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TheTome /
EarthWardSessionTwoYou are on the archive wiki. The new wiki is here. That weekend Lee hits Rondebosch library to try to find some logical explanation for the weird goings on that week. Monday lunch finds the three sitting soaking up some sun on the grass on campus when the girl who'd asked Eben for a lift to the Beltaine festival approaches them with a group of her friends. To Lee's horror JP and Eben agree to their plan to meet on Saturday to have a picnic and walk up the mountain to check the best route. While they're talking they notice a guy in a black silk shirt with flames running up the sleeves hanging around the edge of the group. The girls move off and he comes up to them and introduces himself as Louis. He wants to know what they know about the festival. Suspicious, they tell him that they only know what's on the flyers. He's very pushy about it, but eventually seems to believe them and wanders off. Lee decides to go to the labs to see what information she can dig up on the Rosecrucians. She discovers that they're an off-shoot of the Free Masons and reportedly have links to the Knights Templar and the Scottish Rights. Suddenly she feels someone reading over her shoulder and whirls around to confront the person. She is faced with a short, creepy looking guy who proceeds to babble on about the Ante-Deluvians, whom he calls angels. He goes on to tell her that he and his friends believe that they are coming soon and will favour those who support their return. She presses him to know why he was reading over her shoulder and he says that he happened to notice that she was reading about the Rosecrucians, who he says were created by the Ante-Deluvians. He finally introduces himself as Tristan and invites Lee to one of their meetings where he and his friends get together to 'prepare'. She scribbles his number down on the back of one of her empty cigarette boxes and promises to call later. That evening she recounts her meeting with JP and Eben. On Wednesday JP is sitting around at Café Nescafe with the CLAW crowd and hears people talking about a guy called Gavin they met at Gandalf's who claims to be an ex-Rosecrucian but he left because they were asking him for too much money. He says that he learned things from them, but he can't talk about it because of the whole vow of secrecy thing. JP asks around and the general consensus is that he should be at Gandalf's on Friday. After JP tells them about Gavin the three decide to try asking some of the older CLAW members about the Rosecrucians. Cassandra tells them that she knows a witch in Hout Bay who knows about the Rosecrucians. Following up on their only lead they head off to Gandalf's on Friday night and settle down for a good evening of drinking and waiting. They meet up with some CLAW members and they meet Cassandra and her boyfriend Dirk who says he's a witch and claims to be able to make it rain on command. Disgusted Lee heads off to the dance floor to keep an eye out for Gavin, leaving Eben and JP to chat with Dirk about magic. They find out that he belongs to a coven in Hout Bay and when JP tries to pull off a spell both Cassandra and Dirk notice and comment on it. They agree to meet up with Dirk on Sunday to talk more about magic. As the evening progresses Eben works his charms on the ladies with JP as his trusty wingman. Lee later joins the CLAW members outside when a BMW pulls over and a guy with long black hair and glasses get out and comes towards them. Lee is told that this is Gavin and she notices that his hairline is quite far back, but not as a result of balding, and that his neck is covered in scars. As he walks up to greet them he keeps his right hand covered and makes a point of only shaking with his left hand. Lee chats to him for a while, but is unable to find out anymore than they already know. JP runs into Gavin when he goes inside to get a drink and comments on his right hand, doing a very bad 'the claw' act. Gavin storms out, followed very shortly by JP. Shooting looks of irritation at JP Lee runs after him to try and calm him down. JP focuses and channels essence to calm Gavin down. As Lee and Gavin rejoin the group they all find that they can't help but look at JP and hang on his every word. Gavin now seems only too happy to talk to him. He tells JP that the Ante-Deluvians are a form of spirit very similar to the Christian angels and that he can put them in touch with a guy who can tell them more. JP and Gavin exchange numbers and when a very odd guy takes a particular interest in JP and leaves to fetch a friend they find Eben and make a hasty getaway. Later that morning as they are getting ready to leave on the hike with the girls JP gets a message from Gavin with his friend's number. The hike is pleasantly uneventful. JP takes advantage of the good weather the next morning to get some surfing done. Making good use of his new skills he has the best waves seen along the coast for years. On his return he finds Eben and Lee slogging through a maths tut and they are all more than eager to go on a trip to Hout Bay when Dirk calls. When they arrive Dirk demonstrates his ability to make it rain and JP decides to have some fun and lessens the shower. He then pulls ice out of Dirk's ear and as he holds it, it lengthens in his hand. He looks up to find Dirk smiling at him. Dirk mentions the Rosecrucians and they ask him what he knows. He and some of his coven encountered some of their magicians at a nearby place of power. He didn't recognise any of them, but he thinks that one of them may have been a Dorman, who they learn is a very powerful family that owns most of Hout Bay. When asked what else he can do he explains that he can clear negative energy and essence from people and places and that he can bless them to bring them good luck. He doesn't know much about the Ante-Deluvians, but he tells them that he has a guardian angel named Enoch who may be able to help. Lee sits to one side as Eben asks more about spirits and, disturbed by the rain and ice earlier, she takes more of her medication. She looks up to see a drop of water moving around the table with JP focusing on it with a grin on his face. Dirk tells them that there are three members of his coven and offers to teach them how to join a circle to increase the power available to them. Lee reluctantly joins them and as everyone concentrates they feel energy being drawn out of them and rushing into Lee, who no one can sense. Alarmed, they all break the connection and try again with Lee only too happy to sit out. Eben and JP feel essence flowing into them, filling them with power. Dirk suggests that they walk down to a nearby dam so that Eben can practice summoning spirits. As Eben concentrates the water in the river seems to sparkle as if full of energy and a sparkling, fast moving watery figure leaves the flow and approaches him. The water spirit is more than happy to talk to Eben and is very excitable, suggesting that he tries talking to the spirits of books, as they were once trees themselves. The spirit mentions that they each have a 'true name' and Dirk seems stunned that they don't know theirs. They join him as he performs the required ritual and they are all filled with this sudden knowing. That evening Lee and Eben go to the campus library. Lee pores over books trying to explain the day's events and her research leads her to the conclusion that she is experiencing a strong side-effect of her schizophrenia medication and decides to go cold turkey. Eben summons three spirits from the books and they ask that he performs a small task to shelve some books in exchange for information from them. Later that evening as they finish up their maths tut in Lee's room JP receives a message from Harold Flemming, Gavin's contact with the Rosecrucians. He tells them that his ex-boss's uncle is a member of the Rosecrucians and he advises them as to the best way of getting to speak to him. |