mage meeting open to all mages and mage allies

[birdhousesoul]

Date & Time PIE DAY. Um, fuzzy timing - post-mission, post-spamming of everyone by Martin Septim, pre-United Earth Boat Trip, pre-leadership meeting
Location: Magehouse aka Unit 205
Characters: Anyone who didn't block Martin Septim's spam private message; anyone who considers herself a mage; anyone who likes pie
Summary: Time to get this MAGE COLLECTIVE started so it can exist ICly before the upcoming plot kicks off
Warnings: Anders is a loudmouth, look out blood mages


INITIATIVE DOSSIER: TRANSPORT HOUSING UNIT 205 aka 'magehouse'

Unit 205 is the haunt of mages and cats. Its human residents are Martin Septim (a mage), Anders (a very loud mage), Nathaniel Howe (a Grey Warden who doesn't mind mages in certain contexts), and sometimes, unofficially, a woman named Delphine (a stalker grandma who hides under Martin Septim's bed).

Its feline residents are a large tabby of Thedosian origin, male, intact, named "Ser Pounce-a-lot" (possibly also a mage), and a grey kitten (native to Exsilium) recently rescued by Martin Septim.

Like all standard transport housing units, Unit 205 contains three bedrooms. The Thedosian residents share a room, Martin Septim has a room to himself (Delphine, officially domiciled elsewhere, does not always succeed in secreting herself within the emperor's quarters, and is usually commanded to leave when he discovers her presence), and the third bedroom has been converted into a headquarters for seditious activities and scrapbooking. Cat beds also reside in this room.



A long time ago (okay, seven or eight years), in Amaranthine, the fugitive mage known as Anders declared that the smell of freshly-baked pie was, for all intents and purposes, the smell of freedom.

Sadly, he's not much of a baker. The pies on offer at tonight's possibly-a-mage-collective meeting are not fresh, but shelf-stable and store-bought. There are, however, a lot of them. There is also lemonade, mixed from concentrate. Convenience foods are strange to the people of Thedas, strange in a good way: readily available! full of preservatives! preservatives are good!

Anders isn't sure how many people will actually come to this meeting. The word has been spread informally, and as discreetly as is possible given that he's sure the network is monitored by the Initiative. He doesn't have an agenda written up; it wouldn't occur to him to do so, being from a world where xerox machines are unknown and laser printers are right out. He has, however, appropriated a flip chart and some markers from the Initiative Hold, and set them up in a corner.

Every piece of furniture usable for sitting — desk chairs, kitchen chairs, cushions — has been dragged into the living room, and the dining room table has been pushed up against a wall to create an impromptu pie-and-lemonade buffet.

This is a far cry from gathering in the sewers of Darktown. No one wants to eat pie in a sewer.

Where Anders comes from, mages aren't always open about their identity, thanks to systemic religious persecution. He won't be surprised by anyone who shows up, and he won't turn anyone away. Even if they're just here to eat pie.


[No posting order, everything's totally pretty much freeform (I tried to give it some structure but don't feel constrained); anyone should feel free to threadjack into any conversation unless someone marks in the subject line of the comment that you shouldn't for some reason, like "Anders and Martin are arguing in whispers about blood mages, don't interrupt" or something]

Comments

meet and greet 1: nomming pie

[birdhousesoul]

(Fruit pies and something like a pecan pie. Nothing to write home about but they've been warmed up and they smell okay)

(Come in and talk to anyone in any number of subthreads off this baby)

Re: meet and greet 1: nomming pie

[noble_nate]

Nathaniel hadn't actually been planning on coming to this meeting (even though it was occurring at his house) due to the fact that he isn't a mage. But after being assured that there would be cherry pie non-mages were welcome, he had decided to come to show support of his mage friends. He helps himself to a slice of pie before sitting in a chair off to the side, content to just scope everyone out watch the proceedings.


OOC: Nathaniel doesn't plan on taking a very vocal part in the meeting, but feel free to come and chat him up about... anything, really.

[thleepy]

Nik's not a mage. Nik's not really sure what magic is, other than 'pretty lights'. Nik can do something like telekinesis, but he doesn't think that's magic, he just thinks that's weird shenanigans and doesn't care much about it and, in fact, is not thinking about that at all.

