On one hand, true. On another, the mission statement of the Order of Cauldron is protection of its members and, at least the intention is, of small-time practitioners in the area in general. This is a good point to start expanding the order into the Paranet it can be. And Bane is probably a better guardian than Lydia's wards. Possibly even with the type advantage. I do agree that involving Lydia is a good idea, and if the kitty cat joins Lydia, that gives her a large boost.
Ok, so, touching her... Agreed. That might be a bit too much for her. Changing the stunt, and adding calling Lydia. If nothing else, she can also provide shelter. And there are probably unquiet dead around.
[X] Try to convince her to introduce you to those other spirits, you are going to do this properly... even though it might be a little obvious
-[X] Empathy excellency to convince and console her, and Etiquette excellency for the introductions
-[X] Text Helen. See if she can shelter the shamans for a couple of days; hers is pretty much the most protected dwelling in town right now, as far as wards go.
-[X] Call Lydia at first opportunity
--[X] STUNT: The spirit before you is most likely old. It is definitely not human. It is still someone who lost a loved one to predation of the forces of evil. You shuffle awkwardly, a desire to hug her warring with he fear of spooking her "I am sorry for your loss; I wasn't here then. I am now. I cannot bring him back for you. I will avenge him. Now, please, help me make sure that others don't have to go through what you experienced. And then we'll get you and them into safety" you say in a consoling tone. Moments later, as you leave the alley to go meet the hiding shamans, you fish out your phone out of your pocket, and text Helen. These might not be Ordos' members, but the principle of the point stands - humans have to stick together.
1)No it isnt.
Let me quote Pauline Moskowitz about their mission statement:
The words come more quickly now, smoother, like something she had said a dozen times before: "We are all made in the image of the Divine, whether one sees that as One or Many, Male or Female, Manifest or Transcendent and we all seek to cleave to God by whatever Name we call Him, magic is not something you do, something you can choose to stop, no more than you can stop breathing, it is just that some of us make wider ripples than others, blessed with the power to touch the fates and hearts of others and cursed with the eye of dark things, things like he Pathfinders. This is a world at war and it has been so long before the White Council noticed that vampires are indeed terrible." She laughs, sharp and hollow. "The best any of us can do is keep our wits about us and support each other as we can, check up calls, common workings, that sort of thing."
"Us?" you prompt.
Pauline stops to think, weighing danger against opportunity and perhaps the presence of a Knight of the Cross against whatever you feel like to her spirit companion. "The Ordo Lebetis, I guess you could think of us as a coven,, though really the only common rede we have is 'Do as ye will, harm ye none'. It's like the way people would gather in the old days to build a house or some other meaningful task in a village."
"Call up the militia?" Lydia interjects, curiously.
"Heavens no, we are not a power, we would be ground to powder and cast into the winds if we tried that. Just knowing there are other people in the know around you is enough to keep off most predators and for those insistent or malicious enough to persist a strong ward and steady hands bearing their banes usually suffice. Strength in numbers basically."
Notice how Anna Ash's reaction to her friend dying wasnt to declare war, or to scour Chinatown for other potential targets?
They currently have neither the resources, nor the magical, mental or physical preparations for it.
One member's mega warded safehouse does not a supernatural-fighting organization make.
There are members who are willing to take a more proactive stance if they have the resources.
But most Cauldron members are normal people with families who want to live, not enlist to fight a war. It behooves us not make decisions for Cauldron unilaterally, or draw fire to them that they do not have the power or preparations to stand off.
Do remember they would be targets as well if Eiko's crew expanded their targetset outside of Chinatown.
And even if/when we get them to expand?
Their baptism of fire should not be an elder Akuma of Emma-O and its entourage.
Thats like having a naagloshii be the training mission for the Alphas, or a loup garou for the Jade Dogs.
We may well have to lean on the Church for this.
Father Forthill and the Church has experience hiding people from supernatural threat, and supernaturals cant cross the grounds of a consecrated church, not with hostile intent.
Charity literally took the Carpenter family there after the fetches kidnapped Molly.
2) Bane is a better allround guardian than Lydia's wards.
Just not necessarily in this situation; her wards were set up by a Celtic death god, and repaired/reinforced by a White Council wizard who has read the Word of Kemmler.
Its going to be particularly potent against creatures of death like Blampires, Wan Kuei and akuma.
However, Lydia is a lot better at taking care of herself than Helen Beckitt, who has to go to work regularly running a "health club" that closes at night, because brothel hours. And Helen Beckitt, once compromised, leaves magical and data breadcrumbs to all the other delicious morsels of Cauldron, none of whom live under Bane's aegis.
Just getting access to her physical cellphone or phone records will potentially expose Cauldron's entire roster.
And thats something well within the capability of a lot of akuma, who arent unfamiliar with technology or human society.
Four days is enough time to do a shitton of damage, or wire their names home to Emma-O for future action.
