The Shadow Inside
13th of November 2006 A.D.
Vittorio Malvora is a mystery... and you do not like mysteries, not ones in black and grey among a coterie of predators, it's like an itch between your shoulders, right where a knife would go. With enough power, with enough eyes upon him you can dig it out of him, that you are sure of, but just as keenly you are aware that those eyes do not just yearn to see, but to be seen, sparks of nuclear fire in fancy silverware reflected. They would probably put people off their canape and oysters. Thus restrained you fix your eyes upon his boring as heck tie, not even enough imagination to go for a colorful one and ask:
How is the owner of this tie warded from my sight?
On that unremarkable path in the shadow of a fake chateaux, the smell of night flowers and fine parfume applied perhaps a bit to liberally you encounter something you had not since taking up the Crown of Wisdom, the Crown of Eyes: a shadow in its sight, a void that looms above the vampire's left shoulder up and up until it seems to eat the stars.
Lost 1 Essence -> Now at 13/15
His master's work.
Ashraaah's work
The word, passes into your mind like a worm crawling through silt and you know that were you merely a mortal wizard so too would it seek to pass out of mind without a trace in memory. But you did not overhear it on the night air, not did you read it in some pilfered scroll or upon a screen left carelessly open... open for the careless. You took it and what you take you keep. Meaning you draw from it as one might drill an oil well down to hell.
Not-Man, Once-Man, Husk. All that was of him in the Image of God is
Not and in the place of God, something else, a hunger, a need, a Howling.
All at once the world snaps back into focus, all the sights and sounds of nocturnal gathering spinning around and round in a haze of of blind gaiety, knowing not for the servant, the puppet of darkness that walks among them, for you do not think the Ashraaah is capable of keeping servants that its influence does not devour.
Yet you keep your calm, the smile upon your lips unchanged. "Well if we're sharing idle speculation, then perhaps she just didn't feel the need to be so
blunt about it."Laughs and titters redouble, but Vittorio seems more concerned with getting away from you then with throwing some barb over his shoulder. So you add: "It was a cute little ice breaker, but I hope you don't mind me saying your technique could use some work".
Finally Vittorio turns, lazily as though he is not clearly the loser of this bout. "I have more important
techniques to concern myself with."
Most of the laughter has stilled but the man who looks like Thomas shouts: "A gentleman does not tell nor does he boast Vitto."
"Fuck you Madrigal!" he says none too softly.
Madrigal, one of the names on your list, the only Raith. Somehow that revelation is shocking, almost as if some part of you does not want to believe that the bad guys can cheer you on putting down other bad guys.
But then my powers seem made to make the bad guys cheer. Case in point the demon currently filling you on on what 'Ashraaah' means beyond the flash of insight and revulsion.
They are the wizards who look not inwards to the world, with spite, with kindness, with malice or with curiosity it matters not, for this purpose all wizards are brothers and sisters, but Outwards to the Dark who take it into themselves. That's when it
clicks in your head, a realization you had been feeling yourself towards ever since you had burned that Circle into the stone and then met the old sea monster, ever sine you had looked into the soul of Nemesis, Outside is not a side in the cosmic dance, it is a place where dwell those cast out of Creation plot its unmaking. As Exiles are wont to they might work together when it suits them, but their purpose need not align utterly.
Regained 2 Essence -> Now at 15/15
After a moment, making sure Vittorio is really leaving you turn back towards the house and finally cross Lara's threshold. Apparently Lara's a huger at social events, who would have thunk it?
What do you do?
[] Try to pass on what you saw to Lara (Charisma+Subterfuge)
-[] Use Excellency (optional)
[] Send her a message, you have her number and Cthulhu probably does not read texts. Hopefully she's not one of those people who does not check her phone at parties
[] Write in
OOC: Yes the term is borrowed from the Nephandi, this is another one of those places where canon does not give one much to go with because Harry does not know how those connections work so I had to do my own thing. That does not mean we have Cauls and inverted avatars though, there are no avatars in this magic. 