He's not really thinking about magic.

He's thinking about pie.

He's thinking about how being just barely three feet tall sucks.

Nik smacks his hands down onto the surface of the table. He can reach the pies near the edges no problem (and already has, multiple times). But there's a really plump-looking pie sitting right smack in the middle of the table that Nik's arms can't reach. And he wants it.

He looks around, but everyone else looks busy (talking about legitimate magic things). Everyone but that guy in the chair over there. Nik straightens up, stares at him, and then wanders over.

"Can you help me, mister?" Nik asks, all big, hopeful eyes. "I wanna pie."

Re: meet and greet 1: nomming pie

[checksum]

Osprey, having done what he could to give the meeting at least some pretense of privacy, is also hugging the sidelines and nursing a plate of pie, having obtained small slivers of the various options.

Taking a seat next to Howe, he pokes at one of the flavors of pie with his fork. "What's this orange one, do you know?" he asks. "I don't think I recognize the fruit."

Re: meet and greet 1: nomming pie

[hernes_son]

Robin ran a hand over his growling midsection as he walked through the unfamiliar hallway, following his nose. This new body of his had been conjured with an empty belly, and the unmistakable scent of pie was wafting in his general direction. Fruit pie. Hot, spiced fruit pie, and nuts, and molasses...

And that last hungry rumble practically echoed off the walls. Robin strode past the room he'd been assigned to sleep in. The ethereal presence of pie reassured him on several levels: first and most visceral, that there was food to be had, and soon; but that it was fruit pie meant that despite his empty senses, something did indeed grow somewhere in this Gods-forsaken place. And he would find it.

His stomach snarled, and Robin grimaced to himself. First things first.

[uncalled_for]

Fiona was not the most ecstatic about this upcoming meeting. She found Anders was being too vocal about things that hardly mattered here. But organization was also just as needed and she wasn't about to sit back and twiddle her thumbs while others did so without her.

Her room was only a floor below so she took her sweet time heading to the meeting. And speaking of sweets, the hallway reeked of sugar and molasses. Apparently he was actually serious when he said he planned for there to be pie.

But before Fiona got to the door she saw another man walking the hallways. She couldn't tell if he was lost, but he certainly looked determined about something. Not to mention he appeared to be heading toward the same door as her. Although he certainly didn't look like a mage.

"Looking for something?"

Feel free to come and bother her~

[croissant_du_ange]

[Mage? Well, Margaret wasn't sure if her powers were good enough to be considered a mage, but dammit: she was ranked for in a organization of bloodthirsty killers and was known as the grim reaper. It was worth a shot to check at the very least.

Plus, pie.

So, you may see her walking over to the table as we speak, before attempting to converse with someone.]

[boughtabookstore]

[ In an attempt to make it less obvious she's here only to take notes on everyone involved and the capabilities, Roslyn is 'mingling', for certain values of the word. Mostly she's nodding and saying hello to those she sees around her, and she does the same to this new woman, though with a sharper glance. She's never seen her before. ]

Hello.

[bladehood]

Delphine is just....giving all available pie a suspicious look, as if she expects it to be poisoned. Or contain a spring-loaded knife, or a live slaughterfish, or some other nasty surprise.

She prods the crust of the nearest one - apple, by the smell of it. Perhaps she can be cajoled into actually trying some? Who knows.

[croissant_du_ange]

Well...this was certainly interesting. It was very rare anyone ever stared at a food item like it was going to murder them. This, combined with the fact that Margaret could stand to make some allies in this city, she might as well talk to some people. Even the interesting ones...no, especially the interesting ones.

So have a goth strolled up on the side of you and proceed glance in your direction before picking up the knife in her gloved hand. "It's not going to bite, you know." and after she said that, she cut herself a slice and placed it on a plate. "Would you like one as well?"

serious business part 1: not really an icebreaker but Anders is trying okay

[birdhousesoul]

When everyone's more or less settled, and people are starting to fidget a bit in that sort of what's all this, is someone going to say something or what quasi-confused fashion, Anders makes a loud coughing sound to draw attention.

