That is a brilliant theory, but it makes me wonder - what allows the Cagliostro Cult to control Cags? Is it a natural part of being the Cagliostro that they tap into, or is there more to it? A device they put on him? A spell they use? Apparently Cags had the chance to break free at some point, but was that before or after he inherited the Cagliostro mantle?
If Lauren does merge with Cags, does that mean she’ll be able to be controlled by the cult, or would they need to do something to her first? I assume they would hunt her down regardless, seeing as they view Cags as their property.
Whatever the case, I’m really nervous and curious about what this merging means.
While many risks could arise I mean, we could offer to help Cags, times running out and he knows we’re here. We might as well help him. Tell him one of our Ebenguard had a prophecy so we don’t have to tell him we’re reading his emails.
@OracleSage, I understand and appreciate your empathy about this. Even if we wanted to help I don’t think we have the power to help him. We have no idea what’s happening or who’s involved. If Cags has a plan, we just have to see what he has in mind.
Oh yeah, I forgot to post this exchange with Marty.
Sorry for being slow to respond. Things have been a bit wild around here, but, yeah, you were right. I’m with the Mountaineers. And I can say, thankfully, none of us have been blown to the six corners yet.
Explaining how I got the information is…kind of complicated. Long story short, you know the Lost Collection the Mounties have been looking for? It made its presence known online and we’ve been unlocking it bit by bit. And in doing that, we were lead to Cagliostro…secretly accessing some materials he has in his possession.
That’s not the main reason that I’m sending this, though. You need to know that these people are dangerous. One of our operatives had a run-in with his assistant, trying to get an Ackerly Green book that she was also after. She straight up tried to set the library on fire to get rid of him. I have no idea what his true intentions are with inviting you there - he claims it’s to “reward” you for searching for magic for so long - but you should be careful. Cagliostro is no joke, and neither is Lauren.
And he responded with:
Sounds like you Mountaineers are up to your old shenanigans.
I appreciate the warning, but I gotta think if that old magician wanted me dead, I’d be dead already.
Nah, this feels bigger.
But we’ll see
Hopefully he doesn’t get turned into a frog. I think he’ll probably be okay, but I’m a perpetual worrier.
Don’t forget everyone that the performance is tonight! I’m not sure if we’ll see anything happen until we hear back from Marty but anything’s possible so keep an ear and an eye open!
7 hours and counting. Any news on your end? Gotta admit, getting a bit of jitters.
I gave him the cliffnotes summary of The Translation and a heads up about Cagliostro’s plan to do…something. Which, admittedly, probably didn’t help in the nerves department. But I figure he should know what he’s getting into.I just really hope he makes it out in one piece!
Everybody was losing their minds when it opened. Everybody but her. The thing looked like it went on for miles inside. A million miles. Something hit her, knocked her across the room. I didn’t see what, not fully. Saw enough to know I didn’t want to. I just ran. I picked her up and got her out a side door, up to the main terminal, I don’t know what happened to everybody else, I didn’t look back. You can hear for yourself–
You’re gonna wanna have a light on, I’m still catching my breath. Never in my life have I seen something like what I saw tonight. The performance of a lifetime.
She was staring up at the ceiling of Grand Central, talking about seeing everything, the beginning, the end. Then this wind picked up like somebody left a door open. Freezing.
Then she whispered to me, turned to snow in my arms, and blew away. I still haven’t slept.
I’m sorry you had to go through that. We suspected he would try something like this.
Now Lauren is a fugitive I guess, with more power than she knows how to control.
Stay Safe Marty.
Let’s use caution on using the word “fugitive” for now. Although she did set the Morgan Library on fire*, she was doing what she thought would save The Cagliostro. To me she was blinded by the task she thought was most important. And then on top of that, I don’t believe she had any idea what The Original Cagliostro had in mind with the spell. She may be a fugitive in the eyes of the group wanting to kill the Original Cagliostro, but I think we as mountaineers/recruits should be weary of labeling someone something like that quite yet.
*I have yet to see news of the Morgan Library catching fire. Could this have been a mystical fire, maybe one that had the real properties of fire for the duration of the spell and then it just “vanished” once Lauren had what she wanted. A good distraction, clear the room kind of spell. This would lend itself to her being even less of a “fugitive”. Or maybe the news just hasn’t made it out to Canada yet of the library actually catching on fire.
Looks like Cags set up one more email to be delivered today.
Lauren,
I scheduled this to be delivered after my final performance.
I always knew that the tetrahedron was a sacrificial alter. I foresaw that my true successor would help me open it and whatever was inside would finally, thankfully end my long life. I have known you for centuries, Lauren. The thought of you at least. Apprentice after apprentice. And then you. No one is your master now. Not me. Not them. They will either cower or come to claim you. But what you do with the power you have now is up to you.
Don’t grieve me, my dear Lauren. Perhaps I have traveled beyond the lying veil, to the source of all this power. Or perhaps I am atoms scattered in the dark. Either way, I am free.
@Brendon, I think Cole mentioned the fire being there one second and gone the next so maybe that’s what happened. Either magimystic fire or actual fire and whatever power was in the library made it backfire.
He promised to fill me in after the event, here’s hoping everything goes well.