people will be fine and promises to notify him when they're released. Malachite wants to bring in his demolitions guy to burn the neighborhood down. Job won't go for that, but he gives Malachite his oath that he will personally sever all sympathetic ties that remain. Job wants to know what order Malachite belongs to. He seems disappointed that it's not the Adamantine Arrow.
• A few days after we complete our mission of mercy, Aquinas contacts us, requesting to meet with our entire cabal. He is very grateful for what we did for his family. If he had known what was happening, he would have taken action himself, and he now plans to “have words” with the LA Silver Ladder. He takes us out to dinner and tells us that he would like permission to set up sanctum in Astoria. He wants to be on hand to help us out in case anyone comes after us for our part in the Tourblanc rescue. He also simply wants to retire somewhere quiet.
• Aquinas tells Malachite that he and the Tourblanc family feel that Malachite should not only be repaid for his financial contribution to the rescue, but should get a return on his investment. Aquinas wants to have his family accountants look over Malachite's finances and help him improve them.
• Finally, Aquinas wants to mentor Rasayana in the ways of his legacy, the Uncrowned Kings.