"Thanks for coming. We've got a lot to say, and I've already given my speech via the network, so I won't slow things down by repeating it all. In a nutshell: being here is fairly horrid, we have powers to do various helpful things, and we may as well use those powers to do helpful things for ourselves.

"Perhaps we ought to go around the room and do introductions? Name, world of origin, year, and specialization? And whatever else you like. Favorite color.

"I'm Anders, as you know. I'm from a world we call Thedas, and the year was 9:37 Dragon last I checked. I'm what's called a spirit healer, which is ... what it says on the tin. Channelling the energy of Fade spirits to do healing. I'm also fond of shooting lightning at people I don't like. And my favorite color is green," this although he's entirely dressed in black.

He turns expectantly toward the nearest person to his left. "And you?"

good jorb andurrs

[bladehood]

Delphine is giving everyone present that's unfamiliar a glance-over, carving their faces to her memory. A paranoid, mistrustful process, yet one that has become such a part of her that she only dimly realizes what she's doing. Ander's voice makes her attention return to him, and there's a twinge of both wry amusement and irritation when she meets his expectant gaze. But she might as well play along, if anything was to come of this.

"Delphine." No last name is offered; her voice is gruff and no nonsense. "Tamriel, 4E 201, and I'm a Blade. Not that the name means anything to you lot, I'm sure." Beneath the unchanging flatness of her tone come....feelings, kept under control and yet unable to be ignored: the habitual unease at being even partially open about her identity, the bitterness at how far the Blades have fallen to be so forgotten even in Tamriel, and a deep weariness at the unavoidable reminder of how she's one of the very last of that once proud and powerful group.

"But to keep it brief, it means I can do a lot of things. Archery, swordsmanship, some magic. Eh, but I'm no mage - I can do mostly only basic spells, like fireballs and minor healing. Hn....some conjuration, and a power called Dragonskin. With it, I can absorb half of the magic from hostile spells for a full minute. It's an inherent ability, nothing I can teach. Comes with having Breton blood."

A pause, and then Delphine leans back in her seat and folds her arms. "That's all." The question of her favorite color goes pointedly unanswered.

Re: good jorb andurrs

[septim]

Martin smirks at Delphine's standoffish introduction. Unlike most people sitting in this room, her acerbic, distrustful nature puts him at ease, used to the stuffy deference of the Blades.

"Ah," Martin mouths at his turn, dusting his arms on the sides of his cassock as he stands to introduce himself. "My name is Martin Septim. I'm from Tamriel as well, but from the Third Era, Year 433." That'll probably confuse some people. "I'm a mage, formally trained at the Arcane University of the Mages' Guild in Cyrodiil, the Imperial province. Healing and elemental magic are my specialty, though I can...conjure weapons and creatures too."

But Martin dislikes conjuring daedra greatly, mouth falling into a pensive frown as he pushes aside the memories that threaten to surface. Best to steer through. "My racial power is an Illusion spell that improves people's disposition towards myself, colloquially known as Voice of the...Emperor." And Martin can't help chuckling briefly at such coincidence. "I run the clinic with John Watson. If you ever need healing, magical training or anything, please don't hesitate to seek me out."

Go with Akatosh is a pointless sentiment in this realm, so Martin sits back down, arms folded on his lap.

serious business part 2: working groups?

[birdhousesoul]

"When Martin messaged you all through the network, he put out a call for healers, not just mages but any sort of healer. He and Watson have their clinic running, and it's using technology donated by the Initiative. What else can we bring to the table? I know Bariyan can conjure maggots, for example, which is quite useful for debriding putrescent wounds," Anders shares brightly.

Are you trying to put everyone off their dessert, Anders?

"Not to single you out or anything, Bariyan, but honestly, I think it's brilliant.

"There have got to be other groups of affinity. I'm sure not all our classifications will map one-to-one against each other, but it's a place to start."

This is when he breaks out the flip chart.

"I started out asking my flatmate Martin what schools of magic they use in Tamriel. This is what he gave me, more or less — I'm not the best note-taker, so he'll correct me if I've got something wrong, of course. But the accuracy of the descriptions isn't really the point here, so bear with me a moment."

Anders shows half the first sheet; the other half is covered with a second sheet.

Tamriel

• Alchemy (make potions and poisons)
  
• Alteration (alter the physical world)
  
• Conjuration (summon creatures, spirits, artefacts)
  
• Destruction (attack magic, includes elemental)
  
• Illusion (create deceptive appearances, affect people's minds)
  
• Mysticism (absorb and reflect magic, bind enemies)
  
• Restoration (healing)

"Then I tried to align these with the schools I learned in Thedas. The result was ... well, here, I'll show you," and he uncovers the other half, to reveal that the list was only one column of a table he's kludged together.

Tamriel	Thedas
•Alchemy (make potions and poisons)	•Herbalism (make potions, poultices, dog treats)
•Alteration (alter the physical world)	•Force magic (affect gravity)
•Conjuration (summon creatures, spirits, artefacts)	•no clear equivalent
•Destruction (attack magic, includes elemental)	•Elemental (attack magic - fire, ice); •Primal (attack magic - earth, sky)
•Illusion (create deceptive appearances, affect people's minds)	•Entropy (attack magic - horrible visions, put enemies to sleep, confuse enemies)
•Mysticism (absorb and reflect magic, bind enemies)	•Arcane (protective/shield allies, defensive/bind enemies), •Spirit (drain energy, turn enemies' power against them)
•Restoration (healing)	•Creation (support - healing, strengthening, speed), •Spirit (drain energy, turn enemies' power against them)

"And this," he concludes, "is why I think it might not be so useful to try matching up our various systems."

He turns the page to reveal a page divided into quarters. Each quarter has a heading:

1. Offense
2. Defense
3. Support
4. Miscellaneous

"The looser the classification, the better."

1. Offense

[birdhousesoul]

(Tag to this if your character wants their name in the Offense group)

Re: 1. Offense

[birdhousesoul]

Anders writes his own name under Offense, and notes (fire, ice, lightning) next to that.

[bladehood]

Delphine writes her name under Offense, and after a moment, adds (conjuration, fire, ice) next to it. She plans to be largely....physical in battle, cutting through enemies with the honed steel of her sword, but it'd be a waste to forsake the magical aptitude her Breton blood grants her when there's an obvious need for it.

[last_man_standing]

Vitali writes his name under Offense then adds (element magic. Fire, earth, water, air...the works). He'd really rather not have to use his magic this way but he has it and it may as well be used, should the need arise.

2. Defense

[birdhousesoul]

(Tag to this if your character wants their name in the Defense group)

3. Support

[birdhousesoul]

(Tag to this if your character wants their name in the Support group - this would be healers, for example)

4. Miscellaneous

[birdhousesoul]

(Tag here if you are Bariyan e Kodhi your character has some Miscellaneous power)

serious business part 3: Anders you ignorant slut

[birdhousesoul]

(Tag here if your character wants to yell at Anders during the serious-business meeting, or to raise some cogent objections, or to be vocally cranky)

"Any objections as to ... well, any of this? That we're collaborating? That we're openly identifying as mages? That we're eating pie?"

Vocally cranky, check

[uncalled_for]

Fiona was happily standing on the sidelines watching the mildly ordered chaos. Not so terrible for their first meeting, perhaps. But the sudden wrap up seemed a little too soon.

She'll step forward from the wall she was standing by and hold up her hand. "Shouldn't we plan when to have our next meeting? Or what to do when other potential members present themselves? Not to mention, we may be organized into groups but that still leaves those who need to take time to cast their spells at a disadvantage. We'll need to collaborate with those with warrior skills or other ways to help defend our own numbers."

random taggings

[birdhousesoul]

(don't be daunted by the above structure, ignore it if you want to, IT IS ALL RIGHT BY ME)

Re: random taggings

[last_man_standing]

Vitali listened to the presentation; watching the other people in the room. The last time he'd been a part of any large gathering of mages; it had not ended well at all. Still, it was worth it to give this a chance.

"I do have a question. What about those of us with more flexible skill sets? I am an element mage....among other things, and my skills cater to both offensive and defensive ends of the spectrum."